The Story:
Sometime ago, I felt I was missing something; like I was not growing spiritually the way I should be. I saw people in the same boat as me moving on to different things which worked for them.  But I had to realize that God has a special purpose and path for me. I could not follow other people in hopes that they were following Christ.  When I began to take responsibility for my spiritual progress by really seeking God for direction, I grew.  When I spent my time unfocused, comparing myself to others, growth ceased.  In eating natural food, I can survive eating once or twice every seven days, but that is not sustainable or healthy. It’s the same spiritually. I need to spend time with the Lord, focused on His will for my life, so I can receive the nourishment needed to carry out His purposes for me.

The Reflection:
How often do we compare ourselves to others? How do we react when we haven’t progressed in certain areas of our lives the way we’d envisioned? How would we describe our growth, spiritually speaking?  What can we do to develop more in Christ?

The Application:
Let us take heart in who God created and where He allows us to be.  In the end, His evaluation is all that matters.  Each day, let’s spend time thanking the Lord for the unique places, paths, and people He has designed for our lives, and pray that we continue mature as He desires.

The Prayer:
Jesus, we pray that we would seek you continually so that we may grow closer to Your heart and will for us.  Please help us to realize that You have designed a special purpose for each of us. Amen.

The Story:
When difficult times occur in my life, I initially find myself worrying about how things will work out. Then, I remember to focus my mind on God’s love and how He has changed me. Knowing that Jesus, in His death and resurrection, cleared the path for me to be free from sin is a great joy. I remember His words and promises in the Bible, and lean on Jesus as my anchor.  Serving on the baptism team, I am regularly reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice by the people that come to give up their previous ways of living and thinking to walk in the redeemed life found in Christ. Through His death on the Cross, we are equipped for a new way of life, a new outlook, and a new outcome.

The Reflection:
When times are challenging, on what do we focus?  Our situations? Or Jesus’ sacrifice for us through His death and resurrection?  What does Jesus’ death on the Cross truly means for each of us?  Are we continuing to live with our old patterns and mindsets or are we truly realizing and embracing the newness of life we have through Jesus Christ?

The Application:
God loves us more than we can imagine. When we feel the tension of rough times, let’s choose to focus on Jesus, remembering that we were given freedom and hope through Him.

The Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for choosing not to focus on you above all else. Help remind us of how amazingly important your sacrifice is and what it means for each of us, now and forever. Amen.

The Reflection:  
Many of us may have been in his situation before.  Whether the struggle is financial or another issue, we have to consider if we will continue to trust God. Are we secure in God’s love? How are we demonstrating our trust in God when situations arise? Are we seeking the Lord’s will first, and prioritizing His agenda before our own?

The Application:
After reading this scripture in Luke and considering what God provided for us because He loved us, we can know how valuable we are to Him, and that He will surely provide our needs. This week, when difficult situations arise, let our first step be to turn to the Lord and ask Him the direction He wants us to take.

The Prayer:
Lord, I know that You care for us and that we mean more to You than the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.  We thank You for providing for us.  Lord, help us to remember to focus on Your agenda and Your kingdom by trusting in Your will. Amen.

“Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” I Samuel 15:22

The Story:

Now Saul was a pretty awesome guy by the standards of his day. He was specially anointed by a prophet to be the king of Israel. He was just amazing and strong; one of those natural leaders that you’d just want to follow. But Saul ended up getting rejected by God. Why would this awesome guy, handpicked by God, end up shortly thereafter getting rejected by God? In verse 20, Saul says, “But I did obey the LORD, I went on the mission the LORD assigned me.” The problem was he got caught up in the task that God gave him as opposed to the specific vision that God told him to follow. As someone who has served in an increasing capacity, I’ve noticed that I’ve become increasingly caught up in the task. My focus has shifted away from God and His commands, to all the little details of how I think it should be carried out. I never want Him to reject me as a tool to carry out a specific part of His plan because my heart is not seeking after His heart, or because my sacrifice is trumping my obedience.

