Ephesians 3:14-21

I was reading through Ephesians tonight and came across this passage. I found this prayer from Paul especially encouraging and wanted to encourage others too.


I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Perspective

I know I am guilty of feeling sorry for myself. For wishing I had more things, or was skinnier, or had a nicer car, or a better job. Wishing I was more outgoing, or wishing my family wasn't so crazy (but who's family isn't crazy??). But when I stop and think and realize about all the people who don't have a family, or don't have a warm house to live in, or clothes to wear, or food to eat. People who are skinny because they are sick, or people who have no job and have a family to provide for. I need to realize that I am very blessed indeed. I need to make sure I look for ways to help bless others out of what I have been entrusted with.

A few weeks ago at church there was a guest speaker who spoke on entrustment vs. entitlement. How our society is all about feeling entitled to what is theirs. They deserve to have a house and a car and a family and nice things and a fat bank account. When in reality everything belongs to God and He entrusts us with these things. When I look at things from that perspective, I do find it easier to let go of some of my materialistic tendencies. But I am only human, and entitlement is really something we all struggle with, I think. He told the story of losing his son-in-law in a car accident. He said it is not fair to see his grandchildren have to grow up without a dad, or his daughter to be left a single mom. But he said when you realize that we belong to God and it is his choice to take us home when he needs us, it makes the loss a little more bearable. This concept of entrustment is something I have really been working through in my mind in the last weeks.

I Will Offer Up My Life by Matt Redman

I was listening to this CD in my car this week and this song really leaped out at me. I really like this song, but the words really sank into my heart and I found myself moved to tears while driving home from work the other night. Feel free to listen to the Youtube video and I posted the lyrics below.



I will offer up my life
In spirit and truth,
Pouring out the oil of love
As my worship to You
In surrender I must give my every part;
Lord, receive the sacrifice
Of a broken heart

CHORUS:
Jesus, what can I give, what can I bring
To so faithful a friend, to so loving a King?
Savior, what can be said, what can be sung
As a praise of Your name
For the things You have done?
Oh my words could not tell, not even in part
Of the debt of love that is owed
By this thankful heart

You deserve my every breath
For You've paid the great cost;
Giving up Your life to death,
Even death on a cross
You took all my shame away,
There defeated my sin
Opened up the gates of heaven
And have beckoned me in

Small Group

Jay and I have been part of a small group for the last five years. For those who don't come from a church background a small group is just that. A small group (I would say no more than 10 people) who gather together once a week (or possibly more, or less) and get to know each other, pray together, study the Bible and partake in delicious snacks (well maybe a little less delicious without Lyn's snacks, haha).

Over the five years our group has entirely changed. We started out with one group of people, then when we heard some friends were looking for some group members we decided to join that group about three years ago. Since then we have had a few steady group members and seen some others come and go from the group. I think it's just the nature of the small group. Especially a small group of people who are in the age bracket that we are in. There are a lot of people who are starting families or whose work situation is such that they don't always have the same evenings of the week free.

Looks like this year we will be starting nearly from scratch (us and one other couple will stay the same). It's definitely nice when you get comfortable with a group of individuals and can share your hurts and joys with people who will comfort or celebrate with you. Not that 'new' friends won't do that, but there is a certain comfort with people you know. That being said, I am kind of excited/anxious/curious to see who we will find in our small group this year. We have made some great new friends in the last couple of years in our small group and I look forward to making more new friends. I am not exactly sure when we will start up small group for the year, but I am looking forward to it.

Stepping out of the boat

A few weeks ago there was a guest speaker at church who challenged people to step out of our comfort zones in faith that God can use us in our most vulnerable times. At the end of her sermon she asked people to stand up if they wanted to take a step of faith. I debated about standing up. I like being comfortable, I don't like being vulnerable around people I don't necessarily know or trust. I know that God can use me in ways I could never imagine, but I have always been one to keep things on the safe side. In the end I stood up and told God that I would be willing, but please in small steps. I was thinking of a baby step of faith, not a leap of faith.

A day or two after this particular Sunday Jason and I got an email from Leyton asking us if we would be willing to share in a couple of weeks on serving love in the marriage sermon series that they were going to start. My first reaction was, I can't do that. I can't get up in front of 6-800 people and tell them about my marriage. I am no public speaker...

When Leyton initially started telling us about the marriage series they would be starting, I thought that would be a great thing. Six secrets to a lasting love, based on a book by Dr Gary and Barb Rosberg. When he mentioned that he would be having a couple come up each Sunday for the six weeks to share their experiences with each of the loves described, I was quite intrigued. I always enjoy when he has people come up and share their stories of how God has impacted their lives in different ways. But when he asked if we would be willing to share I sort of froze. But very quickly God changed my heart and I thought, hmmm, maybe we do have a story to tell. And maybe I am not a public speaker, but what better place to open your heart than to a group of people who are supportive, caring and nonjudgmental. Maybe this isn't such a terrible thing. So I started to consider what I might like to say.

Over the last couple of days Jason and I wrote down our thoughts. We decided to share a bit about how we met, how we serve each other, and how we continue to serve when serving isn't easy. I think we had some good things to say, but as this morning loomed I wondered if what we were saying would impact anyone. I wondered if what we were going to share sounded genuine. We didn't make any of it up, it's all true, but those were the thoughts going through my head. As we got up to speak at the first service this morning I was a little nervous, but not as bad as I thought it might be. I did alright with my presentation. I stumbled over a few words, but we got a few laughs, and I felt even more prepared in the second service. After each service we had a number of people come up to us and tell us how much our story blessed and touched them. A few said it was a very powerful story. Just makes you realize that even when you don't feel like you are the right person for the job, if God tells you to do it, He'll make it work out.