Searching For Purpose

Do you feel like you have a purpose in your life?  We know God made us all unique but have we stopped to really consider what he wants to do with these unique qualities he has given us?  Often we get caught up in blending in and looking like everyone else that we overlook our own uniqueness.  We get wrapped up in what we see others doing and being and we forget how God has blessed us.  And until we recognize we are all made to live our own unique lives as God intended, we will miss what he has planned for us.

I was reading a study called "Restless" and it really resonated with me.  The author (Jennie Allen) said that something in her was restless and she knew she wasn't alone.  It's like we are all aching for some great noble purpose to shove in the gaping holes of our lives.  To make them feel less ordinary and more meaningful and special.  We've become numb and board even.  Some may even wonder if they are wasting their lives.  Do we even matter?  What do we live for?

We live in an erra with a ton of things and stuff and seem to be surrounded by more people than ever but we are more dissatisfied than ever.  Do you ever see someone that is just beaming in God's glory, firing off all their spiritual gifts and just giving Him glory and thing, MAN...I want that!

Matthew 5:6 says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

If you are hungering and thirsty for your purpose and it is truly to glorify God he says He will satisfy you.  He says you just have to seek Him...but here's the deal...you have to seek Him whole heartedly.

Jeremiah 29:13 tells us, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

So are we seeking with all our hearts or are we just holding on to our worldly desires with one hand and searching for God with the other?

We all have a purpose, if we are still here on this earth we have a specific reason and we had better find out what we should be doing.

Aside from knowing and loving God, finding and accomplishing this purpose is our greatest responsibility.  You may argue that the great commission of making disciples of all nations is our greatest responsibility and you are somewhat correct but how are you going to do that if you don't know your purpose God has given you?

We were created in God's image for a purpose...to fill the earth with more of those to bear His image and to make the world better by giving it order.  We are to use the resources He has given us to reflect Him and serve people.

This is why we were given abilities above animals - to create, build, serve, lead, envision, and so on. 

We reflect God by being able to see a need and fill it.

Our God is creative and He has infinite ways to make Himself known through our uniqueness.  So anyone of us could be on a different point in our journey but we more than likely fit somewhere in four areas...

Comfortable

Thirsty

Running Free

At the Staring Line

You may find yourself not knowing if you're living on purpose or not.  You may be content just surviving, busy even.  your life seems full and you don't really question it but you find yourself board.  You might be just starting to kinda desire more but that's a bit out of your comfort zone.  You're probably thinking what's wrong with being comfortable and happy?  Shouldn't I just be thankful for what I have instead of wanting more?

If this is you...You're COMFORTABLE.

Eccl. 3:1, 6-7  "There's an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under the heaven...A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.  A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak."

Perhaps this is your time to tear apart out of your comfort zone and your time to speak.  consider there may be more rather than be content in the wrong place...take the time to step out of your comfort zone and explore to see if you are in the will of God.

Maybe you are longing for more, hurting and you don't know if this emptiness in your heart is friend or foe...but you feel unsettled and unsatisfied.  You keep asking yourself if you are missing God's plan or is there even a clear direction for you at all?  Is it wrong to want more?

Sound familiar?  Perhaps you are THIRSTY.

Ephesians 4:1 Paul wrote "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

Some of you probable already feel your purpose and are obediently living it.  Having experienced that numb season and maybe a satisfied period you may have become thirsty and found what you were made to do.  It may not be easy but it's so fulfilling and rich and you see God moving all around you.  You're probably reading this thinking, I don't need this lesson.  If this is you, you may be RUNNING FREE.

In reality, it's when we are running free that we become complacent and we forget.

Or maybe you are still finding your place with God.  Realizing you don't really know Him or talk to Him and rely on Him daily.  If this is you, you may be AT THE STARTING LINE.  You need to take time to seek God and work on your relationship and your purpose will follow.

You may feel lost, like you're wondering around without a purpose and can not possibly figure how that has to do with God's plan but stop for a moment and consider Joseph.  We've been studying him in Sunday school as well.  He too had a unique set of gifts but he just felt like he was wondering for most of his life.  He knew God had a plan for him but can you imagine how he must have felt as it unfolded?  His own brother hated him and were jealous of his father's favor for him and according to Gen 37:4, they couldn't even speak to him on friendly terms.  He was so certain God had a plan for him though and he was right.  He had dreams about it but when he told his brothers about it, it made them hate him even more till finally they tried to kill him.  BUT, God put it on his brother, Ruben's heart to spare him and they threw him in a pit instead.  Surely Joseph must have thought, REALLY?  This can't be my purpose.  This is not how it's supposed to go down.  And then Judah comes up with the idea to sell him to the Ishmaelites as their caravan was passing through on their way to Egypt.  From there Pharaoh's officer and captain guard Potiphar bought him.  So now his life has been spared but his is a slave.  He had to be thinking, How is THIS any better?  Great.  This is all wrong.  But God's purpose for him was to get him to Egypt and guess where Joseph found himself after all this...Egypt.  He could have sent him in on a great chariot with an entourage and great fanfare but this did just as well and he was there, protected and humble and ready to serve.  The Lord was with him every step of the way, sparing his life and guiding his steps.

Even when put in prison, falsely accused, he continued to use the gifts God gave him interpreting dreams.  I wonder if he thought that was it.  That's all I'm good for....that's my purpose and God is done with me.  I'm the dream guy and that's it.  Sometimes we think that way.  We see God move in our lives and allow us to do something or gift us with a cool ability and we are satisfied with that and we just stop right there...and stop seeking to see if God has more for us.  And if you remember how history goes by Genesis 41 - Joseph is 30 years old and enters into service of Pharaoh King of Egypt.

God can take your trial and turn it into your testimony.  He can use all your hardships and experiences that might not seem to even make sense to make you the person you need to be when it's time for your purpose to unfold.

God eventually brought Joseph full circle and his purpose looked a lot more like he thought it would but the entire journey was part of that purpose.  And god is doing the same thing in your life too.

