Finding Confidence, Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Confidence comes from knowing who we are in Christ as we live for his purposes.


Discover the Eternal Principles

Wednesday:  You have an important role to play in God's kingdom.  1 Corinthians 12:4-26; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19.

1. In 1 Corinthians, Paul describes the body of the Church and the roles of its members.  When he speaks of gifts he indicates that no one receives all of God's gifts, but everyone receives something.  Do you think God would give you a gift he did not intend for you to use for His glory?
2. Just as a car will not properly run if all of the parts aren't working, a church or other body of believers will be off if everyone involved is not doing his or her job.  What gifts do you feel that God has given you?  Are you using those gifts in ministry?

Finding Confidence, Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Confidence comes from knowing who we are in Christ as we live for his purposes.


Discover the Eternal Principles

Tuesday:  You are loved.  John 16:27; Romans 8:38-39.

1. In John, Jesus reminds us in a straightforward manner that God loves us.  Spend a moment reminding yourself of this truth - God loves ME.  When you remember this truth, what does it do for your confidence?  Does this improve your feelings of self-worth?
2. Read Romans 8:38-39.  What can separate us from God's love?
3. God loves us, warts and all.  While He doesn't love our sin, He is quick to forgive us when we seek His forgiveness.  God gave us our talents - and our shortcomings - as a part of His eternal plan.  God doesn't make mistakes and He certainly doesn't make junk.  Does this truth make it easier for you to have confidence in yourself and your God-given abilities?
4. When you need to be reminded of God's love for you, what verses do you turn to for confidence and inspiration?

Finding Confidence, Monday, March 29, 2010

Confidence comes from knowing who we are in Christ as we live for his purposes.

Verla Gillmor writes, "if your raw data is flawed, you end us with a faulty conclusion.  The same is true with how we see ourselves.  If we lack self-confidence, maybe we're working with flawed data."  It's easy to see the evidence of this flawed data:  perpetually worried expressions, stressed-out kids, wasted gifts, credit card bills with too many charges for the clothes and beauty products that promised to make us look perfect.  This can't be the life God created us for.

How can we know and enjoy the special gifts God has given us?  What does it mean to be God's beloved?  How can we cultivate godly confidence?  These are the questions we'll explore in this study.

Based on:

"Need a Confidence Boost?," by Verla Gillmor, TODAY'S CHRISTIAN WOMAN, May/June 2000.

Scripture:

Psalm 71:5-6                     Jeremiah 17:5-7          1 Corinthians 12:4-26
Proverbs 3:25-26              John 16:27                  2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Romans 8:38-39               James 2:14-17

Identify the Current Issue

In hundreds of subtle (and not-so-subtle!) ways, our culture, family, friends - even our thought life - conspire to undermine our confidence.  We grow up in families void of affirmation, encouragement, and respect - the building blocks to self-confidence.  Then we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a world that lionizes Size Zero Holly wood starlets and Barbie-doll figures.  Our paycheck, our title, our designer labels, or come other artificial yardstick gives us temporary entree into the world of The Accepted.  But in our hearts, we know it isn't real.  How do we find our way to the truth?

To gain confidence in ourselves, we have to lose a few things first.  We have to stop comparing ourselves to the girl (or woman) next door.  We have to give up self-doubt and self-loathing.  We have to recognize the lies we believe about ourselves, turn them over to God and replace them with the truths God knows about us.  Only then can we have to confidence to be all that God has planned for us.

Discover the Eternal Principles

Monday:  Confidence comes from an absolute trust in God.  Psalm 71:5-6; Proverbs 3:25-26.

1. In the passage from Psalm 71, what words does the psalmist use to express his trust in God?  When you read this passage, do you note any doubt in his trust in God?
2. Proverbs 3:25-26 instructs us that we should have confidence in the Lord.  Do you believe that you can have true confidence in yourself without first having confidence in God and His absolute sovereignty?
3. Jeremiah 17:5-7 contrasts the lives of men who put their trust in man versus those who put their trust in the Lord.  What do you think Jeremiah is referring to when he speaks of trust in this passage?  Does this mean that we should doubt everything men say or do, or does he mean something deeper?
4. Can you honestly say that you have an absolute trust in God?  At all times?  Are there any other verses that you can point to in the Bible that remind you of the need for absolute trust in God?
5. God never makes mistakes.  Therefore, if God has placed you in a particular circumstance, He must know what He is doing.  Has there ever been a time in your life that you felt you were following the Lord, but you had no idea what the outcome would be?  In these situations, did you draw closer to God and rely on Him more, or did you turn to yourself and/or other people for your needs?
6. Self-confidence can be a double-edged sword.  We want to celebrate the gifts and talents we have been given, while continuing to remember that it is God and not us who should get the glory.  How do you, or can you, have a Biblical confidence in your abilities and talents?

