Be a Barnabas Joseph, a descendant of Levi, had been born on the island of Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means “a person who encourages. He sold his field and gave the money to the apostles for the work of God.[1] He was a prophet and a teacher (Acts 13.1). When all the disciples were afraid of Paul after his conversion, it was Barnabas that took him and explained his conversion and verified his testimony.[2] Here is the…
WHY We Need to Live in Community All the gifts of the Spirit listed in Romans 12.6-8, 1 Corinthians 12.4-11 and 1 Corinthians 12.4-11 and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.22-23 all are clearly only usable in community; in fact many of the gifts and fruit are only usable when either facing adversity or to build up others in community. Living in community is the best anecdote for depression and lack of purpose and meaning in life. God…
God’s plan is that we be a part of community. The word community actually is a word that comes from the prefix com- meaning with, and unity. It means a group of people unified, having a common union. One of the ways that God initiates to ensure that we have the life He came to give it, in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)5 is to put us in community and keep us from being isolated and alone. One of the first things that happens when we accept Christ…
Last Thursday a group of women took an evening and redeemed the time… we turned an evening on the calendar into something that mattered for eternity. I am keenly aware that when a group of quality, empowering, inspiring women get together in one room, amazing things are bound to happen. That’s why I’m always trying to get women together in one place! And last Thursday’s event at my home was no exception. Some of the initial things that warmed my…
Friendships 1. There are different levels of friendships. Define: acquaintance, casual friendship, close friendship (mutuality), and intimate friendship. 2. There are different seasons of friendships. Your life is like a skyscraper, with each floor representing a different part of your life. Realize that some friends are there for a season: you may be sharing the experience of a hobby your child likes together, or have children in the same activities or sports, but afterwards it is difficult…
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, blesshis holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.[1] I. What is inside you? A. When Psalm 103 tells us to bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name, what does that mean? Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. When I was studying this Psalm, I wondered how…
Ephesians is a letter that was written by Paul while in prison in Rome. Paul had a special place in his heart for the Church at Ephesus, having spent about three years there. He wanted the Church to really grasp what living their new life in Christ meant and to be strengthened in their commitment to Christ. Ephesus was a city of great importance: right on the coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) it was a thriving harbor city and…
We need to fill our hearts and minds with God’s message on how to love if revival can come through us! We need to see how the Lord continually draws and loves and sees what He wants to do with those who have fallen… the Davids after they commit adultery and murder while on the throne professing God, the Josephs with their broken dreams in prison falsely accused, the Jacobs grasping for all they can get until they wrestle with…
We are accepted in the beloved, redeemed,, ransomed and called by His Name. Jesus then puts HIS righteousness on us so that we can have a relationship with Him. He sees us through HIS righteousness. That same righteousness equips us to see others the way HE sees them, and love them the way HE loved us! He doesn’t discount us because we fall, He doesn’t see us as failures but He sees our potentials, He sees us through…
1. Where is He? It always amazed me that the minute I dropped my two year old off in the Church nursery, the moment I turned the corner, she would freak out. As soon as she was not aware of my presence, she wanted no part of it! That’s the way we feel when we look up and all of a sudden it appears as if the Lord has left us alone. Without notice, something unravels, a tragedy…