Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Which Style of Sharing Christ?
Hey guys! Welcome back as yesterday in class we looked at the four different styles of sharing Christ. The first one being very confrontational and straight-forward like Peter in Acts 2, the second one being very logical and well- reasoned like Paul, the third is a story- telling style and a sharing of your testimony, and the final style is inviting people and bringing people to Christ.
I asked my family which style was most like me and they said the inviting and bringing. I agree with this, I have always made friends with people quite easily and I find when I'm close to someone, the more comfortable I am to ask them to come to youth group (teen church) with me. I have done this several times throughout my life knowing that because we are good friends, they would be more likely to say yes. And so far, none of my friends have declined or have said no to coming to church with me. I will never forget my one friend Mikayla, a very sweet girl she struggles with a lot of family issues at home but we were and still are very close. I invited her to youth group one night and she really enjoyed it, she asked if she could keep coming because she felt very comfortable in the church environment. And so I kept inviting her, but after I moved to Rwanda she stopped going. I'm not quite sure why, maybe because I wasn't there to encourage her, I'm not sure? But this summer, when I returned to the US we started talking and she asked me if we could go to youth group, and of course I said yes. We went every Wednesday. But when I had to return to Rwanda, I was scared she would stop going again, but I was wrong. My youth pastor reached out to her and now every Wednesday when my church posts pictures on Facebook, I always see her there in the pictures. She has settled in and has made some really great friends. Anyways, all this to say that I do like inviting people and when I see how it actually can make a difference in someone's life, even if its just inviting someone to church, I feel really encouraged to do it again.
I asked my family which style was most like me and they said the inviting and bringing. I agree with this, I have always made friends with people quite easily and I find when I'm close to someone, the more comfortable I am to ask them to come to youth group (teen church) with me. I have done this several times throughout my life knowing that because we are good friends, they would be more likely to say yes. And so far, none of my friends have declined or have said no to coming to church with me. I will never forget my one friend Mikayla, a very sweet girl she struggles with a lot of family issues at home but we were and still are very close. I invited her to youth group one night and she really enjoyed it, she asked if she could keep coming because she felt very comfortable in the church environment. And so I kept inviting her, but after I moved to Rwanda she stopped going. I'm not quite sure why, maybe because I wasn't there to encourage her, I'm not sure? But this summer, when I returned to the US we started talking and she asked me if we could go to youth group, and of course I said yes. We went every Wednesday. But when I had to return to Rwanda, I was scared she would stop going again, but I was wrong. My youth pastor reached out to her and now every Wednesday when my church posts pictures on Facebook, I always see her there in the pictures. She has settled in and has made some really great friends. Anyways, all this to say that I do like inviting people and when I see how it actually can make a difference in someone's life, even if its just inviting someone to church, I feel really encouraged to do it again.
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
When Sin is more Enjoyable than God
Hey guys,
Welcome back as in todays sermon Francs Chan spoke about trials and temptations.
In this sermon he explained how people always want something better. He made the analogy of the woman at church who had traded her wallet for Francis's wallet. She was trusting that he had something better in his wallet than she did in hers. In the end, she lost everything and in the same way, I do the same thing. I trust that something out there is better than what God has to offer, but I quickly learned that God is my best option.
We looked at a passage about how temptation leads to sin and sin leads to death. This was very straight forward and honestly a little shocking. I understood the problems that sin can cause-how it can cause some of my friends to walk away from God and never return, how the sin gives birth to death and the disappointment there is of loosing everything. I just pray that I can stray away from those temptations so that I can stay true to following Christ because temptation is everywhere I look. But I can have hope knowing that when God was tempted he resisted and I know many people have also resisted temptation. This encourages me to do the same.
Thanks for visiting, see you next time!
Welcome back as in todays sermon Francs Chan spoke about trials and temptations.
In this sermon he explained how people always want something better. He made the analogy of the woman at church who had traded her wallet for Francis's wallet. She was trusting that he had something better in his wallet than she did in hers. In the end, she lost everything and in the same way, I do the same thing. I trust that something out there is better than what God has to offer, but I quickly learned that God is my best option.
We looked at a passage about how temptation leads to sin and sin leads to death. This was very straight forward and honestly a little shocking. I understood the problems that sin can cause-how it can cause some of my friends to walk away from God and never return, how the sin gives birth to death and the disappointment there is of loosing everything. I just pray that I can stray away from those temptations so that I can stay true to following Christ because temptation is everywhere I look. But I can have hope knowing that when God was tempted he resisted and I know many people have also resisted temptation. This encourages me to do the same.
Thanks for visiting, see you next time!
Monday, 21 November 2016
Trails and Temptations (Joni E Tada)
Hey guys in todays video I was really encouraged by the strength of Mrs. Joni. She has faced many trials of being paralytic and having faced cancer. However her story is amazing.
