Lent: empty to full, service

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. Luke 12:35-36

Welcome to the final week of our Lent: empty to full study. We are so thankful for each one who has made this journey with us. For our final week, we will be looking at service.

Service can be a spur-of-the-moment Spirit-led prompting to help someone, or it can be a longer commitment that you make, perhaps as a volunteer.

Your season of life will influence your acts of service. Parents with small children often find most of their time is spent serving their families. As your children grow, your schedule may allow for more time for you to serve others outside of your home as well.

The most important way to determine where God wants you serving in this season of life is to of course pray about it. Seek His plans and be alert to opportunities He brings your way. Enjoy this week’s Sway and be sure to let us know some of the different ways you have served others in your life!

Have a blessed Easter!

Jane Vanosdol and Mary Kane

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 12, Resurrection Life

Day 12: Resurrection Life

“I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25

resurrection [rez-uh–rek-shuh n]

noun

1. the act of rising from the dead.

2. the rising of Christ after His death and burial.

3. the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.

4. the state of those risen from the dead.

5. a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival

Abundant life … eternal life … everlasting life … are all made possible by resurrection life. Not just life, but resurrection life; the kind of life that comes after a death. Only God can make life after death. Resurrection is not an action, a thing, or behavior; it is a Person, Jesus. The Great I AM.

Because of the resurrection there is life after death, life after divorce, life after theft, life after abuse, life after addiction, and life after lying, but it only comes from Jesus Christ. He endured an ugly, horrific death to make you (and me) beautiful.

Several years ago, a coworker asked me if I would share my testimony (my story of how I became a Christian) with her. I told her I would share my story, but to be prepared, because it wasn’t pretty. God stopped me and whispered clearly in my heart, “Your story is beautiful.”

My story is beautiful because God made it beautiful. He resurrected my life and called me forth from my grave that I dug with my own two hands to live in the beauty of His grace.

Though your marriage is dead, you shall live. Though your dreams are dead, you shall live. Though your reputation is dead, you shall live. God is in the business of raising things from the dead. It is His specialty.

Resurrection life. Forged at the cross by the love and the blood of Jesus.

Death where is the sting? He is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Action Points

1. Accept. If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Savior, please do so now. Tell Him your sin and of your great need for a Savior and ask Him to come into your heart.

2. Live! Stop living in the shadow of a dead past, a dead relationship, or a dead dream. Jesus is calling you forth to new life. What step can you take today to live a resurrected life?

3. Share. Someone you know is dying to hear about Jesus. Tell them today.

Happy Easter.

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/resurrection (accessed: March 08, 2015).

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 11, Everlasting Life

Day 11: Everlasting Life

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. Romans 6:22

everlasting [ev-er-las-ting, –lah-sting]

adjective

1. lasting forever; eternal

2. incessant; constantly recurring

3. lasting or continuing for an indefinitely long time

Antonyms

1. transitory.

Everlasting life. Ever lasting life.

When I was a much younger Christian, I was very afraid of death. It kept me awake at night, tossing, turning, and wondering about the great unknown that would one day separate me from everything I had ever known.

Life after death seemed to be death after life. Everlasting, never ending death. I did not understand this life is only a shadow of everlasting life; silhouette on black and white, a cardboard cut-out, a distant echo of a beautiful melody.

Like a baby carefully cradled in the womb of his mother; life on earth is life in the shadow-lands. Until one day … we are born (again) into a new world of light, color, possibilities, and opportunities, and placed in the arms of our Father. Forever. Forever-lasting life. Everlasting life.

Death, where is thy sting?

Point to Ponder:

Please fill in the blanks below ( I did the first two to get us started).

In Jesus I have:

everlasting joy, everlasting love, everlasting ___________, everlasting ____________

everlasting _____________, everlasting ____________, everlasting ____________

Prayer:

Dearest Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the gift of everlasting life; a life that never ends in death. We can live forever in Your Presence when we accept Jesus death on the cross as payment for our sins. One day we shall see Him as He is, and every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Please help us to remember that in Jesus, for every Good Friday, there is an Easter Sunday. One day we will rise to everlasting life, and live with You forever and ever.

In Jesus Holy Name,

Amen

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev. 21:4

This Easter, please accept the gift of everlasting life. Please click on the links below to learn how to enter into everlasting life.

Ever Lasting Life (article)

The Way To God (video)

everlasting. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/everlasting (accessed: March 08, 2015).

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 9, Bread of Life

Day 9: Bread of Life

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

bread [bred]

noun

1. a kind of food made of flour or meal that has been mixed with milk or water, made into a dough or batter, with or without yeast or other leavening agent, and baked.

2. food or sustenance; livelihood:

3. Ecclesiastical. the wafer or bread used in a Eucharistic service

4. necessary food; nourishment: give us our daily bread

Bread. Lehem, in Hebrew; artos, in Greek. For the ancient Hebrew and Greek, bread was the mainstay of every meal. Mid-westerners like bread too, especially during the bitter cold of winter. After shoveling a foot of snow from a long drive, there’s nothing so comforting as hot soup and warm bread.

In the verse above, Jesus reveals He is the Bread of Life. Why did He call Himself this unusual title? Please read John 6:4-11. What amazing event had just occurred? When Philip had admitted their inability to provide even a bite of bread, Jesus, the Bread of Life, born in Beth lehem (the house of Bread), freely provides bread for the 5,000. Not just a bite, John 6:11 says, Jesus provided, “as much as they wanted.”

