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10 Things This Husband Has Never Told His Wife!

09 May

So this Sunday is a day to bathe the mothers of the nation with love, gifts, and honor in a way that they deserve way more than just once a year.  What a mighty task that is.  I know for the mother of our two kids, my wife, Brittany is dynamic and finding even the right words to say is difficult, much less a gift.  As I think about the phenomenal person I call best friend and wife, a sermon I recently listened to comes to mind.  Clayton King preached a sermon at New Spring Church called “The Man Mystery.”  He uncovered the 3 things every man needs.  You can watch the message at http://newspring.cc/series/adamandeve/

Clayton later blogged “10 Things Your Husband Wants To Tell You.”  Man was he pretty spot on for me at least and it got me thinking even deeper.  What does my top 10 list look like?  Brittany and I have been married for 12 years this August and it has been a unique and beautiful journey so far.  We are super close, but there are some things I don’t know that I’ve ever told her.  My list would be very close to the list Clayton wrote, but I’ve changed each to better fit me.  So, being as vulnerable as possible, here is my list.

1.  I may act like I am confident, but I am really insecure about lots of things.  But especially about how I am doing as your husband.

2.  No matter how many times you tell me the opposite, I worry that you are not happy with me and that one day we’ll end up like normal, complacent marriages.

3.  Even though they are amazing, I’m scared that our kids may not turn out the way we hoped they would.

4.  I never feel like I have enough time for you, our family, and work.  I feel like everyone wants something from me.  Burn out often crosses my mind and heart.

5.  While I communicate that we don’t need to have everything everyone else has, I so desperately want to provide you and our family a life of security, joy, and safety, and to make you happy.

6.  I often feel like you are not attracted to me.

7.  I feel inadequate to be everything you ever wanted from a husband.

8.  I’m afraid to tell you that I feel anxious sometimes and that I compare myself to other husbands and fathers.

9.  Your approval and affection is the one real thing in this life that gives me confidence in myself.

10.  If you believe in me, I am unstoppable.

So there it is! I give Clayton King mad props for the inspiration and for being real in a culture that says this is very un-cool for a man to admit.  Several times myself, I almost decided to not even post this.  I wanted to be real and let my wife know what was in my heart as well as in most men’s hearts.  It’ll be because of #1 that a man may not admit to the other 9.

Brittany Epps…I love you and am thankful for your life because my life would not be no where as good as it is without you. You are the greatest gift God has given me besides my salvation!

 
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Posted by on May 9, 2012 in Marriage, Spiritual Growth

 

Transformative Truth

04 May

I sit here on the floor with a precious gift beside me…my 5 1/2 month old daughter. Immediately God spoke softly into my heart these few words, “She is created in my image.”

Man is she adorable! God quickly brought to my mind that everyone was made in the image of God.

My heart breaks for a particular group of people this morning. God broke me about the people that are victim to our judgements, criticism, and laughs. As much as I would like to think and say that I’m not critical, I know that I am.

I am concerned especially for those of us who say we love Jesus but find ourselves degrading the very people God says are created in His image. How we can degrade and devalue people because we feel justified or inferior. What we don’t realize is that it will not only destroy that persons self confidence, but it will destroy two of the greatest attributes we have…our character and integrity.

The same people that are the brunt of personal jokes, critical remarks, judgmental words, are the same ones that God said in Genesis 1:27 are created in His own image.

We must realize the depth of our words.
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” (Proverbs 18:8 NIV)

Now this is a struggle for me as well so I encourage us to ask these 3 questions about how we treat people.

1. Am I viewing people the same way God views them?
2. Am I treating people as if they were a valuable creation of God.
3. Am I talking about people to other people in the best possible positive light.

For those of us that are the brunt of false criticism, rude or poor treatment, being made fun of, or gossiped about, let me remind you of one transformative truth.

Your identity is not in what anyone else thinks or says about you…it’s in the One who created you. Your value and significance is in that fact!

