Hey peoples!
Soli Deo Gloria is moving to Homeschool Blogger. I love Blogger, but our computer has security issues with the website, or something. Anyways, here's the new address:
www.homeschoolblogger.com/solideogloria
But, I will keep this blog up so that you can reread my old posts if you like.
Thanks!!! See you on HomeschoolBlogger!!
Monday, July 02, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Church Camp!
Well, first off I apologize for not posting sooner. Blogger hasn't let me get on my account, and the week before this I went to church camp.
Every year our youth group goes to a camp in the middle of nowhere (for my views on youth groups and church camps, contact me). But, hey! You can get closer to God in the middle of nowhere too!
But, last week was very cool. The Justin Cofield Band led worship for all of the services, and Brandon Barnard was the speaker. Both had great focus on God, and brought what he wanted them to. I know they both spoke to my heart through the messages and worship.
I could go on for days about church camp. But, I'll just give little snippets of what God gave me, and what, no doubt I will be posting on in the near future.
~Our God is a consuming fire. Fire for Him in our lives may consume things that are there now.
~God doesn't want us to surrender our stuff. He wants us to surrender ourselves.
~Live for eternity. Life is way too short to focus on.
~Store up treasures in heaven. You will be blessed when you can cast them at Jesus's feet when you get there.
~Many people think they've found something better than Jesus. Impossible!
~May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi. Let the rabbi be Jesus.
~You have to pursue God. He will pursue you, but you have to pursue him too.
~It's not reckless abandon to God. It's actually very calculated.
~Sin is sin. It's all even in God's sight.
~Many times we apologize for what we do, not for who we are.
~Where sin is concerned, people just mumble now. (this is talking about specifically confessing your sin)
~To confess means to own up to the fact that our behavior wasn't just the result of bad parenting, bad genes, and chemical inbalances caused by twinkies. But, somewhere you made a bad choice in the mix. -Sorry, I didn't catch his name
~Take responsibility for everything you do. Every bad decision, every time you mess up. You live in a generation of irresponsible people. Be responsible!
~You don't just offend people with sin, you offend God!
~True confession brings change in your life.
~You don't follow your own rules with Jesus.
~It doesn't mean thinking less of yourself. It means thinking of yourself less.
~Don't be training to be good. Train to be godly.
~Aim at nothing and you'll hit it everytime.
~Training:Here's what you do:
1. Eat right- Learn to have a steady diet of scripture. Consume the spirit. It isn't enough to read God's word. Let God's word read you.
2. Excercise- Excercise your faith. You have to get in shape. We have some overstuffed Christians. Change, then practice. Learn, try it out and practice.
~God will never give up on you.
~God is a consuming fire. He is all that remains.
~The Israelites had to cover the doorway in blood to be saved. We have to go through Jesus's blood to be saved.
~You have to be willing to die to follow Jesus.
To be continued...
(note: I have MANY more pages of notes to condense and type in. This is just a very small portion. But, please ponder these thoughts, and ask any questions you might have.)
Every year our youth group goes to a camp in the middle of nowhere (for my views on youth groups and church camps, contact me). But, hey! You can get closer to God in the middle of nowhere too!
But, last week was very cool. The Justin Cofield Band led worship for all of the services, and Brandon Barnard was the speaker. Both had great focus on God, and brought what he wanted them to. I know they both spoke to my heart through the messages and worship.
I could go on for days about church camp. But, I'll just give little snippets of what God gave me, and what, no doubt I will be posting on in the near future.
~Our God is a consuming fire. Fire for Him in our lives may consume things that are there now.
~God doesn't want us to surrender our stuff. He wants us to surrender ourselves.
~Live for eternity. Life is way too short to focus on.
~Store up treasures in heaven. You will be blessed when you can cast them at Jesus's feet when you get there.
~Many people think they've found something better than Jesus. Impossible!
~May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi. Let the rabbi be Jesus.
~You have to pursue God. He will pursue you, but you have to pursue him too.
~It's not reckless abandon to God. It's actually very calculated.
~Sin is sin. It's all even in God's sight.
~Many times we apologize for what we do, not for who we are.
