Category: Blog

Agape. 

We are called to love one another, but what is agape love? Agape love is different from the love between friends, or family. It is not of human origin. This kind of love is unconditional and from God alone. 

The word agape is a Greek word that means love. It is the form of love used in 1John 4:7-12:

In this passage, we are not being told to love because it’s easy, or because you like the person. It is saying simply to love because God loves you. God loves you even though you have denied him, even though you ignored him, even though you put others before him, even though you’ve sinned again and again. Even so, Christ gave up his life for you. He died for a world that is constantly against him. 

Why then, is it so difficult for us to love one another? God’s love is agape. God’s love is sacrificial. Whether it be sacrificing life or sacrificing convenience, we are to have this same kind of love for others. 

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭

The world seems to be spiraling out of our control. The problem is that we were trying to control it in the first place. The control should be given to God. Our job is simple. Love and forgive… and when you or others mess up… forgive and love again… and again… and again. 

There seems to be a constant stream of horrifying news stories lately and it’s becoming harder and harder to find love. So more than ever, we need to be the love in the situation. Even if you don’t agree, love anyway. Live righteously and try to align your life with the way that God intends you to live, but don’t sit in the seat of judgement. If you really want to change the world, be the light and show love. 

Agape. 

‭‭

Matthew 18:3-5 says:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

In this passage, Jesus is calling us to have a child-like faith. How can we have a child-like faith? 

Like a child, our hearts should be pure and without deceit. If any of you have ever been around a child, they don’t hold back the truth. I work in an elementary school, and just a couple weeks ago, I got a drastic haircut. The opinions of my second graders were not withheld from me. I’m not saying that we should all go around and tell each other what we think of people’s hair, but in our hearts, we should be honest and true about our motives and intentions. 

Children are often regarded as in a lowly position. They have to look up to the guidance of others, and do what they are told. Like a child, we should practice humility and look to God for guidance. 

We should also be trusting like a child. Do you remember believing in Santa Clause? Christmas morning there would be presents from the man in the red suit. There was no questioning how he accomplished such an impossible feat; there was just faith. It seems crazy now, as an adult, but God calls us to a similar faith. It doesn’t matter how he does it; it doesn’t matter if it seems impossible. It’s going to happen because He’s God. 

It’s difficult to go back to that child-like mindset. Day-to-day the stress gets more overwhelming, the situations seem more impossible. We’ve been tainted by this world. It’s only going to get worse, but God still calls us to be like little children. Even when your scared, your daddy (your Heavenly Father) has you. He’s going to take care of you. It’s going to be okay. 

Time to get honest… 

Things just haven’t been going the way I planned, and that’s a little frustrating. It’s easy, when this happens, to wallow in self-pity, to use this time to “vent” (when you’re probably just complaining), and to feel discouraged. 
This was where I was at, until someone close to me reminded me of my favorite verse:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

I will probably write about this verse a million times on my blog, because it’s so easy to pass by. I have this verse displayed in my room, written on the front of my bible, I even wear the words, “Proverbs 3:5-6” around my neck, yet when the going got tough, my first response was feel bad for myself. 

I was reminded of this verse (surprisingly not by the numerous times it’s presented though my day), and it immediately gave me hope and faith. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart- God has a plan. He created the world; He created you and He knows your situation. He knows the future. He knows the big picture. 

Lean not on your own understanding- don’t put all your weight on logic, or what the situation looks like right now. In my situation, it appeared as if I would be stuck doing something I did not want to do with my career. This part of the verse really spoke to me. Yes, logic makes this situation look impossible, but God can make anything possible. 

In all your ways submit to Him- stop worrying about it! “Submit” means to yield to the authority of another person. Just completely give the situation to God. Listen to the steps that He wants you to take, not what you think you should do. 

And He will make your paths straight- this is the promise! If we stop worrying, trust Him and submit to His will, He will put everything in line. 

It looked impossible to me for a little while, but today I can tell you that things are turning around. I can see that God is moving. God is moving in your life as well. You just need to trust. 

Trust in You- Lauren Daigle

What is your relationship with God about? Is it about how much recognition and fame you can get? Is it about how many blessings you can receive? 

We often become consumed with the things of this world, when we should be consumed with the things of God. Often, we make everything about us, yet there would be no us without Him. 

Have you given your life to Jesus? If you have, “you are not your own; you were bought at a price.” God has a work to do in and through your life. He has plans to fix the broken pieces and direct your path. He has a purpose for you to go out into the nations and tell the world about Him. He intends for you to spread the love of Christ where you are planted. 