Harnessing Stress, Friday, March 26, 2010

How Can We Channel Stress to Work for God's Glory and Our Good?

Apply Your Findings - Friday

 Though we often cannot control our circumstances, we can control our responses to them.  If we harness stress through God's power, he will use stress to make us more like Christ.  Stress then becomes an agent to accomplish God's will in our lives.  In the process, God is glorified.

1. How can our response to stress glorify God?  How can it be dishonoring?
2. How can stress benefit us practically?
3. How can we keep stress from affecting us in negative ways?

Optional Activities

1. Using your calendar as a reference point, prioritize your activities.  Based on this principle of tithing, does at least a tenth of your time belong to God?
2. Set goals to help you manage your time effectively.  Be sure to include time for solitude with God.  Find a person to hold you accountable.
3. Make a list of 50 things for which you are thankful, then pray through that list.

Harnessing Stress, Thursday, March 25, 2010

How Can We Channel Stress to Work for God's Glory and Our Good?

Discover the Eternal Principles


Thursday: When we have a heart attitude of thankfulness and trust in God, we will have joy, even in the most difficult situations, and we will bring glory to God.  2 Corinthians 11:22-12:10.

1. How can you explain Paul's attitude in the midst of so much persecution?  Why was he thankful for difficult circumstances?  What can you be thankful for in difficult circumstances?
2. Philippians 4 tells us not to worry.  How is stress different from worry?  How do we keep ourselves from worry?  How can stress be good for us spiritually?  In order for stress to benefit us, what must our heart attitude be?
3. When have you experienced joy in difficult circumstances?  Upon what was your joy based?  How is joy different from happiness?
4. According to Philippians 4, what brings us the peace of God?  How can peace transcend all understanding?  How do you think peace guards our hearts and minds?  Share a time when you experienced God's peace in a stressful situation.

Harnessing Stress, Wednesday, March 24, 2010

How Can We Channel Stress to Work for God's Glory and Our Good?

Discover the Eternal Principles


Wednesday: Finding time to be alone with God is essential to our spiritual health and is rejuvenating to our mind in times of stress.  Matthew 14:3-23.

1. Upon hearing about John the Baptist's death, why was the immediate response of Jesus to withdraw to a solitary place?  Why do you thing Jesus chose to pray alone, instead of with the crowd or with the disciples?  Why is spending time alone with God essential?  How does it help you in times of stress?  How does time alone with God differ from corporate worship?  Why are both important?
2. Once we have spent time alone with God, we need to allow ourselves diversions from the stress.  Our physical bodies need time to rest, and our minds need time to recover and relax.  Even God rested when he finished creating the world; certainly we do not need less.  What happens when we do not take time to rest?  What do you do to relax during stressful times?
3. In her stress management seminars, Charlotte Sutton suggests prioritizing activities into categories of critical, important, and unimportant to help with time management.  How could prioritizing help us find time for solitude and rest?  What would be on your critical list?  What do you consider unimportant?  What would you say are the priorities of Jesus?  What should our priorities be?

Harnessing Stress, Tuesday, March 23, 2010

How Can We Channel Stress to Work for God's Glory and Our Good?

Discover the Eternal Principles

Tuesday:  Acceptance of God's sovereign will, no matter what the circumstances, gives us peace and courage to face whatever comes.  Esther 4:6-17.

1. What was Esther's first reaction to Mordecai's request that she go into the king's presence and beg for mercy for her people?  How did Mordecai hold her accountable?
2. Holly Miller suggests that when we are under stress, we should find someone who will be strong enough to hold us accountable.  How can having someone to whom you are accountable help you complete a task?  How can it spiritually help you in difficult times?
3. How does prayer help us accept God's sovereignty in our lives?  Why is it important to ask others to pray for us?  How has prayer helped you during stressful times?
4. How did Esther show her trust in God's sovereignty?  Romans 8:28 says that God promises to work all things for the good of those who love him.  How does this help us trust God?  How does it help us endure difficult times?
5. How did Esther harness her stress to help her accomplish God's will in her life?

