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The Trinity: Intimately Knowing & Growing

10.08.2020 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to FACETS!  As we start to dig into the persons of God this month, we wanted to preface with a bit about what we believe. We believe in one God who exists in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are three individual facets of one magnificent God. There are numerous scriptures throughout the New Testament that reference the three persons of God individually, and together, giving us glimpses of the personality and characteristics of God. If you wrestle with the thought of one God in three persons, we encourage you to lean into the confusion, pray, and ask God to further reveal Himself. We pray you find comfort in the greatness, and vastness of our God knowing that we will forever have more to learn about Him.

The Trinity: Intimately knowing and growing? (Tracy)

How do we talk about the trinity, the Godhead three in One? Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Relationship with ALL are of equal importance. One is not more significant than the other. We need all aspects of God.  More of Him. Less of us.  More of Him. Less of us as He leads us. As He grows us. As He grows us to know Him more, and as we do, we grow to know ourselves more. Because we are made in His image.  Mind blowing!  I know.

There have been times when I’ve run into the arms of my loving Father like a little girl in need of comfort (no matter my age).  When I need to feel safe and loved, I turn to Him. He showed me how I am celebrated, that He was there the day of my birth (before actually) and He rejoiced. He celebrated me because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Him. You too, sweet one, are fearfully and wonderfully made by a Father who sees you and knows you, who fashioned you in your mother’s womb. (See Psalm 139) He delighted in you that day and every day since. Even in your sin, mine too.  He doesn’t delight in our sin; he delights in US, in spite of our sin. That’s EXACTLY why He sent His Son!  He sent Jesus to cover our sin with sacrificial blood. He loves us THAT MUCH.  Can you imagine? Our sin couldn’t go unchecked. He can’t taint holy with our sin. The sacrifice was needed, so we would no longer be separated from God.  (See John 3:16)

He is rich in mercy.  I need it. We need it.  Not sure? Take a look at the world. Hate, division, murder, violence, angry words.  Without God directing our steps that’s what we’re left with.  Heaven knows we need His mercy.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,  in which you formerly walked according to the age of this world and according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,  among them we all also once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and He raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God,  not of works, so that no one should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.─Ephesians 2:1-10 MEV (emphasis added)

Because of His great love, He richly reaches toward us with His mercy.

There was a time when I called on the name of Jesus, because His name brings salvation. That sweet moment when amazing grace sweeps in for the rescue.  I’ve had that moment.  Have you? If not, let me tell you. It’s life changing! My life is beautiful and peaceful now, not perfect, but so good, because Jesus saved me.

I used to have despair; now I have hope. I used to have depression; now I have joy. I used to have promiscuity; now I have purity. I used to have unrest; now I have peace. I used to be lost; now I am found.

If you don’t know Jesus but would like to, it is quite simple. All you need to do is say a prayer something like this from your heart (that’s the most important part – your heart is what He wants the very most).

Jesus, I don’t know you, but I desire to know you.  Thank you for your precious gift of forgiveness for every one of my sins: past, present, & future.  I do need hope, and joy, and peace, and purity of heart which brings that peace. I need those things and somehow my heart tells me having you in my life will lead me to those. Help me to know You more. Help me to know of Your great love, of Your great love for me. And help me to follow Your ways all the days of my life. Make a difference in my life, LORD, so that I can make a difference in the world. Thank You for celebrating the very day I was born. Help me to learn more about Your deep love for me and the world I live in.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, please let us know. We’d love to celebrate with you.  For God’s Word says there is much rejoicing in heaven when another precious child of God comes to know Him.  You are His, sweet one, forever. You will never be alone again. God has a name, Immanuel. It means God is with us. God is with you. Forever. Soak in that. Feel God’s smile upon You.

Jesus’ name is the name above all names. I needed His rescue. God’s Word says we can come to the Father, because Jesus has cleansed us of our sin. We are righteous, because Jesus made us righteous. We can enter the holy presence of God, because we are made holy through His sacrifice.   If you have accepted Jesus in your heart, you are righteous. No shame. Freedom from sin. That’s pretty incredible, right?

And for those of us who have a relationship with Jesus, let us not miss this moment afresh. Let us not forget the hour we first believed as the lyric goes. Let us hold tight to that moment and every saving moment since.

