Does God Answer Prayer?
A common question I hear is, “Does God answer prayer?” Here are the facts: God wants to hear from you, and He wants to know your concerns. God is not a magician. A magician makes things appear as though they are not, a deceiver. You have a God that is a God of truth! God is real, straightforward, and there is no instability in Him. The fear of the Lord, which refers to respect, not submission, is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. – Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) God Always Keeps His Promises God answers prayers in his timing. That answer may be a Yes!, No! or Wait! It might not be when you want him to answer, and the answers might not be what you want to hear, but He is ALWAYS on time! God knows what’s best for you and always answers your prayers. There are a couple of things that can keep Him from giving you what you ask for: #1. Sin, which is acting outside of the will of God. #2. When you’re asking for something that goes against the will of God. Remember God knows what’s best for you, but because sin separates you from Him you must turn to his Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the price…the ultimate price for your sins. When you do, then the roadblock is removed and God hears all of your prayers! Isn’t that great? Are you ready for a real relationship with Jesus? This relationship with Jesus is the direct prayer line and will bring you to great joy and immeasurable peace. When all else has failed, don’t you think it’s time to give Jesus a try? A real try! God loves you and has a plan for success FOR YOU! The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. – John 10:10 (NIV) But understand this, man is sinful and separated from God. We have all done, said, or thought bad things, which the Bible calls sin. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 (NIV) There Is Good News God sent his son to die for your sins! God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 (NIV) Christ died for you, but it did not end there. He was buried and raised on the third day. Now, take thought to this next key scripture giving understanding as to why you pray in the name of Jesus. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. – John 14:6 Salvation can’t be bought, earned or bargained for. We are saved only by God’s grace when we have faith in his Son Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and ask for forgiveness. Then, turn away from your sins, which is called repentance. Jesus Christ loves you and knows you. What matters to him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty. God answers your prayer through you receiving the gift of salvation. An Important Prayer Try praying this most important prayer and see what happens: I pray in the name of Jesus as I confess I am a sinner. I ask for forgiveness. I believe with my whole heart, mind , and everything within me, that Jesus is your only son. I believe that he died for my sins. I believe you, Oh God, raised him to life again! I want to trust you Jesus as my savior and follow you as Lord of my Life from this moment foward. Lord in the name of Jesus, be shepherd of my life and help me as I learn of you and do your will. It is in your son Jesus’ name I pray…Amen Read What Is Prayer? Part 1… Read What Is Prayer? Part 2…
Prayer – What Is It? Part 2
Prayer is talking to God, your Father, as though he is standing, sitting or laying next to you. It’s simply telling your Father all about it. He wants to know your concerns and he wants you to grow closer to him. Prayer is given to all as a gift from God. Praying is not complicated, it just requires you to be honest with God and with yourself. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! John 15:7 (NLT) Remember what was said in What is Prayer Part 1 about God’s timing…God answers your prayer sometimes no…sometimes yes…and sometimes wait. Pray in the will of God. You do not have to yell when you’re praying because He is very close to you. In fact, God knows your thoughts even before you speak them, yes! Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. 1Chronicles 28:9 (NLT) The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (NLT) Be truthful when you talk to your Father in prayer. Being truthful brings freedom to you in every area of your life. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NLT) You may ask the question, “What will the truth set me free from?” The truth will indeed set you free from being held captive in your life. Things That Can Hold You Captive Unforgiveness – In all 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) Jesus states how important it is to forgive others to ensure God’s forgiveness. When Jesus cried out from the cross He prayed that God might forgive his attackers. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NLT) 2. Rebellion – One of the clearest demonstrations in the Bible of rebellion and it’s consequences can be found in 1 Samuel 15. King Saul, chosen by God to lead Israel, got too big for his britches. He thought he knew better than God and disobeyed God’s direct instructions. 3. Strife – This means jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, control, and disorder. An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin. Proverbs 29:22 (NLT) 4. Envy – Don’t envy evil people or desire their company. For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble. Provers 24:1-2 (NLT) What You Need To Know: The Lord wants you to know: He is Lord of your life. You can trust him with the dearest things in your life. He keeps all of his promises. He will never leave you. If there’s a need in your life He will bear it, but only if you give it to Him in prayer. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Mathew 22:37 (NLT) Read What Is Prayer? Part 1…