Harnessing Stress, Monday, March 22, 2010

How Can We Channel Stress to Work for God's Glory and Our Good?

Stress can cause a host of emotional, spiritual, and physical problems.  None of us, however, can avoid stress completely.  The key is not to eliminate stress, but to handle it in a way that is godly and productive.  Holly G. Miller, in her article for TODAY'S CHRISTIAN WOMAN, said if stress is carefully harnessed, it can create positive results in our lives.  These results include increased productivity, greater effectiveness, and renewed energy.

How can we harness stress to make us more productive?  What is the difference between stress and worry?  How do we deal with the stresses of life without it affecting our physical, emotional, and spiritual health in a negative way?  Is it possible stress can be good for us?  How can we glorify God despite our stressful circumstances?  This study will explore these issues.

Based on:

"Positively Stressed," by Holly G. Miller, TODAY'S CHRISTIAN WOMAN, July/August 1998, Vol. 20, No. 4, Page 74.

Scripture:

Joshua 1:1-18          Esther 4:6-17                          Matthew 14:3-23
Romans 8:28           2 Corinthians 11:22-12:10       Philippians 4:4-9

Identify the Current Issue

We live in a stress-filled society.  Multitasking is a way of life.  We are often trying to balance our job with raising kids, attending extracurricular activities, carpooling, community service, volunteering, and working in the church.  When we add to our busy schedules health issues, caring for others, and the trials of life, we can feel overwhelmed.

Stress is inevitable.  It is often caused by circumstances that we cannot avoid or control.  Worry, however, is a spiritual and emotional response to stress that drains energy and can create a host of problems.  When we cast our cares on Jesus, he gives us the strength to endure and persevere through difficult times.  In this way God is glorified, and we can accomplish God's will in our lives, despite the circumstances.  By God's grace, we can channel stress to work for us instead of against us.

Discover the Eternal Principles

Monday:  Meditating on God's Word reminds us that God is always with us, and that he gives us the courage and strength to accomplish His will in all circumstances.  Joshua 1:1-18

1. What is the difference between meditating on God's Word and simply reading it?  How does meditation help us apply God's Word to our lives?
2. How did Joshua call the Israelites to demonstrate courage and obedience?  What was their response?  Why was it important for Joshua to call the people to obedience and courage as God had called him?  How might their unity of purpose have helped them conquer the Promised Land?
3. Joshua harnessed his stress and began the task by breaking it down into manageable steps.  How does breaking down a task and focusing on one step at a time help us reduce stress?  How do we do this without losing the big picture?
4. Joshua also delegated responsibility to those under him.  How do you think this might have helped him?  How might it have helped the Israelites?  How do we decide what and when to delegate?
5. God promises believers that he is with us wherever we go and that he will never leave or forsake us.  What does that mean to you?  How does this promise help you to have courage in times of stress?
6. Have you ever had a time when fear kept you from conquering something God called you to do?  What blessings may you have missed?  What could you have done differently?

Kids' Week Books, March 19, 2010

Rebecca

March 19, 2010

Outside my window…it is very grassy, but it is all dead.
Inside the house…it is messy, but some parts are clean.
I am wearing…my pajamas.
I am thankful that…we can go to our friends’ house.
I am hearing…the computer singing for Linden and the scritch-scratching of my pencil.
I am thinking…about how much fun my birthday will be.
I am going…to a friend’s house.
I am reading…Isaiah, 1 Samuel, 2 Corinthians, and cookbooks.
I am hoping…the baby doesn’t spit up on me today.
I am remembering…how much fun our new neighbors are.
From school this week…tests galore, political parties in History, nonfiction/fiction in Language, algebra in Algebra, and systems in Science.
One of my favorite things…to cook peanut-chicken pasta.
A few plans for next week…school, piano, church, and my BIRTHDAY.

Timothy

March 19, 2010

Outside my window…grassy and leafy.
Inside the house…it is messy and loud.
I am wearing…pajamas.
I am thankful that…I’m going to my friends’ house.
I am hearing…a guy talking and singing.
I am thinking…about going to my friends’ house.
I am going…to my friends’ house.
I am reading…2 Corinthians, 1 Samuel, and Isaiah.
I am hoping…we can play with our neighbors.
I am remembering…yesterday when we played with our new friends.
From school this week…I learned about space and verbs.
One of my favorite things…is sports.
A few plans for next week…are school and sleep.

