Self Control- The platform

Our pastor Tommy gave the an amazing sermon this morning on self control.
He referenced a point in Ecclesiates 2 where Solomon says, " I denied myself nothing my eyes desired", that's how the world lives today, we don't deny ourselves of anything, we want what we want and we seek to get it, there's no self control. We consume ourselves with with wanting more and more, the things we desire begin to control our lives.

We've been going through a series on fruit of the spirit , and he explained how you can't just "make yourself" have more fruit. Like you can't just say, "I need to make myself more patient!" Or "I need to get more peace in my life", but that we get those things by living in the spirit. The closer your relationship with God and the more you live in the spirit the more fruit you'll grow. Today with self control, he explained that self control is the platform for all the other fruit. You have to have self control to live in the spirit, then in return get more self control and more fruit! We have to learn to say no to our flesh, and yes to the spirit. If we live for the flesh, we are rejecting the spirit of God! Living in the flesh is living for ourselves, it always comes back to satisfying "ME", instead of God.
This made sense to me. The world is all about , me, me, me. You hear it everywhere from everyone, it's so hard to get yourself out of that way of fleshy thinking and think and act in the spirit. The Christian life is not easy, Tommy reminded us of this verse~ Luke 13:24 (New King James Version)
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
An interesting point about the word "strive" is that if you look it up in the bible dictionary it comes up "agony", so we are to be in agony to enter through the narrow gate! Self control is hard! But it's so important to kill the flesh as a Christian. Quit worrying about yourself so much, live in the spirit and be fruitful!! I want this so badly. When I don't feel like being self controlled I have to keep in mind how much sweeter my life will be when I'm a tree bearing lots of fruit. How much better God is than anything else. :)

Born again

I just love this song, it touches my heart everytime I listen to it. I do feel this way about having a relationship with Jesus, and it just keeps getting better and better. :)

God leads us

The other day I saw a post from a friend about her life and having 4 kids in 5 years and she commented how she loves having a full plate.
It really made me think this morning. I really wouldn't want it any other way either. I am busy, I don't have much time to myself, I do have piles of laundry every day, a messy house, kids constantly needing something, always other little people to worry about, feed, change, referee, play with, read to, drive around, council,wipe butts, take kids to the doctor, it's never ending.

I have days when I feel too exhausted for my husband, and days when I'm so stressed I want to run away for awhile, but when I really think about it, I wouldn't have it any other way. I absolutely love being a mommy.

My kids bring so many smiles to day, and warmth to my heart. I learn things from my kids daily. They love me unconditionally no matter what, they depend on me for everything. My life would be so boring without these children. I honestly feel so blessed to have these little people in my life.

The closer my relationship with the Lord, the more I love these kids and want what is best for them, the more I think about their needs instead of mine.
Recently God put in on my heart to home school my kids. For various reasons, but they are all about the kids and what they need to have a life centered on Christ, so they can grow up having real relationships with the Lord and not being influenced by silly worldly things that they shouldn't have to deal with until they are mature enough to deal with them. (Great sermon on educating our children) My thoughts about myself, and having free time, or time to clean the house, or read a book or just be alone are gone. (at least for the most part!) God has changed my heart to be less focused on Amy and her needs. I am thankful for that. He has made me more grateful for my children, and helped me to understand my role in their life as their mother. ( I think this must be some fruit of the spirit!)
It amazes me how God orchestrates things to work together before I even know what's coming. He put it in my heart/mind about home schooling months ago, around that same time I was going through months of discipleship with a friend at church, learning tons from her, but at the same time becoming discontent with my church. I know I blogged about it, that I was angry I went to church for 6 years and hadn't learned the things this women was teaching me in less then six months. My husband thought I was crazy. He wasn't really for the home school idea, and didn't think there was a thing wrong with our church. Again, around the same time, we both started listening to sermons online from Mars hill church in Seattle. The Pastor is Mark Driscoll. Kevin and I both really enjoyed his sermons, he tells it like it is, and nothing is watered down. One day I was scanning through the Mars hill web site and found a link to Acts 29. Something Mark Driscoll started for church plants. There happen to be a church called Mercy Hill. We decided to go check it out, I know God led us to that church, the address on the website was not only wrong, but it also said it was at a grade school. We drove around, found the address, and it was NOT a school. Kevin said, "oh, maybe we should go back to the other church", I said, "let's just drive a little farther." We found a middle school with cars parked in the parking lot and decided to go in. It WAS the church. People said, "how did you find us??" Good question! It's a very small new church plant, but when we found our seat, and I started singing along with the one man that was doing worship the tears starting falling. I had this peace in my heart, and I just knew it was where we were supposed to be. Then I heard the sermon, it was fabulous. The people, are so friendly, I just knew it was where we belong. So more things start coming together. So far every mom I've met there home schools. Is that a coincidence? I don't think so.
I was trying to find a home team at our old church for the summer, no luck. This church family gets together 3 weeks out of the month. My kids are going in the makeshift nursery, all of them, together, and no tears. We didn't have that before either. Oh, and my husband is on board with the home schooling now. Huh, what just happened?? This last month has been amazing, watching what God is doing in our lives. This is a time that I don't want to forget, God is so visible to me right now, directing our family, but he took it slow, one curve, one idea at a time and just led us right where we are now.
I am excited to see where this takes us, excited to see what home schooling will be like, excited to be a part of a brand new church plant. Who would have thought? A year ago I wouldn't have believed I'd be doing any of these things. God is amazing!