I will close with this: If we can’t love people, how do we expect to love God.

Just sharing what’s on my heart this morning. Have a great weekend.

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2012 in Just 4 Teens, Leadership, Marriage, Missions, Parent Ministry, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

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The 524 Movement

28 Apr

The 524 Movement

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
(Galatians 5:24 NIV)

I sit here at 3:00 AM looking out over nearly 100 High School Students, College Students, and Adults who have traded the comfort of their warm beds to sleep on the cold concrete.

I am amazed at their desire to be a part of what we believe is movement to be advocates for the 220+ million orphaned and abandoned children all over the world.

Our specific focus this night is the 750,000 children in Uganda whom are without their mom and dad. This area is now at peace from a war that had spanned over more than 20 years. Many of these kids are victims of the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) which is led by Joseph Kony. Over the years, thousands of these kids were kidnapped by the LRA and forced to be child brides and child soldiers. Many were forced to turn on their own families to kill them. The government couldn’t stop Kony and the LRA so they set up displacement camps for these kids to live in. In many of these camps, young teens would be the caregivers for several young children. Now that the war is over, they are being told to go home. The problem is that for many of them there is no home or family to go home to. They are being plagued by disease like malaria, have no place to sleep other than the cold muddy ground, and are not getting the proper nutrients for their health…amongst many other issues. There are 320 kids dying daily from malaria and the rest are physically exhausted from no comfortable, safe place to sleep.

So, these young people realize their purpose in sleeping under the stars on a piece of cardboard is to make a global impact. To raise a communities awareness to how we can come together and help children thousands of miles away.

That’s why I call it The 524 Movement. From Galatians 5:24. They literally are crucifying their desires and avoiding fleshly passions to sleep out here. That’s what this movement will take. For people to crucify occasional pleasures of this world to advocate and give to these hurting children. For those that “belong to Jesus Christ” to abandon a life of selfishness to make a global impact and realize the greatness they were created for.

Through this effort, we are partnering with Sweet Sleep, an organization that is providing life-saving resources for these kids around the world. One of our greatest efforts is to raise funds for these resources. For every $50 raised, a resettlement kit is provided for one child. Each kit contains a life-saving mosquito net to greatly reduce the risk of contracting malaria, a mat, a comfortable mattress, a blanket, and the Bible in their own language.

Just tonight, we have raised $2600 which is going to help 52 kids get resettlement kits. Combined with the $8,000 we raised at last months Student Conference, that is $10,600 raised thus providing for 212 kids. That brings tears to my eyes just to type.

Over the last several years, Sweet Sleep has provided over 20,000 beds and resources for abandoned and orphaned kids and we have been blessed to be able to add to that.

Here’s where the movement begins and continues. There are still hundreds and thousands of kids in desperate need of these resources to help save their life.

Will you join us in getting the word out and praying for these areas around the world.

If God so leads you, please consider giving a financial gift to Sweet Sleep to help them radically change these kids well being. They are sick, malnutritioned, and exhausted. We can help. Please join us!

Go to www.sweetsleep.org to learn more about this phenomenal ministry and you can donate on this website as well.

God bless you!

CLICK FOR PHOTOS OF THE EVENT!

CLICK FOR THE 524 MOVEMENT FACEBOOK PAGE

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2012 in Leadership, Missions, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

