"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."
-C.S. Lewis
Monday, January 30, 2012
just a thought
"Come follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. [Mark 1:17-18]
In my community group we were challenged to read the first 5 chapters of Mark. I was reading/ studying over this the other morning and it really stuck out to me. Jesus simply said "Come follow me" and they just dropped what they were doing to follow him. That got me thinking.. what would I have done, would i have had the faith to just drop everything and follow Him? When you think about it, how are we different than the disciples... aren't we all supposed to be on mission for Christ in our day to day life?
When we accept Christ and repent everything isn't that us dropping our "nets" and following Him. We are all called to be disciples for Christ, and to live our lives for His glory!
Less of me, more of You.
In my community group we were challenged to read the first 5 chapters of Mark. I was reading/ studying over this the other morning and it really stuck out to me. Jesus simply said "Come follow me" and they just dropped what they were doing to follow him. That got me thinking.. what would I have done, would i have had the faith to just drop everything and follow Him? When you think about it, how are we different than the disciples... aren't we all supposed to be on mission for Christ in our day to day life?
When we accept Christ and repent everything isn't that us dropping our "nets" and following Him. We are all called to be disciples for Christ, and to live our lives for His glory!
Less of me, more of You.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
For we were dead, but He brought us life.
"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." [Ephesians 2:3-5]
This is a verse that i cannot get enough of, it is such a beautiful thing to think on. We were dead... buried in all of the sin this world could throw at us, but God in all of His grace and mercy intercepted our lives and has brought us back to life. He took all of our sin and shame with Him when he died on the cross for us. Grace is God's gift to us, so why not take it and live in His grace and mercy every day?
I have been thinking a lot on grace, it is really ultimately what saved me. Yes i mess up from time to time, and i will continue to stumble but that is what is so beautiful about it, God loves us NO matter what and He will continue to love us and welcome us back with open arms. Grace is not a free pass, it is a gift that we are given when we come to know Him. I am still learning, and still just trying to comprehend the fullness and glory of God. I was dead, brought down by all that this world puts in my way, but through Him I become fully alive in Christ and just knowing that is what gets me through. "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" [Romans 6:14]
This world can and will throw a lot in your path, and it is so hard to not live the way that this world wants you to. But just to know that there are treasures up in heaven that we cannot even comprehend, and there is a God who loves us and has saved us from our sin and shame is a such an amazing thought! Before Passion i had no idea how much i needed God to intercept my life and save me from this world. Louie Giglio spoke the first night about how our sin is leading us out like a funeral procession but God is stepping in and intercepting that funeral and healing us. That could not be more true, our sin and shame is burying us and its up to us to let Jesus step in and heal our hearts and our lives.
Christ died on the cross for OUR sin and brokenness, it is by His grace and mercy that we are saved. He wont relent, and He wont let go.
Christ is intercepting your funeral, and He is there with open arms and grace that he lavishes so freely. For we were dead, but He has brought us to life in Him.
" And we are His portion and He is our prize. Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes. If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking."
-How He loves us. David Crowder
This is a verse that i cannot get enough of, it is such a beautiful thing to think on. We were dead... buried in all of the sin this world could throw at us, but God in all of His grace and mercy intercepted our lives and has brought us back to life. He took all of our sin and shame with Him when he died on the cross for us. Grace is God's gift to us, so why not take it and live in His grace and mercy every day?
I have been thinking a lot on grace, it is really ultimately what saved me. Yes i mess up from time to time, and i will continue to stumble but that is what is so beautiful about it, God loves us NO matter what and He will continue to love us and welcome us back with open arms. Grace is not a free pass, it is a gift that we are given when we come to know Him. I am still learning, and still just trying to comprehend the fullness and glory of God. I was dead, brought down by all that this world puts in my way, but through Him I become fully alive in Christ and just knowing that is what gets me through. "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" [Romans 6:14]
This world can and will throw a lot in your path, and it is so hard to not live the way that this world wants you to. But just to know that there are treasures up in heaven that we cannot even comprehend, and there is a God who loves us and has saved us from our sin and shame is a such an amazing thought! Before Passion i had no idea how much i needed God to intercept my life and save me from this world. Louie Giglio spoke the first night about how our sin is leading us out like a funeral procession but God is stepping in and intercepting that funeral and healing us. That could not be more true, our sin and shame is burying us and its up to us to let Jesus step in and heal our hearts and our lives.
Christ died on the cross for OUR sin and brokenness, it is by His grace and mercy that we are saved. He wont relent, and He wont let go.
Christ is intercepting your funeral, and He is there with open arms and grace that he lavishes so freely. For we were dead, but He has brought us to life in Him.
" And we are His portion and He is our prize. Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes. If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking."
