Isaiah 32:17

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." -Isaiah 32:17 

I came across this scripture today in my daily reading and I just loved it. It reminds me of what Jesus says in Matthew 6:33-34 to "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own."

It is an amazing reminder that when we seek God and His righteousness we can find peace and confidence knowing that no matter what our situation might be,  He is with us, and He will take care of us. Seek God today. Seek His righteousness; and find your confidence and peace in His promise. 

Radical

    I just read the most amazing book. It is called Radical (Taking your faith back from the American dream) by David Platt. In this book David Platt confronts the idea of the "American Dream" and challenges Christians to live for a greater purpose. To live a life of radical obedience and abandonment to Christ so we can make Jesus' name known in all of the world. It is a book that will make you feel uncomfortable and inspired all in the same sentence. And its a book I think every Christian should read.

    Our Oregon team is reading David Platts second book from the Radical series called Radical Together (unleashing the people of God for the purpose of God).  David starts the book off with an analogy that I just loved and thought I would share it with you.

"High atop the Andes Mountains, the rays of the sun strike ice, and a single drop of water forms. It begins to trace a hesitant course downward, gradually joining with other drops of water to become a steady stream. The stream gains speed and strength. Thousands of feet below and hundreds of miles later, what were once single drops have converged to become the mightiest river on the earth. The Amazon.
Using this imagery above, I tried to picture what happens when the truth of Christ penetrates our hearts, melts our assumptions, and propels us on a journey of abandonment to God. But you and I are not intended to plunge down the mountain of obedience alone. That's one of the reasons I love this imagery of the Amazon. The force of a single drop of water descending the Andes is minuscule. Similarly, as long as individual Christians journey alone-no matter how "radical" they are, their effect will be minimal. But as men and women who are surrendered to the person of Christ join together in churches that are committed to the purpose of Christ, then nothing can stop the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth."

If you are looking for a great book to read I recommend both of these!

4th of July

I love the 4th of July. I love the fireworks. I love the hot dogs and watermelon. I love Otter pops and ice cream. But most of all I love the patriotism. I love how everyone wears red white and blue. I love that parents are teaching their children why we celebrate our independence day on the 4th and how not all nations have this privilege, that we are special. I love that people cry and stand with pride as they sing the National Anthem and God Bless America. Because God has.  God has absolutely blessed America. But God has not blessed America just so we can be blessed. God has blessed America so we can reach the world for Jesus. I want to challenge all of you today as we celebrate our nation and the God given independence we have been given. How are you using the blessings God has given you?  Don't waste them. Use them for His glory. Use them to change the world. Happy 4th of July!!!!