The truth is… God is great and His plans are full. There is a grand masterpiece in the making and you are one of the important details, but if we keep making it about us, us, us… How will the world come to know HIM, HIM, HIM!

Jeremiah 29:13 says: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” When you are seeking Him with all your heart, your motives need to be in the right place. If you are seeking Him for your own gain, you will not find him. Seek him because of how wonderful He is. Seek Him because He’s marvelous. Seek Him because He’s the Creator. Seek Him because He sent his only son to die so that you might have life. Seek Him because you need Him. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:17-19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Open up the sky

Fall down like rain

We don’t want blessings

We want you

Open up the sky

Fall down like fire

We don’t want anything but you”

Open up the Sky- Deluge Band

Daniel 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their faithfulness to God. At that time, King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and ordered all the people to fall down and worship this image. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the image and the king decided to throw them into a blazing furnace.

Daniel 3:16-18 says:

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

“He will deliver us from your majesty’s hand. But even if he does not…” You see, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had faith that God could and would deliver them from the situation they were facing, but stated that even if He didn’t, they would still only worship Him.

What situation are you facing? God can and will deliver you, but even if it seems impossible, will you praise Him?

Even if everything was taken away and you were left with nothing, would you worship Him?

So how does the story end? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were indeed thrown into the blazing furnace. Verse 22 says that the flames were so hot that the fire even killed the soldiers who were putting the men up.

Three men were thrown into the fire, but when the king looked, he saw four men walking around (one looking like a “son of the gods”). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego then were called out of the fire and walked out with no burns, singes, or any evidence that they had been in a fire at all.

God is faithful. He delivered these men and he will deliver you.

But EVEN IF nothing goes the way you think it should, will you still sing His praise?

Please listen to the song “I’m Still Yours” by Kutless. Link below…

I’m Still Yours- Kutless

  Prayer is so powerful! It’s how we talk to God. We can’t always fix the problems and tricky situations in our lives, but we can always pray. God listens, and that should give us hope. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “pray continually.” 

What does the word continually mean? According Merriam-Webster, it means: happening without interruption : not stopping or ending. So we are to never stop praying. Pray all day long. Be in constant communication with God. Talk to him through every circumstance. Don’t just pray when things are looking up. Don’t just pray when you need an answer. 

Do you feel like you don’t know how to pray or what to say? Jesus gave us a model of how he wanted us to pray. In Matthew 6:9-13 (often called the Lord’s Prayer) Jesus says,

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

In short, Jesus is saying that in our prayers, we should thank God (verse 9) and pray for his will to be done in the world and in our lives (verse 10). He asks that we pray for our daily needs (verse 11). Some people feel guilty praying about their daily needs, struggles and problems, but Jesus told us to do so. In the Lord’s Prayer, it goes on to say that we should ask for forgiveness and forgive others (verse 12). Lastly, we pray to be delivered from Satan and his deceit (verse 13). 

Currently, I’m stressed out about a big life change. Of course, I need to do my part and get prepared for these changes, but I can only do so much. Therefore, I pray for God’s will and I give the stresses to Him and I know that His plans will succeed. 

You can go to God for anything. At times, all you need is to give your concerns to Him, and you will have a peace knowing that you’ve placed it in the Creator’s hands. When you pray, it’s not words going out into the void. Someone is listening and making the perfect things happen in your life. All you have to do next is be attentive for His reply. 

 Philippians 4:13 says:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 The important part of this verse to recognize is, ‘through Christ’. This verse is not granting us superpowers and it does not give us authority to do whatever we please. It encourages us to know that if it is God’s will, then we can do it. Not through our own strength, but through His.

We should be constantly seeking the will of God and his plan for our lives. This becomes difficult when we aren’t 100% thrilled with what we are asked to do. It is reassuring to know that God has the plan and He alone knows where this is all going to lead.

 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

We don’t always have all the answers and we don’t always have all the strength, but God can work it all out. He will be glorified through our weaknesses.

BUT YOU SAY:
I don’t feel adequate…
You can do all things!

I’m afraid…
You can do all things!

I feel discouraged…
You can do all things!

I’ve gone through so much…
You can do all things!

I have so much going against me…
You can do all things!

I’m not good enough…
You can do all things!

I have a lot of plans. None of those plans matter, unless they are His. He has a lot of plans for me. Sometimes, I feel like those plans are too overwhelming or difficult.

God says that I don’t need to worry about any of that. He will give me the strength.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS!!!

