Here are a few scribbles and notes from today’s challenge at Discovery Church.
The Rivers, The Mountains, The Canyons and You
Romans 8:31-39
If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? …35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …..37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The bridge is out. – There are barriers/ road blocks/log Jams/UP AND DOWNS.
IN YOUR JOURNEY ACROSS THE RIVERS/Mountains & CANYONS OF LIFE, GOD DOES NOT ABANDON YOU – HE CARRIES, STRENGTHENS & IS WITH YOU.
Life is a constant discovery of Leaving COMFORT ZONES-PERCEIVED BOUNDARIES– GOING INTO THE UNKNOWN-THE KNOWN-THE NEW COMFORT ZONE – and – then -Leaving COMFORT ZONES-PERCEIVED BOUNDARIES– GOING INTO THE UNKNOWN-THE KNOWN-THE NEW COMFORT ZONE –
And all along you are not alone…..you are not abandoned – Your creator is with you
With God, It’s not about “falling in love” – It’s not about “falling out of love“.
IT HAS BEEN GOD’S PLAN ALONG TIME AGO TO LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY.
Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.
Dearest Jimmy,
No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie.
P.S., And congratulations on willing the state lottery.
Dave Roever’s wife illus. – “you weren’t that good looking anyway”.
Vs. 31 – If God is for us, who can be against us?
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”. Jeremiah 1:5
13 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. – Psalm 139:14-16
A Letter to the Man Who Made Me, But Didn’t Want Me
I know that is probably not your name. I don’t want to know your name because it serves no purpose to me. You are probably reading this thinking that I am going to tell you how you were an awful father and that you should be ashamed about how you walked out on me. This is not the case. What I am here to say is…I forgive you.
I forgive you for not being there because it made me stronger. When I was younger and we would do a Father’s Day celebration in school, I would have my grandfather. When I was asked “Where’s your dad?” I told them I didn’t have one, but I had the next best thing. He’d already been a dad before so he knew what I needed to be taught to be stronger and a better gentleman. He always taught me not to back down to anyone or anything. He showed me that I was never going to be treated anything less than a human being.
I forgive you for pushing me away because that made me find new arms to be close to. My grandmother taught me how to be respectful and trustworthy. She showed me that always be truthful to everyone you come in contact with because lying to them would be worse than any words you could say to them. She would not allow me to be disrespectful to others and if I was she also taught me punishment was a real thing. And I am telling you, she wasn’t afraid to use it.
I forgive you for not being a parent because mom was able to pick up the slack. She has had the same job from the second I was born. She raised two children, held an 9-5 job, and was always able to provide for us. Sometimes, it may not have been exactly what she wanted to give us, but we are eternally grateful for everything she has done for us. When we went on vacation, she worked her butt off to get us there and back and made sure we had the greatest time ever. She went to every event I was a part of, every show, every concert, and has pictures from every one of them. She was always there for everything and was proud of me for every memory I created.
I forgive you for all these things because I know I am a better person for it. I went to my first day of elementary school without you, I graduated high school without you, and I started and made it halfway through college without you. I have come to terms with who I am and who I want to be. I now know which parent I want to model when I become a parent. Not having you has not defined my success, it pushed me and motivated me to succeed even more. Not because I wanted to prove it to you, but that I could prove it to myself. When I look around, this family that has grown over time and the people who came in and out of my life have filled the void you left behind.
So just remember, you didn’t screw me up when you left, when you stopped being with mom and when you ran from your problems. My world continued on without you. I really hope you have found happiness and I forgive you for being the man who created me but didn’t want me.Sincerely,
Your kid
* You didn’t come FROM your parents….you came THROUGH your parents …..You came from God….He has been working on you for a LONG time -He has a PLAN and a PURPOSE for you A DESIGN FOR YOU …that’s why you can’t quit. *
Vs. 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
VALUE DEPENDS ON WHO MADE YOU.
Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. – 1Timothy 4:4 (NIV)
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph. 2:10 (NIV)
How much is your house worth?..only as much as someone is willing to pay for it
“ He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” – 1 Peter 1:19 (NLT)
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands!” – Isaiah 49:15-16 (NIV)
Vs. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Barriers – Mountains – Canyons are there in front of you for a bigger reason than looking at –
The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!” from The Last Lecture
God does not carry a grudge – He carries a cross and it’s through the cross we make it through the Rivers/The Mountains and the Canyons of this Journey. – Not alone but he is with us in it all.
I heard of guys the other day whose wife just left him – his kids were kicked out of school for drugs – he just lost his job and then he crashes his truck …then he yells – God, why me????? – then he hears a voice from heaven that says….”some people just tick me off.”
stevelummer.com 