Lesson in Patience

"Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  The former waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains."  -James 5:7-8


Lesson in Patience
The farmer waits being patient as we must wait patiently on the Lord.  But is there anything we can do to make our patient waiting easier?  Or more productive?  Maybe we can take a lesson from the farmer.  In the winter does he just go without his fruits and vegetables?  No.  He prepares.  He preserves.  He gets himself ready for the season when he knows it will be difficult.  We can do this too.  We can prepare.  Preserve.  When we are on our mountain top, experiencing God we tend to neglect our preserving.  Document it.  Write it down...bottle it up so to speak.  Prepare.  And when you feel distant or feel that winter season approaching in your life, open it up and read those words and see how God was moving.  Remind yourself to get back in His word.  And be nourished just like you were when you were in the harvest.

Eyes to See

Eph 1:17-19 speaks of the Spirit of Wisdom...Paul is writing to the Church at Ephesis

What stood out to me in the video this week was eyes to see...everything would change and you would dance the dance of your life.  Angela told the story of her little girl seeing angels singing "protect this girl" over her head when she was struggling with being wrongly accused and having to go into a meeting to defend herself the next day.  She spoke of how this is so true in our lives everyday...God has angels appointed to us to protect us and our families and our homes.  It was a very powerful picture she painted.

But the main the main thing I got was...

eyes to see
ears to hear
heart to obey
mind to respond

When we're following Christ and lead by the Holy Spirit, we will obtain all these things.  Gradually. 

Deuteronomy 29:2-3
"And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, 'You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders.  'Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see nor ears to hear.  'I have led you forty years in the wilderness; our clothes have not worn out on you and your sandals has not worn out on your foot.  ;You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the Lord your God."

Deuteronomy 5:34
"Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 'To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.  'Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth he let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. 'Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them.  And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today.  'Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.  'So you shall keep His statutes and his commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time."

It all comes down to trust.
Do we trust Him with our heart?  Do we trust Him with everything?  Do we trust Him to take our hand and lead us away from the wall to dance the dance of our lives?  We may be like the Israelites, and have seen the signs and wonders.  He may have even let us hear His voice but do we have the heart to respond?  Do we really trust Him?  Trust is a funny thing because its a two way street.  What about the fact that God has trusted us?  He has given us all His creations and trusted us with them.  He has given us a choice to follow Him and enter into a relationship with Him if only we trust Him.  He trusts that in your journey, through a relationship with Him, you will obtain eyes to see, ears to hear, a heart to obey and a mind to respond. 

Often times we are pretty untrustworthy to God, no better than the Israelites.  We make commitments to God haphazardly and as soon as life throws us a blow, we are out...looking at the world to fulfill us.  We bail on marriages as soon as something bad happens and calls for endurance and forgiveness, we bail on serving God as soon as we get disappointed because God didn't pull us out of a bad life situation, we even get mad at God when our kids do wrong after we have dedicated them to God. 

We said it before but it's worth repeating...it's not an overnight thing.  It's a journey.  One you will be on for the long haul.  Ever changing, ever growing.  So if you have those eyes to see but you struggle with that mind to respond part or you are pretty good with obeying but just pray every night for God to open your ears, don't get discouraged.  You're a work in progress.  We all are.  Just think about how far you've come and where you were in your journey 5 years ago, or 10 years ago...or even just 6 months ago for that matter.  God is moving and he wants to keep moving in your live...you just have to trust him.

The Spirit of God

John 14:16-17
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."


John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."


So you ever wonder...wow, how did those guys remember all that stuff to write those scriptures we read in the Bible?  They are all so accurate and they all match up with each other.  He says it right there...he will send the Holy Spirit to bring it to remembrance to you.  He did that for his disciples and He does it for us too.  You ever had one of those moments where you are presented with the opportunity to help someone or minister to someone or share a verse and you JUST learned it or it JUST popped in your head and you have no idea how you remembered that?  That is the Holy Spirit.  That is Jesus being true to His word, teaching you all things and bringing them to remembrance. 


Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witness both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the Earth."


It's no coincidence that we just discussed this in church Sunday.  The example Pastor Tom gave us was in Acts 8:26 when the Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip and told him to get up and go south on the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza...he was prompted by the Holy Spirit.


God wants so badly to have His fullness indwell us, just as he did with Jesus. 


Colossians 1:19
"For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him."
He just wants to see us filled with the Holy Spirit.  Our responsibility as women of God is that we make our hearts available to God so he can fill it.  It's one thing to be a saved woman just getting by and a whole different thing to be living every day filled by the holy Spirit.  Do you wanna be a carnal Christian that knows a lot about God and salvation or do you wanna be a spiritual woman that is filled with the Holy Spirit?  Do you walk according to your old desires or are you allowing the Holy Spirit to leady you?


When you are saved the Lord will open you heart to pay attention and receive the Word of God just like he did to Lydia in Philippi on the riverside in Acts 16:14.  We just have to receive it and let the Holy Spirit lead us.

Has God Called You To Wait?

This the main points were:

• Stay with the Lord (Abide/remain & produce much fruit)
• Entrust to Him whatever we have deemed valuable
• Trust that He is able to keep it safe until it's your turn
• Become the woman who is ready to be called  up
• Become & remain women of prayer
• Stand (as a display of the glory of God)

In John 15:1-11, Angela stresses how many times Jesus said "abide" or "remain"...it is said 11 times in just 10 verses.  Remain or abide, wait on the Lord, stay with him.  It's the Greek verb "Meno" meaning to cling to a relationship you have already begun.

Entrust your longings, the things you hold most valuable to the Lord.  And become the woman who is ready to be called up.  God won't call you up till you're ready.

It's a blessing to him when we live like He intends.

When you say I'm ready God, sometimes there will be a righteous wait.  He isn't messing with you...it's just not your turn.  He is preparing you.  Just obey, until you're ready.  trust his plan and prepare so when he calls your name you are ready to hit the ground running.

Once you are sure you're hearing God's call for you and you're sure of what he is calling you to, the hows and whats and whys will hash themselves out if and when you are willing to look.  Sometimes you go where you think you need to go when you are still waiting and it's just hard and it's doesn't quite fit, it' doesn't feel right.  maybe it's just a stop on the journey God has you on to prepare you for where he wants you.  For your next relationship, your next job, the calling he has for you.  Just trust that he is leading you along the way.

