I can't begin to tell each of you how excited I am that the weekend has FINALLY arrived!!
When I was asked to lead your group a few months ago, I jumped at the opportunity. Your Youth Group holds a very special place in my heart since your time in New Mexico. Though I only know a handful of you, I look forward to getting to know each of you this weekend.
My prayer for our group is that God makes His presence known-that during our group discussions and our hangout times, it will be apparent to all that He is moving in us. I pray that during the sessions, each of you become like a sponge and soak up all that you learn. I pray that you ask questions. I pray that the walls or barriers you may have built up around others, come crashing down during our time together.
This week we will be talking about God's call on each of our lives to greatness. Just as each of you were uniquely created, you are each being called to serve Christ in a unique way. I pray that this weekend, if you don't learn anything else, that you learn to chase after God's calling on your life is to chase greatness.
My prayer for you is that you do not conform to what the world sees as great, but be transformed by the love that the Lord lavishes on you and live a life saturated in the greatness of an Almighty God.
The weekend is just around the corner, so get ready to have some fun!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
rolling stones
While I was home over the break, I had the opportunity to hang out with one of my good friends. We both had been so swamped with school and work that we decided to take a day to do what we girls do best-SHOPPING. It was such a fun day full of bargains and lots of catching up.
One of the things I love most about this friendship is that after catching each other on our families, school life/work life, and so on, we always share with each other about our relationship with Christ, and it is those conversations that always blossom into hour long conversations.
While out shopping, we ran into Lifeway and came across a brand new Beth Moore book, Whispers of Hope. CONFESSION: It is incredibly hard to not pick up a Beth Moore book and me not become consumed with it right away. Anyway, my friend and I were reading about it and found that is was a book entirely devoted to prayer-something I could use some work on desperately. After looking around the store, both of us decided we would read it together and see how our prayer-lives improve.
I could tell you so much about Whispers of Hope, but I don't want to spoil it for those who might want to read it. However, I will tell you it is unlike any Beth Moore book I have read. I can also tell you that though I am only a week into the book, I can already tell a difference not just in what I pray for, but how I pray.
Today's reading was a game changer for me, and I couldn't keep it to myself.
1 Peter 2:4-6
As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
In today's reading, Beth Moore, shares that the Greek word Peter used to refer to believers was lithos, which means small or large stones. What she said next, literally took me aback. Lithos is also the original term used to describe the rolling away of the stone from Christ's tomb.
Mind blown yet?
Peter refers to us as believers as living stones. As living stones, we are capable of living in such a way as to expose to the world an empty tomb-to prove Christ lives! I don't know about you, but I am humbled and excited for that privilege.
Christ could easily speak proof of his existence and holiness to the world, yet he chooses to use us to expose the empty tomb-to show the world a living and active God, who desires a personal relationship with us.
As a "living stone" are you living in such a way, that demonstrates Christ is living and active in your life?
Be encouraged, the tomb is empty (Luke 24:6)! Christ lives and wants a relationship with you.
Living stones: let's get rolling!
One of the things I love most about this friendship is that after catching each other on our families, school life/work life, and so on, we always share with each other about our relationship with Christ, and it is those conversations that always blossom into hour long conversations.
While out shopping, we ran into Lifeway and came across a brand new Beth Moore book, Whispers of Hope. CONFESSION: It is incredibly hard to not pick up a Beth Moore book and me not become consumed with it right away. Anyway, my friend and I were reading about it and found that is was a book entirely devoted to prayer-something I could use some work on desperately. After looking around the store, both of us decided we would read it together and see how our prayer-lives improve.
I could tell you so much about Whispers of Hope, but I don't want to spoil it for those who might want to read it. However, I will tell you it is unlike any Beth Moore book I have read. I can also tell you that though I am only a week into the book, I can already tell a difference not just in what I pray for, but how I pray.
Today's reading was a game changer for me, and I couldn't keep it to myself.
