God is Love

“God is love.” – 1 John 4:16

“Love one another as I have loved you.” – John 15:12

Christ gave His love when it was not deserved to people who did not deserve it. That’s a principle to practice! Love is the one ingredient of which our world never tires and of which there is never an over abundance. The world will never outgrow its need for love. God created us in His own image, which means we were created to function on the fuel of love. The world cries out for genuine love, love that heals, love that unites, love that forgives, love that encourages.

Love is essential to our emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being. Our lives are shaped by those who love us and by those who refuse to love us. If you give love away, it will be renewed each day and become stronger and purer.

Love in your heart is not put there to stay;

Love is not love until you give it away.

We enrich the world by what we give.

You have the gift of love to give it away every day.

Nehemiah 9

Lately I have been going through the Old Testament and reading some awesome stories about the people in Jesus' time. As you can tell by my title, I read Nehemiah 9 today. God really touched my heart through this chapter (and book in general). In Nehemiah, I read about how the people would be heart-broken and sorrowful before the Lord whenever they disobeyed God.
　
"...for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God." - Nehemiah 9:3
Even in Ezra, the book of the Bible right before Nehemiah, we see the people devastated by their sins before the Lord.
"When I heard this, I tore my clothing, pulled my hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked." - Ezra 9:3

How often do we ignore, minimize, and make excuses for our sin? And even if we admit and confess our sin, we half-heartedly try to make amends with God. I know I am guilty of this. At times I find myself not really thinking about the wrong I have done or the degree to which I have dishonored our Heavenly Father.
After reading these passages, I was hit with another humbling lesson. I began to see a pattern as I was studying Nehemiah 9. Once the Isrealites confessed their sins for more than 3 hours, they proceeded to praise God for all He has done for them AND their ancestors.

In verses 6 through 31 the leaders of the Levites make much of God by remembering God's forgiveness, goodness, and mercy. Here is a brief snapshot of what their prayer looked like:

"You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars." (vs.6)
"And You have done what You promised, for You are always true to Your word." (vs. 8)
"You heard their cries from beside the Red Sea." (vs. 9)
"But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them..." (vs.17)
"You sustained them..." (vs.21)
And the list goes on...

I wanted to write this devotional today to encourage and challenge us all to humbly come before God and admit our wrongdoings. To not push our sins aside and pretend we have never turned our backs on the Lord. And when we do turn from our sin and turn to Him, know that He is faithful and just and will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

I know I needed this message tonight to convict me of my stubborn heart lately so I want to thank you all for reading this and letting me share it with you. I pray the Lord will use His Word to do a work in your heart as He did mine.

With love and prayers,
Shannon

Risking It All for God

            A few months ago I felt led by God to give my 2-week notice at my job.  Since I did not have a job lined up to replace this job and other job opportunities were not panning out, I hesitated.  I began to doubt and question this leading, saying that it was not a wise decision and it just did not make sense that God would call me to do this. (I was not thinking of the Bible passage Proverbs 3:5, 6 where it tells us not to lean on our own understanding.)  As I continued to work at my job, this urging from God became clearer and more constant in my life.  I began to pray about it and read God’s Word, secretly hoping I could find a way out so I would not have to take this giant leap of faith. (I am known for playing it safe.)  Yet time and time again God presented me with evidence that He, in fact, had this planned for me to give my 2-weeks and trust Him with the results.  He reassured me with sermons, Bible verses, books on taking leaps of faith and trusting in His power, as well as words of encouragement from a few close believers.

            In regards to my job decision, the first Bible story that God brought me to was in Matthew 14:22-33.  This passage talks about how Peter was called by God to make a giant leap of faith by stepping out of his boat onto the water to follow Him.  If Peter had based his decision solely on his senses and his own understanding of the situation, he would have never stepped out of the boat and trusted God.  As a result, Peter would not have been able to be blessed from his obedience.  But most importantly, he would have missed an opportunity to witness God’s amazing power and continued faithfulness.  Just like Peter, if I had focused on the obstacles that were clearly evident rather than viewing my circumstance with eyes of faith, I would have missed out on the job that God had in store for me in which I hold as of this past Monday! :)

            The thing that convicted me most was the thought that I am a hypocrite if I say I have faith but don’t take steps of faith with confidence that He will provide.  I wrote this devotional in hopes that it encourages us all to take big risks for God.  Let us make a change and dare to fail for once.  Stop playing it safe.  The bigger the prayer, the greater the results!  Joshua 10 is a great example of this where he prays to God that He would make the sun stand still – and God did just that!  I pray this message gives you the confidence to pray bold prayers like Joshua and trust that when we obey God, He will not disappoint us.

