Week 9: Stewardship

Mar 19, 2008 03:49 AM
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Peter4

Verse 11 is a great "life verse", if you are into such things...

What is a life verse?
A life-verse is a passage in the Bible that you have found to be very significant for you. It may provide definition for your life and identity. Or it may give inspiration or direction, something that you hang onto when you face difficulties, or it could even be the passage of scripture that originally brought the light Jesus Christ to your eyes.

I must say!... this leads me into my response for this catalyzer. I would say that God's grace brought scripture into my life - or more accurately, a hunger for them. The thing I haven't quite figured out is how to give that hunger to others.

Mar 20, 2008 08:04 PM
God's grace has brought from the pit...

I was a wreck when He brought me up from the bottom, forgave me and began to make me anew. He literally saved my life!

I am called to share that with the hurting. To help them recognize His grace in their lives... I just need to find my voice : )

Mar 21, 2008 01:21 AM
Tracy, don't answer if you don't want to:
When (childhood, teen years) did you know that He was there?
How did you know that He was there?

I knew that God Almighty existed when I was about six years old. I had a matter-of-fact understanding of His sovereignity.

Mar 21, 2008 10:48 PM
How excting for you to know Him at such a young age and to know He was there during so much of your life : )

I was searching some of my teen years; in and out of churches once in a while, trying to fill the holes in my soul. Not ready to listen though.

I was saved at 19 the first time I attended church when I moved to Lynnwood in 1985. What a salvation... That was the first time I ever felt forgiven; I actually forgave myself for the things I had done.

It was much like The Prodigal Son for Easter tonight. Even after all I had done to disgrace myself and my family and God himself, Jesus was there with arms stretched wide, words full of grace and a heart full of love for me, the wandering one, the lost soul... My favorite hymn - Amazing Grace, oh how sweet the sound. My perfect Heavenly Father saved my life through Christ's selfless sacrifice.

Mar 21, 2008 11:55 PM
I read a story a long time ago. A group of Christians were holding a clandestine meeting in a home. There was a knock on the door. When they opened the door, there stood two soldiers with rifles. They walked into the house and told the people that whoever wanted to leave, could leave. A few quietly left the home. The soldiers shut the door, laid their rifles on the floor, and said, "Now, tell us about this Jesus."

And we do tell. He gave me lots of time to follow my own will; and I did. And my life was a train wreck. He picked up the pieces. I rejoice in my Lord.

Mar 22, 2008 09:37 AM
It sounds like we have life wreckage and grace in common.

Easter is such a time of self reflection for me. It renews my awe of God. I connect to the moment of my salvation, and get lost in the love and embrace of Christ. I cry out in greatfulness.

Apr 09, 2008 03:21 AM
[[Michael]]
Answering the topic question at top...
Wow... what HAS God's grace brought into my life? Oh man. How do I summarize that one?

Maybe it's because I feel like I grew up being very critisized for my mistakes in my dad's eyes. Maybe it's just a feeling of inferiority amongst my peers in high school. Maybe a combination of these and other things... But God's grace has helped me to see that while my choices have caused me to suffer, His acceptance and desire to be interested in my life, my thoughts, and my abilities is not affected by my ill choices. He still desires me.

It's that acceptance that humbles me and reminds me that I AM a boy-now-a-man of value. It's such an awesome and overwhelming phrase: "I am...of value." Even if my eyes stay dry, my heart ALWAYS cries over that. I am wanted. My mistakes do not deter His desire for me. He wants MORE of me. He gives me what He has so I can use it and give HIM more back. He wants to see what I can do. He wants ME to see what I can do because He made me capable of doing things.

God just wants me. I don't feel ignored. I don't feel useless. I am learning that I am really HIS. ...really His... And while I may feel like I'm walking aimlessly (and believe me, I probably have been for the last several years), I'm not a lost cause. I'm not a failure. I've only failed. God has helped me to see even that distinction.

Part of me feels like I didn't have much of a childhood. I don't know if that's because it's rather the truth or just my self-centered views distorting my memory of the past. But in either case, I think one of the most wonderful things God has given me is the FEELING along with the FACT that I am His CHILD...along with that comes the realization that as a child, I am still learning and am not expected to have it all figured out. Being an adult I am a child still. So, it's okay. I just have to keep following Him. Listening. Obeying. I can cry in my... *stops as I consider the weight of this title* ...my DADDY's arms. "Daddy". Such a scary name for me. It was not pleasant as a boy. God's filling that painful "name" with a tender one. This boy (me) still has a DADDY who is teaching him to be a man.

I like that.
That's God's grace in my life.

Apr 18, 2008 08:48 AM
"Not failure, but low aim, is crime." Jame Russell Lowell

I have failed BIG many times in my life, and still do fail when I go through a day without truly connecting with God, or when I allow my selfish nature to dictate my choices and attitude.

However... I try to keep my aim straight to God, the highest target possible. When I aim that high I know I will hit something better than if I had aimed lower.

I am a better person with God because of the lessons I learned when I failed. It's not that I've learned all of the lessons, nor that I always apply the lessons everytime I should, I just try to improve the best I can each time. I believe that sometimes we need failure to help us attain spiritual, relational and financial goals. The proof in the puddin' is how we respond and improve through the failures.

I desire to grow closer to my Heavenly Father through my failures and help others learn through me ( I have lots to choose from!).