During times of terror, destruction and heartache such as what has recently occurred in ORLANDO - I have found that when I search my own heart it is a completely humbling experience. How do I respond? What could I have done differently? How does this change the world we live in and how can I be of service in times like these? I don't know about you but my dependence upon God grows. I am aware of my inherent selfishness...
Isaiah 11:6-9 The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. Cow and bear will graze the same pasture, their calves and cubs grow up together, and the lion eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens, the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent. Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with...
Warning. You may have heard this story…its widely told but rarely told this way… Sooooo…one year about 13 years ago at Kids Camp, I decided that I would prove to my leader that I could in fact successfully do a backflip. I had already completed 2 with my friend before my leader walked in. I was very confident because I had already done it twice and I was just gonna show her I was right. Well turns out that I WAS RIGHT...
Recently I preached a message which I titled living in full color. Basically it was my testimony of growing up in a Christian home and eventually finding myself veering away from the Christian lifestyle because of disappointment and disillusionment and then finding my way back to God as he gently and lovingly opened my eyes to his goodness and his plan for my life. When I decided to follow him no matter what as a result of people's prayers I found...
In light of the current events that unfolded recently in Orlando Florida I'm sure we are all experiencing a wide range of emotions. From shock horror disgust and sorrow for the victims and the state of our nation as a whole. I for one was thankful to be in church this Sunday and to hear an encouraging message from our Pastor. I was also incredibly humbled and thankful for the opportunity to pray with my church family for the victims...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which plan to take. -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) I can't tell you how many times I have read this scripture over the course of my life as a Christian. I am such a perfectionist, aka, control freak, aka, person who thinks if they don't do something themselves it will not get done, or if it...
Forgiveness. All Christians have received forgiveness from God, so we should forgive others as well. That is why Paul wrote to Philemon, a believer in the church of Colosse. Read this short book in the Bible (Philemon) about forgiving others and treating them like brothers and sister's in Christ....
"Frame your world with your words." - Dr. Caroline Leaf Many times when we are young, our passion for God burns bright and the desire to please God and follow after his will is pure. But in order to really accomplish the will of God for our lives it's important that we learn how to fight for it and how to fight well! Many times, the biggest battle we will have is the battle between our ears. I was listening to Pastor...
When it comes to fighting for the plan of God for my life or for yours, it is imperative that we learn how to pray. Let me start out by telling you about The Legend of Honi; I found this legend when I was reading an amazing book by Mark Batterson called The Circle Maker. In this book Batterson tells about his miraculous journey of faith in starting a church in Washington D.C. He said he circled his prayers in faith...
Making the connection between divine healing and walking in love. When it comes to using our faith for divine healing it can be incredibly frustrating to continue to experience symptoms of pain in your body. One thing that I have found that has helped me in the process of believing God for healing is keeping the right perspective. Many times we get caught up in the actual manifestation part instead of focusing on what is most important in our lives and that...