Faith | Being Who God Created Me to Be

Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

Posted on March 11, 2010 - by Mary

Leadership Conference Highlights

Last night was my first night home after spending 3 days at the Resurrection Life Church Leadership Conference. This was my 4th year attending the conference and I feel it’s the best one yet. The main speakers were: Pastor Duane Van Der Klok (Res. Life), Chris Hodges (Church of the Highlands), John Vereecken (Lidere, Vida Internacional) and Chris Moon (Res. Life Cadillac)

Chris Hodges spoke on topics such as: Engaging the Culture, and the main points were:

Daniel 6:1 – excellent Spirit (NKJV) Exceptional qualities (NIV)
4 values for staff: Genuine love for God, Genuine compassion for people, a culture of excellence, and a good attitude.

Chris Hodges also taught on 7 Principles to Make it Through a Bad Day:

Hebrews 12:2: If you want to conquer any land, the enemy is going to come against you
The cross really sets the framework for us: See my previous blog post about the 7 statements Jesus said on the cross

Chris’ also taught the 8 Secrets of Life-Giving Ministry and we were given a handout, but the main points were:

Empowering Leadership
Gift-based ministry
Passionate Spirituality
Functional Structures
Inspiring Worship Service
Holistic Small Groups
Need-oriented evangelism
Loving Relationships

John Vereecken’s topics included: Heroism, where he explained what it means to be a hero in ministry: Extreme sacrifice for a cause that benefits other people.

Phil. 2:5-8 – Jesus gave up His divine privileges so others could benefit
Live a life of sacrifice
Luke 14:26 – Love Jesus more than your own life
2 Tim. 2:3 – As a good soldier of Jesus Christ you must endure some suffering
Phil. 1:29 – You’ve been given the privilege of suffering for Christ
Adopt the same attitude as Jesus had

Each day there were also break out workshops. I attended “The Heart of a Leader” by Ken Reynolds, worship leader at Res. Life, and John Vereecken’s “How to Influence and Lead your Superiors to Create Change”.

Chris Moon gave a really good message about how to Pastor orphans and slaves; there’s a difference between discipline and punishment. Main points throughout the talk were:

We need to sow into the younger generation
The heart of a great leader always leaves a great legacy
In your life, in your church, aim at something
Promote fruitfulness not faithfulness
Reach people where they’re at
Church isn’t for Christians-it’s for the lost
Be a servant leader
Good shepherds always smell like sheep…get with the people
Servant leadership isn’t what you do – it’s who you are. Attitude leadership
Your joy is your greatest strength as a leader (Nehemiah 8:10)
People are looking for an emotional connection. The Spiritual connection will come through that.
Our church should be a happy place-maintain a joyful place
Understand growth is always inconvenient
What you will tolerate will kill you
Luke 14: You know you’re inconvenienced by your language
Luke 9: 62: You will know you’re an orphan and a slave when you have obligation language
Live your life with a “Please Disturb” sign
In a growth environment we don’t choose who God calls
Accept people where they’re at
Don’t put in the hearts of people that they can’t serve because they smoke, drink, lie or have been, or are, in jail. It creates a subculture.
See their potential. Call greatness out of people. All things are possible with God.

I’m looking forward to next year’s conference already! What conference’s have you attended that you would recommend to others?

Posted on March 9, 2010 - by Mary

7 Life Principles Jesus Taught on the Cross

This week I am at the Resurrection Life Church Leadership Conference in Grandville. It is so amazing! We just ended the first full day and the speakers and messages were amazing. I wanted to share the message from tonight’s last session with Chris Hodges from Church of the Highlands in Birmingham Alabama. The title is “7 Principles to Make it Through a Bad Day”. Basically, they are the 7 statements Jesus said on the cross which are 7 life principles for us to live by everyday.

1. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” Forgive every person who is trying to ruin your life. When you carry that stuff around, the only person it hurts is you.

2. Jesus told the criminal on the cross next to him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise”. (Luke 23:43) Help others who are experiencing your same struggle.