We don't like to wait.  It's something we see as uncomfortable and aggravating.  Our human tendancy is to want it now.  We live in a fast food, microwave, fully connected, cyber speed age where we have specifically invented things so we won't have to wait.  So when God tells us to wait, we are like...what?!  We take things into our own hands instead of waiting on God.  We might pray about it but then we don't wait to hear God's response before we make our decision.  Then we wonder why we are stuck in a bad financial situation or conflict or relationship.  We have to wait on God to bless our steps...our relationships...our jobs....our financial decisions...our life decisions....our callings.

We resist it, because we don't like to wait.  It starts out as kids, when our parents tell us "no", "not now", "maybe later" or "next time" and we would cry and throw a fit in the grocery store because we wanted whatever it was we had our heart set on.

Psalm 62:5-8 says

"My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.  Oh God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.  Selah."

So he is telling us to wait and depend on him for an answer, not ourselves.  Now that doesn't mean we do nothing while we wait.  Because how will we see where He is working in our lives or hear His voice and know when it's our turn if we aren't actively seeking?  So if it's a job, that's what interviews, networking and researching are for.  For a relationship, it's courting, dating and friendship building.  If it's a ministry, you can try volunteering in different areas.  If it's a financial decision, research, do your homework, test drive, do walk throughs, get referrals, samples, etc.  But ALWAYS...wait on God.  And when all else fails, keep doing the last thing you know he told you to do.

He knows exactly what we need and when we need it and how we need it.  He knows what's good for us and what's not.  he knows what will keep us focused and what distracts us.  This is why we have to stay in a relationship with him.  We have to know that he IS our rock and He will give us the strength to wait our turn if only we put our trust in Him.  He just wants us to trust Him completely. 

He's not gonna play games with you or try to make it difficult for you...it may be that it's just not your turn  yet.  Just get ready.  And become the woman who is ready to be called up so when he says HEY, you....NOW!  You will be ready!

Resisting Bitterness

The highlights of this lesson were:
Choose Freedom
Choose Wisdom
Choose Victory - We win...we just have to choose to live in it.

I think as women with so many things pulling us and responsibilities, we have all experienced hurt and heartache and disappointment whether it is in our jobs or families, friendships or just a situation in general, its so easy for bitterness to set in.  You might get frustrated or feel lonely or even angry with a situation.  This lesson was so timely for me. 

I had had a particularly difficult time with a couple situations this week that just left me feeling bitter.  Not with a person but just with situations in general.   I just felt a sort of grumpy, bitter spirit about myself.  So as I opened my workbook to work on the lesson this week with my grumpy little attitude you can imagine that this was not the topic I wanted to see.  I was like, REALLY, GOD?!  This was the quote that stared back at me..."The bitter wallflower can only focus on the life she's never known and the parties she missed.  The woman who resists bitterness and believes God is finally ready to dance."  In the book, Angela goes on to say "I think we give up because we can't see God working all things together for good."  Bitterness becomes more attractive the more empty we become, it comes from our turning away from God.  Bitterness is characterized by feelings of hatred, envy and resentment.  It's a distraction, it occurs when we lose our focus, when we turn our gaze inward and away from God.  Proverbs 14:10 says "The heart knows it's own bitterness; and a stranger does not share it's joy."  This was particularly meaningful for me because in the middle of my bitterness this week, I was blessed to be able to share in the joy of a couple of close friends and that helped to pull me out of some of that bitterness. 

As important as those godly relationships are, staying in community as we have discussed in previous lessons can have some negative results that you have to be on your guard about as well.  I think we have all run into situations where it jus seems like some folks would just rather you become and STAY bitter.  They just like you that way and they encourage the resentment and feed your pity-party.  They have become consumed with bitterness and they want you to join them...they want you to get angry, take revenge.  You start to hear things like "I wouldn't just let that go", "You gonna let them get away with that?!", "I'd still be mad if I were you.",  or "Oh, I'd get back at them!".  They fuel the situation instead of helping.  The fact is, its so easy to get caught off guard and give in to bitterness and just sulk in your failures and pout about it.  Angela talks about how she has been misrepresented and unheard and how she had easily given up on some days but you just have to come to a point where you taste the root of bitterness and regard its comfort as poison.  We do not want to remain inward focused on our grievances.  We can not stay that way and go forward with God.

It goes back to our choice to believe.  We have to choose to believe.  Every time we allow ourselves to fall into bitterness and disappointment we are listening to Satan's promptings, inclining our ear toward his directives...forgetting to live what we believe. 

When preparing for this lesson I was reminded of the study we did some time ago.  James 3:11 says, "Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?"

Sometimes we don't even realize we have that bitterness inside us until it comes flowing out of our mouths.  But in Matthew 12:34, Jesus tells us "The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart." so whatever is going on in there will come out one way or another.  But if we just believe God and relinquish that bitterness, we are free from that.

A perfect example was Moses in Exodus.  (Exodus 15:22-25)  Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea and then into the wilderness of Shur where they were for three days with no water.  then they came to Marah and tried to drink the water but it was too bitter to drink.  So the people complained to Moses asking, "What shall we drink?"  So Moses cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree.  when he threw it into the water it became sweet and they were able to drink it.  But it wasn't until Moses refocused and called upon God did the bitterness go away.  God showed him how.  We have to remember...we win.  We just have to choose victory.

A Clean Life

This study is really speaking to my heart.  In the videos Angela keeps making reference to God taking us to "the next high place" and I just love that.  This week she tells us that because you're living a clean life, you will have a spirit of power and God will take you to the next high place.  When we decide to choose to live a clean life, God loves to bless that.


And I love that he knows us so well that he knew this would be hard for us but he loved us so much that he still made a way for us.  He knew we needed a savior and He said I will make you clean and you know what, you just gotta talk to me about it and I ain't mad at ya.


He even tells us in 1 John 1:19 -
"If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."


He pretty much says I knew this would happen...just choose me and not all that other stuff. 


Another important thing was to protect your home and keep it clean.  So when your kids find themselves outside of a holy and clean place they know it and they are uncomfortable and wanna get outta there. 


