Today I would like to share a story from Sadie Houston. This young lady has a passion to share Christ with others in the best way she knows how. I may not know her personally but I do know that she has a gift to write and a passion for Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will read her story and remember that every moment you are given is a blessing from God.

Just yesterday I visited a friend in the hospital that recently had her baby almost 2 months early. As I prayed over her 3lb little girl, I could imagine God’s arms wrapping around her little body, strengthening her lungs, and encouraging her parents with each breath. She has a long road ahead of her, so please pray for this little girl and her parents. The baby is named is Addison Grace.

With God’s power, this little girl has a chance to survive. May God hear our prayers and show us His power and Grace every day!

We serve a God that is more powerful than any struggle we face, and with His love, His power, and by His Grace…we can face anything that falls into our path.

By Sadie Houston:

Feeling extremely thankful today. For the past couple of months I’ve
really been missing my pa pa, and just thinking about him a lot. the
other day at church I left my Bible at home which I never ever do! so I was really surprised at myself but I was looking at my dad’s cabinets in his office to find a spare– and I found my paws Bible. So I’ve been using it ever since, and today during my devotion I was looking through his notes. in the back there was a note saying “enjoy every day, learn to relax and enjoy serious times.”It also said,”get the most out of life.” It brought tears to my eyes because I’ve been missing him a lot lately and these words were exactly what I needed to hear. It’s amazing how Jesus knows exactly what we need and when we need it. I was so encouraged by this and I hope that you are too. So often we get caught up in our troubles and our circumstances that we forget to thank God for what we do have and for what he has given us!! the most important thing
of all—His son!

You can choose to be a victim of your circumstances
and your trials OR you can choose to enjoy life and and have joy even in your troubled times. I was very young when my pa pa passed onto Glory, but the time I got to spend with him I remember like it was yesterday. I was too young to know what it felt like to lose somebody, but lately I’ve been experiencing it. I don’t say this for people to comment or pity me for missing my family because that’s the quite opposite. I’m so happy that my paw is in heaven with Jesus right now and I wouldn’t wish him back here for the world because I know he is so much happier in Heaven! But what I am trying to do is encourage you guys to quit being a victim of your circumstances and quit pitying yourself for your problems. there are people out there with much much worse problems.

Focus today on your blessings not just during Thanksgiving week
,but because every day you should be thankful. and if you can’t be
thankful for anything else– be thankful that God is God and he never changes.

God is bigger than your sadness, God is bigger than your
depression, God is bigger than your anxiety, God is bigger than any
problem that you have–always remember that. Go to God with your
problems, he cares about every little detail of your life whether it be
that you chipped a nail and you’re really sad about it, or whether it’s
something big like like a very serious car accident. he cares about
everything in our life! So in the words of Milton Houston, enjoy life,
learn to relax, learn to have joy in serious moments, and make the most out of every day.

The church was packed with people of all ages. Families, friends, and neighbors were everywhere. It seemed as though each person had brought a friend with them that day. What a blessing to see the church filled! There was hardly room for each guest.

As I stood on stage and started to sing, I looked out at the crowd and saw the stories on each face. One by one I examined their demeanor and wondered what was going through their minds. With a hand in the air, a middle-aged woman closed her eyes and worshiped her Heavenly Father. She didn’t look to her right or left to see who was watching her, she just sang each word and praised His Name.

A few rows over stood a Father overwhelmed with the struggles life had thrown his way. Tears flowed from his eyes as he looked back and saw his children walk in the door. Could today be the day they came to know Christ?

A grandfather wrapped his arms around his grandson as he stood there watching the choir. No words left his mouth, but the worship was in his heart. He prayed for his grandson as the choir sang and hoped that one day soon he would find his way back to the loving arms of Christ.

A single mom with unwashed hair, spit up on her shirt, and red eyes held tight to her crying child as her 4 yr. old drew on the hymnal and tugged at her side. At the end of her row stood her wayward teenage daughter texting on her phone. I could see the tiredness in her eyes and the worry that she had for each child but she sang each song and fought back the tears seeking relief from the stress that she calls life. She was with the Lord and she praised Him through her struggles.

