The Next Step

Ok, so I know that I said I would be posting on my 28 day reading guide, and I'm sure I will... give me some time... I mean I've got 20 more day's left!  However, after today's sermon at Newspring I certainly feel that perhaps there is something a little different taking place in my life.  Today Perry continued the series on "All In", and the common thread for the past three weeks has been based off of Mark 12:30

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

I've been contemplating a lot lately, and I've been feeling, even before the message today, that there certainly was a step I needed to be taking to further my life and relationship with Christ.  As I said when I started my blog, I've gone back and forth with my views on religion, and on Christianity in general.  Well with the help of some great friends and loved ones who've continued to hold me accountable, I've been going to church more often, and I've noticed a dramatic change in myself already.  I've accepted Christ as my Lord, and as my Savior, and therefore there a few changes in my life that need to be made.  I won't go into too much detail because I'll spare everyone the extremely personal details, but all in all one step that I am undoubtedly excited to make is baptism.  I've never been baptized and I think it's partially because I haven't felt good enough, I feel that there are always changes in my life that I need to make before I take that particular step.  However, I was reading on Newsprings website about Baptism and I read that if I wait until I feel good enough, i'll never get baptized.  Which, when you think about it, really does make sense.  When will I ever be good enough? When will I be perfect? I won't.

In Acts 8:12 it says

But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Therefore, as soon as you have accepted Jesus Christ has your Lord and Savior, as soon as you have believed, then the next step, the next logical and necessary step, is Baptism.  So I intend to sign up at Newspring, invite family and friends, and take the next step to symbolize the change the change that has already been made in my heart and soul.

On one more note, this song has always played heavily on my heart.  A friend of mine, Valerie, gave me this song on a CD a long long time ago, around the time that I got back from the best trip I've ever been on, Crooked Creek.  And since then whenever I'm feeling lost, or feeling down, I play it.  So I hope that you take a listen, it's amazing.

 

Funny How It Is

11.20.11

... so, guess who visited me at NEWSPRING this morning...

THIS GIRL!

                        ... needless to say, it was beyond amazing.

Now, for the reason I'm writing this post.  It's funny, sometimes, how different thoughts can hit you.  This one in particular hit me like a brick wall.  I was on my way to work, marinating over some things going on in my life and I really did some self reflecting.  It's hard to self reflect because that means that, at times, you have to look inside yourself and think what you're doing wrong, what your personal flaws are, and what you need to change about yourself.  Now self reflecting can be good of course, and can lead to self praise, but this time in particular, that wasn't the case.  Its hard when you realize things you really didn't like about other people, arise in yourself.  One thing I noticed is that once I started to explore Christ a little further, I was judgmental of people who didn't choose to do the same.  Now I know that this wasn't exactly Perry's message today at NewSpring, or maybe it was... but what I got out of it was a completely sobering message.  In Job 8:3-6 Bildad is talking to Job, and he says:

 "Does God pervert justice?  Does the Almighty pervert what is right? When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.  Bit if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state."

Now in my mind, when Job's life has been shattered, and all has been taken from him, he is at his lowest point.  And when we, his children, stray away and become lost, we are also at ours.  Our family's may not be broken, or our health may not be rapidly declining, but in God eyes I would bet that losing faith in him, is worse than all of that. Good things don't always happen to good people, and just because bad things happen to someone doesn't mean they deserve them. Basically, i'm blessed that God has chosen to arise curiosity in my own heart, and although some aren't at that point in their lives, I shouldn't break away from them, judge them, or tell them everything they're doing wrong in their lives.  Instead, I should work on: becoming more like Jesus, being a good friend, and living by example.  No one is perfect, and sin is sin.  It may not be new news to everyone, but it was a slap in the face to me.  I look forward still to exploring my faith, and I pray that I affect others as well.  By the way, this Sunday was one of the best days i've had in a long long while, and I literally thank the Lord for that.  Thank you Natalie, and Valerie for spending the day with me, and with God!

Don't ever give up on God....

Week 1, The week of JOB,

The first sermon i've listened to since my last run-in with religion.  Ironic? I think not.  Everything happens for a reason, and God always has a purpose.  This particular sermon was based on this very sentence, "don't ever give up on the God, who has never given up on you".  My main problem in exploring my faith is the tendency to give up.  When life gets tough, when things get difficult, or when something goes undoubtedly wrong, God is the first one I blame. This is a personal flaw, and one that I intend to change.  

If you have never heard Perry Noble preach, perhaps this sermon will strike your interests.  It certainly did mine!

Why start a blog?

Most people I know at least have the luxury of being "knowledgable" about the Bible, Christ, etc.  However, I unfortunately am very ignorant when it comes to religion.  It's not particularly anyone's fault, it is simply fact.  My ignorance has held me back from exploring my faith all my life, and I currently have made the decision to stop making excuses, and to start making some changes.

At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to make this Blog public because exploring ones faith can be a very personal journey; however, in Crazy Love page 71 Francis Chan says,

LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends.  They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.

Well, I'm on a journey to figure out who I am in all aspects of life and religion.  So, we'll see how this goes....