Tag Archives: Love

Get in the Chase!

23 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by in Faith, Love, Need, Opportunity

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There’s nothing like a good chase.  Your senses spring into action! You feel alive!

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Brynlee and Ellasyn came over for a visit. They love to play chase and our living room is ideal because there are several circular options when determining the route of escape. As I chased them, they giggled and squealed with excitement. And I found myself laughing out loud with them.

What are you chasing? You are chasing something. Maybe it is money, pleasure, love, acceptance, fun, security, health, a dream, recognition, or applause.

Do you want an exciting fulfilling chase?  Chase love!  I Corinthians 14:1

Quit trying to figure out what you should be doing and start loving the ones you’re with!

Love meets the need of another. Do you see a need? Chase it!

7 Excuses to Stay Seated

  1. I’m too tired.
  2. I’m too busy.
  3. I’m just one person.
  4. I don’t have adequate resources.
  5. I need some down time.
  6. I don’t know which need to chase.
  7. I don’t really care about this.

3 Steps to Enter the Chase

  1. Commit to the chase.
  2. Stand up and take the first step.
  3. Chase whole-heartedly.

4 Truths About the Chase

  1. You will not be able to meet every need you see.
  2. You will not be able to meet the entire need.
  3. You will have to set priorities.
  4. You will have to set boundaries.

3 Results of the Chase

  1.  The chase will exhilarate you.
  2.  The chase will exhaust you.
  3. The chase will enrich you.

Experience the thrill of a full-out chase!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Love on Purpose

08 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by in Love, Purpose

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God is love. God so loved the world. God so loved you. God gave Himself. God loves on purpose.  John 3:16, 1 John 4

God’s love for you:

  • Is patient and long suffering.
  • Is kind and abounds with acts of goodness that are useful.
  • Does what is best for you.
  • Isn’t conceited and boastful.
  • Doesn’t keep score, especially of your offenses.
  • Rejoices with the truth.
  • Bears all things.
  • Believes all things.
  • Hopes all things.
  • Endures all things.
  • Never fails.

There is one way and only one way to love as God loves.  And that is to allow God to love you as only He can.  As you genuinely experience His love, you will find yourself responding in love.  You will come to believe you are worthy of His love – not because you have earned it but because He has chosen you. His love will fill the gaping holes in your heart.

As you become rooted and grounded in His love for you, you will start to see others as worthy of His love, too – not because they have earned it but because He has loved them, too.  And this changes everything.  Loving for the sake of loving.  Loving on purpose.

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I want you to love on purpose.  The first thing you must do if you want to love on purpose is to be honest with yourself about your current love life.

A few years ago, I got brutally honest with myself.  I said I loved God, yet I wasn’t even spending time with Him in His Word every day.  I wasn’t passionate about doing life with Him.  Yes, I was going to church and doing what Christians do. My goodness, I was the pastor’s wife. Yet my heart was not hot for God.

I prayed, “Father, I know you love me. Your love for me has never changed. I love you, too. But I want to love you more. I want to need you like a plant needs water.”

All I can say is be careful what you pray.  LOL  The Lord brought a series of circumstances my way that caused me to rely on Him for love more than I ever had before. Although the pain was deep, I wouldn’t go back and unpray my prayer.  Today, I spend time with Him in His Word just about every day – not because I should but because I need to.  I like the me doing life with Him much more than the me doing life on my own.

I choose to be loved on purpose so that I can love on purpose.  I dare you to pray the same prayer.

 

Hearts Before Hands

24 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Compassion, Help, Need

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Photo taken by my son, Matthew Rockwell, after the Nepal earthquake.  His compassion has moved him to form Nepal Grassroots Recovery.  Check it out on Facebook.

You have a tender heart. You see a need and take action.  You have compassion.

You have a closed heart. You see a need BUT take no action.  You lack compassion.

Why do you lack compassion?

  1. You don’t have enough time.
  2. You don’t have enough resources.
  3. You don’t know where or how to begin.
  4. You don’t want someone to take advantage of you.
  5. You don’t want to enable bad choices.

Are these valid reasons or mere excuses?

  1. The Good Samaritan stopped what he was doing and made time to help.
  2. The Good Samaritan used the resources he had available at the time.
  3. The Good Samaritan took the first step, and then another and then another.
  4. The Good Samaritan gave without thought of repayment.
  5. The Good Samaritan gave without thought of worthiness.

Compassion is first a matter of the heart.  Is your heart tender or hard?  When you see a need, do you desire to help?

