Rebecca Darga, Author at

God’s not done

It’s easy to give up, to think we can’t go on or that God can’t use us, doesn’t want or doesn’t need us. But nothing could be further from the truth.

God’s never done with us.

No matter where we are, what we are doing or how far we think we’ve fallen. God’s never done with us.

He is always there for us, he always wants us and he always has more for us.

We can’t exhaust God, his love doesn’t run out and his grace covers all.

So no matter what, no matter how we feel, we can always turn to him and he will lift us up.

Let Jesus be the change

‘Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn’t mean their lost forever’ (Charles Xavier X-Men Days of Future Past 2014)

I was that person that stumbled and lost their way. But I had friends and family that we’re there ready and waiting to help me find my way back when I was ready. But it had to be my decision, my choice.

We can’t force people to change; because if we try and even if they seem like they are changing, its not really change. Because its not their choice. I know its hard to watch others make bad choices, but we can’t force them. Forced change is always worse; because they are still going to be opposing you on the inside or resenting you.

But if we present options and support. When they are ready, they may make a change and they will know who to turn to.

Praying for them is also a big part but our prayers should not be God please change them or make them see that I am right. But God help me to see them as you see them, help me to love them as you love them.

Most of the time in order for someone to change we need to change too. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes even with the best of intentions.

When we lived in Tennessee our Pastor would say ‘come as you are and let Jesus mess you up.’ Isn’t that what we all did? We came to Jesus with our junk and mess and let Him change us. So why don’t we encourage others to do the same?

Who is JESUS to you?

Who is Jesus to you really? Is he a man who walked the earth years ago, who had some followers and said some great things? Is he someone you claim to worship, but really know nothing about? What do you know about him? Do you know his character, his actions, his sense of humor? Who is he to you?

Jesus to me is the son of God, he came to earth as a baby to serve the people he loved, to sacrifice everything for the people he created because he loved them. He gave up everything for us and so I have no problem giving everything for him.

Because Jesus is the one I run to when I have a problem or bad day, bad mood or hard circumstance, but he’s also the first one I thank for all the great things in life. I seek him each morning and through out the day because days without him are tough and dull. He is my friend, my protector, my provider, my confidante and he uplifts my spirit and so much more. Jesus is my everything.

What is he to YOU?

What should I do?

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. –Colossians 3:17

Sometimes we ask ourselves should we do this or should we do that?

Jesus when asked about the law, responded love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

So how do we love God and our neighbor?

By Jesus living in and through us, God is love and to love him and others we must let him shine through us. He calls us to die to self so that he can live through us. So it’s not about us, its about him.

It’s not about striving and trying to do and be like him, but it’s through relationship with Jesus that we learn who he is and by surrendering ourselves over to him so that he can live through us. We are simply willing vessels.

Rest to walk upon the waters

Resting in the presence of God is what gives you the trust to walk on water.

You wouldn’t do something deemed impossible without some sort of faith in the one who asked you. But where does that faith come from.

It comes from spending time with God, from resting in His presence, from just being content to be with Him. Because you know Him, and you know His character. You can trust Him when He asks you to take those big leaps of faith that to others seem impossible.

Listen to this song and take some time to rest in His presence, and let Him lead you to walk on water.

Love without condition

We all want to be loved without conditions or expectations. So why would we assume God would want anything else?

Yes, we love God because of what he’s done for us, but we should love him for who he is.

When you are with the one you love you don’t need anything else, but just to be with them. Our love for God should be the same, because his love is the same for us.

He wants nothing more than to spend all eternity with us or he wouldn’t have given everything to make it possible.

Seek him for him and appreciate the joy of just his presence.

Nerves are good for leaders

“I don’t think I’m ready” ~Prince Caspian

“It for that very reason you are” ~Aslan

Often when we don’t feel ready to do what God calls us to. It’s then that we are ready, because it’s that insecurity in ourselves that makes us dependent on God. So it’s God working through us, not our own abilities, so we cannot boast in ourselves but in him alone.

One of my teachers when I first started preaching, reminded me that nerves are good when preaching, because it keeps us conscious of God, his will, his words, his power and his direction. If we were completely confident in ourselves. We would have no need for him. But it’s because we know our own imperfection and instead find our confidence in him, that we can shine him best.

Don’t let nerves hold you back from what you know God has called you to, instead use those nerves to depend on him and REFLECT God to others, not ourselves.

Peace and Rest that Surpasses Understanding

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

—Exodus 33:14

When the Israelites left Egypt they didn’t know where they were going. It can seem the hardest to trust God when we don’t now where He’s leading us, but even in the times of uncertainty he will give us rest.

