Surprise!!! I have a follow up cardiologist appointment tomorrow (mon) and need to leave by 6:45 so I thought I would do tomorrow's blog this afternoon. Well it's really Sun Blog part two. You will need to read your own devotionals and spend some time with God yourself tomorrow. Unless God gets me up at 3 or 4. (Hope not, but He often does)
Good Afternoon Very Loved, Pursued by God, Fellowship of Believers! What a great message we heard today from Sarah about God's pursuing love! And what a great time of feasting and fellowship we had at the brunch celebration after worship! Thank you Sarah! And thank you Lori and the whole two peas in a pod Family Ministries team! And thanks to all who helped to clean up! Lori estimated that 84 meals were served altogether with take out. I wish I could hang out at all the tables! What a great fellowship and family!!! This will be our last brunch until Fall but we will have a church picnic June 9th where we get to hang out and feast and fellowship. Watch for details!
Kathy shared during praise time about the love and encouragement she feels and the love that flows from our family of believers. We are love! (Pronounce and believe that! It's true!) Thank you all for being so loving, kind thoughtful and responsive to co-laborers that need prayer, encouragement and help! You ROCK! I have never experienced such love and care from a church family before! We are love, joy, encouragement, hope and help bringers! AMEN! Keep it up! We need each other!
Sarah reminded us about how much we are pursued by God always. We may run and/or try to hide from Him, but He loves us too much to let us escape His love! God's love will always pursue us. We have three choices: run, hide or surrender. He's always right there wanting us to turn to Him and receive His love. Too often we try to run and hide as we pursue our own selfish ways and pleasure and try to block God out or try to ignore Him. But He is relentless. I think about how I tried to do that for over 20 year, BUT GOD! He was there pursuing me, waiting for me to stop running and stop trying to hide and to turn to Him in surrender. He received me with open arms and led me into my new nature and His much better ways! Sarah reminded us that when we realize that we are trying to avoid God, run or hide, we need to stop and turn to His pursuing love and be restored, healed and set free. Yes and He loves us so much that His love is a purifying, just love and there may be some consequences to walk through with Him as we repent and begin to trust Him. He will lead us to His best and we will overflow with His love if we let that happen!
Sarah asked two questions to ponder: What does God want us to pursue? (even this summer as we step out of the building). What is He pursuing in you? I might add, Who do you see Him pursuing that He wants you to be a part of His rescue team? He has great plans for you! He is always pursuing you to lead you to His best. Are you pursuing His best? It's such a joy when you do and when you allow Him to have His way with you and as you walk with Him and in His best ways. God pursues you with a forgiving restoring love. He pursues you with everlasting love. He pursues you with perfecting love. He pursues you with sacrificial love. He pursues you with healing, accepting love. God is love and love pursues you always. Stop trying to run and hide and turn to Him and abide in His love today--everyday! We are made for His love! Pursue it! Receive His love and then go share it! What a joy that is! Remember, nothing can separate us from His love unless we choose to allow it to. DON"T! He's pursuing you and wants to pursue others through you. Allow His love to transform you and your situations and then to flow from you to others as you learn to live and love more like Jesus! Amen!
Yes what love we experienced today! God definitely pursued us and united us in His love! PTL! Thank you all for your love and willingness to allow God to love through you! Love you all!!!
I decided to copy tomorrow's devos below. maybe they thread through this or will speak to your heart about where you might be trying to run or hide from God. Or maybe they are the thread for a new day for how to live and love more like Jesus? I didn't engage with them yet so I don't know. But I do know this, God is pursuing you and wanting to speak to your heart and inform your prayers and choices. Will you let Him? Pray about it and invite Him in. Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart right now! Shalom!
CS:
ODB:
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TWFYT:
Don 
