“Prayer is asking God to incarnate, to get dirty in your life. Yes, the eternal God scrubs floors. For sure we know he washes feet. So take Jesus at his word. Ask him. Tell him what you want. Get dirty. Write out your prayer requests; don’t mindlessly drift through life on the American narcotic of busyness. If you try to seize the day, the day will eventually break you. Seize the corner of his garment and don’t let go until he blesses you. He will reshape the day.” ― Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted… – Psalm 34:18

Heartbreak is a part of life as we know it. You can’t run from it, avoid it, or ignore it. What you can do is seek the presence of the Lord when you’re in it. He’s near to you there. In the tears, pain and confusion, when even your soul hurts, in a unique and special way, he’s especially near to the brokenhearted. The view is great from the peaks, but life is lived in valleys. He’s near to you there, in the valleys, in the heartbreak.

One day we’re gonna be in his presence for all eternity, free from heartbreak. Until then, we’ll rejoice when we can, stay thankful, keep looking up, and when necessary, we’ll seek his presence in the pain, knowing he’s near to the brokenhearted.

Some of us struggle against an irrational fear of failure and of letting other people down. Though it manifests in various ways, at the heart of it, it’s a theological problem that stems from a lack of trust in God and his providence and plan. I’ve prayed with many people who face this issue and have recently began sharing a very helpful sermon on the subject. The sermon is by Tim Keller and titled ‘Does God Control Everything?’ If you’ve ever lost sleep worrying, been anxious, battled overworking, or just want to know more about the love of God and his plan, please give it a listen. Link below:

https://youtu.be/MDbKCZodtZI

I came to Him because I did not know which way to turn. I remained with Him because there is no other way I wish to turn. I came to Him longing for something I did not have. I remain with Him because I have something I will not trade. I came to Him as a stranger. I remain with Him in the most intimate of friendships. I came to Him unsure about the future. I remain with Him certain about my destiny. I came amid the thunderous cries of a culture that has 330 million deities. I remain with Him knowing that truth cannot be all-inclusive. -Ravi Zacharias

Hey parents of tweens/teens. I’ve been sending these online daily devos to Norah (12 y/o). They’re short, go right to her phone, and from what I’ve seen so far, they’re pretty solid. Nothing too deep, but definitely points them to God’s Word and is encouraging. So far, I think they’re fitting for anyone, but are geared toward 6th-12th grade, for sure. Anyway, I thought it might be a helpful resource for parents. I’m always looking for ways to put the Word in front of my kids. Here’s the link!

https://studentdevos.com

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” -Jim Elliot

The Bible is full of examples of people leaving behind an old life and finding new life in Christ. Check out these accounts from Scripture:

…walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea…he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”Immediately they left their nets and followed him. – Matthew 4:18-20

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,”Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” – John 4:28-29

he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother…and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. – Matthew 4:21-22

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found…Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. – Matthew 13:44

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth…(Jesus) spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” So he went and washed and came back seeing. – John 9:1-7

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” – Luke 19:8

Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. – John 5:8-9

Once we begin to see Jesus for who he really is, giving up our old life isn’t a chore, it’s just a reasonable response (Romans 12:1).

Have you experienced what is outlined in these references? Have you given up your old life and found new life in Him? What are you living for? Eternal things or temporal things? What occupies the majority of your thought space? Do you have pleasant, reverent, admiring, joyful thoughts about God, that are founded in his Word? Are you more troubled by circumstances that aren’t aligned with God or that inconvenience you? Are you more consumed with things that you cannot keep or with eternal things that you cannot lose?

Check out these lyrics from an old hymn:

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me Jesus take me now

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Saviour

I surrender all…

Could you say that? Could you say “I surrender all.” You’ll never regret it if you do. He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Lots of folks in public education are headed back to work today and throughout this week. Let’s lift them up in prayer!

Father in Heaven, thank you for these faithful people and the important vocation you’ve called them too. Thank you God that each and every one of them have been fearfully and wonderfully made in your image. Thank you for their heart for kids, God.

Lord as they begin this school year, with all its new unique challenges, we pray that you’d be with them. Watch over their health and guard their hearts. We pray that they have an extra measure of grit and grace for the task at hand. Let them have a sense of your peace and purpose in what they do. Please grant them your wisdom and discernment, God.

Lord Jesus, you’re the only perfect servant who’s ever lived. Thank you for the cross, for forgiving us, for loving us when we didn’t deserve it. We pray that our educators would look to you and find their identity in you and be nurtured by you. Help them to love our kids out of the overflow of grace and love you’ve shown them and continue to show them.

We love you, Lord. Keep all of us close to you. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

I’m really looking forward to sharing tomorrow’s sermon on growth in Christ. Earlier this week, as I prayed about what God desires for us, I found myself with my eyes closed, seeing the faces of my church family and friends. I began to think about the different heartaches and pains that people are going through or have gone through, the different and very REAL challenges we all have right now and individually in our roles as parents, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, friends, employees and so on. Most of us have some area in our life that needs to change, an area with room for GROWTH. I’m convinced that all of the growth we need, the true change that we desire, is found in/begins in/is carried along in an abiding — hour by hour trusting and obeying — relationship with Jesus Christ. And I don’t mean things that we think of as “religious”—that thinking is part of the problem. We have put different aspects of our life into categories that God never intended us to. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life, not a part of our life or just a helping hand when we need him. He is THE LIFE. God is the author of all of life. Our union with Christ brings us into fellowship with Christ. The closer we get to Jesus, the more we ABIDE in Him, the more are like him, the more full (John 10:10) our life becomes.
Tomorrow we’ll look at John 15:1-8 and discuss 3 ways to ABIDE. If you can, join in person or online, for worship and the Word, Grace Bible Fellowship – Gunter TX 10:45am.

Football practice. That’s what you might say if you just drove by. But it’s more than that. It’s life lessons being taught and learned. It’s coach to player and player to player mentoring. It’s iron sharpening iron. It’s building a bond and brotherhood. It’s hard work that’ll payoff down the road. It’s putting god-given talent and ability to use in a myriad of ways. It’s finding out what you’re made of and what you can do when you’re pushed. It’s also realizing what you can’t do without the contribution of others. It’s serious business. But it’s also smiles, laughing, inside jokes, cutting up and enjoying being around each other. It’s a team of friends that become a family. Football practice.

“Love is a commitment that will be tested in the most vulnerable areas of spirituality, a commitment that will force you to make some very difficult choices. It is a commitment that demands that you deal with your lust, your greed, your pride, your power, your desire to control, your temper, your patience, and every area of temptation that the Bible clearly talks about. It demands the quality of commitment that Jesus demonstrates in His relationship to us.” – Ravi Zacharias

We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19