I love my camp. Yes, it's "my" camp. ;) This is my last year of being a camper. I am always so involved with all the competitions. I do everything I possibly can. I stay busy anyway. Every music and instrumental competition, puppets, story telling, flannel graph, Bible Quiz, and skits. All that lacks is preaching. =) I love playing sports, and very much enjoy playing them when I have an opportunity, but the other competitions are a higher priority while I am there. One year, I taught a lesson, I believe it was flannel graph, entitled; "Nail it to the cross". I love that song! (I say that a lot.) In my Bible reading tonight, I read Colossians 2:14. "Blotting out the handwritting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross". And such prompted me to re-write my lesson for y'all.However, It struck me. Those who have been raised in church can understand, we hear and are taught things our whole life. We know so much, but there comes times in our lives where we learn it or re-learn it - or be reminded - for ourselves. Tonight, it was that of the fact that He BECAME my sin. It said He nailed it to his cross. It wasn't Him that was nailed to the tree, it was my sin. And still, He did that...... for me. Anyway, that was a free thought. He nailed our sin to the tree. He died and paid for our sin; if we are saved, it's all taken care of. However, the concept can be applied in our daily lives. There is no doubt things in your life, and mine, that need to be nailed to the cross; surrendured and given fully to God. Maybe it's..... What you want to be: Your dreams, goals, or future. Maybe you have your life all planned out; You know exactly what you want to be. Nothing in the world can change that. In fact, you're doing just what they world is telling you to do.You hear all the time “Follow your dreams”, “Follow your heart”, “If you can dream it, you can do it”, “Just believe in yourself”. But, I have found if there is one person you don’t trust, it’s yourself. Jeremiah 17:9 : “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?” We can’t follow our heart, we have to lead our heart as we follow God. God has a plan for your life. 1 Corinthians 2.9 says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.“ How many of y'all are awake? If you woke up this morning, God has a plan for you today. His plan is far better than anything you can ever dream up. If we could see our life lived out in our will, next to our life lived in God’s will, there would be no doubt, His will is what we would demand. You will never read of a Bible character or meet someone who truly trusted God and was ‘let down’. It’s an impossibility. It just can not happen. If you knew what He has in in store for you, it would blow your mind. I have never met anyone who has said they were disappointed they followed God, and I highly doubt I ever will. In fact, I always find the opposite to be true. What you used to be: Your past, mistakes and failures. Your past is passed.. It’s behind you. 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The moment you pray and ask Him to forgive you, He does. You are justified by faith.. He treats you as if you had never sinned. Your past may follow you around, and you allow Satan to throw it up in your face, don't let him do that! Learn from the past, determine never to return to it, and then nail it to the cross. What you are: Many people cringe when the term ‘teenager’ is mentioned. (Though, some of you aren’t teenagers yet, you will be- sooner than you think.. and a whole lot sooner than your parents want you to be.) Most people have labeled young people as ‘rebellious’, ‘lazy’, ‘irresponsible’, ‘disrespectful’, ‘immature’, and ‘naive’.. to name a few. And many teenagers live up to the stereotype given to them. But, you don’t have to. 1 Timothy 4.12, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believer, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” To do that, you may need to nail some of your music, your clothes, or some language you’ve been using to the cross. What you have: Idols or Problems. An Idol is anything that you place above the place where only God belongs... Exodus 20.3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” I think everyone has an ‘everything’. They have something that means everything to them. Maybe it’s money, time, friends, sports, activities, or maybe it’s a person. But, God gave you everything you have and He can take it away. “If God took everything away from you, would He still be enough?” Sometimes we get our ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ confused with each other. All we need is Him, everything else is just trivial; just a bonus. Problems. Do you have something too hard to handle on your own? The Christian life is not always smooth sailing. No doubt, there will be storms that come your way. But those trials are more precious than gold. Some people think life will be a bed or roses or a piece of cake. But the reality is, roses have thorns, and not all cake is sweet. Faith makes things possible, not easy. You may not understand why God is allowing certain things to happen in your life, but He does. It’s like a puzzle. We only see what’s happening right now; one piece of the puzzle, and we don’t see how it is going to fit into the big picture of life. But, the Lord knows, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, and through it all, He will be there right beside us; guiding us, and showing the way. 1 Peter 5.7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”.. Genesis 18.14, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?“ Mark 10.27, “And Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Luke 18.27, “And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Job 23.10, “ But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” There is hope. God will make a way and take care of everything. No matter how hopeless the situation looks, God is still in control. You just have to trust Him, He knows what He’s doing. Yourself/ your life. 2 Corinthians 8:5 “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” Galatians 2.20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Christ gave His life for us, how can we give Him anything less? You may think, “I can’t do anything for God, I’m too small, untalented, I’m afraid of people, I don’t have any talent, I don’t come from a good family, I can‘t do this, I‘ve done this and that, I can‘t make any difference- I’m too young. ...” Don’t believe those lies! God can and will use anyone who is willing to be used! Think of those Bible characters you’ve learned about in Sunday School.. Abraham was too old, Leah was ugly, Moses stuttered, Gideon was afraid, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David was a murderer, Jonah ran from God, Zaccheus was too small, and Lazarus was DEAD; yet despite their weaknesses and setbacks, God used each one in a great way. God has a habit of picking out the ‘nobodies’ and making them ‘somebody’s’. No matter how other people label you, or you label yourself, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your worth is determined by God, not men. 2 Corinthians 12.9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” John 15.5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.“ So yes, we alone can do nothing. But, with Him, we can do anything. We can accomplish more in one hour with God than one life time without Him. God wants to use you in a mighty way, but you have to give Him your all; you have to be willing to do what He asks. God doesn’t want some time in your schedule, He wants your schedule. He doesn’t wasn’t to be in your life, He wants your life; He wants to be your life. God has a plan for your life; He wants to use you, you just have to let Him. Are you willing? What do you need to give up? What are you holding onto that you aren’t allowing God have control of? What do you need to nail to the cross?
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Lizzy parkerMarriage.
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January 2023
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