identity

You Are a Treasure

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.“ – Matthew 2:11 Christmas is a great time to reflect on the treasures in our lives. Upon seeing the baby Jesus, the wise men opened their hearts and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In fact, it was expected — especially in the East — that one would never appear before royalty or a person of importance without bringing gifts. And knowing who they were visiting, they gave lavishly. However, their gifts were not the real treasure — Jesus was the treasure.  Speaking of treasure, one Christmas, I received a BMX GTE Elite bike that I had been wanting for a long time, and boy, was I excited! I was thrilled with

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Free to Be Yourself

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14 Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island among other literary works, once made the statement, “I have been to church today and I’m not depressed.” Unfortunately, this famous quote provides a rather sad insight into how the brilliant author viewed the majority of corporate worship services. In a similar vein, the great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers.” Sadly, he was not alone in his assessment of Christians. Although we have every reason to live abundantly and vibrantly, too many of us spend too much of our lives trying to conform to someone else’s mold. Rather than embracing the quirky, salty, and unique individuals we are, we

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Cultivate the Heart of Christ

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23,24 Yesterday, we talked about how we are all leaders, how we each have influence, and how by intentionally blessing and encouraging others, we bring the essence of Jesus to a dark and hurting world. But in order to do this well, we must cultivate our Savior’s heart from the inside out. Societal transformation starts within each one of us, and after we’ve been reborn by the blood of the Lamb, it’s crucial that we bring ourselves fully before Him. When we invite the Lord’s light to search us and then submit all that we are to His refining hand, He humbles our spirits, roots our identity in His love, and plants seeds of transformation in our souls.

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Love the Least Likely

“When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” – Matthew 8:1-3 One of the most powerful things Jesus did after He started His earthly ministry was to touch a man with leprosy. In the culture of His day, lepers were outcasts, and everywhere they went, they were required to announce their presence by shouting “unclean” so that others were warned and could scatter. Furthermore, in many regions, those diagnosed as leprous were required to leave their homes and families to be isolated from everyone they knew, lest they spread the illness to them. Banished to a life of separation and obscurity, the disease

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WHAT MATTERS…

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” -Romans 12:2a

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WHAT WE HAVE…

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” -Romans 8:28

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