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A Day for Liberty

25 Apr
Here is a post added today on www.sweetsleep.org, an organization I’ve partnered with that helps provide resources to orphaned and abandoned children worldwide.  This is a captivating story that helped put into perspective just how “life-saving” these mosquito nets are…as well as the other resources for these children.
——————–
Today is World Malaria Day. That means something different to me now because of a little girl named Liberty who I’ll never know, this side of Heaven. This entry from Sweet Sleep’s 2011 Gulu team member, Amanda Calhoun, shares about that particular day .
Our Gulu team was deeply saddened as we stood among the huts that Liberty once ran to and from. We had no words, only prayers that I’m sure many of us couldn’t utter the whispers to God with. But, we were also filled with hope for those whom we WERE giving nets to. And, because of the reality and truth of that day, we were also keenly aware of something that needed to be different. We knew things. And, because of that, we were responsible to tell the story….to talk about malaria and its devastating impact. To pray for protection and for provision for these children, to pray for Sweet Sleep as we seek to provide life-saving nets to these children when they receive their beds and Bibles.
Throughout most of the nights that week, I woke in the middle of the night…crying for a little girl whose laughter was silenced too soon. My heart knew there was a battle cry to share with everyone who might listen, and so many of you have joined Sweet Sleep to fight with us. Thank you. You have saved thousands of lives. And we’re just warming up.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Liberty. I had to know more about her. I wanted to tell her story and to give this disease (malaria) a face so that we could understand it better. So, weeks after our team had been back, I asked Jennifer (our staff in Gulu) to travel to the home Liberty lived in to meet whatever family she might have left behind, to love them for all of us and to learn more about this little girl who had impacted our hearts and thoughts.
Here is Jennifer’s account of that day….
I started the journey as early as 9: 30am and I went to the village where we had our distribution point the first day and from there it was 4km ahead to liberty’s home. I traced it for the family members and found her father (Quinto) who took us [to their] home. At their home I found her grandmother– seated outside watching her maize seeds dry. 
She was happy to know I was there to comfort her. She was so happy we remembered her and the family. She soaks (cries) as she talked to me. She told me that Liberty was so kind, loving, caring and above all she never missed to go to pray on Sunday. She was a quiet girl who was always not complaining, even if she was in much pain. The pain made her so close to her grandmother. Young as she was, she fetched water, firewood, washed dishes and supported her grandmother so much.
Liberty was born HIV positive and started well but later she started to get opportunistic infections and worse when malaria came in. Many times she got well but, that fateful day she passed away the same with her mother who also died of malaria in 2008.
Liberty loved to farm so, so much and before she died she had planted beans behind their house and the beans yielded so well and that same beans were used for her funeral service to feed the mourners who went (her grandmother told me this while shedding tears).  Liberty had too much pain as she faced her death but she never complained–she had her strength and hope to see GOD.
She slept on mats, which I found in the compound. She used a torn net and never had a mattress of her own. She was buried next to her mother, she left behind a father, (Quinto) a brother ( Amos) and a grandmother (Medlene). Her family is peaceful and loving.
The grandmother handed me her dress light blue in colour which she used for prayers. She also gave me her photos that I took with my camera. Above all, she gave me her blessings and blessed the team of Sweet Sleep, even if she never saw them. She is blind…
After reading that message, I shared it with team members who joined with me to provide beds, nets, Bibles and other things to Liberty’s family in her memory. Her family was so thankful.
And then, one day, a box arrived at our office. I knew what the contents were, and I couldn’t open it. For months I have thought of that box, prayed for that box, looked at that box, wondered and prayed for how to tell the story and bring Liberty’s life to you in the right way.
Today, I picked that box up. I prayed over it. I sat with it. I opened it up. And, the moment I did….there it was. It took my breath away and I sat and looked at what I saw for a moment before continuing to remove its contents.
I’m certain I will always remember pulling Liberty’s dress from that box because the smell of Uganda came with it: the smell of a smoke-filled hut from so many meals prepared by or for Liberty, the smell of red clay earth, the smell of lives not really so far from where you or I are sitting.
I’m dedicating today’s World Malaria Day to Liberty. And, I’m urging you to make a gift in her memory today that will give one $8 mosquito net to a child in need of protection against malaria. You can go here to do that. When you do, mark “For Liberty” or “nets” in the comments box and I’ll make sure your gift is turned into a net and delivered to a child in Uganda.
And, today, for Liberty, I’m personally going to match every gift that is made in her memory. So, let’s do this.
Thank you all for supporting the work for Sweet Sleep, for praying, for letting me share Liberty with you in this way, and for how you will respond now.
Gratefully,
Jen
 
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Posted by on April 25, 2012 in Leadership, Missions, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

Students Trade Comfort for Concrete to Bring Awareness to Orphans

16 Apr

To be released to media early next week.