The Reflection:

When completing responsibilities for ministry, work, or home, what is our goal? What can we do to be sure we are staying near the heart of God while still completing everyday duties?

The Application: Sometimes when we get caught up in everyday tasks, we can begin to grow distant from the heart of God. That is never a place we want to be. This week, before we begin any task, let us spend unhurried time with the Lord and remember that He should be the foundation of everything we do.

The Prayer:

Lord, we pray that we seek after You more and more every day. Help us keep You at the center of our focus beyond any mission that You may send us on. Amen.

Someone who puts compassion into action by helping someone in need.

As Christians, we are never commanded to be heroes; however we are called to be Good Samaritans. In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus tells us that we ought to love our neighbors as ourselves, and He defines “neighbors” as anyone who is in need.

During the week of April 23-29 we are inviting everyone at One to look for opportunities in their community to be a hero. Please share your story of intentional kindness with us here!

Join us on Compassion Sunday, April 29th, as we celebrate some of our local “Home Town Heroes” at all four of our worship services.

The Story:
When we were younger, some of us may have aspired to be just like a famous athlete.  In order to resemble this athlete’s characteristics, it required observing their daily routines and making sacrifices to adjust their lifestyle.  As we began to mirror this athlete’s habits, we may have discovered that there were “not so easy moments”, like being disciplined to work out several times a week in the gym, or controlling the urge to eat unhealthy foods despite it being at our fingertips. Likewise, when we make the choice to become followers of Jesus and begin the path of the Christian journey, we should realize that our new lifestyle will require the ability to withstand similar hardships to which Jesus Christ encountered.  As we continue to follow the Lord, we can learn to recognize hard times as opportunities that add to our development as endurance-filled believers in Jesus Christ.

The Reflection:
When a difficult situation arises, what are we prone to do first? Get upset? Turn to something or someone for comfort? Seek God’s wisdom and peace? What are our mindsets about how to endure through uncomfortable times?

The Application:
Often as believers in Christ, we may feel that we should be exempt from challenging moments in life.  Such feelings can surface when we’ve been making every effort to live according to the Bible, and without notice, an unexpected or tough issue arises. This week, as difficult situations come our way, let us make an intentional effort to wholeheartedly praise the Lord despite what’s happening around us.

The Prayer:
God, help us to develop our patience even while enduring the trials of life. We thank You for the situations that aid in building our trust and faith in You. Give us the strength to never give up! Amen

The Story:
Growing up dealing with an identity crisis wasn’t easy. I was always looking for something valuable. The direction of my life was unclear because I was continually searching for what was missing. Even though I could see my life slipping further and further away, I was slowly losing my ability to do anything about it. I eventually fell into drug addiction and it brought me to my knees. I was checked into a Christian-based rehab center where I began studying God’s Word. It was there that the answer to my question became evident. I had been looking for something that was missing in my heart but what I found always led to nothing. God gave me a simple directive that changed my perspective. If I sought out a relationship with Him and lived for Him, everything else would fall in line.

The Reflection:
What in the world are we looking for? Are we looking for value in something that is really worthless? Have we asked the Lord to give us direction in our lives?

The Application:
When we find ourselves looking for something and we don’t know exactly what it is, let us first seek to further develop our relationships with the Lord.

Prayer:
Father, we confess that we are wretched sinners unworthy of Your gift. We pray that we would seek You above all else. Let us live for You and You alone. Amen.

The Story:
The weekend started out like any other; the high school football game on Friday, running errands on Saturday, and then some special time with the Lord Saturday night. I had an awesome time with God, singing and praising, praying and giving thanksgiving. I just knew that the Lord was going to do something amazing the next day. I laid out my clothes and set my alarm so I’d be prepared for church. I was going to wake up a few minutes early, tie up any loose ends, and be at church right on time. Everything was laid out just right, so I went to sleep. Then, my alarm didn’t go off! All of the little plans I had in my head about how my morning was going to go were shot. I ran around the house trying to get my act together and still make it to church on time. My hair looked crazy, my clothes were wrinkled, and everything was a mess! I jumped in my car and raced down the street! I had to do something to salvage my morning. As I was driving, I thought about how I was going tell others about the Lord’s peace when I wasn’t receiving it for myself. It is so easy to get caught up in our own plans. We often forget that even when our agenda gets messed up; God’s agenda can never be ruined because His will is perfect.