~Where sin is concerned, people just mumble now. (this is talking about specifically confessing your sin)
~To confess means to own up to the fact that our behavior wasn't just the result of bad parenting, bad genes, and chemical inbalances caused by twinkies. But, somewhere you made a bad choice in the mix. -Sorry, I didn't catch his name
~Take responsibility for everything you do. Every bad decision, every time you mess up. You live in a generation of irresponsible people. Be responsible!
~You don't just offend people with sin, you offend God!
~True confession brings change in your life.
~You don't follow your own rules with Jesus.
~It doesn't mean thinking less of yourself. It means thinking of yourself less.
~Don't be training to be good. Train to be godly.
~Aim at nothing and you'll hit it everytime.
~Training:Here's what you do:
1. Eat right- Learn to have a steady diet of scripture. Consume the spirit. It isn't enough to read God's word. Let God's word read you.
2. Excercise- Excercise your faith. You have to get in shape. We have some overstuffed Christians. Change, then practice. Learn, try it out and practice.
~God will never give up on you.
~God is a consuming fire. He is all that remains.
~The Israelites had to cover the doorway in blood to be saved. We have to go through Jesus's blood to be saved.
~You have to be willing to die to follow Jesus.
To be continued...
(note: I have MANY more pages of notes to condense and type in. This is just a very small portion. But, please ponder these thoughts, and ask any questions you might have.)
Monday, May 28, 2007
Here I Am....
God has been doing a work in our youth group lately, and I am glad to see the spiritual leaps we have taken lately. We are experiencing the best worship and teaching I have ever been a part of. A great deal of that is our youth group's leaders. They're awesome! But, above all, all glory goes to God. But, part of the reason is that our youth group is ready: we're about where we need to be in our walks with Christ. Part of the reason for that is we're here, and we're ready to be used by God.
The reason I said that is not to brag on our youth group, or our leaders, but to tell what can happen when you get out of the way, and let God use you. We have seen over 30 people saved since last August. PTL! But, the reason we have seen such wonderful results is that we told God we were here and we were ready to be used. We simply had to get out of the way so that he could work through us. What could happen in your life if you got out of the way?
**Note**: Discussion Questions:
I have decided not to post formal questions this time. Instead, I just going to ask that you share verses pertaining to this subject, and your thoughts about them. As always, I will moderate the discussion.
Soli Deo Gloria!
The reason I said that is not to brag on our youth group, or our leaders, but to tell what can happen when you get out of the way, and let God use you. We have seen over 30 people saved since last August. PTL! But, the reason we have seen such wonderful results is that we told God we were here and we were ready to be used. We simply had to get out of the way so that he could work through us. What could happen in your life if you got out of the way?
**Note**: Discussion Questions:
I have decided not to post formal questions this time. Instead, I just going to ask that you share verses pertaining to this subject, and your thoughts about them. As always, I will moderate the discussion.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Being the Salt of the Earth
Matthew 5:13 says, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."
What is Jesus saying here? Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. Why salt? Well, salt makes things taste better, it brings out the flavor in things.
So, if you think about it, God is telling us that we liven up the earth.
But, consider the next part of the verse: "...But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?" Well, I don't believe that this is saying that we lose our salvation, I believe that once you are saved, nothing can take you out of God's hands. But, I do believe that you can lose your potency as a Christian. You might be living with sin in your life. You might not be talking to God, reading the word, or going to church. Those things can cause you not to be such an effective Christian. Hence, you lose some of your "saltiness." But I believe that God can restore your effectiveness, if you ask him. But, you do need to get rid of that sin, get in the Word, pray, and go to church. Sometimes it might not be the most thrilling thing in the world, but you should still do it.
So, today, be salty. Try to become even more salty. Ask God to help you.
Discussion Questions:
1.) Do you believe that what I said was true? If not, explain why.
2.) There are many verses where God compares us to things other than salt. Can you find any? Also, include any comments you have about the verses.
Please remember to be gracious. This is a discussion, not an argument. Please remember to honor God with the words that you say. Soli Deo Gloria!
What is Jesus saying here? Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. Why salt? Well, salt makes things taste better, it brings out the flavor in things.
So, if you think about it, God is telling us that we liven up the earth.
