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Time to Lean Out

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You may know this, but if Jesus Christ lives in you-you are a missionary. GULP.  Surprising?  If we truly consider the fact that Jesus designed us to move outward toward the hurting world, we are grasping His heart for His created world. I appreciate how Jesus calls us in Matthew 28:18-20 to share His gospel-He assumes we understand the absolute magnitude of this calling.  Something happens when we ask ourselves an honest question, “Do I really believe this is the best thing in the history of the world?”

Is evangelism a spiritual gift? Yes! Is it a calling for each of us? Yes! For me, evangelism is an primary calling… yet, He still calls me to allow Him to grow the spiritual gift of mercy through me.  When Jesus calls me to be a person of mercy in Matthew 5, He doesn’t add, “But, Tristie ,only if it’s your gift.” Don’t you love that about Him?! He loves to call us into new territory with new power to see a new side of God!

Friend, you radiate the kindness and joy of Jesus to the world.  So, be ready because -I promise-THEY WILL ASK YOU ABOUT IT! “Hey, why are you so nice?” “Why do make those kinds of decisions?” “Why do you say “thank you” to people?” and a favorite…”Why are you so happy?” 

What do you say now? 

I explain that I was a very different person who looked at the person of Christ and asked myself “Who is this?” Through the book of John , I discovered that knowing Jesus as not a religious act as much as a realization moment. I needed His forgiveness to experience His life! Then-praying the WHOLE time-I try to share 4 truths:

1. God loves each person.(Jn. 3:16)

2. All have sinned and need a Savior. (Rom. 3:23)

3. Jesus Christ is that Savior.(Jn. 3:16, Jn. 10:30)

4. All you have to do is BELIEVE! (Jn. 1:12)

This is it. THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS EVER! Forever freedom from sin’s prison and the absolute joy of possessing an everlasting kingdom destiny. You are made for this. Let Him use you in this way! Look up and lean out.  

 

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Beauty Revolution!

Friends under 30! Here is a promise: You will age. Your face will become a mirror of your young life. I know what you are thinking…”Yikes!”
 Lots o’ sun ? Wrinkles.
Lots o’ junk food? Saggy body.
(Don’t even start me on our bodies  after pregnancy! :))
Here’s the point: Aging IS true. I can conceal my flaws, draw in eyebrows, cover my gray hairs, & pop on some full lashes but it’s NOT really me.
For all of time, the most beautiful things are still spiritual.
In Luke 10, we meet a sweet girl named Mary who loved to just sit at the feet of Jesus. Her faith is praised-not her appearance!  Memorize this: God made your spirit to be prettier than your face! A Jesus-saturated heart shines through a woman.
A godly, peaceful & loving woman is always the most attractive one in the room.
Aging doesn’t harm us-it reveals us.
Let’s put our mirrors away ! Let’s read His Word, share your faith, pray constantly, & love our people well. “Pretty” becomes permanent when we allow the King of all beauty to remake us in His image!
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Are you ready for a miracle? The Book of John

What does “miracle” mean? What can the book of John teach us here? Everything ! For me, this book is my foundation. The 7 Miracles of Christ and the 7 Names of Christ given are what makes Christianity completely different than any other faith.  Miracles are “intended to “ENGENDER BELIEF” (Thomas Nelson Study Bible commentary) Doesn’t it fit with the FACT that the word “BELIEVE” (in the Greek “pisteuo”) occurs 90 times in this Gospel?!

I. DEFINE MIRACLE -” A miracle can be defined as an act Jesus Christ performed while on earth to confirm his Deity.  In addition, the apostles performed “signs” to attest to their divine  authority from God. This was the initial building of the early church. Yet, we all use the phrase “It’s a miracle!” when we get a parking place , a  free coffee, or pass Algebra.   Are there 2 types of miracle?  If we define a miracle as “only the things Jesus performed on earth to validate His identity” This is different than the miracles we ask for.   If we are thinking of the context of Christ’s visit , then a miracle is the supernatural power of God entering the natural world of mankind. Jesus is alive & His miracles exhibited His  Messianic title. It would seem that this kind of miracle is finished because Jesus said “It is finished!” 

 What now?  Can’t we get some miracles too, today?  Yes! God is unhindered by anything! He loves it when His kids ask Him for something because He is a good father.  Our role is ask & pray, ask & pray, ask & pray. He may “Yes!”or He may say “no”. Yet, we keep knocking! Sometimes the “miracle” we think we want could actually hurt us and He is acting as Protector. He has a huge plan perfectly synched and can see all things throughout all time. Yet, maybe He wants to give us a miracle to demonstrate His power and increase our faith. Maybe He wants to say “yes!” 

II. JESUS’S Miracles in John

  • TURNING WATER TO WINE
  • HEALING THE OFFICIAL’S SON
  • HEALING THE LAME MAN
  • FEEDING THE 5,000
  • WALKING ON WATER
  • HEALING THE BLIND MAN
  • RAISING LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

III.   What can we learn?

  • Miracle #1 Ch.2:1-11 Turning Water to Wine-Jesus’ power over natural objects-He is Creator.
  • MIRACLE #2. Ch. 4:46-54 Healing the Official’s Son-Jesus’ power over death (and the fact the boy from a distance!) show He is not contained by space.
  • Miracle #3Ch.5:8 Healing the Lame Man (on the Sabbath!). Our lessons here are “Jesus is LORD over the Sabbath”, that He can heal, and that we are to rejoice in His healing!
  • Miracle #4Ch.6:1-15 Feeding the 5,000! The truth to learn here is only GOD can create. I always love to imagine the little boy who shared his lunch…he must have been proud that Master Jesus used his little gift to feed thousands!
  • Miracle#5 Ch. 6:16-21 Jesus walking on the water must have shocked the disciples. Lesson here? He has complete control over nature….and consequently, my life!
  • Miracle#6 Ch.9:38 A man, blind, ALL his life and Jesus gives him the glorious gift of sight. Perhaps the first face he saw was Christ’s! I love the man’s defense of Jesus and the way He worshipped Him.
  • Miracle #7Ch. 11:1-25 Raising of Lazarus. Unquestionably, my favorite miracle of all time! The final miracle proves HIS power to raise the dead and that He will raise us someday too because we “have believed in Him WHOM He has sent”!

Learn the ways of Christ & study how He performs the impossible in human life. Ask for your miracles-but always after thanking Him for His!