3 Things to Do Every Monday

What an awesome day yesterday! It really was #TheBestSundayEver! If you missed it you have to check out the message from Pastor Mark Johnston! It was an awesome day! Thank you to everyone who brought friends and family!

So here we are at the beginning of a new week! You may already be busy and excited about your Monday or you may be dreading this day. No matter how last week went, Monday is an opportunity for a fresh start! You were made for Monday! Practice these actions today to start your week off healthy!

Be Grateful

Monday is the perfect day to be grateful for the blessings that God has given you. Today is a great day to say thank you to someone in your life. It makes a difference in their week. Don’t just focus on the negatives in your life, be grateful for the blessings. Thank God for the opportunities he has give you.

Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Pray First

Monday is a great day to focus on putting God first in this work week! Before you walk into a meeting, pray first. Before you make that phone call, pray first. Before you walk into that class or start writing that paper, pray first. Put God first in what you are doing today. Don’t just rush off into Monday in your own power! Invite the Holy Spirit to be active in your life today!

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Live on Mission

Lastly, Monday is a great day to remind ourselves that God has created us with purpose! You don’t have to go around the world to be on a mission trip. Make today a mission trip to help the people in your world. You are not an accident. God made you on purpose for a purpose.

Whatever rooms you walk into today, you are called to lift the room through the way that you live! See opportunities today to share hope with people! Pray for opportunities to invite people to church and to pray for people that are in need. If someone says they are going through something, take a moment and pray for them. Reach out to them. Encourage them. You could have the very word of encouragement that they need to keep going another day. You are called to make a difference right where you are this week! In Jesus Name!

Matthew 10:6-8 Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. 7 Tell them that the kingdom is here. 8Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

Help! I Can’t Forgive Myself

…forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Forgiving Yourself

Forgiving yourself does not mean what you did was ok
Forgiving yourself does not make the consequences go away
Forgiving yourself means that you receive what was paid for by Jesus instead of trying to pay for your own debt by living in toxic shame.

3 Truths About Shame

Shame: The intensively painful feeling that we are unworthy of love and belonging
Shame depends on you buying in to the lie that you are alone and unworthy of love.
The devil wants to use your shame to drive you away from God. God wants to use your guilt to draw you to His grace.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Romans 8:1

Challenge

Focus on Jesus. Who he is and what he has done for you.
Treat yourself like someone you love.
Stop trying to change your past, and allow Jesus to change your future.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

Make plans to be part of "21 Days of Prayer" beginning Sunday, August 1st. Daily Prayer services Monday-Friday 6:00-7:00am & Saturdays 9:00-10:00am (There will be a special prayer experience for kids as well on Saturday mornings.). For more information visit www.cityhills.com/21days

An Attitude Adjustment

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Praise

Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Surrender

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Thankfulness

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Trust

Make plans to be part of "21 Days of Prayer" beginning Sunday, August 1st.  Daily Prayer services Monday-Friday 6:00-7:00am & Saturdays 9:00-10:00am (There will be a special prayer experience for kids as well on Saturday mornings.). For more information visit www.cityhills.com/21days

Give Up or Go On?

In his book “Holy Sweat” Tim Hansel wrote about what made a person successful. 413 famous and exceptionally gifted people. 392 had went through huge obstacles that they went through before they were famous. For example, the following were the opinions that others had of the following people:

Fred Astair – After his first screen test in 1923, the director wrote the following memo: “Cant act, slightly bald, can dance a little.”

Vince Lombardi – “He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation.”

Beethoven – “He wont practice on improving his technique. He is hopeless and incompetent as a composer.”

Walt Disney – He was fired from a newspaper for “Lacking ideas.” He found a minister who paid him a small amount to draw advertising pictures for his church. Disney had no place to stay, so the church let him sleep in a mouse-infested garage. One of those mice, which Disney nicknamed Mickey, became famous.

Anyone who made a difference had to overcome obstacles and others opinions. Maybe you are here today facing some big obstacles in your life and you feel like giving up. In Genesis Chapter 37 Joseph dealt with many obstacles on the journey to the dream that God gave him. He undoubtedly felt like giving up many times. He had to make the choice… should he give up, or should he go on!

Here are two truths about the obstacles you are facing:

#1 Just because you are facing an obstacle does not mean that you are not following God.

Along the journey to the dream God has for your life there will be obstacles. You may be feeling down because of the obstacle that is standing in your way. Let me encourage you, God is with even in this trial! You are not alone. Joesph had to feel alone as he was sold into slavery by his brothers, lied on by Potiphar’s wife, and forgotten in prison. These circumstances were not the end for him. These obstacles were all part of the path to purpose!

#2 God has brought you to this obstacle so that He can get all the glory and you will share it with others.

Why did Joseph’s story have all of the twists and turns? Why does our stories feel disjointed at times and we don’t understand God’s plan? God was more focused on the man that Joseph was becoming through the ups and downs then he was just about getting him quickly to the fulfillment of his dream. If he didn’t feel powerless along the way he would not have the patience and humility needed to lead the nation and to save the people of God. God could not put him in a place of leadership in Egypt until he knew he would not kill his brothers that harmed him. God’s whole purpose in calling Joseph out was to save his entire family so that the nation of Israel would be saved during the famine. The future messiah was going to be brought forth from this tribe and Joseph had to have the right heart. When the time was right and he was the second in command in Egypt he had a heart to save his brothers instead of hurting them. This was God’s plan all along. Watch the heart of Joseph when he saved his brothers.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Genesis 50:20

Let us keep moving forward today! Let’s see God as being in control of it all and even using the obstacles that Stan in our way for His glory. God wants to use you to share His story through the obstacles that you are facing. Don’t face obstacles alone! Connect with others on the journey and be encouraged. If you are not in a small group click here to find a small group today! Don’t give up… Go on!!!