3. In John 19:26, Jesus says to his mother, Mary: “Dear woman, here is your son.” Be sure to be sensitive to those closest to you…your spouse and your children. Don’t go to church and put on that happy face for everyone else, then go home and be mean or grumpy to your loved ones.

4. In Matt 27:46, Jesus calls out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Until we get to heave there are some things we will never understand. (Job 42:2)

5. “I thirst” (John 19:28) Be Human enough to acknowledge your needs.

6. “It is finished” (John 19:30) Be assured there is a purpose and an end. (Romans 8:28)

7. “Father into your hands, I commit my Spirit (Luke 23:46). Finally, surrender your day to God and let it go.

Posted on February 24, 2010 - by Mary

Proof Jesus IS God

Some of you may not know this interesting fact about me, so I thought I’d share it with you because the issue has arisen again recently. And that interesting fact is…I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. Yes, that’s right, my parents became JW’s when I was in the 3rd grade and I hung onto their beliefs and was even baptized later in my adult years. I got saved in 1997, when I was 32. A co-worker, who is now my best friend, had been trying to witness to me and I was “witnessing” to her. After much discussion and going back and forth, neither of us getting anywhere really, we decided to pray together and have God reveal the truth to whichever of us needed it. Of course, you know the outcome now, so needless to say, after praying that prayer, I began to see all the contradictions the JW’s teach, right in their own bible. Of course, most JW’s are too brainwashed to see anything different, and most would never pray the way I did with a non JW.

I had to give you that little background because yesterday in church I had a gentleman, someone I’ve never met before, asking me some questions about it. He was saved, I don’t know how long ago, but a while back I’d guess, then he fell away, and then he was searching again and, I think he started going back to church, but he’s also been going to the Kingdom Hall (JW’s meeting place-they don’t call it a church). The main question he had was, “How do you know Jesus is God? How do you prove it to them?” Of course that’s been my biggest struggle, because it is a mystery and it is difficult to wrap my head around sometimes.

Tonight our church began the Experiencing God bible study. Each week we are to do the studies ahead of time, then we go over the main points during the bible study together as a group. I just love how God knows exactly what we need when we need it…don’t you? Anyway, each week, there is also a DVD that goes right along with that week’s lesson and in the video I got the answer to that question. One of the things Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God, said that really stood out to me was: “Jesus gave up his right to know what God was doing when he came to the earth”. So, when we got back into discussion, I asked the leader of our group where in the bible could I find proof of that statement. He pointed me to Phillippians 2:5-8:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

So, that clears up some huge questions for me personally! Whenever I read verses about Jesus praying to God, I always wondered why he didn’t already know the answer since he is God, but this verse shows that he gave up that right and humbled himself. Of course Almighty God has that ability because nothing is impossible for God. (Luke 1:37)

I invited the gentleman to Experiencing God, but he didn’t show up. I hope he didn’t have second thoughts about going back to the Kingdom Hall. I was able to give him some other good scripture references, so hopefully he will be able to use them if he did go back. I will be praying for him; will you join me in that prayer?

Posted on February 21, 2010 - by Mary

You Were Created for this Exact Time and Place

At church today, I attended both services because I’m learning how to run overheads using ProPresenter…which I love to do…and attending both services really helps the message to sink in. If I don’t attend both services, then I take notes, which also helps the message to sink in. And I can’t take notes when I run overheads because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the overheads. ANYWAY…

Our Pastor has been talking about our amazing God for the last 6 weeks, and starting this week, our entire church will be studying the “Experiencing God” book. Today’s message was about how God is Omnipresent…meaning He is everywhere all the time. That fascinates me. When I think about how big the universe is, and that God is present everywhere all the time in the universe, how BIG He really is. Actually He is bigger than that, bigger than I can imagine.

One of the scriptures that really stuck out in my mind is Acts 17:26 – “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” How amazing is that??? It just goes to show God is in control. He created YOU for this exact time and place!

I sometimes wonder if I would have made different choices throughout my life, how my life would look today. One day, Jeff, my husband, and I were talking about what if we would have met years earlier, like in high school, if we would have hooked up then and if I would have had his children. My comment was, “my children would look a lot different than they do now.” But, I think things are just as they are supposed to be.

