Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
6 Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.
7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. Galatians 6: 1 - 10 THE MESSAGE
Wow, many many times I realize that God's WORD speaks for itself. I had some thoughts in my mind to blog about tonight...but as I read this passage from The Message Version, I realized that there really isn't more I can add to this. I will say - I had this "sowinig and reaping" passage on my mind this morning, and was considering a future "message" that I could share with the youth/young adults about reaping what they sow. As one might expect, after developing the ideas in my head, my day proceeded in such a way that I was challenged to consider my own planned exhortation to them - I had to intentionally practice what I was preparing to preach.
I realize how often GOD does this to/for his children. It's like the "joke" about praying for patience -- Don't Do It!-- for as sure as you do, you will be placed in circumstances where you will have to practice it.
This is exactly what happened to me today - and when I realized this, I just thanked GOD for reminding me how very HUMAN I am, and how much work HE still has yet TO DO IN ME! I often tell people, we all wear Human Suits, and sometimes our skin get's caught in the zipper! Well, I have a few zipper burns today!!!
God Bless You on you fantastic and exciting journey!!! Keep Living!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Amazed
Tonight is one of those nights when I glance back at what has been going on around me and I realize that I am just AMAZED!
I am AMAZED at the way God is moving - in spite of me! There was an excitement 'in the air' with the youth tonight. I know GOD is up to something good! I love how the youth are bringing visitors - and my prayer is that they will stay and become really involved. That they will bring their families and that as a result, our whole congregation will grow - not only numerically, but "spiritually" and with great excitement!
I am just focusing on HIS leading and not my own. This is not about me, nor has it very much at all to do WITH me. It's HIS time and HIS hour to shine. May I be that willing vessel and tool that HE can work through to bring others to HIM. OH, how aware I am that many prayers for many years have been the foundation for what I might get to "reap" --- these lives are precious seeds that were sewn, not by me, by so many others.
We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. 1 Cor 3:6 The Message
Lord, if I get to be a part of this harvest for our youth group -- I thank you! Not forgetting the foundation laid, I pray that you enable me to stay in line with your WORD, YOUR TRUTH, YOUR WAY!!! Looking forward to YOUTH SUNDAY, this week! It's gonna be a blast
I am AMAZED at the way God is moving - in spite of me! There was an excitement 'in the air' with the youth tonight. I know GOD is up to something good! I love how the youth are bringing visitors - and my prayer is that they will stay and become really involved. That they will bring their families and that as a result, our whole congregation will grow - not only numerically, but "spiritually" and with great excitement!
I am just focusing on HIS leading and not my own. This is not about me, nor has it very much at all to do WITH me. It's HIS time and HIS hour to shine. May I be that willing vessel and tool that HE can work through to bring others to HIM. OH, how aware I am that many prayers for many years have been the foundation for what I might get to "reap" --- these lives are precious seeds that were sewn, not by me, by so many others.
We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. 1 Cor 3:6 The Message
Lord, if I get to be a part of this harvest for our youth group -- I thank you! Not forgetting the foundation laid, I pray that you enable me to stay in line with your WORD, YOUR TRUTH, YOUR WAY!!! Looking forward to YOUTH SUNDAY, this week! It's gonna be a blast
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