365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 330

The scripture the sermon was on was Matthew 21: 28-30. It is a short parable Jesus tells about a father and two sons. The father asks the first son to go work in the vineyard today and the boys first response is defiant but later he ends up going and working in the vineyard. The second son is asked the same thing and his initial response is obedient willingness but he ends up not going to the vineyard. What did I learn from the sermon and this parable? My initial thoughts on these verses were that it was about obedience but the preacher of the day, Dr Earl Palmer was given some insight from God that he shared. He didn’t focus on the obedience but rather on what motivates obedience. Our relationship with God should be one of love, respect and total trust but as Dr Palmer pointed out Jesus is very well aware of our humanness. Both of the sons had flaws that motivated their thoughts and actions. We aren’t capable of responding as I considered as the “third” son who says he will go to the vineyard and does. I can’t do it alone. Dr Palmer brought up the idea of “lag” time. This is the time in between God’s call and our response. Instead of jumping the gun and saying I will or I can’t or I won’t, I need to give my heart and soul time in prayer and meditation. Let the Holy Spirit work on my heart and give me what I need to say “I will” and mean it. How can I make prayer a consistent part of my life? I am thinking my two big goals for the coming year will be prepare and prayer so I will be praying and taking notes on how to prepare for my growth in preparing and praying.

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 324

Reflecting is such a powerful tool to use for growth. I have been doing it more lately and love the insight I gain from the experiences I have. Yesterday, I realized that I am not a giving person towards my husband in the ways that he needs but in the ways that I want to do. My selfishness is getting in the way of truly meeting my husbands need for recognition. I can’t tell you how many times he has done something for me and my response is either a pathetic thank you or non-existent. He gives and gives to me and my return rate is way too minimal. Reflecting gave me a chance to really look at what I did and how he responded to see the truth of my sin. Sin is like that. It masks itself to the point you don’t recognize it as a sin but reflecting allows you to put a magnifying glass over it and see it for what it really is. Take a magnifying glass and look over your experiences today and reflect on what those experiences show you.

Okay, and to make the point stick even more the sermon at church on Sunday was about saying “Thank you”. Talk about God putting an exclamation point on the insight he brought me.

2 Timothy 1:3

 ... I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 292

Are there more to the fruits of the Spirit than what Galatians 5:22 tells us? Yes, there are other fruits that should be growing within us via the Holy Spirit. I came across the fruit of righteousness in Philippians 1:9-11. Righteousness is it’s basically being right with God but how do you be right with God? The only way is through your belief in Jesus as his son and your savior. Jesus washes away our sins, covers the sins up so that we can be holy just as he is. In this way, we can come before God and his holiness. Our sins don’t just go away. It is lifetime journey of working on making the righteous choice of not sinning. The journey needs to be filled with learning through devotions, bible studies and communion with other believers so that we can gain more knowledge and depth of insight to help us make those righteous choices. We will always have Jesus to cover our sins but in response, like any good relationship, there is a give and take from both sides. God gives and gives and gives and all he wants from us is our love and obedience to follow his will. 

Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 253

As I was laying in bed this morning, contemplating all the plans for the day, I realized how very nice it was to be able to sleep in and wake up without the need to get up and get going.  In our fast paced world, it seems these moments of just peace, quiet and comfort are rare. This reminds me of how God wants us to be still and listen. We have to find the time, NO, make the time to just be still with God. These are the moments when our hearts are ready to receive the blessings of wisdom, clarity, guidance, insight, inspiration and on. Just like everything it is something we have to be intentional about. Jesus would go off alone into the mountains to just be with God. Are you making consitent alone time with God? Before the rush of the day starts, maybe this would be a good time to talk to God.  Lord, we thank you for the gift of our alone time with you. We forget how much it can help us and our relationship with each other. Help us to make the time to just be still and be with you so we can hear your voice. Amen.

Isa 30:20-21 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 251

I found myself last night tossing and turning with a song stuck in my head by Tenth Avenue North called Losing. Sometime in the early morning hours, with that song still going in my head and my head starting to hurt a little, I had a total flash of insight that came from God. I was very angry yesterday when I heard the news that I would have to be moving to another desk. It's not the moving part that is annoying; it's the fact that it will be to another in the same room. It will be a complete waste of my time and just make me further behind than I already am from being on vacation. It makes no sense to me but the owner has established assigned seating. I feel so micro-managed that it just hurts. I and all of my co-workers feel pretty much the same way about the new owner. We don't like him or what he is doing. It's created havoc, stress and makes us all feel disrespected and unappreciated. My feelings about this man are not good. Let's just leave it at that. However, my flash of insight last night as I sang the song in my head with these words:

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjSA62YQBY8
Thank you Lord for speaking to me through this song about my own situation and about my need for grace to forgive.

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”