If you place, your life,
In the scarred hands of Christ,
He will fill the empty to overflowing,
Make the broken whole again.
He will empower the weak,
And give guidance to those who seek.
He will bring hope to those who have given up,
And restore innocence to the corrupt.
Erase the mistakes,
Cast light into the darkest place.
He will fill the void with good things,
And into the silence His song He sings.
He protects the vulnerable,
And forgives the unpardonable,
Loves those considered unlovable,
And touches the untouchable.
He breaks all bounds,
And His love still surrounds.
He renews the used,
And heals the abused.
Reaps a harvest from barren fields,
The wounded and weary He shields.
He makes beautiful the marred,
And binds up the hurting and scarred.
To the weary He gives strength and endurance,
To the fallen and backslidden, a second chance.
To the unfeeling He grants healing emotion,
To those without purpose He gives passion.
The cold hearts He warms,
And comforts the destitute in His arms.
And to the lost, wandering, and alone,
He restores them to their Home.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thoughts...
Last night, a few of us were talking, and we opened up to one another, sharing things we were struggling with. I mentioned that I was having a hard time sticking to the promises that I made God, particularly with devotions. JC, the one who pretty much got everyone to open up, asked me what I had promised. When I said 10%, he and the others thought that it was overkill... but, he, at least, promised to keep me accountable to at least spending some time with God every day.
One other thing that came out of talking to them about devotions was that when I told them that I didn't think 2 1/2 hours was overkill because it was so easy for me to spend more than that (once I got started) usually, and do not find it abnormal to have prayed more than once for more than 4 hours for people, was that they realized, and are helping me to realize that this could very well be one of my spiritual gifts. Funny how having a spiritual gift in the area of spending time with God, and one of my greatest weaknesses is managing my time... hmmm...
So, this morning, I was praying about it all, and God just reaffirmed to me that this really is something that He wants me to do, and I have a peace about it... even when I'm struggling with it. It's okay to fall down, hey, little kids do it how often when they're learning to walk? But, every time that they take a few steps and fall, and take a few steps and fall, they are strengthening their muscles and are soon taking more and more steps in between each fall. This is something God wants, I have no doubt. I am very certain that this is something He wants me to learn now, for later.
However, I think, in starting, I'm going to cut back on expecting so much with the Bible reading and all that, and just be concerned about spending time with God, whether it's praying or listening to sermons, or working on the parables, or writing stories or reading through the Bible or whatever. I do believe that down the road reading through the Bible like I was will come... but, it's too much to start with.
This morning, I started listening to the Damascus Road sermons from the beginning (since I've finished the spiritual warfare series--as much as they have posted anyways, I'm still waiting for Sunday to hear the sermon about the sword of the Spirit). The first message was about The Damascus Road Experience-Portraits of Jesus. Shane related how the world is truly hungry for God. As one of his friends told him, they don't like church, and they don't like religion, but they're okay with Jesus. He went through a number of stories: Saul, Zaccheus, the woman at the well, Levi, and others, showing how the "world" was broken, hateful towards God, unclean, messed up, looking in all the wrong places, and really seeking. The "church" (or religious leaders of the day, or even just those following Jesus) looked down on them, pushed them away and drew back from them. Jesus, however, did not. He went out of His way to go to those people--the sick who need a doctor--to love them, despite losing popularity, followers, breaking laws, and so on. He didn't care how it looked to the religious, what He cared about was the lost, and restoring them to a relationship with Him. When they saw Him, they were changed.
When others see us, do they see Jesus or the religious? As followers of Christ, our call is to be made an example of.... what example are we setting?
My challenge to you, as well as to myself, is to keep taking those steps that God has called us to take, no matter what, and to live a life that shows Jesus, not just another religion.
May the Lord bless your walk with Him, and may His beautiful love shine through you, in all that you think, say, and do. Walk in peace.
