Messy Church: Lent & Light

Theme: I am the Light of the world
KEY VERSE: John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Other verses for the stations:
Genesis 1:3 “Let there be light”
Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking around in darkness have seen a great light”
Acts 9:1-6
Psalm 119:105
1 Samuel 17:45-47
1 John 1:5-7
Matthew 5:16

Welcome (Chapel): Introduction of Lent & Light… 5 Minutes.
Introduction and Welcome to Church today!
Today we are going to explore the Light of God through a “Messy Church” experience.
Some of you might not be all that comfortable with the notion of not being in this chapel for the entire service today, but let me reassure you that this will be an entire family teaching time today. Grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles, you will all be working side by side with your children and grandchildren and adopted children of this corps to learn more about Christ and His light. This week also begins what the Church call the Lenten season. This season is all about reflecting and preparing Christians around the world for what Jesus did at the cross and at the tomb in resurrection. So, with that thought in mind today, we are going to explore the very important topic of light in our messy church service today . For those of you who are extremely worried about getting messy, don’t worry – you won’t have to, but I would ask that you all participate in some way as we go from station to station today.
Table #1 Light Bulb Cards: (5 Mins)
Need: Pencils/Crayons/Scissors
Make Lightbulb shaped cardstock papers by drawing a light bulb, coloring it and then cutting it out.

Read: “The people walking around in darkness have seen a great light”…Isaiah 9:2

Discuss: Talk about different kinds of light and light sources…make a list of them.
-Which kind of light is your favorite? Why?
-Have you ever had a time when you had to walk in the dark? Talk about that experience.
Say: Lightbulbs and electricity help us in our homes to see at night. Before lightbulbs they used candles and oil-filled lanterns.

Ask: Have you ever experienced a time when the power went out and everything went dark?
What do you do when something like that happens? What kinds of tools do you use?
How did you feel when the power was restored and you have light again?

Close by saying:
God’s great light can shine into the darkest of places in our world. He can light up the darkest night. Tonight, when you go to bed, thank God for his great light that shines in our hearts because he loves us!

Table #2 Stained Glass Windows (5 Mins)
Card Stock Rectangles
Pre-cut moons, stars, crosses, fish, candles
multi -Colored tissue paper
Create stained glass by gluing two shapes then placing tissue paper behind the shapes.
Blend colors using multi-colored strips of tissue paper.
(show a picture of a stained glass window)

Talk about the way Light transforms stained glass.
What colors are visible in the stained glass?
Look at this picture of the stained glass, can you see different shapes and symbols in it?
What do you see?
Stained glass like this are used to tell stories. It is much more than just decorations in a church.
These windows convey to use bible stories that we know and help to remind us of God’s light shining down upon us.

Read: Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.^[a] So he went to the high priest. ²He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

³As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

⁵“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! ⁶Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9: 1-6

Ask: How did Jesus get Saul’s attention?
(God’s light shone from heaven).
Saul was blinded for a short time because of this light from heaven, but after this experience, he changed his name to Paul and began to preach and teach about Jesus to everyone he met. God’s light shines upon all of us just like this stained glass. He wants us to live for him and to reflect that light in all that we say and do.

Ask as you close: How can we shine for Him this week?

Table #3 A Lamp Unto My Feet (5mins)
Card stock pages with slices in them
a Scripture passage on a strip of paper
A Paper handle strip

Read: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

Talk about: God’s word will direct our lives if we are willing to listen to Him.
He wants to help us make wise decisions in life.
Ask: Have you ever walked around the darkness and tripped over things? How did that experience make you feel? Were you afraid? Did you hurt yourself?
What happens when you turn the light on in a dark room? You can see right?
What once was dark is now light.
Ask: Why do you think parents have rules for kids when they are growing up?
What happens when those kids break the rules?
What happens when adults break the law?
There are consequences to breaking the law or the rules right?
But those laws or rules are there to protect us right?
In the same way, God’s word is there to protect us and to keep us safe.
He wants us to follow it so that we don’t wander around in the darkness.

Hold Up Your lamps: And read the scripture passage on the handle together:
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light unto my path.”

Table #4 Make Paper Hats (5 mins)

Need: Card Stock & Glitter, Makers, Crayons, Tape.
We are going to make party hats.
We all know the Story of David and Goliath, but did you know David had the light of God inside him? He was brave and he had faith that God would help him defeat this giant! The Giant had huge weapons and a was very fearsome and frightening to all of the Israelite soldiers including the king. But David had faith in God and he said to Goliath:

Read: …“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

Ask: How did David win the battle?
Did he do it with his own strength?
How important is it to trust in God?