You cannot meet every need you see.  If you think you can, you are not really seeing the people around you.  You have limited amounts of time, energy and resources at your disposal.  But that is not an excuse to do nothing.

Instead of thinking about what you don’t have, think about what you do have.  Are you generous with your time?  Are you generous with your resources?  or do you spend all your time and resources on yourself and your family?  If you’re not generous with what you do have, you’ll never be generous with what you hope to have.

An open heart leads to open hands.

It is never convenient to serve others.  It always takes time and resources.

So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12

Compassion is a Choice

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Choice, Compassion, Love

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A life of compassion begins with seeing.  But seeing isn’t compassion.

Seeing forces choice.

  • See and be moved vs. see and be unmoved.

Jesus saw the distressed people and was moved to provide.  Matthew 9:36

  • See and open your heart vs. see and close your heart.

The Good Samaritan saw the half dead man and went to him.  In sharp contrast, the priest and the Levite also saw the half dead man but they chose to pass by on the other side. Luke 10:32-34

  • See and run toward vs. see and run from.

 The father of the prodigal son saw him and ran to him.  But the brother of the prodigal son was not willing to go to the house and join the celebration.  Luke 15:25-28 

Once we see, we are forced to choose.  We can open our hearts or we can close our hearts. But choose, we will.  Choose wisely today.  Ignoring what we see is a choice in and of itself.

 

 

Too Good to be True? Not This Time

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in Faith, Gift, Gospel, Heaven, Hope

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I was so happy I couldn’t even fall asleep. I had just shared the message of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone with my friend. As I watched her amazement at such a message, I was reminded of the first time I really heard the gospel message. It was shocking!

How can it be that all I have to do is believe in the redeeming work of Christ? How can it be that simple?  Yet, it is. Christ has been God’s plan from the very beginning, even before creation.

The message is simple, yet astounding!

  • God is holy and just, unable to overlook your sin. He is also Love so He provided a way for you.
  • You are sinful, never able to meet God’s standard of holiness, guilty, unable to save yourself.
  • Christ,the sinless Son of God, the only One who could meet God’s standard of holiness, was willing to pay the penalty for your sins by his death on the cross. His sacrifice once and for all removed the sin barrier between you and God.

There is no debt for you to pay.  Christ already paid it.

There is nothing you must do to earn your salvation.  Christ already provided it.

The only requirement for you to be saved is to believe. You must rely on the fact that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross took care of your sin problem in the eyes of God. The moment you believe, Christ’s righteousness will be credited to your account!

Believe in Christ today! It matters not if you are a good person or a bad person.  No one is good enough to save themself and no one is too bad for Christ to save!  Christ alone is the hope of salvation!

John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2;4-9, Galatians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

 

 

 

 

Another Church Day!

10 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by in Church, Love, Purpose

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Another Sunday! Another chance to go to church!

The Corinthians had a big problem at their church.  It was ripe with division and strife.  It was so bad that when they had the Lord’s Supper, they didn’t even view it as a group activity but as a chance to individually get their own belly full.

They forgot the purpose of the Lord’s Supper was to proclaim Christ.   Christ should have been the focus – not them!

They forgot to be givers.   Others should have been the focus – not them!

They forgot God places each individual in His church just as He desires to accomplish His purposes. God’s work should have been the focus – not  them!

Today as you head out to church, remember why you are going!

Go to proclaim Christ!

Go to give!

Go to further the work of God!

1 Corinthians 11-13

 

 

 

 

Nobody Wants Your Unwrapped Gift!

08 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Gift, Love, Words

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As I sat listening to a young married couple talk about their life, I had all I could do to keep my mouth shut.  I had so many things I wanted to tell them –  things that would make their lives so much better.  I had the gift of knowledge and I wanted to gift it to them.  Fortunately, I kept my mouth shut!

Knowledge is a wonderful thing.  But nobody wants to receive the gift of knowledge if is not beautifully wrapped!

Knowledge has the power to make us puffy.  It can make us feel superior.  1 Corinthians 8 :1 states it this way, “Knowledge makes arrogant”.  It puffs us up.  It makes us feel like a Somebody!

But knowledge without love actually makes us a Nobody!  1 Corinthians 13:2 explains that “if we know all mysteries and all knowledge but do not have love, we are nothing.”

So how do I know when I should share my gift of knowledge?  Here are some questions I ask myself.

  1. Did they ask for my gift of knowledge?
  2. What is my attitude?  Do I feel superior?
  3. What is the purpose of sharing?  Do I want to build up or tear down?