Angela talked about how she didn't even allow her kid's friends to bring games that were rated anything other than "E" for "everyone" because she didn't want the unclean images and material that her kids didn't need to be exposed to even enter her home.


And while I agree with that, she also said something else I don't particularly agree with.  She said she didn't care what those kids thought about her and she didn't car about those lost little hearts as long as she was keeping her kids she is entrusted to clean.  Well I do care.  I care because I would hope and pray that those kinds of decisions and morals we have in our home would cause our children's friends to wonder why we choose to live this clean life so then they can see that it all points back to our God and being holy for Him.


Think about this, if you turned the TV off and looked at your spouse or your kids after supper and said ok, lets do some devotional time or read from our bibles...what would the reaction be?  Is it normal and accepted as a part of your life away from church?  This is that kind of choosing we are talking about.  Choose God like we talked about last week.  Choose to be clean.


Now this is not just for those of us with kids in the house.  This is for all of us.  We have to keep a clean holy environment for us too.  For our husbands.  For our friends that come to our home.  Our parents and brothers and sisters.  I think about that all the time.  you know I pray a friend or family member will come to know Christ but if that person comes to my home will they see Christ in my surroundings?  In my choices?


So what if it's not so clean?  What then?  Don't feel defeated.  Remember Paul?  The apostle Paul who wrote so much of the scriptures in the bible?


He started off as dirty as they come.  Destroying churches and imprisoning Christians.  But on the road to Damaskus, Jesus made him clean and Saul the Christian persecutor became Paul, the man Jesus called "brother"...he was made clean.


No we haven't done anything like Saul, but certainly we have done things to distance ourselves from God.  Sins or bad choices or prioritizing things over God or whatever and then things got weird and that's when we drew back a bit.


But we confess it to him.  He is a forgets it and we find peace.

Rejecting the Wallflower Life

This week Angela brought up these important points of things we need to choose and keep choosing in our lives.


1 Choose God
2 Choose to Stop the Chaos
3 Choose Community
4 Choose to Restore Order


So this week in the video, Angela was describing me.  I sat there as I prepared my notes just sobbing as she continued to describe...me.  I expected her to peg me as a teenager, I mean I knew I was a wallflower teenager.  But then she began to talk about what happens when life comes at you fast...she says how she began to retreat into the spirit of a wallflower where you show up and do all the things you're supposed to do, looking all cute like you're supposed to because you're supposed to but you look around and you feel lost.  Even though you are there, in your heart you feel like you are just dying.  Jobs didn't work out, friendships were broken, relationships are jacked up, kids just making you feel crazy and you keep putting yourself out there only to keep retreating back in, feeling hurt and you decide that it all hurts too much so you start separating from it.  Building up your walls.  Stepping back.  Separating from the heartache and rejection.  Finally hugging the wall.  So when you do show up, you are there and you look great but you are just a shell, on the outside looking in.  You have separated yourself so much for fear of rejection that you completely miss out on the very thing God has called us to do...to love each other.
John 13:34-35 tells us
"A new commandment I give you that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

If we are retreating, how can we do this.  If we are separating from each other, how can we love them?

We do become numb, in areas we used to be so confident and decisive in, we are just kinda...blah.

Ecclesiastes 7:10
"Say not 'Why were the former days better than these?' Fir it is not from wisdom that you ask this."
We tend to think back and see the memories of before the craziness of kids or before the horrible job or before the divorce or before the friend betrayal and think things were so good...how did I get here?  A lot of times we forget we left yesterday behind for a reason.  What the verse Ecclesiastes is trying to tell us is we do have options.  Even though we may not be able to change our circumstances, we can change the way we think about them.  It's not smart to compare between then and now.  Yesterday will always have an advantage because you tend to remember it selectively and it's kinda like griping when we do that.  Remembering fondly is good but remembering selectively in this negative manner with regret is not good.
We tend to moan and grown like Naomi in the book of Ruth.  If you recall, Naomi went through a big famine and lost her husband and two sons and then sent her two daughters in law away...although one of them did refuse to leave her. 
Ruth 1:20-21 tells us how she was feeling...
"They Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.  I went away full and the Lord had brought me back empty"
She was looking back remembering the good life and what did she do?  She retreated.  She pushed her daughters in law away.  She wasn't choosing community like Angela talked about in the video.  She didn't seem to be choosing God at the moment either.  She seemed pretty bitter towards God.

But in the end what did she do?  She did choose community.  She did what God wants us to do and God blessed that.  But doing so her family was redeemed through her daughter in law Ruth's marriage to Boaz.

Just like she made choices, we make our choices every day.  We make choices to do things that will connect us or disconnect us.  Bring us closer to God or further away.  Make us more godly women or not so much.

We don't just decide we are gonna follow Christ and then wake up the next morning and we're glorious godly women.  We have to choose to be that way and keep choosing it every single day.

When Wallflowers Dance Intro

Who considers themselves a wallflower?  Or maybe you considered yourself to be on in high school....but now that you aren't that awkward teenager, perhaps you catch yourself still kinda retreating into the background, being unseen whenever you come up against life's challenges or discouragement.
Maybe you even go as far as to think that because you have lived this wallflower life, that God would see you this way too.  And that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Our God is a pursuing God.
Psalm 139:7-12 tells us
"Where can I go from Your spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.  If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night, "even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to You.
Psalm 139:17 says
"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!"

The fact is that God is pursuing a relationship with you.  Now what you do in response to that pursuit is up to you.  You might think, "Why would He want anything to do with a mess like me?"  Or maybe you think you already know him.  Do you think if you already know Him, He isn't going to pursue you anymore?  It's like we only let God in "so close" before we put up this protective wall around ourselves to keep us in a little bubble.  Our little wallflower bubble.
We unknowingly carry over our human relationship habits over to our relationship with him.  We carry over our fears and insecurities over and just figure there is no way God is going to keep chasing after me after all this mess.  But he does.  He knows me and loves me not because of who I am but in spite of who I am.  It's because of His character, not mine.
Romans 5:8-9 says "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."