To have good rest we need to have peace, but its hard to have peace when we’re uncertain. But that’s the beauty of God’s peace it surpasses understanding. We don’t have to know all the answers and he can still give us peace.

My husband and I have moved more times then the number of years we have been married, and we didn’t always know all the details but each time we knew it was God’s timing and that he had a plan and purpose for our move, even if we didn’t know what that plan was. Each time he gave us a peace about it.

Rest is part of that peace, when we trust God’s plan and his timing we can rest in knowing he’s got this. And that rest might be what we need in order to take care of what he’s got ahead for us.

Peace beyond comprehension

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. –Colossians 3:15

Peace in our hearts is something we all desire. But how do you get it, when there is always something, to worry about.

Simple. God’s peace surpasses our worldly concerns. It may sound crazy, but he created us and he created this world, so his peace can supersede our worries and concerns.

So how do we get his peace?

We trust him and give our worries and concerns over to him by asking him for his perspective or solution. When we look to him for the answer that’s when he can give us his peace.

His peace, is like shifting the responsibility over to him. You know that feeling when you feel overwhelmed with a task, like it will never end and you have no idea how to accomplish it. Then your boss comes to you and says you were never meant to worry or deal with that task in the first place.

That’s how God’s peace feels, that immediate relief, that lift of tension and stress.

God never meant for us to bear our own burdens, he came so that he could relieve that stress and give us his peace.

Stop living as if you have to do it all on your own, because you were never meant to, we are meant to life live in peace, because we are meant to live life with Jesus 24/7.

Why I worship

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants. -Isaiah 44:3

The thing I love about worshiping God is that it’s an exchange. As you surrender yourself to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit envelope you; as you pour your life out as an offering he fills you up to overflowing more than you gave.

When we take our eyes off of God and begin to worry about this or about that we let God’s peace fade away. Worry never accomplishes anything other than to steal our peace and joy. So why would we choose to be miserable when we can choose to seek God and his solution. Because he does provide if we just trust him and look for his solution instead of our own.

If God asks you to give up something especially if its your worry, trust that he has something better. You can’t out give him; so stop worrying about what your giving up and starting focusing on what he’s doing in and through you.

Baggage and Beautiful Messes

Why do we only see the flaws when we look in the mirror? Why do we carry around all the baggage of our past pains and hurts?

Beautiful Messes by Hilary Scott & the Scott family talks about laying down all our baggage at the foot of cross and giving it to Jesus, because to him we are never lost causes.

God doesn’t see us the way we see ourselves, he sees us as beautiful messes. He see the beauty he created us to be, that is bogged down by the baggage we choose to carry with us. We are the ones that choose to walk around carrying all our hurts and pains, lugging around the baggage of our past.

But his burden is light.

God doesn’t want us to carry all that around with us. He wants us to lay it all at his feet.

Baggage can be many things worry, anxiety, past hurts and pain. It’s anything that holds us back from expressing the joy and love of Jesus.

One of the secrets of our marriage is that we don’t carry our baggage with us. My husband and I both go to God first before going to each other or anyone else, when we realize that something bothers us.

We ask God, why? Whether it is something someone said or did or even our own mood or attitude that we know is not from him. We go to God first and ask what the root cause of the pain is. Then after we’ve sorted it out with God we go to each other or the person that hurt us and talk it through, if necessary. Many times we’ve worked things out with God and don’t even need to talk to the other person.

We don’t have to walk around with all the hurt and pain of our past or even our present if we lay them at the foot of the cross. He is always with us, always accessible and always wants to help us.

Next time you feel someone poke an old wound or make a new one go to God first and find freedom.

Who are you?

If someone asked you, who you are? What would you say? Would it be your job title? Who you are in relationship to others? Or would it be something else? What if all of it was striped away; your job, your friends, your family, everything. Who would you be? What would define you? Would it be characteristics or attributes? Or would you not know?

If it was just you on an island by yourself alone with nothing to go back to, no home, no friends, no family, just you. What would you cling to? What would make you, you?

For me it’s God. I am his, no matter what. He’s where my identity comes from. I’m his kid and that where I draw strength, confidence, comfort and identity from. Because like Job in the Bible even if everything was stripped away from me. I’m still his, and no one and nothing can take that from me.

As believers in Jesus that’s what we get, an undeniable sense of identity and assurance of who we are, God’s children.

If we read Ephesians chapters 1 and 2; we can see who we are because of our identity in Jesus.

We are chosen, blessed, belonging, forgiven, loved, adopted, wanted, favored, showered with grace, a gift to God, delighted in, saved, lifted up, given new life, a member of God’s family, a citizen of God’s country.

And if you are not yet a believer you can be. You can have that same assurance in your identity by just believing in Jesus love and sacrifice and allowing him into your heart.