God Bless!

<3 Shannon

“Ready Now” – Desperation Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcls_EIcLAg

The Reality of God's Word

Each day that we get to live on this earth is another chance to seek God's wisdom even further.  I am so thankful for every opportunity God places in front of me.  One opportunity that God placed in my life recently was pursuing school for ministry.  Going through one of my classes I heard a funny story that I want to share with all of you.

 It was a sunny morning as 14 year old John Smith walked into his into his classroom and sat at his desk.  As he sat down in his chair he noticed a note sitting right in front of his hands.  Quickly he looked up to see if any of his classmates were looking at him, but to his surprise everyone in the classroom was busy with their own conversations with each other.  As he opened the note and read the first two words he froze up.   The words read, "Dearest Johnny."  John could not stop thinking of those two words.  John was thinking, “I wonder what tone, what type of context the writer was using while writing those two words.  I wonder if the writer was so passionate about me and wanted to express to me how deeply they had felt about me."  As he continued through the note his eyes grew bigger and bigger with each word that passed by.  It took John 25 minutes to read a half page letter.  He dug into each word of the note as he read it over 3 times.

I tell you this story for many reasons.  One is that a lot of us we can relate.  Have you ever had a secret admirer? Or were you the one writing the letter?  Either way, this is story is an example of how we need to read the Bible. 

As Christians, we view the Bible as God’s Word.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We need to view the Bible just as John read his note.  We need to read it carefully.  We need to realize that the stories in the Bible are real history, with real people, and real situations.  We need to understand the culture and why the people did what they did in their own particular situation.  There are several situations that I have run into where people don’t view the Bible the way God intended for us.

Every so often I hear churches say that they are going through the entire Bible in “X” amount of time.  In this situation I do find it hard to hear.  Each word, sentence, paragraph are so important in the Bible.  Have you ever heard of someone say that the Bible is contradicting?  How about someone telling you they just don’t understand the Bible?  I want you to realize that the Bible is not meant to be contradicting or confusing.  God wants to reveal His word to His children.

The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

I pray that you read the Bible like my example with John. There is meaning in each word, sentence, and paragraph of the Bible. Please don’t overlook what God has in store for you. I want to encourage you in faith! Just as in Matthew 10:16 – “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

God bless you all!

Bobby C.

Seeking Godly Guidance from All of You

Hi, my name is Shannon. I am a recent graduate at the University of Iowa where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. It is my hope to further my education and/or training in Biblical/Christian Counseling so I may counsel/work in a church someday or be a Biblical/Christian Counselor for a private practice. This past year my boyfriend and I had felt God lay a desire on our hearts to start (or be a part of) a ministry for the homeless. To be more specific, we feel called to feed the hungry, provide clothing and shelter for the homeless, and to be a light in a dark world to those who are hurting. Below I have included our ideas for what God has put on our hearts for ministry ideas. It would be great to get any advice on how to further this ministry or if you know of any resources or organizations that could help us, we would greatly appreciate it. The last question I have is in regards to employment. My boyfriend, Bobby, and I have recently been struggling to find a job/career in which we feel a strong passion for and where we feel God has gifted us. Bobby is currently working as a Salesperson for U.S. Cellular and I am a Residential Counselor for an organization called Family Resources (it is more into the Social Work field, rather than counseling). As I said earlier, I would love to eventually be a Biblical Counselor or even work in a church. I am just not sure where to get my foot in the door so I can make this dream a reality. Do you have any idea how I could do this? Bobby is currently working towards his Bachelors in Criminal Justice. He has mentioned that he would like to be a police officer, but since becoming a Christian he also has a desire to serve in Full-Time ministry in the church as well. Do you have any advice for him? We are both at a phase in our lives where we feel God is calling us in a new direction (whether that is related to school/job/geography) – we are just not sure what direction that is. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I pray God blesses you and your church for being a blessing in my life.

In Christ,

Shannon

It’s All About You Ministry

 

Purpose: reach out to those in need and share the Gospel with them; meet their needs

Vision: to see people’s lives changing through the Holy Spirit

Goal: to make a difference in people’s lives by showing God’s glory and unconditional love

 

Goals for Ministry:

·         Establish Bible studies (Men/Women)(Devotionals)

·         Provide food and clothing

·         Counseling: Substance Abuse, Mental Health, etc.????