We are experiencing technical difficulties...

Our computer died suddenly this weekend. Taking my notes and internet access with it. I hope to be back up and running by the weekend. Sorry all! Please check back with me next Monday when I hope to be back to routine posting.

What A Crazy Week

Whew...I wasn't sure Saturday morning would ever get here.  This has definitely been an interesting week around our house.  Looking back, I am amazed that the kids were able to finish all their planned school work for the week and that my house is relatively clean.

Of course you will recall that my husband had knee surgery on Monday, so we knew this week was going to be a little different as he would need some down time to recover.  Then there was the trip home from the surgery center when we got a flat tire in the pharmacy parking lot and spent some extra time waiting for a wonderful friend of ours to drive so far out of his way to change my tire.  When I went to bed Monday night (by myself, since my husband couldn't get into our bed for the first few nights) I really thought all the excitement for the week was over.  How wrong I was.

My husband spent most of the day Tuesday trying to rest, which was very difficult for him since he couldn't find a comfortable position for his knee.  Around 11:30 Tuesday night, we were both still up in the living room when his phone signaled that he had a new e-mail.  As he read it he started laughing.  He handed me his phone so I could read the e-mail.  It was an invitation to come to Shreveport, Louisiana for a fellowship interview.  A while back, my husband applied for a position through the Louisiana Teaching Fellows program.  This program places new teachers in at-risk classrooms...and they are interested in my husband.
As Tuesday turned into Wednesday my husband and I checked out the interview details on-line.  He could interview at the end of this month or near the middle of April.  We decided not to select an interview time until Wednesday morning, when at least one of us would be coherent.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were filled with scheduling an interview (he decided on the March date), making travel plans (thanks to a dear friend who is also a travel agent who helped us with this one), and watching our emergency fund rapidly dwindle away.  By the time we went to bed Friday night my husband had vouchers for his round trip flight, a voucher for his rental car, and a confirmation of reservations for a hotel in Shreveport.  And to think, when I went to bed on Monday night, I believed that the flat tire ordeal would be the most exciting part of my week.  Ha.

As for the fellowship opportunity, we are both experiencing a range of emotions.  We are excited at the prospect of my husband getting this position - he is very interested in teach in a public high school and we feel that he would be wonderful in this type of setting.  We are also confused - we don't know a single person in Louisiana and we are unsure if God wants us to move so far away from our friends and family.  We are nervous - for the interview and the long trip so soon after my husband's surgery.  We are overwhelmed - at the thought of getting our house ready to sell and then selling it in such a bad market.  I for one am thrilled at the thought of living somewhere with many more warm days and much less snow.  And on and on the list goes.

We are trying to concentrate on the day to day as we wait to find out if this is where God wants us.  Through it all, it is so comforting to know that God has a plan for us and that He already knows where we will be this fall.

Coming Next Week

Good morning ladies! 

My devotionals this week were a little short.  Sorry about that.  I didn't realize just how busy I would be taking care of my husband as he recovers from his surgery.

Yesterday marked the end of the I Believe series.  Next week I will be starting a new series on issues such as harnessing stress and confidence.  The format for this next series will be a little different - I promise to tell you more about it Monday morning.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I Believe - My Bible (Day 4)

4.  I believe that the prophesies not yet fulfilled in the Bible will be fulfilled in God's time.

Following along to the logical conclusion, if I believe that the past events written of in the Bible are true, I must accept as truth the prophesies not yet fulfilled.  In other words, I must trust that all of God's promises will come to pass.  As I said before, I am not just going to sit on my behind and watch and wait to see God's glory.  However, as I live my life for God I can't help but get a little excited in anticipation of all that we will see.

I Believe - My Bible (Day 3)

3.  I believe that the entire Bible is an accurate historical text, and not a collection of fictional stories.

I believe that God knew that man would fall to sin when He created us.  I also believe that He knows that we need His wisdom and that, even with God on our side, we fall far short of Him in the knowledge department.  Therefore, I firmly believe that if there were any portions of the Bible that we were to take as a fable or "just a good story," than God would have made that clear in the text.  Otherwise, I do not believe that God would have left it up to us to discern the truth (such as the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus) from a fable (such as Creation or any other portion of the Bible that the world has labeled fiction).  Since there is nothing in the text of the Bible to tell me otherwise, I must accept as truth all that is offered as truth.