In the video, Angela told a story of her trip to Europe where she was visiting St. Peter's Cathedral.  She spoke of how awe inspiring it was and how she felt about such a splendid place of worship being named after what some would think was the "dorkiest" disciple.  She was comforted and reminded by the fact that what she called a dorky disciple like Peter who denied Christ and who's faith wavered back and forth but then when he got it, he REALLY got it!
For me, the first thing I was reminded of by this story was again, God's constant pursuit of us.  In Mark 16, Jesus had risen and when the stone was rolled away, the angel told Mary to go and tell Peter that Jesus is risen.  He was the only person mentioned by name.  See, despite his denying him, God STILL pursued him.  And if he was still pursuing Peter, certainly he is still pursuing me.  There is nothing I can do that will keep him from pursuing me. 


So yes, God is coming across heaven and earth for you.  Have you already met him?  He is pursuing you.  If you are not hearing His voice and recognizing His presence in your daily life, I challenge you to slow down and talk to Him and listen...really listen.  Because he is pursuing your heart and he sees YOU!

New Ladies of Acts Study!!

So we are starting a new study by Angela Thomas called "When Wallflowers Dance".  Perhaps you have been a wallflower.  Discouraged.  Numb.  Stuck.  During this study we will dive into God's word and find out who God intended for us to be and we will learn that He intended for us to dance the dance of our lives in his arms.  So stop letting life steal your beauty with hurt and disappointment.  Find out how loving people in perfect step with God's love for us can lead to enjoying a life free from fear and emptiness.  It is sure to be a great study!

Get right with God

If I gave you a page from a book and asked you to tear it into little pieces, could you do it?
Would it be easy?
Now what if I asked you to put the pieces back together?
Can you do it? 
Not quite so easy, right?
 Would you have torn it up if you knew I was gonna ask you to put it back together again?
Does this scenario sound familiar?
How can it be compared to our lives and the people in them...our relationships and repairing the brokenness we have sometimes caused in them?
What do you think causes this kind of brokenness in our relationships?  SIN.
Just like in putting that picture back together, fixing a relationship is difficult and requires commitment.
Can you damage your relationship with God?
Absolutely.  In sin, we can lose our closeness with him.  You know that warm fuzzy feeling you have when you are on track and going to church, praying, doing the right thing, just on fire for Jesus but then you may slip a little and just a little more and miss a Sunday or two, decide not to help that friend that really needs you, you eventually stop talking to God and that fuzzy feeling fades....
Guess what...You just tore up your page.
But with our relationship with God it can always be repaired...though it may be damaged, we can not lose our salvation.  In this world of passing the blame, we are taught that nothing is our fault and to get out of our mistakes all we have to do is just blame someone else.  In reality, we all sin and it causes problems in our relationships and it takes more than "I'm Sorry" to fix it.  As kids when we do something wrong we are fussed at and told "GO SAY I'M SORRY!" and we do.  But do we ever fully grasp it or is it just a knee jerk reaction to make it all better and move on?
When we sin we have to own up to it...we have to acknowledge our guilt.  Do you take sin seriously?

Do you acknowledge it so you can repent or do you deny it?
If you deny it does it make you any less guilty?
There are two kinds of sin.
Sin of commission - Choosing to do something you know God has said not to do
Sin of omission - not doing something you know God said you should do.
When you sin you feel guilt.  Acknowledging this guilt is not just admitting it but also accepting the wrongness of the sin and consequences of that sin.
How do you feel when you sin?
Emotionally, physically?  Spiritually?
So what makes you feel this way? The Holy Spirit...for our won good to realize our sin and seek forgiveness.
Romans 3:23 - Everyone sins for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

So we must "get right with God"
Ho do we do this today?
In the days of Jesus it is written in Leviticus 5:5, 14-16 that an animal sacrifice was made.  This is not needed today since Jesus going to the cross for us was the ultimate sacrifices and all our sins were payed. 
So confess your sins.  Agree with God that you messed up and you know what you did was wrong.
Repent - turn away from sin and avoid the sin again.
Now just getting right with God isn't enough.  We have to make amends with others.  When we sin against someone God expects us to make it right with the person we have wronged. 
Read Leviticus 6:1-7  Notice how God is offended in this passage.
Returning to holiness involves dealing with sin.  You must recognize you have sinned and seek restoration with God and people you have sinned against.
is there anything you need to do this week to make amends with someone?

WWJD?

Why is it significant that Jesus rose from the dead?
Jesus' victory over death enables us to experience redemption and transformation.
Read John 20:1-10
Do you  believe that Jesus rose from the dead?
Do you think it is important to have evidence to support your beliefs?  The bible provides evidence of Jesus' resurrection.
What happened Friday?
Jesus died on the cross at mid afternoon.  The Jewish Sabbath began at sundown and his body was wrapped in linen and placed in the tomb.
What about Saturday?
Jewish Sabbath was observed and ended at sundown.
On Sunday the women returned to the tomb at sunrise.  Do you know whey they returned Sunday?
*Background on Jewish burial in First-Century Israel:  warm temp and belief that a dead body was ceremonially unclean resulted in the dead being buried without delay, usually same day.  To leave a body unburied or unattended after death was dishonorable.  After death the family would anoint the body with aromatic oils and spices and wrap the body in linens.

