{Church Notes} Growth

Pastor Carl Lentz; Hillsong NYC 

In the spirit of the holidays Pastor Carl has been teaching/preaching a series of "'Tis the season". In continuation of this series, Robert Ferguson preached a sermon 'Tis the season To Grow. This message couldn't have come at a better time in my life. A time where my relationship with my boyfriend has ended. A time where my relationship with Christ is being mended. A time where I have to make decisions in my life concerning me. A time where I need to just grow up. Below are my church notes from yesterdays sermon. Hope this blesses you as much it has me.

Preacher: Robert Ferguson

Sermon Title: 'Tis the Season: To Grow

If you have to be persuaded to move, maybe you are not alive
Living things move; Living things reproduce, the bear fruit
If you have to be persuaded to tell your story maybe you have forgotten that you have been forgiven

All living things grow, we are called to grow

"Tis the season to grow: God has called you to grow"

Luke 7, Mark 4:8 Seeds in good soil grow

Psalm 92:19

What growth looks like
Ephesians 4:15-17

God is the grower
-Growth is Godly
-Growth is effortless
Connected with Christ you just naturally do things like Christ
-Growth is daily
Acts 6:5
-Growth is necessary
Luke 13

3 seeds that do not bear fruit:
1. Fall on the Path-has no understanding, 
2. fall on the rocks-has no roots,
3. falls on thorns - had no focus

1. Know what you have
2. Receive what we can - psalm 92
3. Do what we must

Do you have a real, personable, current relationship with Jesus?

xoxo,

Daph

Hard Love {Relationships}

Love should never be hard to do. Hard to have, be, nor hard to express. Yet, here I am in a "Hard Love" situation. We have misconstrued what love is by trying to live through the fantasies of books, TV shows and movies. And then disappointment happens, when our love doesn't end up like Disney Princess stories. The world have lied to us many times about love and how it should be, or at least what they think it should be. Clearly stated in the Greatest book known to us, is that God is Love. HE Love us so much that He gave His only SON, to die for us. Who would honestly allow man to slay their only child? What a God we serve. God's love for us is unconditional. Without conditions. Without preconceived notions. Without bias. Without limit. Without the fear of the unknown.

When I uttered the words 'I Love You' doors opened up to a world I tried to keep away from. With each word that pressed thru my lips, my heart broke off a chip that held on from fear and hurt. When I exhaled my sentiments into your ears, I thought I would have opened doors of bliss and comfort truth, but instead I opened doors of criticism and blame, hurt from your past, that is not mind to carry, but here I am trying to love you with all your faults. I am just human, the child of God, unable to carry such weight. It is not mine to have, please spare me anymore hurt, anymore blame, anymore fear of what I do not know. Christ died, so that your insecurities can be taken away. He died, so that you can be free from your past, and all of your evil ways. Don't get stuck in between what use to be and what is. Call it out and claim freedom. When I stepped into the words 'I Love You' I grabbed a hold of you, hoping that you will see the Love that only Christ can be.

Sometimes we are captured by this misconception of what Love is. Love is free from revenge. Love is your voice I hear on the other end of the line, feeling as if you are next to me even though I know you are truly thousand miles away. Love is forgiving you for hurting me immaturely. I am a vessel filled with this Love, but my love can't go through bricks of pride and ego, it can't go through cement blocks of hurt and fear, it will not go through shattered glass of your past. As much as I want to love you, hard love I cannot do. I was once emotionless to you, but from the second 'I Love You' left my lips, emotion-filled is what I became for you.

I look at the moments and think, this can't be it. Distance will never be a reason why I can't love you the way I should love you nor me.

This is for you Love. Clear to everyone, clear as day. See it how you will, but I wasn't born to be Hard Loved. I don't know why you love me, but I do know that I can't sit around waiting for you to find out. I'm all the way in, that is........until you shut me out. And right now, I'm feeling pushed out. So, baby clear as day are these words from me to you. Take them as you will. I refuse to be Hard Loved. Love should never be hard.




****Walking away is never easy when your heart is open and free, but walking away is needed when you heart is too open and needs to be free****

From: Me
To: Him

Christ-like

Hey Beauties,

"Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus live. -1John 2:6"

We all know and understand that Jesus is the sinless and perfect son of God, yet the Bible advises us to "live the same life Jesus lived". Some adjectives that describes Christ life are humble, servant, healer, preacher, teacher, loving, kind, giving, and endless amount of other words. How can we walk like Christ?

As I wake up each morning graced with breath in my body, I pray that I won't sin or cause my Father pain....honestly sometimes I don't think I try hard enough. In my opinion sin is so much easier to just fall into, however God holds us at a higher standard. He knows temptation will come, but he gives us the tools and weapons that fight off these temptations. Knowing that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (flesh), but they are spiritual. Worship:spiritual. Prayer:Spiritual (We must pray how? In spirit and in truth). Another weapon:Praise, others include exaltation, proclamation, fasting. It's fierce out there. Dealing with other personalities, and moods, and their issues, their mistakes, their failures, their lack of sleep, we have to deal with their lack of Starbucks caffeine. But when we use our weapons of prayer, worship, praise their becomes ours in a way. The way of understanding. Christ took all of petty, ignorant, troubles and never did He give us an attitude about it.

Christ-like.....

Jesus was always talking with God. Taking time away to spend time with the Father. In that way He was clear on what His task was, His purpose on this Earth. There are sooooooo many ways that we can spend time with God, it's crazy how we waste the time we have. Because God is everywhere, He is with us always. We take God where we want Him. He's a gentleman and will not push His way into your life. We can read the Bible, and there should be NO excuse. To why we don't have a Bible. We all have or most of us have computer access via home and especially our phones. And I know there's and app for that! I'm not preaching in no form or way, honestly I'm writing as an outlet. I have a Bible and an app on my Blackberry, and honestly I don't read my Bible (either of then) as I should. I'm a work in progress. But it is available, worship....that right there needs a posts or several of em in it's self. Worship is the purest form of intimacy between us and God.

Christ-like

I know I don't always end Up doing things that Christ does, but 1 thing for sure is that I am determined to chase and try again and again to get closer to Him. Trying harder to do better every chance I get. To know better is to do better. Sometimes I look over my life and feel like a hypocrite, cuz I'll write encouraging texts, status's an tweets. Most of the time though is because I need it as much as the next person. It's not easy, but it is well worth it. I can honestly say that at a time in my life I was on one accord with the Holy Spirit...and I am trying to get back to that. Where God and I would have grand conversations, smile and laugh together....oh what I would give up for life like that again.

My prayer tonight is that the Lord would forgive me, clean me white as snow, clean hands and a pure heart, wash me over and purify 7x70 times. In Jesus Name....Amen.

Blessings
-Daphne