Follow The Calling

Follow the Calling

Continuing with the sermon topic of doing your calling, this sermon gave practical moves to encourage you in the quest. First pray to find something that you want to make a difference with. Then climb in the boat. Head out, allowing the waves beneath you to be the things that you are gifted with. Have the swells become the incentives  that feed your soul, that you are passionate about. The dolphins along side are encouraging you to focus, to invest your time, and to not to quit. Beneath is the treasure chest that holds your mission statement. This treasure will anchor your heart to keep you heading true north and to do what God has planned for you. 

God's Call

God's Call

For Moses it was a burning bush that did not consume the branches. He answered his call with doubt and hesitation. "I can't do this, I stutter, I don't know what to say. Pick someone else." When God calls sometimes we become afraid and try to pass it by. There are others, like the shepherds God called to go to Bethlehem and see the baby Jesus that say, "Let's GO!"  You know what I mean, they  just do it.

But what does a call look like? How do you recognize His voice? Most things are not a matter of  waiting for a call. Those are what you already know He desires from you. Things like to seek holiness. Love the poor, seek out injustice, having mercy. 

But there are times when God has a special quest for you to go on. Pastor Greg outlined things to look for. I have placed them in the burning bush in my sketch. 

Here they are for you to think about. Do you have a sense of call, a feeling of a holy moment where you are drawn to the adventure? Does this thing nag at your heart? Is it something you love and have a passion for? Has there been an event that has brought your attention to it, either a loud or gentle push?

It is never too late, or too early to be moved by God into an new and amazing journey. 

Grace

All You Need is Grace

An older pastor preached his sermon on how all you need is God's grace to be forgiven. You don't need to DO anything but believe. He worried this new generation of Christians had put too much emphasis on doing good deeds. That helping the poor and needy had taken the place of God's mercy. Could they have forgotten there is nothing anyone can do to earn God's grace?

The younger pastor wanted to make sure that people knew the importance of serving God. That good deeds come out of faith. They are the breath and the heart beat of what faith is. For without works faith is dead. How do you stay live without breath and a beating heart? But he warned not to now run around finding things to do to fix yourself. 

Look, I just gave water to a thirsty person!

No. To revive dead faith, go to Jesus. Get as close to Him as you can by prayer, listening, and study in His word.  

Because Jesus is the resurrection of the dead. 

Unshakable Faith

Daring Faith

A little over a week ago our Covenant Women had a retreat at Glenn Eyrie. So fun to be in the castle to learn more about the King. We had three speakers. The first was Kate Martinez. This is the sketch I did of her sermon. She filled her talk with so many encouraging thoughts. Things I needed.

The first was to let go. Let go of fear, worry, control. God has it handled. He is for us and even the Holy Spirit prays for us. He is searching for our hearts. Friends are in prayer for us, too. We need to allow God to take our failures, trash, tragedies, and even good things, and work it all for the good.

We should drop our defenses and give them up with open hands. The acceptance is what I needed to hear. To accept where you are and not to struggle against the past. To accept what you cannot change over, and over, and over again.

Wonder Woman

This sermon by Julie Slayback was one many could relate to. We are Wonder Woman of the daily. Here is where we learned how deeply loved we are by God. How we don't need to be fighting in big wars or have great ministries. We can be used by God in our everyday life.  We can use our lasso of truth to speak His love to others. The bracelets are the gratitude we express that reflects self destructive thoughts and the words we say to ourselves that cause depression and fear. 

Oh, and don't forget your Wonder Women panties! lol

I especially loved the phrase we are human being, not human doings. Then the best for me was that we are set apart, cared for and loved by God. That every morning and night Julie says these words, "I am a child of God, Deeply loved."

We need each other

Elyse Thornburg spoke on how Christians need each other. When we stand alone in our Christian faith it is like a flamingo standing on one leg. Not as stable, easy to knock down. But two legs together make your stance more steady. This is why we need each other.

Acts 2:46-47 shows us how the early Christians depended on one another. They prayed together. They taught one another. They had fellowship and ate together. Elyse mentioned how small talk is the lubricant to connection. To reach out to those not apart and bring them in with hospitality and caring service.

To finish off she told a story of Casey Franklin that helped a family dealing with illness, and included the importance of sending out others into missions and evangelism.

I am looking forward to next years retreat. This one was smashing!

Rest!

Rest

The young black Lab wiggled with excitement. His whole body wagged along with his tail. His master took him to the center of the dog show ring. He was told to sit. After several commands he obeyed. However, his front feet tapped the ground and he whimpered with enthusiasm. Then the master told the pup to stay, and he walked away. 

The master stopped and turned to the dog, who was beside himself with eagerness. You could see it took everything he had to stay in place. He quivered with tension. The master took a breath and before the sound of  "Come" could be heard, the dog took off at a run. Half-way to the dog's goal the master said, "Down." The pup dropped down but in his great hurry he slid across the ground landing only a few feet from his master. The audience laughed with empathy at the dog who just couldn't contain his love to serve.

This was the story that I remembered when Pastor Greg preached on taking time to rest. How there are times when we refuse to take the time to recoup and be in the moment, because we are so enthusiastic to serve. God whispers for us to rest, but we weigh ourselves down with unneeded guilt about what has to be accomplished. Even when sickness, or a disabling accident forces us to sit still we quiver with anxiety that things aren't happening the way we would do it.

God tells us to sit. Stay. Rest. Get alone with Him. Listen to His quiet voice. Allow a time of rest to revive you and draw you closer to Jesus. Regain strength for the road ahead.

Mathew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Wisdom

Wisdom

WISDOM. I know that sometimes we want others to listen to our wisdom. We want it so bad, and we're so sure we are right, we talk smack. We might even use ridicule or shout our wisdom at them to drive it into their heads. @#%#$%^# After a good argument on Facebook where we have called them liars and fakes, there's a thrill of satisfaction. 

At the close of Pastor Greg's sermon series, this is where Jonah found himself. Then when the Ninevites  repented in a big way, Jonah was maaaaad. "I told you so, God. I knew they would repent. They don't deserve your mercy. They should have been punished for being so dumb." But God had a better plan.

Here's a thought that came directly from a point from one of Pastor Todd's sermons:

True wisdom puts people first. In James it says if you are truly wise, show it by your life and your deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom. True wisdom is shown in love for others.

BECAUSE ACCORDING TO GOD PEOPLE ARE:

• worth losing an argument for
• worth letting a wrong person win.
• worth yielding when you are right
• worth making peace with

ACCORDING TO JESUS PEOPLE ARE WORTH DYING FOR!

No!

NO!

"Your doing it wrong!" "That's bad for you."  "No!" "Uh, uh." "Follow the rules."  "Don't do that."

Yeah, sure, that will change anyone's mind. 

When God first called Jonah, he told him to preach against Nineveh, When Jonah turned his running away into I will obey, God's command had been reworded. Now Jonah was to proclaim to Nineveh. 

Did God's change of wording have to do with His dealing with Jonah? I wonder? Perhaps, God knowing how Jonah would react to the redemption of the wicked, presented a harsher sermon to preach. 

When Jonah relented and followed his mission, God relented in how the news would be presented. God could have wanted Jonah to see the difference. 

There is a difference in how we present God to those who do not know Him yet. By charging ahead with condemnation over lifestyles and rules to follow we only show the law. What Jesus came to abolish. When we present God's love, compassion, and power to give hope we proclaim to others a lifeline. 

I'm not saying there is no sin to repent from. I'm not saying we can't guide new Christians in their journey closer to God. But when reaching out to people who are on the other side of a relationship with God, we can paint with colors of love, compassion, and a listening heart.