daddy4ms

Below are selected promises of God from 1st Peter compiled by Kenneth Boa: We have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood (1:2). In God’s great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade (1:3-4). It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that we were redeemed from the empty way of life we previously knew, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1:18-19). We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (2:9). Christ bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds we have been healed ...

Yesterday on the blog, I shared quotes about guilt and shame from Recovering Redemption by Matt Chandler.  Today, I am sharing from the same book on the topic of fear and anxiety.  This is a great book. Go and pick it up at Faith and Life Bookstore in Newton, KS. The gospel of Jesus Christ is still the one reassuring answer to your antsy heart. Eden was, by contrast, a place of peace and prosperity. And so, beginning from that tragic point in time, fear and anxiety began aggravating the human heart, so that even His redeemed children through the ages, down to this very day, would know the cruel feeling of being robbed, of living without the peace and prosperity He'd intended for us to enjoy. For while "Abba" does connote a level of family intimacy, it sends up more of the idea that "my dad can beat up your dad," that our Father is not caught off guard or pushed around by anything that seems too big or oversized for us, no matter what it is. The bottom...

Below are my notes from my sermon today at Hesston MB.  The passage was John 6:16-36. Opening- THINGS A MOM DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR 1. I swallowed a goldfish. 2. Your lipstick works better than crayons. 3. Does grape juice leave a stain? 4. Look, I painted the front door! 5. The principal called... 6. But DAD says that word all the time. 7. What's it cost to fix a window? 8. The dog doesn't like dressing up in your clothes. 9. Has anyone seen my earthworms??? 10. I'm going to run away!! (Well, maybe SOME days...) Background- Our passage follows the feeding of the 5000 where not only did Jesus do a miracle to feed the people, but He did so abundantly where 12 basketfuls were left over. Jesus walking on water is written about in Matthew 14 & Mark 6   (Vs. 16-21) Jesus is powerful Vs. 19-they saw Jesus approaching. . . Their response: terrified. Why? Amazed at this miracle, thought he was a ghost, stressed out by the wind & waves. Ou...

I have been a little behind in my reading of Prayer Coach by James Nicodem. We are using this book with our D6 Dads groups this year. Here are a few quotes that caught my attention today: "You don't have to save your praying for something really, really big." "What are you praying for these days, in vague generalities, that you need to express in more specific terms to God?" "We can-obviously, with God's help-put an end to fear and anxiety when they threaten us." "The second thing that praying does to my fears is take my focus off them and place it back on God." "We pray for open doors-opportunities to engage in spiritual discussions. We pray for open mouths-boldness to speak up about Christ when the time comes. And we pray for open hearts-responsiveness to the good news we share."

Wow! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. The next week is filled with travel and 2 conferences. I am very excited about it, but getting ready to leave on trips means tying up loose ends. This is where the busyness comes in. Last night, I was anxious about getting everything done before I leave Friday morning. I even was a little stressed this morning. But then I did something I should have thought of earlier. I stopped and prayed. I asked God for help in completing the things that needed to get done. It is amazing how much God loves us and cares for us. He is truly interested in my entire life, not just my big decisions. So, today I was able to accomplish many of my tasks in a fraction of the time they usually take. I am now relaxing and going to try and remember to pray the next time this stress or anxiety creeps into my work schedule. Thanks be to God who hears my prayers, has the power to answer them, and loves me!