These faith moments help us when life gets hard.  Like 2020. When we wonder what on earth is going on?  Yet still, if we sit silent, we see God in our moments.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.

─Psalm 46:10 MEV

 

When the world feels weary, isn’t it good to know God gives us the command to rest in Him. We can be still. We can be still because we know God. That’s where peace that surpasses understanding stems from: a growing knowledge of the goodness and power of God.  It’s how we rest.

God the Father, God the Son, but what about God the Holy Spirit? That’s where some folks can come to a screeching halt of misunderstanding.

For whatever it’s worth, here’s what I know.  The Holy Spirit is not weird.  (Some people are, but not Him.)

Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus said this:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.  I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever:  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see Him, neither does it know Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you, and will be in you.”

─John 14:15-17 MEV

The Counselor, the Spirit of truth, He is the Holy Spirit. We were blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit to help teach and guide us.  God’s Word says we are given the deposit of the Holy Spirit when we are saved.

Jesus also said this:

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.─John 16:7 ESV

Jesus SENT us the Holy Spirit. He said having the Holy Spirit with us is for our ADVANTAGE.

As I have grown to know the Holy Spirit more, I grow to desire to know Him more.  This is the space God has probably been growing most in terms of my understanding of the trinity. As I try to “be still” He speaks to my heart.  Stillness isn’t easy, but it is when we hear the Holy Spirits’ desires for us and others.

If you didn’t know the Holy Spirit and I had to tell you about Him from my vantage point (as small as my perspective is), I would say He is incredibly sweet.  He lets me in on secrets and He sends me on fun assignments of kindness.  As I see how His adventures play out (sometimes I get to see), I am delighted at God’s loving goodness. That’s His nature: kind, compassionate, tender, and loving.

As I pay attention to how He works in the world, it brings me joy.  Who knew in 2020 we could have joy?  With the Holy Spirit imparting divine wisdom, peace, comfort, and revelation, we can.

He has been growing my heart to align more closely with His.  I certainly haven’t “arrived” in this, but I am more attuned to Him and His desires now.

And He blesses me so much as I see and know His presence guiding me, my life, and the lives mine intersects.  Sometimes, a “chance” meeting with a stranger.  Sometimes, the perfect timing of a call or a connection with a friend.  His melody perfectly orchestrated when we slow down and listen to what the Holy Spirit desires to speak to us and through us.

When I have slowed enough to listen, I am told I am loved. I am shown I am loved. I feel seen and known, because the Holy Spirit brought wisdom from above. And it delights me that now He uses me.  His Spirit ministers through my hands and heart, your hands and heart too if you know Him and slow to listen to Him. He is speaking to us. Even now.

The Holy Spirit is not weird. He is wonderful! He is kind, loving, and true.  Remember, He is the Spirit of Truth. God cannot lie. He will tell us the truth about ourselves, Himself, and others as we need to know it (and some of their stuff is really none of our business).  What we need to know to effectively minister to others, that’s what He will tell us.  Sometimes we are doing His work without even knowing it.  My guess is that is often the case.  Why?  Because God is always doing something beneath the surface we are completely unaware of.

I think of the work He was doing in my heart well before I was saved.  Back then, you would never have imagined who He is making me into.  Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you were in prison, and now He has set you free. Maybe you were once an addict, and now the only thing you are addicted to is Him.  This is the beauty of the Spirit at work in our lives.

I like to think of myself as a secret agent for God sometimes.  When I can slow down enough to engage with Him and His missions, that’s when He uses me most.

Just this past week the Holy Spirit has done these things.  To be clear, I am bragging on Him.  He is a Mystery, but a Mystery I want to know more of, to be more a part of as I get to participate in His plan.

The Holy Spirit grows us up in our faith. Certainly, this is not where I started (listening to God and carrying out missions). I started in the ditch of life. In His love I have grown. In His love I will grow some more. Until the day I die, I will be being taught by the Holy Spirit how to be a better ambassador for Him.  That’s my way of saying I don’t always get it right, but when I do? It brings a smile to my face even now.