Just one thing I want to add to my friends at my first home church, I love you guys! I have made some wonderful friendships with beautiful God fearing people and i'm so grateful for each and every one of you! I was saved through that church, and if it wasn't for that church and it's misson for new beleivers, I wouldn't have been saved. I credit that church for my salvation and getting me on the right track to having a relationship with Christ. Had the sermons been as deep as what I need now, I probably wouldn't have understood it or liked it. I am thankful for both churches. I guess sometimes we have to move on to new and different things, different times in our life God leads us to new things, but Fox River will always have a place in my heart!! :)

God confirms

Could this be any more appropriate?? I am telling you, there are days that I think God is speaking to me, and he knows how to confirm it to me that yes it was HIM.

I finished posting my last entry, went to read my email and found this devotional for the day from proverbs 31 in my mailbox. I'm just going to copy the entire thing. These type of things are just NOT a coincidence! :) Here it is......

Power to Overcome22 Jun 2009Rachel Olsen

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence." 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Do you find yourself doing what you know you should not? Do you find it hard to stop? Yeah, I know.

I've had several discussions lately with people stuck in patterns of behavior they want to quit. They're stuck in sin. What's more, they feel completely awful about it. Guilty. Shameful. Some to the point of hating themselves. And yet they feel powerless to stop – powerless to resist.

The Bible says when we return to our vices again and again, we are like dogs returning to our vomit (Prov. 26:11).

Ick!
So why do we do this? According to the Bible, Christ has conquered sin on our behalf and we have the capacity to be free from its power. Yet that is far from the reality of many Christians' lives. Why?

Why does sin have any power over us? Why does it have any dominion in our lives? The answer is the same reason a dog returns to her vomit. She likes the taste.

Sin has power because we enjoy it. It promises something we want … pleasure, escape, esteem, wealth, etc. Sure it always has consequences we don't want, but in many cases those don't over power its feel-good moments or perceived benefits. In short, sin has power because we love it.

Earlier this year I quit drinking my favorite drink, a particular diet cola. Now, I'm not saying diet colas are evil or sinful, just go with me here! The first time I tasted this diet drink I didn't think it was all that yummy. BUT it promised to save me calories so I decided it was wo rth the slightly strange chemical taste. In short time, as it grew familiar, I began to like the taste.

Wasn't long before I was flat out addicted – wanting, even needing to have my beloved drink daily or I grew headachy and irritable. Sad thing is, it didn't help me lose weight at all. But that didn't matter because now I loved the diet drink. Furthermore, I was convinced if I gave it up, I'd not only get headaches but I'd gain more weight. I was enslaved in a way.
It was my drink of choice: I smiled when I had it and frowned when I ran out, or if a restaurant didn't serve it. And I'd get worried anytime a health report questioned the safety of aspartame, a main ingredient in my diet cola. But loving it so, I returned to it day after day. Even though I'd begun to feel guilty about that.

What helped me give up the diet cola? I found a different, healthier beverage I really liked and developed my taste for it. I was willing to give up that because I now had this. It's the same way with sin.

What can help us overcome the sins we love, but hate loving? A surpassing love. A greater love that carries with it no hate, no guilt, and no shame. A love that actually delivers the many, many benefits it promises. A love that is full of wisdom and compassion, not vomit. A love more attractive and powerful than the allure of sin. It is the love of God displayed in Christ.

When we catch hold of that love - when we read of it regularly, drink it in, and see it at work in our lives and in its glory - we cannot help but love Him back with all our heart, soul and mind. And in that state of all encompassing love, sin pales in comparison. Its power grows feeble. It no longer tastes as good.

When we immerse ourselves in the everlasting love of God that has made us its object, we're more than willing to walk away from the vomit. We can give up that because we have this.

Dear Lord, forgive me for the sins I return to. Cleanse me with Your majestic love and grace. Reveal to me the depth of Your love, the extent of Your sacrifice, and the beauty of the mercy You grant me daily. Open my eyes to see Your love afresh and may I be empowered to walk away from sin towards Your heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.