Joni always prayed to God for healing. That she could walk, that she could be cancer free. But at times it seemed as if God wasn't listening to her. "God had passed me by" she would say. She would ask, "what kind of healer would ignore the prayers of a paralytic?" Her God seemed so far away. It all seemed too much, people began to question how God could let her situation worsen. Wasn't it bad enough? But she came to a point where she could do nothing, she felt helpless. She tried shutting out the world only to find her biggest need for God. She needed help, "Lord I can't do this on my own-please be my strength." she would pray. And it was at that moment in time she understood the true meaning of healing.
I learned that loving and denying yourself to God is about fully trusting God with all your problems. Its the point where you hand your problems to God and like Joni did, ask God for the help and the strength to make it through. But what does it truly look like to trust God with your struggles? I noticed that in Joni's prayer for help, she began to focus on her prayers for a deeper healing, one that goes beyond our bodies to a healing in the soul. She asked God to search her heart and reveal to her her bitterness. Her situation she compared to a lemon, with every worsened circumstance she felt God was squeezing the lemon. She was experiencing another day of Hell. This turned her very bitter and she realized that only God can bring true healing in her suffering and that's through "finding Jesus in your Hell."
Joni always prayed to God for healing. That she could walk, that she could be cancer free. But at times it seemed as if God wasn't listening to her. "God had passed me by" she would say. She would ask, "what kind of healer would ignore the prayers of a paralytic?" Her God seemed so far away. It all seemed too much, people began to question how God could let her situation worsen. Wasn't it bad enough? But she came to a point where she could do nothing, she felt helpless. She tried shutting out the world only to find her biggest need for God. She needed help, "Lord I can't do this on my own-please be my strength." she would pray. And it was at that moment in time she understood the true meaning of healing.
I learned that loving and denying yourself to God is about fully trusting God with all your problems. Its the point where you hand your problems to God and like Joni did, ask God for the help and the strength to make it through. But what does it truly look like to trust God with your struggles? I noticed that in Joni's prayer for help, she began to focus on her prayers for a deeper healing, one that goes beyond our bodies to a healing in the soul. She asked God to search her heart and reveal to her her bitterness. Her situation she compared to a lemon, with every worsened circumstance she felt God was squeezing the lemon. She was experiencing another day of Hell. This turned her very bitter and she realized that only God can bring true healing in her suffering and that's through "finding Jesus in your Hell."
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Finding Joy in the Testing of our Faith
Welcome back,
In the sermon, Francis Chan spoke about joy. He said that on a daily basis he sees someone stressed or mad about something, but he said that joy is not found in circumstances. Joy is a commandment, just like do not murder is a commandment. We have so much to rejoice in! Even when things are not going well and life is falling apart we can have hope that God will return where then, we will see His glory. I can rejoice in knowing that my name, Esther Renee Kanya Mosher is written in the Book of Life-I can rejoice knowing that one day my struggles on Earth will come to an end. Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." I know that I am not a citizen of Earth but a citizen of Heaven. I also know that if I have the Holy Spirit, through the Spirit I will see a change in heart about joy. So I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to me what it looks like to rejoice no matter the circumstances.
Thanks for visiting, see you next time!
In the sermon, Francis Chan spoke about joy. He said that on a daily basis he sees someone stressed or mad about something, but he said that joy is not found in circumstances. Joy is a commandment, just like do not murder is a commandment. We have so much to rejoice in! Even when things are not going well and life is falling apart we can have hope that God will return where then, we will see His glory. I can rejoice in knowing that my name, Esther Renee Kanya Mosher is written in the Book of Life-I can rejoice knowing that one day my struggles on Earth will come to an end. Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." I know that I am not a citizen of Earth but a citizen of Heaven. I also know that if I have the Holy Spirit, through the Spirit I will see a change in heart about joy. So I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to me what it looks like to rejoice no matter the circumstances.
Thanks for visiting, see you next time!
Wednesday, 9 November 2016
Psalms 30:6-12 I Will Never be Shaken Prayer
'I Will Never Be Shaken'
Psalm 30:6-12
When we feel safe, we say, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favor us, you make us stand firm; but when you hide your face, we are dismayed. To you, Lord, we call; to the Lord we cry for mercy: “What is gained if we are silenced, if we only go down hill? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to us; Lord, be Siems, Sams, Hans, Yanns, Chaerys, Trevors, Eyoviels, Meganes, Annabelles, Nellys, Kang Hees and Dophys help. ”
You have turned our wailing into dancing; you have removed our rags and have clothed with joy, that our hearts may sing your praises and not be silent
Amen
Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Acts 19 and the Arrow Chart
Hey there!
In class we are looking at Acts 9:1-21 for context before reading Ephesians. In this reading I began to understand what the passage said in general, what the passage said about God, about people, and what the passage demands of humans to do.
