authentic E-Newsletter for Jan...Week 1

This is a newsletter that I sent out to those who have been attending authentic...I am excited about it and thought that I would post it on here as well.

I would like to introduce you to this idea of sending you a weekly e-newsletter to help you grow in Christ. We are all on a journey to follow Christ in word and in deed. God has designed us as our Creator and is changing, shaping, molding us to become more like Christ. Scripture tells us to work out our salvation…not that we have to work FOR our salvation, but now that we are saved we have to WORK to become His disciples. The role of the church is to help you in that process of becoming a mature and complete disciple. That is why I feel God leading me to guide you (and me) in that process.

To start our study we will look at these six marks of a disciple, each one for the next six weeks in further depth. But here is a brief start to explain why I am providing this “do it yourself” devotional. Our desire is for you to grow in your relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My prayer is that through these devotionals and your study time with God, He will speak to your hearts and continue to shape you into the disciple that He is calling you to be.

Devotions
Below is a break down of scripture and some questions that relate to the scripture. I recommend reading the scripture and then asking your self the questions that follow. Think about your responses or jot them down, and read the scripture again. After this you can think about what other questions come to mind. Let God lead you from there and go where He wants to take you.

Monday – Intimacy – John 17:20-27 – Jesus’ prayer for YOU just before He was arrested. What is He praying for you to do? Make this your prayer this week.

Tuesday – Holiness – 1 peter 1:13-2:3 – What does it mean to be Holy? What does a Holy life look like?

Wednesday – Community – Colossian 3:12-17 – What has God forgiven you for? Who do you need to show that same grace towards and forgive for the wrong they have done to you? What does it mean to “put on love”?

Thursday – Servant hood – Luke 10:25-37 – Are you the priest, Levite, or Samaritan? Who do you pass by “on the other side”? How can you become more like the Samaritan?

Friday – Calling – Acts 1:1-8 – Where is your “Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria”? Do you possess the power of the Holy Spirit that Luke is writing about? What exactly is that “power”?

Saturday – Dependence – John 15:1-17 – Are you connected to the vine? Do you produce fruit that shows that you are connected to the vine?

Sunday – Re-read John 17:20-27 – This just blows my mind.

Challenge
The challenge section of this e-newsletter will be an area that I will encourage/challenge you to do something that maybe you wouldn’t normally do. It will almost always apply to the devotions for the week and taking something that we read and actually applying it to our lives. Application is extremely important in our growth to become more like Christ. If we claim to follow Him, then our actions need to resemble His. It’s not enough to just learn about Christ and gain head knowledge, but we need to imitate Christ in our words and deeds as well.

Be the “Samaritan” to someone this week. Go out of your way to serve someone you wouldn’t normally serve.

Please respond to me with anything that you would like to share about these devotionals or the challenge for the week. I would love to hear how these may be making a difference in your life. Also, forward these on to friends/family who may also enjoy them. If you would like to be added or removed from the mailing list please send an email to jhoppa@lighthouse-ministries.org

God Bless

What is your fear?

FEAR!!! That big word that creeps into everyone's life at some point and snuffs out our zeal, fire, and passion for giving God our all. So, what is it for you? What fear do you have that is holding you back from letting go? Or, from keeping you from taking that risk? What is keeping you from going where God wants you to go?

Some good questions, but let me change it a bit. Instead of thinking of fear as a negative thing, let me throw this out there. Here is a phrase that I saw this week, "If there is no fear in your life then you are not attempting anything great." There is some truth in that statement for sure. Scripture talks about fear more than anything else, and it says for us to NOT fear. Facing that fear and doing something great is far better than playing it safe and staying comfortable. Christian, we need to get out of the mind-set of being "conservative". There is nothing conservative about following Christ. We need to be bold, to do things differently than what we are even used to.

Fear can be devastating and I believe that we need to recognize the source of our fear. Do we fear doing something because it isn't "socially acceptable" or because it isn't the "norm". Remember, Jesus didn't fit into the "norm" either. Jesus healed on the sabbath, worked on the sabbath, and yet He was/is perfect. Don't let traditions keep you from following Christ. I challenge you to look outside that box that you have put Christ into.

What are you going to do that you have been holding back because of fear? Do something great regardless of the fear knowing and trusting in your Creator who will care for you and take care of your every need. Go ahead...Do it!!!