Do you know people who seem to have God’s light inside of them?
Do they seem to be bright and cheery people who have peace even when they face their own giant problems? How can we become like David and have courage and the light of God in us?
Put on your party hats…each one looks amazing and colorful…and bright! You can shine for God in your life too if you have faith and know that He is with you in every situation especially those that involve giant problems and worries.

Table #5 Star Cookies (5 mins)
Need: Yellow Frosting, Sprinkles,
Families will frost their cookies and sprinkle them.

Talk about how stars give off light in the night sky.
How far away are stars? Hint: millions of miles.
Our nearest star is 4.24 light years away.

Read: Genesis 1:2-4 God gave us light in the darkness:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ²Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

³And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”

God spoke creation into being, and he gave us light so that we can see.
Light also gives us life.
Ask: Can plants grow without sun light?
Talk About:
The Sun in our galaxy is a giant star. It is a great big ball of fire made up of gas.
If you even go near it we would not live for very long, but God placed this star and our planet at just right location in order for all of us to live. If the sun had been placed any further away, our planet would freeze. If the sun was too close Earth would be way too hot to live on. God knew exactly how to create light and darkness ( and the rest of creation for that matter) in order that we might live and love Him.

Table #6 Walking In Light or Darkness? (5 mins)
Need: Little water bottles , plastic cups, baby oil, washable markers (for color) sparkles.
Pour the water into the plastic cup.
Grab a washable marker and dab it into the water until the water changes color. (only 1 per cup)
Pour water back into the bottle about half way, then fill the rest with a little bit of baby oil.
Close the lid and then shake it up.

Read: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
1 John 1:5-7

Talk: Before Christ came to the earth, the people in ancient times have to make lots of sacrifices so that they could remove the darkness of sin from their lives. When Jesus came, he died on the cross for our sins and become the ultimate sacrifice so that sacrifices were no longer needed – Christ’s was enough for everyone in the whole wide world! Think about that: God’s one and only son, bringing his perfect light into a dark world. Look at the dark section of your bottles – When we choose to follow Jesus, we stop living in the darkness of sin and we begin to walk in the light of His love. When we do this we can shine so that others might see Jesus too.

Table #7 This Little Light of Mine (5 mins)
Need: 2 Flashlights. One with batteries and one without. Put wads of paper and coins and whatever else in the second flashlight.
Begin by Singing: “This Little Light of Mine”

Read: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16

Take turns reading the verse together. I like to read the verse normally, then read it super-fast and super-slow. Sometimes we read our verses “underwater” meaning I rub my fingers up and down over my lips while I speak to make the underwater sound. After you read the verse together, have kids sit quietly and answer a few questions.

Say, “What do you think it means, ‘Let your light shine before men…” Encourage kids to answer, let them know there’s wrong answer. After they have shared what they think, bring out the flashlight that doesn’t work. Don’t tell them it doesn’t work. Flip the switch on and try to shine a light. Say, “Wow! This isn’t working.” Shake the flashlight. “I think I hear batteries in there. Should we check it?”

Open the battery and show kids the junk that’s in the flashlight. Say, “Wow! These aren’t batteries. No wonder it’s not working. You know, we are kind of like these flashlights. When we have junk in us, we don’t shine our light. Now let’s see what happens we do have a flashlight that shines correctly.” Flip on the working flashlight and turn off the lights to show how bright it is.

(Object Lesson Source: http://ministry-to-children.com/shine-a-light-object-lesson-for-sunday-school-matthew-516/)

Total Table Time: 40 minutes

The Wrap Up Back In The Chapel – 15 minutes

Sing: Marvelous Light
Here I am to Worship

Devotional:
Today we explore what topic in Messy Church?
That’s right the topic of light. More importantly Jesus said:
John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In all of our stations today we have explored all kinds of ways that we can share that light with outs and how we can shine as well…right? Jesus told this to many people, and he wants us to follow him as well. He wasn’t just any light…like a light bulb that can be replaced when it burns out – NO! He is THE light of the world. In fact it says in Revelation 22:5 about heaven that “there will be no night there–no need for lamps or sun–for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.” Imagine that! God’s light will never go out, never become dim, or ever, ever be extinguished.
Jesus came to this earth and told everyone he was the light of the world and that they should follow Him…I have good news today for you! He still is the light of the world and when we choose to follow Him, we have this light inside of us and it shines too.

