Cheryl Stewart

Part 1 of a 2 part series from Heather Holleman, from CRU.

God not only seats us with Christ, He also sends us out on a mission; it’s really an extension of the same mission that the Father sent Jesus His Son to accomplish. That mission is not a burden for us to carry, but rather an exciting adventure—a momentous journey on which Jesus not only sends us , but a rewarding mission in which He promises to be with us as He uses us to see lives transformed for His Kingdom and glory. And here’s the kicker—accomplishing His mission is much easier than you think! How so? Stay tuned….

The story of Anna and Simeon

For some of us, Christmas can lose its wonder. We have repeatedly heard the Christmas story about Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men told by Matthew and Luke in their gospels. But the Christmas story is also alluded to by other New Testament writers as they reflect on the incredible wonder of the incarnation of Christ Jesus our Savior. So ask God to restore your wonder and join us as we anticipate Christmas in our new message series Come Let Us Adore Him: a look at Christmas outside the gospels!

Raymond McHenry shares this story about Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “There's a great story about Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Russian writer who spent years in a Siberian prison. At one point he had become completely discouraged and decided to give up and die. His plan was to stop working out in the field, to lean on his shovel, and wait for the guards to come and beat him to death. However, when he stopped, another prisoner reached over with his shovel and quickly drew a cross at his feet, then erased it before a guard could see it. “Solzhenitsyn later said that his entire being was energized by that little reminder of the hope and courage we have in Christ. He found the strength to continue because a fellow believer cared enough to remind him of our hope.” As Christ-followers we follow One who has gone before us, endured the most difficult journey that any man has ever faced, and yet crossed the finish line with endurance. He promises us the power to do the same. But how?

In his book, God Distorted, John Bishop describes the common phenomena in endurance sports of runners and athletes “hitting the wall.” He quotes an article in Harvard Health which appeared one day before one of the Boston Marathons. It describes what would happen to thousands of runners: “Come tomorrow morning, about 27,000 runners will begin the annual 26-mile, 385-yard (42,195 kilometers) mass run from suburban Hopkinton to Boston. But if past marathons in Boston and elsewhere are any indication, perhaps up to 40 percent of these optimistic and determined souls will slam into a sudden sensation of overwhelming, can't-do-this fatigue several miles (typically about five) before they get a chance to experience the glory of crossing the finish line.” Life is an endurance race, in which we all will at some point "hit the wall" and want to quit. We will all experience our own Heartbreak Hill where the steep challenges and disappointments of life drain our spiritual strength. So what should we do when we hit that wall of discouragement? Let’s talk!

Discouragement. It’s the dark cloud that drifts in and blocks the sunlight after prolonged times of difficulty. Maybe it’s a health challenge or a financial burden. Maybe it’s a wayward child or perhaps the unfulfilled desire to have children. We begin to pray with great hope and expectation, but nothing happens. Time marches on and we continue to pray, but our fervency gradually dwindles. Slowly the cloud of discouragement casts a shadow over our waning faith. So what do we do when faced with demoralizing discouragement? Join us for part 1 in the series "Persevering Faith"

God is totally other. Because God is infinite, every aspect of His being is infinite. His knowledge, His power, His presence—none of His attributes have limitations. We cannot even begin to grasp the totality of His nature! Think for a moment about the universe. God spoke it into being. And even as you read this blog, God upholds every star, every galaxy, every celestial body in our cosmos. The combined energy of the cosmos pales in comparison to the infinite power of God. In addition, God is completely sovereign over all. When we think about history—from world-changing events to the tiniest flap of a butterfly wing, God is sovereignly in control of all things. God is totally other. But we can mistakenly think that because God is infinite, He is impersonal, distant, and/or difficult to relate. How so?

A couple of months ago, my wife purchased some nectarines from Aldi. They were surprisingly good—juicy, sweet, and not mealy at all. In fact, the real challenge in eating them was that they were so juicy that when you bit into them, the juice would run down your hand. We liked them so much, that we purchased at least 3 more bags in the following weeks. Naturally, I told other people about them. In fact, when my sister came to visit I told her that she needed to try them. So I pulled one out of the refrigerator and cut it up and gave her a piece. Without thinking, I became an evangelist, sharing the “good news” of nectarines sold by Aldi! When you think about it, we all become evangelists at some point. Whether it be a new gadget with which we are pleased, a new cleaning product, a great bargain, or the discovery of a new favorite restaurant, we all evangelize others. So why are we so hesitant to share our faith? Let’s talk!