I haven’t always let God be the Director of my life. I made some really poor choices and decisions when I was growing up, and if I would have made different ones, I know my life would look, probably a lot different than it does now. But, as Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. So, I know that things are the way they are today for me because God has “worked everything for the good”.

Have you allowed God to be the Director of your life? If not, what’s stopping you? Why wouldn’t you allow the Creator of the Universe, the One and Only True God, who knows what’s best for you and your life, to be the Director of your life? No, my life is far from perfect, but I know I could not live with God in the center of it.

Well, that’s about it for now. I just wanted to share what was on my heart with you real quick. That scripture really stood out to me today and made me realize I am here at this exact time and this exact place for a very special purpose And so are YOU! So, what are you going to do about it?

Posted on February 6, 2010 - by Mary

Anxiety linked to not Communing with God?

Lately, it seems as if God has been putting people in my life who suffer from anxiety. I’m not talking mild anxiety either; anxiety that is so severe it causes physical illness, inability to sleep, fear of doing normal, everyday tasks, and emotional and/or mental breakdown when something seems to go wrong or change takes place in their lives. Most of these people are directly related to me or I work with them on some level.

I’ve been talking to them and doing some research on anxiety, I’ve come to realize that I too have suffered some anxiety in my life…but I never knew that’s what it was. Every once in a while, I would get this awful feeling over me, that I can’t even describe, and the only way to make it go away was through prayer or worship. I realize now, that awful feeling was anxiety. It would only last a few seconds or a few minutes at the very most and never caused me to become physically or emotionally ill. However, that is not the case with my relatives and friends.

In some cases, their anxiety stops them from enjoying normal social interaction, and in other cases, they get physically ill where they feel like they can’t breathe, or mentally ill to the point of depression or thinking they are going crazy. So, what causes this feeling inside of us? I believe one main reason is because we are not doing what we’re supposed to be, what we were created for. I believe another cause of anxiety is due to the fact that we’re not communing with God on a regular basis. I know for a fact, when I’m not reading the bible, praying and getting into worship on a regular basis, I get that awful feeling…that feeling of anxiousness.

One of my friends I was talking to about this admitted she has allowed work and a hectic schedule to get in the way of her regular quiet time with God, and thus her anxiety levels were at an all time high. Not only was she extremely busy, she was not getting into the Word, prayer and worship on a regular basis. So pile a hectic schedule on top of not communing with God and the level of anxiety can go through the roof. Psalm 94:19 says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” And 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” So, we need to be in communion with God on a regular basis in order to cast our cares upon God and to be consoled by Him.

So, if you’re dealing with anxiety, check yourself and be sure you are spending quality time alone with God in His Word, in prayer and in worship. He will banish your anxiety.

photo credit: usuallylaura

Posted on December 30, 2009 - by Mary

Romans 12:1

Last night as I drifting off to sleep, God brought to my mind Romans 12:1-”Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” And as I laid there meditating on this scripture, God revealed why he laid it on my heart.

One of the things He showed me is that He created our bodies. This is obvious to most, I know, but let me clarify. As I continued to meditate on that thought, I realized not only do I not offer my body as a living sacrifice – holy and pleasing to Him – I also abuse my body. I have not taken care of the earthy vessel God gave me to worship and please Him with. I have all but destroyed it with the partying I did when I was younger, the promiscuous lifestyle I lived, over eating, not exercising, not eating enough of the good foods God created, and hating my body all of my life.

As I laid in my bed, I prayed and asked God to forgive me for not taking care of my body, the gift He gave me. And He has. So, now what am I going to do with this awesome gift I’ve had my entire life and never appreciated? I’m going to start exercising (actually I already began (again) the Fat Loss Quickie workout system the day before-hmmm, you think God knew when to speak to me about this???) and eating right, which means more fruits and veggies, cutting down portion sizes (who needs to eat that much anyway???) and drinking lots and lots of water.

I want to honor God with my body, with my whole being, not just in words and deeds, but with every aspect of my life, the life God has given me.