I Believe - My Bible (Day 2)

2.  I believe that the entire text was inspired.

Looking again at the same passage from Paul's second letter to Timothy, I believe that "All" scripture was inspired.  In other words, I do not believe that we are free to believe the verses of the Bible we like and forget the others.  Or worse yet, write them off as being "not applicable" to today.  More and more I hear people writing off certain verses (or even whole chapters) of the Bible as being irrelevant to life today.  If God is never changing then his truths are also unchanging.  Therefore, if something was true thousands of years ago, it must be true now.  Further, I don't believe that there is any "filler" in the Bible.  In other words, everything contained therein is there for a reason, and should be headed by us all.  Now, I may not have any idea why some things are in there (like all the lists in Leviticus or all the family land boundaries in Joshua) but that doesn't make any of these passages irrelevant.

I Believe - My Bible (Day 1)

As I said last week, there is a bit of an overlap between my thought on my faith and my Bible.  I tried to reduce as much of the duplication as possible.  I think that inadvertently resulted in much shorter devotionals this week.  Hopefully I didn't edit out more than I intended.

1.  I believe that the Bible was written by man under inspiration from God.

In one of his last letters prior to his execution, Paul defends his faith to Timothy.  In so doing, Paul reminds Timothy that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16).  I believe that the Bible is composed of books written by multiple human authors.  However, as we are not only sinful creatures, but given to making mistakes, I believe that the writing of each and every book in the Bible was guided by the hand of God.

Kids' Week Books, March 5, 2010

Rebecca

March 5, 2010

Outside my window…the snow is melting and it is very sunny.
Inside the house…it is pretty quiet.  TJ is downstairs, Mom is on the computer, Linden is in her room, and Dad is in his room.
I am wearing…my pink t-shirt and dark blue jeans.
I am thankful that…we get to have a "fancy dinner" tonight and maybe a game night.
I am hearing…mom typing and dad walking.
I am thinking…about what games to play tonight and if Linden is actually asleep.
I am going…to go downstairs before we make dinner.
I am reading…Judges, 1 Corinthians, and The Hiding Place.
I am hoping…I can do my mom's nails tonight.
I am remembering…how much Linden scared me this afternoon.
From school this week…Number sentences in Math, Corrie Ten Boom in Language, political science in History, and human anatomy in Science.
One of my favorite things…to do is crochet.
A few plans for next week…ice-skating or Bounceland with Melissa, school, and cleaning.

Timothy

March 5, 2010

Outside my window…I see snow and grass.
Inside the house…It’s noisy.
I am wearing…a jersey, sweatpants, and a long sleeve shirt.
I am thankful that…I might go to my friend's house.
I am hearing…the dishwasher and the dryer.
I am thinking…about going to my friend's house.
I am going…to play basketball.
I am reading…Judges, 1 Corinthians, and Isaiah.
I am hoping…I can go to my friend's house.
I am remembering…Super Bowls and sports.
From school this week…I learned about space, Japan, verbs, and fractions.
One of my favorite things…Is sports and read sports books.
A few plans for next week…are school, jobs, and Bible reading.

I Believe - My Faith (Day 5)

5.  I believe that God will return as prophesied in Revelation and that I must be busy with God's work until His return.

God promises in His word that he will return at the appointed time and cast away this "old earth."  So, if I believe that I am now saved and going to Heaven when I die and that God is going to return, I should just sit back and do nothing, right?  Wrong.  God has given Christians a series of commands that we are to follow during our lives.

We are to spread His good news throughout the world.  After His resurrection, Jesus commanded His disciples to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28: 19-20).  We are also to be active in our communities and work to provide for our families.  In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he made it clear that this was expected, telling Timothy that "if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Timothy 5:8).  We are called to help our brothers in need.  In other words, we are not to sit around doing nothing while we wait for Heaven.

