If God can raise Jesus from the dead…

We can’t help but think the importance the Resurrection of Jesus Christ applies to the past or the future, but we rarely think of it as affecting our present world. Jesus lived 2,017 years ago and we can’t help but look at this glorious holiday in a way of sweet remembrance, not necessarily current relevance. We worship for what was done. We sing praise for what will happen. We pray for the Kingdom to come. But what about now? Do you need the power of resurrected Christ today? Romans 8:11 may not be a standard Easter verse, but for me, this has infused my life with resurrection power for 20 years. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” This verse has given me the hope I need today, the power to live in a godly fashion, and a satisfied sense of His presence. Jesus has something NEW for you. We want to deal with next week in resurrection power. The resurrection is all about needing God. I need that huge, vast, and all-encompassing power to obey Him and love others. May our constant meditation be “If God can raise Jesus from the dead, then surely He can do ANYTHING for me!”

Ask Him for resurrection power. It’s His specialty.

lemon AID

“If life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” I know, it sounds like an “old school phrase”. It is and yet, it’s still relevant. Sound dumb? Not realistic? Maybe. There will be sour trials that seem to squeeze the juice out of us. Fighting a health issue?  The sharp zing of a breakup? In the middle of a bitter job situation? What do we do about this stuff? My husband, Brian, has observed, “Almost every older person we know is one of two things-bitter or joyful.” How can we sweeten up?

  1. Take Responsibility – We like to blame others for things that happen-we even blame God. The fact is, we are following Jesus. He chose to give up His rights. We are responsible for our thoughts & our responses.
  2. Choose to Trust God What would happen if we chose to believe that God has allowed circumstances in our lives to HELP us? We must keep the goodness of God at the forefront of our minds.
  3. Realize Every Choice Matters Extreme, but true. We are building our lives right now & every single discipline we implement takes us toward God or away from Him.  True gratitude is never accidental. It will not just happen. Want to be joyful at 50? Want to be thankful at 70? We need to have disciplined responses of gratitude NOW.
  4. KNOW that Jesus Gives us Strength – He’s given you the power to choose and the strength to ask Him for help! Have you invited Christ into your life? He lives in you! He is giving you the ability to respond joyfully in difficult and frustrating circumstances. Experience His strength by asking Him to fill you.
  • In the midst of a cynical world, our most penetrating witness can be our JOY. Lemons are sour without sugar. With sugar? Delightful! Ask God today to help you counter the world’s bitterness with the sweetness of Christ!

Jesus on one page?

Monday morning pals & I took the identity of Jesus (“Christology”!🤓) & put it on ONE page!! Jesus said this about Himself-John 8:56-59, John 14:8-10, Matthew 28:18-20. His followers said this about Him- Colossians 1:15-17, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:3. Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy Isaiah 53. 2 big church heresies-Arianism (“Jesus was a man, but not God”) Docetism (“Jesus was God, not man”) The takeaway? Jesus is fully God, fully man, died for sin, & rose from the dead. Bam! This is the crux of our faith-the basics (which are never basic!), the Essentials, “follow up”, & orthodox view of the Greatest Person of all time. Can you imagine if we all learned this & talked about it over coffee? Share this with your friend, your bible study, or your child! Thank you to my girl, @ashlamonogue for taking messy & making it beautiful!! @lorincatalena @aliciaroselima @ashlamonogue You ladies inspire!!! You each are examples of wanting to KNOW Him-I love u!! @gracebible #followup #basics #churchhistory #orthodoxy #theology#identityofchrist #whodoyousayiam