Planning for the new year-Trusting in the Lord!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

Pray, Plan and Prioritize...


But don't get hung up on planning...the LORD can intervene at any moment and you can change direction! Keep your ears open!


"You already know the ultimate destination of your journey: your entrance into heaven. So keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me" Nov 19th Devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

 We often hear the words, luck, fate, and providence.

Theologian Dr. R.C. Sproul.  "God's sovereign providence stands over and above our actions. He works out His will through the actions of human wills, without violating the freedom of those human wills." 

You found this page...by luck, fate or providence...?

As Oswald Chambers states : "The circumstances of a man's life are ordained by God. In the life of a saint there is no chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you." 

 So 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

Exploring Life's Purpose

Exploring Your Life's Purpose. Let's Journey Together

 

A safe place to explore questions about life and God 

 

Students: What's my purpose in life? 

 

Have you asked Jesus Christ into your life? 

 

Saturating 60 Millions homes by 2020

Monday morning: Our work and our calling.

It's Monday morning...and some of us are off to work or are we?

Maybe if we are believers...and attended church this weekend...we may be contemplating the message we  heard. How important is that to us. Any connection to the other 6 days of our week?  

Someone once said that if we are doing what we are passionate about...it's not work!

Sunday and Monday...any connection?

Our work: How important is it to us?

Who are we really working for?

Are we worshiping our work and working at our worship? 

Are we finding joy and peace in our everyday work?


Is this talk about finding peace confusing? 

How to find peace with God!

 

We are called to God first and then to our secondary calling…which may be our job, business, ministry or what we do in “retirement”

A word from The Call by Os Guinness

"Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service" P. 29

 The Lord created each of us individually with different Spiritual Gifts, Passions, Abilities, Strengths and a unique Personality with different Experiences. When we know what they are and how they work together then we can be most effective in our families, church, community and the world.  When we serve according to our SHAPE, we leave a legacy that gives glory to the LORD so when we stand before Him one day, we will hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." 

 S.H.A.P.E   Spiritual gifts, Heart or passion, Abilities, Personality and Experiences. 

Read a good book recently:

 Answering the Call: The Doctor Who Made Africa His Life.

From “The One-Talent People.” Christian Herald. Sept 1949. P. 64  

“Always keep your eyes open for the little task, because it is the little task that is important to Jesus Christ.  The future of the Kingdom of God does not depend on the enthusiasm of this or that powerful person; those great ones are necessary too, but it is equally necessary to have a great number of little people who will do a little thing in the service of Christ.” 

            “The great flowing rivers represent only a small part of all the water that is necessary to nourish and sustain the earth. Beside the flowing river there is the water in the earth-the subterranean water-and there are the little streams which continually enter the river and feed it and prevent it from sinking into the earth. Without these other waters-the silent hidden subterranean waters and the trickling streams-the great river could no longer flow. Thus it is with the little tasks to be fulfilled by us all.”

Some excerpts from:  God’s Best for My Life by Lloyd John Ogilvie 

“What are we daring to attempt which could not be accomplished without His strength and intervention? So often we plan our lives around what we could do without Him on our own.  A sure sign that we are in communion with the Lord is that we are attempting what only He can do? Can you identify that in your life?”

How to find peace with God!

Jesus's mission for us.

"Thank you, oh my father For giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit 'Til the work on Earth is done."  Keith Green.

What is the "work" to be done?

Jesus's last words:

 

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

A good reason to "Go"

1

We can't all GO physically maybe at this time...but here is a way we can start now. 

What part will you play?

Won't it be great to hear "Well done good and faithful servant..." when we stand before the Lord?

 1.  Mobilize  
John Piper once said, “Mobilizers are worth 100 goers”. Want to mobilize your campus or your church? Find out how at thenations.us/mobilize!

 2.  Pray
 3.  Send
 4.  Welcome
 5.  Go

Further help on each of these steps.