Students Trade Comfort for Concrete to Bring Awareness to Orphans

(Johnson City, Tenn.) Hundreds of area teens will be leaving their cozy beds behind to sleep under the stars to help displaced children a world away. The Holston Baptist Association is sponsoring the “Sweet Sleep” event April 27th—28th in the parking lot of Johnson City’s Fun Expedition. The event is also a fundraiser. Every $50 raised provides a bed, bedding, a mosquito net and a Bible in their own language, for one of the nearly one million orphaned children in northern Uganda. Jen Gash, Founder and President of Sweet Sleep, will speak at the event.

“Our desire is to empower a young generation with opportunities for growth and change. By ‘Sleeping Under the Stars’ and giving them an experience of what it is like for 750,000 Uganda orphaned children to be displaced, we believe it will raise their awareness in greater fashion to the needs of Northern Uganda thus creating spiritual growth and life change,” says organizer Ryan Epps, Youth Pastor at Boone Trail Baptist Church.

So far, more than a dozen churches are taking part in the event. Students have been collecting change and donations to be donated to the non-profit Sweet Sleep organization. At a recent Spring Conference where 1400 students & adult leaders attended, an offering of $7,900 was collected. Through that weekend alone Sweet Sleep kits will be provided for 158 children.

“Knowing that the amount we often pay at an evening out at a restaurant will provide a life saving mosquito net to protect children who constantly sleep in fear of death from malaria which kills 1 in 5 children (90% of these children are in Africa alone), brings us an urgency to raise people’s awareness to the fact that our small monetary gifts can literally save children’s lives in other parts of the world,” adds Epps.

Sweet Sleep’s vision, as listed on their website, is for every orphaned child in the world to lie down in their own bed reminding them they are loved, protected and cared for with hope for the future through Jesus Christ.

According to UNICEF, there are more that 210 million orphans worldwide. In one day, 5,760 more children will become orphans.

It’s not too late for others to get involved. Come bring your sleeping bag to sleep under the stars, or stop by the event to donate from 8pm to 10pm at Fun Expedition.

Sweet Sleep is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are 100% tax-deductible as allowed by law. Each gift is a contribution to the entire mission of Sweet Sleep and will be used to meet Sweet Sleep’s most pressings needs.

A friend in public relations wrote this media release.

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2012 in Leadership, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

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What’s So Good About Good Friday?

06 Apr

Trip Lee, an excellent Christian rapper, posted this today on his blog, www.bragonmylord.com

What’s So Good About Good Friday?
It’s normal to remember the day of somebody’s death. Anyone who’s lost a loved one knows that you’ll never forget the day they passed on. It’s the end of a life, and it’s heartbreaking.

Of course, as a human race, we don’t only remember loved ones. When important public figures die prematurely, we remember and mourn the day they were taken from us as well. Our nation remembers the day Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, and the day John F Kennedy was killed. But those particular days are never referred to as good. Those were horrific days, where beloved men were murdered by malicious assassins.

Yet, two thousand years ago Jesus of Nazareth was murdered by his own malicious assassins, and we remember that day as “Good” Friday. What’s so good about the day when the most talked about man in human history was violently beaten and killed by his enemies?

The fact that wicked men would plot to murder the Son of God is tragic and it’s undoubtedly the greatest sin ever committed. But his death is unlike any other death before it or after it . We can call that day “Good” Friday for many reasons. He are two.

1. Good Friday is good because of what Jesus accomplished through his death

When most of us approach death, we’re coming to the end of our life’s work and hoping for peaceful rest. But when Jesus went to the cross, He was beginning the most important part of His life’s work. Jesus’ death was more than the end of a heart beat; it was the execution of God’s plan to save sinners. Jesus resolved to take on the sin that separated us from God, or as Paul says it, Jesus was, “making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).

