God is Love

“God is love.” – 1 John 4:16
“Love one another as I have loved you.” – John 15:12

Christ gave His love when it was not deserved to people who did not deserve it. That’s a principle to practice! Love is the one ingredient of which our world never tires and of which there is never an over abundance. The world will never outgrow its need for love. God created us in His own image, which means we were created to function on the fuel of love. The world cries out for genuine love, love that heals, love that unites, love that forgives, love that encourages.

Love is essential to our emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being. Our lives are shaped by those who love us and by those who refuse to love us. If you give love away, it will be renewed each day and become stronger and purer.

Love in your heart is not put there to stay;
Love is not love until you give it away.

We enrich the world by what we give.
You have the gift of love to give it away every day.

Notes from Cure for the Common Life - Max Lucado

I recently was re-reading Max Lucado's "Cure for the Common Life" and came upon a few thoughts that I felt were worth sharing. This post will include these thoughts and excerpts...

"Each person is given something to do that shows who God is." - 1 Corinthians 12:7
Another version of this verse reads, "The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others."

God endows us with gifts so we can make Him known. Period.
"God has given gifts to each of you from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well...Then God will be given glory." - 1 Peter 4:10-11

Use your uniqueness (what you do) to make a big deal out of God (why you do it) every day of your life (where you do it).

**What in your life honors God, helps others, and thrills you - There you will find your "sweet spot."**

Seeking Godly Guidance

Hi, my name is Shannon. I am a recent graduate at the University of Iowa where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. It is my hope to further my education and/or training in Biblical/Christian Counseling so I may counsel/work in a church someday or be a Biblical/Christian Counselor for a private practice. This past year my boyfriend and I had felt God lay a desire on our hearts to start (or be a part of) a ministry for the homeless. To be more specific, we feel called to feed the hungry, provide clothing and shelter for the homeless, and to be a light in a dark world to those who are hurting. Below I have included our ideas for what God has put on our hearts for ministry ideas. It would be great to get any advice on how to further this ministry or if you know of any resources or organizations that could help us, we would greatly appreciate it. The last question I have is in regards to employment. My boyfriend, Bobby, and I have recently been struggling to find a job/career in which we feel a strong passion for and where we feel God has gifted us. Bobby is currently working as a Salesperson for U.S. Cellular and I am a Residential Counselor for an organization called Family Resources (it is more into the Social Work field, rather than counseling). As I said earlier, I would love to eventually be a Biblical Counselor or even work in a church. I am just not sure where to get my foot in the door so I can make this dream a reality. Do you have any idea how I could do this? Bobby is currently working towards his Bachelors in Criminal Justice. He has mentioned that he would like to be a police officer, but since becoming a Christian he also has a desire to serve in Full-Time ministry in the church as well. Do you have any advice for him? We are both at a phase in our lives where we feel God is calling us in a new direction (whether that is related to school/job/geography) – we are just not sure what direction that is. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I pray God blesses you for being a blessing in my life.

In Christ,
Shannon


It’s All About You Ministry



Purpose: reach out to those in need and share the Gospel with them; meet their needs

Vision: to see people’s lives changing through the Holy Spirit

Goal: to make a difference in people’s lives by showing God’s glory and unconditional love



Goals for Ministry:

· Establish Bible studies (Men/Women)(Devotionals)

· Provide food and clothing

· Counseling: Substance Abuse, Mental Health, etc.????

· Reaching out to those in need; being that helping hand (ex: helping people get off the streets and find a job)

· Support Team – for comfort and guidance (always there when people walk in the door)

· Build a team of volunteers/employees

Funding:

· Food drives

· Donation drives

· Grants

· Community

· Web site

· Support letters

Advertise:

· ???

Possible Partners????

· King’s Harvest in Davenport, IA

· Christian Center in Rock Island, IL

Steps we are/will be taking:

· Getting advice and insight from friends and family, small group, etc.

· Plugging into different ministries at Heritage (our home church)

· Attending classes through Heritage

· Get Bachelors/Masters in Ministry (Bobby) and/or Counseling (Shannon)

No Perfect People Allowed: When Life Disappoints You

This past weekend I heard a great message at church! The pastor spoke of the story of Moses when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. The Scripture Pastor Jeff Manion used was Numbers 11.

Numbers 11 (verses 1-10)
1 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them. 4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” 7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. 10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.

