Monday, July 5, 2009 – Week 4 (can you believe it’s July already??)
…Of the Weeks:
Song: “Summer Day” – Coconut Records, Nighttiming
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Verses: Colossians 3:12-15
Hello all!
I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July weekend and got to see some fireworks!! I spent some excellent time with family, including my cousins from Michigan whom I hadn’t seen in a while.
Well, let’s just jump right into it:
1. Prayer
2. Fasting updates?
3. Update- Megan Miller
4. Some encouragement
5. me
6. you
1. I really think we should focus our prayer this week on ourselves. I think we need to find ways to delve back into intimacy with God. For most, summer is a rough time for spiritual growth. Find a way to make prayer more conversational and casual with God this week. Involve Him intentionally in your daily activities or in your meandering thoughts when things slow down. Search for God in the little things. Let’s strive to hear God more clearly so that we’re ready and prepared to do His will each day.
2. So, during my time fasting last Monday, I realized there is so much to pray for. I felt a little overwhelmed…unfortunately, I think that clouded the way I prayed for everything… a little too quick and frantic as the requests popped into my head. That’s a discipline I still have a lot to work on. Did you get a chance to fast last week at all?
If so, do you have anything to share about your experience?
3. Thanks for all your prayers for Megan- her grandpa’s doing better!! Here’s an update from her:
My Pop is home now and is doing better, but is still not in perfect health. It was the coolest thing ever; people from his church came and prayed for him and asked for healing and he literally saw all the junk leave his body and saw God's healing descend upon him. The next day he came home. I know that all the prayers really helped him. As far as my dad goes, he really is having problems with all the reading and everything, and his eyes are getting strained too easily.
Let’s keep praying for both her dad and her grandpa.
4. In church today, I was reminded of an enduring truth that sounded so sweet in my ear because of what I’ve been struggling with this summer. The sermon came from Colossians 3:12-15 and the point that got to me came from verse 15, which says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” The truth that the pastor spoke from that verse was that, as a church, we need to be committed to responding to challenges with gratitude -- a calm assurance that what God is doing is best. God’s peace isn’t always based on good circumstances. We need to give God’s peace dominion in our hearts even when we face hardships, even when we struggle and even when we feel inadequate and directionless. Now, this doesn’t mean we should stop seeking better circumstances, but that we must trust God when we feel stuck. We need to look at the messes in our lives and remember that the character and conduct of God doesn’t lead us to failure. We must believe God is ultimately in control and is putting us through trials for our own good. Let Christ’s peace be the authority in your life and don’t let Satan lead you to believe that God is doing anything less than leading you in love.
The sermon had so many other bits of goodness that I needed to hear…you can access it during the next week at the following link…give it a listen!
http://www.harvestbiblechapel.
5. I’m not perfect and I’m still struggling with things, but God’s making it better, slowly but surely. Something that I’m struggling with is letting other things become gods in my life. It’s easy to even let myself become an idol when I choose apathy and laziness over productivity. I read in a book’s commentary on Hosea that the Israelites were becoming like the gods they worshipped- “full of lies, deceit and caprice” and they have forgotten who Yahweh truly is and instead have come to think of him in terms of their Canaanite religion. This was eye-opening to read. I think I need to start draining my life of exposure to these idols and begin filling my head with more lasting truths and promises.
6. How about you? Are there some idols you need to give up? Is there a way you can challenge yourself this week to begin that process?
Well, thank you for reading again!
Please have a blessed week and let’s try and keep God at the forefront of all things.
love you all!!
jeanette
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