So last night I went to something at church we call "Deeper", which is an extended time of praise, worship, prayer... and whatever else seems to come along :)
I had been looking forward to it, not only because I love spending time with others in worship but also because some of my closest friends would be there and for me there is nothing better than loving God in the midst of friends.
It proved to be a good evening and I even received a word from God through someone else who was there. Now, this word didn't directly relate to issues I am facing right now but it was helpful and reminded me of some stuff God had been saying to me in the recent past.
What I actually found myself thinking later in the evening was that I had simply enjoyed the evenin for what it was - time with friends and with God, with further evidence that God is taking an interest in my life and is working on my behalf (just in case I had forgotten!). I found myself smiling a lot that evening, happy and at rest because, although I have faced a lot of stress recently, God still loves me. Later on those smiles became random fits of giggles, which simply served to confuse one of my friends. I couldn't explain it then but a phrase is now coming to me as I type that I have used time and again:
"But God..."
Every time I worry or stress about something that is or isn't going on in my life, it only takes this phrase to stop me in my tracks. No matter what, God is involved! In our mundane every day activities AND in our worship and prayer meetings. God is moving, God is speaking and he is blessing us more than we give him credit for.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Crying out
I am sitting here listening to worship music and before I know it I'm crying out to God.
Once upon a time this would have meant actually wallowing in self-pity and asking God WHY?! Why didn't I have more? Why did I feel so lonely? Why wasn't God talking to me?
I still have the option of asking God why? There are still things I need or want. Sometimes I do still get lonely. Sometimes I still get rather confused about what God is saying!
But I've learnt there are some better questions to ask God,
like "who?" - who needs me today? Who needs my prayers? Who could I connect with?
or "what?" - what, God, do you want me to do?
The main difference here, of course, is that one appoach is negative while the other is positive; one focuses on self while the other focuses on others. Don't get me wrong I like naval gazing as much as the next girl, probably more so given my interest in psychology and what makes us unique... but I am constantly reminded by people and circumstance that the most important thing in my life is people.
My friends mean the world to me and tonight I am crying out for them.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
The Right Kind of Confidence
(preached at The Church @ Swan Mead on 21/03/10)
The Right Kind of Confidence
The dictionary definition of confidence is: -feeling of trust in person/thing -belief in own abilities
"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right" (Henry Ford)
"Confidence is either a petty pride or the realisation of our duty and priveledge as God's children" (Phillips Brooks)
Over the past few years one of the biggest changes in my life has been that I have grown in confidence.
Where does confidence come from?
money? friends/family? abilities? qualifications? dreams/ambitions? strength? possessions?
At some point all of these things will fail us.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (Message)
Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
Around the edge of a £2 coin are the words "standing on the shoulders of giants". With God on our side we are standing on the shoulders of the biggest giant there ever was and ever will be! No matter what comes up in our lives it can never get too big for our God!!
Ephesians 3 talks about having freedom and confidence to approach God, because of what was accomplished through Christ.
Why does God give us confidence?
Psalm 18:16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me....
God stoops down to us because he is great (on high)! Why? because he wants us to be great too! We are made in his image and we are meant to aspire to be like him.
God sent his own Son to earth to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for everything we ever have and ever will do wrong. He took our punishment so we could once again be in relationship with the God who created the Heavens and the Earth. He created us, he loves us and he wants the best for us.
What do we do with it?
Most of the time - we ignore it, deny it and waste it. Why? because we have gone back to the other sources, we have put our faith in other things that will not last and usually this is in the form of our own strength. Ever found yourself thinking "I can't cope with this, who am I that I should be successful?"
With God-confidence we can do anything!
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
This is confidence to find help in God.
John 10:10
I have come that you may have life to the full.
This is confidence to enjoy life!
And of course this will give us the confidence to do what God asks of us...
Acts 4:31
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's word with fearless confidence.
This is confidence to tell others.
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 tells us that we have such confidence to make us competant ministers of a new covenant.
This is confidence in our actions towards and on behalf of others.
Therefore we can speak and act with confidence!
Person profile:
Joan of Arc was born on January 6 1914 in Domremy. She was the youngest of 5 and was taught the Catholic religion throughout her life by her mother. From childhood she was known for her obedience, kindness, generosity etc.
At the age of 13 she began to hear from God, telling her to "go into France" and basically save them from the English. This lasted for 5 years, then Joan received permission to go to the Dauphin Charles. She was accepted by a church council and began to lead the Dauphin's army. Within days the city was freed. In 10 days she freed the Loire Valley. Within a few months Charles was crowned King of France.
Then Charles stopped trusting Joan...