Surprise Me
Surprise – some people love to be surprised and some don’t. I tend to fall in the “I’m not a fan” group. Well, recently I made a choice to be more open to the unexpected. Here’s what happened… One of our church’s key initiatives for 2018 (and in my opinion the most important) is for everyone to Pray Daily for an open door. An open door to share with another person about Jesus. This past Sunday we handed out a card to every person and asked them to write 5 names on it of people they would like to ask God to provide an open door to share about Jesus. On my card, I wrote 3 names and on the last 2 I wrote: “Surprise Me.” What Happened Next So…sometimes God answers our prayers pretty quickly. I was invited to speak on the radio this week about Spiritual wellness. An old college classmate runs the show and allowed me the opportunity to share about Jesus, the church, and spiritual wellness for 30 minutes on air with no censorship! Crazy, right? I was on a panel with three other people and afterward, each one had great questions that opened up a door to share. Please understand, I didn’t break out the bible and thump people on the head! ? I simply shared how walking with Christ was working for me and invited the others to consider how that might work for them. All three work/live in the city of Chicago. I got to share and plant a seed. That’s our job, just share and plant a seed. God provides the opportunity, we just say a few words, and then God does the rest. I like how the writer in 1 Corinthians says it… It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. – 1 Corinthians 3:7-9 (MSG) Trust me on this…if you pray for God to open a door, HE WILL! Don’t be nervous, just share your heart, rely on him, and you get to be a part of people’s lives changing forever! Pretty cool!
Calling All Men
Men, this isn’t going to be a normal Blog post. I am not here to write about something I have read recently, or how a message from our Pastors has affected me. I am here to drop the gauntlet. I am here to swipe my proverbial glove in your face and to challenge my fellow brothers in the church family to a duel. As we enter 2018, I simply want to know “Where are the Village men at?” We have the Family Blitz event, Yoga, Village Adventurers, Kid Village, Life Groups, events for crafting, and cooking. The only event that we have listed for men is basketball. While this isn’t bad, certainly we can and must do better! So, what’s the issue? Why am I so fired up about this? Well Proverbs 27:17 is a starting point: As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Let’s take that a little further and look at Deuteronomy 22:10: Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. While this last verse is geared towards farm work, we can also apply this to our walk as Christian men. In my life, I am the ox, and my wife is the donkey, although she may disagree with that (in fact in most cases with Lisa, I am usually the donkey). The point is that as a man, I need other men in my life to help me carry the burdens of being a man. The donkey has no idea what it means to be the ox and vice versa. Iron does sharpen iron, but it is more effective if the iron is the right iron. The takeaway from this: Get to sharpening! I need you, and the other men in this church need you. We need your accountability. Your honesty, integrity, and leadership are needed. We need your life stories because another man in our church may be hurting and your story could be the tool that the Spirit uses to change his life. Action Step Get your donkey to Men’s Group! Saturdays 7 AM. Church Office. And to be clear, this is for every man in our church. Let me share with you my story. For 11 years I have attended the Village. I have played drums for about 10 of those years. I have been in Lifegroups with other couples. For 10.5 years I have made excuses for why I couldn’t attend Men’s Group. It was too early. I needed my sleep. I have kids that have activities. Brothers this was all donkey excrement! In 6 months of attending this group my life has been changed for the better. I am less afraid of sharing my faults. I have a group of brothers who care about me, forgive me, and love me. I am held accountable, and my ability to fight sin has been strengthened through my attendance. Stop making excuses. This group is for everyone. Do you play guitar in the worship band? Does that instrument sharpen you like a brother can? Do you lead a Lifegroup? Are you spending the time needed to be a better man? Get there boys; trust me when I say you will be a better man for it. But I am not done here. Again, I ask where are we men? We are called to lead. As Christian men, this means that we lead in our marriages and family, just as we lead in our church. What are we doing as the men of this church that clearly states that we are here? What are we leading?