The Pastor stood alone on the front row with his Bible in his hand. He sang each word and prayed that God would reach the lost souls sitting in each row. He was discouraged, tired, and overwhelmed at times, but he looked to God and received strength that no one else could provide. He was eager to preach the Word and his faith showed on his face.

Looking further back I noticed a row of teenagers, young and carefree, one was on her phone texting oblivious to her surroundings while the others struggled to pay attention. She was too busy to take time for God. The other young men had blank stares on their faces, unconcerned about the worship service or the meaning of each song. They didn’t notice what was going on around them. On the end stood a beautiful young lady with a huge smile on her face. She wasn’t singing to the Lord though, instead she was mocking the choir and the songs being sung. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, her friends were entertained by her gestures, and at that moment she was getting the attention she desired. With each word she pointed and laughed at the crowd not realizing the true meaning of worship.

A younger girl stood in front of her with her mother. She looked back several times at the teenagers  and watched each move they made. I wondered what she was thinking, how would she act when she grew up?

My heart broke as I looked through the crowd and saw the depression and anger on some of the faces. What was each person going through? Did they know Jesus Christ? Would they ever come to know Him?

That row had no idea that they were being watched by the younger girl in front of them. They didn’t notice the distraction they had caused, nor did they care. They were only concerned about themselves.

In John 15:18 the Bible says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind they hated Me first.”

In my heart, I was upset at the distraction and mockery but God reminded me that He is in control and He has a plan that I cannot see.  As followers of Christ, we are called to be different. We worship knowing that God hears our songs and praises and loves and cares for us more than we can imagine. Worship services are treasured times for the believer to recap on the week that has passed, remember the risen Savior, and praise His Holy Name. It is a time of refreshment, revival, and remembrance of all that God has commanded us to do and all that He has done for us.

Worship is not about you, impressing those around you, or spending time with your church friends.

Worship is a sacred time between you and God.

Each person that enters the sanctuary is there for different reasons. Maybe one person is lost searching for answers that the world cannot answer. Another person may only be there to find a boyfriend or get in on the free trips and events. Some people go to church just to appease their parents or friends, while others are there to truly meet with God.

The one thing you can’t deny is that each person that is there is loved by God.

That night, as I looked across the crowd, I imagined Jesus Christ standing on the stage.

How would He see each face? What would He do? Would He be offended by their actions?

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus stood in front of a crowd much larger than the one standing in front of me and heard the words “Crucify Him.” That same crowd that had seen His life of miracles and watched Him live a blameless life ended up mocking Him, spitting on Him, and beating Him while yelling “crucify Him.” They sent their Savior to the cross.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

He looked to the crowd, with blood in His eyes, and didn’t curse them or strike them down, instead, as He died on the cross He muttered “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’ve done.” (Luke 23:34)

The Bible says in Galatians 2:20 “It is not I that lives but Christ who lives in me.” If Christ is in you, look through His eyes, forgive the people that are hard to forgive and be an example to those around you.

When you enter a worship service realize that you are worshiping Jesus Christ with every word you sing. You are blessed to be able to stand before the Lord and worship in a public place without persecution or fear. The Savior you worship, the One you praise is Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things, the Beginning and the End, the Reason you are here today.

He died for you, so praise His Name with reverence and let your heart sing to Him. Let your worship be between you and God and let your focus be on Him and Him alone.

Next time you are in a church service, take a moment to pray before the service begins and ask God to reveal His Light to you. Show Him respect by praising His Name and focusing your attention on Jesus Christ and not those around you. If needed, remove yourself from groups of friends or people that may distract you, turn your phone off, and focus on what worship truly means.

He died for your sins. What have you done for Him?

“Sing to the LORD; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.” Psalm 96:2

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.” Psalm 86:12

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5

May God bless you and show you His Grace every day!

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

Even the strongest followers of Christ suffered from self-doubt. Throughout the book of Exodus, you’ll see that Moses was commanded by God to approach Pharaoh, the hard-hearted King of Egypt, to let the sons of Israel go.