Father, I pray today for anyone that is facing an obstacle and feels like giving up.  Give them the strength to trust you in this season.  Help them to see you in complete control of everything!   Help them choose to not give up on the calling that you have on their life!  Help them to go on despite all opposition.  In Jesus Name!  Amen.

Lock Eyes with Jesus

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him. 19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
Mark 1:16-20 (NLT)

It is graduation season again! A few years ago I attended a local graduation that was hosted at the Thompson-Boling arena downtown. This massive graduating class looked as small as ants while on the floor of this arena with 20,000 seats! Each of the students were doing the same thing when they walked in wearing their cap and gown. They each were looking for the faces of their family and friends that came to see them. Then they would smile and wave once they found them. Yes, there was a huge crowd, but what made it special was the fact that they were seen by those that loved them.

In life it is easy to think that we are just a face in the crowd; that we are not that important. Maybe you have heard negative words spoken over you. Maybe you hate what you see when you look in the mirror. You think that you are not someone that anyone cares about. You feel invisible. I want to share some hope with you; Jesus sees you.

Jesus sees you

Mark’s account of Jesus begins with the note that Jesus saw Simon and Andrew. That didn’t just mean that he physically saw them. It meant that they were so valuable to Jesus that he knew who they were individually. He saw them. Jesus sees you today. You are known by God. Think about that statement. The God of the universe knows you. He knows everything about you. He knows your ups and downs. He knows your fears and your tears. He knows you. The number of hairs on your head are numbered.

Know that as you walk throughout this day you are known by God. If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a cell phone, your photo would be his background. He sees you!

Fishing was not a prestigious job in this time. It was an average blue-collar occupation. They probably did not fell very important or noticed, but here they are being noticed by Jesus.

Jesus invites you

Not only does Jesus see you, He calls you. Like Simon and Andrew, Jesus invites you to be part of his team. He believes you have what it takes to be someone who makes a difference. You have what it takes to change the world. You were created on purpose for a purpose!

Jesus invites you to follow him and as you follow him he will show you how to step into your purpose and become fishers of men. Why did God allow you to wake up today? What is your purpose?

Leave Your Nets

All of this would not be possible if they did not say yes to the invitation. The scripture says simply: “They left their nets.” This was huge because it represented how they made a living and so much more. It represented their time, training, andtheir reputation with friends, family, and coworkers. They knew that they had to leave the nets if they were going to take this next step with Jesus.

We all have nets. We all have a comfort zone that keeps us from following Jesus with everything we have. Maybe your net is your popularity or financial security. It is something different for everyone. Jesus was going to fully supply all of their needs, but they had to trust him and leave their nets.

You are seen by God. You are invited by God to a life beyond imagination. Let’s let go of our nets and follow Jesus with all of our hearts today!

Lord, thank you for seeing us.  Thank you for your great love for us.  Help us to look up from the struggles and anxieties of life and see your invitation today.  Help us to put down our nets and be followers today.  Help us to fish for men today.  Help us to make a difference in the lives of others.  In Jesus Name!

Take a moment to answer the following questions:

Am I following Jesus today?
Are there things that I need to let go of that are holding me back?
What is the next step God is calling me to take today?
What is something I can practically do today to reach out to someone who needs the hope?

How To Deal With Painful Memories

A few years ago I went back to the house where I lived as a small child. I was in the area for a family reunion and wanted to show my wife the house that I grew up in. It was a mansion in my mind. I remembered it to be so big. Much to my surprise it was not as big as I remembered it to be. The house was the same size. What was the difference? I had grown up. However, my memories had not. I was still seeing that house in my mind from a 4 year-old’s perspective.

Memories must be managed.

If we always let our mind run wild and live in the past we will miss the future that God has prepared for our lives.

One of the reasons the Children of Israel missed out on The Promised Land is because they did not manage their memories. Shortly after being delivered from Egypt and crossing the the Red Sea they said this:

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” (Exodus 16:3)

They remembred Egypt incorrectly. They remembered the food that they ate but conveniently forgot one very important detail about Egypt: They were slaves!

It is so easy for us to do this with people; especially those we are closest to. We build mansions in our mind of the past mistakes of others instead of choosing grattitude.

Paul said to the people of the Philippian Church, “Every time I THINK of you, I give thanks to my God.” (Philippians 1:3)

There were a lot of things he could have focused on. His assignment at Philipi was a very difficult one with a lot of pain. However he refused to focus on the memories of the pain and rather chose to be grateful for the people in his life.

He chose to remember the best and give God the rest.

Who do you need to say thank you to today?
What painful memories do you need to give to God today?

Are You Anxious?

At times it feels like we’re living in the age of anxiety. One of the reasons we feel so anxious is because we feel like we are not in control. Do you know why we feel this way? Because it’s true! This seems like a negative, but realizing you are not in control of the universe is one of the first steps to experiencing the peace of God. “Be still and know that I am God…” -Psalm 46:10 God has always used people who walked through uncertain times. Much of the Bible was written in the midst of struggle, hardship, pain, captivity, and pandemic. Let us allow this reality of not having the power to control to lead us to the power we actually have: You do not always have the power to control, but you always have the power to surrender. -Craig Groschel We can’t always control, but that is ok because we can ALWAYS surrender to the God who is in control. A prayer to help you begin to surrender today: “Lord, I surrender everything and everyone to you” Begin to surrender your need for control to God. Confess the things that you are holding on to and trust the one who is in complete control. “Lord, I surrender control of _______________________” (fill in the blank with whatever you are having anxiety about.) Have an amazing day! C – CONTROL BELONGS TO GOD A – ASK HIM FOR HELP L – LEAVE YOUR WORRIES WITH HIM M – MEDITATE ON GOOD THINGS