Sunday Words of Encouragement October 30, 2016

We had another good Sunday School message today about Spiritual Warfare. I will share that another time. The Pastor continued his sermon series on the Healthy Church.


It is sometimes difficult watching our children grow. We are to train them up. They will go through painful moments. Although we might want to shield or protect our children, the growing process is necessary for development. CIPA is a nervous system disease that exhibits a lack of pain. This can cause danger because the person with the decease doesn’t realize or recognize pain when pain occurs. They can’t learn from painful experiences. The pain of our past can shape how we live the future.
The message was centered around Titus chapter 3. The sermon encouraged us to post verses around our houses and cars. The verses note how division is negative for family, church and country. Unity matters.

The Point: A Healthy Church embodies the attitude and posture of Christ.

The book of James discusses the power of tongue. A careless tongue, or malicious one, can cause offence in family and church. We need to be authentic; not hiding behind masks. People should be our first priority. We should be sensitive to those around us. As followers of Christ we should convey the attitude and posture of Christ. We should be giving and sharing rather than taking and hording. We should give grace towards others, remembering that, in everything we do and say, we are representing our Father. As Paul encourages Titus, we too should learn to surrender and obey in humility. We have been declared righteous by God through Christ’s sacrifice and we need to share that gift with others.

I think this song is appropriate for this message: With Every Act of Love

Verses for Today:
Titus 3:4-7
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Heavenly Father, I pray that you would help me to share kind and graceful words and acts in my everyday living.

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 18, 2015

We had a nice Sunday School lesson, finishing the study of the book of Revelations after two plus years!

Pastor’s sermon was a “Question regarding your life in Christ? Are You Following Jesus?
Believers have to be careful that they don’t become so familiar with the things of God that their life in God becomes “ho-hum” which means either dull or indifferent. Are we more excited about the ball game (SuperBowl coming up) or about the local gossip than we are about what God is doing around us and through us?

Take a look at your life through the eyes of others. What do people see about God when they look at you? Do you look just like all the other people around or is there something that reflects a difference in your life? So often we (Christians) dress just like everyone else so that doesn’t set us apart. Are we practicing Christianity and does the love of Christ shine through in our behaviors? What do nonbelievers see? Do they see a helping hand, a praying friend and a joyful spirit? Or do they just see another troubled person grumbling about the problems of work and family? We need to be careful not to be tolerant of complacency.
 
Two important areas to help keep your life from being “ho-hum”:
1> Do not neglect a good prayer life.
2> Do not grow weary in good works.
Believers need to incite each other to righteousness, living according to Hebrews 10:24-25 and not living like the world (2 Timothy 3:2-5).

I found this song to fit today’s message!

With Every Act of Love, Jason Gray

Verses for today:
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Lord, I pray that you help me to remain faithful in prayer, to listen to Your will, and in showing  your love so that others will see Jesus in me.