Now, perhaps this is the first time you are hearing about Jesus in this way.
And maybe you would like to receive this light for the very first time.
Jesus came to this earth to die for our sins and when we accept this sacrifice, we become His people. We become Christ-followers, and he said that one day we would all be with him in eternity or heaven. But do you know what we have to do? We have to accept this gift of eternal life. The light Christ offers will last for eternity, and with that light comes love, peace and hope. Would you like to accept this light today in your lives? If so, I would like to pray this prayer with you and if you would like to accept Jesus for the first time, or maybe just reaccept Him, would you pray this prayer with me?

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I have walked in the darkness for far too long. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will. I pray that you help me to be Your light in this world.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

*This lesson plan was adapted from the book: “Messy Church: fresh ideas for building a Christ-centered community.“*

February 27, 2017 0

Day 56, What’s Your Name?

“Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”)
John 1:42

There are many people in the bible who were given new names.
-Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah.
-Simon became Peter (the rock).
-Saul became Paul the Apostle.

Numerous people given different names in order to do God’s will on earth.
I wonder what if we require a new name in order to do God’s amazing will in our lives today. Did those ‘new’ names give them more confidence? Did they provide a title or commission by God? How does that translate in our context and existence today? What is your name and what does it mean? I don’t mean the definition of you name in some genealogy or baby name book, I mean how do you see yourself in the mainframe of God’s kingdom? Who are you? What are you here for? What is your purpose?

Each person mentioned above from the bible were given new names and they had a purpose. Do you know what your purpose is? It’s okay if you are still searching. It is okay if you aren’t sure yet. (does that help you to hear this?) Sometimes I think we are so concerned with no finding our purpose that we become frustrated and want to give up even seeking it out. Finding purpose in God is both simple and very complicated. He wants to fellowship with us on a daily basis, but when we grow with the Holy Spirit’s help, we also are given more of a burden for others as well.

So how about it…who are you? What’s your name? What is your purpose?
Here is a reassurance: You are a child of the Most High. You have are fit to be called Son and Daughter. He wants YOU to be the very image of Christ to the world around you. This seems like a tall order, but let me encourage you that we have the strength and the power of the Holy Spirit within you!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for giving me your identity and calling me your child! I pray that today I might understand what that means. Guide me on this path today. I pray that you might strengthen me when I am weak and encourage me when I am downcast. Be with me on today dear Lord. -Amen.

February 27, 2017 0

Day 55 -Encouragement Required…

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11

I was reminded by a Pastor friend of mine recently that I could be a source of encouragement to others. His response caught me off guard because I had been complaining and feeling discouraged myself. At that moment when I had felt defeated, he spoke words to me that was not only what I needed to hear, but it also took me out of the funk that I was feeling within my little pity-party. This Pastor friend told me to look around and find people who needed encouragement, and to be that encouragement I was looking for in others towards them. It got me thinking, how much different the world would be if we all were looking out for each other and going out of our way to encourage.

We might not know what THAT person is facing or going through, but just by being an encourager can make all of the difference! A few kind words might be all that is needed. Perhaps praying with them or for them will be your way of encouraging them. Whatever it might be, do it…step out there and go out of your way to reassure someone that God loves them and you do too. A little bit of love goes a long way.

Homework assignment today: Look up. Look out, and go to someone you may or may not know and encourage them in some way, shape or form.

Prayer: Lord grant me your eyes to see the needs of those around me today and this weekend. Help me to share your love with those I come in contact with. Thank you for encouraging me, now help me to encourage others. In your name I pray these things.
-Amen.

February 24, 2017 0

Day 54 -What You Do Isn’t Who You Are…

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

So many people worry about what they do.
Will I earn enough money.
Can I afford to go to school to become a doctor or lawyer.
Our world has made certain professions a matter of prestige and of which to pursue and become. But our jobs do not truly define us. Sure, they can be an outpouring of our passion, but they are not the root identifier of who we truly are. Many times I will go to special events and I will meet people and usually one of the first things they ask is – “So, what do you do?” This one single question becomes the classifier of not just profession but an indicator of what kind of person you are. It’s judgmental and assuming.

What do you say when people ask you this question?
Perhaps you could shock them by saying something like “I’m an ambassador of the eternal King” …just imagine the looks you might get then. The truth is, it doesn’t really matter what the world around you thinks about you, and these kind of canned questions with the rehearsed and canned answers are all superficial and none of it truly speaks to WHOSE we are.