Last Saturday, I attended a virtual conference with a friend. Over lunch break we shared our hearts about much, and specifically about our children. We talked about the power of prayer from our mama hearts that we know God hears.  The next session was a spirit-filled prayer for attendees, including us.  As the speaker helped us enter a peaceful space (ushering us into God’s presence), part of her prayer was about the prayer of mothers for their children. She talked about how God hears our prayers for the ones we love so much.

It was as if God used her to encourage my friend and I that He’d been right there at the lunch table with us. He heard our conversation, and He hears our prayers. I walked away encouraged because the Holy Spirit had ministered to me through the voice of one of His saints.  His well-timed voice dispenses hope.

That’s why it is so very important for us to be still and listen.

Who does God want us to encourage?  Who does God want to use to encourage us?

In the weary world of 2020, I can guarantee we all need encouragement. The Holy Spirit knows that, and He will use those of us willing to be that for each other. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing?

On my way home after the conference, I felt the Holy Spirit impress upon my heart.  Don’t turn the radio on. I have something to tell you.

It made sense to sit in silence, to decompress from the day. So much had been said. God had been speaking all day through each woman delivering messages we needed, I needed.

I asked what God wanted to say. And waited.  Sometimes, I can be too fervent in wanting to hear, almost causing distortion. I want to know.  Finally, I settle down enough that He can speak through my mental chatter without having to crash through. It’s almost like He just kind of lets me squiggle a little and then He slips something in when the opportune, settled moment happens in my brain.

Have fun.

God told me to “have fun”.  Sometimes, I do need reminding of that.  Life can be serious.

I had shared with my friend earlier in the day sometimes the more serious life feels, the more fun and joy we need to infuse.  I do think there’s truth in that. We have to counterbalance the weariness of the world in the every day difficulties and in the large, looming pandemic challenges.  The harder those things are, the more fun we need to have.

As a child I was silly and fun. As an adult I can be serious, not that serious is bad. But neither is fun and silly.

The Holy Spirit also said to my heart, You having fun is one of the greatest witnessing tools you have to show Me to the world. 

I believe that to be true and why the enemy tries so hard to weigh us down with worry.

Joy. Fun. They are a weapon. And as God said, a most effective witness tool.

It took effort not to look at my text messages.  Several had come over during the conference. I knew there were “things”, things to attend to. I didn’t know what because I’d turned my phone over, knowing if I saw a text I wouldn’t be able to emotionally engage in the conference and what God had for me.  So those ignored texts became the place God called me to linger.  No radio. No texts. Be with Him.  It became a matter of trust. Did I trust Him that the sky wouldn’t fall if I spent 20 more minutes with Him during the car ride home without glancing at my phone?

Almost home I passed by a man, a woman, and a child. The man held a sign that read something like this, Out of work. Please help my family. However you can help.  It was that sentiment if not those exact words.

I had driven past because I had somewhere to go that evening.  (Not to mention my unknown texts.) But the Holy Spirit didn’t let me get far.  My car made it to the next Home Depot entrance where He placed on my heart,

Turn around and give them (x-dollar amount).

I pulled into the semi loading area of Home Depot, navigated my car past the garden center, through the parking lot, and pulled my car near the family.  I felt prompted to get out of my car, walk over to the dad, and hand him the money.

As I did, I told him this, “Jesus loves you.  He told me to turn my car around and come to give you this money.  He sees you, and He loves you.”

I have no idea what God will do with that, but that’s an awesome point.  We do not know what the Holy Spirit is up to in anyone else’s life.  What if I had disregarded His prompting to sit quiet in my car for a 20 minute ride home?  I can tell you I most certainly would have been mentally engaged in whatever work was calling me. And I would have missed it!  But God’s grace had me be still a little longer with Him. He gave me a sweet message to have fun, and I got to see His goodness play out in the smallest of ways through me.  And it was kind of fun too.  Being sent on assignment is fun.

Maybe you needed to hear that.  God’s assignments shouldn’t feel heavy and burdensome, another thing we have to do.  His assignments are covered by His grace. He’s doing the heavy lifting.

So, if things feel heavy, hand those over to God. Have fun. And let His Spirit do the work.

Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.─2 Corinthians 3:17-18 MEV

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking to engage some more?

