Friday, March 21st, 2014

Yesterday morning we got the news that my cousin was tragically killed in a car accident.

He was 19 years old.

At 19, most of us are just beginning to figure out what we want to do with our lives.  We're looking to the future, making plans, dreaming of what we might become.

At 19, we are transitioning into the next phase of our lives with more freedom, and sometimes more fear.

At 19, we aren't kids anymore.  We are adults and we feel the rush of being able to make our own choices and hope they turn out right.

At 19, the possibilities seem endless.  We can make tomorrow into whatever we want it to be.

But...

...what if tomorrow never comes?

What if the plans and the dreams and the hopes you have today never make it to tomorrow?  What if you never made it to college, never started your dream career, never got married, never had kids, never traveled the world, never grew old and experienced all the things the world has to offer?

What if today is all you have?

Derick preached an amazing sermon this past Wednesday about the will of God being more present than future.  It's tempting to live for the future and to place all our value on what we will do rather than what we are doing.  But who's to say that that future will ever come?  For my cousin, it didn't.  Does that mean that he missed out on God's will?  Of course not.  God's will wasn't about my cousin's future.  It was about his every day, his hour by hour, his minute by minute.  My cousin had the opportunity to complete the will of God for his life by walking in it daily.

This morning I read a passage in John that seemed so fitting for what my family is going through. It was such a humble reminder about God's will for our lives and how every.moment.matters.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father,save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  John 12:27-28

Here Jesus had just finished predicting his death to his disciples.  He knew what was coming.  He was going to have to give his life as a sacrifice for the sins of the very men and women he was addressing at that moment.  It was hard.  His flesh wanted to ask for a way out.  But he knew God's will, and he was willing to complete it.  He knew he had to walk in obedience in the hour of his greatest pain and despair.

Just like Jesus, you and I were made for this very hour, and God can be glorified through our obedience in this hour, and every hour after when we choose to submit to His will for our lives.  My prayer today is that you and I would comprehend the importance of God's will being a present thing rather than a future thing so that whether we have 50 more years on this earth or only 50 more minutes, we will have glorified God's name with our lives.

Tomorrow isn't promised.  What will you do with today?  Choose to walk in His will.

-Heather

Thursday, March 13, 2014

"One day, as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers- Simeon, also called Peter, and Andrew- throwing a net into the water for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me and I will show you how to fish for people!' And they left their nets at once and followed him.". Matthew 4:18-20

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be different.  I have longed to live a life that would inspire others. I wanted to stand out, to be my own person making my own way in history.

Some people want the exact opposite.  They want to fit in, to fade into the background.  They don't want to be noticed.  But I believe that even these people have a desire to live a life that is unique to them and makes a difference, even if just for one.

When I think of people in the Bible who wanted to do something great, I automatically think of Peter.  Bless him, Peter was always letting his big dreams and bold words get him into trouble.  I can identify with Peter.  He was outspoken, quick to react and had no fear of how his hasty actions would affect those around him.  For goodness sake, he cut off a man's ear on a whim!  But he also longed to be a part of something great.  He was passionate and wanted the world to know that salvation had come in the form of a man named Jesus Christ.

I love that Jesus met Peter where he was- out at sea fishing for a living- and invited him to become a fisher of men.  Jesus knew what Peter was good at.  Although he asked Peter to sacrifice his comfortable life and follow him, he let Peter know that the purpose ahead was something he was created for and knew about- fishing. 

Jesus knows this about us too.  He knows what we are good at, what we are passionate about.  What he calls us to will be bigger and will rely sacrifice and complete trust in him.  But he hasn't put those gifts in us for no reason.  He will draw on those gifts to accomplish the purpose he has for us. We can trust in who he created us to be.

Know today that, just like Peter, Jesus is meeting you where you at, calling you to do exactly what you were made for.  Maybe you know what it is, maybe you don't.  But follow Jesus wherever he leads, and I can promise it will be better than your wildest dreams.

-What has God put in you that he might be wanting to use for his purpose?

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

So we kicked off our new series Divergent. The word divergent means- di·ver·gent: tending to be different or develop in different directions. 

The goal of this series is to help us answer the questions that every teenager faces: “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose?”

The first step in answering these questions is to look to the creator! If you wanted to know how something worked or know what it's used for you would go to the manual or ask the person that created it. So the best way for us to discover our purpose is to look to God our creator.

Colossians 1:16 ESV

16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

My girls draw me pictures almost every day. Sometimes those pictures are clear and they’re easy to see what they are, but sometimes they aren’t so clear. It’s almost a guessing game to figure out what they created. I could speculate what they created (which I've done before, and it didn’t go well), or I could ask them to reveal to me what they created (this one has a much better result). 

The same thing goes with the purpose of our life. Sometimes it seems clear and we know our purpose, but most of the time it’s not so clear. We have two choices: speculate or ask God our creator. When we speculate we can end up missing it all together. The best way is to ask God to reveal it to us. Rick Warren says “You discover who you are and your purpose through a relationship with Jesus.” Another way God reveals to us what our purpose is is through His Word.

Father, thank you that you created me with purpose. You have ordered my steps and know the path my life will take. Help me to look to you for guidance and direction as I seek to know the plans you have for me. Make your purpose in my life clear.