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| Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of Lifechurch.tv, has written a new book called "Going All The Way." Now many of you may think it's about sex, but it's not. It's a book to help people plan, prepare, nurture or reconcile a marriage to center on Christ and find true peace through God's way of living within marriage.
If you're married- take a look at it, if you're wanting to get married- take a look at it, if you know someone married- take a look at it. It's something we can all think about as marriage deeply affects our world, our immediate families, our childhoods, and our futures.
I also would recommend looking at lifechurch.tv they have some awesome resources. While I was in Oklahoma City, I was able to attend frequently on Saturday evenings. It's truly a place that has found what God wants from them.
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|  For 4 weeks, I've been walking in a faith-led path, not really knowing
where I'm going, but simply trusting that God will guide me. I'm
seeking clarity. I'm giving God room and opportunities to live and work
inside of my life. I'm meditating on scripture, serving people, silent
time, praying, reading and meditating on scripted prayers, studied
God's Word, compared myself to God, sketched and doodled in response to
what He's doing to me, sang songs (mostly new ones from my heart, but a
few commercial ones here & there), filled 2 journals with babbling,
written notes on Facebook, spent time on the phone with friends,
praying with a mentor, going to counseling, and so much more. Not only
has God proven that He is present, but that when we give Him space,
time and opportunity to affect us- He loves and embraces it.
I'm
sitting here crying and have been for over 2 hours. I tell you that
because most of us are afraid of crying. We're afraid to let tears fall
down from our eyes. It's ok and while my tears are not because I'm sad,
afraid, tempted, tired, confused or heartbroken... my tears are tears
of deep joy, of wonder, of humility, of repentance... as if they were
coming from the depths of my soul. I've never felt that, I've never
felt connected to God, as if He were living in me, residing in my
heart, my mind. As if His grandeur, magnificent mind, powerful hands,
righteous, sacrificial, all-knowing self is squeezed into my 6' body.
Maybe the tears are all those personal emotions, thoughts, beliefs,
desires coming out of me while I let Him into me...
I was raised
in a Christian home and was taught the importance of community found in
The Church and the importance of gathering to be encouraged, reminded
and fed the Word of God. At age 15 I accepted Jesus Christ in Deville,
LA. It was a gathering of about 15 people (8 of whom were my family). I
walked up front and shared with an older man (I don't even remember His
name) that I wanted Jesus and that I no longer could live without Him.
And as is customary in my faith background, I was baptized before those
15 people as a public demonstration of my acceptance of His
forgiveness, righteousness, Spirit, and power in my life. It's a
significant moment in my life.
Sometimes there are moments when
He breathes newness into you. As you present yourself hollow, void,
broken and needy before Him. He whiffs His breath, His word, His
thoughts, His passions into you. It's amazing. It's so refreshing and
humbling. It's also life changing. While I can admit to you this time
in my life has been quite painful and will continue to be. It will
continue to have many voids, much pruning, a lot of self-realization,
downfalls, rises onto mountain tops, crying for hours, and much more. I
prayerfully ask God that I learn and retain what He's showing and
teaching me.
While I haven't heard about the things I
thought that were important, I am assured that God will provide. He
takes care of the birds, making sure they are fed, are sheltered and
are able to fly. Therefore I must rest assured that He will take care
of me, making sure I'm physically-spiritually-emotionally-&-mentally
fed, sheltered, guided and have the ability to do what I need to do. If
I continually ask, seek and knock He will provide beyond my
expectations. He will show up at the opportune times and will guide me
through the dry, weary, dreadful times of life and through the joyous,
celebratory, wonderful moments. Each season will come and pass, but He
will stay the same through it all; being who He is, what He is and how
He is.
This evening as I continue to let tears fall down my
cheek, off my chin and onto my hands and shirt... I come humbled,
feeling loved, remembering how good, wonderful, magnificent, righteous,
holy, just, powerful, willing, loving, merciful, sacrificial, worth of
honor & praise, selfless, forgiving and concerned He truly is.
If you don't know Jesus. Ask. Seek. Request His presence.
You may not feel transformed the instant God fills your life. You may
not wake up tomorrow feeling like the world is going to be ok. You
won't have all the answers. You won't understand some or almost all of
the Bible. You won't find a community centered on Christ easily. You
may not know His will. You will unfortunately sin again. You will fall
off the happy wagon. You will be drug through sorrow and pain. You will
be pruned. You will be accepted. You will be loved. You will be
challenged. You will be favored. You will be forgiven. And you will
walk forward in the Light, vulnerable for all the world to know... I'm
a work of God in progress. Bear with my humanity and vast upon the
moments I let God shine through me... You will be a Child of God in His
loving arms.
A final note from God's Word...
"Everyone
who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who
loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we
love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands
are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This
is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it
that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God." -1 John 5:15 tNIV
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I'm keeping this post mostly spiritual… As I've experiences my 10th Uplift,
I am reflecting upon what God has done, said, revealed, shown, confirmed and
stayed silent about. I continue
searching for direction about the things I desire, I think I "need"
and for myself to be clothed with compassion, humility, kindness, gentleness
and patience as I try to be PRO-JESUS.
These are my Uplift lessons learned…
LESSON #1 – Putting yourself first before others, is in fact
ANTI-JESUS. The act of putting yourself
first so you can get a better job, provide more for your family, get a better
education, get more food, get better food, whatever- is simply in opposition to
the message of Jesus Christ. The only question
I have is- why do we cry "balance" when He calls us to be radical
disciples of Jesus Christ. Why do we
draw lines as to what God wants in our lives?
LESSON #2 – Don't go caving naked. Enough said.
LESSON #3 – How to determine if something is a need or want;
simply see if whatever you are desiring or trying to get challenges you to be
more Godly and live more Godly or quite the opposite. I have many personal examples on my mind
about this one.
LESSON #4 – Glory is an honorable, noble, praise-worthy
opinion of God and His thoughts.
Therefore we should give Him all glory; meaning all our opinions about
anything be centered on what God wants and what God has said. Simply stated, our political, religious,
educational, whatever else thoughts and opinions should remind that world that
God is honorable, noble and praise worthy.
LESSON #5 – Seek God first and don't let anything consume
you. Don't let God's beauty found in
nature, found in a campus, found in girls, or whatever else come between God
showering you with grace, mercy, peace, forgiveness and goodness and you
blessing God with your words, your attentive mind, your loving heart and your
compassionate, humble spirit. Let those
things interact, even when things suck.
LESSON #6 – God is more than good & fair. God is gracious & merciful. Consider these phrases when you read the
story of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20. It may bring new light into your idea of who
God is and how he acts.
LESSON #7 – Keep seeking God in the silence, in the Word, in
stories, on television, in music, in nature, on canvas, in fasting, at church,
at the urinal, or wherever else you can think of. We must continually seek God. I'm not quite sure what this looks like or
means, but it's a lesson that's stuck in my head. I don't have a clue and haven't ever been
able to successfully do it and to start right now will be at quite a tough
point in my life. Sorry if I couldn't be
of help about this one.
LESSON #8 – Love, love, love… and expect nothing in return. It's always the right thing to do.
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| As I anticipate leaving for Uplift at Harding for the 10th time, I can't believe how much my life has changed because of the people involved with Uplift. I mean the campers, the sponsors, the speakers, the comedians, the artists, the musicians, the directors, everyone has made an impact on my life.
Uplift is a place that my heart yearns for. Somehow, through all the little nuances it's beautiful, wonderful and magical. I remember going as a little guy and I remember each year quite well. I remember the people that went with us when we had groups of 35 and a group of 6. It's great each time, beacuse I'm fed God's word on a big spoon (actually it's more like a rushing wave coming at me), I create relationships with people that people just don't understand, I learn new things, I feel young again, it makes me smile and remember how awesome it was when I was in the 9th grade (i'm crying right now), it reminds me of how things were simple and I didn't feel like I was too deep, it reminds me that God's still got a hand in my life and other's lives and I get to see that and be encouraged by that, it's the place where I've shared in baptizing 7 people that are very dear to me. It's a wonderful place for me and I will always cherish it and I hope that it never loses that special place in my heart.
This year I'm expecting something, but I'm not sure what. It's different- a new session I've never been to, new ideas, new campers, same old directors, some of the same speakers, the cheesy zoo crew, the fun activities, the entertainment, the 6 hour bus-ride. I'm expecting, I just hope I'm right on this feeling...
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| So I was talking to someone that I haven't in over 2 years, they randomly im'd me in an emotional time. I asked them immediatley "why did you im me?" because I had a feeling that God was apart of it. Well, He was. After I let her read a conversation I just had, she was like "woah. i have had a horrible week because of stuff like that." and we continued to talk about how amazing it was that she chose to IM me from her list and not having spoken with me in years. I stated this... "Some call it creepy... I call it God being glorious." Just needed to share that. | | |
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