Tag: follow Jesus

faith

Being a Grace Giver

Emilydvsn

If you’re anything like me, giving grace isn’t always on your radar. I’m a grudge holder. I point out others’ faults, and I am normally the last to extend grace. But this isn’t how Jesus wants us to live.

Matthew 6:15 says, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
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That verse always stops me. I want to be forgiven, so I know I must extend grace to others. I must be a grace giver like Jesus. I have to extend grace to those around me.

I normally can justify all the reasons why I don’t extend grace starting with, they don’t deserve it.

Neither did I. When Jesus went to the cross for my sins, He knew how badly I would mess up and need forgiveness. And guess what? He knew about you too. But He went anyway. He extended undeserved grace to you and me.

Now it’s our turn. We get to be grace givers to those around us. We get to extend grace so that others can see the light of Jesus.

We are grace givers not only to those outside our homes, but also to those inside. That’s when it becomes the hardest. We see all of their faults. Trust me, I am quick to point out all the mistakes made by others.

But today I challenge you to be a grace giver. Inside and outside of our homes, let’s extend undeserved grace to those around us. We can extend this grace because Jesus has extended it to us.

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you’ve never received His grace, you can do that today.

Just follow the ABCs:

A – First, admit you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

B – Second, believe Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

C – Last, confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

If you want to pray to receive Jesus today, pray this prayer below:

Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross to save me. I confess You as my Lord and Savior and ask you to be Lord of my life. Amen.

If you accepted Jesus today or you just want to talk, I’d love to hear from you. Click the link below.

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faith

Choose His Forgiveness

Emilydvsn

This morning I had an ah-ha moment as I was reading Priscilla Shirer’s book The Resolution for Women. This book is broken up into twelve resolutions and then individual chapters. I am now on the resolution about forgiveness.

This whole section has spoken to me quite a bit because forgiveness is something I struggle with at times. Today, though, stood out to me more than any other.

She tells the story of a girl asking how you forgive yourself. It’s a question I’ve asked and wandered myself more times than I can count. How do I get ride of the shame? Her answer hit me to my core.

She told the girl simply, you can’t.

You can’t forgive yourself.

Only Jesus can.

And if we have accepted His gift of salvation, then He has forgiven us. Romans 8:1 says,“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
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That guilt and shame you and I feel is from the devil. If you are a child of God, you have been forgiven. Jesus took it all upon Him when He died on the cross for us. You are not responsible for forgiving yourself.

Psalms 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” We must choose to accept His forgiveness and live in freedom with Him.
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If you’re looking for a great book for women, I recommend the one above!

If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I’d love to talk to you.

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Choosing to Give it to the Lord

Emilydvsn

Today begins a new school year. Although I won’t meet most of my students until Friday, today is the official start. Every year I’m excited and nervous and sometimes even dreadful of what the new year might bring. However, I’ve felt mostly excitement this year. So what’s different?

I’ve decided to give this school year to the Lord. Psalms 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.” Some versions use the word righteous instead of good. But this doesn’t just happen. We must choose to give it to God.

It’s so easy to begin grumbling and complaining about everything. Even after trying to hype my husband, who is also a teacher, up about this school year, I found myself complaining about certain aspects of our professional development. However I’m reminded of Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

So this year I’m choosing to give it all to God. Im choosing to be content in my circumstances. Im thanking God for the little lives I get to impact everyday. Im thanking God for the people I get to work with and for.

Im excited for this year, and I’m hopeful for where God is going to use me.

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faith

Finding Joy in the Pain

Emilydvsn

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

Our church has been reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I can remember reading this book early in my Christian walk and not fully understanding or grasping everything he was saying. As I read through it a second time, I’m blown away at the times God speaks to me.

Today, I read the chapter “Transformed by Trouble”. This chapter really hit home with me. I feel like when live in a culture today where we measure other people’s godliness by how much stuff they have equating that to God’s blessings. But that is such a distorted view of God’s Word.

Joni Eareckson Tada said, “When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” If everything is always good, why would we need a Savior? It in the pain and suffering that grow.