When Tragedy Strikes
2017 has been a tough year with disaster and tragedy becoming a common occurrence. Hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, shootings, attacks, and the list goes on and on. You haven’t recovered from the last one when the next one hits. So much loss, so much devastation, so much hurt. It can be overwhelming and exhausting, and sometimes you may feel like the battle is being lost. Can you relate? Do you ask yourself, “When will it stop? Why does this happen? What am I supposed to do?” Evil is real. It’s a cold, hard fact of our world. You can’t run from it, hide from it, or escape it. We’ll never know why the bad stuff happens. It doesn’t make sense. What Can I Do? When that evil rears it’s ugly head, take time to remember. Remember that in the end God wins. Remember that God’s love is stronger. Remember that God’s grace is bigger. Remember that God’s plan is better. Take time to turn to God’s Word, the Bible, for direction and encouragement. Download the Youversion app on your phone, tablet, or computer. You can find reading plans based on different topics to help you with your specific questions. Add Bible time to your calendar, schedule it in and make it a priority. If you spend time every day in God’s Word, you will see a difference. Guaranteed. Try it and see what happens. Pray. Then pray some more. And when you’re done, pray again. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -Romans 12:21 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. – Psalm 34:18 In his kindness God has called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. – 1 Peter 5:10 Sometimes we don’t know what to say to our kids in the midst of the tragedy. Here is a resource that maybe helpful to you: How To Talk To Your Kids About Tragedy
A Divine Appointment Part 2
I listened intently as she spoke about her past. So much pain, layer upon layer of it. I kept thinking about how incredible God is and how he sees each one of us, exactly where we are at any given moment. With this thought in mind I dialed into the conversation, “Lord, what do you want me to say to her? She just ran into my car, we are both stuck on the side of the road. This is an opportunity to share who You are.” I considered different ways to approach delivering the Good News. The longer I considered it, the more nervous I became. “She is going to think I am nuts,” I thought to myself. She had been through so much and as I listened, there was so much that I could relate to and remember from personal experience. I remember everything from my former life, I am just no longer a slave to it. I was set free by the Blood of Jesus and she needed to be set free too. That had to be more important than her “possibly” thinking I was crazy. I looked at her and asked her if she knew that Jesus loved her. “Do you know that Jesus loves you right where you are? Right here in the mess, but he loves you too much to leave you here. He wants you to give all this pain to Him. If you do, he will turn it into something beautiful. If you will hand over the ashes of brokenness, he will give you beauty. Tomorrow doesn’t have to look like today. You have a choice to make. Choose Jesus, He already chose you.” I handed her an invite card to our church. I told her that I wasn’t just inviting her to church but more importantly, into a relationship with her Lord and Savior. Then I exhaled……… At this point the officer walked up with our paperwork from the accident. We stepped away and he went over everything with me, then he did the same with her. Before I got into my car, I walked back over and hugged her, this woman that had become my Divine Appointment. What a blessing this encounter had been, but as I pulled away from the side of the road, I knew that I should have prayed with her before I left. I prayed this prayer instead, “Lord, forgive me for not praying with her before I got back into my car. That was a missed opportunity. If you give me another chance, I will do it right.” He did give me that chance and it happened soon after! God hears our prayers and He loves to answer them. Keep an eye out for your next Divine Appointment! Read A Divine Appointment Part 1
Speak Faith Into Fear
My facebook post on August 11, 2016 was this….. I’m surrounded by great leaders. While sharing with a leader that we are a little short in our offerings this year, he responded by saying “It won’t matter when we are reaching 1000 people and we need to expand parking”. I really needed to hear that because the finances were not very strong at that point in time. In fact, we were approximately $40,000 behind in our budget. Although the finances weren’t strong, God was bringing the people and attendance continued to grow. It was clear that we would have to take a step of faith and add a service to make room for more people. What if we had focused on the finances, circled the wagons and not stepped out in faith? What if we had let the fears overcome our faith? Thankfully, a trusted leader lined me out! He said what I needed to hear, and He spoke truth in love. He spoke faith into my fear. Now it’s August 15th, 2017 as I write this, a whole year later…. We’re working on expanding the parking! In fact, we’re getting pricing to add 104 parking spaces in 2018! We’re restructuring our staff and our systems to set the church up to reach 1,000 people every week! That’s 1000 people coming to know Christ! That’s 1000 people reading the Bible and applying it to their lives! We’re making plans to add a new service in the future! Stay tuned for more details coming in the Fall on that. We’re in the process of turning over 2 rooms in the church for more kids space because we are running out of room! Oh yeah, God provided the finances. We concluded 2016 above budget. Literally an extra $50,000 came in the last days of December that brought us to where we needed to be. We are very thankful to God for always providing. At this point, we’re currently just above our budget with great opportunities to end the year strong and set up for hundreds of more people’s lives to be changed! Surround yourself with good people! Listen to people of faith, not fear!