First the passage was like I mentioned earlier, a context for Ephesians. This book was written by Luke (a friend of Paul), in A.D 63-70. The recipient of the book, Theophilus. This book is an account of Jesus' life and a guide for the church.
This passage tells us that God does "extraordinary miracles" through Paul and the name of the "Lord is seized with fear and honor" (a possible focus on Gods glory and truth?). The passage also tells us that the Word of the Lord is powerful and grows in power.
The text also tells us that people to believe in the Jesus that is coming, and that we should be baptized in the name of Lord Jesus. However, the passage also tells us that people may become obstinate and refuse to believe in the way of the Lord. The text tells us that God can use people to do extraordinary things like God used Paul to heal people in miraculous ways.
Finally, the passage demands that humans receive the Holy Spirit. Humans should not gain the spirit from John or anybody else, but that we may be baptized in the name of our Lord. The passage also implies that we remain strong and bold in our faith so that we don't become obstinate and refuse to believe in the ways of the Lord-we must be careful that we don't die away like the roots scorched by the sun from the Parable of the sewer.
Thank you for visiting and see you next time!
In class we are looking at Acts 9:1-21 for context before reading Ephesians. In this reading I began to understand what the passage said in general, what the passage said about God, about people, and what the passage demands of humans to do.
First the passage was like I mentioned earlier, a context for Ephesians. This book was written by Luke (a friend of Paul), in A.D 63-70. The recipient of the book, Theophilus. This book is an account of Jesus' life and a guide for the church.
This passage tells us that God does "extraordinary miracles" through Paul and the name of the "Lord is seized with fear and honor" (a possible focus on Gods glory and truth?). The passage also tells us that the Word of the Lord is powerful and grows in power.
The text also tells us that people to believe in the Jesus that is coming, and that we should be baptized in the name of Lord Jesus. However, the passage also tells us that people may become obstinate and refuse to believe in the way of the Lord. The text tells us that God can use people to do extraordinary things like God used Paul to heal people in miraculous ways.
Finally, the passage demands that humans receive the Holy Spirit. Humans should not gain the spirit from John or anybody else, but that we may be baptized in the name of our Lord. The passage also implies that we remain strong and bold in our faith so that we don't become obstinate and refuse to believe in the ways of the Lord-we must be careful that we don't die away like the roots scorched by the sun from the Parable of the sewer.
Thank you for visiting and see you next time!
Friday, 4 November 2016
What is the Holy Spirit? (Craig Groeschel)
Welcome back as I briefly answer what the Holy Spirit is.
The Holy Spirit is like a breath of air or a wind as described in Genesis. The Holy Spirit is something that descends upon us and something that brings us the fruits of the spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control according to the New Testament. It is something we receive that guides us in making decisions. It is something God gives us to live a spirit filled and spirit empowered life.
Thanks for visiting, see you next time!
The Holy Spirit is like a breath of air or a wind as described in Genesis. The Holy Spirit is something that descends upon us and something that brings us the fruits of the spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control according to the New Testament. It is something we receive that guides us in making decisions. It is something God gives us to live a spirit filled and spirit empowered life.
Thanks for visiting, see you next time!
The Summit Church (5 ways the spirit leads us)
Hey welcome back!
In this sermon we looked at the 5 ways the Holy Spirit guides us: through the word of God, through our gifts, through the church, through the spirit and through the circumstances. However, he said to hold all but the first lightly because there is no exact formula for hearing the Holy Spirit. The best way to hear from God is to read His word where there He will guide us. Other people have special gifts-God may put someone in your life to speak to you but you should still check with the scriptures to see if they line up. God will also use the spirit to provoke us of things we should be aware of and finally he uses our circumstances to speak to us.
We know that when we are making a major decision to first read the Scriptures, but a question I have is how do you know the Holy Spirit is speaking to you or if it is just something I made up in my head?
Anyways thanks for visiting and see you back for my next blog!
In this sermon we looked at the 5 ways the Holy Spirit guides us: through the word of God, through our gifts, through the church, through the spirit and through the circumstances. However, he said to hold all but the first lightly because there is no exact formula for hearing the Holy Spirit. The best way to hear from God is to read His word where there He will guide us. Other people have special gifts-God may put someone in your life to speak to you but you should still check with the scriptures to see if they line up. God will also use the spirit to provoke us of things we should be aware of and finally he uses our circumstances to speak to us.
We know that when we are making a major decision to first read the Scriptures, but a question I have is how do you know the Holy Spirit is speaking to you or if it is just something I made up in my head?
Anyways thanks for visiting and see you back for my next blog!
Tuesday, 1 November 2016
Spiritual Disciples (sinkhole syndrome)
Welcome back!
