Belovedness

 We are Beloved Children who are having parts of our Story crafted in the scrapbook of our testimony to know that when we feel down and out, we can be reminded that we are deeply loved in God's Love. We see that He's Loving us through that no matter what we know God can turn our shattered and broken pieces into something Beautiful. Colossians 3 verse 12, 1 John 4 verse 7-8, 1 John 3 verse 1-2, Matthew 17 verse 5, 3 John 1 verse 1-2, 1 John 4 verse 1-3, 1 John 4 verse 7, Jude 1 verse 1-3, Luke 3 verse 22, Matthew 12 verse 18, 1 John 3 verse 2, Ephesians 1 verse 6, 1 John 4 verse 11, 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4, Philippians 2 verse 12, Ephesians 5 verse 1, Romans 5 verse 8, John 3:16.

I want to share Belovedness by Sarah Kroger. The lyrics of the song I want to share is this:   You've owned the mess you see in the mirror, You've owned the lies that you're just not enough, You've been so blinded by all you're comparing, It's time to own your belovedness, He says, "You're mine, I smiled when I made you, I find you beautiful in every way, My love for you is fierce and unending, I'll come to find you, whatever it takes My beloved", You are completely loved and fully known, Beloved, believe He died to make your heart His home And He says, "You're mine, I smiled when I made you, I find you beautiful in every way, My love for you is fierce and unending, I'll come to find you, whatever it takes". 

For God so loved The world that He gave us, His one and only Son to save us, Whoever believes in Him, Will live forever, Bring all your failures, Bring your addictions, Come lay them down, At the foot of the cross, Jesus is waiting there With open arms, See His open arms, For God so loved, The world that He gave us, His one and only Son to save us, Whoever believes in Him, Will live forever. 

How beautiful the hands that served, The wine and the bread and the sons of the earth, How beautiful the feet that walked, The long dusty roads and the hill to the cross, How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful
Is the body of Christ, How beautiful the heart that bled, That took all my sin and bore it instead, How beautiful the tender eyes, That choose to forgive and never despise, How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful, Is the body of Christ, And as he lay down his life, We offer this sacrifice, That we will live just as he died, Willing to pay the price, Willing to pay the price, How beautiful the radiant bride, Who waits for her groom with his light in her eyes, How beautiful when humble hearts give, The fruit of pure lives so that others may live, How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful Is the body of Christ, How beautiful the feet that bring, The sound of good news and the love of the King, How beautiful the hands that serve, The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth, How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful Is the body of Christ.

In all of this, we see how God shows how beautiful our testimonies are, how beautiful we are from the outside in, and not the inside out. We see how God gives us the power to be children who want to be loved and accepted for who we are and not who the enemy thinks we should be. We know we can show that love and that unending love that can be fierce and unending and God is Love over all things. God is the greatest of loves there is. God helps us to know that we don't have to be afraid to receive His Love that He wants to give us and accept, to know that greater are these than those who would lay down his life for a friend.

Our God is going to give us what we need and no matter what He's going to Love with where we are.

I want to end on this quote tonight because I feel it's important to share. Your Belovedness perceded your birth. I wanted to end on this quote because I wanted us to be reminded our Testimony is far from over.

Grace

 Every Page Before A Man Was Defeated. Every Page Before Was A Life Off The Tracks, Every Page Before Was A Record Of Failures, I Was On My Knees And You Heard My Plea, And Now I'm Pardoned, My Slate Is Wiped Clean, Pardoned, The Old Me Is History, I'm Pardoned, Pardoned By Grace. Part of these lyrics come from a movie called Pardoned By Grace, which is the name of this song. It also can be viewed on Pureflix for anyone that would like to watch it. Romans 11 verse 6, Hebrews 4 verse 16, John 1 verse 16, Titus 2 verse 11-14, 2 Timothy 2 verse 1, John 1 verse 17, 2 Peter 3 verse 18, 1 Peter 5 verse 10, 2 Timothy 4 verse 22, 2 Corinthians 8 verse 7, Acts 4 verse 33, Numbers 6 verse 25, Hebrews 13 verse 9, Acts 20 verse 24, Acts 20 verse 32, 2 Peter 1 verse 2, Romans 6 verse 1-4, Revelation 22 verse 21, Genesis 6 verse 8, 1 Peter 5 verse 5, Romans 3 verse 23-24, Ephesians 1 verse 6, and Titus 3 verse 7. In the scriptures we can see how God gives Grace, Mercy, and how we can have Love in our Savior who shows humbleness with Grace in our Hearts, and how we are Beloved children saved by Grace. I want to share something I heard in a sermon from The Roots Community Church in Lacey Washington. Here is what someone said from a previous sermon that the pastor preaching this week said and shared with the church, that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and not by works. I also want to share a song called Grace Upon Grace by Matthew West. What reason do I have to wake up with the rising sun And not be held down by the weight of all the things I've done? What reason do I have to feel this hope instead of hurt? How can it be I don't receive the judgement I deserve? Wave upon wave of grace upon grace, Endlessly washing my sins away, I know the only reason I can stand here free of all my shame, Is wave upon wave of grace upon grace upon grace, How can you see me at my worst and still say I am loved?, What promise can I stand on when I don't feel good enough?, When the enemy's reminding me of all that I've done wrong, What freedom do I have to sing this new creation song?, Wave upon wave of grace upon grace, Endlessly washing my sins away, I know the only reason I can stand here free of all my shame, Is wave upon wave of grace upon grace upon grace. Grace is the enabling Gift Of God not to sin Grace is Power not just pardon. ''Grace carried me here, and by Grace I'll carry on.'' The will of God can never lead you where the Grace of God cannot keep you. We are born broken. We live mending. The Grace Of God is the glue. In all of this we see how Grace with God can bring us to what we need in our Faith and Relationship journey and we know that we can have Grace by the Mercies that are new every morning in what we do to know that our God is bigger than our Fears that might stop us receiving the Sufficient Grace we need.