When Moses was first approached by God, his response was like many would respond today, “Why me?” Below are some of the responses Moses gave to God. Sound familiar?

Excuse #1: “Why me God?”

Pharaoh’s reign of leadership had turned to torment and slavery for the people of Egypt. Day in and day out Pharaoh ordered the people to work long back breaking hours to build up his kingdom. The torture that he was putting on the people was unbearable and something that modern-day believers cannot even imagine.

God had seen enough of this torture and he heard the cries of the people and sent Moses to lead them out of captivity. Moses was a no longer a tiny baby in a basket being sent down the river; Moses was a grown man. He was in his 80s when God called out to him and commanded him to go to Pharaoh.

You can read in Exodus 3 and see how God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. Moses’ response to God was like how most people respond today.

It is unfortunate that so many people think they are “not good enough” or “not ready” to follow God when He calls on them. Most everyone suffers from doubt, fears of rejection, and nerves, but don’t let these things get in your way of serving God.

Can you imagine what this world would be like if everyone that heard God’s call stepped up and followed Him instead of making excuses?

Excuse #2: What if they won’t listen?

“Then Moses said, what if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, The Lord has not appeared to you.” Exodus 4:1

We are all born with the fear of rejection embedded into our minds. For some of us, overcoming this fear is not an issue. However, most women struggle with “what if” syndrome. To this day, women around the world worry about the ‘what if’ scenarios that may or may not ever occur. We are constantly on guard fearing the unknown.

Moses had the same fears. When God commanded him to go to Pharaoh he wondered “what if they don’t believe me?”

Don’t let the fear of rejection stop you from serving the Lord. When Moses’ concern was voiced to God, he assured him that he was not alone. When God directs you in life, I promise you He will make a way for you to overcome all fears.

Excuse #3: “I’m not a good speaker and I have no idea what to say!”

“Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Exodus 4:10

Believe it or not, I was extremely shy as young child. I hid behind my mom everywhere we went and quite frankly I enjoyed being by myself instead of around other people. As I grew older, I had a close group of friends that I had known most of my life, but I had issues trying to make new friends or “strike up” conversations. It wasn’t until I started working as a server in a restaurant that I truly learned how to make small talk. From then on, I could talk to anyone. I promise you if you can learn to overcome your public speaking fear now, it’ll make your future a lot easier when it comes to college and careers.

In an anti-social world where everyone prefers text over talk and social media over real conversations, it’s no wonder people hate public speaking. My advice to you is to challenge yourself to speak in front of others, step out of your comfort zone and take up any chance you get to speak in front of others. Pray out loud in Sunday school, volunteer to speak at events or teach a children’s church class, use the voice that God gave you to share His Word any chance you get. I promise you, it does get easier every time.

It’s been said before, “you can’t save a drowning person by standing on the bank showing them how to swim.” Living a life for Christ is a must, but sometimes you must take action, get your feet wet, and get out of your comfort zone to share Christ and save a life.

Moses’ excuse was that he wasn’t a good speaker, but God replied and told him that He would give him the words to speak and to make things even easier, he gave him Aaron to help him.

When God gives you a task to complete, a ministry or a mission in life, I promise you He will equip you with everything you need, just trust in Him.

This week, challenge yourself to say YES to God and NO to excuses.

What is God calling you to do?

If you are unsure, spend time in prayer this week asking God to reveal His purpose for your life. Then, spend time in His Word. I told my youth Sunday, “You can’t find your way without reading the map first. Open God’s Word and find your Way.”

May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!

 

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This Monday morning, I want to say thank you to everyone that came out to the Empowered Jesus Girl Teen Conference! I know that God was there with us and He is working a revival in the hearts of so many young girls!

I praise God for the salvations and lives that were changed at this event! May God continue to show up and show out in this ministry!

For those of you that missed the event, we hope to have a video posted soon. I thank you and love you all for your encouragement and prayers during this past week!

Wake up this week and remind yourself who you truly are! Read this out loud to yourself, your friends, and family. Everyone needs to be reminded how special they are as a child of the One True King.

May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!