 Sometimes I think, that if we ALL would fully understand and apply forgiveness, this world could find peace. Forgiveness is one of the biggest components of our faith. 1 John 1:9 says:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Thank God for that! There may be moments from your past that you think God can’t forgive, but he will forgive us and purify us from ALL unrighteousness (not just some).

Stop giving yourself a hard time. We all do it. We constantly repeat our sins over and over in our head, and consequently feel a ton of guilt. In Hebrews 10:17 it says: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” That’s it! Repent of your sin, ask for forgiveness, and your sin is permanently forgotten. You no longer need to dwell on it.

Although, what does it really mean to repent? The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘repent’ is: “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.” Turning from sin doesn’t just mean “I’m sorry.” It means “I’m sorry and I’m going to make it my honest goal to never do that again.” None of us are perfect, and it is likely that we will sin again, but if your heart is pure and your motives are true, then God will extend His grace again and again.

So here’s where it gets interesting…

It’s easy enough to accept forgiveness, but how often do you forgive others. This is the difficult and seemingly impossible (in some situations) aspect of forgiveness, that is just as important to understand. Matthew 6:14-15 reads:

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

‭‭These verses are saying that if we can’t forgive others, why should God forgive us? We must come to the realization that we are all sinners, and none of us deserve to be forgiven, but if our Savior, who was crucified even though he did nothing wrong can forgive, then we should also. If our God, who watches us fail Him every single day can forgive, then so can we.

Forgiveness is simple. Forgiveness is very complicated. Forgiveness is an attribute of our God. Forgiveness needs to be an attribute of us.

  
Proverbs 18:21 says:

The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.

This verse is describing the influence of the words that we speak. Can you think of a time when someone said something to you, that stabbed your confidence or made you feel worthless? Has there been a moment where you were just about the make a breakthrough, and those words replayed in your mind and halted your progress? This is something we know to be true because we experience it everyday. Proverbs 15:1 says:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

According to this verse, if you want to get along with people and avoid conflict and hurt, you need to be kind. You may be thinking, “That’s obvious. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Sometimes we may be speaking kind words, but our tone of voice ruins the whole thing. The way you say something can change the whole context. Honestly, this is something that I am constantly struggling with: what I am trying to say, versus what people are actually hearing. Do you often speak with a sarcastic tone? I’ll admit it; that’s me! Proverbs 26:18-19 says:

Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I am only joking!”

This may be harsh and over the top considering the tiny bits of sarcasm we use, but it is clear that God calls for us to be straight with those we speak to. In Matthew 5:37, Jesus says,

All you need to say is simply simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Yes, it’s true that in this verse, Jesus was referring to making promises to others.  This verse could certainly apply to other aspects of communication as well.

It’s not just the words that we say, but the words that we don’t say. “The tongue has the power of LIFE and death.” Through your words you can tear someone down, but you can also BUILD THEM UP! Lets take the question from the beginning and turn it around: Can you remember a time when someone spoke something so encouraging to you, that it gave you the strength to reach your breakthrough? Has someone’s words ever brought life into your situation? If not, let me encourage you now. You are a child of the king. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have a purpose for God’s kingdom. God loves YOU so much that He sent his only son to die on a cross, so that you might have eternal life, and so you can have a personal relationship with the Creator.

Now, you have a job to encourage others! We are to be the body of Christ and a testimony to Him. We are to make sure that we are using our powers for good, and that our words give life and not death.

You’ve got the power! How are you going to use it?

 Some mornings I wake up and I can’t wait to get into the Word! Unfortunately, that’s not the case every single day.

“I just want that one more hour of sleep!”

“I didn’t have time, but I’ll do it tomorrow!”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“I haven’t gotten anything out of it in a while, so I’m going to take a break.”

There are more excuses that we make, when we try to justify why we didn’t do our quiet time.

The same concept goes for worshipping. We may not always get the “goosebumps” all the time, but does that mean He doesn’t deserve our praise?

It may come from tiredness or laziness. It may go deeper; you may be depressed or struggling with your relationship with God. No matter the reason, the only way to combat these feelings, to get through the difficult season, is to press on anyway.

The song quoted it my picture is a song by Hillsong United. One of my favorite lines in the song is:

Even when it makes no sense to sing; louder then I’ll sing your praise.

It’s easy to praise Him when things are up and going your way. Do you praise Him at your lowest? Do you do your quiet time when you’re in the valley? Do you serve Him when you feel you have nothing to offer?

Declare it for yourself today!

Even if __________________________, I will praise you!