WHY DID I CHOOSE JESUS?

If asked anything would you answer it...? I choose yes.

Tonight's Question: Why did I choose Jesus?

Answer: 1) He FIRST CHOSE ME!

Example: Grab a book, or HEAVY object that fits in the palm of one hand. Place both hands out in front of you. On the right hand... you hold the book or HEAVY (object).
The HEAVY object represents all of the dishonor, filth, sin, lies, dirt and mistakes we've ever done as humanity.
The right hand represents me and you.
Then...that beautiful left hand... "SPIRIT FINGERS," just as free and beautiful and clean as it can be. :) It represents Jesus. Free from sin, Love, Glory, Grace, All that is Good.

As you hold the object in your right hand, realize that it represents both you and I in this world...We at one point were separated from God by sin.

Isaiah 59:2 New International Version 

2 But your iniquities have separated

    you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

    so that he will not hear.

The dirt we do. The lies we tell. The lust we indulge in. The murders we commit. The sin we submit to daily... that is you and I. SLAVES TO OUR SIN. For the wages of sin... equal DEATH.

But...Thank God for sending Jesus Christ to STAND IN OUR PLACE. Thank God for Jesus owning up to his calling and choosing to TAKE OUR PLACE. Choosing to choose Me!...of all people! Choosing to choose YOU. Thank God Jesus came and walked HUMBLY yet BOLDLY on this earth over 2,000 years ago just as we are Today. He felt what we feel. He faced the same temptations if not more. He grew tired. He got angry. He proved himself to the doubters and the haters. But oh how sweet the sound of victory! Oh how wonderful is a Warrior's Heart! The NAME above ALL names...Jesus.

Take that object and place it into the once Free & Clean Left Hand... as the shifting takes place that's God sending his ONE AND ONLY SON...JESUS CHRIST TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. #DEEP!

Look back at your right hand... THERE WE ARE! SMILE! There I am...there YOU are!  #SELFIE!
WE ARE FREE! WE ARE ALIVE! WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST THAT THE WORLD AS TO OFFER! WE ARE REDEEMED. Jesus PAID IT ALL! He stood in our place, took on that rugged cross and died a horrific death so that we would have the amazing opportunity to choose to have a RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND HIS FATHER!

So, why did I choose Jesus...because he first chose me. He FIRST chose me. HE FIRST CHOSE me!
HE FIRST CHOSE ME! ME! Of all people...flaws and all...Jesus died for me. Died for you. Died for us all, so that we may have an opportunity at eternal life...my my my.

John 3:16 New International Version 

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Question: When the dust settles...and time is no longer on your side...where will your soul rest? 

Are you going to Heaven? 

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savoir? 

Any doubt or hesitation? If so... say this prayer...

Salvation Prayer

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! 

NEXT STEPS

JESUS... Who is he? iGrow Session 1

Jesus... who was he? Who is he? Who do they/we/I say he is?
Who do you say he is?...

Matthew 16:13-20
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus was MORE than just: a man, a great human, and teacher.

He was fully human. He grew tired (John 4:6)6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. He got hungry (Matt 4:2)2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus had human emotions like you and I.

Anger: 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.

Love: 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Sadness: 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

You see, this man was the Men of Men... Filled with the Holy Spirit...and had the Father of the Universe yet felt the very human experiences and emotions you and I face and feel daily. He experienced the same Temptation (Mark 1:13), Learning (2:46-52), Work (Mark 6:3) and Obedience (Luke 2:51). 

What I love and admire most about Jesus is that he was a STRONG & HUMBLE MAN. Though he was HUMBLE... He knew who he was. He owned up to his calling, his gift, his destiny and never quit! 

What did Jesus say about himself? 

John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matt 10:40 40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

Matt 10:37 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Bold Statements... yes???

Teachings: Indirect Claims

To forgive sins: Mark 2:5 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

To Judge The World: Matt 31-45 

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

His Direct Claims

Claim to be God- John 10:30-33 30 I and the Father are one.”

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them,“I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Any Evidence to support what Jesus said? 

Yes... his teachings (Matt 5:7), his works (John 10:37-38), his character, his fulfillment of the Testament prophecy and his conquest of death!

Any Evidence for the resurrection: 

He was absent from the tomb! He was present with the 12 Disciples, he made a number of appearances and appeared to the masses. Luke 24:36-43.

