This week the blog is going to take on a little bit different direction!  I am going to try and share on a lot more of a personal level.  I just finished a great devotional time with God and I can’t tell you ‘what’ exactly, but I know that God is up to something in our lives.  (Although I do have some ideas!)  I know that He has amazing plans that He is getting us ready for.  I heard, felt and experienced God this morning in a fresh new way and I am so excited about His inviting us to adventure with Him.  Please pray for me this week, as I seek to hear from Him, yield to Him and share Him with others.

I love each one of you and thank you for your prayers and I am so glad that we get to do this thing called life together.  The enemy would seek to depress and discourage us, but He that is in us is greater than he that is in this world!  I just get the feeling that if I am hearing God is such a special way, that many of you must be hearing from Him also!  God wants to use us to accomplish some amazing things for His Kingdom.  I am looking forward to an amazing week for all of us – don’t miss out on what God has for you and for others through you.

I plan on spending some special time in extended prayer and study of the Word today and this week- pray that I will be protected from the distracting attacks of the enemy and that I will hear and see what it is that God is speaking into our lives!

Well I have to go and fill up the gas tank on Joy’s car – I overheard her say she needed to get gas today and thought I would surprise her with a tank already filled up when she gets in her car this morning.  It actually was God’s idea – I am just trying to listen and obey!  Don’t forget to ask God how you can show love to your special someone and then do what He tells you!  It is going to be a real God Blessed Week!  Press On!

Church is so much more than we make it!  Church is so much more than we allow it to be!  Church needs to be more than just a weekly activity that we check off of our to-do list!  When I read in my Bible about the early church, I find that there was very little distinction between the church and regular everyday living.  The two blended together into one to become a magnificent way of life!  This is what church needs to be and this is what we need for the church to be.

Church is not a place you go!  Church is a people you love to be with and grow with!  None of us are perfect and we have all made and will make our share of mistakes, but somehow life is just better when we get to live it together.  The early church fellowshipped everyday in all kinds of different ways!  Acts 2:42 says “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.”  They learned about life together, they ate their meals together, they worked together and they served together.  THEY DID LIFE TOGETHER!

Doing life together is about exploring and applying your faith in a community with others.  We need to get to know each other.  We need to share our dreams.  We need to talk about and recall our precious memories.  We need to study the Word and talk about how it applies in our everyday living.  We need to pray with and for one another.  We need to celebrate our successes and work to overcome our losses.  We need to help whoever, wherever and whenever needed.

God created us to do life with Him and one of the best ways to share our life with Him is to share our life with others!  Here are three suggestions for getting the most out of church and giving the most to church:  1.)  Look for opportunities to share your life with others!  2.)  Remember that time spent with friends is never wasted – it is invested! 3.)  Make church more than just a place to go once a week!

Billy Grahm said:  “Grace is not sought, nor bought, nor wrought.  It is a free gift of Almighty God to needy mankind!”  God loves us so much that He out of that great love has made the choice to forgive us and not hold our sin against us.  This forgivness is not somethig that we have to go looking for – it has already been given!  This is not something that we can buy, because it’s value is priceless!  This is not something that we have to earn by living according to a list of rules and regulations!  God gives us His love because He is love!  God offers us Himself!  God desires to have relationship with me – what an amazing thing!  When I actually take the time to stop and think about it – it always blows me away!

Take some time today think about God’s amazing gift of grace!  Make sure that you express your thankfulness by responding to His grace in the right kind of ways!  God loves you, cares for you and wants you to get to know Him in ways that you could never dream or imagine!  Enjoy the gift!