Get Off Your Donkey To Serve
Have you ever experienced something really great and recommended it to others? And then watched your friends have the same great experience? Get Off Your Donkey is that experience. Serving is so much fun and we think everyone should get in it. To help people get started, we made some recommendations and the experiences have been incredible! The Village is currently working through a series, Get Off Your Donkey, based on the story of the Good Samaritan. During this series, we are encouraging people to volunteer. Last week, we had a big week to serve push and so many showed up! Here’s some of the highlights from my point of view….. One mom served at the food truck and brought her 9 month old and 2 year old. That took a lot of effort, but her smile and the enjoyment of serving was priceless! A frantic post on facebook that we needed more bags because so many people came to pick up clothes at the Back to School Blowout resulted in several heros stepping up. One reply was from a mom sending bags with her child who was bringing to church on her bike ? I love that! A mom posting a picture on facebook of her two girls in front of a sign saying that their group helped pack 22,000 meals at Feed My Starving Children. Those moments of kids and parents serving are so important! A lady who I’ve never met showing up with a $2500 check from her company because they could see we are all about serving the community. WOW! My parents drove up from Missouri for a visit, but I think even more because they wanted to go and serve at Miss Pearls Ministry in Roseland. You don’t have time to listen to all of the stories, but each one is important and each one is unique and each one is life changing! Here’s my prayer…. That next year 1,000 people will serve outside the walls of the church! The more people serve the more we are helping fulfill Jesus words… That you are encouraged to Get Off Your Donkey and be an example is serving others… ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ -Matthew 25:40
Don’t Let Anyone Look Down On You Because You’re Young!
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young! You have the potential to do great things in life. All you need to do is step up. Back in our portable church days, it was always a challenge to find space to have student ministries. Some of our best days included meeting in a warehouse space (yep, you heard that right) that also doubled as our office space. It was small, it was dirty, there weren’t many windows, it was kind of depressing to be honest. It was pretty challenging and we had to overcome a lot because of our “not so great” meeting space. To help us overcome these obstacles we needed great leaders. Today I’m writing about one of those great leaders. A young gal in High School stepped up big time and led her entire neighborhood of kids to come to Youth Group. Literally, she made sure that at least 10 kids, if not more, from her neighborhood came to church youth group every week. Then she went to college, but that’s not where the story ends. During her college years, she came home every weekend for 4 straight years to continue to lead in our student ministries. She continued to invite kids from the neighborhood. I recently attended her college graduation party. It was a great day to celebrate her and all of her accomplishments. She already has a great job and will do great things in life. At her party, she asked that all gifts be given to our church, The Village Christian Church. I’ve never seen that in my 20 plus years of ministry! The church is truly humbled and honored by her generosity. What if she would have decided that she was too young to lead in her high school years? What if she would have decided that she was too cool to lead in her college years? Dozens of student’s lives would be different today. Their relationship with God would have been much less than what it is today. Also, she would have missed out on so much growth in her leadership and her relationship with God. Thank you Paige Mass for living out this verse…. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12 I would like to challenge you as you read this to step up and do something for the Lord. Step up and do something no matter what your age. Step up and do something no matter what your circumstance may be. Just step up.
The Harvest Is Plentiful
I recently attended a really cool conference called Exponential in Orlando, Florida. The conference equips and encourages church leaders to grow their churches and ultimately God’s Kingdom. The harvest is plentiful! The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. We are in an amazing growth period at the church. Over the Easter season, we had 2 consecutive weekends over 1000 people and several hundred visitors! Incredible! If truth be told, I kind of thought the conference might just want to call on me and have me head up a workshop on how to lead a church. A little arrogant, huh? Please…if you ever get a prideful thought about work that God is doing, don’t give into it! Wrecked By God So, I walked into the first session and the pastor spoke in the passage, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Luke 10:2 He talked about leading a church in Alabama of 14 people for 5+ years. He never risked and he never prayed for God to perform miracles. Then, he was called to start a new church and decided he was going to do it differently. Before the church started, he set out 400 chairs (way too many for a first time start up), but he didn’t care. He just prayed and prayed and trusted that what Jesus said in the Bible was true…the harvest is plentiful (thousands of people need Christ), we just need people who will take a risk to reach them. The first Sunday, they had over 650 people and obviously ran out of chairs. Then the church sang a song after his message that was the song I came forward to in high school to dedicate my life to ministry. It was not even 45 minutes into the conference and I was wrecked. Not one or two tears….a steady flow of tears and that I couldn’t stop or hold back. It was as if God said…..let me remind you that you have not arrived and you have much more work to do…the harvest is plentiful…AND you need to set out all 400 chairs at church! Quit worrying, start praying and let me do my work! It’s so good when God wrecks us and helps us to see his plan. What Might God Want To Do In Your Life? Have you ever wondered about what might God want to do in your life? I bet it is way more than you could ever ask or imagine. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20 The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are FEW. Will you join me in inviting your friends and neighbors and co-workers and enemies into a life changing relationship with Jesus?
