The Believer's Purpose..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Believer's Purpose

Dr. Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:13

God has a purpose for your life. If that weren't true, He'd have taken you home to heaven at the moment of salvation. Do you ever wonder why He left you here?

The Lord intends to influence others through you. Our purpose is to be a vessel through which Christ overflows to others--touching those who hurt and desperately need a Savior. Once we are saved, Scripture teaches, our involvement is threefold.

First, we love others. Jesus clearly stated that this was one of the two greatest commandments (Matt. 22:38-39).

Second, we share the good news of salvation (Acts 1:8). Some travel across the world to spread the gospel, while others teach neighbors across the street. The Holy Spirit will direct us to the right people if we are willing to obey.

Third, we serve in a variety of ways, like helping those in need, sharing our resources, and lifting others in prayer. Jesus is our perfect example of all three. His entire life was marked by caring for people--both those who loved Him and those who did not. In fact, the Bible teaches that He humbled Himself and became like us, willing to give up His life for our redemption. There is no greater love; there is no greater act of service.

Scripture clearly defines the believer's purpose. Aligning ourselves with God's intentions for His children--loving others, witnessing, and serving-- bring us great satisfaction. In fact, we're still on earth not merely to hear more teaching but to act on it and share with others what we learn.

Make Space for God to Fill..... Craig Denison

 Make Space for God to Fill

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

As this year comes to a close, it’s vital that we take time to both reflect on what God has done and allow him to prepare us for what’s to come. A new year marks a fresh opportunity to center our lives around the goodness of God. I pray that as you begin looking toward what is to come you will make space to gain God’s perspective, ground your hopes and pursuits on his grace, and celebrate all that God has done and is doing. May your time with God this week be filled with the loving presence of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Devotional:

The story of Mary, Martha, and Jesus found in Luke 10 encapsulates God’s longing for simple, unfettered relationship with his children. As this year comes to a close I pray that this story would set a fire in our hearts to live out of unhindered union with our heavenly Father. I pray that we would seek to continually make space in our lives for the one thing that truly matters. Scripture says in Luke 10:38-42,

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

I want my life to be centered around “the good portion.” I want all my days to be marked by choosing to sit at the feet of Jesus rather than living a life based solely on works. At the end of my life, I want to look back and know that I sought relationship with my God above all else, and that I gave him my heart in and out of every season, no matter the cost.

The simple truth of Christian spirituality is that God longs to fill whatever space we make available to him with his nearness. The gift he gives us that far surpasses a spouse, a job, a family, earthly success, or financial stability is simply himself. The heartcry of our heavenly Father is simply this, “Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4).

What would it look like if your chief New Year’s resolution was making space for God to fill? What other desires of your heart would that take care of? How wonderful would it be to experience the transcendent peace and joy that comes from centering your life around meeting with God? How continually satisfied would you feel in consistently receiving the powerful love of your heavenly Father?

Take time today to reflect on what truly matters. Take time to choose “the good portion” that your life might be centered around he who alone has the power to truly satisfy your every longing. May your year be marked by unhindered union with the God who fills you with his greatest gift: himself.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God being “the good portion.” Allow the story of Mary, Martha, and Jesus to fill you with a longing to seek relationship with God above all else.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”  Luke 10:38-42

2. Take time to make space for God to fill. Open your heart to him and center your focus on his nearness. Allow Scripture to fill you with faith to receive all he has to offer.

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

3. Rest in the nearness of God. Cast aside all other concerns, fears, and reservations and simply be with God. He will guide you into all you need, but relationship with him should always be centered around simply sitting at his feet.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10

If you center your life around abiding in God, your year will be filled with remarkable, heavenly, and eternal impact. May John 15:1-5 fill you with a desire to abide in God that all you do this year may yield lasting fruit:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Extended Reading: Psalm 139

The Words I Want To Speak..... NICKI KOZIARZ

 The Words I Want To Speak

NICKI KOZIARZ

“Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” James 3:11 (NIV)

At some point, our children make decisions that leave us feeling puzzled and possibly paranoid that the next wrong decision is around the corner. And that’s what I felt like I was facing that particular night as I found myself in a huge argument with two of my teenage daughters.

We were having some boundary issues. And as a mom, I was trying to figure out what my nonnegotiables were with boundaries and what things I didn’t need to hold so tightly. It was messy.

My thoughts throughout that day had led me in a downward pattern of disbelief, and unfortunately, the words flying out of my mouth began to flow from my internal worries.