After reading this article about how Christains are vulnerable to being pulled into the sinkhole, I realized how hard it can become to maintain a relationship with Christ. Life gets busier, life moves faster, people grow up...and for some reason I thought spiritual maturity came with age but the article says otherwise. This is a very interesting article but at the same time disappointing. It seems as if I have already started being pulled into the sink hole. I have slowly grown more distant from God. But what now? Whats the solution?
According to the article I am to "Pursue the Lord with a relentless, lifelong, obstacle-defying passion. Resolve never to let your daily life keep you from Jesus daily."
Lord,
Please help me. It seems as if I am being pulled away from you and I need to be reigned in again. Please draw me closer. Please give me the strength as I am battling with my sin and with my doubts. Please reveal yourself to me and show me where I can do better. I desire to desire you. I want to grow. I want to be committed so Lord give me the strength and the discipline to do so, and bring those who can encourage and keep me accountable. Please give me an open mind and an open heart so that I can learn more when I read from your word.
In the name of Jesus I pray,
Amen
After reading this article about how Christains are vulnerable to being pulled into the sinkhole, I realized how hard it can become to maintain a relationship with Christ. Life gets busier, life moves faster, people grow up...and for some reason I thought spiritual maturity came with age but the article says otherwise. This is a very interesting article but at the same time disappointing. It seems as if I have already started being pulled into the sink hole. I have slowly grown more distant from God. But what now? Whats the solution?
According to the article I am to "Pursue the Lord with a relentless, lifelong, obstacle-defying passion. Resolve never to let your daily life keep you from Jesus daily."
Lord,
Please help me. It seems as if I am being pulled away from you and I need to be reigned in again. Please draw me closer. Please give me the strength as I am battling with my sin and with my doubts. Please reveal yourself to me and show me where I can do better. I desire to desire you. I want to grow. I want to be committed so Lord give me the strength and the discipline to do so, and bring those who can encourage and keep me accountable. Please give me an open mind and an open heart so that I can learn more when I read from your word.
In the name of Jesus I pray,
Amen
Monday, 31 October 2016
Shepherd Voice
Hey guys!
After reading these articles about we neglect our Bibles, I realized how lame these common excuses are. The first excuse being that we don't read our Bibles because it seems irrelevant to us however the Bible is supposed to be guidelines for us on a daily basis whether we are at work or at school. Therefore, the Bible applies to everyone. The second excuse, we don't read our Bibles because we don't have time, however, we can easily find time to disciple our children and family or friends even in little ways- like talking over a coffee about what God is doing in a persons life. The third excuse, that we don't have to read the Bible because we go to church, but that shows how little we desire to know God-its not good enough to only "wet our tongue." The final excuse being that we don't read our Bibles because it is confusing, however, there are many ways to make it less confusing like a commentary, asking a friend for help, or even doing a little research. None of these excuses are valid for giving up.
To me I find the second and third excuse the most convicting-"I don't have time" and "I go to church." It is true that I don't always have time for spending time in Gods word or in prayer, but that means that something is off. If I believe in God, and if I claim to passionate about what I believe, why cant I find the time? My priorities are off, Christ should be first and I know that. I need to balance everything-my schoolwork, family time, and time to get to know God-but right now school has taken the priority. There is so much pressure for me to do good and I don't want to let me teachers, friends, parents and sisters down-so I try to do my best in school. But really, school is important, but so is spending time with God and spending time with my family. The third excuse that I sometimes struggle with is "I already go to church, to mission every day and to bible class every morning, do I really need to spend more time with God?" Well I already know the answer to that-yes. I am working out currently on taking my faith onto my own hands-in three years mom and dad wont be there to make sure I attend church-soon I will be an adult. Soon Bible and mission wont be something I have to do. I need to take ownership of my faith now and stop expecting everyone to do it for me. I am very privileged, I have a bible, a Christian family, a Christian school-I have no excuse to work out my faith and ask for help along the way. I hope to see my self as an independent believer-one who is not completely dependent on the school or on my parents to help me get by.
Thanks for visiting, let me know what you think in the comments and see you next time!
After reading these articles about we neglect our Bibles, I realized how lame these common excuses are. The first excuse being that we don't read our Bibles because it seems irrelevant to us however the Bible is supposed to be guidelines for us on a daily basis whether we are at work or at school. Therefore, the Bible applies to everyone. The second excuse, we don't read our Bibles because we don't have time, however, we can easily find time to disciple our children and family or friends even in little ways- like talking over a coffee about what God is doing in a persons life. The third excuse, that we don't have to read the Bible because we go to church, but that shows how little we desire to know God-its not good enough to only "wet our tongue." The final excuse being that we don't read our Bibles because it is confusing, however, there are many ways to make it less confusing like a commentary, asking a friend for help, or even doing a little research. None of these excuses are valid for giving up.