People make mistakes

Don’t let others misrepresentation of God deter you from knowing God yourself. Many people have walked away from their faith in God because they were hurt by other believers or believe that God betrayed them.

Just because others have represented God falsely, does not mean that is who he is. Don’t let others perception be your own. Seek the truth about God from God, only he can truly represent himself in His entirety.

People are human and we all make mistakes, I make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.

I walked away from my faith when I was 18 because I felt at the time that my spiritual leaders were more concerned with bringing others to Jesus, then helping me through the things I was facing at the time.

I was WRONG. But that was my perception and interpretation at the time.

The truth is they didn’t help me because they didn’t know, I didn’t tell anyone. Instead I started looking to those outside the faith for solutions and they provided nothing other then distractions, rather then solutions

When I came back to my faith in God, I had more problems, not less. Life without God was miserable, I was always seeking the approval of others and digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole to do it.

Giving my life back to God gave me peace and freedom that I had not know during my time away from him. God surrounded me with his love and forgiveness and brought many people into my life to encourage me to grow in my faith.

If you are questioning God I encourage you to go to scripture, flip open your Bible and begin reading. Don’t have a bible visit Biblegateway.com and randomly pick a verse. Talk to someone you respect for how they represent God and ask the hard questions. Talk to God and give him your hard questions, but don’t forget to listen for the answer.

God is there and he loves you and he wants to talk to you. Give him a chance. Don’t let other be the reason you don’t make up your own mind, make your own choices.

Everyone MATTERS

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.–Colossians 4:7

Tychicus is mentioned only five times in the bible. He’s not credited with any huge miracles or massive outreaches. He simple mentioned as a faithful minister.

Like Paul lifting up Tychicus, we should celebrate and encourage each other to minister to others as God leads them. Whether they are ministering to thousands, hundreds or just one. They matter, we all matter. God has given each of us a gift and a unique way to reach people.

Billy Graham gave his life to Jesus because a shoe sales man told him about Jesus. We never know what our impact will be unless we try.

God gave each of us a new life, a new beginning and we need to share that with others. We never know who we’re talking to; it could be the next Billy Graham or we could be the next Billy Graham but regardless the only way anyone will know God and let him change their lives is if we share what he’s done for us.

Love is a choice

God is endless in his pursuit of us, each and everyone of us has our own special place in his heart. We matter to him.

Even when we feel like no one sees us, hears us or knows us. He does.

He loves us and will pursue us to our last breathe. He will always seek to show us how much he cares, how much he loves and how much he gave to be with us.

But he is never forceful.

The gift he gave us was choice. We can choose to let him show us his love for us. We can choose to only let him into certain parts of our life. Or we can choose to believe he doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. Regardless of our choice he will always be there waiting for us to allow him to love us.

What could be more loving then the right to choose?

Jesus is enough

When you love someone and they love you sometimes all you need, sometimes all you want is to just sit with them and enjoy their presence.

Jesus is like that.

His love is so pure, so true, so comforting that all I want to do sometimes is just sit in his presence and drink in his love, joy and peace.

Photo by Luis Alberto Sánchez Terrones on Unsplash

Sometimes that the best thing for us.

Just to sit and enjoy his presence, no talking necessary just drink him in.

No matter what is going on, when you don’t have the words or the strength you can just sit in his presence and that is enough. Because he is enough.

Gentleness takes strength

What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? ~1 Corinthians 4:21

How would you want someone to approach you about anything in life? With a stick ready to beat you into submission or with love and gentleness. I think we would all choose the latter. No one wants to be beaten up. So why do we see gentleness and love as a weakness?

Its easy to let our emotions run away, but it takes self control to choose to be kind, to choose to be loving and gentle; to be vulnerable.

Some of the strongest people I know are the ones that are the most willing to open up and share their mistakes and failures along with their victories.

Gentleness is being humble enough to focus on the needs of others instead of trying to boast or promote yourself; it takes strength to choose others above yourself.

ABBA Father

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16

The intimacy of calling God “Father” is the privilege we get when we come into the family of God. Unfortunately sometimes people see God as this big dictator in the sky ready to strike us down when we do something wrong. But nothing could be further from the truth.

We are invited in and adopted into God’s family. He seeks a deep intimate relationship with each of us to the point of calling him Daddy!

The God I know is loving and kind, sweet and generous. He doesn’t look down at us like slaves to be bossed around, living in fear of our master. But as his beautiful children. He is our Abba, Daddy and he wants to nurture and help us grow in a safe loving environment, just as any father does.

We get to call him Daddy, so seek him out as a child and look for that loving embrace of our heavenly Father.

Who’s leading?

