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abiding in God’s love

Vessels Of God’s Love

by GOD TV October 13, 2022

written by GOD TV

I love that God has given us the ability to be vessels of His love. We’ve received so much of God’s love through everything that He’s done for us. It’s all throughout scripture. It’s the theme of salvation and the gospel. It’s that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life. And God has given us the ability to be carriers of His presence and carriers of His love.

And the more that you know the love of God, the more you feel compelled to release that love to other people. I love that we have the ability to release what God has given to us. We have authority and things that God has given us authority in. And the love of God, when you really experience it, you can’t help but want to give that away to people around you. If you think back over your life, what are some of the ways that God has shown you radical love? What are some of the ways that God has met you in moments, maybe of loneliness, where He was the only person that you really felt that love coming into your life? He was maybe the only one that was really meeting you in that place where you didn’t know maybe how to connect with people from your pain. Maybe you didn’t know how to receive love, because you were dealing with shame or different things that you might’ve been going through, or deep loss or grieving, and God was there.

He draws near to the broken hearted. And I love that we’re called to reflect the nature of our God and our Father and that love that He’s shown us. There’s just endless, countless examples in the word and from testimonies of people of how good God has been and His love, and that we can be those vessels of love to others. I love to ask the Lord when I meet people, “God, what is it that you love about this person? What did you uniquely put as your fingerprint that they carry of you and of your love and of your goodness?”

And so I pray for you today that God would release new levels of His love for others around you. That He would give you the ability to have His heart for those around you. And that you would be yourself overcome with how much He loves you and how much He loves people around you. And that in turn, you could be a vessel pouring that out to others around you.

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3 Ways I’m Encountering God As A New Mom

by Lauren Koch August 10, 2022

written by Lauren Koch

To the young mom reading this: God sees and embraces all of you. Every frustrated tear, diaper you change, and feeding you do. God sees it all and he is well pleased in you. Motherhood is exhausting. In the first 3 months of my son’s life, these are a few ways which God has met me in.

1. When I take time to tend to my own needs

Slipping away to take a shower, making time in the morning to actually get dressed, and leaving for a walk alone all have reminded me I’m still me. I might not have as much time to myself but in those minutes my body has decompressed and my spirit has been ministered to by the Father. He cares for all parts of us.

2. When driving in the car with the little one

The act of even getting out of the house with a baby is a challenge. After feeding, changing, and packing the diaper bag, I still have to get myself ready, pack a water bottle and snack and load everyone into the car. It’s work. But, when the warmth of the sun comes through the windows, and my baby falls fast asleep, I’m able to pray and sing aloud with the Father, tuning my heart to his sustaining presence. These moments make the whole ordeal of leaving the house worth it.

3. When I play worship music in my home

Even when my little guy is fussy, having worship playing establishes a mood and presence in my home. Beautifully, I’ve shared special moments with the lord while holding my son and walking around our home. God has stilled my heart to remember what actually matters–being with Him and my baby. Worship always centers my heart around gratitude to the Father.

Being a new mom requires learned flexibility. God is in our process, with us each step of the way. You got this.

August 10, 2022 0 comment

Faith Spotlight

Are You Holding Yourself Back?

by Lauren Koch August 4, 2022

written by Lauren Koch

After being a part of many small groups and women’s gatherings I’ve noticed something. There are usually those who are quick to speak, and those that rarely do.

This is for those who hesitate to share. As an introvert, I understand that sometimes we just prefer to withdraw, or have socially reached our limit. At those times, it only makes sense that we are quiet. But what about the moments when we know our hearts have something to say? How often do you shut yourself down, not sharing because you know someone else could. Recently, God spoke to me that I have been holding myself back from the people, experiences, and joy He wants me to encounter.

Holding ourselves back suffocates the fire we are meant to carry

I want you to consider all of the beautiful things God has planted inside you. The thoughts, ideas, dreams, and life lessons you’ve learned. No matter how small they may seem, they are worth being seen by the world and those around you. In fact, you were put on the earth for such a time as this.

There are wells of revelation and wisdom-insight that God reveals in the context of relationship and community. Sometimes, it isn’t until we are sharing our hearts with a friend we discover something new inside of us. God longs for you to share more (and honestly) about the current musings of your heart.

Don’t believe the lies of the accuser which tell you that you aren’t original or that your voice and thoughts don’t matter. The world needs what you carry.

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Ester 4:14)

August 4, 2022 0 comment

Faith Featured

True Love Empowers You

by Deborah Manchac May 1, 2022

written by Deborah Manchac

How would your life look like if you knew that you were loved unconditionally?

What would your ultimate choices and actions be?