To me I find the second and third excuse the most convicting-"I don't have time" and "I go to church." It is true that I don't always have time for spending time in Gods word or in prayer, but that means that something is off. If I believe in God, and if I claim to passionate about what I believe, why cant I find the time? My priorities are off, Christ should be first and I know that. I need to balance everything-my schoolwork, family time, and time to get to know God-but right now school has taken the priority. There is so much pressure for me to do good and I don't want to let me teachers, friends, parents and sisters down-so I try to do my best in school. But really, school is important, but so is spending time with God and spending time with my family. The third excuse that I sometimes struggle with is "I already go to church, to mission every day and to bible class every morning, do I really need to spend more time with God?" Well I already know the answer to that-yes. I am working out currently on taking my faith onto my own hands-in three years mom and dad wont be there to make sure I attend church-soon I will be an adult. Soon Bible and mission wont be something I have to do. I need to take ownership of my faith now and stop expecting everyone to do it for me. I am very privileged, I have a bible, a Christian family, a Christian school-I have no excuse to work out my faith and ask for help along the way. I hope to see my self as an independent believer-one who is not completely dependent on the school or on my parents to help me get by.
Thanks for visiting, let me know what you think in the comments and see you next time!
Sunday, 30 October 2016
Big Teach 5
Hey guys and welcome to my blog as I will be working out what it means to be a spiritual follower vs. a shallow follower.
In this final sermon, Pete raised the question of what people will say at your funeral. Will they say you were a genuine believer, an example to others, a light to the world, or a fake, a phony, a shallow believer? I thought wow what a tough way to open a sermon. This is because that question has actually on my mind recently. I mentioned in a previous blog that if others cant see what I claim to believe, am I a fake Christian?
But upon the opening of the sermon, I began to understand what it means to be "spiritual." Its not a peaceful thinking you enter on top of a mountain, or a meditation but an acting or living out what you claim to believe (Galatians 6:1). Pete makes three points to back this up:
1) Spiritual people live for others- but cant do that in isolation (Galatians 6: 1-5)
2) Spiritual people love the Word of God
3) Spiritual people look to the future
So overall, I should "should not think less of myself but think of myself less" (C.S Lewis) and serve others with an open heart-even in little ways. I should also have a passion for the Bible- and have a constant (daily) time with Christ. Finally, I should look to the future- encourage others and keep my eyes on Jesus- the ultimate redeemer. These will help me see what a spiritual Christian looks like vs a shallow and fake Christain.
Thanks for visiting, until next time!
In this final sermon, Pete raised the question of what people will say at your funeral. Will they say you were a genuine believer, an example to others, a light to the world, or a fake, a phony, a shallow believer? I thought wow what a tough way to open a sermon. This is because that question has actually on my mind recently. I mentioned in a previous blog that if others cant see what I claim to believe, am I a fake Christian?
But upon the opening of the sermon, I began to understand what it means to be "spiritual." Its not a peaceful thinking you enter on top of a mountain, or a meditation but an acting or living out what you claim to believe (Galatians 6:1). Pete makes three points to back this up:
1) Spiritual people live for others- but cant do that in isolation (Galatians 6: 1-5)
2) Spiritual people love the Word of God
3) Spiritual people look to the future
So overall, I should "should not think less of myself but think of myself less" (C.S Lewis) and serve others with an open heart-even in little ways. I should also have a passion for the Bible- and have a constant (daily) time with Christ. Finally, I should look to the future- encourage others and keep my eyes on Jesus- the ultimate redeemer. These will help me see what a spiritual Christian looks like vs a shallow and fake Christain.
Thanks for visiting, until next time!
Monday, 24 October 2016
Believe- Reflection
Hey and welcome back to my blog!
In the unit of believe, the key concept was answering the question of what would it take to experience a bold and confident faith? I am going to answer this question based on what we have learned in class.
We had said that to have a bold and confident faith we must have an active faith and this begins with the humility to repent. Belief is the step following repentance, and we are invited to experience that confidence. However, to achieve this boldness we have to grow in our understanding. We have to change our thoughts to Christ's thoughts, we actually just need "new thoughts" according to Romans 12:1-2. To add to our confidence, we need to have reasoned belief. Belief in itself is not enough. Even Satan believes in God, so what does that say? It means that we need something more-we need reasoned belief. This looks like knowing the scriptures that we claim to base our lives upon as well as actively living out what we claim to believe. According to the parable of the sewer, unreasoned faith is like a plants without root-completely meaningless.