In this moment of conflict with my girls, I felt a deep conviction as the Holy Spirit whispered, “Are you speaking blessing or burden over them?”

If I’m honest, it was burden.

James 3:11 asks a self-examination question: “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?”

A basic science class would teach us that fresh water and salt water cannot come from the same spring. But James isn’t really speaking about water here; he’s talking about the soul. And what is deep within us is normally what starts to flow from us.

When James was writing this, he was most likely trying to paint a vivid picture of the mineral springs in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea. Something the original audience for this text would have been able to identify with.

But isn’t it so fascinating how this text connects just as much today as it did all those yesterdays?

The words I want to speak over conflict are life-giving.
The words I want to speak over my children’s decisions I don’t agree with are wise but not forceful.
The words I want to speak over my family are blessings, not burdens.

But if I want to speak those types of words, then I have to deal with some of the destruction deep in my soul. The source of many salty words. That place deep within us that James is referring to. The place where no one really goes except us and the Holy Spirit.

Feeling convicted to change and actually changing are two very different things. I have found that after we experience conviction, what we aren’t changing we are choosing.

The best part of this struggle and all our human struggles is God never commands perfection from us. He has an unlimited supply of principles and grace for our process with Him.

But the responsibility is ours for the taking.

So that day, I let the Holy Spirit reveal something to me about my own experiences as a teenager and about the words spoken to me in the midst of conflict that still sting from time to time. I don’t want my teenagers to feel that from me.

And I’m trying to make the decision to speak blessing, not burden, over every hard conflict that comes my way, whether it’s in parenting or just with people in general.

I’m not getting it right all the time, but I’m making some right steps.

The words we speak matter. But what our words reveal matters just as much.

The entire chapter of James 3 offers us wisdom about our words. But may we hold closely our key verse today, reminding ourselves that when we take care of what is deep within us, something beneficial will flow from us.

No matter what our words have sounded like in the past, today is a day we can decide to be different from this point forward. This acknowledgement and this place of humility is where healing begins both internally and externally.

God, thank You that we can say, “From this point forward, it will be different.” Thank You for the strength within us to move our words to a place of blessing no matter what the situation. Help us to get there today. Guide our words. Let what’s deep within be challenged so that what flows from us is good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How to Carry Christ into Every Room You Enter ..... By Rachael Adams

How to Carry Christ into Every Room You Enter (Ephesians 3:17-18)
By Rachael Adams

Today’s Bible Verse: “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is (Ephesians 3:17-18).”

In the interest of keeping an orderly home, when I was growing up, my parents taught me to tidy throughout the day. Because there was always something in any given room that needed to be taken back to its original location, we would pick up things as we moved from one room to the next, transferring them to their rightful place.

While walking through the living room, we would grab a mug left on the coffee table and put it in the kitchen sink. While passing by the front door, we would pick up stray shoes and return them to the shoe rack. While visiting a bedroom, we would gather discarded clothing and hang it in the closet.

Now that I have a home of my own, I find myself trying to instill this mindset into my own children. Rather than waiting to tidy until the mess becomes overwhelming, this habit of continuously cleaning keeps the household running smoothly.

I got to thinking about how this concept applies to our personal and spiritual lives as well. What if every time we walked into a room of people we scanned the faces to see if there was anyone that looked a bit out of place? Perhaps someone who needed to be “picked up” emotionally? Possibly even taken to the Lord—the original place where they belong? Simply initiating a conversation with someone sitting on their own, lending a helping hand to someone busy in the kitchen, or offering to pray for someone who has revealed a problem in their life can bring harmony to an otherwise disordered situation.

Considering what we can “clean” in the room is only part of the equation. We need to also be mindful of what we bring into the room. Are we adding to the mess, or are we leaving the room and the people in it better than when we first entered?

Because we have Christ’s Spirit residing in us, we carry His peace, joy, comfort, and love wherever we go. Through Him, we can change the atmosphere in any room, making it warm and inviting for all to come and stay.

I’m reminded of how Jesus modeled this behavior in His life and ministry. Throughout Scripture, we read how He simply walked along, noticing the people in His path—along the road, in the synagogues, in homes, in banquet halls, beside wells, and in the upper room. Even on the cross, He noticed the needs of the people around Him, promising to bring them into paradise with Him.

When we make room for God in our hearts, He always leaves us better than we were before. I pray we do the same as we carry Him with us into every room and try our best to leave it better than how we first found it.

