Confidence in Christ In the Midst of Change

As we embark upon a new journey within Kingdom Kids ministry, we are challenged to rely upon Jesus even more to guide us every step of the way. As your leader, this is a challenge I have not faced prior to coming to Christ Community.

I am thankful that in my weakness, He is strong. As this ministry continues to expand, teamwork is more important now than ever before.

Imagine this…you are on a football team. It is seconds to the end of the game and this play could either help you win the game…or lose it. You are huddled together and the coach informs the quarterback of the play. The quarterback then passes this information on to the team. Is the coach 100% certain that this play is going to win the game? Of course not! The one thing that is certain is that it will take teamwork to make the win a possibility.

I am excited to witness young families feeling loved and a part of Christ Community from the moment they walk through our doors. Their children enjoy learning about Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. As your leader, I want to encourage you that as change unfolds, we are in this together. God has already gone before us and the Holy Spirit is guiding us into His perfect will.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, “Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes for God. He has enabled us to be ministers of His new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”

He takes the unqualified and makes them qualified by the power of His Name.

Aren’t you glad that as we serve Him, He decides to make us a part of His great plan? He did not have to do this…but He chose to use us to glorify Him. That is the key: as we humble ourselves, allow Him to use us, and place our confidence in Him, He will be glorified. As we serve obediently, others experience the love of Christ. We are His hands and feet…I pray that we would always place our trust in Him…Jesus is the One coach who will never let this team down. He DOES know the winning play!

Rx for Anxiety

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Have you ever felt overwhelmed, incompetent, unqualified, or uncertain? Have you ever questioned if you were in the will of God? As you have conversed with God, have you ever asked this question, “Why me, Lord? Why did you choose me?”

I have found myself asking these questions this past week and experiencing these identical feelings. Over the past 48 hours, I cried out to my Father and asked, “How do I get past these feelings of inadequacy?” The truth is that prior to the move to Milgen Rd., I was making progress in this area of my life. I realized the past few days that I have given the enemy more power than he deserves. This caused me to ask, “How have I allowed him to overcome my mind once again?” The Holy Spirit revealed to me that I have not been spending enough time in the Word. My heart was filled with conviction.

It is far too easy to allow our task list to take precedence over our time with God the Father. God had a plan from the beginning when He set the example of rest on the seventh day. He desires for His children to receive the gift of rest. He desires for us to spend quiet time with Him. As we place a priority on spending daily quiet time, we will hear His small, still voice and He will serve as our compass that guides us.

This morning, I began my day in His Word, prayer, and then picked up my devotional. He began speaking to my questioning heart as the devotional for today spoke about ‘But God Moments.’ These are moments in our lives where we may be hesitant to trust that we can fulfill the mission, but God will equip and empower us. (excerpt from The Word for You Today)

I began to weep as I realized my Creator loves me enough to speak to my heart through His Word, devotionals that on the very day I needed encouragement, He spoke words of Truth into my heart. As if this weren’t a gift in itself, He revealed His love to me yet again. I began writing my first encouragement blog to each of you. As I was writing, I began listening to a Christian radio station and a song began playing entitled, “Word of God Speak.”

I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to speak to me through His Word and His small, still voice. I desire to do the will of God. When we are obedient, He listens and He answers our prayer. Jesus is truly our Forever Friend. He never fails us. When we are most out of our comfort zone, it forces us to rely on Him. I am learning that we are powerless in ourselves but He is powerful through us. We are His hands and feet and He desires to use us to accomplish His perfect will.

I encourage you to trust Him today. More importantly, spend some quality time with your Forever Friend. You will be amazed as He expresses His love to you in a very tangible way. He will fill your cup to overflowing. Rest in His grace and walk in freedom knowing you are not alone. He is with you…always and forever.

If you would like to listen to the song that ministered to me, I encourage you to click on this link. Enjoy!