God's Handiwork

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10

You are God's handiwork.

God created you for a specific purpose and goal in life. He chose you when He formed you to be you.

When we do "good things" we should act as an outgrowth of the grace by which we were saved. Good works are not a means to an end. They do not translate to salvation. Rather, good works are a reflection of the calling God has on each of our lives. He called us to Him through the reconcilliation of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and in each of us He laid a plan before us to work on His behalf.

At times in our lives, we can feel as if we have zero direction. The feeling of lack of direction often translates into a sense of unworthiness, which can cause us to question if we are "good enough". These feelings leave us empty and bobbing up and down in place like a bouie in the ocean that marks a depth in the sea but has no forward motion and is "stuck" in the same place.

You do not have to be stuck in life, because God has prepared a plan just for you. You were not created as an afterthought and you are not a bouie in the ocean bobbing up and down with no forward direction or goal. You were created for a specific purpose God wants you to fulfill. You may not see your purpose at the moment, but you can be comforted that He will reveal His preparations and plans for you as you are ready for them.

You are God's handiwork. You are special and unique. You have purpose in this life. The path He created for you is as unique as you are.

Won't you unhook yourself from the spot you find yourself in and ask God to reveal to you the next step of your journey?

Scripture

Ephesians 2:1-10

Quote of the Day

Every calling is great, when greatly pursued.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Question of the Day

What do you think God has called you to do - today?

Safety in the Fortress

Long ago, fortresses were built to protect rulers from enemy attacks. The key to a good fortress was the ability to see your enemy coming for miles away so that you could prepare a strategy for attack. The fortress itself would often be designed to withstand hundreds of warriors, cannons, slings, arrows, even fire. Fortresses were designed to make the inhabitants feel safe and secure.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

(Psalm 46:7)

God gives us a place of safety and security. He is our protector from the enemy.

When we truly reside in God's presence, we have time to prepare for the inevitable attacks from the world and from our own sinful nature. In His presence we learn how to make better choices so that we are able to fend off the slings and arrows thrown at us.

God is our mighty fortress. He protects us from all sides and keeps watch for us so that we might rest.

In His loving embrace, we fear no evil for God will always protect us.

He is the lone impenetrable fortress and in Him we find peace.

Scripture

Psalm 46:1-7

Quote of the Day

Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Chrisitan weapon

Martin Luther

Question of the Day

Just like Superman, where would you build your fortress of solitude to be with God?

 

Don't forget GUMY 5th Sunday Fun for GUMY JR/SR's

If you are planning on going to RULE 3 RSVP By Friday, October 28th...that is this Friday :)



Being you in a world of haters...

Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if the world hates you.

Some days it feels like the whole world is against you and you are fighting an uphill battle. You know in your heart that what you are doing is true and right, but every where you turn you face another obstacle. You fail a test or you upset your parents or your friends. You aren’t invited to a party or you lose an election or you feel like you have disappointed…everyone.

This feeling is part of the push-pull we have as Christians. We often do and say things which do not marry to the world’s view of how life should be, making us appear different or off; but in reality we are simply being who God created us to be. We can’t please both the world and God.

We must rest in the knowledge of who God is calling us to be and trust Him to reveal each piece of the puzzle in the correct order. When life is not going “our way” we tend to want to push forward to the place we are going – to get out of the pit we find ourselves in and seek out the promised reward – but we have to go through that pit – to suffer through the world hating us….it is just a part of life. And yet, the beauty of being a Christian is that even though the world is hating you, and even though you feel like you can’t win, with Jesus as your guide you can share love with everyone you meet – because with Christ all things are possible.

Always remember that God created you to be you…don’t try and push yourself into a mold that was created for someone else just so you can fit in…It is okay to stand out – to be different – because you are living the life God created for you. And even when the whole world “hates” you…you can rest in the fact that God loves you. What more do you need!

Scripture

1 John 3:11-24

Quote of the Day

“It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not.”
Julie de Lespinasse

Question of the Day

This is more of a challenge...who could you tell you love so that they know that God loves them?

Blessing in the Waiting

"When is it going to be my turn?"       "Why don't I ever win?"    "It's not fair..."

Have you ever said these words...thought these thoughts?

Unfortunately most of us have either said or thought these phrases - or something like them - in our lives. Someone else wins the trophy; Someone else becomes prom queen; Someone else becomes class president; Someone else gets your dream job or your dream date or you dream house...

And you wonder - when is it going to be my turn?

Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,    (Psalm 37:7)

We aren't wrong to desire success or to want to achieve goals - but how we go about the desire can be wrong.

When we focus our attention on what we are not getting we miss out on what we already have. We miss out on the purpose of the time of waiting before we acheive our goals.

We miss out on our time to focus on God and His will.

God wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants to shower us with blessings. He is our Father and He wants each of us to find hope and joy; but He wants to give us our hearts' desires in His time.

If we place our focus on what and when we are not receiving what we want, we fall into sin. We make the want of something or some goal or someone more important than God.

If we instead focus our energy on being in the moment - on being content in all circumstances (Phil 4:10-12) - we will find the waiting can be a time of unexpected blessing. In the waiting for our hearts' desires, we grow in perserverance, strength, love, hope and peace. When we wait we learn to see the blessings of where we are.

One of the hardest lessons in life to learn is that it isn't yet your time. Patience is a virtue often desired but very rarely shown.

As a follower of Christ, you have the ability to lean on Jesus so that he will make your time of waiting a time of blessing. He will teach you the joy of patience.

Scripture

Psalm 37

Quote of the Day

For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.

T.S. Eliot

We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.

James Campbell

Question of the Day

What is your heart's greatest desire?

Don't Forget GUMY TONIGHT!!!!



God is Carrying You...

 When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot. (Psalm 34:6)

He's got your back.

God is always there for you - even when you feel like you are all alone - God is there.

Often, we do not understand why something happens - why we face trials or difficulties - why bad things happen to good and innocent people - but in everything, the good and the bad, God is there.

In the darkest of times, God is holding you and when you get through the valley, God will be on the other side helping you to climb out of the pit and into the goodness of life.

In life we will have trouble. Each of the trials we face prepares us for a future endeavor. Sometimes, our future success is dependent on the experience of walking through the valley.

In the moment of the "bad stuff" we likely will not understand the "why", but we have the confidence to know that God is always with us.

Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you. (Psalm 34:16)

Cry out to Jesus - He will always be there for you.

Scripture

Psalm 34 (MSG)

Quote of the Day

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
"Cry Out to Jesus" Third Day

Cry Out to Jesus by Third Day (video link)

Question of the Day

What is the deepest valley you have had to walk through  - how was God present?

(No need to comment today - -just pray it out with God)

Don't forget about GUMY tomorrow night - -

5PM (4th & 5th Grade)

5:45 Dinner

6:15PM (6th-12th grades)



Looking Forward with Desire...

What does hope mean to you?

 Hope defined is, "to look forward with desire and reasonable confidence." To hope in something or for something is to believe that it will come true and to anticipate the day that hope will be fulfilled.

When we hope, we have a direction in our lives which gives our lives  purpose. Hope is fundamental to being a Christian. Each day we wake up, we have hope that today will be better than yesterday. We have hope and therefore we anticipate the beautiful things God will do in our lives - each moment of the day.

But ultimately our hope lies in the promise of what is yet to come - a future we have not seen but we have been promised.

 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain..."

(Revelation 21:4)

A future with no more pain, no more sorrow, no more tears - This is what we can hope for and not yet see. We know this is coming - God promised it to us - it is a future we look forward to with great desire and we have confidence in this future coming to fruition.

Hope is powerful. Hope can save a failing marriage; Hope can give a POW another day; Hope creates excitement for the next step in life. Hope in tomorrow is what gives us the will to live out today. The hope in God's promises is what gives us joy in the harshest of circumstance. Hope transcends all conditions and gives us the desire to press-on.

I recently read an acronymn for HOPE: Have Only Positive Expectations. How different would your world be if you went into every day, situation and experience only anticipating positive outcomes? That would be living a life of HOPE.

Scripture

Romans 8:23-25

Quote of the Day

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do."
Pope John XXII

Question of the Day

What is your greatest hope for the future?

Don't Forget - GUMY is THIS SUNDAY!!! We are playing Goofy GUMY Games - - You don't want to miss out!!!

Finding the Wheat in the Weeds

^"Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

   “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

(Matthew 13:24-30)

As people of faith we hear that we are called to be in this world but not of this world. We are often "wheat amongst the weeds".

Wheat gives nourishment. It is a fundamental ingredient in hundreds of food products we consume daily. But weeds choke out the wheat. They stunt the wheat's growth and can even overtake the wheat, never allowing the wheat to grow into its full potential.

The same thing can happen to us as Christians. We can be planted with a strong seed of faith - solid in knowing who we are and Who we belong to - and yet we can be strangled by the people whose selfish motivations surround us. Our access to the light of Christ can be derailed because we choose to focus on the weeds in our midst rather than seeking to grow around the weeds, rather than through them.

