We received a good reminder this week of how much of a difference it makes in the world when someone takes the time to encourage and believe in someone else. As I look back on my life, I remember the coaches, teachers, scoutmasters, and my mom and dad who gave me so much encouragement and support that helped me to achieve great successes in life. There’s no doubt that as I left home to start college and even as I left college to continue my career, that the continued encouragement and support I receive from so many has given me the courage to trust in God, step out, and live life.
While I am so grateful for those who encouraged me I’m also reminded that there are others now, young and old, who may not have those people in their life and who God has placed in my life so that I can believe in them. Whether it’s a one time kind word or helping hand, or a more invested relationship we can change the world by taking the time to let someone know that you believe he or she has what it takes to do great things in life.
Yesterday at Grace Community Church was amazing! Families dedicating children to the Lord and 5 adults confessing their commitment to Jesus through Baptism! As the church worshiped and celebrated new life the atmosphere in the room was electric…..or maybe the spirit was moving…..I would say the morning was incredibly life-giving!
It’s been said by many and I agree, there is nothing more beautiful or powerful than the local church! I am so humbled, blessed, and excited to be a part of Grace Community Church. I am believing God today for “one more”.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7
The Bible tells us the book of Proverbs that the power of life and death are in the tongue and in James we are reminded of the sad reality that sometimes we are guilty of praising God and cursing our brothers and sisters with the same tongue. With Facebook, blogs, and the ability to reach almost any one at any time with cell phones and texting there are a lot of words being sent and received these days. Are the words you take in giving you life or are they bringing death? Are the words you send to others giving them life or are they like poison arrows that have lodged in their heart taking life?
In this week’s sermon we were warned about toxic words that we can give or receive. The challenge was presented, as it has throughout the entire Toxic series, for us to truly examine the level of toxicity that exists in the various influences in our lives. Here’s what I love about this week’s message though. Just as there is incredibly destructive power in words, there is even more life giving power and it is such a simple thing for us to use our words to encourage, build up, and bring life to ourselves and everyone arounds us. Pastor Craig said something like, “Speak life giving words at every chance you get.” If we were to take this to heart the possibilities are amazing.
Just this week I was contacted by an old friend who had seen this message on Toxic words and he was convicted for the incredibly destructive things he had said to a former friend in one particularly heated argument about 2 years ago. He told me that after this sermon he felt a leading to contact this person, to apologize, and to speak words of encouragement. The message he sent was met with forgiveness and encouragement as well and the effects of this simple exchange have been profound on my friend. He was crying tears of joy telling me that he had believed that he was “over and past” the bitter argument that occurred so long ago but after making amends he experienced a surge of life and freedom as the toxicity of past bitterness was removed from his life.
What are words of life that you need to give today? Are they words of encouragement for someone that you see everyday? Or maybe words of apology and forgiveness to remove the sting of a toxic encounter from long ago? I pray that as you read these words you are inspired by God to step out and take hold of the amazing life that he desires for you in the words of your life.
August is always full of excitement with the start of another school year! I want to let you know about a couple of exciting things happening this week:
Quad Day: Sunday, August 22 is Quad Day at the U of I and we will be there to meet some of the outstanding young men and women and let them know about our wonderful Grace Community. Be sure to pray for the volunteers at this event and be on the look out for new faces to welcome over the next several weeks!
Middle School Lock-In: Friday, August 27 the area youth ministries are teaming up with the Champaign YMCA to host a Back to School Bash lock-in for middle school students. The hours of the lock-in are 8:00 PM through 6:00 AM and admission is $10 per student for the cost of facilities, activities, pizza, a live band, and more!
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Jesus healing a blind man in John 9. The reason I love it is that after the man is healed he is questioned by the religious leaders about Jesus so that they can discredit Jesus. The healed man’s response is awesome as he tells the men, “Whether he is a sinner or not I do not know, but I do know that I was blind and now I see.”
Isn’t it great that so much of our faith simply boils down to the facts. The facts of how we as people with broken lives are made whole again by a God who loves us so much that he sent his son. When we let this amazing fact sink in, we become like this man who simply can’t be bothered by all the distracting questions because he can’t get past what God has done for him. What’s your story? How are you sharing it with others?
Work is such a funny thing. We dream about the days that we don’t have to work. But it seems like, even when we’re not at our “work” we usually find something that we can “work” on. I guess in one way or another there is always work to be done, sometimes more enjoyable than others, but always with a great possibility for reward.