Our faith is meaningless if we are not growing and if we can not differentiate the right from wrong. Our hearts and actions should add up to what we believe, and currently I am wondering if others can see Christ living in me by the way I live my life. Otherwise, my faith is meaningless. Also, I am trying to work out whether or not I am growing, this is a stressed issue for me. I am worried because if I am not growing is it a fair question to see that I am not a true believer? I don't want this to be so, but honestly I don't know if I have seen a change. This is probably something I will talk about with my mentor-so that I may know for sure if I am growing, and if I am not, how can I grow? I do have interest in growing I really do, but I first need to work out where I am in my faith.
Ultimately, for me to experience the boldness and confidence of faith, I need to be growing, changing and developing. Also, I need to know if others can see me changing, developing, and changing otherwise- is what I claim to believe meaningless? Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you back for my next blog!
In the unit of believe, the key concept was answering the question of what would it take to experience a bold and confident faith? I am going to answer this question based on what we have learned in class.
We had said that to have a bold and confident faith we must have an active faith and this begins with the humility to repent. Belief is the step following repentance, and we are invited to experience that confidence. However, to achieve this boldness we have to grow in our understanding. We have to change our thoughts to Christ's thoughts, we actually just need "new thoughts" according to Romans 12:1-2. To add to our confidence, we need to have reasoned belief. Belief in itself is not enough. Even Satan believes in God, so what does that say? It means that we need something more-we need reasoned belief. This looks like knowing the scriptures that we claim to base our lives upon as well as actively living out what we claim to believe. According to the parable of the sewer, unreasoned faith is like a plants without root-completely meaningless.
Our faith is meaningless if we are not growing and if we can not differentiate the right from wrong. Our hearts and actions should add up to what we believe, and currently I am wondering if others can see Christ living in me by the way I live my life. Otherwise, my faith is meaningless. Also, I am trying to work out whether or not I am growing, this is a stressed issue for me. I am worried because if I am not growing is it a fair question to see that I am not a true believer? I don't want this to be so, but honestly I don't know if I have seen a change. This is probably something I will talk about with my mentor-so that I may know for sure if I am growing, and if I am not, how can I grow? I do have interest in growing I really do, but I first need to work out where I am in my faith.
Ultimately, for me to experience the boldness and confidence of faith, I need to be growing, changing and developing. Also, I need to know if others can see me changing, developing, and changing otherwise- is what I claim to believe meaningless? Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you back for my next blog!
Sunday, 23 October 2016
Big Teach 5
Hey and welcome back!
Todays big teach was about freedom-freedom from sin. In this talk, Pete used 4 dogs to make an illustration -Spike, a dog who was always struggling and strangling, Buster, a dog who was totally out of control, Max, a dog that stands by the side of the owner, and Benji, a lazy dog with no desire. In this illustration, Pete said that Max was the way a Christian should live their life- a person who grows and desires to be with their master, in our case, with God. However, the journey isn't easy being with God, in fact, its much more of a conflict or war zone between ourselves. We are battling with our old selves, "we are saved from sin but we battle with sin within us." But Pete described this as normal for christains we will mess up, but we know that God will keep calling our names to keep us aligned.
Thanks for coming and hope to see you back for my next blog!
Todays big teach was about freedom-freedom from sin. In this talk, Pete used 4 dogs to make an illustration -Spike, a dog who was always struggling and strangling, Buster, a dog who was totally out of control, Max, a dog that stands by the side of the owner, and Benji, a lazy dog with no desire. In this illustration, Pete said that Max was the way a Christian should live their life- a person who grows and desires to be with their master, in our case, with God. However, the journey isn't easy being with God, in fact, its much more of a conflict or war zone between ourselves. We are battling with our old selves, "we are saved from sin but we battle with sin within us." But Pete described this as normal for christains we will mess up, but we know that God will keep calling our names to keep us aligned.
Thanks for coming and hope to see you back for my next blog!
Sunday, 16 October 2016
Big teach 4
Happy Sunday and welcome back!
Todays sermon was about identity-where do Christians find their identity?
Pete spoke about how new Christians are vulnerable to being swept away by Satan. This reminded me of last months unit-understand. As a class, we had looked at the different types of soil-and how the vulnerable Christians resignate with the rocky places. A quick review- the rocky place resembles christains with not much soil . "It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root." This is similar to vulnerable christains- they spring up quickly with intrest but are later swept away because they have no foundation.
So where are you? Where do you find your identity? Do you have a strong foundation or are you vulnerable too?
Thanks for joining me and see you back for next weeks blog!
Todays sermon was about identity-where do Christians find their identity?
Pete spoke about how new Christians are vulnerable to being swept away by Satan. This reminded me of last months unit-understand. As a class, we had looked at the different types of soil-and how the vulnerable Christians resignate with the rocky places. A quick review- the rocky place resembles christains with not much soil . "It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root." This is similar to vulnerable christains- they spring up quickly with intrest but are later swept away because they have no foundation.
So where are you? Where do you find your identity? Do you have a strong foundation or are you vulnerable too?
Thanks for joining me and see you back for next weeks blog!
