Sunday Words of Encouragement March 4, 2012

This was another morning - or really a weekend - where God's message was affirmed in several venues. At our Ladies' retreat our leader reinforced that our theme this year is to be an "intentional woman." We are to be intent on doing God's will in our lives, to serve His purposes.

This morning our substitute Sunday School teacher shared insights from the Conference Educational seminars last weekend. He shared a message that said our lives are not about us, but rather we were created for God's purposes - to serve His pleasure.

Our Pastor's message was "Lessons From the Ant."  Look at ants: they are social creatures, they communicate, they labor in divisions;  they each have a task but work together to accomplish their common goals. They care for their young and train them to grow, develop, learn their tasks to take the place of their elders. They know what they want - food and work - and that is what they do.

God has a design and a purpose for man. We were created for God's pleasure and purposes. We each have a task to do in service to God's plan. Ephesians 4:11-13 (see verses below video.)  We are to be motivated and do our part to help all mature and attain the full measure of Christ in our lives, fulfilling God's Will and Plan.

This is a beautiful song and seems right for the messages.

Are we willing to be molded and used for His purposes?

Verses for Today: 

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

I pray that I am willing to be used for God's purposes and that He will give me clear direction of those purposes.