But, consider the next part of the verse: "...But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?" Well, I don't believe that this is saying that we lose our salvation, I believe that once you are saved, nothing can take you out of God's hands. But, I do believe that you can lose your potency as a Christian. You might be living with sin in your life. You might not be talking to God, reading the word, or going to church. Those things can cause you not to be such an effective Christian. Hence, you lose some of your "saltiness." But I believe that God can restore your effectiveness, if you ask him. But, you do need to get rid of that sin, get in the Word, pray, and go to church. Sometimes it might not be the most thrilling thing in the world, but you should still do it.
So, today, be salty. Try to become even more salty. Ask God to help you.
Discussion Questions:
1.) Do you believe that what I said was true? If not, explain why.
2.) There are many verses where God compares us to things other than salt. Can you find any? Also, include any comments you have about the verses.
Please remember to be gracious. This is a discussion, not an argument. Please remember to honor God with the words that you say. Soli Deo Gloria!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Note: Comments
I've been reading many other blogs lately, and I've decided to change the way we do comments around here. Instead of just telling me what a great post it was (Although I do appreciate comments like that) we are going to discuss the post and different things about it. To encourage all of you to do this, I will put several discussion questions at the end of each post. I think that this will make the comment section a lot more interesting, and we can all gain something from it. I don't mind comments telling me good job, or something, but please also participate in the discussion. Also, if you haven't commented before, please do! I would love to know who all really reads my blog, and to have you participate.
Another thing that I would like to address is this: please do not reveal any information about me that I do not reveal myself. As for my name, you can call me God's Grace, Grace, Sarah, or just the Author. I don't really care personally.
I hope that you all will enjoy what we will do in the future! Soli Deo Gloria!
As a side note, here are the discussion questions for my last post, Whatever You Do:
1.) How can we honor God? Please give examples.
2.) Can you think or find anymore scriptures pertaining to this post? Please post them, and give comments.
3.) Do you think that this will be a living witness to your lost friends? Please explain why or why not.
Please remember to be gracious, and not debate. This is a discussion, not an argument. Please remember to honor God with the words that you say. Enjoy!
Another thing that I would like to address is this: please do not reveal any information about me that I do not reveal myself. As for my name, you can call me God's Grace, Grace, Sarah, or just the Author. I don't really care personally.
I hope that you all will enjoy what we will do in the future! Soli Deo Gloria!
As a side note, here are the discussion questions for my last post, Whatever You Do:
1.) How can we honor God? Please give examples.
2.) Can you think or find anymore scriptures pertaining to this post? Please post them, and give comments.
3.) Do you think that this will be a living witness to your lost friends? Please explain why or why not.
Please remember to be gracious, and not debate. This is a discussion, not an argument. Please remember to honor God with the words that you say. Enjoy!
Whatever You Do....
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will recieve an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)
Whatever. Whatever you do. Whether that means unloading the dishwasher, cleaning your room, or cooking dinner, this verse tells us we should do it as unto God.
What does that mean? Well, it means that our approach toward doing any work at all should be that we are doing it to Christ, for Christ. Would you clean God's room better than you do yours? With a better attitude? Maybe, faster, and more in depth? If the answer is yes, you need to change your heart toward work. Don't think, "Okay, how can I get away with less work?" And, don't pretend that you don't think that way. Everyone does at some point or another. Instead, think, "How can I do this to honor God? How can I serve him by doing this?"
The HCSB version puts it like this:
Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)
This version sheds a little more light on this subject. It says to do it "enthusiastically."
Dictionary.com provides this definition: full of or characterized by enthusiasm; ardent: He seems very enthusiastic about his role in the play.
Synonyms listed are: eager, fervent, zealous, passionate, vehement, fervid, impassioned
So we need to be cheerful, eager, even passionate about working for God. That doesn't fit with the classic teengage look that is disinterested, surly, and rebellious. Our lost friends will judge Christianty by you, whether you want them to, or not. So, have a good attitude and cheerful heart about work. Do it for the Lord!
Whatever. Whatever you do. Whether that means unloading the dishwasher, cleaning your room, or cooking dinner, this verse tells us we should do it as unto God.