Friday, 14 October 2016
Reflect- What version of Christ am I persuing?
Hey there and welcome back!
Today I am reflecting on the version of Christ I am following. However, to start things off, the biblical definition of repentance, the act of which a person changes their mind and thinking about Christ. A verse that not only backs this up but hits me personally is Romans 5:15 "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" We had discussed in class that Gods grace is a free gift but also an unlimited gift, his grace comes in abundance-it overflows! I don’t know why, but I feel sometimes it is hard to believe in His abundant grace. This is because I find myself often feeling hopeless when I cannot meet all of His expectations, I want to please Him, I really do, I want to earn Hs favor. However, I know that this is impossible to do for I will mess up and I am not trusting in Gods grace. Is it because I'm full of pride? Is there part of me that feels despair because I cant keep up with all these rules? And finally, am I following a gracious Jesus or a Jesus full of rules?
In the beginning of this unit we began to discuss what the fullness of God looked like. We had said that "we want to follow Jesus but different teachings are leading us astray- and it all starts with our minds." I quickly discovered how true this was when as a class, we began looking at the glory, grace and truth of God. When looking at His glory, I saw how powerful and majestic God was, no one is like Him. But at the same time, I began thinking about Luke 2:9 "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Sometimes, I forget that God doesn’t only stand for His abundance in grace and His power of truth, but He also stands with judgement. Luke 2:9 says the people had seen the glory of God and were terrified. I too am scared of judgement and prefer to focus on His grace and truth more. Maybe because I want to escape His judgment? I cant think this forever though because I know that when God comes a second time to judge, no one will be able to escape His judgement.
Overall, I may be following the wrong Jesus by fooling myself into thinking He is just a God of rules and that He is a God of only grace and truth. I know that God is a combination of glory, grace, and truth and that none of Him can be avoided or in other words its all or nothing. 2 Timothy 3:7 says that there will those who wont understand the truth and to ensure I wont be one of those people, I am on a journey to understanding the fullness of God or more specifically – what it means for me to understand that God rules with a power, saves by grace, and gives the light or the wisdom to those who wish to have freedom in knowing who He is.
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Understand- Romans 9
Hey there!
Today for class, we looked at Romans 9- a confusing passage if we are being honest. In this passage we are told that before anyone was born or had done anything good or bad—God had already elected those who would be saved. And then continuing the passage, "[he] will have mercy on who [He has] mercy, and [He] will have compassion on whom [he has] compassion.
Today for class, we looked at Romans 9- a confusing passage if we are being honest. In this passage we are told that before anyone was born or had done anything good or bad—God had already elected those who would be saved. And then continuing the passage, "[he] will have mercy on who [He has] mercy, and [He] will have compassion on whom [he has] compassion.
I agree to an extent- I do believe that God is all powerful and knowing, but I also think that in a way He limits himself. I think He may know the final destination of our lives, but He may also change His mind. Meaning that He has granted us free will, correct? Free will to chose whether or not we follow Him. I think that He is aware of our hearts and attitudes as well as intentions. However, in my opinion, I believe that God cant see the details of our journey- he leaves that part up to us (because then would be the point of free will?!?) We decide how we get to our destination. Plus John 3.16 tells us that ALL who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. So...if this verse was made for all of us, we all have the opputuinity to chose, therefore, I don't think there are only specific people chosen. What would be the point of living if we knew that we didn't mean anything to Him and if our faith wasn't based on on human desire to follow him or on our effort, what would it be based on? Again, in my opinion, God is just- we have been taught that our whole lives. So if God is just, He wouldn't just choose SOME to show mercy to but ALL should receive mercy. Here is why I am thinking this, Jesus came to die on the cross for sinners- everyone. That right there is already showing mercy- we don't deserve second chances, but still He came to save us. The verse doesn't say He came for "some, no it says "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Therefore, Heaven does not have a boundary of how many people can enter and I don't think certain people are chosen, I think all who believe receive His glory and a spot in Heaven.
So thanks for visiting and please don't be offended if you disagree, this is just me trying to work out the meaning of this verse. Leave a comment about what you think below and see you for my next blog!
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Big Teach 3
Hey there again! Welcome back today as I reflect on Big Teach 3. In this sermon I learned several things as Pete outlined 6 points. The first being that the law was given to us to show us that we are law-breakers and that we are rebellious. The second point explaining that the law was temporary until the coming of Jesus. The 3rd, the law is conditional-meaning everyone just plays their role. The 4th law being that the law is not opposing to Gods promises. The 5th law, the law imprisons us- we fail and try again. the 6th and final law that the law is a guardian- temporary. Overall, the main point was that we shouldn't have to follow the law just for following it but so that we may be set free- and we can find a delight in that.
Thanks for visiting, leave a comment and see you next time!