How would that kind of love change you? How would you talk, act and make friends?

What would you do if you knew God would take care of you and love you no matter what?

True Love Empowers

Imagine having the love of a rich and powerful king all to yourself.

How would that make you feel?

I’m sure it would make you feel protected, loved and empowered and that is what Gods love for you has to offer. He says we are His most beloved. That whatever is His is ours as well; here on earth and we continue to inherit in heaven. There is nothing we need to do to be truly empowered besides believe we are through our daddy Gods love!

Love Sets You Free

Knowing that we are loved beyond measure and seeking that love in a daily basis is the key to being truly empowered in every area of our life. Seeking His love can look like waking up and keeping your eyes out for an act of love from Him everyday. Or letting Him care for your needs that you have been trying to make happen for yourself.

However, I understand it’s hard to feel like a spoiled child that waits as our daddy God takes care of us while the rest of the world tells you to earn your way to freedom and power. But freedom only comes from having peace with yourself and knowing that no matter what you are showered with love. And true power comes from acknowledging that you alone are not the source but that you rely on someone bigger. Someone that actually made Himself small even though He was ALL POWERFUL and shed His blood on a cross so you could have freedom and access to that power.

The Most Powerful Weapon

While the world seeks self made power and approval so they can feel like they deserve true love; God says you were already created to be loved, protected and taken care of. From that place of real security comes the ability to truly be empowered. Where now you can do anything, anywhere with no limits.

That’s what true empowerment is.

Confident in who’s you are not just in who you are by yourself. He wants to see his children lifted up and on the mountain reaching places that He knew they could. But in a place of love not just power.

Love is the most powerful weapon you can carry and it alone can get you and those around you to your destiny and beyond!

Deborah Liza

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

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PERSISTENCE OVER PERFECTION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

May 1, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Will Obedience To God Bring Me Joy?

by Michael Rizzo July 18, 2021

written by Michael Rizzo

Jesus makes it clear that obedience to God will bear the fruit of joy. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Jn. 15:10-12 So will obedience to God bring me joy? Absolutely. Here’s my understanding: If I seek to obey His explicit command to love those around me, it will re-energize me in God’s love. The result will be ongoing joy. Jesus sets the benchmark. His love was unto death, the single seed sown into the grave, to produce many seeds.

The Great Lover longs to produce great lovers.

Resisting Other Options

If obedience to God was super easy we’d all be doing it pretty much unhindered. But there are other options… the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Eph. 2:2-3 Disobedience will always present itself as an option. It’s an old maxim – you can’t stand still (tread water) on the Christian journey. You’re either moving forward or drifting back. What are some indicators that I’m on a forward trajectory and loving well?

Self Sacrifice

If it’s a sacrifice, that’s a good indicator. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Jn. 15:13 Thankfully, the process of loving others is not ALWAYS hard. There are “people obstacles” ranging from trivial irritations to a downright dislike, bordering on contempt. Some of us are more of a challenge to love, right? Jesus gives the greater love benchmark because He was about to demonstrate it, all the way to forgiving those who were killing Him. He also proceeded to tell them that beyond the comfort of the fellowship meal they were currently sharing, their love for Him would wane.

A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. Jn. 16:32 People will not always come through for you, nor will you always come through for them. Fact of life. Thus it is vital that we remain in fellowship with the Father like Jesus did. We are never alone. One fruit of this: we will have the faith and courage to engage again in the precarious environs of getting close to people and allowing them to get close to us.

Self Disclosure

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Jn. 15:15 Obedience to God in this primary command to love one another, does require vulnerability, which can be risky. But we must always include wisdom in the equation. In other words, we are not going to carelessly share EVERYTHING with EVERYBODY. The other unhealthy extreme, keeping the contents of our soul under lock and key and disclosing zero, builds walls and hinders love.

Prerequisite question: Do I myself know the deep contents of my soul? Guiding the saints into self discovery is one of the Holy Spirit’s assignments. Coupled with that, is our ongoing discovery of the character and attributes of God. I love this insight from John Calvin: Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God. Our wisdom, insofar as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. Wow! Only two moving parts here, but very complicated at times.

Isolated Love

Doesn’t that have a dissonant ring to it? Of course we all need some alone time, but a lifestyle of seclusion and non-disclosure will not facilitate our obeying His command to love one another. Remember, Jesus desires that we abide in His love and enjoy the fullness of His joy. The “one another” component of love is our mandate to be a part of the corporate expression. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. 1 Thes. 2:19-20

Investing in others calls for sacrifice. Allowing them to invest in us calls for disclosure.

This is obedience to God, loving like Jesus did, and it will be your path to abiding joy.

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