The first thing the pastor encouraged us to do was to try to put ourselves in the place of the people in the Bible. It is easy for us to judge the Israelites response to their trials and say we would not react the same way. But if we were really honest with ourselves, wouldn’t we have responded similarly? I’m pretty sure I would be complaining along with the others if I had to eat manna for almost 2 years!

Next, the pastor raised some key thoughts. He reminded us that the “land between” (when we are in the middle of a trial) is fertile ground for complaint. But he then encouraged us with the thought that the “land between” is also the place to be transformed. Trials often cause us to push ourselves and thus, strengthen our faith as a result if we turn to God and allow Him to change us.

The key issue in this story is TRUST.
Trust is the glue that holds any relationship together.

Pastor Manion went on to say that we don’t always get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose our response – which is a choice of the heart. When we pass through a season of difficulty, we have choices. However, often we have been choosing the same choice for so long that it no longer feels like a choice.

During difficult times, the Bible instructs us to choose joy.

James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Lastly, he left us with a great piece of insight: Your trial is a greenhouse for your spiritual growth – the space you learn to pray.

So let us choose joy in the middle of our trials and invite God to transform our hearts. May we believe that God can redeem our situation, while trusting in His sovereignty, His desire to produce fruit in our lives, and know that He will fulfill His promises.

God Bless!
<3 Shannon

“Closer” – Shawn McDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4PiNTeEkwo

Worship the Right God

Tonight I watched a neat sermon titled, "Worship the Right God." The pastor talked about how our view of God's commandments are limited and reminded us of 4 reasons why we were given the 10 Commandments. Here are my notes below if you are interested in hearing more:

10 for Today (the 10 Commandments): Worship the Right God
Heritage Church – John Bray

Hug a Porcupine Skit:
“I just like porcupines.” “Porcupines are dangerous.” “Don’t knock it until you try it.” “I don’t have to try it to know it’s not good for me.” “Can you believe that guy? Trying to impose his judgments on my lifestyle?! If I want to go around hugging porcupines, that’s my business. It’s his job to get rid of my chest pains.”

We tend to do the same thing – we take worldly things that are damaging and hug them tightly to ourselves. Most of us don’t like it when others tell us what we have to do. There’s something in us that makes us want to push back. We tend to think of the 10 Commandments as rules and limits - that are old-fashioned and things that are trying to keep us from enjoying life. But anytime we do something God tells us not do to, it’s like picking up a porcupine. Anytime we violate God’s plan, we bring damage to ourselves.

Exodus 19
Vs. 5, 6 – “If you will obey Me and keep My covenant, you will be My own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth… You will be to Me a kingdom of priests, My holy nation.” Does that sound limiting to you?

4 Words to Remember (about our attitudes on why the 10 Commandments were given):
1. Protection – the 10 Commandments were given for our protection; they are to act as guidelines to keep us from harm (ex: parent and child relationship – parents tell us no to things they know will harm us; they do this to keep us safe). The Lord loves us and wants to protect us.
2. Promise – “covenant” or treaty; He wants us to obey Him, so He can bless us. We need to remember that we pay the consequence for our actions. We are known to pay attention to Him some of the time, yet we want Him to bless us all of the time.
3. Personal ¬– “Love the Lord YOUR God.” God is a personal God and He wants a personal response.
4. Synecdochical – define: a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, the whole for a part, the specific for the general, and the general for the specific, or the material for the thing made from it; we have to take God’s Word as a whole and obey all of His commands rather than choosing which ones we will follow.
First Commandment = Have no other gods but Me and Me alone (idolatry – putting our trust in something in place of God)
Examples: Pleasure/Happiness (“I just want to be happy.”) God wants us to be holy and when we are holy, then we will be happy in return. Popularity is another example. We say or don’t say things in order to fit in, because popularity is more important to us than honoring God. Possessions/Security can also be an idol. We need to remember that possessions cannot protect us.

The problem is that we have made God the God of American culture rather than viewing Him as the personal God He has always been.

We tend to use these phrases:
“This isn’t exactly what God commanded, but I think…”
“I know this isn’t exactly right, but I think…”
“God may not be entirely happy with this, but I think…”
Or the ever popular, “This may not be the best thing to do, but I think…”

We think and so we do. And we think that is good enough. But in the end, these things do not provide enough security and they eventually will leave us empty. Seeking pleasure outside of God’s path often messes up our lives. We need to remember how fleeting popularity is.

Let us stop trusting ourselves to know what is right or to make decisions on our own rather than trusting in God and putting our faith in Him.