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother

Colossians 1:1

The apostle Paul was only who he was by following God and the encouragement of others believers, like Timothy. If we try to do what God calls us to do and be who he calls us to be without him. We will fail.

What he asks us to do and who he asks us to be can’t be done without him. It’s only by God’s direction, his grace and his love that we can move mountains.

Paul was a great apostle he wrote a third of the new testament and shared God’s love with thousands. But when Paul tried to accomplish what he thought God wanted without God’s direction. He persecuted those he would later in life call friends and fellow believers.

When we try to do things for God without the leading of the Holy Spirit, they can be good, but they will not accomplish anywhere near what we could if we followed God’s leading. A lot of terrible things have been done in the name of God that he never asked for or wanted.

The leading of the Holy Spirit is imperative and necessary to living for God.

God leads and guides us moment by moment, he gives us the words to say, direction to go, wisdom for decisions and joy and strength to accomplish his leading.

Look to Jesus in your daily life and he will move mountains.

You never know

Everything in life starts small. Humans as babies, plants as seeds, companies all have a day one. Everything starts somewhere and its all the little things that make the big things happen.

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t reached your dreams yet.

David beat Goliath with a stone. When he got up that morning all he intended to do was bring food to his brothers. Even after that David still waited years till the word spoken over him to be king came true. Big dreams rarely happen overnight.

It’s the little things in life that make us who we are. The everyday things that make an impact. The little everyday things prepare us for the big things later.

For David it was the time spent daily shepherding sheep that prepared him to follow God’s plan in God’s time that made him who he was.

It was the time that Jesus spent each day with Father God that gave him the wisdom to know what to say, when and where to go and who to talk to.

We need those same moments each day where we let God lead us and direct our steps, the turn in our drive that helps us avoid the car accident or the mom with screaming kid that we open the door for. It’s the little things that make the difference.

Ask God what the little things are that we can do each day that will make the big things happen. You never know what one stone can do till you see a giant fall.

Where I find my confidence

When I was young, I was shy, insecure, lacking confidence, always looking for approval and to feel wanted.

But when I found my identity in Jesus I changed. As I got to know Him and his love. My confidence grew because I knew who was behind me, supporting me. Knowing God loved me no matter what, that he would always protect me, keep me safe and never leave. My confidence grew because it was in him and who he is, not me.

When we know God’s love for us, it bolsters us, gives us strength and confidence to be who he made us to be. That’s why spending time with Him and learning who he is, is so important. It gives us the confidence to do and be who he made us to be. His children. To know the one who’s standing behind us.

We are each so important to God. He wants to spend every moment of everyday with us and he will defend us even to death, because he already did.

That’s love and that’s where my confidence, joy and peace come from. They come from the one who gave up everything for me.

God wants to have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with every single member of humanity. He is our creator and he loves each and every one of us, that is who we find our confidence in, the one who loves us, all of us.

Fight without Fear

In Prince Caspian, from The Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy gives a perfect example of how we as believers in Jesus should feel when we feel outnumbered and surrounded. Confident and unafraid.

Because it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when we focus on what is around us or even just in front of us. But when we remember God is always with us it changes our perspective.

We become like Lucy, a child facing an army with just a dagger, oh and of course the God of the universe to fight for us. We can have complete confidence because God loves us, he fights for us and if we trust him, he will take care of everything. Nothing should phase us, because God is with US!

You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’ Deuteronomy 3:22

Shine Bright

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. —2 Corinthians 4:6

Have you ever noticed how lights seem brighter in the dark. Like Christmas lights they shine brighter and more beautiful in the dark.

Gods light is like this, he shines in and through us as we grow in relationship with him and choose to let him shine instead of us. When we are in a dark situation he can be the light that leads us out of the darkness. Or he can shine through us to others, showing them the way out of the darkness.

We should not fear the darkness, but look at it as an opportunity to shine Jesus brighter.

Love above all

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.–Colossians 3:14

God’s love is what binds us together, love heals us, love fulfills us.

We can have all we ever wanted in life but if we don’t have love, we will still be lacking.

We can try to do and be the humblest, most compassionate, kindest, gentlest, most patient and forgiving person. But if we don’t have love we will only be striving instead of thriving.

Love shows us others as God sees them, love gives us the drive to put others first, love fulfills us so that we don’t need the approval of others.

God’s love is all we need.

When we feel broken

No matter how low or lost we feel God is always right there waiting for us to turn to him.

We can feel worthless and unworthy but that is not how God sees us. He sees who he made us to be. Who he paid the price for us to be.

He sees the opportunity to reach people through our healed scars, not our old wounds. He sees us. Not our past, not our mistakes but our future.

“Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev 21:5b

Temporary fixes and gripping chains

Why do we keep trying the same temporary fixes to fill the holes inside us and expect different results?

We all have times when we want to escape, from work, school, home, kids spouse. Everyone needs a break sometimes.

But is what we run to really helping? Or is it just a temporary fix, like putting tape on a busted pipe it may work for a moment but eventually the pipe is going to burst again, and if we keep using tape it’s never going to solve the issue.

The lyrics of the song Chain Breaker by Zach Williams describes the cycle we go through in life so often searching for the solution but never finding the answer in the same process.

But there is a better way, a better life.

God is a chain breaker he made a way for us to be free. To not feel tied down but to find joy and peace in our homes, in our work and in our families.

He is the way.

When we go to him, when we need rest, he lifts us up, he takes our fears our worries and our frustrations when we give them over to him.

If we grip onto the chains that our strangling us he can’t remove them. We have to surrender them over to him so he can remove them.

Find your identity

I’ve mentioned dieing to self, having an intimate personal relationship with Jesus, and being a willing vessel. All of which are essential to our lives as Christians. But what does that entail? What does it mean? It means that we let God lead. We look to him to tell us what to do and say, when to do and say it and to provide all that we need to do what he asks us to do.

Sounds scary right. And it would be if God is distant to us. If we don’t really know him. Then of course trusting him sounds scary. But he is the one person in the universe who we can trust for everything. Because he is love and his loves is patient and kind. It does not envy, or boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. His love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.

Want to know more about finding your identity is Jesus. Watch or listen to this video.

Bearing through the storm

When trees are in a storm the branches bend and weather the storm. If they are healthy the tree will come out safe and stronger because of the storm. It’s when they are weak and malnourished that the branches break.

We recently had a storm and I watched as all the branches of the trees around our home blow in the wind and it reminded me of how it is their deep roots that help them weather the storm.

Its the same for us.

When our foundation is rooted and nourished by Jesus we can endure storms in our lives. Its when we have shallow roots and are spiritually malnourished that we crack under the pressure of the storm.

What are your roots grounded in? What feeds your soul?

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. -Colossians 2:6-7

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, the classic song that most people know, is one of my favorites because of what it means. God’s amazing grace that saved, a wretch like me. Every time I hear this song, I want to sing it.

Everyone who has ever lived, except Jesus has done something wrong at some point in their life and needs forgiveness for something. God’s grace does just that. He forgives us for everything we have ever done wrong. He wipes our slate clean and makes us white as snow before God.

I know I’ve done plenty of things wrong in my life, but he forgave me and made me new in him. Because of His forgiveness I get a do over, a fresh start, I get to be new in him.

Often I find memories of my past that try to come back to haunt me. But I know that, that person died on the cross with Jesus. I am no longer that person, because Jesus makes me new and clean with His grace and forgiveness.

Next time you find yourself caught up in your past mistakes, surrender them over to Jesus and let him remind you that, that person died on the cross with him and that Jesus lives through you.

What love is this

I’ve never known a love as deep, as pure and unceasing as the love of God. No where else have I felt safer, more cared for and lacking nothing then in the presence of God. He brings joy and peace, a sense of calm that surpasses understanding. His love is where we don’t feel shame or worry only comfort.

Its us that put up a barrier to keep him at arms length instead of embracing the freedom that his grace provides. But when we accept his forgiveness and surrender control, that’s when we can truly know him.

We are his and he gave everything for us, even his very life just to have a relationship with us. He died because we are valuable to him, we are priceless. And his love is more than enough for us. Accept his gift freely given and melt into the safety of his presence.

What Love is this by Kari Jobe

Love doesn’t hurt

When we’re hurt by the people that are supposed to love us or ashamed of the scares they left, it leaves us afraid to be loved by anyone else. Because to us, love hurts. But that’s not love.

Just because people in our lives who were supposed to love us, didn’t, doesn’t mean that is what love is.

Love is patience and kind, its not rude or self seeking, its not easily angered and does not keep a record of wrongs.

God is love.

And He would never hurt us, neglect us, abandon us or stop loving us.

He is always there, always wanting and waiting to be with us, to love us and take care of us, if we let Him in.

Give God a chance to show you His love, I promise you won’t regret it.

If you already know God’s love share it with a kid who needs it. Check out Royal Family Kids

What is God teaching you?

Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. –Colossians 4:7-9

Sharing what God is doing in our lives and others sharing what he is doing in their live is how we encourage and build each others up. We are the body of Christ and how can the body function if it doesn’t communicate with itself. When one part of the body suffers others parts of the body come to heal that part.

When we lived in Michigan we were part of a small group that had no curriculum, no required reading, no plan, except to that each week when we gathered we asked each other one simple question.