The Reflection:
During stressful situations, are you praying for God’s peace to bring calm to your spirit? Think about how praising the Lord when we feel anxious can refocus us, center our thinking, and allow us to experience the kind of peace only the Lord offers.

The Application:
Sometimes we think His peace is supposed to be like a crashing wave of relief, and that’s not always how it is. Sometimes we feel His peace when we simply slow down when we’re late and rushing, or can use a calm tone when we’re talking to kids after they’ve spilled red juice on a white sofa. Take time throughout your day to spend time in prayer, meditating on the Lord’s goodness so that when those stressful situations arise, the peace of God will be with you.

The Prayer:
Lord, help us today to be thankful for the things you have so graciously blessed us with. We pray that we learn to recognize those moments of peace that You gift to us, and let us not take them for granted. Thank You for Your never ending grace, love, and peace. Amen.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. . .” Matthew 28:19 (NASB)

The Story:

Outreach has always been difficult for me. I usually like to warm up first with my evangelism; you know, get to know someone, build a relationship and let my lifestyle minister to others. I’ve always been nervous about sharing my faith due to concerns about how others may react to me when I share. So doing outreach where I had to talk to strangers was completely out of my comfort zone. After one outreach outing, I went home and thought about how it went. I considered if I was trying to self-select how God was using me. I began to wonder if I was only engaging with people I thought I had common ground with because we both had kids, were the same gender or ethnicity, or they seemed easily approachable. I started to realize that maybe I wasn’t really listening to God’s voice and ready to speak to those he had prepared for me to minister to. The next time I did outreach, I purposefully stepped outside of my comfort zone. It was exhilarating! It was like God was having a conversation with me, and showing me all the people he had lined up for me to talk to. After are all, people are people, and the lost are the lost. God wants us to make disciples of all nations. If we don’t venture past our comforts and see each other as God’s people we will miss out on His purpose for our lives.

The Reflection:

When we think about doing outreach, are we seeing differences among ourselves and others where God sees none? Are we looking at others through God’s eyes and seeking ways to connect with all of His children who are in need?

The Application:

Often times, we often engage with those who reflect commonalities in our backgrounds. This week, step outside of your comfort zone and take time to share God’s Word with someone, no matter where they are from or what they look like.

The Prayer:

Jesus, You are the God of the world! Allow us to see Your children as You see them, and to reach out boldly across all dividing lines so that our earthly church can mirror Heaven. Amen.

The Story
We are a homeschooled family. Every day, each of my children has his own Bible time with me. During my four year old son’s Bible time, the older children are always drawn in when they hear us talking about God. They desire to participate in the engaging stories and conversations. For weeks, I would tell them to focus on their own school work and not on what their younger brother was doing. I was more concerned that they complete their assignments so that I could finish school for the day. That way, I could focus on other tasks that needed attention. When I began asking God to take charge of my day, everything I did became more fruitful. For instance, my oldest child came in during a Bible time and his questions prompted a 20 minute discussion about the eternity of God. Instead of always planning every moment of my life, I have learned to entrust everything I do to the Lord.

The Reflection
Consider the times we’ve been so focused on completing a task, and that’s caused us to overlook what God had in store for us. How often do we earnestly ask God to be in charge of our daily activities?

The Application
There are many times when we focus on being taskmasters, and checking off our to-do lists. Each morning, let us invite God to guide everything we do so that our lives will truly be a reflection of Christ.

The Prayer
God you are awesome! Your Word is so powerful that it draws us in unexpectedly. Help us to remember to commit everything that we do to You first so that we reflect your goodness. Amen.