Building a Household of Faith and Building a Bridge to Understanding

Since I went to bed in the am hours, I rushed to get ready for church in less than 30 minutes this morning. So glad that I did! We made it in time for Sunday School. One of my favorite things about Sunday school is seeing my friends! Both the Larkins and the Butlers were also in attendance. It'd been so long since we'd all seen one another so if felt great to all be in the same room again. I love that we all worship together!

We can serve God better as a couple than we can as an individual.
How true! Three things we can do to serve God better as a couple:
1. Live yielded lives.
Daniel and I both need to yield our agendas, wills, hopes, dreams, desires, priorities and goals to God and allow Him to do His work in our lives. I am sure that the outcome would only be rewarding and satisfying. The most difficult thing for me to give up is my TIME. I am a person that is consumed with endless tasks. Everything that I do may not be super important, but I'm doing it anyway. I pray that I will get off my cell phone before I enter my home at the end of the day, spend a limited amount of time on the computer (unless I'm working) and just CONNECT to my husband. Daniel and I have always had an amazing connection - we communicate and interact so well with one another! We ENJOY one another. We're best friends! Lately though, I feel like life just passes us by week by week. What are we accomplishing? Why aren't we growing? What have we done to strengthen our relationship and build a household of faith? Not much over the last 6 months of marriage...but that is all soon changing. Daniel and I want to be a Godly husband and wife. We want to love one another purely and wholy and completely turn our lives over to the Lord. I want to dedicate the next 6 months of marriage - and life! - to becoming the woman, wife, daughter, sister and friend that God is asking me to be. Please pray for me as I assume this will not be an easy task.
2. Pray together.
1 in 2 marriages fails. 1 in 1500 marriages fails where the couple prays together. What motivation that is to prompt me to grab my husband's hand and pour out my heart in prayer. We will be working on this! :)
3. Get in God's word.
God's word is not present to restrict us.

* We need to be deliberate in making a decision about what kind of legacy we want to leave. All of our marriages leave a legacy. What kind of legacy do I want to leave?

Some of you that know me REALLY well know that I expect a lot from church. I can't attend a church that doesn't move me during worship or during the sermon. I just can't. I talk to God the whole way there and ask Him that I PLEASE be stirred to feel His presence. Anyway, not a lot of people or places are capable of meeting my expectations and sadly I never found a church home during college. Thank God for Gregg Matte! I am a Gregg lover! God uses Gregg to captivate me and evoke thoughts, feelings and emotions in me that I've never before experienced. I was so sad when Gregg left BCS and Breakaway beforeI graduated from aTm. God had a greater plan though - even for me! Gregg became the pastor at Houston First Baptist Church...and withing 2 years later I ended up moving to Houston. Daniel and I live only 20 minutes from HFBC and (much to my pleading and begging) have been attending church there. Yay! Twice we've attended a newlywed Sunday school class that I'm pretty sure we'll continue to go to for the next year of our marriage. We've met some amazing people and have become friends with several people from the class. We are so blessed to have local married friends that are an encouragement to us.

Back to Gregg and my expectations...Gregg is on sabattical and vacation for the next several weeks. I always moan and groan when I learn that he won't be speaking on Sundays. Thank you Lord for a sweet surprise! Afshin Ziafat was the guest speaker today and I felt that he was AWESOME! His message hit home with me! Three things to Building a Bridge to Understanding:
1. Understand the IDENTITY of Christ:
Matthew 16:13 - "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Phillipi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say that I am?'
Often we base our own thoughts and feelings on the opinions of others. Who do I say that Jesus is? Who do you say that Jesus is? Jesus IS God in the human form. The Creator became one of His own creations and dwelt among us. Why? He is a Savior! (vs. 21 - From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go from Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. )
He came to us ultimately for the cross. I must either stand on what I have done or what Christ has done. The standard is sinless perfection and one sin is one too many....this I cannot measure up to. Sin is not just about our actions. Sin goes to the heart, the mind, the thought! The law came to show me that I am a sinner and to drive me to Christ.
2. Understand the CALL of Christ:
Jesus is not merely calling us to believe in Him. He calls us to FOLLOW HIM (vs. 24 -Then Jesus said to his discipes, 'If anyone would come after me, he must ey himself and take up his cross and follow me.' I can't hold onto my own world and have Jesus too. I have to lay down my life! (Matthew 10:34-42) You can't be ashamed of the one that you fall on. Even my family should not come between me and my relationship with Christ.
3. Understand the MISSION of Christ:
(1 John 2:12 - I write to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.) My relationship with Christ has been something that I've struggled with and I am sad to admit that it has been something that I have neglected for many years. I pray that I can be devoted to the Lord and that he will spiritually mature me.
(2 Corinthians 5:14 - For Christ's love compels us, because we are conviced that one died for all, and therefore all died.) I want Christ's love to control MY life the same way that it did for Paul! I want to be dead for my old life and new in the life that Christ has provided for me. I should no longer live to please myself but should strive to be pleasing to God.

More than anything, it is my hope that God continues to speak to me and that I HEAR him. I want be changed and I want Daniel to be changed. Thank you God for waking me up this morning and for asking me to go to church.

This afternoon Daniel played golf with Jim and JonO while Elizabeth and I made the rounds at Harwin. We met up with Mom, Baba, Norma, Bek and Emily - it was great to see you all! We found a few things we couldn't live without and then headed home to play with Gus and Honey. We made dinner and the 5 of us sat down to my favorite: chicken and rice with cream of mushroom soup. :) Happy Sunday!

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Love,
Sarah