An Unconditional Love (by Katelyn Truett)

A few years ago, I found myself having a hard time progressing in my walk with Jesus. I felt stuck, so I had the following conversation with the Lord:

Me: Lord, give me discipline!

Him: Katelyn, give me your love.

Me: Lord, show me how to love you.

Him: Katelyn, watch the way I love you.

Throughout most of my life, I would have told you that I believe that His love for me is unconditional, but my actions rarely reflected that belief. I was performance-driven in my walk with Him. I behaved as though the more I did for Him, the more He would love me; the less I did for Him, the less He loved me. The result was that I lived my life feeling frustrated, inadequate, and consumed with failure.

The truth is quite the opposite. My actions (good or bad) have nothing to do with the amount of love He has for me. When we begin to realize that His love has everything to do with His character and who He is, we begin to understand that His deepest desire is a relationship with us. When we begin to understand His love for us, we stop being consumed with our short comings. When we focus on who He is as our Father, we are no longer held captive by chains of religion or impossible standards. His love brings freedom!

Jonathon David Hessler writes the following lyrics:

“I heard about a sea where sin sinks like stones. There’s no floor there, just mercy down below. . . I heard about a man with holes in His hands; He can hide mountains of sin in them. His smile destroys my religion; His love shakes down my prison.”

Maybe you feel that your sins define you, and Jesus can’t (or won’t) love you because of mistakes you’ve made. Whether you feel as though your works define you or your sins define you, you’re believing a lie. The truth is that the Lord sees you right where you are, and He loves you. There is NOTHING that will separate you from His love. Your job is to respond to it.

(Katelyn is our Administrative Assistant and she co-pastors our Young Adults Group with her husband)

 

Generation Connections (by Johna Hancock)

I LOVE spending time with people who are strongly connected to the Lord, and especially with those who have been serving the Lord for many years.  Their life experience and practical approaches to connecting with God never cease to amaze me.  There’s so much to learn if we are teachable and open to listen and receive.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  As a youth pastor, my prayer is that our teens would have a heart to learn and that our church family would have a heart to teach.  God intended for the church to connect from one generation to the next, learning from one another and passing down biblical truths.

More than ever, we need to contend for the hearts of this generation.  The enemy is fighting tooth and nail to separate and confuse our youth about God!  May I encourage you to begin to pray for our youth?  May I ask that you begin to speak with them and invest in their lives?  You have rich wisdom within you and life experience that could make a difference.  Please partner with me as we invest in this wonderful group of young people.

(Johna Hancock is our Youth Pastor and a Worship Leader)

The Master Mosaic Artist (by Brenda Truett)

Life is often messy and hard. It sometimes reminds me of the song Broken Vessels,  that starts out “All these pieces, broken and scattered…” Sometimes we feel like the Psalmist who cried out: “To you I call, O Lord my rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.” Ps. 28:1

But the song goes on: “In mercy gathered, mended and whole.” The key? Do what the Psalmist did, cry out to the Lord our Rock. No matter how big the mess is or how small the scattered pieces are, He not only wants to fix it, He is more than able to fix it.

It really is that simple: sincerely cry out to Jesus and expect Him to fix it! And as you see His amazing work unfold in your life, you will be able to declare with the Psalmist: “Weeping may remain for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning… You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Ps. 30:5b, 11, 12

Don’t sink in your brokenness; give Jesus the pieces, He is the master mosaic artist!

(Brenda is our Worship Pastor and Women’s Group Leader.)