Young Eagles Need To Fly
When do your young eagles get to fly? I just got back from an incredible Pastor’s conference where a speaker asked this important question. The question simply means this….is your church a place where people are encouraged and challenged to serve and lead? OR…are there just a few spots of service and leadership and you have to wait in line (sometimes years) to be able to serve and lead? I’ve been a part of organizations and churches where it was very clear….In 10 years or maybe 20 you can sit at the big boy table, but for now, we’ve got this and don’t need your input. Everyone Gets To Play My prayer is that in my role, I lead in such a way that “Everyone Gets to PLAY!” If you want to serve, you get to serve. The more the merrier! If you want to lead (and you have that leadership gift), you get to lead! The more the merrier! Oh yeah, by the way, my job description could truly be summed up in one verse of the Bible…. 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12) Simply put, my job is to EQUIP people to do God’s work SO THAT the body of Christ is built up! Please, understand, I don’t always get this right and struggle with this. It’s so much easier for me to just do stuff myself or call a few friends who I know and trust to serve and lead, but God says I need to equip his people (all people!) for works of service. Equipping Others Something happened this past Sunday which helped me to see we are heading in the right direction. There were three people working on the First Impressions Team that I introduced myself to. I had never met them face-to-face. Our First impressions Team Leaders have been equipped to serve and lead, and now they are equipping others to serve and lead. This is great! I’m looking forward to many more Sundays where I’m introducing myself to new leaders who are serving that I haven’t yet met. Are You Ready? Are you a young eagle who would like to serve or lead? Shoot me an email (nate@thevillagechristianchurch.com) and let’s find a time to sit and visit about what God is placing on your heart. I can help you personally or can get you connected to some great people who will get you equipped to start serving and leading. When do your young eagles get to fly? The answer is RIGHT NOW! We need you! I look forward to hearing from you soon! Thanks to Deb Sperling, one of our church family, for capturing and sharing these incredible pictures! Another example of one of the many ways you can serve here at The Village.
We All Have Something To Offer
I can’t do it. I don’t have time. I am not good enough. I have nothing to offer. Those are all the thoughts we have when someone asks us to serve. Trust me, I have had those thoughts numerous times. I still do. I am not perfect. But this is what Jesus asks of us. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. What I have discovered in my time at The Village Christian Church is that we all have something to offer. Even if you don’t think you have anything to offer, you do. YOU DO! God has given us all gifts. Some gifts are big, some are small, but they are ALL gifts from God. That makes them amazing! Every single person I have met at church has a gift. Even if you don’t think you do, I know you do. Jesus knows you do. All you need to do is take that first step. Stand up and say “I want to serve”. I want to share with you a secret that you might not know…shhh, don’t tell anyone…., but you don’t have to serve at the church. You can serve anywhere you like. Here are a few ideas: Help us with a food truck, go on a trip to Ms. Pearls, pack some food at Feed My Starving Children or just go out and talk to someone. Love on them and share with them the word of the Lord. Serving is not about BIG gestures. It is all about spreading the word of Jesus. Bringing people into a relationship with Jesus. Here is my promise to you. If you want to serve, but don’t know where or don’t think you have anything to offer, come see me and we will find something together. You are my brother, you are my sister, and we will serve the Lord TOGETHER.
