Did you spring ahead? See you at 10 for worship and the last day of Children's Church study on the Armor of God.
Please let me know today of you can attend the Spiritual Gifts study with dinner at 6 Tues. or noon on Zoom Wed. This study will last about 3-4 weeks.
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Good Morning Growing Like Christ Children of Our Abba! AMEN! May we be about God and His business as we allow Him to transform us into the people we are created to be and doing what we are created to do for such a time as this. That all begins as we still ourselves at His feet, spend time with Him and in His Word and then move out refreshed, prepared and ready to incarnate (bring alive) Christ to those God is sending our way and empowered to do the things He has planned for us each day. He really does love you and has an easy yoke custom fitted for you that leads to His best and perfect plans. Meditate on that and worship. Be still and soak in His love and character. Then go live and love like Jesus. Prepare your hearts to worship today as well. He is worthy of all praise, glory, honor and obedience! Amen!
Below the Harvest blogs are a great place to begin as you still yourself and process things with Abba. There is a flow through my devotionals today (below) that has really spoken to my heart and is a word from God to some of you as well. Turn off the noise. Be still. Seek, listen and receive. He is speaking His love over you and wanting to encourage you and direct your steps for today. What's He revealing to you? Let's process that together or with some friends. And let's pray into those things together.
I wish I was allowed to share pictures of our grandkids. There is one of my granddaughter cuddled on my lap reading a book. It reminded me of how God wants us to sit with Him and engage with Him through His Word. In the picture, you can feel the love of the Father who said, "Let the children come to me." and then He blessed them and sent them on their way. He wants to hold you close, speak to your soul, encourage and train you to go live and love like Jesus. It's His refreshing easy yoke. It's laboring with Him as you put on His character and follow Him to the perfect things He created you to do. Oh Lord, HELP! I want that! Draw us up on Your lap and speak Your love and encouragement over us. May I be as happy to see and spend time with you you as my granddaughter is with me. Lord may I enjoy You and life with You and be about You and Your business. Thank You! Forgive me for being like Martha too often. May I be more like Mary. Abiding in You and Your Word. Recharge me and renew my mind for the day and week. May I come with a spirit of worship today that flows into the week ahead. I need you! Come! Breathe life into me. Fill me to overflowing with Your heart, mind, Spirit, Love and wisdom. May I produce good and lasting fruit as I become more like You while following You daily. May people look at me and see Jesus at work and want that and then help me to lead them to You and make disciples like Jesus. Thank You for the plan You have created me to do. May Your Kingdom come and will be done in, through, and around me for Your glory alone! I need You! Come! Have Your way with me! Amen!
I'm earnestly praying for you! Please pray for me as I pour myself out for Christ, while seeking to honor God's healthy rhythms. Pray I abide and move from His presence to good fruit in the Way of Jesus. He has big plans for me, you and us! PTL! May we earnestly pursue Him and allow Him to lead us to become His dynamic movement of disciple makers. Amen! May we steward well all of God's blessings and cultivate good soil that will produce good and lasting fruit! What's your part? Let's talk about and process that! God is speaking to your heart right now! Listen, receive and then share what you are hearing/sensing. And then go! Live and love like Jesus today!
ODB:
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Several years ago, a study analyzed the link between teenage depression and the amount of sleep teens received each night. After reading the study, a young woman commented on the results: “I never seem to know when to stop—I push myself so hard that I end up making myself sick from lack of sleep and stress.” Then she said she wanted to know what it really meant to manage her time to honor God. What was the difference between busyness and fruitfulness?
Being busy is no guarantee for being productive, faithful, or fruitful. Yet we might think that being busy is what’s most important. In Luke 10:41, Jesus gently reminded Martha that she was “worried and upset about many things” and that her sister Mary’s choice of sitting “at the Lord’s feet” (v. 39)—a posture of discipleship—was the better choice.
In our desire to serve Christ, are we doing too much, thinking that He’ll notice us more if we do more? Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” However, it doesn’t say to burn ourselves out in His name. In Psalm 46:10, we hear this reminder: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Let’s take some time to slow down and spend time with Christ rather than focusing solely on our to-do list. Only then can we find true “rest for [our] souls” (Matthew 11:29).
By Brent Hackett
REFLECT & PRAY
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When have you been too busy to be faithful and fruitful? How can you find rest in Jesus to accomplish what He wants you to do?