Once we recognize and believe that Jesus is risen, everything changes.  You don't have to understand everything about Jesus before you can believe in him we can't recognize who Jesus is until we hear his voice.  He is not found by human effort alone; he reveals himself to us.
Read John 20:11-18
John 20 is a key chapter in the Gospel.  In the previous chapter, Jesus received scourging, was crucified, and died.  Joseph of Arimathea requested that Pilate release the body to him, and he laid the body in the tomb.  The approaching Sabbath did not allow time to complete the work o preparing the body for burial, since Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and lasted until sundown on Saturday, therefore, Sunday morning provided the first opportunity for anyone to finish the task.  The disciples did not expect the tomb to be empty.  Each disciple had to come to a realization in his own heart of what had happened on Sunday morning and why the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found. 
The resurrection meant Christ was Lord of both life and death.
Do you own your faith?  Some people aren't very concerned about living holy lives.  God expects true holiness of his people.
What does it mean to be holy?
Holiness is being set apart for a relationship with God.
God declared that those people who faithfully kept his covenant would be his special possession, kingdom of priests, and holy nation.
Read Exodus 19:1-6. 
As Christ believers, we are set apart by God to glorify him and to show others the way to him.
God instructed the people to consecrate themselves in preparation to meet God and to set boundaries so as not to approach the holy mountain casually or irreverently.
Read 19:10-14
I am going to name (4) lives, church, social, home and school life.  Are they the same or separate?
As true believers they are intertwined and cannot be separated.
God in a display of his awesome power met his people on mount Sinai.
Read Exodus 19:16-19
We should approach God with the realization that he is Almighty, all-knowing, and all-powerful.  When we worship him, whether by ourselves or with other believers, we need to realize that he is incredible, incomprehensible, and completely in control.
Remember that God's grace does not excuse us from holy dis-obedience; instead it sets the stage for our obedience.  Determine to accept your role as part of God;s holy priesthood.  Understand that we always must approach God on his terms, now our own.  Understand where God puts boundaries and mark those boundaries in your own life to avoid the unholy and to embrace the holy.  Before worship, practice the discipline of confession and repentance, preparing to met holy God.  Come to church with the expectation that you will meet the holy God.  God's character has not changed.

Are you ready to serve?

Do you ever feel like you are backwards in trying to live a Christian life?  Do you feel like you are right handed in a left handed world or like you are walking around with your shoes on the wrong feet, just trying to do the right thing?
Try writing a simple sentence with your opposite hand.
It's not comfortable.
It's awkward.
It doesn't even feel natural at times and you want to switch hands so badly.  You know you can probably do it faster and easier with your other hand.
As Christians, we tend to be opposite from the world in many ways and being different can be uncomfortable and can make life difficult.
So what does it mean to achieve greatness?  Does being served by others mean you have achieved greatness?

According to Luke 22:27 God's perspective of greatness is the opposite of the world's perspective.  It is the one who serves that is the one who has achieved greatness.
"For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves?  Is it not the one who reclines at the table?  But I am among you as the one who serves."

Jesus showed humility and served others while on earth even through his final moments with the disciples.  He prepared them for his death and shared the passover meal with them.
Luke 22:19-23
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.  But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.  And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!  And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing."

What did the bread represent?  His body
What did Jesus say the cup represented?  His blood

Why do you think Jesus did what he did for us? 
Do you remember what our lesson was about last week?  Love. 

John 15:12-13
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

We should be lead to serve one another by love and have sacrificing attitudes.  Jesus' death was more than just an example of love, it was the ultimate example of selflessness.

Think about these things the next time you go out to eat and wanna catch an attitude with a waitress that is doing her job by serving you or when you are at the check out line at Wal Mart.  Would you be able to get your meal or your grocery without that person who is helping you?  A follower of Christ must reject the world's perspective of greatness and live by God's values.

We can adopt these "kingdom perspectives" into our lives too.  Have you ever stood by a friend during a difficult time, like a tough break up or a rough transition at school, a divorce or a personal struggle?  Where you rewarded for being a faithful friend?
The disciples stood by Jesus through many trials.

Luke 22:28-30
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;  That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

What was his promise to the disciples for their faithfulness? (a role of authority with Him in heaven)
What are some ways you can anonymously serve others this week?

Your challenge this week is to record one thing you have done each day to serve someone. 

"The cost of true greatness is humble, selfless, sacrificial service.  The Christian who desires to be great and first in the kingdom is the one who is willing to serve in the hard place, the uncomfortable place, the lonely place, the demanding place, the place where he is not appreciated and may even be persecuted.  Knowing that time is short and eternity is long, he is willing to spend and be spent." - John MacArthur.
 

Picture of Love

We opened the lesson with the Toby Mac Song "Made to Love".

We all say we know what love is but can you draw a picture of love?  So is love more of a feeling or an action?

"What does love look like?  It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.  It has eyes to see misery and want.  it has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.  That is what love looks like." - St. Augustine.

Luke 10:25-29 tells us to Love completely. 
"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life.  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou.  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"

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Jesus challenges us:

1)  What is the inner most part of a person's being?   (Soul)
2)  What is the inner most part of a person's reason?  (Mind)
3)  What is the inner most part of a person's emotions, will and deepest convictions?  (Heart)
4)  What is how a person uses the abilities and powers he has been given?  (Strength)

What does Jesus mean by love your neighbor?

Transition:  We must have the right definition for "neighbor" because Christ expects us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Read Luke 10:30-32
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side."

Both the Levites (members of the tribe of Levi but not descendants of Aaron/assistants of priests) and  the priests (descendants of Aaron who had priestly responsibilities in the Jerusalem temple) were held in high esteem by the Jewish people, so it had to shock them to hear them refused to help a person in need.

Don't make excuses.  Seeing a need is not enough.  If we have not responded to the needs of others, we have not fulfilled God's command to love our neighbor.

What would be a good excuse not to help someone?  Trick question...there are no good excuses.  Unless you are in danger, you have no excuse to not help someone, to not "love your neighbors as yourself".  Just a kind word or a smile may be just what someone needs to get through a rough day.


Translation:  Love motivates us to respond as God expects us to when we see someone in need. 
Read Luke 10:33-37 "Respond in the right way" 
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

We fulfill God's command to love our neighbor when we act compassionately towards those in need.  Let's call it a "God Samaritan".  Back then in Jesus' time the Jews didn't view Samaritans as their neighbors.  The Jews and Samaritans were enemies.  Why do you think Jesus made the hated Samaritans the hero of this parable?  Like the Samaritans, we must be willing to alter our plans to help others.  Sometimes we need to stop what we are doing and show the love of Christ to those in need even if they hate Him and us.  We should not decide whose needs we will meet based on race, financial situation, gender, political, education, or social status.

Jesus calls us to show compassion to others NO MATTER WHAT!!

Closing we should continually ask ourselves "How can I respond in Love?"  You should display Christ's love by sacrificially responding to the needs around you with compassion and grace.  God does not want us to have just a "text book" definition of loving our neighbor.  He wants us to demonstrate love for our neighbors in the real world by showing real compassion to those in real need.