I was so blessed by this “revelation” and I wanted to blog about it right then and there, but I was already off my new schedule I just set for myself and frankly was dog tired. So, I prayed and asked God, that if He wanted me to blog about it, to share what He revealed with me to others, to bring these thoughts back to me this morning because I often get ideas for blog posts when I go to bed, but forget them in the morning (note to self: get a notebook and pen and place it on my nightstand). And guess what? He did, obviously because I’m typing this post. But, what’s interesting, to me anyways, is how He did it.

In my new schedule I set for myself, I start out the day with an hour devoted to God, reading a devotional, the bible and praying. My husband, son, his girlfriend and I recently started attending Celebrate Recovery at our church. I started attending in support of my son who is an addict, but of course God knew what He was doing and the program has been helping me to see and deal with a lot of issues I buried. I have dealt with most of my issues since my Salvation back in 1997, but there are a couple I haven’t thought about nor dealt with. But, I digress…back to the point. As I was going through my CR booklet, guess what today’s scripture is? Yep, Romans 12:1. I absolutely love it when God does that. I believe He was preparing me last night to receive that scripture just as I needed to today. Thank you Lord for loving me the way you do and knowing exactly what I need, when I need it and how I need it, in Jesus Mighty Name.

If you’re struggling with hearing from God and knowing His plan for your life, I want to encourage you to set a regular schedule for yourself. I am not one to live by a schedule normally…I’m more of a live by the seat of your pants kind of girl…and look where it’s gotten me…fat and in debt. Get on a schedule for yourself and start out your day with God. Share with him what’s on your heart, no matter how bad you think it is, or how big you think it is. God is BIGGER than your worst problems and He wants to help you through them. All you gotta do is ask and be open to receive and trust that He will never lead you astray or fail you. And though prayers may not appear to be being answered, trust me, trust God, they are. He is working it all out in His timing and in the way that is BEST for you.

What are some ways God has spoken to you in the past or recently?

Posted on November 10, 2009 - by Mary

Chosen Youth Conference 2009-Gaylord, MI

It’s amazing how quickly time goes by when you’re having fun! We just wrapped up another weekend at the Chosen Youth Conference. If you don’t know, I’m a coordinator for the conference, meaning I help with some of the planning and organization. My official title is Production Office Manager which basically means I am in charge of printing materials such as signage, schedules and forms, setting up registration, coordinating volunteers and coordinators for the event, and managing the office before and during the event. Though it’s very tiring by the time the event is over on Saturday night, it is very rewarding and I feel blessed and privileged to serve.

The youth of our nation need and deserve to be served with events such as the Chosen Youth Conference. If you’ve never been to a youth conference or would like to know why it is important, keep reading.

The vision of James Scheer, founder of Rock Your World Ministries and keynote speaker at Chosen, is to see this generation have a true encounter with God. When someone experiences a true encounter with God, it is a life changing event. You cannot be in the presence of God without change taking place. James is the Youth Pastor at our church and was called to youth ministry at the ripe young age of 19 or 20. He’s taken several groups of youth out in the mission field, ministering to other youth through Rock Your World Ministries. Today, he continues to reach out to the youth in our community, as well as to the youth in other communities through the Chosen Youth Conferences.

Though Chosen has been compared to Acquire the Fire, it is not the goal of James Scheer or Drew Spanding (Program Director) to be another ATF. It is their heart’s desire and vision to maintain the intimacy achieved at Chosen by holding smaller events in local churches.

During the conference, several different types of media are used to reach the students, right where they’re at. Through music, from worship to Christian Rock, through videos that are humorous and serious, and through messages that are relevant for today’s youth, the speakers and musicians all have the same goal: to see this generation empowered and motivated to reach out to their peers with the message of Jesus Christ.

Everyone who is involved in the production of Chosen is a volunteer with a heart for this generation. Many of the volunteers are already youth leaders, serving in their local churches. Many of the volunteers come on board because they too have a passion to see this generation changed and have a tangible encounter with God whether it’s their first or their 10th.

If you’d like to have Chosen come to your church, email inbox@chosennow.com.

Below are some pictures from this weekend’s event, plus some of the volunteers who make Chosen happen.