man alive...i have the most random music phases. currently i cannot get enough of sara groves. i love how her songs are full of lyrics- each song is a story that really makes me think. my all-time favorite is posted below. i love it because God has been showing his faithfulness to me each and every day, it's just amazing! between readin the Purpose-Driven Life and talking things out with friends and what I learn in Bible Study, it's all soooo relevant to where I am at. here's my favorite.
Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season I watch him amazed, in
awe of the mystery of his perfect ways
All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me
I can't remember a trial or a pain he did
not recycle to bring me gain. I can't
remember one single regret in serving
God only and trusting his hand
This is my anthem, this is my song, the
theme of the stories I've heard for so long.
God has been faithful, he will be again.
His loving compassion, it knows no end.
[he's always been faithful to me // sara groves]
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
fellowship.
Today I read chapter 18 of the P-D L. Again, it brought a topic that a bunch of us have been talking about right to the surface - fellowship. Most importantly, experiencing authentic fellowship. I LOVE to go deeper than the normal "hey, how are you? how are classes? great, talk to you later." Honestly and humility are so important. A two-way relationship is needed- we must not feel responsible FOR others, but TO others. Share with them and let them share with you. We will also experience sympathy in true fellowship - which hits home for me. I need to be understood and need to have my feelings validated, just like everyone else. When it doesn't happen, I turn to others to validate my feelings, thus bringing me closer to them and farther away from the person I was trying to talk to. Hmm. I have had that feeling a lot in the past and I am finally able to put it into words!
Purpose-Driven Life
haven't had time to write a post in a long time. the other day i was reading another chapter in the purpose driven life. it focused on belonging - basically why being part of a church family is important and necessary to growth and development. Here's a paragraph from chapter 17:
"Biblical fellowship is being committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give ouir lives for each other. Many Christians who know John 3:16 are unaware of 1 John 3:16: 'Jesus Christ lais down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.' This is the kind of love God expects you to show other believers- a willing ness to love them the same way Jesus loves you."
Pretty cool that I wrote about that the last time on here and I read it a few weeks later in a book. :]
"Biblical fellowship is being committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give ouir lives for each other. Many Christians who know John 3:16 are unaware of 1 John 3:16: 'Jesus Christ lais down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.' This is the kind of love God expects you to show other believers- a willing ness to love them the same way Jesus loves you."
Pretty cool that I wrote about that the last time on here and I read it a few weeks later in a book. :]
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Sacrifice
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." ~1 John 3:16
John 3:16. Probably the most popular Bible verse in the world. How cool is it that 1 John 3:16 is like the action, or the second part of that verse. Both books were written (no surprise here) by the apostle John. My Bible commentary says that at the time 1 John was written, Christianity had been around for more than a generation. Their main problem then was declining commitment of believers. I think that's relavant to today's world- a lot of people know that God loves them so much he gave them his Son, so if they believe in Jesus they will find salvation. But that verse is out there so much I think people lose it's meaning. 1 John 3:16 even helps me understand John 3:16 better. Yes, God loved the world- and this love is that Jesus laid down his life. Loving our brothers is sacrifice.
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." ~1 John 3:16
John 3:16. Probably the most popular Bible verse in the world. How cool is it that 1 John 3:16 is like the action, or the second part of that verse. Both books were written (no surprise here) by the apostle John. My Bible commentary says that at the time 1 John was written, Christianity had been around for more than a generation. Their main problem then was declining commitment of believers. I think that's relavant to today's world- a lot of people know that God loves them so much he gave them his Son, so if they believe in Jesus they will find salvation. But that verse is out there so much I think people lose it's meaning. 1 John 3:16 even helps me understand John 3:16 better. Yes, God loved the world- and this love is that Jesus laid down his life. Loving our brothers is sacrifice.
Getting Older
So ... I knew this year I would be gaining more responsibility, but I didn't know it would be this much. the Lord only knows what's in store for me this year. I can't help but think that he's handing out more and more for me to deal w/to prepare me for something big. Semi-scary for me to think that I am growing up! haha.