Zeal (Romans 12:9-13)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “zeal.” Paul reminds his peeps in this passage about a couple of attributes that make a Xtian more attractive to others. One of these was the way that believers should approach life is with a positive attitude. This allows us to relate with others and share the Gospel to those who need it. We do not need to be fake, but live in the love that God has promised to us through the Son…

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

~Rom. 12:9

My question is: what do peeps see when they look at you? Others should know there is something different about you. My prayer is that you live the grace and love of JC and understand that you were called to live with a fervor for the Lord. Don’t give up and keep your attitude focused on the promise that God has given you. Take these couple weeks off and really spend some time with God and your family. What is it that he wants you to do to increase your zeal for the upcoming year? I am excited to see what God does through his peeps in 2012… Great meet this past weekend. You all did incredibly well. Have a great Xmas break.

Praying for you,

mo

Overcome (John 16:31-33)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “overcome.” JC was in a pretty intense place at this point in his ministry. Imagine knowing that all of your best friends were going to diss you in your darkest hour. Pretty crazy, I know. But through all this madness, realize what he says right here about the Father never leaving him…

“Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.”~Jn. 16:32

My question is: do you understand what it means for God to never leave you? The cool thing is that it’s much different for each of us. So, we are at the end of this meet and the end of the semester… you have overcome. Chalk this up to a victory in your life and get ready for another great year. But not before you take some time off and remember all that God has given you. We conquer because he is with us. My prayer for you is that God manifests himself to you a bunch while you are off for these next couple of weeks. You have overcome.

Praying for you,

mo

Express (Romans 8:26-27)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “express.” God’s people have always had a reason to express thanks for what He has done. The difficult part sometimes is finding how to actually do so in a way that seems worthy. Paul reminds the peeps here that it is not that the Lord helps us occasionally when we are feeling weak, whether it is physically, emotionally, or spiritually. What he is saying here is that as Xtians we are in a constant state of weakness, which allows the Spirit to intercede and do a mighty work…

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
~Rom. 8:26-27



My question is: do you live your life in this continual state of needing the Creator? God wants to be with you and help in all situations. However, when we are not focused on letting God work, it makes the situation a little more difficult. I am not saying this is easy. My prayer is that you take some time today, on the bus, in the pool, the hotel, or wherever, and express to God where you feel you are in relation to Him. Be honest… he’s cool with wherever you are – trust me, there have been times when I told God I did not know what the heck was happening and I was not happy. On the other hand, I have come to God in times of jubilation and gratitude. Where are you today?

Praying for you,

mo

First (Nehemiah 1:1-11)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “first.” Back in the day Israel took a shellacking and the city was all jacked up. God needed someone to rebuild the walls and so he employed one of his most faithful guys. Nehemiah had a huge task set before him and knew that taking it on was going to be like eating an elephant… and how do you do that? One bite at a time. The cool thing is that out of all the stuff that he could have done first, he chose prayer…

“And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven…”

~Neh. 1:4

My question is: when you have a task that is pretty big, what is it that you do first; where does prayer fit into that equation? For instance, this past couple of weeks has been pretty insane for most of you with finals and stuff. I would encourage you to evaluate your time spent with God in that time period and see how you can become more effective in spending time with Him. Life is straight up crazy sometimes and I forget to pray sometimes in the madness, thinking I need to move faster and with more force. My prayer is that you slow down a bit today, lay out your tasks and cares, and pray that God would give you direction. God will give you success as you look to him and persevere.

Praying for you,

mo

Prevail (Romans 3:3-4)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “prevail.” Paul was in the midst of some of the peeps not believing in the promises given by God. This alarmed some Christ followers because they thought this lack of faith could potentially nullify those promises. But the Apostle reassures them that nothing can stop God from pouring out his goodness. The Creator would remain forever unshaken…

“What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”

~Rom. 3:3-4

My question is: what is it in your life that causes you to be shaken? I am not saying that any of us would ever give up our trust in God… but I know that each of us goes through struggles. As you near the end of the year with finals, the meet this weekend, and other stuff that weighs on the soul, where is your heart in terms of your relationship with God. My prayer is that the tough times bring you closer to him. Continue to work hard, be faithful, and you will prevail.

Praying for you,

mo

Unlikely (Judges 7:16-25)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is unlikely. Gideon was chosen by God because the man was an not necessarily the perfect leader. He would catch the attention of those around him by his actions in battle and bring glory and honor to his creator. He kept the message simple and relied on God, not wavering from his trust. This was not always easy, but he hung in there and made the history books.

“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’ ”

~Judg. 7:16

My question is: do you trust God with the stuff that you pursue? You may not have to lead others into a life-or-death kind of situation, but you do face daily stuff that causes you to follow the Lord. My prayer is that you persevere through this week of finals and remember that God wants you to win. Don’t forget that even though you are busy and need to get stuff done you should slow down to remember God and his favor on your life. This week is crazy, I know… Do something unlikely for God; open yourself to be used for purpose.

Praying for you,

mo

Unswerving (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “unswerving.” You gotta love this one. Specifically in this passage, the author tells us that because of the direct access we have to God, we can be confident in our faith. The danger that is expressed here was one of actual harm. Can you imagine being a Xtian in a country or province where you were persecuted to the point of physical harm? Well, the old school followers had to deal with this continually.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

~Heb. 10:23

My question is: do you profess your love for the Savior in the stuff that you do and say? JC has provided the option for a life of obedience and faith. Just as the peeps in this passage were encouraged to rely on one another for support, so should we as Xtians do the same. My prayer is that you hold unswervingly to your faith, in whatever situation. God has given you the ability to reach out to Him through an unbreakable promise. Have a great day.

Praying for you,

mo