One of the recurring themes in One Prayer has been that of God stirring new works in our lives. Philippians 1:6 gives reassurance that God begins and sees through the good he is working in our lives. I like that, but I sometimes forget that it is still work and get discouraged when the working out process is more difficult than I’d hoped. Sometimes that process takes me places that I just don’t like, but this verse makes me think that even in those times God can work something great in me. So whatever you’re working through today, I pray that you will be blessed by God as he completes work in you.
That simple word can cause a lot of chaos.Some folks get physically ill at the thought of change while others seem to thrive on constant change. Sometimes change happens and no even realizes it, other times it seems to rock our world because we didn’t see it coming.
I tend to look at things practically; I like to look forward and try to predict needed change.Sometimes I’m right, other times require something different than I imagined.These are the bread crumbs I am following right now.Grace Community Church is growing, this is a good thing! We believe there is always “one more” that needs to be transformed by Jesus and this is changing the way we look.As I continue down this trail there are a few realities I come to.Eventually we will have to figure out space issues, probably in our children’s area first.Someday parking will be an issue to figure out and there will come a day when we don’t fit in the auditorium.Don’t panic…..nothing is changing today, but as long as we stay healthy and focused on our mission to see transformation happen, eventually we will have to make some adjustments (code word for change).Pray for your staff, elders and management team as we prayerfully seek wisdom regarding the best adjustments to make in days, weeks, and years ahead of us.
Tuesday: Fasting Day Fasting Topic: Make a difference by giving.
Give: In remote corners of the globe, in villages where very few people know Christ, in regions where gathering to worship God can put your life at risk… One Prayer has been spreading the Gospel, helping new churches take root, and seeing countless lives change. When we’re fasting today, let’s focus on this year’s Giving initiative—catching up on what’s been happening, learning about this year’s plan, and preparing for what God wants to do through us.
Prayer focus: People who are in need of food, clothing, and shelter
Prayer Verses: Psalm 40:17James 2:14-17
Wednesday: People who are in need of healing
Prayer Verses: Psalm 30:2James 5:16
Thursday:Guidance and strength for parents and caregivers around the world
As most of you may know on Sunday, Grace Community, like many other churches around the world, began the One Prayer series. In John 17:20-24, Jesus prayed that we, the church, would be one. During One Prayer, thousands of believers are coming together as the church to share, to serve, and to give.
As we are uniting as the Unstoppable Church made up of Unstoppable People, it is important that we unite together and pray. Below you will find daily prayer topics. On top of a daily prayer guide, every Tuesday of the week there is a fasting guide. I wanted to pass this along to all of you because I will be following this daily prayer guide and every Tuesday of One Prayer I will be fasting. You should join me…not just me, but hundreds and thousands of other believers around the world who have one prayer for their lives, churches, communities and the world we live in. Because when the Church unites, it’s UNSTOPPABLE!
This week’s daily prayer focus: Wednesday: Peace Among Nations prayer verses: Isaiah 2:4 & Luke 2:14
Write these down. Put them somewhere that you can see them. Visit http://2010.oneprayer.com/calendar for more information about joining together for Four Weeks with One Prayer.
This Monday was one of those that gives Mondays a bad reputation. There were just a lot of things going on around me and I just felt a lot of emotional heaviness by 8:00 when I logged off of church online. So I loaded my little girl in the stroller and went for a jog while Amanda was at life group. As we jogged around the neighborhood I told God about my heaviness and was a little relieved as I saw the simple symphony of fireflies. I mean it’s pretty cool that God had the attention to detail to make flies that their butts light up! But, I still was left with a longing for something more. Then, as we got back to the house and I got Emma ready for bed we began to pray and she started naming all sorts of things that she wanted to thank God for, and as we prayed she sat and looked me in the eyes with simple smile that stirred something life changing deep in my soul. And I realized as much as I love her, God’s love is so much greater!
After she went to bed I found a couple of scriptures that came to mind with some great truths. In Isaiah we see that God knows first hand what it means to suffer heartache as he was rejected by his own creation and died for our sins. In Hebrews 4:13-16 we see how Christ’s familiarity with our humanness gives us a path to “draw near to the throne of God to receive mercy and find grace to help in a time of need.”
Life can sure be messy sometimes; and there are a lot of things that hurt in this world. I’m so glad that God knows our hurt, is with us in our pain, and loves us so much that he desires to give us great things!