Listen to the bittersweet words of Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’”

Despite his innocence, Jesus Christ stood in the place of sinners, and took the judgement that we’ve earned.

1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…”

The day that the Son of God was put to death can be called a good day, because by it we are brought to life!

2. Good Friday is good because it isn’t the end of the story

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:24)

Jesus’ body did not remain frail and lifeless. Sunday morning, He was raised from the grave— full of power and glory. He was seen, in the flesh, by hundreds after his death, and soon after ascended into the Heavens.

If Jesus had not risen from the grave, then we could not call this “Good Friday.” If Jesus was still in the grave, I would have absolutely no hope. There would be no hope of redemption for fallen man or restoration for our broken world. But we know that He has been raised, and this gives us reason to rejoice and to trust in Him.

Save your dirges and your R.I.P.’s, because Jesus Christ is no longer dead. He is alive and well, and He reigns supreme! Good Friday is Good News for sinners like you and me.

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Posted by on April 6, 2012 in Spiritual Growth

 

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Love, Passion, & Vision helps 158 orphans!

06 Apr

Sweet Sleep, which has become one of my greatest passions, asked me to write a blog post for their website.
Here it is below:

Spring Student Conference offering helps 158 orphans in Uganda

What an amazing blessing the ministry of Sweet Sleep is for me. Quickly after discovering the vision of Jen Gash and looking into the work she and the Sweet Sleep team are doing around the world, it became my passion as well.

Missions is dear to my heart. The Lord has put a deep desire to raise the awareness of others to global missions as well as discover ways for a young generation to become sensitive to the needs all over the world. For teenagers to get excited about spreading the fame of the God of the universe to their community and the world.

Every year at our annual associational Spring Student Conference we include a special missions offering. When the council of several youth pastors that plan the conference met to decide on which organization to give to, it was a quick unanimous decision to partner with Sweet Sleep.

This past weekend (March 30-April 1, 2012) was the conference and God blew our goal away. The Spirit of God stirred in the hearts of the 1400 students & adult leaders in attendance. Our goal was to raise $4,000 and resettle 80 children in Northern Uganda. The goal was high as former years averaged a little over $3,000, but we knew God would move. That goal was smashed in just the first night. Our weekend total offering was $7,900 which brought us great joy knowing it was going to provide a life saving mosquito net, mat, mattress, blanket, and Gods precious Word for 158 kids. The students were moved by the vision set in place, the photos, videos, and testimonies of us passionate about placing the needs of others before our own.

We are super pumped to get these funds to Sweet Sleep so they can set a plan to get these resources to Northern Uganda. God is faithful and so very good.

At the end of this month we have also planned a City Wide Under The Stars event in which we have 12 churches signed up to participate before the conference. With the huge success this weekend, we believe that number will double. Our goal is to give these students an experience that will continue to raise their awareness to the needs of these orphans as they sleep under the stars just as these orphaned kids do. We already have local businesses, radio stations, tv stations, news stations, and the newspaper involved to spread the vision throughout all of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina.

We honestly believe God is going to use this event, last weekends planted seeds, and the future opportunities to transform lives here locally as well as around the globe.

I want to thank the entire HBA staff and youth council for their love for Sweet Sleep and their passion to unify together to make this happen.

Thank you Sweet Sleep for listening to the call God has placed on your lives and letting us join you on mission to help save lives and see the Kingdom expand.

Ryan Epps
Youth Pastor
Boone Trail Baptist Church

Original post on Sweet Sleep:

http://sweetsleep.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-student-conference-offering.html?m=1

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Posted by on April 6, 2012 in Leadership, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

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Will you help me?

01 Apr

Please check out our update on the missions offering for our Spring Student Conference and then pray about joining us on a tremendous journey to help save the lives of millions of orphans worldwide.

CLICK ON THE LINK DIRECTLY BELOW

2012 Sweet Sleep Missions Offering Update

Go to www.sweetsleep.org to check out this amazing missions opportunity.

