Good Ol' Galatians

Good ol' Galatians give us some very nice insight on how to be free in Christ.  I was reading through our devotional today and the verses really spoke to me.  Galatians 5:16-25.  The last verse says "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."  This made me think about the church (us).  If we (the church) don't live completely by the Spirit's leading, then we open a door for Satan to come in and grab that portion of our lives.  And we all know what happens when he gets his foot in the door!

If the church doesn't live fully by following the Spirit, then how does that look to the world.  They will not want to participate with a group of people who preach one thing and then live another!  His Spirit produces "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control".  That's what the world needs to see.  The church being lead by the Spirit, producing it's fruit so that they world can experience the goodness of God!  So the question that I will ask you is: Are you following the Spirit's leading?

Experiencing His Goodness

"The Father loves the Son extravagantly.  He turned everything over to him so he could give it away - a lavish distribution of gifts.  That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever!  And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn't see life.  All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that." Jn 3:34-36 (MSG)

Wow!  I'm not sure that I need to write anything to accompany those verses.  God loved Jesus, gave Him everything so He could give it away to us, only if we trust and accept Him fully and by doing so we receive all He has to offer in this life and the anticipation of the greatness of the eternal life to come.

The part that has really stuck out to me is the last two sentences.  It says if we don't trust Christ, we don't "see life".  We miss so much of what God wants us to experience while we are here on earth when we choose not to trust Him.  All of our experiences about God is just darkness - just a void.  How much more joyful, pleasant, extravagant will our lives be if we just simply trust God.  Pastor David Berkheimer said last week that "We don't have to understand everything, we just need to trust God."  Our promise is not that life will be easy but, that if we can trust Him, we can experience everything He has to give to us!

Are you trusting Him?

What's The Plan?

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11)

This is a well-known verse that speaks to our hearts about our future and how we can rest assured that God is in control and cares for us and our future. We hear this verse quoted so many times during sermons, devotionals, etc. But as I read this, I think about all of my junior high students. They will understand the concept that there is a God who loves them and has a plan for them. But what they struggle with is understanding what that plan is! So how do we know?

The next verse opens a door of knowledge that will help us in the journey to seek direction for our lives. "In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." (Jer. 29:12-13) I believe that in order for us to really understand what God has for us, we need to know God! His voice, character, personality, etc. will be easily recognizable in our lives and in situations so that we can know what direction He is taking us in. We communicate with Him through prayer. He says that if we talk to Him, open our hearts (concerns, doubts, fears, joys) in an intimate, daily conversation that we will "find" Him and His will for us.

So how do we know God's plan for our lives? We must first seek him - with our whole heart! And He promises to listen and respond!