I encourage you to read Acts chapter 2 as a start (or referesher) on your journey to learn more about the Holy Spirit.  The early church was greatly impacted by the power of the Holy Spirit.  If you look at how the Spirit came upon the Church and then Peter preached the sermon of his life with power and impact for God’s kingdom, I hope you  are encouraged.  The power of the Holy Spirit is available to you and me today as well.  Let’s “be the Church” through the power of the Holy Spirit who does the heavy lifting.

Categories // Uncategorized Tags // 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Be Still, Counselor, Encouragement from God, Ephesians 2:1-10, Father, forgiveness, God Assignments, Have Fun, Helper, Holy Spirit, John 14:15-17, John 16:7, John 3:16, Listen, Love, Mercy, Psalm 46:10, Salvation, sin, Son, Spirit of Truth, Transformation, Trinity, Witness

Love Is…Compassion

03.10.2020 by Jennifer Howe //

Welcome, friend, this month the Facets are turning over a good question: Do they know they are loved? Deciding who “they” might be is up to each writer. We ponder whether we are loving others well because that’s what a follower of Jesus is called to do in light of Jesus’ compassion at the cross. Compassion is key. Take a peek at Tracy’s thoughts here, but don’t miss Megan’s and our guest’s posts when they appear!

03 2020 Do they know they are loved? J Howe

We’ve Got Stories

I (Jennifer) have a story. You do, too. We aren’t that different, you and I. My story may be rougher around the edges than yours, or not. Let’s avoid the comparison game and, instead, think about the experiences and imagine what compassion looks like in light of the good, bad, and ugly stories. How would we give compassion? How would we receive it?

A Hurting World and Harm

In this crazy-busy world, who of us is not hurting? Our culture is overwhelmed with strong, nagging feelings—anxiety over things yet to come that may never come; fear of the hard reality we face every day; frustration over the things others say, think, and do; and anger because, well, life shouldn’t be this way. Our hearts break just a little more each day in a hundred ways.

The harm is real. Adding two elements, helplessness and abandonment, to any deeply harmful incident creates a traumatizing incident, a perfect storm. Whether you’ve been traumatized or not, this may put words to how trauma affects a person—

Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.1

The wounds can be deep—and they can heal! God can use Scripture, relationships, and story work powerfully in the process. God’s biblical truth, compassionate love, and power are always the focus. The stories spark heart connection with God, self, and others. In the right human relationships, we may find the wounds aren’t so different or indelible. We might find a whole community experiencing pain we understand.

Time

It heals all wounds, they say. (I don’t believe that’s true.) It happened so long ago, they say. (Read The Body Keeps the Score.) Why would you go back and dig up dead things in the “bone yard,” they wonder? (We don’t want to do that!) It can’t be as bad as all that—ten minutes of your life in 50 years can’t be that big a deal, they say. (Really. Trauma is that big a deal.)

Trauma in the Church

When the Church welcomes a hurting world, the people inside her walls are wounded by real, terrible things. What will the people in the Church do about that? Will the whole community know the truth and freedom in Jesus? The number of people in the body of Christ knowing the biblical truth, compassionate love, and transforming power of God is related to the preaching, teaching, and relationships. I suggest we think about relationships in the context of God, self, and others.

You and Me

Compassion in our world and our churches begins with you and me. We answer questions for ourselves, and then we can sit with others as they answer the same questions.

Let’s start simply.

Do you know you are loved?

I’m a 5 on the Enneagram, and I desperately need to stretch beyond what I know cognitively to the reality of God’s love.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT

How do you measure God’s love knowing Jesus would die for every one of us? He did just that! Consider Jesus’ love in light of this: But God showed great love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

I won’t lie. It’s not easy to wrap my mind around John 3:16 because I know who I’ve been and the struggles I still have. Honestly, I find myself asking God to make the depth of His love real and settled in my mind and heart.

Do you bless your self with God’s love?

In my too-black-and-white, perfectionist mind, I sometimes fight to believe my God’s grace isn’t saved for perfect people—it saves imperfect people from their sin and into the Kingdom. Imperfect? That’s me! Jesus’ death on the cross wouldn’t be necessary if I could achieve perfection. And if grace could be earned, it wouldn’t be grace. Sin is the reality of this world and our condition at the DNA level. Because of sin, we need God’s solution.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

I think we ask our loving God to help us show appropriate love and care to ourselves—mind, body, and soul—in light of His grace.