Rick Warren uses an example of a jeweler to illustrate how His use’s circumstances to hammer away at our impurities. Now, I’ve never been hit with a hammer, but it can’t feel too great. The Bible uses the term “refiner’s fire” to show how God makes us like Him. This is another example of how pain forms and molds us.

We can’t rely on prosperity gospel in our Christian walk. When we think of the people in the Bible who were highly favored, they were nobody in the world’s eyes. There’s even a prostitute in the lineage of Jesus! God will use our past, our sins, our hurts, and our regrets to transform us if we will let Him.

James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” So, today I’m going to look at my circumstances differently. I’m going to trust God’s plan and purpose for my life. I know He is working all things out.

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faith, Uncategorized

For God’s Purpose

Emilydvsn

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Romans 11:36

This school year has been difficult to say the least. I’ve questioned everything I know, and I’ve spent more hours at home trying to help students understand the material. I have students this year that just don’t care. These aren’t students who can’t do. They just don’t want to do.

I’ve done everything I know to do from taking away recess to giving lunch detention and calling home. I’ve reached out to administration to no avail. I feel lost. And yet if these students don’t do the work, they don’t learn. Then that is reflected in state testing.

I’ve cried more and been more frustrated than I have in a long time. Then I began reading the book, The Purpose Driven Life. As I came to Day 7: The Purpose of Everything, this verse was at the top. As I read through the chapter, I couldn’t help but think about my students.

We are all here for a purpose, God’s purpose. No matter how frustrated or upset I get, I must remember that God created them for His purpose. In the moment, this can be so hard, but there are ways to remember they are God’s workmanship.

1. Pray for your students.

This is something I have started todo each and every day. I pray before I come to school. I pray during our moment of silence, and sometimes I even pray throughout the day when things get hard.

2. Take a deep breath.

Sometimes when I’m so frustrated, I need to walk away from the situation. This helps me remind myself to give grace to my kiddos. Even on the hard and trying days, I give grace because Jesus gave me grace.

3. Know your students personally.

One thing I began last year was circle up time. We make a big circle and pass a bear around. When you have the bear, you share something you did the night before or over the weekend. This opens the lines of communication, and if I ever forget, they remind me. I’ve also started going to my students’ ball games. They love when I show up to support them.

All of these things help me remember they are created for God’s purpose and so am I. I am asking God to see others as He sees them. I am striving to live my life surrendered to Him.

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faith

Wherever You Go, Lord

Emilydvsn

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Over the past week I have been reading the book Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. It’s an awesome book that has convicted me on more than one occasion. Anyone who says they are a Christian should definitely check this book out.

The last couple of chapters I’ve read have really focused on the verse above from Luke. If you’ve spent your life in church, then you have heard that verse countless times, but have you ever stopped to take it in? Kyle Idleman takes you through crucifixion in his book and what exactly it would have entailed. It was the most gruesome and embarrassing death of the Roman government at that time, and Jesus wants us to take up our cross.

When is the last time you had to sacrifice something for your relationship with the Lord? When is the last time it cost you something? If we’re really honest, we’ll answer with not very often. If you’re like me, you may have lost a few friends along the way because your lifestyle has changed, but you don’t really get out of your comfort zone. I know I don’t very often.

But God is calling us to a different life. He is calling us to die to our earthly desires and follow Him. It won’t always be easy, but it’s not supposed to be. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Jesus tells us to follow Him wherever He goes. There is a song from the 1970’s called “I Will Follow Him”. It keeps playing over and over in my head when I think about following Jesus wherever. The chorus goes like this:

    I will follow him, follow him wherever he may go
    There isn’t an ocean too deep
    A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away
    Away from my love

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When is the last time we said we would follow Jesus wherever? This is a secular love song, but Jesus maybe calling us to deep oceans or high mountains or anything that seems utterly impossible without His grace and His strength. I want to follow Jesus wherever He calls me. Maybe it’s just to the neighbor next door or maybe it’s all the way across the world.

I know this walk with Jesus requires everything, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. I pray that I always say, “Yes, Lord. Send me.”

Won’t you follow Jesus wherever today?

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