Be A Voice, Not An Echo
Coming Home Coming home doesn’t seem like it should be hard. But when you see up close the beauty of God’s creation, His grace and mercy, His provision and His people doing “the work” really, really well, it feels sacred and my heart aches to return. Anyone who asks me about our experiences in Swaziland usually gets this: “So good…our best trip yet!” What I’ve Seen This is my generic answer for now because I am honestly not sure yet what I need to share. Occasionally, someone will get my over-detailed response and wish they had an appointment to get them out of the conversation because the work Heart for Africa is doing in Swaziland is exceptional and such a joy to share. I have seen it grow from a dream 5 years ago to a city on a hill. I’ve seen children rescued from the worst imaginable circumstances who are now fully loved and nourished physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They have been and will continue to be restored in the name of Jesus. In turn, they will restore others. I’ve seen a thriving Artisan business that makes absolutely beautiful pieces. This Artisan business gives hundreds of employees the opportunity and the ability to care for themselves and the other 13 or so individuals living in their homestead. Their work is exceptional and also allows more children to be seen and brought home to Project Canaan. I’ve seen food distributed to communities and churches serving meals regularly, mostly to the elderly, and orphaned and vulnerable children. I’ve seen eggs – did you know how incredibly good eggs are for you?? – and milk and soon I pray to see water coming down the mountain, an answered prayer and a fulfilled promise of God’s provision. I could go on, but I know this is the point when my sweet audience begins to regret asking that innocent question, “How was your trip?” Sorry friends…I’m working on it, but I have never been great at giving a brief response. Thanks to my husband, Luke, I am now more aware of my rambling and tend to put the brakes on quicker, but I’m always happy to share if you want more information! Focus On This So rather than telling you about my personal experience, I want to focus on my voice – and yours. I teach music, and have been intentional with my junior high students this year about the power of their attitude and their “voice.” While searching for inspirational quotes about this topic, I stumbled upon this one: “Be a voice, not an echo.” I cannot get it out of my head. And I think God intended this one for me. To remind me what He wants my voice to sound like, and stop trying to determine what I want. My voice has changed a LOT in my lifetime, and I am so glad He uses our brokenness and mistakes along the way to give us a new perspective. Growing up, I always had a plan and a picture in mind of what life would be. Don’t we all? But one lesson I have learned, and will continue to learn, is it’s not up to me. If I had complete control, I would mess it up (have messed it up), and I would miss out on an opportunity that God has for me. He can always find someone else. Zoom out for a second and be willing to say, “I don’t know and I am ok with that”. We are not called by our SAVIOR to have all the answers, all the plans. We are called to love, to listen, to seek wisdom and truth, and step forward in faith. Most people at The Village know me as one of two people: the girl who sings, or Nate’s sister. Both titles I am proud of and grateful for, but can I tell you that until a year ago I didn’t think my “voice” had much to offer? I loved singing, and that is why I wanted to be involved. It was selfish and self-serving. It made me uncomfortable to receive encouragement, especially from people I didn’t know because I wasn’t really doing anything…I was copying and hoping it communicated the way I had interpreted it. Please don’t misunderstand. This was not always my feeling, and I have always loved the experience and emotion worship brings. But I was an echo. Whether is was self-conscious or intentional, I wasn’t using the voice God had given ME. I was stifling it. Yet he used my insecurity to draw me close, build my confidence and let me see this year especially that I have something to offer. This is what I long for and this is what I saw in Swaziland. So many amazing voices saying yes to God’s calling on their life. Some voices carrying really far while others gently living their truths, each one coming together to make a beautiful and powerful song. We Need Your Voice We NEED all the voices. All the gifts. All the faith to say yes and recognize what God has given us. We NEED to stop echoing what we think we should be so we can be the voice He created us to be. If we all “sang” the same melody, no one would listen to Pandora. I pray we can each be more sensitive to the voice God has in store for us and fully experience the blessings and provision that come when we say yes. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him…May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:16-19
God Doesn’t Just Work On Sunday
It was a Monday afternoon and I got a text message and the picture above from one of our Lifegroup leaders. This is what the text message said, “Just wanted you to know Barb is being baptized by our Lifegroup and her granddaughter today.” My first thought was, “Wow! So amazing!!!” Then I got to thinking more about it…How many great things, God things, happen in peoples lives Monday thru Saturday? We see many great things God does “At Church” on Sundays and it’s important to celebrate these, but sometimes we forget all of the incredible “WINS” in peoples lives happening every day! God doesn’t just work on Sundays! There are 168 hours in a week and church is just 1 hour of that. What about the other 167 hours? Here are a few more examples of some of those “WINS” that are happening during the week: The dad who came home to spend time with his kids instead of spending time at the bar. As result, his marriage is being restored and his kids will grow up with a godly parent. The teenager who is reading her Bible throughout the week every night before she goes to bed. The salesman who when traveling is committed to stay away from pornography. The list can go on and on if I spend some time thinking about it. Life is about choices. Every hour brings more choices and you have to stop and make that important decision. There are “WINS” EVERY DAY as God works in and through our lives! This is an important thing to remember as you are in the trenches during the week. Be aware, celebrate, and thank God for those “WINS”!