Knowledge wrapped in love is both humble and helpful.  Knowledge wrapped in love entwines grace and truth.

Knowledge wrapped in love is indeed a true gift.  It is sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.  It is pleasant as honeycomb.  Proverbs 16:24

And perhaps even more importantly, knowledge wrapped in sweetness is more persuasive.  Proverbs 16:21

So the next time you feel like giving your spouse or child or coworker your gift of knowledge, make sure you first take the time to wrap it!

If you don’t have time to wrap it, keep it for yourself!

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus is Better than Target

01 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Choice, Despair, Encouragement, Love

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target photo 001I felt alone. The house felt dreary and bleak. The holidays were over.  The kids and grandkids had gone home.  And Dan wasn’t much company because he wasn’t feeling well.

So I decided to go to Target.  I had a return and maybe it would help to get out of the house for awhile.   And besides, even if it didn’t help,  I would still get some things crossed off my ‘to do’ list.  And that always makes me feel better.

Desolation is defined in the dictionary as a state of bleak and dismal emptiness; depressingly empty, joyless; disconsolate and sorrowful as if through separation from a loved one.

Desolation is not God’s plan for us.  We are never alone, even though we may feel alone.  We are never separated from God and His love.  Romans 8:31-39

The Pharisees were desolate.  Jesus wanted to gather them to Himself the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but they were unwilling.  Matthew 23:37-39

I find that when I’m having a blah kind of day, the best thing I can do for myself is run to Jesus. He always gathers me to Himself.  I just have to be willing.  He is much more satisfying than a Target trip.

 

 

 

But God

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in Gift, Gospel, Grace, Hope, Love

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Before:

  • You were excluded from the promises of God.
  • You were without hope in this world.
  • You lived separated from Christ.
  • You were without God in this world.

But Godfile0001488220308

By Grace

Gave

Now:

  • You can have the promises of God.
  • You can have hope while in this world.
  • You can live together with Christ.
  • You can have bold access to God.

But GOD because of His GREAT love GAVE us Jesus – not to condemn us but to welcome us into His family.

But GOD because of His GREAT love GAVE us Jesus to remove the barrier of sin that stood between God and man.

But GOD because of His GREAT love GAVE because He wanted to.  His intentions toward us are kind and good.

But GOD because of His GREAT love GAVE because He knew we could never attain His holy standard of righteousness on our own.

So He GAVE us Jesus.  When we accept Jesus by faith, we are no longer separated from God.  We are placed in Jesus.  GOD GIVES us Jesus’ righteousness – not because of a single thing we have done.  But because of His GREAT GRACE through His GREAT GIFT, Jesus. Simply because of His GREAT LOVE for us!

This is the true Gospel. It is:

  • A message of GREAT acceptance!
  • A message of GREAT hope!
  • A message of GREAT love!
  • A message of GREAT reconciliation!
  • A message of GREAT grace!
  • A message of a GREAT GOD!

Share it with someone today!

Spend some time in Ephesians today, thanking Him for being such a GREAT GOD!

I Love $$

26 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by in Choice, Love, Money

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Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus.

How did Judas go from follower to betrayer?

  • Judas followed Jesus.
  • Judas was the keeper of the $$ box.
  • Judas pilfered money from the $$ box.
  • Judas erupted when Mary wasted costly perfume.
  • Judas lied about what he loved, pretending to love the poor while loving $$.
  • Judas designed his plan of betrayal for $$.
  • Judas became a traitor.

Judas loved $$.  It started small. He pilfered.  It grew stronger and he began to see all of life through the lens of $$.

It all came to a head on the night of the Passover meal before the crucifixion. Jesus confronted the traitor.  With a gesture of special friendship, Jesus offered Judas the dipped morsel. With this act, Jesus was giving Judas a choice.  Choose me or choose $$.  Judas chose $$.

So after receiving the morsel, Judas went out immediately; and it was night.  John 13:30

Judas went to Jesus and kissed Him.  Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come to do.”  Matthew 27:49-50

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  I Timothy 6:9-10

Sadly, Judas is a prime example of one who wants to get rich.  His love of $$ led to all sorts of evil, made him susceptible to Satan’s temptation, and caused him to wander away from the faith and pierce himself with much grief. His love of $$ was his ruin.  He committed suicide, falling headlong into the field purchased with blood $$.

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What do you love?

TODAY, are you content with what you have?

Guard your heart!

Luke 6:12-16, John 12 1-8, John 13:21-30, Matthew 27:3-10