One other thing that came out of talking to them about devotions was that when I told them that I didn't think 2 1/2 hours was overkill because it was so easy for me to spend more than that (once I got started) usually, and do not find it abnormal to have prayed more than once for more than 4 hours for people, was that they realized, and are helping me to realize that this could very well be one of my spiritual gifts. Funny how having a spiritual gift in the area of spending time with God, and one of my greatest weaknesses is managing my time... hmmm...
So, this morning, I was praying about it all, and God just reaffirmed to me that this really is something that He wants me to do, and I have a peace about it... even when I'm struggling with it. It's okay to fall down, hey, little kids do it how often when they're learning to walk? But, every time that they take a few steps and fall, and take a few steps and fall, they are strengthening their muscles and are soon taking more and more steps in between each fall. This is something God wants, I have no doubt. I am very certain that this is something He wants me to learn now, for later.
However, I think, in starting, I'm going to cut back on expecting so much with the Bible reading and all that, and just be concerned about spending time with God, whether it's praying or listening to sermons, or working on the parables, or writing stories or reading through the Bible or whatever. I do believe that down the road reading through the Bible like I was will come... but, it's too much to start with.
This morning, I started listening to the Damascus Road sermons from the beginning (since I've finished the spiritual warfare series--as much as they have posted anyways, I'm still waiting for Sunday to hear the sermon about the sword of the Spirit). The first message was about The Damascus Road Experience-Portraits of Jesus. Shane related how the world is truly hungry for God. As one of his friends told him, they don't like church, and they don't like religion, but they're okay with Jesus. He went through a number of stories: Saul, Zaccheus, the woman at the well, Levi, and others, showing how the "world" was broken, hateful towards God, unclean, messed up, looking in all the wrong places, and really seeking. The "church" (or religious leaders of the day, or even just those following Jesus) looked down on them, pushed them away and drew back from them. Jesus, however, did not. He went out of His way to go to those people--the sick who need a doctor--to love them, despite losing popularity, followers, breaking laws, and so on. He didn't care how it looked to the religious, what He cared about was the lost, and restoring them to a relationship with Him. When they saw Him, they were changed.
When others see us, do they see Jesus or the religious? As followers of Christ, our call is to be made an example of.... what example are we setting?
My challenge to you, as well as to myself, is to keep taking those steps that God has called us to take, no matter what, and to live a life that shows Jesus, not just another religion.
May the Lord bless your walk with Him, and may His beautiful love shine through you, in all that you think, say, and do. Walk in peace.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Damascus Road link
This morning I went back to listen to an episode of the Spiritual Warfare series that I had missed, and remembered that I had not put the link up here. Again, this is from the Damascus Road Church in Madison, WI. The main pastor is Shane Holden. One of the series he preached (and actually is still preaching) is on Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). It's a really good series.
http://www.damascusroadchurch.com/video.php
Enjoy!
http://www.damascusroadchurch.com/video.php
Enjoy!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Yours and My Calling in Life...
Text
Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
This was the first cartoon I started to draw. I have the basic ideas worked out. But, as I was reading and drawing this out, two things really struck me.
The first was that if you light a candle, and place a bowl over the top, the flame dies because it has no oxygen. If we do not allow our light to shine, our flame and passion for God will die out. Keep the fire burning--let that light shine for all to see.
The other was a tie to a comment made by Brian Kono--my Introduction to Youth Ministry professor. He said that even more that if we are called to youth ministry, that is more than a call to be a youth pastor, it is a call to be a leader...our call is to be made an example of. Whether we are a city on a hill or a lamp in the middle of a room, we are to be there for all to see... our light is to be shining before all men so that they may see our good deeds--for as Kono pointed out from Scripture, leaders are to be above reproach--that they may give glory to God.
My call to work with youth, is the same as any other Christian. We are to be leaders, to stand out from the crowd, from the world, to imitate Christ and be above reproach in all that we do, whether it be school, work, homework, schedules, balanced lifestyles, the things we say, the jokes we crack, the promises we make and choose to keep, the thoughts we think...the list goes on. We are to stand before those we are ministering to, working with, and those who are in our lives in some form or another, and be able to say that we are living out lives passionately for God...so that they can see His glorious light shining through us.