1 Peter 2:4-6
As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
In today's reading, Beth Moore, shares that the Greek word Peter used to refer to believers was lithos, which means small or large stones. What she said next, literally took me aback. Lithos is also the original term used to describe the rolling away of the stone from Christ's tomb.
Mind blown yet?
Peter refers to us as believers as living stones. As living stones, we are capable of living in such a way as to expose to the world an empty tomb-to prove Christ lives! I don't know about you, but I am humbled and excited for that privilege.
Christ could easily speak proof of his existence and holiness to the world, yet he chooses to use us to expose the empty tomb-to show the world a living and active God, who desires a personal relationship with us.
As a "living stone" are you living in such a way, that demonstrates Christ is living and active in your life?
Be encouraged, the tomb is empty (Luke 24:6)! Christ lives and wants a relationship with you.
Living stones: let's get rolling!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
the future is bright and exciting
I've never been much for making resolutions when a new year rolls around-mostly because I break them within the first month...okay the first week.
Recently I was listening to a podcast of a favorite speaker of mine, Christine Caine. She is a power-house of a speaker and I so admire her passion for Christ. She was talking about what she liked to do at the end of a year to prepare herself for the coming new year. At one point in the podcast she began to reflect on the events that occurred during this past year, which made me begin reflecting on my own past year.
Let's be honest, 2013 had some real high points, but also had some very trying moments as well. It was when I got to thinking about the low points that Christine read Philippians 3:13 which says, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is a head...".
What an incredible verse at just the right time! I love the way God works. His timing is not only perfect, it is precise.
2013 seemed like a year of taking two steps forward and taking one giant step back. Not this year. 2014 is going to be a year of "straining toward what is ahead". What's ahead you might ask? I have no idea, but God does.
In 2013, the vision of my past became so much greater than my vision for the future. Because of it, I kept myself from being used to my full potential. Not this year. In 2014, I want the vision of my future to be ten times greater than that of my past.
During the podcast, Christine mentioned that in the coming new year that those listening would keep their eyes open for those precious moments when God lavishes His love on us-and to acknowledge Him for it.
In 2013, I was all about me-my schedule, my time, my wants, my, my, my. When God lavished His love on me, I reacted as if He owed it to me. Not this year. I want 2014 to be about His will and His way.
I've never been much for making resolutions when a new year rolls around-mostly because I break them within the first month...okay the first week, but not this year.
Akunamatata 2013. The future is bright and exciting!
Recently I was listening to a podcast of a favorite speaker of mine, Christine Caine. She is a power-house of a speaker and I so admire her passion for Christ. She was talking about what she liked to do at the end of a year to prepare herself for the coming new year. At one point in the podcast she began to reflect on the events that occurred during this past year, which made me begin reflecting on my own past year.
Let's be honest, 2013 had some real high points, but also had some very trying moments as well. It was when I got to thinking about the low points that Christine read Philippians 3:13 which says, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is a head...".
What an incredible verse at just the right time! I love the way God works. His timing is not only perfect, it is precise.
2013 seemed like a year of taking two steps forward and taking one giant step back. Not this year. 2014 is going to be a year of "straining toward what is ahead". What's ahead you might ask? I have no idea, but God does.
In 2013, the vision of my past became so much greater than my vision for the future. Because of it, I kept myself from being used to my full potential. Not this year. In 2014, I want the vision of my future to be ten times greater than that of my past.
During the podcast, Christine mentioned that in the coming new year that those listening would keep their eyes open for those precious moments when God lavishes His love on us-and to acknowledge Him for it.
In 2013, I was all about me-my schedule, my time, my wants, my, my, my. When God lavished His love on me, I reacted as if He owed it to me. Not this year. I want 2014 to be about His will and His way.
I've never been much for making resolutions when a new year rolls around-mostly because I break them within the first month...okay the first week, but not this year.
Akunamatata 2013. The future is bright and exciting!
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