Do you bless others with God’s love?

Culture wars, wars on all the things, wars on each other—we aren’t always good at loving, are we? We have a hard time liking people who look, think, or behave differently, let alone loving them! We’ve forgotten the real war:

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NLT

If we think “we have met the enemy, and the enemy is us,” we would be terribly wrong.2 The one who claims to follow Jesus receives two commands: love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40). Even if someone qualifies as an “enemy,” we must love and pray for them (Luke 6:27).

What does love look like?

We are surrounded by people who have stories, just as we have our own. We do well to remember everyone fights a battle we can’t see. Time doesn’t heal wounds, caring relationship does. We all need a saving relationship with God through Jesus, and then we receive God’s power through the presence of His Holy Spirit. God loves us deeply and well—He is compassion. We need Him, and we need supportive relationships with safe people.

It’s not good for a woman to be alone. A wise woman opens her life to honest, compassionate people who can support her when she’s ready. That looks like finding someone who will hold her story with gentleness and kindness by listening carefully without interruption, instructive comments, or judgement. She takes care of herself with gentleness and humility, and then offers the same gentle, humble compassion to others when she can. As she heals and matures, she becomes a safe person for others.

Thanks for reading. You can find the Facets on Facebook. I would love to read your thoughts here or there.

Signature: Jennifer Howe

 

 

 

 

 

1 Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, p. 97.
2 Walt Kelly, 1970.
For more on “story work,” check out The Allender Center, Seattle, WA.

Categories // Do They Know They Are Loved?, Jennifer Howe's Perspective Tags // Bessel A. van der Kolk, Compassion, Ephesians 6:12, Facets of Faith, God's love, John 3:16, Life Stories, Luke 6:27, Matthew 22:37-40, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 6:23, The Body Keeps the Score, Trauma

How Have I Found Family? We All Can Find Family.

02.26.2019 by Anne Marie Sopiarz //

Welcome to FACETS of Faith.  We are wrapping up our series Have you found your family with our guest contributor, Anne Marie Sopiarz.  I (Tracy) met Anne Marie at a Christian Women Business Organization meeting. She was the guest speaker and blessed us with her communication gift during her talk on connection with others.  I knew I wanted to share her gift with others, like seed scattered so that others could receive the good gifts God has for us all through what He puts on her heart.  With that, enjoy Anne Marie’s contribution to this month’s topic on family. Have You Found Your Family? (Guest)Family. What a complicated word! Ask someone about “family” and you will likely get an emotional response. The response might be a huge smile representing love and thankfulness. The response might be eyes that glance downward revealing deep wounds and hurt at the mention of family.

Family is complicated in my life too! I have a brother who didn’t grow up with us, and my father has been married a few, well lots, of times.

I have friends all around the country whom I consider family, and I am blessed when I look at the beautiful family God has given my husband and me! This little nuclear family includes our adopted daughter who has shaped my understanding of family dramatically.

Most of all, when I think of family I think of the family of God. God is my good Father, and I am His child.

I have been blessed to study the book of Romans in-depth this year through BSF. We dig and dig each week into a handful of verses. We wrestle with each one and let God speak to us. What a gift!

As a result of my study of the book of Romans, I have been struck lately with the truth that we are adopted as God’s children. I am a child of God. If you are a believer, then you are a child of God too.

Adoption is quite the word.

My study of Romans left me considering adoption, but life experience made it come alive.

Last December I sat in the courtroom for another hearing on behalf of our foster daughter. But this one was not just another hearing. It was her “best case” hearing. Basically, our agency was laying out evidence to the judge that our daughter’s “best case” was to be adopted by us– her foster family who has loved and cared for her most of the years of her life. It was gut wrenching and sacred. I was not “allowed” to speak in court, but I sobbed silently in the last row as the judge declared my girl’s standing and placement to be “best” with my husband and me.

She has been ours all along, but with this declaration she becomes a full member of our family, and she inherits full rights as our daughter!