The exciting, or scary, part of all of this, is that in order for me to begin to fulfill my calling--and you yours--is that I don't have to complete my four years of college to begin. I start right here, right now, by being the leader, the example, the light, that I am called to be, right here, right now. If I choose not to begin now, I will be placing my light under a bowl, and the flame will die down and go out. But by keeping it in the middle of the room, it will continually be fueled and, thanks to God, become hotter and more passionate.
May your light continue to shine, and the Lord keep your passion for Him burning as you serve Him now.
Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
This was the first cartoon I started to draw. I have the basic ideas worked out. But, as I was reading and drawing this out, two things really struck me.
The first was that if you light a candle, and place a bowl over the top, the flame dies because it has no oxygen. If we do not allow our light to shine, our flame and passion for God will die out. Keep the fire burning--let that light shine for all to see.
The other was a tie to a comment made by Brian Kono--my Introduction to Youth Ministry professor. He said that even more that if we are called to youth ministry, that is more than a call to be a youth pastor, it is a call to be a leader...our call is to be made an example of. Whether we are a city on a hill or a lamp in the middle of a room, we are to be there for all to see... our light is to be shining before all men so that they may see our good deeds--for as Kono pointed out from Scripture, leaders are to be above reproach--that they may give glory to God.
My call to work with youth, is the same as any other Christian. We are to be leaders, to stand out from the crowd, from the world, to imitate Christ and be above reproach in all that we do, whether it be school, work, homework, schedules, balanced lifestyles, the things we say, the jokes we crack, the promises we make and choose to keep, the thoughts we think...the list goes on. We are to stand before those we are ministering to, working with, and those who are in our lives in some form or another, and be able to say that we are living out lives passionately for God...so that they can see His glorious light shining through us.
The exciting, or scary, part of all of this, is that in order for me to begin to fulfill my calling--and you yours--is that I don't have to complete my four years of college to begin. I start right here, right now, by being the leader, the example, the light, that I am called to be, right here, right now. If I choose not to begin now, I will be placing my light under a bowl, and the flame will die down and go out. But by keeping it in the middle of the room, it will continually be fueled and, thanks to God, become hotter and more passionate.
May your light continue to shine, and the Lord keep your passion for Him burning as you serve Him now.
2-Year Plan--February Schedule
- Job 36:1-37:24; Matthew 23:1-39
- Job 38:1-41; Matthew 24:1-51
- Job 39:1-30; Matthew 25:1-46
- Psalms 78; Matthew 26:1-35
- Job 40:1-24; Matthew 26:36-75
- Job 41:1-34; Matthew 27:1-31
- Job 42:1-17; Matthew 27:32-66
- Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:26; Matthew 28:1-20
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-22; Acts 1:1-26
- Ecclesiastes 4:1-16; Acts 2:1-41
- Psalms 79; Acts 2:42-3:26
- Ecclesiastes 5:1-6:12; Acts 4:1-22
- Ecclesiastes 7:1-29; Acts 4:23-37
- Ecclesiastes 8:1-17; Acts 5:1-16
- Proverbs 18; Acts 5:17-42
- Ecclesiastes 9:1-18; Acts 6:1-15
- Ecclesiastes 10:1-20; Acts 7:1-53
- Psalms 80; Acts 7:54-8:8
- Ecclesiastes 11:1-10; Acts 8:9-40
- Ecclesiastes 12:1-14; Acts 9:1-19a
- Song of Songs 1:1-2:17; Acts 9:19b-43
- Song of Songs 3:1-4:16; Acts 10:1-23a
- Song of Songs 5:1-16; Acts 10:23b-48
- Song of Songs 6:1-13; Acts 11:1-30
- Psalm 81-82; Acts 12:1-19a
- Song of Songs 7:1-13; Acts 12:19b-13:12
- Song of Songs 8:1-14; Acts 13:13-52
- 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:55; Acts 14:1-20
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