Sunday, November 28, 2010

Look Into My Heart and Tell Me about Yours

Look Into My Heart
Proverbs 14:10(NCV) “No one else can know your sadness, and strangers cannot share your joy.”
What if you saw the insides of my heart today?
If you looked deep inside of me I wonder what you would say
Would you be excited about the love that I have
For my God, my family, even the enemies that back stab
Maybe you would admire me for my love and dedication
To the Bible and God’s people; who I will serve without hesitation
You would probably be impressed by my faithfulness to my friends
No matter what comes I will be true to them until the end
You will smile when you hear that I trust Jesus and have avoided God’s wrath
That I delight to shun the broad way I try hard to stay on the narrow path
You will appreciate the part of me that is convicted of sin
Oh yeah, don’t forget that inner part that desires godliness within
But if you looked into my heart you would surely see the scars
That travel back to when I was young and my thoughts were my bars
You would see the part of me that was used to being laughed at
Whenever an awkward situation came up I never knew how to act
Trying to fit in and just feel like a normal human being
But no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake that awful feeling
If you looked into my heart you would definitely see
That sinful side that is always out to destroy me
You would see those things I hate to do when no else is around
Those things that we all swear would never bring us down
You would recognize that I always have struggles on the inside
A desire to always do right and hide my sinful side
And if you keep searching you will find something that permeates every part
From the beginning I always had a desire to make Christ home my heart
You would see that I am not willing to ever let go of the hand of my King
My Savior and Redeemer who has taken away death’s sting
If you looked into my heart you would see someone who is driven by God
To walk through this life even though it will be very hard
You would also see someone who is thankful for the gift of being alive
You would recognize that Christ is the reason I have so much drive
To keep smiling and living out His Words that give peace
For in my heart I fully recognize I am one of His sheep
1Corinthians 2:11(NCV) “Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts…”
Will Gilmer- I don’t have enough time to tell you about my heart, but if you hang around me long enough, I will show it to you.
William L. Gilmer
Knowing God can help you understand who you are, why you think the way that you think, where you are going and what you are doing. You may not know when and how you are going to get there, but if you grow to know Him, your understanding will become clearer and clearer.
1.       So, who are you?
2.       Why do you think the way you think (how do you form your opinions)?
3.       What are your dreams, desires or plans for life (what do you want to be and what led you to this decision)?
4.       How are you going to accomplish your dreams or goals?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

I am What Ever You Say I Am!!!???

I am What Ever You Say I Am!!!???
 
Who Has Family Hero Traits?
Have you ever made the honor roll in school?
Made your mother and other family members proud by achieving something they asked you to do?
Been your teacher’s favorite?
Done something before a family member or teacher asked you to do it?
Been a leader in school, some sport, or your group of friends?
Have you ever been on T.V.?
Who Has Problem Child Traits?
Have you ever been punished?
Have you ever talked back to your parents or teacher?
Interrupted a class because you just felt like doing it?
Have you ever said, “I don’t care what anyone thinks?”
Have you ever been chased by the police or spent a night in jail?
Made your mom or dad mad just because you wanted to? 
Who Has Lost Child Traits?
Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in with your family?
Have you ever said, “You just don’t understand me” to someone?
Have you ever fantasized about being someone or something else?
Have you ever felt intimidated by other people’s looks or talents?
Have you ever been afraid to go somewhere because of what others might say about you?
Have you ever felt like quitting or giving up just because you don’t like your life?

Who Has Class Clown Traits?
Have you ever acted like you were/are dumb to fit in?
Have you ever made fun of others so people wouldn’t make fun of you?
Have you ever worn something so people can pay attention to you?
Have you ever become jealous of someone else because they were the center of attention?

Who are You???
What Makes You, You and Me, Me?
Our Parents?
The things we do?
Our Neighborhood?
The people we hang out with?
The schools we go to?
The music we listen to?
The shows we watch?
The people we know?
How do you become the person you are/are becoming?
PEOPLE, RELIGIONS, NEIGHBORHOODS, PARENTS, FRIENDS AND OTHERS HAVE AN IMPACT ON WHO YOU ARE. WE ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO AFFECT OUR BEHAVIOR, WHAT WE WEAR, AND WHO WE HANGOUT WITH, BUT NONE OF THESE PEOPLE CAN MAKE YOU WHO YOU REALLY ARE…

ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT
 
Romans 12:3 (The Message Version) The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what (who) God is and by what he does for usnot by what (who) we are and what we do for him (God).

IN THE BASEMENT
Does your life ever feel like a child in a dark basement?
You know where you are but you don’t have secure placement
You are afraid to walk through it because of what may get you
Others have said it’s not that bad, but you don’t think you will make it through
In the basement it’s dark and filled with creepy things
You can’t always see what’s going on, but you are always ready to scream
You hear a noise and wonder, “what is that over there?”
You bump into an object and wonder if it is a person or a chair
You stumble over an object while straining to gain your sight
You walk briskly through the basement trying to find the light
In a panic you rushed into something that you could have missed
And now you are not only scared, you are also miffed
Mad that others told you the basement “was not that bad”
Distraught because you don’t seem to have the wisdom they had
So in a fit of rage you scream “can somebody help me?”
“I’m overtaken by the dark and I cannot see”
At that moment you are scared and feel all alone
And then your Dad turns on the light and you realize you are home
He calms your fears by letting you know that He was always there
He rushes to your side, hugs you, just to show you He cares
He lets you know that without Him you cannot reach the light
And if you go into the basement, just ask and He will give you sight
“You never have to worry about being in the basement alone
As long as I’m your Father and this place is my home”
Psalm 116:1-6 (NCV) “I love the Lord, because he listens to my prayers for help. He paid attention to me, so I will call to him for help as long as I live. The ropes of death bound me, and the fear of the grave took hold of me. I was troubled and sad. Then I called out the name of the Lord. I said, ‘Please, Lord, save me!’ The Lord is kind and does what is right; our God is merciful. The Lord watches over the foolish; when I was helpless, he saved me.”
William Gilmer
Doesn’t life feel like this at times, dark, scary and lonely? You are not quite sure where you are going, what or why you are doing what you are doing, how you got to this place in your life, when you will understand many of the questions and things you struggle with in life, and most importantly, you look inside and cannot figure out who you are. You are confused one day and excited the next. Some mornings are filled with fear, anxiety and stress, while others you are bursting with joy, anticipating the things you are going to do or be involved in. Life can be a confusing journey at times, but with the guidance of the Lord (and the people He has placed in your life), He will be the Light that clears up much of the fog that covers those areas of life where we are challenged and confused.
So, who are you? How did you figure this out? Let’s talk about who you are.