You are and I are sons and daughters of the Most High.
We are called to BE holy…then DO holiness in our practical living.
The Apostle Paul tells us in the above passage to recognize that we are all God’s temple. I have this funny idea of these little steeple and temple running around, and bumping into each other at coffee shops…but the true reality is this: we are God’s kingdom here on earth…and above all, we should live kingdom living before we even attempt the “doing”. Today, may we all find God’s kingdom within us and through us. May we recognize what we do is not as important as WHOSE we are.

Prayer: Lord, grant me understanding of my purpose here on earth. Help me to live for you and to stop worrying about my employment status in society. Guide me in my day and lead me to live for you in all of my ways. I love you Lord. -Amen.

February 24, 2017 0

Day 53 -A Spiritual Spa…

“He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

Have you ever come to the end, or even the beginning of your day and have found that you are unsure if you will make it? I don’t meaning living, but I do mean the stresses of life.
We all find ourselves here.
We find ourselves running on empty and at times we lose forward momentum in our relationship with Christ.

These moments of fellowship that we have with God are so vital to the whole self.
It can become a monotonous, even boring practice if we only consider it an obligation.
God doesn’t require our obligation…but he longs for our fellowship. When we find ourselves burned out, stressed out and emotionally/spiritually spent may we find the wellspring of life again through this relationship with God. He wants to refresh our souls. He longs to take us from the dry land, thirsty land and into a spa for the soul…to restore us, to renew us and to prepare us for his fellowship and his holy service.

Do you need the restoration of soul today?
Are you tired and emotionally or spiritually spent?
Allow a time of refreshment to take place in your life. Perhaps this refreshment will come through your prays today. Perhaps it will come from listening to a song in your car or on your ride to (or from) work. Perhaps this spa will take place in a moment during lunch today. Pay attention. Keep your eyes, ears, hearts focused on what God is doing in your life today. He wants to bring you to a place of refreshing and restoration. Let Him in, and allow Him to bring his renewal to you today.

Prayer: Lord I desire your fellowship today. I long for your peace in this restless heart. Restore me today, I desire to be yours and yours alone. Amen.

February 22, 2017 0

Day 52 – Eternal Immigration

A lot has been said recently about illegal immigration and where countries and presidential ideologies clash in certain beliefs and convictions. Regardless of what you believe in regards to this important issue, our calling as Christ-followers goes far beyond any national policy or personal conviction. Jesus came for the whosoever, and this might take us beyond the boundaries of any one country or law. I am not saying that we break the laws of the country we live in, but we ought to begin to recognize that Christ’s sovereignty goes far beyond any border or one nation. In the eternal perspective race, age, gender, nationality or immigration status does not matter – we are all humans who need the love and salvation of an Almighty God.

Philippians 3:20 says this, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” When Jesus came to earth he declared that the kingdom of Heaven was here. We can begin to live this kingdom living today! We do not need to wait until we die and go to heaven, for our Eternal Immigration has already been approved! If we have believed in Jesus Christ as Messiah of our lives, we have this eternal kingdom already taking up residence within us in our lives. So how can we live this eternal immigration out loud? How can we live as kingdom people? There are really two ways to express this…the first and most important is to the love the Lord your God. The second is because of this outpouring of that love for God – it is the love of others…even those who may not look like you, act like you or come from where you call ‘home’. We serve a global God, with a broad love that transcends all divides. When His people, who are set apart and live out holiness, they are not only citizens of heaven, they begin to display this irresistible love for everyone, including our enemies.

How can you live out this eternal citizenship today?
How might you display your love for God and also this love for all who you might meet on this very day? Pray for those you will meet today. Ask God for wisdom and guidance in how you interact with others and in how you live out loud – this holy eternal citizenship.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for loving me! I want to live for you alone! Help me to love you back, and as I do also help me to love those I meet along the way. I pray for those who are not my friends…I pray for my enemies and for those I do not get along with. In this “living for you” grant me your eyes to see those around me. I am your child, thank you for this great blessing of salvation! In your name I pray these things. -Amen.

February 21, 2017 0

Dear Salvation Army, Is This Mission Drift?…

It has happened in numerous conversations.
There has been the lament of decisions made, and the ripples that flow from those decisions moving outward growing ever larger and larger.
Could it be that in some places in our Army world that we are experiencing a floundering of our mission? How can we recognize this mission drift in our ministries and in the larger army?

Perhaps the first question we should ask ourselves is this: What is our mission as an Army? Have we strayed from that mission? And if the answer is ‘yes’, then perhaps we have indeed become castaways on mission drift.