Jesus is the Bread. We are the hungry. We can have as much as we want. This Easter, what are you hungry for … love … purpose … respect … righteousness … peace? Whatever your hunger, Jesus is the Bread of Life. He calls us to come, eat, and be filled and to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Point to ponder:

Concerning the Bread of Life, where do I fall on the scale below?

1 2 3 4 5

famished snacking breakfast, lunch, dinner 3 square meals + dessert feasting!

Prayer

Dearest Father,

This Easter, we come to you hungry. You are the Bread of Life; the only One who can fill us. Just as You rained down bread from heaven for your people to gather each morning in the desert, You rain down bread for us. May we come each morning to gather our Bread of Life, fresh from your Word. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

In Jesus Holy Name,

Amen.

bread. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bread (accessed: March 08, 2015).

The 12 Days of Easter, Day 7: Word of Life

Day 7: Word of Life

“Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” Philippians 2:16

May the book of your life be written in His words. May His words be your words.

word [wurd]

noun

1. news; tidings; information

2. an authoritative utterance, or command

3. Also called the Word, the Word of God.

the Scriptures; the Bible.
the Logos.
the message of the gospel of Christ

The word of life is the key to living a life of purpose and fulfillment. What will bring great joy to your life this Easter season? Holding fast the word of life. There is no everlasting joy apart from God and His holy word.

In the original Greek, holding fast means the following: to have, to apply, to stop, to present. Let’s apply each of these definitions of holding fast to our spiritual life.

To have: One definition of to have is to hold in the hand, as in the sense of wearing. How can you wear the word of life? By putting on the armor of God; the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation etc. Don’t forget your robe of righteousness. To have also refers to possession of the mind. We will experience great joy as we use God’s word of life to control our thoughts, and fight our battles against sin, Satan, and our own flesh.

To apply: God’s word is an authoritative utterance that I must apply to my life. Just as it is not enough to simply believe in God (even the demons do, and tremble), it is not enough to simply read the word of life — I must obey and apply it to my life, and heart. I do this through prayer, meditation, and memorization. Like ointment to a wound, I must liberally slather the word of life on the broken places of my soul. May His word become my words.

To stop: The word of life enables me to stop … stop whining, stop sinning, stop worrying, stop complaining. By speaking the word of life, I can stop speaking death into my relationships, dreams, goals and challenges. In Deuteronomy Gods presents His people with a choice. “I lay before you this day … blessing or curses, life or death. Choose life that you may live.” It sounds so simple. Must God have to persuade us to choose life? Yet how often do I catch myself speaking words of death instead of words of life? During Easter, the season of life, let’s purposefully choose to stop speaking death and instead speak the word of life so we may rejoice in God’s goodness.

To present: Holding fast the word of life does not mean we keep it to ourselves. As Christians we have been entrusted with the word of life, the gospel. We hold tightly to the word of life in one hand as we present it with the other to the lost of the world. What better time to present the word of life then during the Easter season.

point to ponder

Into what area of your life does God want you to speak the word of life?

prayer

Dear Father,

Please help me to commit myself to wearing your Word. Each morning before I dress my physical body, may I remember to dress my spirit by studying your Word. I dress myself in your Word for a reason — so I may apply it. Applying your word to my life, relationships, and problems ensures they will work for my good and Your glory. Help me choose to speak life into my life. Words of death are for Good Friday, not Easter Sunday. As I speak the word of life into my cares and concerns, may I also speak it to others who are in great need of salvation.

In Jesus Holy Name,

Amen

resources

Your Words, Your Life by Joyce Meyer

previous posts

Day 1 : Breath of Life

Day 2: The Life

Day 3. Eternal Life

Day 4. The Life Which I Now Live

Day 5. All the Days of Your Life

Day 6: The Book of Life

word. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/word (accessed: February 24, 2015).

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 5, All the Days of Your Life

Day 5:The Days of Your Life

“And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,

Deuteronomy 17:19

day [dey]

noun

1. the portion of a day allotted to work

2. a day on which something occurs

3. a day assigned to a particular purpose or observance

24 hours. One day. In Hebrew yowm, which means a working day, a days journey, today, yesterday, tomorrow. In English: the portion of the day allotted to work. We are all given the same amount of time each day to do the work God planned for us before He laid the foundations of the earth. Our tasks are to make disciples of all nations, edify the church, and bring glory to God. How we accomplish these three tasks depends on the gifts, talents, and resources God has blessed us with.

If our days are given to us to accomplish good works, and we are to read God’s word all the days of our life, God’s work and God’s word must be inextricably connected. Our good works will not be accomplished apart from the Word of God.

Please read the verbs from Deuteronomy 17:19 out loud. Each day we need to read, learn, and observe the word of God. God’s word is for all the days of our life … good days, hard days, challenging days, holy-days and holidays.

point to ponder:

How can I apply God’s word to my life today?

prayer

Dearest Father,

You have given me Your word for every day of my life, for my yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. If You have commended me to read, learn and apply Your word each day, it must be because Your word will affect everything I do, every day of my life. In order to apply Your word, I must know Your word. Help me to commit Your word to memory and to listen for Your word as I live each day of my life.

In Jesus Holy Name,

Amen.

previous posts

Day 1 : Breath of Life

Day 2: The Life

Day 3. Eternal Life

Day 4. The Life Which I Now Live

day. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/day (accessed: February 23, 2015).