by Cathy Baker | Faith |
In a rushed, distracted, and worried world how do we pursue God above all else? How do we make intimacy with God our top priority?
Kyle Estepp not only taught from Luke 10:38-42 Sunday morning at Summit, he brought it. I encourage you to listen online this week, but for today’s purpose I sense this is all the Lord would have me share:
Martha was fuming about dinner; Mary was feasting on every word that came from the mouth of God.
Martha was troubled by many things; Mary chose the one thing.
Martha was distracted; Mary was focused.
Martha responded to Jesus in the light of circumstances; Mary responded to the circumstances in the light of Jesus.
Martha told Jesus what to do; Mary listened for what Jesus wanted her to do.
Martha left Jesus to go to work; Mary left the work to go to Jesus.
Martha initiated for Jesus; Mary responded to Jesus.
Martha spoke to Jesus; Mary heard from Jesus.
Martha was dutiful; Mary was devoted.
– Howard Baker, Does Jesus Prefer the Ideal Worker or the Ideal Worshipper?
If our friends and family were to say what is most important to us—what we value most—based on our choices, how would they answer?
**As with all the Snippets, I try to jot down everything verbatim, but it’s not always possible.To listen to the sermon in its
entirety, I invite you to visit Summit’s site.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
You may remember this post from last week about my plans to begin a computer-sabbatical on Sundays, pushing the Sunday Snippets posts to Mondays.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to take sermon notes but I did, however, make a few mental notes yesterday afternoon during the sabbatical:
- Pressure off, peace on. Knowing no emails, Facebook posts, Yahoo updates, or anything else internet related would be checked, lifted a pressure I didn’t even know existed.
- Because many of my to-do’s are tied to the internet, that list melted into thin air but my need for rest was solidified. Yep, I napped!
- Time, conversations—practically everything—seemed to shift into a lower gear, allowing my activities (and rest) to soak in a little deeper.
And this morning? I awakened refreshed, ready to take on the day. A “cleansing” has taken place and the re-set button has kicked into gear!
Might the Lord be prompting you to try a computer-Sabbatical? If so, I encourage you to lean into the experience and receive the blessings that await.
The same information and contacts will be waiting online tomorrow…but today can never be retrieved.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Today I’d like to introduce a new series, Sunday Snippets.
Summit Church has an amazing team of pastors including Jason Malone, Kyle Estepp, and the Mauldin Campus Pastor, Brooke Taylor. One cannot help but want to take notes—and share them—so every Sunday afternoon, I plan to post pithy points jotted down during the morning service.
Most are not written down verbatim. Please visit Summit’s site to listen to the sermon in its entirety, if you wish.
Kyle continued in Galatians 3:25 – 4:7, focusing on our adoption in Christ.
Three ways becoming a child of God changes us:
1. Our adoption secures us. It’s a love that cannot be earned or achieved, but simply received.
2. Our adoption embraces us. It says you are My child. It’s a love that gives us unlimited access to our Father at all times—a love that can never be taken from us. Never!
3. Our adoption motivates us. In biblical times, the oldest son carried on the family business. As children of God, we too are to carry on – to display – the Father’s work through our lives.
Because of our access to the Father, our position in Christ, and our empowerment through the Holy Spirit, why do we so often choose to live as orphans and hired servants instead of children of the King?
Let us choose to live in the freedom of our adoption!
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:14-17
