03
Oct '17
In the Eye of the Storm
03
Oct '17
As a worship leader, I can’t help but take the old or new songs and apply them to my life. It’s something God has used to not only draw me closer, but also to reflect on and help me through difficult times.
In my life currently, God has used Ryan Stevenson’s song “In the Eye of the Storm” to help me through a very difficult situation. Not only am I experiencing some trying times, but our country too, along with those severely impacted by hurricanes and natural disasters.
In recent days, I have been pointed to Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life of – whom shall I be afraid?
We all have real struggles in life, things that are tragic and hard to deal with.
God tells us in His Word that his promise still stands and He is the stronghold in our lives.
God is with us in the dark moments…the moments we feel alone.
The chorus of “In the Eye of the Storm” goes like this:
In the eye of the storm, You remain in control
In the middle of the war, You guard my soulYou alone are the anchor, when my sails are tornYour love surrounds me in the eye of the storm
Are you experiencing troubled times or difficult situations today?
Be encouraged by this song and know that God is in control of every storm in life we face.
He is our light and salvation…our stronghold in the storm.
You can check out the song via YouTube below.
Author:
Ryan Bivins
Worship Leader, Faith Assembly
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18
Sep '17
A Stone of Remembrance
18
Sep '17
Everyone experiences moments in life that are big.
Birthdays like… 13 (finally a teenager!) 16 (now I can drive!) 18 (I’m an adult!)
Graduations & new jobs
Wedding day & new homes
Graduations & new jobs
Wedding day & new homes
The birth of your first child & raising a family
All those same milestones with your children and grandchildren
Your own life transitions and eventually, retirement
It seems that our church is in the middle of one of these types of moments right now as we’re working through the purchase of a new campus for our grade school.
What about moments that mark other big personal life changes?
Reaching a major life goal
Paying off your house
Getting a promotion
Reaching a major life goal
Paying off your house
Getting a promotion
Discovering a new thing about yourself
Experiencing deep personal healing
Restoring a lost relationship
It seems that the biggest life moments tend to center around the deeper and more personal things. They shape our lives and create the deepest memories.
Sometimes they can be harder to talk about, and sometimes we can’t wait to stand on a roof and crow. They are the moments that tend to mark the change from what was to what has become. The last thing we want to do is go back to the old life of what was.
In Joshua 3 & 4, we find the story of Israel crossing the Jordan River on their way into the Promised Land. This moment marked the end of two eras in Israel’s painful history: 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years of desert wandering. This particular generation of people was well acquainted with the on-going pains of desert life; food and water were a constant concern, safety from dangerous neighbors plagued them and a continual sensation of not belonging anywhere reminded them they still had not found home.
God told them to cross the Jordan River with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. Joshua describes the waters immediately receding as far north as the city of Adam (15 miles upriver), as well as all the tributary streams down river toward the Salt Sea (Dead Sea). By the way, the river was already at flood stage as always at this time of year.
While crossing, Joshua picked up 12 stones from the middle of the river and built an altar of thanks to the Lord in the exact place the priests were standing, while all Israel crossed in front of them on dry ground. He also ordered the leaders of Israel to pick up 12 more stones in order to build another altar of thanks after they finished crossing. That altar was built near the city of Gilgal.
Joshua named this altar a “Stone of Remembrance” to remind Israel that what was will never be again, and what has become
is now their new freedom.
The “Stone of Remembrance” was a permanent symbol of God’s faithfulness.
It visually showed that…
God provided through their painful hardships
God provided through their painful hardships
God declared they had come to their place of promise and freedom
God provided a reminder that freedom deserves reverence
God provided a visible barrier to never return to the way things were.
Mark your big moments with a “Stone of Remembrance.”
Raise it so it’s plainly visible in your life and home. Keep it as a reminder that by God’s grace, You will never return to the way things were.
Author: Jon Marx, Lead Pastor at Faith Assembly
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23
Aug '17
Grace in the Grey
23
Aug '17
It would be nice if the world were always black or white, where issues and circumstances were either one way or the other,
right or wrong, good or bad and so on…life just might be easier to navigate.
Don’t misunderstand, I do believe there are absolutes in this world.
Good and evil. Right and wrong. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
I also believe that these things are instilled deep inside of us.
Good and evil. Right and wrong. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
I also believe that these things are instilled deep inside of us.
Things such as a true sense of justice, crimes that turn our stomachs
and leave no doubt in our mind, actions and words that hurt, steal or wound.
There are all kinds of right and wrong… pretty obvious ones.
I believe that God himself created us to know it.
But while there are black and white issues in the world,
there are also circumstances that live somewhere between the black and white.
Somewhere in the blur of the grey.
We don’t typically like the grey.
The grey is nebulous. The grey doesn’t offer quick and easy answers.
The grey can present itself suddenly, or very slowly over time.
The grey is nebulous. The grey doesn’t offer quick and easy answers.
The grey can present itself suddenly, or very slowly over time.
And the grey isn’t always wrong…or always right.
There isn’t always a cut and dried practical, logical, or spiritual answer.
One of the problems with human nature is that we are often too quick to jump to conclusions about other people and their grey.
Too quick to look at a situation we think we know a little something about and call it black or white.
Too often, I’ve witnessed people quoting scripture to “prove” their judgement of what they perceive
as right or wrong…for everyone else but themselves.
Without knowing all the facts.
Without walking in their shoes.
Without understanding their journey.
Without, well… grace.
Truth is, real life is lived in a variety of colors.
Remember when you were a kid playing with watercolor?
Sometimes when certain colors were mixed- or mixed too much-
they would blur together to make a not-so-pretty, unattractive mess.
Sometimes our life is like that. Messy. Okay, maybe more than sometimes!
This is where grace comes in.
The loving them through it part.
Giving people grace and time to work through their grey, even if you don’t agree and even if it’s not on your timetable.
And guess what, that includes
grace for you.
If God offers us His grace and love to lavishly, who are we to not offer that same grace to ourselves and others?
And the beautiful thing is that Jesus- the one who entered our fallen grey state- is also in our grey even now,
working on our behalf, gently leading us into clarity… and eventually, full color.
I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:18-19
Psalm 94:18-19
Author: Michelle Marx
You can read more of Michelle’s writing on her personal blog PianoGirlSpeaks,
or often under the topic of Soul Care for Seedbed.com.
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