A great example of showing compassion for others is by praying for their needs. 

Choose a better tommorrow

Commitment.  What does it mean to you?  How do you show you're committed to something?  In school you study hard, make good grades, don't miss class. In sports you practice, you get good, better, improve, don't miss games.  With friends you are always there to listen to their problems, call for birthdays, hang out together, give them encouragement.  But what does commitment look like to Jesus?
In Luke 9:18-20 the disciples made the decision to follow Jesus because they were aware of who he really was. 
Luke 9:20 says: "And he said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Peter answered and said, 'The Christ of God."
Knowing this, they gave him their total commitment.
According to Luke 9:23 he asked them to deny themselves and take up their crosses daily and follow him.  DAILY.  That really struck a cord with me.  We are often told we can not "taste test" Christianity and that is exactly what scripture is telling us right here.  It is a conscious effort we must work at daily.  A commitment.  So when was a time when you gave a total commitment to deny yourself and take up your cross?  What would you do differently in your life to better serve God to be more committed to him?
So what's keeping you from making that total commitment?
It can be difficult sometimes to make that commitment.  It's counter culture to a lot of things we are exposed to when we make that choice to commit to him we are saying we are willing to live in a different way than much of the world. 


So how do you identify with Jesus?  To identify with him we can't be ashamed of him.
In Luke 9:24-26 he pretty much says if you are ashamed of me...well I'm ashamed of you.
Remember when we talked about godliness and being Christ like?  That's where this comes into play.  You have to be like Christ so people see Christ in you...people identify you with Christ.  Sure he wants you to boldly tell people about him but he rather you just show them.  In fact, he even makes reference for them to not tell the people he was the Messiah at one point (in Luke 9:21), but rather to show them through your actions by denying yourself and taking up your cross daily.  This is how he wants you to identify with him.  When someone looks at how you live, do they clearly see a relationship with Jesus?  Do you want them to?  Maybe you need to think about some things or people you need to distance yourself from.  Are you willing to do that?  To make that kind of total commitment?  We can gain a lot from following our worldly desires...especially when we get impatient with God's timing.  But is it worth it. 

According to Jeremiah 29:11  God has a great future for every one of us.  "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
But through our choices, we knock ourselves from his plan for us.  Your choices dictate your steps you take:  steps to glory or steps to destruction.  You make your tomorrow today.  For every act, consider the consequences of your choices.  Every choice has a consequence, no matter how small.  It doesn't have to be immediate but it will come.  There is no such thing as karma, only God's will.  You can gain the world with bad choices but what good is it if you loose your soul along the way?  In the book of Genesis we see Esau sell out his birthright just to satisfy his momentary hunger rather than waiting just moments more to prepare his own meal.  It is better to deny yourself some things today, even if people mock you, so you can have a better tomorrow.
Your destiny is dependant on nobody but YOU and God.  So don't let people persuade you into making the wrong choices, choose to endure today and enjoy your blessings tomorrow.  It will come around.  It always does.  God IS watching.  Joseph had an amazing destiny mapped out by God and although he could have followed the crowds and make some bad choices, he endured and God blessed him making him number 2 to the thrown of Egypt. 
So what can you do to make your tomorrow better?

 Fear God - God will teach you to make the right choices when you fear.  Psalms 25:12 tell us this through reverence, respect and obedience.
Study and meditate on his word  - The word of God will help you to tell good from evil.  Isaiah 7:15 tells us that the more of God's word we have in us, the more strength and grace we have in us.
And MOST importantly
Think Before you talk or act - Do not hastily do anything no matter what or who is pressuring you.  Always consider the consequences of your choices.  James 1:19 tells us to be slow to speak and quick to hear.

Your tomorrow really is great....choose it to be.

Traditional Christian or Growing Christian

We opened our lesson with the Toby Mac Song: “Speak Life”

 

Do you feel like your growing in your faith or do you feel like you’re in a rut in your Christian faith? Are you in a rut of doing tradition things…the same thing over and over and not sure why? Do you know what a tradition is?

Tradition: refers to any kind of teaching…written or spoken, that is handed down from generation to generation. Do you see how a tradition could cause a rut?

 

Read Matt 15:1-6 (Follow scripture, not traditions)

"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

 

The Pharisees and Scribes were Jewish leaders who taught the people about the laws they should keep. It wasn’t enough that the first (5) books of the bible contain (613) different laws. But these teachers added many, many more that they called “The traditions of the elders” which were passed on by word of mouth.

One of these “traditions” held by the Pharisees was ceremonial hand washing. That everyone should was their hands before eating not for cleanliness, but out of ritual. They believed it was a sign of being clean from sin.

Jesus corrected their wrong beliefs, in Jewish society it was ok to fail to care for aging parents, if they would use the money for God instead of care for the elders. Jesus made it clear no tradition of men excuses them from the 5^th commandment.

 

Read Matt 15:7-9 (Avoid Hypocrisy)

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

 

So what is a hypocrite? Originally, the word “hypocrite” referred to an actor in the theater, it meant to play a part or pretend. Eventually it took on the meaning we have today of a person acting like something they are not. In Jesus’ time these Jewish leaders acted like they were holy, but he knew they cared more for traditions than God’s word. How many “Christians” today say they do one thing, but really do another?

Read Matt 15:10-11;17-20 (Pure of Heart)

"And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

"Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

 

Jesus pointed out the real problem. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t wash your hands, plucked a bit of grain on the Sabbath day, play musical instruments during worship services, or chew gum in church building.

Read 1Cor6:19 (your body is a temple).

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

 

 The real problem is worse, corrupt by human nature…and/or sin. Jesus said the food we eat does not condemn us…the words we speak do. The ritual of washing hands before eating was legalism, such emphasis on rules and rituals promote pride in the act itself and condemned other. Jesus stated the sinful things people say have a root cause…the human heart. Jesus shows us how wicked and deceitful the human heart is…the sins start in the heart like evil thoughts, murders, adultery, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies, this is only a small part of a never ending list.

