common mission/confidence

Wasn’t that fun Saturday night? As you guys filled the room, the energy and excitement you bring with you is refreshing and recharging! You are setting a new path that mirrors how our brothers and sisters lived life with each other in the 1st century.  It “feels” different at first for most as we learn or relearn that our time together in sharing burdens, joys, and triumphs happen predominantly on the days we are not gathered for the 1.5 hour on a Saturday night, BUT we are experiencing that the 1.5 hour makes a HUGE difference in getting our spiritual batteries ReCHARGED through each other and then setting sail for another week of pouring ourselves out in our homes, at work, and in our community. 

Our first point of discussion was a reminder of our common mission. You see, we don’t have to formulate committees to come up with a mission statement or cast vision.  Christ has already set in motion the mission and vision for us the body (locally and globally). He has even shown and taught us how we are to do this, and boy o boy when I asked you the common mission last night you guys were ALL over it…

make Jesus famous in our homes, at work and in our community! some stated glorify God, yes, exalt Him, YES…all points back to Christ. 

Then the next step is HOW? (man a flow chart here would be cool hahaha)

Well by sharing your uniqueness (gifts and talents) with others….here is where I hear some brakes being applied hahaha…uh, bivo I don’t have any gifts or talents to offer! Oh contray my little doubter, so drink this in my friend.

1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. v5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. v6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. v7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

hahaha, isn’t that awesome? Ok, so we can’t use that excuse anymore, and let’s get really real with each other; we KNOW deep down how God has gifted us, and we’re the ones who put the brakes on when or if we ever share our uniqueness with others. The reasons for applying the brakes are varied, but could it be that we lack confidence? I beLIeVEso…but confidence in who, us or JesUS? Let me help you take the next step in releasing the brakes and applying pressure to the gas pedal to live life WIDE OPEN!

Here are some questions for you…(parents PLEASE do this exercise with your kiddos)

Do you beLIeVE that God is truthful? Yes or No (man, flow chart time….dang it hahaha)

-If yes, do you beLIeVE you are who HE says you are? Yes or No (side note-articulate and hear yourself say who you are, its empowering gang)

-If yes, then congratulations! In those moments, look at the letters highlighted in the word beLIeVE…odds are you are living HIM out wherever you are and having a blast doing so.

-If your answer to the first question is yes and the second question is no, check this out. ALL of us wrestle with this during our time on earth, and when that wrestling match of fear and/or doubt cranks up in our hearts/noggins, the brakes begin to be applied. So check this out, if God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, and he didn’t…

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

…then could it be that fear is roaring through my moment of unbelief, or am I placing confidence in myself versus placing confidence in the Christ in me? (Go back to the original questions in our make believe flow chart.) When I take that timeout and realize my temporary displacement of faith or that I am placing confidence in the incorrect place and then placing my confidence in the Christ in me, look what happens in Hebrews 13:6. So we can say with confidence (boldy of good courage) “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

We, then, release the internal brake by beLIeVING through the fear, and we start beLIeVING with confidence. GET YOU a BIG DOSE of that source of energy baby! It’s HIM, it’s HIM and it’s making HIM famous when we journey in this manner.        

love em up!