3 Affirmations to Consider:
1. Say, “God is passionate about me.” In the rest of the world, you matter based on what you can produce, how much money you make, if others feel you can help them, or how much power/popularity you have. But God looks at you and simply says, “You matter!” God values you. Not because of what you look like, how much money you have, or how much power you have. He just looks at you and says, “I am the Lord your God. And because I say you matter, you do.” Your life has incredible value. And since your life matters to God, it matters what you do.
2. “God can be trusted with my life.” God wants us to find true purpose, true satisfaction, and ultimate meaning. He loved us so much that He died for us.
3. Decision – “God is God in my life.” Acknowledge Him as Lord of your life. Place Him on the throne and keep Him there. Do not push Him off so that you can make room for your plans.
So what? So what am I going to do now that I have heard this message?
May we listen to God’s instruction, decide in advance to obey His commands, and stop picking up porcupines and squeezing them and then wondering why we’re in pain. I pray that today we say to God, “You are God, my God. I choose to live Your way.”

God Bless!
<3 Shannon

“I Am New” – Jason Gray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJ1E9cbHL4

We Are His - written by Bobby C.

I was driving home from work today and while I was listening to 103.7(country) the song “If I die young” by The Band Perry was playing (which I recommend to everyone to listen to.) There was one line in the song that really stood out to me. The line is “Funny when your dead how people start listenin’ Take a second to let that verse sink in...Funny when your dead how people start listenin’

In a lot of cases this is a true comment. Only when someone close to them passes away is when they realize how short life really is. It is when people figure out the truth that there is more to life then on this earth. For all throughout the Bible it states that the days are evil. Why do we come together and think about Heaven and God at funerals,but not on a daily basis. How many people do you think take time out of their day to think about God and other people other then themselves? Are you one of them?

For it says in the Bible Luke 16:8-9: And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

This passage was told by Jesus to his disciples. Not only was Jesus warning the disciples, He is warning us. We are ALL children of the light! People who are homeless,poor,middle class, rich, different background, you name it we are all The children of the light. We are all chosen by God to live for him and not ourselves. For when we live for ourselves we will never know the truth even if were right in front of our eyes.

Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said,”There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothes in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted,”father abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. A am in anguish in these flames.’ But Abraham said to him,” Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there’ Then the rich man said,”Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment. But Abraham said,”Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ The rich man replied,” No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.” But Abraham said,”If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.

Brothers and Sisters of Christ I dare you to live outside the box. Extend your hand to someone in need. It could be someone you are very close to or to someone you do not know at all. God knows your heart. He is the beginning and the end of everything you do. Do not lose sight of the fact we are all His.

God Bless

Bobby C.

“For When I Am Weak…”

Just recently I was listening to a worship set from LifeChurch.tv and I heard the most amazing message. I felt it was well worth sharing! Enjoy

"So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Too many times we focus on our weaknesses, instead of the power and the strength that we have in Christ. You see He overcame all of our sin and our guilt and our depravity and our weaknesses on the Cross through the blood of Jesus Christ. And when we put our faith in Him; when we acknowledge Him as our Savior, that power comes and it lives inside of us. So when we trust in Him to take care of our problems, to be our strength, we can overcome anything. It says, “In Him all things are possible. (see Matthew 19:26) I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me. (see Philippians 4:13) But apart from Him we can do nothing. (see John 15:5)”

See the enemy wants to take us over here and isolate us. He wants to get us alone where we surely will fail. He wants to distract us and just keep us wallowing around in our own pride and in everything else. Because we are such a prideful people, we equate weakness with being weak. A lot of times we feel like we need to do everything ourselves.


After reading this message, I encourage us to remember the Truths in God’s Word and proclaim to the Lord the lyrics:

“You are stronger. You are stronger. Sin is broken. You have saved me. It is written, ‘Christ is risen. Jesus, You are Lord of all.’” – Stronger by Hillsong United

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv55FMjeMV0&feature=related

Note: I have posted the lyrics to this song on the Day by Day Devotional wall.

I pray you were as encouraged as I was after hearing this message. It is packed with Truth and promises that God can, in fact, get us through any trial when we give our burdens to Him and claim His strength. May we remember these Truths when we face the hardships in life and praise Him for the work that He will accomplish through our difficult circumstances.

God Bless!
<3 Shannon

“Give Me Faith” – Elevation Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Voi3JM8ZA