‘What has God been teaching you this week?’

Our facilitator/host always had something prepared but we rarely needed it. Some of the members would share, not always the same people even but somehow it always all connected. We would teach each other what God was teaching us and encourage each other to grow in our relationship with God. Sometimes when one or a few of us were struggling or hurting we did what the body does we would focus on that person and help them to heal. Even when we didn’t know what to do we followed the leading of the Holy spirit and let God teach us all. But we made learning a sharing experience.

Sharing with each other and those who don’t yet know God builds faith and trust. It shows that he is real and that he does make a difference in our lives and he can do the same for everyone.

Share your life share your stories of what Gods done for you and seek to learn from others what God has done for them.

Faith

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. —2 Corinthians 4:18

Faith can be hard for so many people, because if they can’t see it right in front of them its not there. But faith in Jesus isn’t ambivalent. It’s trust in who He is. Think of the person in this world that you trust the most. You know them and you trust them because you know who they are and that you can depend on them.

It’s the same with Jesus. We have faith in Him to be there for us not only because of what He’s already done but because we know Him. We know his character and track record. We have faith in him because we trust Him to be who He has already shown us He is. Loving, sacrificial and forgiving.

Humility over honor

And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:8-11

Jesus never demanded respect or to be worshiped or honored. He came to serve. Not to be served.

Have you ever demanded to be honored or respected? Did the actions of the person you demanded respect from fulfill that need or desire. Or did it leave you still wanting more?

When we force appreciation from people it teaches them that honor and respect are demanded, instead of earned.

So in turn they will go and do the same to others.

But when we get our value from God, as Jesus did, we don’t need the approval or appreciation of others to feel honored or respected.

Getting our value from God turns the moments when we are honored or respected by others into ‘life bonuses’ that mean so much more when they aren’t demanded.

Praise HIM

The first exegetical (which simple means using the whole text and in context) sermon I ever preached was on Psalm 150, the last of the psalms. It cries out the heart of the book of psalms Praise HIM, no matter what, no matter how you feel, Praise HIM.

Praise HIM everywhere in every way, all the time. With singing, with instruments, with dancing, with focus and undivided attention.

Praising God isn’t about the perfect song or if the band is on key, or if you sit, stand, kneel, dance or jump about. It’s about your heart.

Worship is about God, not us.

Are your words and your actions reflecting God? Are you shining glory on him? Are you taking time to solely focus on God, thanking him, praising him and giving him the glory? That’s what he deserves.

How are you praising HIM?

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,

praise him with timbrel and dancing,

praise him with the strings and pipe,

praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Prayer isn’t something to be scared of

Those moments when you’re lost, tired, confused and stressed. There is one thing you can always pray, Jesus.

In times of stress and worry we often neglect prayer because we think we need the right words or we don’ know what to say. But we don’t really have to say anything. We can simple call on Jesus and let him do the talking.

Prayer doesn’t have to be some eloquently written poem. Prayer is a conversion between you and God.

Don’t worry about what to say.

You can be open, honest, raw and say anything, he can handle it. The most important thing is that we are opening the line of communication to him and that we are giving him a chance to talk to us.

Prayer makes an Impact

We never know the impact our prayers may have. In Facing the Giants a faithful man prays over the lockers at the local school for years and doesn’t see the impact till revival hits the students.

Prayer makes an impact, whether we see the results immediately or never.

My friends and family prayed for me for years during the time in my life where I ignored God, but their prayers made an impact. There were key moments during that time when I know their prayers made an impact.

When I was in Uganda, speaking at a women’s conference, at the end the other speakers and I prayed for many of the women there for healing and many other things. We each had a translator that gave us a quick snap shot of their requests for prayer. But there was still a language barrier. As I prayed, I prayed in English and in tongues.

I didn’t understand everything the ladies were saying to me and they didn’t understand what I was saying, but God understood it all; lady after lady came up and they were either healed or their prayer was answered. It wasn’t about the words, but about our hearts and the openness to allow the Holy Spirit to work through me and in them.

Prayer is a conversation with God and we may not always like or understand the answers, or we may be completely astounded and overwhelmed by the answers.

But the one thing I hold true, is that prayer is not something to be afraid.

Pray for those you love and pray for those you don’t, you never know the impact.

When we are weak Jesus is our strength

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ~2 Corinthians 12:9

Why do we always think we have to clean ourselves up before we go to God? That’s the very reason Jesus came, to make us clean, pure new creations in Him. We can try our hardest to do everything perfect and it still wouldn’t be enough.

We need to stop striving to get God’s approval and love. He gives freedom from guilt and shame freely, because He love us.