Our focus cannot be on the weeds it must be on the wheat. It is our responsibility to help nurture the wheat so that its roots grow deep; seeking out the nourishment from both the soil and the light.

With wheat there is always the risk of not enough nurture or not enough light; We as Christians must be cautious about these pitfalls as well - - as we grow and prepare for the Harvest we must be constantly seeking out The Light and growing in the nourishment of The Word so that we are healthy stocks which can nourish those around us. Our attention must be placed on the nuture of the wheat so that it grows healthy.

The weeds cannot be our concern - God will take care of the weeds. Just as He has a plan for the wheat, God also has a plan for the weeds.

The weeds will be there - - we just need to work around them to ensure as many stalks of wheat can grow into maturity as possible.

Scripture

Matthew 13:36-43

Fun Fact

Wheat grows best in a dry, mild climate. Climates that are too hot or too cold will ruin the crop. Farmers add fertilizer if their soil doesn’t have what the wheat needs to grow well. If a farmer grows wheat in the same field every year, the crops take away nutrients from the soil. The farmers put this back when they add fertilizer. They test the dirt often to be sure the crop grows well.


Just a little farming lesson for the day...


Question of the Day

 If you had a farm - what would you grow or raise?

No Strings Attached...

Winter, spring, summer or fall...

all you've got to do is call...

and I'll be there...you've got a friend

James Taylor

Friends are one of God's greatest blessings in life. They share our joys, sorrows, cares and success. Friends are the family we choose.

Our friends give us a glimpse of the kind of unconditional love we have from Jesus. A true friend puts no boundaries on the love offered, but they do have a voice of accountability in our lives. A friend does not pressure or push you to do something you do not want to do, so that you can call that person friend. Friendship - true love friendship - does not have conditions placed upon it.

Throughout life, your friends may change. As you flow through new phases of your life you will have friends which share common interests or activities - but the true measure of a friend is how he or she loves; and in return the true measure of your ability to be a friend is your willingness to offer your friendship with no strings attached. Friendship is the love offered with grace, mercy and the unconditional love of Jesus.

We learn how to be a friend by studying how Jesus was a friend - his compassion, his generosity and his accountability. He was honest and forthright with his friends. He was kind and giving. But he also stood up for what was right and righteous, going against the common belief - and even at times disagreeing with his closest friends. Regardless of the situation, Jesus was always motivated by love.

In our friendships our first motivation should be to show love. We should not blindly follow our friends, but if our friendships are balanced in a sharing of love then we will have the gift of no strings attached friends; We will have friends like Jesus.

Scripture

Proverbs 17:17

Fun Fact

Here is a link to the Top Ten Ways to Maintain Friendship

Maintaining Good Friends

Question of the Day

What is the best quality you find in a friend?

When Rules Aren't Meant to be Broken....

I am a rule follower. Rules keep life orderly. They spell out what one can and can't do. They also tell you what you have to do - what is part of your duty.  Rules make life simple. But following the rules is not always a guarantee for success.

Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2)

Prior to Jesus coming, the Israelites lived under elaborate rules. They felt if they followed all of their rules to the letter they would surely enter heaven - they would be righteous in the sight of God. But their insistence on keeping the law made the law more important than God. They held the law up as something to achieve rather than living with a heart of faith.

We can allow this to happen to us, even today. We get caught up with the works - the duties - of the Christian life and we forget about the faith which should be motivating the actions. Our lives should be focused on God and from that devotion we will have a desire to live life by the rules God has given us.

Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:5)

God's spirit resides in each of us. He has given us the great tool to love Him. Obedience to His rules  - fulfilling our service to Him - is an outgrowth of that love. Rule following for Jesus isn't a burden but it is a joy.

People may say, "rules are meant to be broken" but as Christians breaking God's rules tells God that our love for Him isn't as important to us as our own desires. With love as our inspiration, following the rules God has for us gives us freedom to be who we are called to be.

Scripture

Galatians 3: 1-13

Fun Fact

There are some interesting laws on the books today...here are a couple for you to ponder...

In Michigan, it is illegal to chain an alligator to a fire hydrant.

It is against the law to whale hunt in Oklahoma.

In Fairbanks, Alaska it is illegal for a moose to walk on the side walk.

Question of the Day

If you could make one law, what would it be?

Don't forget to check out the "Digging Deeper" page with updates on this past week's GUMY Session and the "GUMY Photo Album" with updated pictures and videos from Session #2.

Digging Deeper

GUMY Photo Album

Rubble or Eternity...It's a Choice

Solomon's Palace - during Solomon's Life

Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases...