·         Reaching out to those in need; being that helping hand (ex: helping people get off the streets and find a job)

·         Support Team – for comfort and guidance (always there when people walk in the door)

·          Build a team of volunteers/employees

Funding:

·         Food drives

·         Donation drives

·         Grants

·         Community

·         Web site

·         Support letters

Advertise:

·         ???

Possible Partners????

·         King’s Harvest in Davenport, IA

·         Christian Center in Rock Island, IL

Steps we are/will be taking:

·         Getting advice and insight from friends and family, small group, etc.

·         Plugging into different ministries at Heritage (our home church)

·         Attending classes through Heritage

·         Get Bachelors/Masters in Ministry (Bobby) and/or Counseling (Shannon)

The World Needs You

Each week I wake up and do such things as: go to work, class, the gym, movies, the mall, and travel.  With my job and the rest of my life I talk to a lot of people......  I see this world as crumbling!  I see the world in need of help!  All over the world everyday babies are born, young adults are graduating high school/college, getting new jobs, finding new relationships, and finding new opportunities.  God made this world! He made the heavens above and below!  He made everything good, from the ground you walk on to the opportunities for new employment. People abuse this world that He created.  Everyone does have free will  and do have choices to make each and everyday.  I see people get new jobs only to get to the top, to be greedy only to benefit themselves.  I see people receive money only to waste it on the best products out there when the homeless rate increases.  Children,young adults, men, and woman are abused by their parents,spouses, and absolute strangers all over the world.

What happened? Why did this world become the way it is?  What is the solution?

Today I want you to open your Bible to Genesis.

Gen. 1:3-4  Then God said,” Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was Good.

Gen.1:12  The land produced vegetation all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit.  Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind.  And God saw this it was Good.

Gen. 1:16-18  God made two great lights-the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night.  He also made the stars.  God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness.  And God saw that is was Good.

Gen. 1:25  God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind.  And God saw that it was good.

God created Adam and gave him such responsibility and opportunity just as He gives you everyday.  I see this world at times just as the beginning.  I see people lie, cheat, sin.... then try to hide from God just as Adam and Eve did.  As much as you think you are hidden from God I will tell you that you are completely naked.  God knows!  We are born into sinful bodies.  

The solution is YOU! yes YOU!

Brothers and Sisters... you are believers... you have been chosen by God too live for him...  To live  to give all glory to him...

You are his children! His disciples, to show this broken world who He is... who his Son is!  You are the one to show the world without God opportunities wouldn’t be possible.

Brothers and Sisters of Christ I pray with all my heart you continue to spread the word of God.  I pray you can make a difference in every situation you are in.  If you feel you are not making a difference where you are at in life... pray to God about it... He is closer to you more then you know. Pray for what you would think is “the impossible” to happen. Whether it is someone you want to bring to Christ...... to why people are wasting money away while the homeless rate keeps on going up.

End Prayer:

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day..  I thank you for the opportunity to write this blog.. I thank you for everyone who writes all of these messages.  These are your children! your disciples.  Dear Lord I pray you continue shaping hearts all over the world.  I pray for everyone who reads my message with all my heart to continue to keep You number one of their lives and I pray all the glory in Jesus name

Amen 

God Bless Everyone

Bobby C.

A Prayer of Hope

A few months ago I wrote a poem to God as I was thinking about the sad divorce rate and many unhappy marriages. After reading it over tonight, I realized that in several ways this prayer can speak to many, if not all of us, including myself. It is my hope that this prayer encourages you and reminds you of the hope we have in the Lord when we put our trust in Him. (Note: This poem has been modified slightly since I initially was praying for married couples in general and not for our devotional group as a whole.)

“You, Lord, are all-powerful and can break down any walls we may have up and You can soften our hearts to hearing the Truth. Father, I pray that You would transform our lives. Right now we may be merely existing. I ask that You would heal any wounds we have from past hurts and get rid of any bitterness or resentment we may have toward one another. Lord, help us to forgive each other just as You forgive us time and time again. Help us to see our need for You so that we may turn to You for comfort and guidance on how to rebuild our lives and center them on You. I know that Your hands are on every situation even when the future appears hopeless. Thank You for handling situations that are too overwhelming for us to handle. You deserve all the glory and praise!

In Your Heavenly Name,

AMEN.”

God Bless!

<3 Shannon

“Healer” – Kari Jobe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvIEJ_PmqJ8