Empower (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “empower.” The apostle Paul knew what it meant to be both a person of power and a person of weakness. Can you imagine the life that this guy led? He starts out as a prominent figure of power in Jewish life, one which hates Christians. Then JC takes a hold of his heart and he makes a complete 180° turnaround. You can envision how he felt in this specific situation. He had some kind of thorn in his side, whether figuratively or literally. And the crazy thing is, even though Paul was way close to God, he still understood how weak he was.

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

~2 Cor. 12:9

My question is: when you think about weakness in your own life, what comes to mind? I know that for a lot of you right now you are experiencing physical weakness because of all of the training that you are putting in. This is a great reminder of our relationship with Christ. When you feel like you are so weak that you just want to lay down and escape from the world through a simple nap or a full on 36-hour sleep fest, I pray that you are reminded of your spiritual weakness. This is nothing to be ashamed of. The apostle Paul tells us here that when we are weak, Christ is amplified even more in our lives - he will empower you. So, take heart… This is going to be a great weekend.

Praying for you,

mo

Proclamation (Ezra 1:1)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “proclamation.” Back in the old days when someone wanted to make an important announcement this is how they did it.  The king of Persia wanted the peeps to know that what he was about say was pretty important. This rebuilding process was going to take a lot of time, effort, and dedication from all involved.

“…the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm…”

~Ezra 1:1

My question of you is: what does your life say about your relationship with JC… is it a proclamation of who the Lord is and what his decrees mean?  You have the privilege of representing the Savior each day that you live. I pray that as you move about today and the rest of this week that you would be a living proclamation of God’s divine plan.  Be encouraged that God has called you in his power to minister to others through your actions and abilities.  He is waiting for you to do good stuff for his name’s sake.

Praying for you,

mo

Strength (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “strength.” The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church of Thessalonica; he was very concerned for the stuff that they had to deal with women daily basis. We have to understand that these letters were written because the apostle was not able to be with them all the time. We have the luxury today of having a church that has the same strong leadership presence in the world that is not completely hostile to our cause. This was not the case for this particular church in Thessalonica. Paul knew they were on the brink of losing all they had been taught because of the negative influences of the world surrounding them.

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.”

~2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

My question is: how is God strengthening your heart daily to become a more effective follower. I know that at this point in the season you are very tired, and at some points you feel as if your strength is left you completely. Everything hurts, sleeping is all that you want to do, and you are wondering why the heck you got into this crazy madness. My prayer is that you hang in there. Your coaches know how much time you're putting in, and more importantly God knows your commitment to this program, this incredible school, and to him. Allow God to comfort your heart and strengthen both your soul and your body. We believe in you.

Praying for you,

Mo

Know (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “grow.” There's always been a lot of controversy concerning the issue of election in the Bible. Within all that madness, we may not ever get complete answers on what that all means. But what we do know is that Paul understood that by God's selections, this referred to a calling from God. The church in Thessalonica received encouragement from Paul that each of them was called by the Lord to live a life for Christ.

“But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”

~2 Thes. 2:13

God does not want us to preach election to people who do not believe, but instead the gospel. My question for you is: how are you using each day to preach the gospel to both people who believe and those who do not believe in Christ? Each of us who have a faith in the Savior know that we will see him one day in paradise. My prayer is that you let God use your life, whether in the pool or out, as a way to preach the gospel to others.

Praying for you,

mo

Appointed (Philippians 1:12-18)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “appointed.” Paul knew that he had a special calling from God, one that only he could fulfill. He also knew that each person was called by Christ to live that life in abundance. During that particular time, a lot of people had messages that were not true to the gospel. Paul realized that he was sent for the defense of the gospel and was called to make sure others heard it correctly.

“Because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”

~Phil. 1:14

My question is: does your relationship with JC cause others to speak the Gospel more courageously? As Christians we should always strive to live a life worthy of emulation.  There is a ton of stuff to believe in out in this world and peeps need something to hold on to.  We know that our God has given us an important responsibility in preaching the gospel with our words, actions, and thoughts.  My prayer is that you speak the name of Christ without fear so that others are bolder in pursuing a relationship with the Savior.

Plant (Luke 13:18-19)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “plant.” JC was always ready with a parable that gave his listeners the ability to understand the message being communicated.  This one especially really let peeps realized the importance of what it means to have faith.  God did not want perfection from them, but a yearning to strive toward the meaningful life.  Putting the correct information into his disciples, and the multitudes, was imperative for them to succeed.  JC was going to leave the earth and knew that his ministry was only for a season.  Teaching people was always high in the Savior’s list…

“Then Jesus asked, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?’”

~Luke 13:18

My question is: what are you allowing to be planted in your mind? God wants to penetrate your heart and give you the opportunity to live life in abundance.  We need only to heed his teaching through the Word, other believers, and prayer to the Father. My prayer is that you ask the Savior to plant meaningful thoughts and desires in your heart.  God will answer you favorably when you ask to align your soul to his.  Your heart is the soil… let God plant.

Praying for you,

mo

Reign (Romans 5:18-21)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “reign.” Paul knew that humans were pretty much helpless without the assistance of the Lord Jesus. Most people would have taken this as something discouraging. But the apostle Paul understood that because it was so impossible to earn salvation, we were able to receive it freely without expecting to ever earn it. If anyone knew what it meant to have a Savior cover his sins it was the apostle Paul.

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

~Rom. 5:20-21

My question for you is: has grace increased all the more in your life? JC gives it freely, we just need to accept it. Living a life of the Savior is freeing them because we do not deserve it. My prayer is that you realize your trespasses are no match for the blood that covers you. Take a few moments and thank God for giving you everything you need, even though you are not capable of earning it. God is pretty cool like that.

Praying for you,

Mo