What does that mean? Well, it means that our approach toward doing any work at all should be that we are doing it to Christ, for Christ. Would you clean God's room better than you do yours? With a better attitude? Maybe, faster, and more in depth? If the answer is yes, you need to change your heart toward work. Don't think, "Okay, how can I get away with less work?" And, don't pretend that you don't think that way. Everyone does at some point or another. Instead, think, "How can I do this to honor God? How can I serve him by doing this?"
The HCSB version puts it like this:
Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)
This version sheds a little more light on this subject. It says to do it "enthusiastically."
Dictionary.com provides this definition: full of or characterized by enthusiasm; ardent: He seems very enthusiastic about his role in the play.
Synonyms listed are: eager, fervent, zealous, passionate, vehement, fervid, impassioned
So we need to be cheerful, eager, even passionate about working for God. That doesn't fit with the classic teengage look that is disinterested, surly, and rebellious. Our lost friends will judge Christianty by you, whether you want them to, or not. So, have a good attitude and cheerful heart about work. Do it for the Lord!
Monday, May 07, 2007
Beauty Tips (No, I'm Not Kidding!)
Beauty Tips
By Audrey Hepburn
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figures, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.
By Audrey Hepburn
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figures, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Girls of God
Okay, well, I'm starting another blog!!! I'm not abandoning this one though, I hope to be on here more than ever! But, I really felt God called me to this. You can read the story of how I came about starting it at the blog. The address is: https://girlsofgodthewebsite.blogspot.com. I hope you'll come over and see me!
And, I'm not doing this blog alone!!! I asked Meggy T (https://mt-thoughts.blogspot.com) to help me on this blog, and I think it will be great! Meggy is a God-driven teenager (slightly older than me) who has a great heart for God, and a desire to do his will. So, go on over and check out the blog!!!!
And, I'm not doing this blog alone!!! I asked Meggy T (https://mt-thoughts.blogspot.com) to help me on this blog, and I think it will be great! Meggy is a God-driven teenager (slightly older than me) who has a great heart for God, and a desire to do his will. So, go on over and check out the blog!!!!
PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!
In youth service tonight, we had two pray to recieve Christ!!!! They were both highschooled young ladies. Please pray for them, that they would stay strong in their faith, and for it not to be an emotional decision, but a heart decision. And, thank God for choosing to bless us this way!!!! Ptl!!!!!
Is He REALLY Enough?
If you listen to Christian music, you know who Chris Tomlin is. For those who don't, he wrote How Great is Our God, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), Enough, Indescribable, Holy is the Lord...And tons more. But, tonight in worship, we sang Enough. The gist of the song is that God is enough for you. But, during the song, I was thinking, "Is he REALLY enough? Could I live without everything but God? Is he truly all I ever want?" Well, sadly, I can't say that he is all I want in this life. I have my desires, that probably aren't God's. But, sadly enough, people don't think God is enough for them. They look for satisfaction in fame, money, love, recognition, work, food, and many other things. But, these things are all temporary. They don't last. In fact, the only thing that does last is God. God is the only thing that has always been and will always be. He doesn't have a beginning and he doesn't have an end. That, in and of itself, is hard to wrap my mind around. I can't imagine anything that didn't ever begin or end. Everything I've ever known on this earth has a beginning, or has ended. Except God. The same God who will always be is telling you that he wants to be all you want. He wants to be everything you need. He wants you to know that whether you realize it or not, you are completely dependent on him. He is enough. Let's look at a few examples in scripture, to see how God truly provided everything for people.
Abraham: God sent him away from his homeland, yet he never suffered materially. In fact, he depended on God and he didn't let him down.
David: He knew he would be King someday, but he didn't want to push it. He knew that God would put him there in the right time.
Jeremiah: Even though he was thrown in a cistern, he knew God would use him in some way.
Mary: She was just a young teenager, but she knew she could depend on God during her unexpected pregnancy.
Jesus: He never went without prayer, because he knew it was vital. He trusted God.
Paul: Although shipwrecked three times, snakebitten, and thrown in prison numerous times, he knew God wasn't through with him yet.
I could go on and on, but those are just a few. But, my point is this. God was enough for them, in their lives. He is enough for you. You just have to wholly trust on him, and believe.
Abraham: God sent him away from his homeland, yet he never suffered materially. In fact, he depended on God and he didn't let him down.