Solomon's Palace today...

 for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. (Psalm 49:16-17)

Wealth is something admired and often adored in our society. The more you have the more you are seen as "being someone". We have given a 'rank' to wealth, that somehow if you have enough dollars and gold in a bank account you are higher on the totem pole than everyone else.

But wealth is finite; it has limitations to what it can do. Yes, wealth can buy great houses and wealth can build new buildings; Wealth can fund new programs and wealth can support a certain lifestyle.

Wealth cannot: laugh, love, cheer, cry, win, lose, hope, dream, pray...wealth cannot live and wealth cannot go with you when you move from this life to the next.

Wealth can purchase a great deal...but life is not about the purchases; life is about the experiences.

King Solomon was perhaps one of the wealthiest kings in history. He had tremendous palace and built the temple for the Lord and had 800 wives. But at the end of his days he wrote, "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

God has given you one life to live on this earth. You have the choice how to live it. You can live chasing after more wealth, more things, more home and more prestige, knowing that at the end of your life the "stuff"will be nothing more than rubble; or you can live life knowing that there is eternal life - and the "stuff" worth chasing after are the things that matter in eternity - love, hope, kindness, faithfulness, self-control, peace, patience, gentleness and joy.

As you live each day, ask yourself if what you are striving toward is rubble or eternity? Your answer will tell you if you are living your life for God or for yourself.

Scripture

Psalm 49

Fun Fact

Cattle are probably the oldest of all forms of money. Cattle as money dates back to 9000 B.C. Some cattle were still used as money in parts of Africa in the middle of the 20th century.

They would be seriously heavy in your wallet or your handbag!

Question of the Day

What is your greatest memory - which does not include one dollar being spent?

Just a reminder - GUMY is this Sunday at 5:00 for prep, 5:45 for dinner, and 6:15 for JR/SR.

D-Day...Beginnings

D-Day was the day. It was the beginning of the end of WWII. It was the day that the Allies stormed the beaches and said to the world, "Freedom is important." Under the leadership of their commanders,the soldiers pressed on through adversity towards a goal of freeing the oppressed - giving hope to those who had been living in darkness for nearly a decade.

D-Day is a symbol for new beginnings. D-Day's occur at the first day of school, the opening day for baseball, High School or College graduation, the first game in football, opening night for a new play, and even the day you were born.

D-Day is all about hope in what will come - in the anticipation of the future joys which are awaiting us.

Today is a D-Day of sorts...it is the first day of the first session of GUMY for 2011. We have the opportunity to make this a day of hope - - to make today our D-Day.  GUMY this year can be about hope - -about new beginnings and a faith that grows and compounds each day.

If we declare this day as D-Day, we also declare that God will be at the center of all that we do in the coming months. He will be the driving force in all of our sessions, activities, and attitudes. By claiming today as our D-Day, we claim Jesus as our leader and the freedom and hope which is a part of being one of His followers.

Today is D-Day - - from this moment forward we take each step towards hope...each step towards the love that is our faith in Jesus Christ.

We can do it, because we have the greatest Commander of all!

Scripture

2 Chronicles 13:11-12

Fun Fact,,,Quotable Quote

"The steady discipline of intimate friendship with Jesus results in men becoming like Him."

Henry Emerson Fosdick - Theologian

Question of the Day

What is you best memory of a special "first day" ?

2 Days....Shining a Light in the Darkness

"Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness." Mother Teresa

Our words have power. They can build up or they can destroy.

Think about a time when someone gave you a compliment...Maybe that person told you that you were pretty or that you were smart or that you were strong or that you were brave.

How did those words make you feel?

Sometimes a compliment can embarrass, because we don't necessarily believe what the other person is saying, but in reality those words are intended to build you up; to show you the reflection of God that shines through you.

What about when someone has thrown words of hate at you? Maybe that person told you that you were stupid, or that you were fat, or that you were weak.

How did those words make you feel?

In one word: awful.

Words of hate tend to stick with us more than words of love. We remember when someone is nasty towards us - unable to let the pain of the moment go. The words pull at us like gravity - forcing our feet to the ground when all we want to do is run away.

But those kind words - words of love - can begin to heal the pain caused by the evil words; we just need to hear ten times more of the kind words than we hear the nasty words.

Those are the words you hear...but what about the words you say?

Your word bank should be filled with kind and generous words to give and to share with those around you. Think how different your world would be if you consciously chose to share words of kindness each day - each hour.

If you spoke every kind word which came to your mind and stifled every nasty thought, what impact could you make in the lives of those you see every day?