Closing we need to focus on our relationship with God so we can worship and serve him truthfully. Are there any things that you are currently doing that you don’t know why…possible “traditions”?

Closing prayer – Dear God please open our eyes to acknowledge that we need God’s help to let go of traditions that are in violations of scripture not only for us but our family, friends, everyone in the church, and everyone we come in contact with. Dear Lord help us with guidance, clarity, courage, and understanding the truth and wisdom in the bible.

Remain faithful in your godliness

We opened the lesson with a song from Sidewalk Prophets "Words I Would Say".  It set the tone for our discussion of keeping the faith in our godliness.

So what is godliness anyway?  And why godliness?  Godliness is conforming to the laws of and wishes of God or to have a religious character.  There are many benefits to godliness since it holds promises for our life today and our life to come. 

(READ 1 Timothy 4:7-10  "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.  On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life an also for the life to come.")
Are you willing to work until it hurts to pursue godliness?  Who plays sports?  How often do you practice?  Can you honestly say you give that much effort to training yourself to be more godly?  After all, godliness is grounded in the work of Christ.
Now there's a difference between true and fake godliness.  Godliness is not just something to see on the outside, its not something you do to impress others.  You get no person benefit from fake godliness, nor does it help you in your life.  The real benefits come with true godliness.  True godliness will bring help with decision making, avoiding sin, bringing you closer to God,  joy from walking with God and wisdom to help others, not to mention eternal blessings of ruling with Christ in the new heaven and earth.  So do you think that if you do good things you will become more godly?  Actually, godliness results in works...good works do not produce godliness.  We have to ground ourselves in the work of Jesus and what he did for us.  In doing that, reflecting, meditating, building your life on his truth that produces godliness.  Good works will flow from the life of one rooted in godliness through the work of Jesus.
Now what happens when you are plugging along, doing the godly thing and you just keep getting slammed by the world.  Unappreciated.  Disrespected.  Expectation that since you are the good Christian person you will always be there.  You feel used.  You feel abused.  You feel taken advantage of.  Suddenly this godly stuff doesn't look so cool anymore and you feel like losing your religion over it!
What do you do when you get overwhelmed?  I've learned to looked to the word.  It's all here.  Seriously.  This situation is no different. 
(READ Titus 3:1-8  "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.  For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.  But when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and newing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds.")

We have to stand in God's grace.  We wonder why do we continue to do these things for people and go out of our way in the name of godliness?  Because it's not just about us.  The example we are making in our godliness speaks volumes.  The impact you make with one good deed can last on in the lives of so many.  Ever heard the term "One good deed deserves another"?  You are impacting others with your godliness whether you know it or not.
(READ 2 Timothy 2:1-2  "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.")
Your behaviors (negative or positive) radiate on those around you.  Think about the example you wanna make for your little sister or big brother, or mom or dad, grandma or uncle.  Your godliness could bring him or her to closer to Christ, so don't give up on it when you get disappointed in a situation.

But how do you endure?
(READ 2 Timothy 2:3-10 "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.  Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.  The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.  Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.  Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.  For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.")

Let me ask you a question, what do you want to be when you get out of school?
Wanna be in the army?
Play pro football?
Raise sugar cane?
Be an engineer?
A doctor or nurse?
So when you lose a patient or have a bad season or lose a battle on the front lines...you gonna just give up?  No.  Why?  Because it's your life.  It's your job.  It's your lively hood.  You depend on it.  your godliness should be no different.  Will you know it all on day one?  No.  Will you ever know it all?  NO.  It takes continued hard work and endurance but the rewards are so worth it.

(READ 2 Timothy 2:11-13 "It is a trustworthy statement:  For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.")

Just remember the end result is endurance.

Always keep the faith.

Here is the perfect example of how your actions can impact the actions of others. 
Acts of Kindness Video (Click on this link to view it)
Always stay faithful in your godliness even when you feel like losing hope.  When you think no one notices...they do.  Be the chance in someone's life today.


Source Credits:  Life Focus Studies by Lifeway

Lonely Fear / Doubt

This Sunday's Lesson opened with the song: “One thing Remains” by Kristian Stanfill

 

So what is fear?  It is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone/something is dangerous. I feared being a grown-up..LOL. Do you fear someone?

Deuteronomy 1:17 says - "You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it."
Do you fear being alone or is it Ok to be alone?
According to Psalms 68:6, God makes a home for the lonely - "God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land."
Do you know that your never alone..even in your darkest hours. Do you have doubts about this?
How many times have we said “I never planned for that to happen”? I’m sure it started with a doubt, we not lying about planning, it’s just that several bad choices were made without looking at the consequences. Usually we stray off the Christian path way before we stumble and fall on our face…or worse sin, before we realize we strayed. It starts with a thought..that leads to a word from the mouth…that turns into an action with the body.
Matthew 12:34 says, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart."  So basically if you think it with your mind then speak it with your mouth…you start to believe it in your heart and then you act on it.
That’s how Satan works, filling our heads/minds with a littlest of doubts, fears, and/or dislikes. He moves cautiously and slowly with well thought out cleaver plans..that has worked for centuries.
So we read Ephesians 6:12,"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."  Compared to modern thoughts about evil spirits, Paul pictured the churches battle for survival as a struggle against the devil, demons, and other evil supernatural beings.
Do you every doubt your parents/partner truly, truly love you? Do they listen when you talk? Do you spend time together? Do they not pay attention when ya’ll talk about problems?

Have you ever had someone say to you when you discussing your problems “Your parents/partner doesn’t deserve such a nice, sweet caring person like you” FYI…that’s Satan also working in them. Every time you take a tiny step off the righteous path, you justify your actions in your mind..example..you think in your mind if parents/partner won’t listen to me, that person who spoke such kind, caring word…will listen to me. Your are avoiding the problem not addressing…leading to a secret from your parent/partner.

We usually don’t grasp that Satan is never in a hurry, all he needs is an opportunity to put in a doubt…unholy self-centered thought in our head. If we don’t get them out right then and there, they start growing and Satan keeps going with his destructive evil schemes.

So we read Ephesians 6:10-11,18,23,24 -
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love."

Thoughts inspired by Joyce Meyer “Battlefield of the Mind”