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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The coolest creation ever!

23 Mar

I continue to talk with people weekly that struggle in one of 3 areas. The first person battles so deep with a low self-esteem and believing anything great can happen in their life. The second person is struggling with so much guilt and shame over past choices that they don’t feel worthy of anything great to happen in their life. The third person has been beat down by people in their loves in such a way that they have settled to believe they will never make anything of their lives.

I would like to pull out a blog I wrote two years ago to remind us all of something phenomenal.

In a society that is self-seeking, brutal, and pressured to be and look a certain way, our true self is often hidden from the world…and even ourselves. When we wake up in the morning and look in the morning there are a flood of emotions that penetrate our minds and hearts. Depending on what is going on in our lives, what we see isn’t appealing to us. On the outward physical appearance, the words that may come to mind are ugly, fat, or disgusting. For the inward deeper appearance, the words may be failure, stupid, hypocrite, or worthless.

There are many reasons why we experience such daunting times when viewing ourselves such as pressures from the world, insulting abuse from other people, or inaccurate view of ourselves. Ultimately, only the individual and God know the reasons.

Whatever your reasons for not liking what you see in the mirror, I would like to remind you of one unfailing truth. The only thing that really matters is how God sees you. The only thing that matters is how the creator of all the galaxies views you. See what it says about you in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10.

Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Everything you are is all shaped by the master as part of his plan. The only opinion that matters is God’s. The only opinion of us that truly is significant is not what people say about us. Or not what you see in the mirror. It is how God views us.

You my friend, are a priceless work of art. You and I were created in the very image of God. See here is Genesis chapter 1 verse 27.

Genesis 1:27
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

The God of the universe looked down on you as you were being formed in the womb and said, “Check this out…this is going to be good.” In Psalm 139, he talks about how he knew you before you were born and that you were wonderfully made. You are no mistake and never let anyone tell you any different.

Your significance does not come through what other people think about you. So many of us get so consumed with the opinions of other people that it changes the dynamics of our entire lives. Some of us are so concerned with the way we act, dress, walk, talk, smile, etc that we change who we truly are to gain the approval of other people. Listen, you are selling yourself short when you are more concerned with what one person or one group of people thinks over what the God of the universe thinks about you.

You are valuable! You are precious! Your identity and self-worth is in Christ!

I felt compelled to write this today because I know that if most of us are honest, we are not always happy with what we see. Therefore, may we take advantage of His amazing love and just live freely knowing we are “precious.” May every aspect of our lives be lived in a way that is honoring to God out of gratefulness for all He has done and sheer love for Him.

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2012 in Just 4 Teens, Leadership, Marriage, Parent Ministry, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

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The Real Deal

17 Mar

“That man is the real deal!” I hear that statement often used to describe a believer in discussion concerning something impressive they have done. Yes, we hear this about individuals in sports or in business as well, but my thoughts are of the spiritual nature. Whether people admit it or not, the root of who we are is spiritual.

I believe we overuse the “real deal” statement. As I think about a Christian who is the real deal, I don’t think about their gifts or talents, their personality, how well they speak, or how great their accomplishments are.

I recall a quote I recently heard. I can’t remember who said it but they said, “You know what separates the real from the fakes…LOVE!”

That quote pretty much puts this mornings thoughts in a nutshell for me. As a Christian, I believe this is what ultimately sets us apart and would make one the “real deal.”

May love consume our thoughts. May love lead in our decision making. May love bind our families closer. May love penetrate the walls between those we are bitter or angry towards. May love overwhelm our lives and be our sincere motive when doing anything for anyone.

It’s when we love that we will be more like Jesus who was the epitome of the real deal. We must also truly grasp the Fathers love for us before we know how to express genuine love.

“And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30, 31 NLT)

 
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Posted by on March 17, 2012 in Leadership, Marriage, Parent Ministry, Spiritual Growth, Youth Ministry

 

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