Sunday, January 31, 2010

Nobody Loves Me...

"I have loved you with an everlasting love..." (Jeremiah 31:3)

Re-read that verse and focus on the wording...

Do you see the way it is worded? It's not "I will love you" or "I'm going to love you"...it is 'I have loved you'- meaning not only has God loved us a long time; He has actually loved us before time was even invented!

Maybe you thought that when the doctor held you up as a brand new baby, God looked down and said "How cute! I think I'll love that little bundle of joy forever!" Or maybe you were under the impression that Jesus didn't smile on you until you trusted Christ as your only hope of salvation? Well I'm sure His smile got a little bigger that day, but His love was coming your way before you even came your way.

So how does that make you feel?

I don't know about you, but that blows me away. God's love for me is the most constant and unchanging thing in the universe. In fact, it will still be going long after the universe is gone!

You know what else? Stop worrying about the security of your salvation. You are God's precious jewel...is He so irresponsible that you would be dropped and lost? You are the apple of God's eye.

If there was ever any possibility of God losing His affection towards you, it would have happened a long time ago, because He's loved you for a long time. But don't worry, because the opposite is true- He grows crazier about you each day, and the engine of His emotion does not have a reverse option!

If we could only let just a little bit of that truth sink in, it would change our lives completely -

-We wouldn't worry about "being good enough"

-We wouldn't care as much about what people think

-We wouldn't stress out about whether anyone likes us

-We would always know that Someone cares

And so on and so on.

In the days ahead, try focusing on this truth, and see if it doesn't help you have a "lovely" day!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Church Sunday the 31st

Due to the "blizzard" Church services are cancelled on the 31st of January. Hope everyone stays safe and warm, have a wonderful week!
The rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish. Isaiah 55: 10.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Wealth and Happiness

Our Sunday School lesson for today was from Ecclesiastes 2:5-10 and dealt with the meaning of wealth and happiness. Solomon was a selfish man for much of his life building gardens and acquiring harems, but nothing filled the void he had in his heart. He was missing something, his life was meaningless and without God his monetary wealth was nothing. As 20-somethings, sometimes it's difficult for us to separate our goals and objectives for adulthood from making money and having material possessions. It's important to remember the importance of God, family, and the blessings that may not produce a flat screen T.V. and a new car. As you go through this week check yourself for holes in your heart and remember the blessings you receive with God's love are the true measure of wealth.

P.S. During the sermon today a video was played that truly touched us. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA