Glorious Morning Princesses!
Welcome October! Hmm, have you noticed the leaves changing? How about the temperature? Fall is here. If you get an opportunity, take some time to just stand outside and marvel the beauty of God's creation.
For those of you following along via this weekly email. We are in Week 5 (face-to-face) and Week 4 online.
How's Your Penmanship, Continued...?
If you are completing the writing portion for our Fall 2016 session, on page 183 of your study guide you will find space to continue writing 2 Timothy- this week it's Chapter 3. We will continue to pray through our writing portion. Even if you don't complete the full chapter, think about writing down a few key verses that resonated with you. Think of it like God's giant highlighter lifted off the page from His words to your heart.
Can We Talk?
I asked our group last week two questions to think about, take a look:
1. Do you believe that God is continually and mercifully after your good?
2. How has Jesus been the best part of the ups and downs in your life?
To put a little context around the questions and help frame your thoughts, let's look back at our summer book study, "Meet The New You" by Elisa Pulliam. On Day 4 (Mind the Gap, Please), we were asked to create a story timeline of our life (birth to present) that included the "highlights, lowlights, and everything in between".
Elisa explains,
"You're on this journey because you want to meet the new you. You want to move forward and find a new way of living... But before you can take the next step, you have to mind the gap between where you've been AND where you want to go by taking stock of your life and looking through the lens of God's work".
If you followed us over the summer, pull out your story timeline, if you don't have a story timeline, take a few moments to create one showing from birth to present, recording key dates/events, when your faith became your own and time/events you grew spiritually. As you reflect on your timeline, can you pinpoint instances when God rerouted your plans? With this now as your backdrop, answer the following questions:
1. Do you believe that God is continually and mercifully after your good?
2. How has Jesus been the best part of the ups and downs in your life?
Take a look at the following scripture:
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:7-8 (ESV)
As Christians, no matter how you look at it on your story timeline, our losses are ALL GAINS. Why? Because we gain Jesus, HE IS THE BEST PART! Here's the math equation that sums it up:
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Dear Princesses, keep fighting the good fight, lean into God for strength. Thank God that "even amid the evil that beleaguers or befalls us, God is continually and mercifully after our good". (Moore, "Entrusted")
Remember to KEEP MOVING FORWARD to fulfill your ministry:
Mighty servants of God turned loose on this globe in the great name of Jesus.
Closing Thought-
Prayer “empowers and ‘charges up’ every other piece so they can be used effectively against the enemy. Without prayer…your armor, cannot, will not, be infused with the power that only God’s-Spirit can give. (The Armor of God- P.Shirer)
Know that through the Holy Spirit you can:
do things you couldn't;feel things you didn't; andknow things you wouldn't.
For your praise and worship:
God's Got A Blessing - N. Hutchins
Chasing Me Down- I. Houghton ft. T. Tribbett
God Is Great- R. Dillard
Housekeeping:
Don't forget to register (or forward to a friend) for our Fall 2016 session. We are working on Week 5 (face to face) and Week 4 (online) for our Fall six-week session: => Register for Entrusted
Remember, each day is an opportunity for us to...
Lead, Serve and GO!
Krista
Each day we have an opportunity to be the light and salt God has called us to be to others. Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)