by Cathy Baker | Faith |
“We have to chase them, Grammy! We have to chase them!”
Despite trying to convince Piper that she could enjoy the hot air balloons without having to chase them, she never wavered. Although she delighted in the sight of crayola-like bubbles floating overhead, pursuing them remained at the forefront of her mind.
As the words We don’t have to chase them, we can simply enjoy them! spilled from my lips I somehow sensed they were not meant for Piper alone.
Like on those days when I get caught up in the chase “doing” part of my life and ignore the “being.” Jesus beckons me to slow down, to rest in His accomplishments, and delight in His presence. He doesn’t call me to chase after Him, but instead, to stay in step with Him.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25
Or, for instance, when I felt pressure from within during last week’s conference to chase “make things happen.” Lynn Blackburn’s words to Edie Melson awhile back echo in my spirit today, Jesus is your agent and He’s doing a pretty good job of it!
I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:2
Now, am I saying we shouldn’t seek God? Absolutely not! No one explains this quest better than John Piper via his post What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord? I am saying, however, motivation played a key role in the above pursuits. I’m learning that when I sense a bit of frenzy churning within, chances are I’m chasing the wind instead of resting in what Jesus has already accomplished on my behalf.
Needless to say, I will never look at those crayola-like bubbles floating overhead quite the same as I did before. Thank you, Piper.
Father, thank you for using the innocent desire of a child to draw me closer to You, revealing misguided desires on my part. Help me to rest in You as I seek Your face in all I say and do. Amen.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Blessings are falling indeed…
I love that our kids gave thought to their children’s names. Piper was a nod to John Piper, Gabe was a nod to missionary John Gibson Paton and now our newest addition as of last night, Liv Carolina, has a beautiful meaning as well, which I hope you’ll check out for yourself. The pictures alone are worth the click to Megan’s blog This Beautiful Truth. Spoken like a true grammy, I suppose.
I apologize for my sporadic blogging lately. As you can imagine, things are wonderfully chaotic here and we’re loving every minute of it.
To God be the glory! I’m very thankful for our boys, daughter-in-laws, and three grandchildren. Also thankful we have a farmer’s table and benches like the Waltons—’cause we’re gonna need it!
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Psalm 139: 13,14
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Kyle Estepp continued our series on life practices we want to develop individually and corporately, with this week’s focus being on our own grace story. (2 Peter)
“Without Christ, we were all victims of a massive hijack and were being held hostage by our own sin and the power of Satan. The place of our
captivity was called “futile ways.” All was futile, the blowing up of bubbles that burst. Life may have been full of business and building, but it all signified nothing and would have ended in an eternal whimper. But Christ paid the ransom. He purchased our freedom by his own life.
As 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” And now nothing that we do in his name is futile, but it all has eternal significance.” – John Piper
- Conversion to Jesus Christ is not simply due to believing some facts but about a new person being born of the imperishable Word of the Gospel.
- God makes eternal somethings from futile nothings.
- Conversion doesn’t mean that we’re perfect but it does mean there will be a hunger for Christ. The more we taste of Him, the more we desire. Our appetites may wane during spiritual dry times but our thirst for Him prevails.
- Our power to give a compassionate witness about Jesus to unbelievers will grow in direct proportion to how precious Jesus is to us.
- Jesus gives us a new story. It’s only in the Gospel where our stories find their meaning.
Is our storytelling of the grace of a loving God? What’s the story we’re actually telling through our lives?
If you’d like to listen to the entire sermon, please visit Summit’s sermon archives here.