When we are at our worst, our weakest our most vulnerable and we know nothing else but to surrender and let him lead. That’s when he shines the brightest. When we get our own selves out of the way and depend on him.

We just need to surrender to him, and remember on the days we feel the worst he is the best.

Freedom from Trying

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Colossians 2:20-23

When we die to our selfish nature it’s to stop trying to achieve salvation on our own. We humble ourselves by acknowledging that we cannot achieve it by our own self abasement. So why after receiving God’s gift of forgiveness would we one again try to earn it?

The choices we make to abstain from things in our lives are to help us develop a deeper relationship with Jesus; building more dependence on him and less on our selves. Things like fasting are to show us that God can sustain us, not to show others how devout we can be.

Our choices to abstain from things are for our focus to be undivided. If we focus on trying to redeem our past we will miss what God is doing in our lives now. If we look to darkness for light we are missing the point that he delivered us from darkness.

Stop trying to earn salvation and accept the free gift that it is and enjoy the freedom from darkness that Jesus salvation gives.

Spiritual thirst

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
Isaiah 44:3

Feeling like we are dry spiritually or not hearing God is often because we are not making time for him or listening for the answer. We may be too busy or overwhelmed with all our obligations and responsibilities.

But if we take the time to give God time he makes those obligations and responsibilities easier and even joyful.

Spending time with God and letting him fill us with his presence gives us joy, peace, love and perspective. When we look to him moment by moment he changes things.

The change he brings may not be a change of location, job or responsibilities, but a change of perspective, of how we view and react to those same situations.

The thing I love about worshipping God is that it’s an exchange. As we surrender ourselves to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit envelope us; as we pour our lives out as an offering he fills us up to overflowing more than we gave.

We can’t out give God. So stop worrying about what your giving up and starting focusing on what he’s doing in and through you.

How do you see yourself?

It’s easy to struggle with how God sees you when you get wrapped up in how others see you or how you see yourself. But how God sees us is what matters!

He is our creator and a creator always knows how something was meant to be used. It’s us or others that misuse ourselves and see ourselves not as we were intended to be.

God sees us all as his beautiful kids that he loves. We need to ask him to show us how he sees us each day. Then we can fulfill the purpose he intended for us when he made us.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

True Fulfillment Isn’t A Quick Fix

Temptation is attractive. That’s the reason it’s tempting. Just because something is fun or enjoyable for a moment doesn’t make it a good choice. Especially if we feel guilty or worse after.

Temptation leads us slowly to make compromise after compromise to fulfill a growing need that is never really satisfied. So we go deeper and make sacrifices, push aside responsibilities, neglect family and friends to try to fulfill our need but never find satisfaction. Because we are trying to fill our lack with the counterfeit.

Like Edmund in “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” He craved being important which is why being a king appealed to him. Aslan made him to be a king but Edmund tried to achieve it on his own. He listened to the White Witch because she offered an almost immediate answer to his need. Edmund even uses his own family to achieve his selfish desires. When if he’d only waited his need would of been fulfilled by Aslan when he makes him king the right way without compromise or guilt.

This is what God does in our lives. He places in us desires but we often look to fulfill them on our own. When if we would only look to him he will fulfill the needs he put in us beyond anything we could of achieved on our own.

God created us and he is the one that fills our needs, wants and desires without guilt, regret or shame. If we would only look to him to fulfill the desires he has placed in us, instead of the counterfeit quick fixes. We would find fulfillment in Jesus. What he has for us is always so much better then anything we could think, dream or imagine and its always more then we deserve.

God’s got your back

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

Psalm 18:29

God is who we draw our confidence and our feeling of invincibility from. When know who we are as His kids, who He has made us to be and what He’s called us to do. It gives us a firm foundation to stand on, to know that the creator of the universe has got our back.

Imagine if everywhere we went and with everything we did, we had a fifty foot angel standing behind us backing us up, giving us support and encouragement. That’s what it’s like when we trust God to lead us, but even better. Even a fifty foot angel fails in comparison to God and He is with us all the time.

We are never alone if we have Him by our side, if we look to Him for guidance, for the right words and for each step and each action each day. He created the universe, He can handle our daily schedule. And with Him, we can tackle what seems impossible, because nothing is impossible to him.

Jesus Humbled Himself

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature  of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Phil 2:6-8

Even Jesus didn’t consider himself equal with Father God when he came to earth. He could of been born to the highest king in all the world, He could of come as an adult.

But instead He choose to come as a baby, to a young girl and her fiance with no notoriety or status.

He choose to start with humble beginnings.

He never demanded to be worshipped, glorified, honored or respected.

He simple came to serve us in love, to do what we couldn’t, to live a sinless life and then die falsely accused the death of a murder.

