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“You are increasingly released to become the one I created you to be.”

“Let My thoughts burst freely upon your consciousness, stimulating abundant life.”

These two quotes are two separate sections of the “Jesus Calling” daily devotion for today. I am increasingly amazed at the quality of Sarah Young’s ability to write in the most simplistic yet powerful imagery. The images that these words bring to the consciousness give me a daily gift of reflection.

These two sections really struck me.

This past week Facebook was flooded with different political opinions. No, I am not going to share how I feel about the Health Care passing. These two sections gave me great relief and comfort, that in the midst of the fear being tossed about in the media and our culture, God is still in control and it is only when we let Him in completely that we truly become who we are truly created to be.

I don’t know what’s going to happen and I am very thankful for that.

I am thankful that I don’t have that power.

God is only being that does.

I pray that we all allow God’s thoughts and actions burst through us so that we may totally understand what truly matters. God is the only one that can heal us completely and love us like no one else could.

After all He is the reason we cannot stop believing because He is the one knows us the best and loves us most,

AND

He is always with us, to end of the age.

I pray and hope that these meek words comfort you and point you to the true healer.

It’s the summer so very frequently the song, “On the Road again,” occasionally goes through my head. This time it goes through my head as the month of June is coming to close with another mission trip.

After all its mission trip season.

Mission Trip.

The time and experience where God shows us just how powerful he truly is. It’s during these that the above quote is truly heard and realized.

It truly also is a time where this scripture is realized for me as a youth minister.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Teenagers get a really bad rap. A really bad one. The truth is that sometimes Teens are better ministers and pastors than adults. Something amazing happens through them on mission trips. So, in response to that I have a simple request.

As the Middle School Students and Adults from St. Philip’s United Methodist Church travel to Winnie, TX please keep us in your prayers. Pray that we have an open mind and heart to what God will do through us this weekend!

Above all else pray that God is glorified through our actions!

“The United Methodist Church believes God’s love is an active and engaged love, a love seeking justice and liberty.  We cannot be just observers.  So we care enough about people’s lives to risk interpreting God’s love, to take a stand, to call each of us into a response, no matter how controversial or complex.” (Book of Resolutions, Page 27).

This past week I had the amazing opportunity to be in mission with 1600+ of my fellow methodorks (also known as Methodists). We canvassed the entire state of Arkansas and parts of Southern Missouri and help various clients around the towns in those areas by doing some light construction work, yard work, cleaning, and sometimes just hang out with some of the coolest we will ever meet.

During the week we took excerpts from the text above. It is what I believe to be a core belief of not just the United Methodist Church but for the Universal Christian Church! If we said to love Christ with all we have then all this text should be seen in our lives.

At our living center we ended the week of worship with me prosing a question to them.

If you love Jesus and your life doesn’t show it then what good is your “love for Jesus?”

It’s a gut check for sure but one I think we all need to analyze ourselves and honestly deal with this question, because if we don’t then what good is our life.

Cause a life without is Christ in my estimation is a life not worth living, because Christ gives us the tools to “live life and live it abundantly.” So, ask yourself. Do your beliefs reflect in the way you live?

If your human and I expect that you are then there are times when you don’t live up to what you believe, that is where Christ comes in. That is the principal reason behind his sacrifice. He loved us so much that He even though He knew we wouldn’t live up to our beliefs, so he went the extra mile, because of His great love.

But.

If you are not actively trying then I believe you are wasting time. Our lives are a wisp in the wind so we can’t wait to really live our life. We have to do it now!

As a Disciple of Jesus Christ who just happens to be a United Methodist I stand for the following:

An active and engaged love.
To seek justice and liberty.
To not be a observer but an active participant, because there is no spectators in the Body of Christ.
Because we care enough about others lives to risk taking a stand, by responding NOW!

No matter what!

So, what do you stand for?