Making A Difference

 We see how there are so many things around us. We see people hurting, we see people lost, we see people who are trying to find their way in their Faith and we also see others who are trying to know what that is. When we see this, how do we help those around us? How can we help them when they're going through it? How can we be the change, that we bring into the world as God has provided us to give and to be? Let's first take a look at some of these quotes that I feel can help us for when we look at scriptures. 

Your Greatest Ministry Will Most Likely Come Out Of Your Greatest Hurt. 

God Sees Your Pain. He Will Supply An Opportunity. He Will Provide A Way. Bigger And Greater Than Before. 

My people have become lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains. They have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place. 

Talk with God, no breath is lost. Walk with God, no strength is lost. Wait for God, no time is lost. Trust in God, you will never be lost. 

God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfills His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself. 

Faith is Willingness To Risk Anything On God. 

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't. 

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. 

Now for the other questions let's look at scriptures that talk about hurt, lost, Faith, help, change, and even how we can be the light into what God has given us and provided us to be to others. 

Romans 8 verse 18, 1 Peter 4 verse 12-19, Psalm 91 verse 1-16, Romans 5 verse 3-4, 2 Peter 3 verse 9, Romans 8 verse 28, Acts 2 verse 38, Matthew 21 verse 22, Hebrews 11 verse 1, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 7, Proverbs 3 verse 5-6, Isaiah 41 verse 10, John 14 verse 14, Psalm 37 verse 5, Joshua 1 verse 9, Hebrews 13 verse 8, John 8 verse 12, 1 John 1 verse 5, Psalm 119 verse 105, John 1 verse 5, and John 9 verse 5. 

In all the scriptures we see how God gives us the light to be a world changer to help those who may struggle in their Faith by finding their way, or even trying to know what that is. We have the opportunity to be the light by helping them by also praying with them and for them through all of this. So you see, we have the opportunity to make a difference in everything that we do, we just have to listen to the Heart of God, have Hope, have Faith, and Trust and Obey the Word of God and what God puts on our hearts to be a world changer in everything and anything that we do in this world because with God all things are possible and nothing is impossible for Him. 

Let me just share some lyrics from songs by Matthew West, Zach Williams, Sanctus Real, Tenth Avenue North, and one little hymn as we get ready to go through our week with an open heart and an open mind to be a light. 

In a world full of dirt, you're a diamond, In a world full of hurt, you're smiling, In the darkest dark, you're shining, Shining like a shooting star, You live your life like you're here on a mission, Yeah, you're not afraid of being different, You hear the doubters, but you don't listen, 'Cause you know who you are, Yeah, you know who you are, This is to all the world changers, Keep walking on, don't you ever Lose that fire in your soul, Lose that fire in your soul, This is to all the world changers, You know you are history makers, This world's never gonna change you, You're gonna change, You're gonna change, The world (yeah), The world.

I know you're hurtin', I can see it in your eyes, So pull back the curtain and take off your disguise, Whoever told you, you ain't worth the fight, The cross tells a story that'll change your mind, 'Cause there's only love in the heart of God, No room for shame in His open arms, There's beauty from ashes, so come as you are, And there's only love in the heart of God, Come, prodigal children, it's never too late, Run home to the Father, let Him clothe you with grace And bury your burdens, break free from your fear, Step out of the shadows, there's no judgment here, There's only love in the heart of God, No room for shame in His open arms, There's beauty from ashes, so come as you are, And there's only love in the heart of God. 

I'm not a warrior, I'm too afraid to lose, I feel unqualified for what you're callin' me to, But Lord with your strength, I've got no excuse, 'Cause broken people are exactly who you use, So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den, Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness, Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense

So I can face my giants with confidence, You took a shepherd boy and made him a King, So I'm gonna trust you and give you everything, I'll be a conqueror 'cause you fight for me, I'll be a champion claiming your victory, So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den, Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness, Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense, So I can face my giants with confidence.

Questions come and questions go, Was there purpose for the pain?, Did I cry these tears in vain?, I don't want to live in fear, I want to trust that You are near, Trust Your grace can be seen, In both triumph and tragedy, I have this hope, In the depth of my soul, In the flood or the fire, You're with me and You won't let go, But sometimes my faith feels thin, Like the night will never end, Will You catch every tear Or will You just leave me here?, But I have this hope, In the depth of my soul, In the flood or the fire, You're with me and You won't let go, Yes, I have this hope, In the depth of my soul, n the flood or the fire, You're with me and You won't let go.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way!, While we do His good will, He abides with us still And with all who will trust and obey, Trust and obey, for there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey, Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away, Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey, Oh, Trust and obey, for there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.