Image of Faith in God

1 Corinthians 9:24-26, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
My Image of faith in God. Running towards the Goal. One step at a time. Keeping my eyes heavenward. Helping others find the way to reach the goal. It’s a challenge but it’s worth the effort.

Week 2 Day 1 Assignment Pictures of Blessings

I am blessed by our Middle School Students






















I am blessed by my family: Leah and Payden.


















I am blessed by my church family.











I am blessed by our High School students.

Live Life To the Full

Is your life full in the sense that Jesus means when he says, "I have come that you may have life and have it to the FULL?" What is your life full of? What does a life look like that is full in Jesus' eyes?
Thank you for sharing last night. Thank you for being honest and transparent as you shared the things that distract you from a deeper relationship with Jesus. Take time to Share your life with Him. Take time to Love Him. Take time to Listen to Him. Take time as a family to share together and with Him. Take time as a family to Listen to the Lord.

What assignment have you liked?

What activity from this week's journal book have you enjoyed the most and why?
Personal Reflection
Reading and Responding to God's Word
Praying Individually
Praying as a Family over the community
Taking a Survey of your life.
Sharing and Responding on the Blog.
Creating a Blessing Jar.
Emptying the Trash - physically and spiritually.
Thinking of the Best Things to Give God.

Hope to see you all in class tomorrow!

The Woman at The Well - Class Sharing

Please respond to the following questions. You just add a comment and you can log on throughout the week and respond to others comments. Let's get some good conversation going.
Read John 4:1-26
1. What sources of "water" had she used to try to fill her life?

2. What kind of water did Jesus offer her instead?

3. How does her life parallel ways your life usually works?

It Begins

Lord, bless the beginning of our Family Month Class. Lord fill us with your love and your power. Lord I pray that the families will come ready to drink from your word. Lord I pray that we will give you the proper place and time in our lives. Lord I pray that you will become a friend in our lives that we talk to and communicate with throughout all our days. Lord I pray that you will fill our hearts to overflowing and that all those around us will experience your love through us. Lord bless us with our family and friends, bless us with our communities, bless us with those we are indifferent with or uncomfortable around, bless us to reach the whole world in your name. Father I praise you. AMEN

Please make a comment about your thoughts or questions about this class.

How Do you Meet the Lord?

Where do you go? or How do you meet with the Lord? Where is your quiet place? Where are you able to be still and know God? How do you quiet yourself long enough to hear the whisper of the Lord's voice? How do you stop your mind long enough to feel the presence of God with you? How do you open your eyes wide enough to see the face of Jesus?

I run. That is where I can quiet my heart and mind to be with God. I focus one step at a time. I get my breathing and heart rate into a rhythm. I have no noise by the sound of the wind. I have no artificial visual stimulation but the beauty of God's creation. I long for the day that I can walk and Run with the Lord. I long for the day that we can endlessly talk and share and laugh together. I run for the endless day of following him through trails of new creation. Oh the day that I will never grow tired or weary. Oh the time of being side-by-side with my Lord.

I run to the Lord to see him face to face, to look into his eyes, to hear his audible voice, to touch his hand and feel his embrace. When I run I meet with the Lord. Not many words, not many thoughts, just peace in his presence.

"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

How Has God Blessed You?

God has blessed me with salvation through his Son Jesus. He has blessed me with the ability to talk to him face to face. He has given me a calling and purpose. God has blessed me with a beautiful loving wife, an amazing son, a supportive family, God-fearing friends, a house to live in, food and clothing, gifts of material blessing, and good health. God has blessed me with a wonderful church family to worship and serve with. God has blessed me with families and teens that love the Lord and love others. God is so good.

Please share your comments on how God has blessed you?

One Week

We are one week away from starting our Family Class on Wednesday Nights. I hope that all our families will plan to attend and be a part. It will be a great time to worship, study, and share together as families. It will be a great time to be inspired and encouraged as families to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world around us. Starting with our families, our friends, our workplaces, our schools, our teams, our organizations, our community, our town, our state, and our world. I pray that you will humble yourselves and bow before the Lord's throne and speak face to face with the Lord. I pray that you will allow yourself this time daily to be filled with the only fulfillment there is. I pray that you will open every area, every space, every hole in your life to be filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God. You cannot give unless you are filled. So fill up on God's word, fill up in God's presence. Let the glory of the Alpha and Omega fill you with glory. Let the Spirit of the Lord radiant from your being. To God be the glory and honor and wisdom and power.

And God Saw That it Was Good

Dear Lord,
Thank you for this new day. Thank you for safe travels for the 19 of us who travelled to Keystone. What a beautiful creation we are blessed to live it. From the early morning darkness, to the cloudy morning fog. From the snow frosted trees, to the evaporating fog off the snow covered fields. From the frozen lakes, to the winding roadways through skyscraping tree decorated mountains. The Lord is an amazing artist and creator. I praise your name. I pray for safety and fun for our youth and families here this weekend. I pray for fun and safety for all our youth and families wherever and however they are spending their break. God you are a great God. I praise your name. AMEN

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Dear Lord, Thank you for this snowy day. I praise you for your beauty and your creation. Thank you for your covenant which makes us white as snow. We don't deserve your free gift of righteousness and justification, but you give it anyway. Lord thank you for your love and your grace and your mercy. Thank you for giving us your Son Jesus, even when we are at our worst. Lord I pray that all of our youth will feel blessed to know you. I pray that they will know how much they are loved by you. I pray that they will be filled with the knowledge of your forgiveness. I pray that they will see that you see us as pure and as white as snow. Lord may we fully accept the gift of Jesus. May we have a smile on our faces as we go into your world and share the gift with others. May we allow others to see and realize what you have done through Jesus. Lord may we show the same love, mercy, and grace. Lord protect our teens from harm and temptation. Bless them as they go into the weekend and Spring Break. Lord give them rest and a renewal of strength. I praise your name. Let your love Snow Down on us today! AMEN

Prayer

Dear Lord,
You are holy and righteous. I praise you for this day. Thank you for all your blessings. I pray that you be with all of our youth and families this day. Family bless them in their relationship with you, their family, their friends, other students, teachers, co-workers, and others. Father may your presence be with them and may they choose you in all their thoughts, words, and actions.
Father I pray that you bless this blog to be a place to share and encourage each other. Father I pray that you will bless the class that we will have together as families in April. Lord I pray that we all can be filled with your Spirit. Lord fill us to overflowing, so that we have no control over the outflow in our lives. Father use us to reach the lost and hurting around us. I praise your name. I love you and I serve you, I long to see your face. AMEN

OUTFLOW

Starting April 1, we will be having a Family Class for our Youth Ministry Families (6-12th Grade) called OUTFLOW. This is a five week class focused on outreach. The curriculum is written for teenagers, but I wanted to have this class with parents too. I feel that we all should be working together and encouraging each other, even as families, to be reaching outward. We should all be reminded and challenged to share the gospel with the world around us.
We will be using this blog to share thoughts from the weekly journal assignments. Please take the time to do the daily work. The responsibility Christ has given us to share the gospel with those around us is too great and too important for us not to do our part. The more you allow yourself to be filled with the living water of Jesus the greater you will feel. You will feel filled to overflowing, and the world will drink from the OUTFLOW of God's Spirit.
Use this blog to make comments and to respond to each other. Use this blog to encourage others. Use this blog to ask questions for others to respond too.

"But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:14

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8