Hi Friends!
Welcome to another "Teach Me Tuesday" post! God has been teaching me a lot of little lessons lately but at church on Sunday there were some things that Pastor Mike said that have really stuck with me. Our church is doing a "How to Wreck Your Life" series and this week's sermon was on Drifting.
2 Corinthians 11:3 "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Let's face it, Satan wants to destroy our faith. He doesn't want us to follow God, listen to Him, or live a life that pleases Him. He wants to "steal, kill, and destroy." He's a bad, bad dude. Yet he's subtle and he can get us to fall away in the most deceptive ways.
These are the 5 steps that you are drifting away from God:
1. You are disregarding your time with God.
2. You are blaming God for your poor circumstances.
3. You are indulging in bad company.
4. You are falling into temptation regularly.
5. You are treasuring the world more than you are treasuring God.
I will admit that I am guilty of struggling with all of these at one time or another. But lately number 1 has been a serious struggle. I have two kids, one of which I homeschool and to find quiet time to spend with God is hard to find. That is, unless I am willing to wake up before the kids and let's be honest, that is really tough to do. I have a million excuses but all of them are lame because I know that I need that time with God. It's like exercise, it takes some motivation to sit down and do it but once you do, you NEVER regret it! So, tomorrow I am going to do it. I am going to wake up at (EEK) 6:30 am and spend a half hour with God. I'll probably spend the first five minutes praying that I can stay awake but I definitely know it is worth it. God is always worth it. Always.
The pastor asked everyone, Are you closer to God today than you have ever been? If not, why? You know God hasn't moved. That means you have. And more than likely one of the five is causing you to drift away from Him. (ouch, the truth hurts!)
If you are willing to share, which one of the five do you struggle with, and how can you take the steps to move closer to God, instead of drifting away?
Showing posts with label devotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotional. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Motivational Mondays~ Forgiveness
The word forgiveness is used a lot in sunday schools and church sermons and is the cornerstone of what it means to be "saved by grace" through Jesus Christ. We all know how important it is, we wouldn't be Christians without it. If God hadn't forgiven us for our sins, we wouldn't be able to have a new life with a relationship with Him. God doesn't just forgive us on the day that we accept Him into our hearts, He also forgives us every day, every second after that until we die and go to heaven to live with Him. Forgiveness. It's a big deal.
God isn't the only one who is supposed to forgive. We are too. In our life there will be many people who hurt us, disappoint us, treat us poorly, hurt our friends and family, demean us, curse at us, and humiliate us. God wants us to forgive them. The dictionary defines forgiveness as "to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt." Forgiveness is not earned, it is given as a free gift. We forgive otheres because God forgave us and we are so thankful that we want to follow in His footsteps.
Forgiveness is NOT easy. In some cases you can just say to yourself that you forgive someone and it's truly over. In other cases it make take months or even years to fully forgive. But it's God's will so He will help you if you need/want Him to! Ephesians 4:32 says "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
The other side of the coin is forgiving yourself. Let's face it, we have all made mistakes in our life that we are not proud of. We have all been the one who hurt someone else at some point, the one who wanted the forgiveness. Sometimes we recieve that forgivness and sometimes we don't but we also have to pray and forgive ourselves. If we don't, it can eat up at you for years and years. In order to let it go you have to talk to God and ask Him to forgive you and then forgive yourself and move on. When the offense comes up in your mind (and it will) just remind yourself that God is GOOD and you are forgiven!!
This week, my Motivational encouragement for you is to find forgiveness. Forgive someone or finally forgive yourself. You will be so much lighter and free-er to hear what God wants to say to you.
Be Blessed,
Jamie
God isn't the only one who is supposed to forgive. We are too. In our life there will be many people who hurt us, disappoint us, treat us poorly, hurt our friends and family, demean us, curse at us, and humiliate us. God wants us to forgive them. The dictionary defines forgiveness as "to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt." Forgiveness is not earned, it is given as a free gift. We forgive otheres because God forgave us and we are so thankful that we want to follow in His footsteps.
Forgiveness is NOT easy. In some cases you can just say to yourself that you forgive someone and it's truly over. In other cases it make take months or even years to fully forgive. But it's God's will so He will help you if you need/want Him to! Ephesians 4:32 says "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
The other side of the coin is forgiving yourself. Let's face it, we have all made mistakes in our life that we are not proud of. We have all been the one who hurt someone else at some point, the one who wanted the forgiveness. Sometimes we recieve that forgivness and sometimes we don't but we also have to pray and forgive ourselves. If we don't, it can eat up at you for years and years. In order to let it go you have to talk to God and ask Him to forgive you and then forgive yourself and move on. When the offense comes up in your mind (and it will) just remind yourself that God is GOOD and you are forgiven!!
This week, my Motivational encouragement for you is to find forgiveness. Forgive someone or finally forgive yourself. You will be so much lighter and free-er to hear what God wants to say to you.
Be Blessed,
Jamie
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
TeAcH mE tUeSdAy~ Patience
Hi Friends,
Every Tuesday I am going to do a Teach Me Tuesday post. This is going to be a devotional on something God has been teaching me lately. My prayer is that through me sharing what God is teaching me, He will teach you too! Isn't He always trying to teach us something? I'd love it if you left a comment sharing what God has been teaching you as well! We can all learn from each other :)
James 1:4 "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
When I was in 6th grade I participated in a talent show and sang a song along with a friend called "Have Patience." We both dressed as turtles and sang the words...
"Have patience, Have patience, don't be in such a hurry.
When you get impatient, you only start to worry.
Remember, remember that God is patient too,
Just think of all the times that others have to wait for you!"
It was a cute little thing to do but I can't tell you how many times that song has run through my head in the past 20 something years! I guess it is something God has been working on in me for a long time. Patience means the capacity to endure hardship, difficulty, or inconvenience without complaint. What is harder, more difficult or more inconvenient than children? Let's face it, being a parent requires a LOT of patience. And the key component of that definition is the last two words...without complaint. That is tough. But God is patient with us so of course he desires us to be patient with others. Aren't you glad He is patient with you? I sure am! I pray that God would help me to have patience with my family and with the things in life for which I am waiting. It's a daily struggle but the more you do it the easier it gets (right?). So now it is your turn, what has God been teaching you this past week/past hour/past five minutes?
Every Tuesday I am going to do a Teach Me Tuesday post. This is going to be a devotional on something God has been teaching me lately. My prayer is that through me sharing what God is teaching me, He will teach you too! Isn't He always trying to teach us something? I'd love it if you left a comment sharing what God has been teaching you as well! We can all learn from each other :)
James 1:4 "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
When I was in 6th grade I participated in a talent show and sang a song along with a friend called "Have Patience." We both dressed as turtles and sang the words...
"Have patience, Have patience, don't be in such a hurry.
When you get impatient, you only start to worry.
Remember, remember that God is patient too,
Just think of all the times that others have to wait for you!"
It was a cute little thing to do but I can't tell you how many times that song has run through my head in the past 20 something years! I guess it is something God has been working on in me for a long time. Patience means the capacity to endure hardship, difficulty, or inconvenience without complaint. What is harder, more difficult or more inconvenient than children? Let's face it, being a parent requires a LOT of patience. And the key component of that definition is the last two words...without complaint. That is tough. But God is patient with us so of course he desires us to be patient with others. Aren't you glad He is patient with you? I sure am! I pray that God would help me to have patience with my family and with the things in life for which I am waiting. It's a daily struggle but the more you do it the easier it gets (right?). So now it is your turn, what has God been teaching you this past week/past hour/past five minutes?
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