This is such a powerful story that shows the strength that comes from faith. I know for me, being in that moment, it would be SO difficult to say, “I'm willing to lay down my life for Jesus.”

As I researched quickly more into some verses I was met with John 17:24. I began reading the verse but wanted to see even more of the full context of the verse and I was greeted with an overwhelming comfort. 

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be open to you. 

Here’s the thing friends, this verse is so common, it is one we learn from a young age, but it is a verse I have found recently I take for granted in my Christian walk. I continued to tell the student that oftentimes I find myself in times when I am distant from God I am missing a key component from Matthew 7:7.

We all need to be more cautious of our actions. We all need to be better at being a TRUE REFLECTION of JESUS! If someone didn’t know Jesus and heard you talking badly about another person, do you think that sounds like Jesus? If you are getting black-out drunk in a bar, cursing like a sailor, and talking poorly of others, do you think that embodies Jesus?

Do you know how big a mustard seed is? It’s usually about 1 to 2 millimeters or 0.039 to 0.079 inches in diameter. That’s tiny. It’s also the smallest seed that can be planted in the ground. Like other seeds, the mustard seed has two options: Grow or die. Jesus said that even faith itty bitty like a mustard seed can do the impossible – that’s because that faith is rooted in Jesus.

My eyes and heart were opened to receive what God has been trying to get through: He knows who I am and always has. To find the answer to my burning question, I look to the women of faith who gave all in worship.

I’ve come to the realization that we serve a God of seasons. Think about it, He could have snapped his fingers and in an instant we would have been saved. But no! He sent a CHILD! A BABY! A child that would grow, learn, preach, serve, THEN, save.

There are seasons in life when I’ve desperately needed to hear from God and seasons where I’ve wanted to make my own decisions. Factor in all the responsibilities of the day and the need for rest, and you’ll also find seasons where my bible would sit on my nightstand without as much as a glance upon it.

See there it is our minds always lean towards the self-esteem validation that we desire. How do you respond in situations when maybe you have wronged someone? Do you justify your decision? Apologize? Or sit in guilt knowing you need to make things right? 

As I continued to pray about it, I was given a new perspective and understanding of why I needed to forgive this person. It wasn’t like they were begging me to forgive them so they can move forward with their life. It was so I can move forward with mine and allow healing to happen.

Our intimacy with Jesus is only dependent on our choice to respond to him by continually seeking after him. Making room for him in our life. We must take the time and space to actively seek Jesus and long to know more and more of who He is. 

Maybe you have been praying for a friend for years and don’t see God changing anything in their life. When it is hard to understand where God is, try to think of how an anchor works better underwater instead of out of the water.

This sermon talks about who we are following and how it doesn’t matter how many IG followers you have, or how famous you are. If you are an influencer or not, you still have influence. Jesus was famous, because he didn’t care about who was following he only cared about who HE was following.

By the beginning of Psalms 10, the message became clear. God is hidden but still present. God may step back from the front and center portion of our life to allow for us to want and search him more. He wants to hear the desires of our heart and sometimes it takes stepping away to ask the question, do you believe I am still good? 

I didn’t know what I was worth until I stopped trying to find worth in everything that couldn’t give it to me. God, in his  kindness, had me trade in cheap worth for the confidence of having an identity firmly planted in him. No matter what I  feel, that can’t change.  

Almost every day, I marvel at how strange time has seemed to pass for the last year and a half (almost). Just recently, I was talking with a few coworkers and we all agreed that, though September is so near, it still feels like May. Time is pushing and pulling in every direction, events and deadlines are sneaking up and big decisions suddenly have to be made in what feels like a split second. As our world is slowly returning to normalcy, the pace of our lives is rapidly increasing.

We all fall short of this at times, but we have to do all we can to live for eternity rather than for the world. Things of this world can appear to be good, making us want more and think we need more. However, when we take a look at what the world is offering, we realize it will never fulfill us.

At the start of our recovery journey, we read the book “You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are” by Rebekah Lyons. One of our favorite quotes in this book is “when we become enslaved to anything, we miss out on a life of surrender and peace.”

Never in my mind was waiting, an active thing. This is where the Lord opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. I was spending some time in prayer on this idea of waiting and out of nowhere I saw a picture of an actual waiter. He was holding pen and paper and asking his guest what he could do for them. 

Have you ever walked through a valley so dark, so long, and so silent that you’ve ended up doubting if the sun exists anymore? I have. For 15 years I lived through a season of being completely hidden. Invisible, passed over, and forgotten. I was there, but not really there. I was physically in the room, but not really present. I was screaming, but not heard. Can you relate?