-How He loves us. David Crowder
Monday, January 9, 2012
fear of the unknown
As the start of this semester is fast approaching, I always get a little nervous about what i am doing, whether i am taking the right classes or even going into the right major (little late for this thinking). I don't know why but the thought of the future and the unknown has always made me so nervous. I think its the fact that i don't know what i am going to do after graduation, and really I'm not sure i want to grow up yet! But then i tried this thing that i should have done a long time ago... I gave it all up to Christ (or at least try to).
When i find myself over thinking or second guessing I just tell myself.. God has a plan for my life. He knows what trials i can face and overcome, He knows what i can handle, and He has a plan so great for my life that i can't even begin to imagine it! (Jeremiah 29:11) I keep thinking of something Louie Giglio said "The purposes and plans of God are right now." Why waste a moment of everyday worrying about the outcome of tomorrow when we can live for God right now!
So as this semester begins, whatever your major or your interests are do them all for the glory of God. Try not to worry about what the future holds, because when you trust that God has a plan things will make sense and fall into place. They might not be plans that you could have even imagined, but thats the beauty of it all. When you put your faith in Him you are letting go of every fear and every anxious thought, and for me that is just a sigh of relief.
The purposes and plans of God are right now, so why not trust Him with everything in your life!
" God you are here with us, constantly here with us.
You are our everything faithful and true."
Constant - Charlie Hall
When i find myself over thinking or second guessing I just tell myself.. God has a plan for my life. He knows what trials i can face and overcome, He knows what i can handle, and He has a plan so great for my life that i can't even begin to imagine it! (Jeremiah 29:11) I keep thinking of something Louie Giglio said "The purposes and plans of God are right now." Why waste a moment of everyday worrying about the outcome of tomorrow when we can live for God right now!
So as this semester begins, whatever your major or your interests are do them all for the glory of God. Try not to worry about what the future holds, because when you trust that God has a plan things will make sense and fall into place. They might not be plans that you could have even imagined, but thats the beauty of it all. When you put your faith in Him you are letting go of every fear and every anxious thought, and for me that is just a sigh of relief.
The purposes and plans of God are right now, so why not trust Him with everything in your life!
" God you are here with us, constantly here with us.
You are our everything faithful and true."
Constant - Charlie Hall
Saturday, January 7, 2012
What do we do with this
So i decided to try this thing called blogging just to get some of my thoughts out there, so here it goes!
I just got back from this amazing conference called Passion, and if you are in the college aged range i would highly recommend saving up and going to this because it was probably the best thing i have been too! Sure it was crowded, but to look up while worshiping and see 45,000 students praising and glorifying God was absolutely incredible. But the thing is what do you do after? You leave this incredible place where you can feel God all around and then you head back to normal life that is full of temptations and pain. But is it really supposed to be normal after a week like that? How do you go from being on such a spiritual high.. to continuing that at home?
Louie Giglio said something when he spoke that really kind got this thought going. He said " is the name of Jesus going to echo back into everyday life?" As simple as that question is, it really made me think.. am i already echoing the name of Jesus in my life, and how do i echo it more? Thats the thing i want the most out of this, I want to shine the light of Jesus into the darkest of places, I want to be part of that city on a hill praising His name! Our God is so incredible, and this week really just reminded me of what a great and powerful God we serve!
His grace and mercy are what get me through the day, just knowing that He died for MY sin is such a powerful thing, and thats what i think helps us go back to normal life after such a God experience. We are all unclean but by the grace and mercy of God we are made new everyday. Isn't that the best reason to go out and spread His word to an unclean world?
Less of me, and more of You.
I just got back from this amazing conference called Passion, and if you are in the college aged range i would highly recommend saving up and going to this because it was probably the best thing i have been too! Sure it was crowded, but to look up while worshiping and see 45,000 students praising and glorifying God was absolutely incredible. But the thing is what do you do after? You leave this incredible place where you can feel God all around and then you head back to normal life that is full of temptations and pain. But is it really supposed to be normal after a week like that? How do you go from being on such a spiritual high.. to continuing that at home?
Louie Giglio said something when he spoke that really kind got this thought going. He said " is the name of Jesus going to echo back into everyday life?" As simple as that question is, it really made me think.. am i already echoing the name of Jesus in my life, and how do i echo it more? Thats the thing i want the most out of this, I want to shine the light of Jesus into the darkest of places, I want to be part of that city on a hill praising His name! Our God is so incredible, and this week really just reminded me of what a great and powerful God we serve!
His grace and mercy are what get me through the day, just knowing that He died for MY sin is such a powerful thing, and thats what i think helps us go back to normal life after such a God experience. We are all unclean but by the grace and mercy of God we are made new everyday. Isn't that the best reason to go out and spread His word to an unclean world?
Less of me, and more of You.
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