For When You Need a Reminder that God Will Provide..... By Debbie McDaniel

 For When You Need a Reminder that God Will Provide

By Debbie McDaniel

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."  Isaiah 58:11

Where God guides, He promises to provide.

Maybe you've been waiting, or have been praying, for help, for a breakthrough. Maybe you feel like it's been slow in coming, or that you can't see a way out of your current situation. Maybe the needs seem to far outweigh the reality you're living in. You've lost hope, feel alone in the struggle, and the weight of stress seems too hard to keep shouldering.

Whatever the need - physical, spiritual, financial, emotional, relational - His Truth reminds us...He's got this thing that concerns you.

He is able.

Fully.

To provide what you need and to give the strength and endurance you need in hard times.

Looking up to God again and believing His promises are true will allow hope to spring up fresh within us. His Spirit will surround us in peace. But if we’re spending all our time just looking around us, at our current circumstances, or how we’re comparing with the next person over, we’ll only stir up worry and stress.

He promises:

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

He will guide us always.

He will satisfy our needs, even in desert times.

He will strengthen us.

He will allow us to still flourish right in the midst of the needs that surround. For His very Spirit that wells up within us, is the spring that never fails, never dries up, and never stops flowing.

Resting in that truth today. Hope you are too.

Peace.

Intersecting Faith & Life: If you find yourself struggling today, or you’re finding it hard to trust, pray that God will help you get your eyes looking up to Him and off your problems.“Dear God, thank you that no situation is too far out of your control to provide. For you are Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides. Forgive us for doubting you, for worrying, and for trying so hard to work everything out on our own. Help us to trust you more, help us in our unbelief. We choose to recognize and to believe that you are Able to accomplish far more, to do far greater, than we even thought possible. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Further Reading:
Philippians 4:19
Psalms 34:10
Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 7:11
Ephesians 3:20-21

A Prayer to Proclaim the Name of Jesus..... By Meg Bucher

 A Prayer to Proclaim the Name of Jesus

By Meg Bucher

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 NIV

Parenting a middle-schooler is like navigating a minefield. One day, in my desperation to keep God’s Word on my daughter’s heart throughout the day, I began putting Scripture cards in her lunch. Soon, I started sticking them everywhere- in her laptop, computer bag, supply bag, book bag …literally everywhere. She started giving away some of the surplus “Jesus cards” she had accumulated, and it they eventually ended up all over the middle school. A teacher sent me a text of a few Jesus cards clipped onto her plastic partitioner. My daughter’s friends began to ask me if I had any on me at games and school functions, and I began stocking up so there were always plenty to go around.

There is power in the name of Jesus. Scripture tells us God gave Him the name above all names. Christ taught us to pray for the Father’s will, not our own. To pray in Jesus’ name is to acknowledge God’s will for our lives through Christ.

No matter where those cards end up, the name of Jesus is being spoken in the hallways of their school, and amongst their friends. We’ve upgraded to add “Jesus stickers,” now, which adorn laptops, water-bottles and folders. They will never truly know the impact those words of truth have on their own lives, and the lives of those around them. But I do.

My age allows me the advantage of being able to see simple seeds watered into lives full of bold faith in Jesus. I have seen the work of a Jesus card I received at a Youth Renewal weekend when I was fourteen speak truth into my life at age 41.

Paul wrote to the Colossians, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” God isn’t calling us to live complicated lives that require in-depth Biblical educations in order to interpret what He’s speaking into our lives. (However, the more time we spend in God’s Word the more it ignites our desire to know more!) He simply requires us to follow Him wherever, and speak to Him about whatever. In all we do, if we meet with Him daily, He is faithful to lead us in a way that will glorify God with the life we live.

Consider how time we spend with God daily accumulates over the course of our lives. One hour a day becomes 365 hours a year. In twenty years of we accumulate 7,300 hours of time with God. The wisdom and peace we invest in our lives and sow into our souls overflows into the lives of those God places in ours. One day at a time, one hour at a time, let our lives sing praise to God as we seek Him in whatever we do. There is power in the name of Jesus.

Father,

Thank You for using our lives, Lord. All the glory is Yours. We delight in the ways You make Your name known. Let us all seek to honor You in whatever we do, knowing there is power in the name of Jesus, and the work we do with Him and to bring glory and honor to You.

Remind us of the power and strength we have through the Holy Spirit. Father, we are in need of the filling feeling of Your peace and love. As we crawl out of a weary season, let Your light shine into all of our cracks. Protect us. Shield us. Heal us. Teach us.

Let us see others through Your eyes.

Through Love.

Through Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.