Darkness loves evil. It feeds on the pain that negative words and mean spirits put into the world; creating a place where it is difficult to see or to be. But love feeds on the words of light. Love grows when we share kindness.

In a dark room it only takes one small candle to light all of the corners and show the way. The same can be said for words of kindness - one kind word to someone in pain might be the ray of hope they need to step out of their darkness and into the light of Christ.

With your words you have a choice to share the love of Christ or to allow the darkness to overshadow your world.

You can be the light of Christ. The choice is yours.

Scripture (click below for the link)

Matthew 5:13-16 (Let Your Light Shine)

Fun Fact...Top Ten GUMY Memories

#2....Session on Stewardship -2009

Last year we had stewardship campaign in the church which included lessons being taught in all of the Sunday School Classes, Worship Service and in GUMY. During our session on stewardship we talked about how we as a youth group and a church are supporting various ministries across the globe. After talking about the Compassion International Child we sponsor, we began to discuss the Liberian Children's Fund and the kids that we as a collective church body sponsor. When we walked down the hall we talked about how different it was for the kids in the pictures versus us and how important it is for us as a community to support those less fortunate than we are.

As we were making our way back to the fellowship hall, one student asked how many kids we were sponsoring in Liberia. I told him about 127. Then he asked, "How many people go to church here?" I told him about 150 give or take on a Sunday morning. Then he asked, "So why don't we sponsor 150 kids?"

Which is a pretty good question I didn't have an answer to....

Question of the Day

It is Friday...so what is your favorite thing about Fridays?

 

You can be Christ's light....one kind word at a time.

3 Days...The Power of a Brushstroke

Acrylics are a marvelous medium to work with as an artist. It is a sturdy paint - unlike oil paints or water colors - it holds its place and dry quickly. Often an artist will have several dollops of color around a palette to quickly take small bits of different colors to blend the exact right color; moving in brisk brushstrokes in the center of the palatte or on a canvas to achieve the desired affect.

Acrylic paints can be touching - sitting side by side - and they will not "run" into the other; only an outside force - the painter and the brush - can force two colors to blend together to make a new one. 

A skilled artist can take two colors and blend them to make a more beautiful color, but if the proportions are wrong - the color is ruined. The artist cannot take the two colors and separate them again. One color will overtake the other.

Something similar happens to us when we allow the world to creep into our lives.

The divide between the spiritual and the worldly can at times become blurred. In our efforts to be tolerant and to love all of God's people "where they are at", we can allow ourselves to become influenced or swayed by the things of the world. A blending begins to occur.

By tolerating behaviors and choices that are sinful, we at times accept actions which are not acceptable to God. In an effort to love unconditionally, we have begun to accept all things unconditionally - blending the godly with the ungodly. The struggle between accepting a person and disapproving what the person does is not an easy battle to face; even as I write these words I am having an internal struggle with whether this message will be "politically correct" or whether I might hurt some one's feelings. We all want to be accepted, but it is more important to live our lives for God and His will.

Our goal should be to be like the paint dollops - sitting side by side with those who are struggling with sin. Supporting them and loving them - but not allowing their sinful behavior to be blended into our lives. And just as we need to support our brothers and sisters who are struggling with worldly things, we must also support our family in Christ and allow God to mix their colors with ours.

 Ultimately, God's brushstrokes, blending colors together, are the ones on which we need to be focused.  This world will try and blend it's colors into you in simple and in complex ways, but you must be aware - keeping your eye on the Master Artist and what color He desires for you to be.

Scripture...click on the link below:

Jude 1:16-25

Fun Fact...Top Ten GUMY Memory...

#3 Worshiping in 5 Senses...

The second session for GUMY prep was in the Fall of 2008 and we had a lesson focused on worshiping God with our 5 senses (if you are in GUMY prep now - - you just might see this in the future!). We discussed how we worship with our eyes by what we see and where we worship; with our ears by the music we hear; with our sense of smell by the aroma of candles; with our sense of taste through taking communion; but it was the sense of touch which revealed the presence of God to me in a powerful way. Pastor Jim Meredith came to give us communion as part of our devotional time, but when we came to the part of the lesson on worshiping through our sense of touch we talked about how we can lay hands on each other in prayer and ask for healing. And just like that a group of six fourth & fifth graders surrounded Pastor Jim and prayed for healing with his Parkinson's. These 4th & 5th graders prayed out loud and allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them in a way most adults wouldn't be open to. I was truly moved by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the faith of some quite remarkable pre-teens.

Question of the Day

Do you dream in color or black & white?

(I know it is random...but this was a heavy devotion - we need to lighten it up a bit!)

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