David: He knew he would be King someday, but he didn't want to push it. He knew that God would put him there in the right time.
Jeremiah: Even though he was thrown in a cistern, he knew God would use him in some way.
Mary: She was just a young teenager, but she knew she could depend on God during her unexpected pregnancy.
Jesus: He never went without prayer, because he knew it was vital. He trusted God.
Paul: Although shipwrecked three times, snakebitten, and thrown in prison numerous times, he knew God wasn't through with him yet.
I could go on and on, but those are just a few. But, my point is this. God was enough for them, in their lives. He is enough for you. You just have to wholly trust on him, and believe.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Note:Posts
Well, as you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately. And, my blog was messed up for a couple of days. Well, I think I fixed the blog and then changed some stuff. But, the reason I haven't been posting is this, my life is very hectic, and also, Blogger has been messing up on our computer. I don't know when I'll be able to post, but when I'm able, I'll try to. Thanks for your patience as I try to fix this!!! :)
God Gave Her the Gift of...Encouragement
I have a lot of really good friends. But, I have a few who are really special. One of them has the special gift of encouragement. She seems to know just when I'm down, and sends something encouraging, whether it be a good job, or a long email about how glad she is we're friends. I truly appreciate what she does.
Barnabas, in the Bible, means "Son of Encouragement." And he truly was an encourager. The gift of encouragement is given to all, yet few use it.
Everyone loves to be told something nice. Even the meanest person you can think of has some good quality. So many times we're down in the dumps and all we need to lift us out is a kind word. Think of how you would feel. Think of what you would want someone to say to you.
Be an encourager. Use the wonderful gift God gave you and tell someone today how wonderful they are to you.
Barnabas, in the Bible, means "Son of Encouragement." And he truly was an encourager. The gift of encouragement is given to all, yet few use it.
Everyone loves to be told something nice. Even the meanest person you can think of has some good quality. So many times we're down in the dumps and all we need to lift us out is a kind word. Think of how you would feel. Think of what you would want someone to say to you.
Be an encourager. Use the wonderful gift God gave you and tell someone today how wonderful they are to you.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
But, I Just Can't See Him Working Here
In the movie Facing the Giants, (which I highly recommend) Coach Taylor says to Mr. Bridges. "But, I just can't see him working here...." Mr. Bridges replied, "Coach Taylor, I heard a story once about two farmers. There was a drought. Both prayed and asked God for rain, but only one prepared his fields. Which one are you?" (or, something to that effect)
So many times in my life I can't see what's going to happen next. You tell God, I'll trust you forever, and it's similar to jumping of a cliff and not knowing how high it was. Then, you suddenly find, that God is holding you in his hand, and promises to never let you go. God has a plan for your life, but a lot of the time it is just so hard to see. The phrase "You can't see the forest for the trees." is actually more profound than you think at first glance. Just wrap your mind around that for just a minute. Sometimes we're in God's plan so that we can't even see us.
Honestly, the Isrealites make me laugh when I read about them. I'm just saying that from our point of view they look, well, unintelligent. We can't see it as they truly saw it, or we might make the same choices. But, the Israelites knew God had a plan for them. Why else would he bring them out of Egypt? But, time and time againt they chose to rebel against God. If we truly want what God wants, we will try to stay in the word, and close to him, and know that he will bring it all about in his timing.
So many times in my life I can't see what's going to happen next. You tell God, I'll trust you forever, and it's similar to jumping of a cliff and not knowing how high it was. Then, you suddenly find, that God is holding you in his hand, and promises to never let you go. God has a plan for your life, but a lot of the time it is just so hard to see. The phrase "You can't see the forest for the trees." is actually more profound than you think at first glance. Just wrap your mind around that for just a minute. Sometimes we're in God's plan so that we can't even see us.
Honestly, the Isrealites make me laugh when I read about them. I'm just saying that from our point of view they look, well, unintelligent. We can't see it as they truly saw it, or we might make the same choices. But, the Israelites knew God had a plan for them. Why else would he bring them out of Egypt? But, time and time againt they chose to rebel against God. If we truly want what God wants, we will try to stay in the word, and close to him, and know that he will bring it all about in his timing.
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