Jesus' immediate effect

 The Birth and Growth of the Christian Church along with the continued experiences of Christians down the ages...even TODAY!

There is a lot of evidence to support Jesus' existence. Christians believe He is the Son of God! 

I do too! :)

Recommended Reading: Alpha-Questions of life by Nicky Gumbel

(inspired by iGrow Class @ Trinity Church www.trinitychurch.tv )

THANK GOD ITS MONDAY!!! Start Strategizing!

Thank God its MONDAY!

King David came up with a plan for building the temple, but his son Solomon actually built it.

QUESTION: Do you have a strategy for fulfilling your dream? Are you working on it? Or are you waiting for someone like a fairy godmother to come along and bail you out?

The only thing worse than having no dream is having one without a  plan to make it a reality. A strategy gives you energy, direction and focus. A study was conducted on how infrequently people develop strategies for achieving their dreams.

Here's what it revealed:
26% focus on specific tangible targets for what they want in life.
19% set goals aligned with their purpose, mission and passion.
15% write down their goals in specific measurable detail
12% identify related daily, weekly, and log-term goals with deadlines.

ONLY 7% take daily action toward the attainment of at least one goal.

Where do you find yourself?

It was quoted in the study..."Americans, once again, get an "F" in this critical area of their performance. Simply put, we fail to consistently take the actions necessary to move our dreams and visions out of our hearts & heads and into our lives."

Dreams don't come true because we "wish upon a star." They come true because we seek GOD for direction, put them down on paper with specific actions and timelines, become accountable to ourselves- and if we're wise, to somebody else too. So, the word for you today is...

STOP stargazing and START STRATEGIZING!!!

Note: Today's Read comes from Trinity Church's Daily Devotional

For more info visit: http://www.trinitychurch.tv/

His Love Storm

His Love Storm...(inspired by Jeremiah 17)

Listening to: Gracious Tempest by Hillsong Young & Free 

#Hislovestorm

Your love is like a storm...as you tower over me...I'm lost in it all.

On a day like today...I dreaded being alone. 

On a day like today...I dreaded feeling as though my soul had no home.

Your love is like a storm...Crashing over me, surging with no remorse nor regret... with no sign of rest within the Heavens...your unending grace pours down upon me. You have saturated my dry spirit. You have drowned my sorrows in your love. You have immersed me in the wonder of your love. Your love has saved my soul...because your love is like a storm.

Witnessing the mist sacrifice is offspring of droplets upon the windowpane...her words spoke to my heart...you spoke to me through her...a voice full of your kind spirit. A voice willing to testify of your goodness until the very end...a voice who has swam in the rivers of your love...she pierced my hardened heart with a smile so filled with delight; an infection only you can produce.

Delicate and youthful as a water balloon, my tears were screaming for the chance to burst out! Behind such a weak exterior, I knew there was nothing else I could do...

In a chorus of chants they yelled, "Let Us fly! Let Us free! Let Us live! Let Us be!" My senses becoming conscious of such a chorus, opened themselves up to your presence through hers. They felt your voice, heard your smile, saw your perfume of grace, tasted your unending love. 

Crashing over me...surging like a raging sea...immersed me with your love...each tear began to free fall in epic euphoria! Damp spots, streams of hope, and a renewed mind. Damp spots, streams of hope, and a renewed mind...damp spots, streams of hope, and a renewed mind...

(There will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears and love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.)

Storm: a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere, manifesting itself by winds of unusual force or direction, often accompanied by rain. 

Jeremiah 17:5-8 reads 

"Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans,

Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone

    and sets God aside as dead weight.

He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie,

    out of touch with the good earth.

He lives rootless and aimless

    in a land where nothing grows.

                             

“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,

    the woman who sticks with God.

They’re like trees replanted in Eden,

    putting down roots near the rivers—

Never a worry through the hottest of summers,

    never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm through droughts,

bearing fresh fruit ever season.

My prayer is that I/we lean on God and not ourselves. May we ask him to bring about a raging storm of love into our lives to shake things up a bit. Out with the old, and in with the new. May we never seek love in all the wrong places but understand that planting our hope in him allows for us to never worry and always bear his blessings! His love is greater than the greatest love

you know... 

#HisLoveStorm