I read a fascinating article recently from The Gospel Coalition by Matt Smethurst, he was interviewing authors Peter Greer and Christ Horst who wrote the book Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities and Churches. In this interview, Smethurst asked Greer and Horst “Why is “mission drift” such a problem for well-intentioned Christian ministries and charitable trusts?”
Their answer really hit home with perhaps some of the issues our Army faces currently. Here is what Greer and Horst had to say:

Through our research we confirmed that mission drift is a pressing challenge for every faith-based organization. The zeal and beliefs of the founders are insufficient safeguards. There is no immunity, no matter how concrete your mission statement is. Or how passionate your leaders are. Or how much you believe it could never happen to you.

Relatively minor decisions, when compounded by time, lead organizations to an entirely different purpose and identity.

Did you catch that?
Mission Drift is a challenge for EVERY faith-based organization…and I believe we are facing this imminent threat every day within our Army. We are not immune. We are not above this danger. As a matter of fact, I believe that the chief danger in our Salvation Army today is mission drift within social programs, recreational programs and all other would be programs that are become increasingly devoid of any spiritual emphasis or initiative. We have become professional outsourcers and imagined “the lost” would come banging down our doors on Sunday…yet they aren’t and our corps are dying…and we are riding wave after wave of mission drift.

When asked about money, Greer and Horst had this to say:

Q: How does money tend to factor into the mission drift equation?

“Through hundreds of hours of interviews with Christian leaders of organizations of all varieties, donor influence was identified time and again as a leading cause of drift. With almost any donation there are “strings attached.” In some instances donors—often corporate donors or government funders—will place prohibitions about how overtly Christian an organization’s work can be. Historically this restriction was perhaps most evidenced in Andrew Carnegie’s university funding, which disallowed “sectarian institutions” from receiving funding. Many colleges—including Brown and Dartmouth—cut ties with their founding Christian denominations to be eligible to receive Carnegie’s millions.”

Has money played a part of our possible mission drift in the Salvation Army?
I would say if it hasn’t, then the temptation has surely been there…and some may even rationalize “well, we will figure out a ‘work-around’ for our mission to continue as we accept these monies…” and yet the funds come and the implementation of missional, intentional Christ-centered programming gets tossed or put on the back-burner because regulations and guidelines must be followed. Is this danger truly happening to our Army? Is it subtle and sometimes unnoticeable? All it takes are small, seemingly innocuous decision to take place in order for the drift to start. Could it be happening in your corps? Your Division? Your Territory?

I certainly do not want to paint a doom and gloom, “let’s second guess every decision being made” – type of conversation. But I am pondering whether we have already begun to drift away from our primary purpose for being an Army? Later on in the interview, Greer and Horst said this, and I believe this describes my fear of mission drift in our army:

We chose the word drift intentionally. It has the image of slowly, silently, and with little fanfare carrying you away to a new destination. It’s not dramatic, and yet anyone who’s spent time on a boat of any size knows it happens.

It’s clichéd, but the moments of greatest temptation occur when you least expect it. We’ve felt the tug of secularization most when we’ve been enjoying seasons of growth. It’s so easy for success to cloud drift. But it’s always there. As Christian leaders, we must daily commit ourselves to protecting and celebrating what matters most in the institutions God has entrusted to us.

PONDER THIS:
So here is my pondering to you, Dear Army: How do we even notice mission drift when it happens in our big Army? And secondly, how do we course correct if our Army is Titanic and it takes all of us to turn the ship around? Can this be done? What are some of the indicators of mission drift that you see? Would loss of constituents be an indicator? Would leadership disconnect be another? Would program not missionally based also sound alarms? What kinds of safe-guards can we put into place to help us avoid this trap? How might we course correct?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments and concerns.
Something more for our Army to ponder today.

Source:
Smethurst, M. (2014, March 10). The subtle danger of mission drift. The gospel coalition.
Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-subtle-danger-of-mission-drift

*Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions written here are not necessarily the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army. Reader discretion is advised.*

February 21, 2017 6

Day 51 -God Given Wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5

There are certainly days when we lack the words to speak and the actions we ought to take. Difficult days. Days that leave us bowled over and utterly wishing we could just go back to bed and get a redo. We’ve all been there. When those days come can we ask God for help? It might seem trite, but His presence with us is very real and evident if we pay attention. For those who are Christ-followers, it is promised that wisdom will be given and given generously.