Dear Jesus, please help me replace busyness with being still so I can know that You’re God and my life can be fruitful.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Luke 10:38-42 isn’t the only place we read of Jesus interacting with Mary and Martha. In John 11, Christ once again found His way to Bethany—but not for dinner. Lazarus was sick, and his sisters sent word to Jesus (vv. 1-3). In Luke, the setting was domestic (10:40); in John, the situation involved distress and death (11:3, 17). However, certain dynamics were present in both situations. In Luke 10:38-40, Martha is distracted with serving. In John 11:20-22, she’s distressed with grief. But in both cases, Christ put things into perspective (Luke 10:41-42; John 11:23-26). As for Mary, in Luke 10, she’s sitting at Jesus’ feet “listening to what he said” (v. 39). In John 11, she’s at His feet again but this time in desperate grief (v. 32). Christ provides the ultimate hope in our grief: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (vv. 25-26).
Arthur Jackson |
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Sarah Young:
UR: Breath of Life
The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. - Ezekiel 36:34 (NIV)
Where I live, the weather can be very humid, but our plants are accustomed to it. On the other hand, the winter season can be very cruel. This year, during a particularly cold season, my plants were devastated. The patio where I keep almost all my plants looked like a wasteland. At a glance, they looked dead. I began to cut the dry twigs and stems, though I wondered if any of this work was worth it. When I came to my favorite plant, I saw what I thought were the tiniest sprouts on the side of each dry stem. Thinking I might be mistaken, I took a closer look. Lo and behold, I could see the miracle of life. The plant was greening — slowly but surely.
I paused to reflect on parallels in my own life. How many times have I walked through a spiritual desert alone, almost lifeless, bereft of hope? Yet, somewhere deep in the innermost part of my heart, the Lord always offers whispers of hope. The ways of the Lord are beyond my understanding, but what I do know is that it is the Lord who infuses new life in me. Where there is life, there is hope. God is the life source — ever-present and working miracles in us and through us.
Today's Prayer
Giver of life, in the desolate seasons of life, surround us with your presence. When it appears that all is lost, renew our hope. Amen.
TWFYT:
Harvest:
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Father God, You who make all things new through the power of the Holy Spirit, renew my mind, I pray! May I not conform to the things of this world, but instead may I be continually transformed by the renewing of my mind with Your Word.
Lord in many ways I have been lazy and undisciplined in regards to the use of my mind. Forgive me, I pray, and renew my mind. I lay before you my use of my computer and technology, my TV and DVD viewing, the things I read . . . (Pause and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.)
I have entertained philosophies of the world that are contrary to Your Word. Lord, forgive me and renew my mind. I lay before you the way that I have rationalized behavior or condoned values of this world. . . (Pause and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.)
I have watered down the truth of Your Word in order to condone my sin. Lord forgive me and renew my mind. I lay before you the excuses that I have made for my thoughts, attitudes, and actions that are contrary to Your Word . . . (Pause and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.)
I have allowed fear and anxious thoughts to overwhelm me. Lord, forgive me and renew my mind and make my heart steadfast. I choose now to cast all of my cares and fears onto You and ask that Your peace be poured out on me . . . (Pause and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.)
Give me, I pray, a fresh hunger to study Your Word, that I might be equipped for every good work. And Father, in a world of watered-down truth, empty philosophies, and hopelessness, empower me by Your Spirit to be prepared to answer everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that I have. May Jesus be seen clearly in my daily living. Strengthen my faith, Father, for Your Word says that if I do not stand firm in my faith I will not stand at all. O God, help me to stand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Romans 12:2; Colossians 2:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:15; Philippians 4:7-8; 1 Peter 3:15; Isaiah 7:9
--Adapted from Pray the Word: 31 Prayers that Touch the Heart of God by Tiece L. King. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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- Praise God for being perfectly just in all his works.
- Thank him for loving righteousness and justice (Ps. 33:5).
- Confess any ungodly bias you harbor toward any people.
- Commit yourself to viewing others with a loving, Christlike attitude.
- Ask God to help you value justice more highly in all relationships of life.
- Pray for the uprooting of governments which oppress their citizens and withhold justice from them. Ask that justice will “roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5:24) in countries held in the grip of lawlessness.
Prayer Pointer
“He who prays as he ought, will endeavor to live as he prays.” —John Owen
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Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2025 is a free devotional published daily by OneCry Prayer. Find more resources at www.onecry.com |
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