It’s the same for God with you  and me, adopted with full rights!

God, our Father, sees each of us as His child.

How does God feel when we let Him claim us as His daughter or son? Probably similar to how I felt in that courtroom!  

We are His all along. Once we realize that truth, we can finally be freely loved by God. We get the full benefits of being His child.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Jesus in John 14:18

Behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into His family– calling Him Abba, Father. Romans 8:15

The Greek word for adoption here is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture. God, our good, good Father adopts us. We will experience this fully one day (Romans 8:23), but it makes a difference in our life here and now as well. We are His. You are His. You are claimed and adopted. I am claimed. I have been declared His child. What a gift!

I get emotional when I let this truth sink in and when I live out of that place. How about you?

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6  (emphasis added)

There were legal realities God had to deal with, which is why He sent His Son, Jesus, to cover our sins. His justice and law demanded punishment and exclusion from his presence because of our sins. God’s mercy brought our redeemer, Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross and our acceptance of Him as Savior gives us righteousness in Christ. God had to satisfy His justice and His law in order to adopt sinners into his family. This He did by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.

God our Father cries in the courtroom too. It has been decided. We have been claimed. Let Him claim you. Let Him claim me.

I have Full Rights as His daughter! My prayer is that I sit in it and live from it. How about you? Family to a believer means being a child of God! I thank God for this truth today!

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. John 3:16

Do you desire to be part of the family of God? He wants nothing more than to adopt you as His son or daughter, dearly loved. He died so you can freely live, both here on earth and in heaven. He sets the lonely in families, where as Christians we call each other brother and sister. If you would like to be adopted into God’s family, say this prayer from your heart:

I believe You, Jesus, died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin. I believe You love me enough to die for me, and You desire my adoption into Your family. I commit to following You as You lead and guide the way like any good parent would do. Show me what is best for my life and help me to live in light of that truth.  I know being a Christian comes with blessings but doesn’t eliminate every trial either. The difference, though, is I am never alone as a child of God. Thank You for never leaving me, nor forsaking me. Thank You for helping me navigate each day as You help me every step of the way. Help me to hear Your voice, to listen and to obey the good, loving, Fatherly guidance You have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen!

If you just said the above prayer, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

Have something to say? Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page. 

Categories // Faith, Finding Family, Guest Perspectives Tags // Adoption, Belonging, Child of God, Family, Full Rights, Galatians 4:4-6, John 14:18, John 3:16, Resurrection, Romans 8:15, Salvation, sin

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  • Reawakening the Invitation to Dream – Facets of Faith on The Trinity: Intimately Knowing & Growing
  • Rudy Euceda on Finding Jesus Next to Me

Archives

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Categories

  • A Weary World Rejoices
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  • Do They Know They Are Loved?
  • Do You Believe God?
  • Do You Give Her the Royal Treatment?
  • Do You Kow You Are…
  • Do You See What I See
  • Expecting the Unexpected
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  • How does God respond to me?
  • How Does Prayer Fuel Hope?
  • How Does the Enemy Try to Silence You?
  • How to Love When It's Hard
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  • Jennifer Howe's Perspective
  • Joy/Humor
  • Kim Findlay's Perspective
  • Life
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  • Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Surrender
  • Mama Guilt
  • Megan Abbott's Perspective
  • Perspective
  • Precious Attributes of God
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  • Safe to be Really Me?
  • Say No
  • Say Yes
  • Singing in April's Showers
  • Spring Forward with God
  • Thankfulness: How do we serve?
  • The Blessing
  • The Blessing: January 2021
  • The Do Over
  • The FACETS Team
  • The Lion the Lamb and the Mirror
  • The Story of Christmas
  • The Trinity: Intimately knowing and growing
  • Thelma! Who's Your Louise?
  • Tracy Stella's Perspective
  • Trusting God When Afraid
  • Truth and Denial
  • Turning Little into Much
  • Uncategorized
  • What are You Going Back to?
  • What Do I Have to Offer
  • What Do You Do for Fun?
  • What Do You Dream About?
  • What has God rescued you from?
  • Who Burnt My Turkey?
  • Who Do You Love?
  • Who Do You Say I Am?
  • Woman of God?

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