She confidently told him God was giving her another year to do his will but Charles took no notice of her. In May 1430 Joan was captured - fulfilling her 'year' prophecy. In November she was handed over to the English who wanted to condomn Joan as a witch and heretic. She was taken through court proceedings that have been reported as biased in many ways against her.
She was eventually burnt at the stake, during which she asked for a cross to be held in front of her so that it was the last thing she saw.
25 years later the trial was declared null and void.
I think it's safe to say that Joan of Arc had confidence and it's pretty obvious where she got it!
Hebrews 10:35
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Obstacles to confidence
FEAR!
1 John 4:16-18
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
God's love is perfect and it overcomes the fear that holds us back in our confidence.
Remember: it's not about what you can do, it's about whether you allow God to do everything He can do in your life.
The Right Kind of Confidence
The dictionary definition of confidence is: -feeling of trust in person/thing -belief in own abilities
"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right" (Henry Ford)
"Confidence is either a petty pride or the realisation of our duty and priveledge as God's children" (Phillips Brooks)
Over the past few years one of the biggest changes in my life has been that I have grown in confidence.
Where does confidence come from?
money? friends/family? abilities? qualifications? dreams/ambitions? strength? possessions?
At some point all of these things will fail us.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (Message)
Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
Around the edge of a £2 coin are the words "standing on the shoulders of giants". With God on our side we are standing on the shoulders of the biggest giant there ever was and ever will be! No matter what comes up in our lives it can never get too big for our God!!
Ephesians 3 talks about having freedom and confidence to approach God, because of what was accomplished through Christ.
Why does God give us confidence?
Psalm 18:16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me....
God stoops down to us because he is great (on high)! Why? because he wants us to be great too! We are made in his image and we are meant to aspire to be like him.
God sent his own Son to earth to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for everything we ever have and ever will do wrong. He took our punishment so we could once again be in relationship with the God who created the Heavens and the Earth. He created us, he loves us and he wants the best for us.
What do we do with it?
Most of the time - we ignore it, deny it and waste it. Why? because we have gone back to the other sources, we have put our faith in other things that will not last and usually this is in the form of our own strength. Ever found yourself thinking "I can't cope with this, who am I that I should be successful?"
With God-confidence we can do anything!
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
This is confidence to find help in God.
John 10:10
I have come that you may have life to the full.
This is confidence to enjoy life!
And of course this will give us the confidence to do what God asks of us...
Acts 4:31
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's word with fearless confidence.
This is confidence to tell others.
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 tells us that we have such confidence to make us competant ministers of a new covenant.
This is confidence in our actions towards and on behalf of others.
Therefore we can speak and act with confidence!
Person profile:
Joan of Arc was born on January 6 1914 in Domremy. She was the youngest of 5 and was taught the Catholic religion throughout her life by her mother. From childhood she was known for her obedience, kindness, generosity etc.
At the age of 13 she began to hear from God, telling her to "go into France" and basically save them from the English. This lasted for 5 years, then Joan received permission to go to the Dauphin Charles. She was accepted by a church council and began to lead the Dauphin's army. Within days the city was freed. In 10 days she freed the Loire Valley. Within a few months Charles was crowned King of France.
Then Charles stopped trusting Joan...
She confidently told him God was giving her another year to do his will but Charles took no notice of her. In May 1430 Joan was captured - fulfilling her 'year' prophecy. In November she was handed over to the English who wanted to condomn Joan as a witch and heretic. She was taken through court proceedings that have been reported as biased in many ways against her.
She was eventually burnt at the stake, during which she asked for a cross to be held in front of her so that it was the last thing she saw.
25 years later the trial was declared null and void.
I think it's safe to say that Joan of Arc had confidence and it's pretty obvious where she got it!
Hebrews 10:35
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Obstacles to confidence
FEAR!
1 John 4:16-18
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
God's love is perfect and it overcomes the fear that holds us back in our confidence.
Remember: it's not about what you can do, it's about whether you allow God to do everything He can do in your life.
First proper post! :)
Well I have a bit more time now. :)
Ok so I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons:
1. I enjoy writing diary-type things
2. A few people have shown an interest in getting hold of my preach notes/tapes so this is a good opportunity to publish them in some way
So....welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy :)
Ok so I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons:
1. I enjoy writing diary-type things
2. A few people have shown an interest in getting hold of my preach notes/tapes so this is a good opportunity to publish them in some way
So....welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy :)
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Testing, testing...
Hi,
Just thought I would give this whole blog thing a quick test before I pop to the shops :)
Will write nproperly later...
Bye :)
Just thought I would give this whole blog thing a quick test before I pop to the shops :)
Will write nproperly later...
Bye :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)