Group: Adult
November 2, 2024
November 1, 2024
Today’s talking point is sincerity. How can we be sincere about doing something God wants us to do if it conflicts with our desires of the flesh? We need to be in the Word. The Bible is God’s revelation to us; it shows us God’s character, builds our faith, and directs us on how to live our lives. When we spend time with the Lord, we allow ourselves to hear him more clearly over all the noise that clutters our lives, and he will change our desires to be more like his. As we devote ourselves to one another, we become blessed by being in relationships with other followers of Christ. Let’s be authentic with our brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing our struggles, allowing communal prayer and encouragement, and speaking the word into each other’s lives. When applied, these aspects of our Christian walks help us to sincerely live out what scripture explains in Romans 12:9-11.
October 31, 2024
I remember the first time I attended a Cypress Creek women’s Encounter. One of the speakers said that as women, we seem to rank ourselves among one another, but none of that is true—we are all equal!
First off, that’s so true, and I’m sure Men have some sort of false ranking system too. But imagine we were all to see each other the way Jesus does. Would our doors open wider for the marginalized? Would we be more willing to invite certain neighbors to church, our community groups, or even our homes for a meal?
In Luke 19, Jesus chose to have dinner with Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who, in the eyes of the Jewish people, was a thief. However, Zacchaeus was just as important in Jesus’ eyes as anyone else, including you, the neighbor with political differences, and the poor man who shows up to church with his clothes torn and tattered.
I challenge you this week to pray and ask God where you may have biases and for him to change your heart.
October 30, 2024
Leadership has its challenges. It requires you to think extra about people’s feelings, make up for others’ mistakes, and often graciously work through things with people in situations that feel futile. You have to be subjective about your feelings and wants, constantly placing them on the altar to ensure you’re making decisions that are best for your flock and not based on vain conceit and desires. God has placed great examples of leadership in my path who have joyfully shepherded me in this way, so all I had to do was follow in their footsteps. However, even if we don’t have tangible examples of this in our lives, we do have Christ, the perfect shepherd to look to. Jesus went as far as to lay his own life down for us. We will most likely not be called to such measures, but will be asked to put others before ourselves, considering the Lord’s will in every decision and action we take.
October 29, 2024
I tend to do just enough to appease those around me to get by. For example, you know when you’re expecting company over, and you just shove everything in a room or closet to clean up? Well, guess what…God sees what’s in the closet or room and knows the clean-up job isn’t complete. The above scripture is saying that whatever work we are being called to in this season of our lives, we should do to the best of our ability. This is a conviction for me, but for you, it may be an encouragement; maybe it’s both. You may be doing your best, but may also have unrealistic expectations put on you by other people. God sees you. He knows your heart and abilities. Therefore, you can be at peace knowing that he is ultimately the one you are serving.
October 28, 2024
It’s easier for me to think of a boss/employee relationship here, but I believe the same principles apply. I’ve had many jobs where I felt unappreciated or mistreated, and I’m sure many of you have as well. A bad boss can make life miserable, but Imagine God is your bosses boss or the owner of the company. I think that’s what this scripture is saying. You may feel undervalued, unappreciated, or even mistreated at your work, but God is the ultimate judge and the ultimate rewarder. Therefore, we are to do our work with a heart of sincerity as if we were serving him directly.
October 27, 2024
October 26, 2024
October 25, 2024
Growing up my mother-in-law would hand write scriptures on a napkin and put them in my husband’s lunch. Although he found it embarrassing at the time I know as an adult he is grateful. Seeing those scriptures everyday made it easy for him to memorize them and now I see him quote these scriptures to our kids regularly.
As Kids Pastor, I also think about the time I have with your kids every Sunday morning. I love and care for your kids the same way I love and care for my own. I have the same hopes and desires for your kids as I do mine. I see my time with your kids as a gift, a season, an opportunity. When I have all the kids together we spend a lot of time talking about the importance of studying and memorizing scripture. We talk about Psalms 119: 11 and how important it is to have God’s Word tucked inside our hearts. That verse says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” My hope and prayer as their Pastor is to come alongside your families and to help create a firm foundation within each child, so that when they are old, they will not turn from God’s way.