Thanks for visiting, leave a comment and see you next time!
Sunday, 9 October 2016
Biblical Formations: Theological Reflection Project
Hey there and welcome back to my blog!
To begin, the invitations of Christ. The first invitation of Christ is repent- this invitation was for people who had rejected Christs invitations. These people had eager hearts to listen, as a result, some turned from their ways while others still rejected Him. An example, Matthew 4:17- Jesus is warning those who have rejected Him that the end is near and that they still have time to turn from their ways. Then there are the believers- Jesus was speaking to everyone, they had all believed by the things they had seen Jesus do. They had peace knowing that Jesus would accept them. An example, John 1:50- Jesus goes around and people acknowledge He is not a normal man by the miracles He performs. Also the followers, they were ordinary people that Jesus spoke to. They were curious as they asked many questions and were obedient and brave when they left everything to follow Jesus. An example, Matthew 19:28- Peter asks what he will get for following Jesus and Jesus tells him that when He comes to judge the world, His believers will inherit eternal life. Next was the love/deny invitation- Jesus spoke to all different types of people; believers, non believers and His disciples. All people had shown interest but needed to pick up their cross to follow Him. An example, Matthew 5: 46- Jesus tells the audience to love their enemies and Mark 8:3- Christ tells the crowd they must pick up their cross. Finally, go/teach, God spoke to the people who had been rejected- still somehow they found peace in hearing Him. They all had open hearts and minds and felt encouraged by Jesus to share with others what they had been taught. Jesus had also prepared their hearts for persecution. An example, Matthew 11:1- Jesus instructs His disciples to go and teach in Galilee and Matthew 10:16- Jesus prepares the hearts of His followers for persecution.
Moving on, the stages of spiritual growth. We have looked at the invitations of Christ, now to analyzing and comparing the invitations to the parable of the sewer. The parable describes how the heart of men respond to the word of God. We know that ultimately Jesus is the word of God, and that the word of God is living and active and penetrates the hearts of the reader. In the first invitation- repent- the hearts of the people are hard and skeptical and they are not receptive to the word of God. This means that they are the "path" in the parable, they are hard-hearted and not receptive to the word of God, therefore they can not bear fruit. Then the believers, they are people in need of understanding as their hearts are seeking Jesus. They are quick to believe but their faith is like the "shallow soil"- short-lived, have no root and are later scorched by the sun. In the third invitation-followers- their hearts are new in their faith, they have many questions and need to know more about Jesus. Like the "shallow soil", they lack knowledge, need answers and lack foundation. Next the invitation of love/deny-these people have been followers of Christ but are facing the challenge of having to decide between following worldly pleasures of following Jesus.Who will they love and deny? In the parable they are the "weeds" they had once been growing but the weeds came along and chocked the life from the plants. Finally, the invitation of go/teach- these are people who are following their rabbi, they are growing and multiplying in number as they share with others what they have learned. In the parable they are "bearing fruit" as they understand why they are following, as they multiply in number and as they are ready to go out and share the good news with others.
After completing the word study, I learned that Jesus is understanding. He had spoke with ordinary people, His disciples were fishermen and tax collectors (Matthew 8:23, Matthew 9:9). He had preached to large crowds in which he understood their problems, He even healed a sick girl with a worried dad (Matthew 9:19). Later, Jesus answers Peters questions when he asks what his reward will be for following Him (Matthew 19:28). Then we see that Jesus had prepared His disciples for what it is like preaching in the big world. He tells them that they will face persecution. But he prepares them, because Jesus had been down that road before (Matthew 4:19, Matthew 10:16, Luke 10:3). These all revealed to me Jesus' understanding of human struggles and to me its refreshing to know I'm not alone.
To conclude this essay with my thoughts I would say that I am the weeds in the love and deny category. I think this because I am a believer of Christ, however, there are times when I get distracted and lose sight of the bigger picture. The parable mentions that the worries of life side track a believer and choke the belief out of them. This is me, I am constantly worried about what people think of me as I hate letting people down. I'm a people pleaser, but I quickly and sadly found out that really, you cant please everyone! I also am struggling to find the motivation to keep going in my faith. I want to stay strong but I am battling with my grades and schooling, my future career, and overall, with what I'm going to do with my life; I'm worried that these worries are over-riding my relationship with Christ. I also am feeling discouraged as this unit has talked about where a person is in their faith, but not how a person can move forward in their faith. Does this mean I will stay a "weed" forever, forever worrying about my future? I hope not because Matthew 6:34 tells me "[to] not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." And Luke 12:26 says "since you can not do this little thing, why do you worry?" I just need more clarification as well as encouragement to be able to move forward in my relationship with Christ. This way I will no longer be a "worrying weed."
Thank you for visiting and let me know what you think in the comments. Hope to see you back for my next blog!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)