James 1:12

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 NIV)

Persevere under trial!?  Ugh.  We've all had tough times.  It's good to hear "stood the test" meaning "I made it!!"  Not of course , in our own power but in the power of Christ. These moments shape us and make us more like Christ.  We learn and grow from them.  This kind of steadfast faith carries us through more and more as we age.  It's good to know that we are blessed and will enjoy a crown of life as we trust him.  

Matthew 6:24

“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. (Matthew 6:24)

Slave is a rough word but if you break it down for this scripture - it is the emphasis of extremes.  You have a choice to serve - so who will it be?   God or "fill I the blank"?  We live life everyday and make this decision whether we do it intentionally or not.   We will serve someone.   We will worship something.  We are designed to worship.  With purpose at our center.    What are you a slave to today? 

Saved by grace through faith!!

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

 

Liv said.... We should not boast in ourselves or think higher of ourselves than we ought to. Our boast should be In the salvation we received from Jesus.  None of us did anything to deserve to be saved. We can't do good works to earn his favor.  It's by his grace through faith - only.  God wants to save us to do good things for him but let's get it straight .... Any good thing we do is for him, in him and through him. We don't earn anything by it.  Got it?  Got it!!!

Proverbs 21:23

The one who guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble. (Proverbs 21:23)

How do we get in trouble with our mouth and tongue?

(Kids answers:)

Gossip (talking about other people)

Slander ( intentionally trying to sway others to think bad of someone else)

Insults

Swearing

Talking about unwholesome things 

It is so important for us to GUARD our own  mouths and tongue to avoid hurting others and getting ourselves in trouble.  

 

Mark 8:35

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35 )

Don't waste your life!  Don't get caught up in stuff, in satisfying your flesh and desires.  A life that is selfless is one that truly lives.  Walking humbly in every situation even when it hurts you , will cause others to see that Christ in you loves them.  That kind of love is what it's all about.    Losing our desires and dying to our selfish wants causes us to have true life by giving all  !!!

Happy birthday Timothy !!

At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16-18 )

A birthday tradition here at the Wessel house is breakfast in bed and a session of "what we love about you!" So....

Liv- I love how you wrestle with me and don't take it easy on me, how you love me and spend time with me. 

Kadin- I love how you help me through things when they bother me.  And that you are always there for me and that you play with me. 

Devin- I love your compassion for other people and what they are going through. I love how you always have the right words to say. 

Gina - I love how you let the Holy Spirit guide you.  How you own your own mistakes and don't blame others.  I love how you bring fun and a free spirit to our home and I love the way you love me. 

This scripture verse is Tim's life verse. He read it on the way to teen challenge because it was the book of "Timothy" when he was 19 years old.  Today at 46 his life sings God's  praises for rescuing him , for coming to his defense for holding him safely In his arms.  

Thank you Jesus. 

Oceans

There is a song called "Oceans" and today we listened to it before we prayed together.  Listen to it at the link below Livias photo below. In Philippians 4:13 it says we can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.  Today we especially celebrate our sis as we go into a weekend all about her.   She's turning 13 soon and we want to make her feel extra special!!!

Spirit lead us where our faith is without boarders ..... Let us walk upon the waters - wherever you lead us.   Take us deeper than our feet would ever wander and where our faith will be made stronger in the presence of our savior!!!!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1m_sWJQm2fs

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity). (James 3:17 AMP)

If your wisdom harbors envy and selfish ambition you will find disorder and every evil practice.   But if your wisdom is submissive and sows in peace it reaps order and peace.  

What kind of "wisdom" do you rely on day to day????

 

Be a Spirit-led man!

Ephesians 2

AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3 AMP)

(Photo: Devin - a long time ago!) 

Livia- Galatians 2:10

Remember the poor. – Gal 2:10

Livia reminded us that we all have purpose on this earth.  Some have much some have little.  The Lord's Prayer (so sweetly said by our little friend Shyana, age 7 at home group lat night) reminds us that God gives us what we need when we need it. "Give us this day our daily bread..."

Everyday we should audit what we have and what we could give away to remember the poor.  God calls us to.  A sacrificial gift is one our God seeks.  

Give till it hurts, nothing left.  

(Gina and Little Livi in photo) 

Matthew 6:33

"Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added into you. ". Matthew 6:33

Primary.  Número uno.  Number one.  The very first.  The most important thing.  

We have a hard time in this busy life with focus.  So many things get our attention.  This scripture reminds us to keep God first and then the rest of it comes together .  Honest sometimes I don't know how.  When everything else is screaming for my attention how do I let it all go and just seek God? .  That doesn't get the dishes done or the paycheck paid!!!  While I say that in jest, embarrassingly that's the tension I live with.  I refuse to quit - seeking God is my only hope.  It's my only answer to making things right.  So press on in Jesus name!!

John 16:22

“When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you’ll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You’ll no longer be so full of questions. (John 16:21-23 MSG)

We are in need of refreshing.  We need to be energized and receive new life in Christ.   It's our choice to walk close with our God - to keep Him center of everything we do.  

If we keep on without asking for His presence to be with us , we will become weak and give out.    

God - refresh us today!

Live a life in the Spirit

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. (Galatians 5:13-26 MSG)

Gina - Psalm 37:5-7

Open up before God, keep nothing back; he’ll do whatever needs to be done: He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him. Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top. (Psalm 37:5-7 MSG)

Open up.

Quiet down.

Don't bother .

I appreciate these simple instructions this morning.  To open up and hold nothing back from God to let him in to every thought and feeling.  To quiet down and be prayerful.  How often do I just run and do without slowing down?!   I must take time to seek him , time to saturate my life with the truth of His word.  Don't bother! I love it!   So many little things plague my mind and cause unsettled feelings and yet - God simply says "really?  Don't bother Gina!"   Let it be. 

So I will.  

Thank you God !

Livia - Daniel 6

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and hurled him into the pit of lions. The king said to Daniel: "Your God—the one you serve so consistently—will rescue you." (Daniel 6:16 CEB)

We can trust out God.  

Just as God showed up for Daniel and Jonah and Joseph - he will show up for us.   Livia said ... "No matter what situation we are in we can always count on our God!" 

So when we are in the midst of some junk, we should do our best to relax and settle in to life and know God goes before us.  

Love! 1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever. Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will be brought to an end. As for tongues, they will stop. As for knowledge, it will be brought to an end. We know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, what is partial will be brought to an end. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-13 CEB)

Without love we have nothing !!

Be thankful

List of things we are thankful for-

Family

Dogs

Music

Our daddy

Health

Laughter

Our church

Food

Friendships

Relationship with god

Brothers

Sister

Gods word

Nature

The sun

Love and joy 

All the fruits of the spirit !!!

Even Hard times - because your word tells us to be thankful in all things!!  

Devin - 1 Thes. 5:16-18

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

AMP)

Being aware of Gods presence makes us have a better perspective of our circumstance.  In this world we will always have trouble but we must take heart and stay close to our God.  

Living close to God keeps worry and stress at bay.  

Psalm 90:1

You have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations.  

Today we find great comfort in the fact that god HAS BEEN our refuge and a place to be safe.   He will and has protected us from all harm.  Even when tough times come , because they will - he stands firm.  His anchor holds.