Can we seek God in the midst of our redo-seeking days?
Can we fall to our knees and make our day – His day? God desires our fellowship and our love. He will never force us to accept Him, or invite Him in, but when we do allow Him access in a manner of humility and love He will always provide us what we need.

Can you place your day, all your agendas, all your plans and to-do lists before God today? Allow Him in and receive His provisions to your set-apart life!

Prayer: Dear Lord, I commit this day to your service. I want to live for you in all that I choose to say and do today. Lead me and I ask that when my words and wisdom fails, provide for me your wisdom and your words. Thank you for your blessings and provision! In your name I pray these things. -Amen.

February 20, 2017 0

Day 46 – “Have You Had Enough?

“I have had enough, Lord,…” 1 Kings 19:4b

Have you ever come to the point in your life where you’re just done “adulting” for one day? Perhaps the challenges at work, or the mounting house work, or the endless “to do” list has all just gotten the better of you…and you have had enough? Have you been there? I would imagine many of us have had those days where you contemplated why you even got out of bed. Some days are just life that, and it seems the entire world wants a piece of you. Rest assured, there will be better days. All of us have experienced bad days and even bad years. Life is certainly challenging and it isn’t always puppy dogs and rainbows, no matter how much we wish it were. But the encouraging thing is life, and all that happens to us will eventually pass, and we have a God who journeys alongside us. We are never alone in our struggles…and our bad days. Another important thing to note is that our perspective on things always makes a difference. Having a bad day? Will you allow it to affect your spirit and the eternal joy God has given you? I hope the answer is “no”…that we will keep on keeping on despite the bad days, the trials and the set-backs.

The prophet Elijah certainly had his fair share of bad days. The funny thing is he had just had a monumental victorious day, when he challenged all the prophets of Baal. (see 1 Kings 18:16-46) Elijah, called down fire upon a completely soaked altar and God made Himself known thereby defeating these false prophets and their fake god Baal. You would thing this great victory would have lasted for a while, but instead Elijah is on the run and afraid for his life. King Ahab and wicked Queen Jezebel want him dead. Elijah is worn and weary, emotionally and physically spent, he lays down under a boom bush in the wilderness and asks God if he could just die. He even says to God, “I have had enough…” Imagine that! One of the most powerful Prophets of ancient times asking to die because life had become extremely hard. He felt defeated. He felt alone. He thought it would be better to be taken to heaven than live another day on earth.

We experience days like this from time to time. Perhaps not to the extreme of Elijah…but perhaps some of us have. When those days come, I pray that like Elijah, God will encourage you, strengthen you and remind you that you are most certainly not alone!

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray for those who are struggling today. I ask that you place a hand of encouragement upon them. Lord, I too struggle with these days, thank you for reminding me of your constant presence and that I am given strength that is not my own, but yours. Protect me from the evil one who tries to remind me of my many failures and discourages me from carrying on. Shine your light of hope into my life today, and fill me with your peace even amidst the many storms of life. Thank you dear Lord for being here for me!
-Amen

February 15, 2017 0

Day 43 – “A Moldy Life?”

When I was in college I had this older SUV.
I was a good vehicle, it did what it needed to do. It got me from point A to point B.
The one issue I have with this vehicle is that it smelled.
At some point in the life of this SUV, it must have gotten wet on the inside and so the carpets and fabric smelled…most likely because of mold. I tried everything to remove the stink from my truck. I tried car fragrances and those little trees you hang from the rear view mirror…nothing seemed to work. I would like to tell you that I successfully removed the mold and smell from my truck, but I didn’t. Two years later I sold it and move on – smell-free.

The thing about mold in carpets is that it can be very difficult to remove, especially in places like under seats and under carpeting that is bolted down. Mold has to be completely eradicated in order for the smell and the spores to die. Without a deep, thorough, time consuming cleaning, that mold will remain…and so will the smell.

Proverbs 28:13 says this: “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Sin is a lot like mold…if we don’t do a deep cleaning it will not be eradicated. Are there hidden spaces in your life right now that sin still remains? It’s time for a deep cleaning! Do not be ashamed of it – get rid of it. Don’t hold onto it any longer. It really is mold to the soul, and it will limit even keep you from the Lord! Relinquish it, and allow the Lord to clean it from your life today!

Prayer: Lord cleanse my heart again. I confess and expose these spaces where sin remains hidden away. Lord, help me with my thoughts and my motives today. I long to serve you a lone. Remind me of my purpose and this aim today! In your name I pray these things. -Amen.

February 14, 2017 0