I Believe - My Faith (Day 4)

4.  I believe in a literal Hell and a literal Heaven.

God has very clearly set this truth out in His word. When Moses was called to the top of Mount Sinai by God, the Lord told Moses, "Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven." (Exodus 20:22)  This heaven is set apart from Earth, as the two are spoken of as separate places in numerous verses, such as Matthew 24:35.  (Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass.)  Likewise, Jesus warned, "But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:  Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell..." (Luke 12:5)

At the appointed time, we will all face judgment.  For those who chose to accept God's gift of salvation, we will be taken to Heaven to glorify God for eternity.  For those who chose to deny God's sovereignty and their need of His redemption, a very different end awaits.  I believe that these souls will spend an eternity suffering in anguish, pain, and torment, as it is prophesied in The Revelation that "...whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)  Conversely, I believe that those of us who have accepted God's grace and justification will be taken to that "new Jerusalem" to dwell with God forever.

Surgery

This is just a quick post.  I have been running around like crazy this week trying to get some extra work done around the house.  Why you may ask.  Because on Monday my husband is having arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

He has needed surgery for quite some time but put it off for a while – first because we didn’t have insurance and then because the referral requirements were a bigger pain than the pain in his knee.  When that balance shifted we nudged the doctors a little and now we are just a few days from surgery.   I will try to be faithful with my daily devotional series next week, however, it is possible that I will be late or even miss one day.  Next weeks' devotionals may be a little shorter than planned as I don't know how much time I will have for editing. 

On a side note, we have had three B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L sunny days here in SW Michigan.  While I usually love the sun, that worries me.  Our March has certainly come in like a lamb.  If you believe old wives tales, you know what that means…a snowstorm may be heading our way to close out March!

I Believe - My Faith (Day 3)

3.  I believe in literal Satan.

Okay, so I don't think Satan is a goofy looking guy who walks around in a red suit with a long, floppy tail carrying a pitchfork.  But I do believe he is real.

I believe that he is constantly tempting us, trying us and trying to convince God that Christians aren't really obedient or worthy of His love.  In fact, an entire book in the Old Testament is devoted to recounting the reaction of one man, Job, as he was tempted by Satan.  In Revelation 12, we lean that Satan was counted among the angels and was cast out of Heaven to the Earth with those angels whom he deceived.

Does this mean that any time I sin I am going to throw up my hands, sigh, and proclaim, "the devil made me do it." Nope.  While Satan has been given this season to walk the Earth and tempt me, it is ultimately my choice whether or not to turn from sin.  But I still believe he is there, and that I must "be sober [and] vigilant; because [my] adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

I Believe - My Faith (Day 2)

2.  I believe that I am justified by God's grace, through faith in Christ alone.

Well, this would certainly be a depressing week if I stopped with my first day.  Fortunately for me (and you!) this story doesn't end there.

While I certainly don't deserve it, God has provided a path of redemption for me.  God has offered a gift of salvation to me.  What do I have to do to get this gift?  Perform 1000 good deeds?  Beat out or beat down competitors in some endurance competition?  Send money?  Nope. 

All I have to do is confess that I am a sinner and that I am in need of Christ in my life.  In other words, I need only humble myself before my creator and admit the truth about myself to receive this awesome and undeserved gift.  As the hour of His betrayal drew near, Jesus reminded the disciples that "[He] is the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)  Not only is this confession and acceptance all I have to do to be justified, it is the ONLY think I can do to receive God's salvation.  As Paul reminded the Christians at the church of Ephesus, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I Believe - My Faith (Day 1)

So, now that I have tackled my beliefs about my relationships within my home, it's time to look outward - or maybe upward.  As I wrote my chicken-scratch notes for this series and the next (here's a teaser for you - it's My Bible), I noticed that there was a lot of overlap.  I still feel like they need to be separate, but I will apologize in advance if you have a little deja vu feeling after reading next week.

1.  I believe that I am a sinner.

Despite what all of the pop-psychologist, "I'm okay, You're Okay" spouters would have us believe, I do not think that human nature is basically good.  Instead, I believe we are all selfish, sinful creatures who look first to satisfy me, me, me.  I realize that this is not a popular position today.  Our culture is permeated today with the lie that we deserve anything we want because we are worth it.

In the perfect setting of the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose to go their own way in direct disobedience of God's commands and sin.  Throughout the Old Testament we see the cycle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and sin by the children of Israel.  Do a search for the phrase "they did right in their own eyes" and you might just be surprised how many times the same people who saw Moses part the Red Sea chose to satisfy their own desires instead of obeying the Lord.  Paul states it best in his writing to the church at Rome when he states that "...all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)