All to give us the opportunity to have right relationship with Father God. To not have to earn anything, simple to let Him live through us and He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Jesus did the hard part.

We need to stop striving and trying to work for Him. Instead we need to start surrendering, to let Him work through us!

What fills you?

Soaking is a term meaning to literally sit in God’s presence and soak it in. You don’t have to pray or sing or do anything. Just sit and let everything go, all your worries all your concerns, all your pain and frustration and just let him be enough for it all.

If you’ve never tried it, I want to encourage you to put on your favorite worship music and just let everything go and let God fill you up with his peace, joy, love and presence. Let the words flow over you like a river and let God melt away and your worries and concerns. Because he is more than enough!

God is Good

There are so many songs that talk about how good God is and each one resonates because he is good. King of my Heart by Bethel Music repeats how good he is to us in everything that we face. He is the anchor in the storm, his is fire in our souls and the mountain where we run.

We know that we can run to him no matter how we are feeling and he is there for us. There to comfort us when we are sad or shield when we’re weak. He anchors us when we start to stray and he is who we run to and thank for his blessings beyond our beliefs.

God is good, because he has proven it to me more times then I can count. He blessed me with amazing friends that never gave up on me when I ran from God. He blessed me with an amazing husband who has strength and character that I didn’t know I wanted or needed. God is good.

He has been there for me in some the hardest moments of my life, and helped me find joy and peace when I saw none.

God is good. Ask him how he wants to show his goodness to you today!

Never underestimate an Open Door

Run the Race is a movie about the power of forgiveness and the bridges that forgiveness can build. It’ a great story of how no one is beyond saving and we should never give up on people.

My childhood friends from the church I grew up in never gave up on me. They were always there for me and never stopped praying. They never compromised themselves or approved of my choices during my time of ignoring God. But there were always there.

When I finally made the decision to change my life. They immediately jumped in to help and encourage me to stick with my decision.

My friends and my mom never gave up on me. Which made my choice to change free of fear or condemnation.

Extending forgiveness and keeping the door open, creates a safe place for people to come when they have questions or choose to make a change.

Never under estimate the power of prayer and an open door.

Like leaving the door open when you baking cookies, eventually someone is going to smell the warm comforting sweetness and come in.

Trust in all things

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

As we continues to face new challenges and new opportunities arise. Whatever comes our way good or bad. We can trust God. We can look for him in every situation and he will bring us joy and peace. We may not understand why or how, but putting our faith in God is not about understanding, it’s about trust.

When we are children our parents give us instruction to protect us and take care of us. We may not understand why but we trust our parents to take care of us. It’s the same with God. He may ask us to do something or not to do something for our benefit whether we understand it or not, we can trust Him. We can trust that He knows the outcome even if we can’t see it at the time.

How many times in your life have looked back and realized your parents, mentor, leader or boss were right about something you didn’t understand at the time.

It’s the same with God. He can see the bigger picture, the effect of the cause and the cause of the effect. He knows what it takes to get us where we need to go and what may harm us in the long end. Trust God to lead you and know that His heart is for you.

Second chances

As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

-John 8:3-11

We have all done something wrong in our lives and none of us is without blemish. None of us could cast the first stone at the other for their mistakes because none of us are without mistakes. But that’s the beauty of why Jesus came to redeem us.

He came to do what we could not, to live a life without sin.

That’s why second chances and believing in the others is so important because we all were given a second chance from God so how could we not do the same for others.

I watched a movie the other night about a basketball coach who saw potential in his players to not only do well as athletes but he saw beyond that, that they could exceed the expectations of others around them in their education too.

That’s how God is with us. He sees way more potential in us then we or others see in ourselves. That’s why he never gives up on us and he is always our biggest cheerleader because he made us and he knows that we are capable of far greater then we can think or imagine. If we will just trust him to guide us to it.

God’s Love Endures

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. –Act 16:25

The love of God is so overwhelming that even in prison his disciples still worship. You have to wonder what is so great about God’ love that people would be willing to be imprisoned for it and still praise him in that prison.

When I read the book Heavenly Man, the true life story of a leader of the underground church in China and the multiple imprisonments he endured, beating and mistreatment. I was moved by how he still shared God’s love with the very men that beat him, enough to know that I would be willing to endure the same for the gospel. But that’s God’s love, it endures everything and anything.

Jesus was falsely accused, beaten and died the death of a murderer for all for us, because he loves us.

That love is worth sacrifice.

God’s love endures.

It endure our constant rejections, abuse, neglect and straight opposition.

His love endures.

No matter what his love for you never changes, no matter what you say or do he loves you and it is that love that holds us together.

His love endures all things

If his love can endure all, isn’t it worth giving him the chance to love you?

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Psalm 150

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