Andria Messelt
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Character building...   

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A tribute to my father-in-law...

3/11/2016

4 Comments

 
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On December 26, we loaded up - our family of 6 and Ron and Em (my in-laws) - and we headed to the family farm. We went out there to see some extended family; wanting to spend time together before my mother and father-in-law would leave for Rochester. They would head there the following week for Ron to have a stem cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic.

We had such a sweet afternoon at the farm. It is a favorite memory of mine before they left. Ron loved being out at the farm. He loved a farm girl (my mom-in-law) and he loved all the farmers that came along with her. In fact, although Ron was a life-long learner and educator, I think his first job was that of a farmer.
Ron was a farmer and the many people who attended his prayer service and memorial service a few weeks ago, as well as the many who couldn't attend but sent cards and stories, are a testimony to the success of Ron's farming.

Ron impacted many lives. It was his habit. Like a good farmer, he was intentional with everything he did. He was an intentional relationshiper; intentional in his relationship with Jesus, his relationship with his wife, kids and grandkids, and intentional in every relationship he had.

There is a story in the bible about a farmer; it's called the Parable of the Sower and the farmer in this story reminds me of Ron.
This farmer scatters seed on 4 different kinds of soil.  In fact, some of the seed actually falls on a path.  Now, any farmer could tell you that you don't waste seed on the gravel road, but this farmer does. The seed he scatters lands on a path, it lands on rocky soil, weedy soil and good soil. Now, if we were simply talking about soil, that would seem a little short sighted on the part of the farmer. Why, after all, wouldn't you just scatter the seed on the known good soil? But we're not really talking about soil…we're talking about human hearts. Jesus was always concerned about the heart. Ron Messelt planted seeds in every heart he connected with - on purpose.

By his words and his actions, people knew they were loved, cared for, that they mattered and they could make a difference. Ron faithfully planted seeds everywhere, never judging the heart of the person he was with, because he knew he was not in charge of making the seeds grow…he was simply in charge of planting them.

From there, like every good farmer, Ron trusted. He trusted in Jesus; trusted Jesus for his salvation and He trusted Jesus to grow the seeds of faith and love for God that he planted in each heart. He was a good farmer and the success of his farming was obvious in the sheer number of lives he impacted.

​So the question is, what kind of soil is your heart?
       Is your heart feeling like a path - a gravel road? Does it feel so hard that nothing good could possible penetrate it? When the Word of God falls on your heart; when HOPE is presented - does it feel like it just gets snatched away? Pray. Ask God to do the work of softening your heart; picking out the stones and stirring up the ground until the good soil is on top. Put your hope in Him.
       Is your heart feeling like rocky soil? Peoples' thoughts about faith and your own lack of understanding is stealing your desire to step forward in faith and receive the Word of God for your life? Ask God to soften your heart, pull out the rocks and plant some flowers. Put your trust in Him.
       Is your heart feeling like weedy soil? Do the worries and pressures of this life choke off any amount of faith you can muster? Cast your cares and your worry on God and put your faith in Him.
       Is your heart feeling like good soil? Allow the Word of God to impact you daily. Make your relationship with Jesus your first priority. Live every aspect of your life - relationships to vocation - for Christ and His glory.

My father-in-law experienced his Day of Victory (the day he went home to be with the Lord) on February 22, but the fruit from his farming will be harvested for decades to come. I can only hope the same can be said of my own life one day. How about you?
​
John 12:24 "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, I produces many seeds."

4 Comments

Character building...

11/21/2015

2 Comments

 
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​Late in the summer, I was able to get out on the golf course with my oldest son, Josh.
We were having fun. Emphasis on were.
It was that afternoon that I learned a very practical and important lesson.
Golf both reveals and forges character.
A couple of bad shots and things went from fun to frustrating!
A few more bad shots and things went from frustrating to ugly.

Character was both revealed and forged.
It's unavoidable and it's not just the game of golf.
It's life.
 
Take Moses for example.
Raised in the palace of Pharaoh, Moses didn't need to have a care in the world - but God reminded Moses where he came from.
Born an Israelite and raised an Egyptian, the treatment of the Israelite slaves began to eat away at Moses.
One day, the brutal treatment of one Egyptian slave driver toward an Israelite slave was too much.
Moses murdered the Egyptian slave driver and hides his body in the sand.
Character revealed.
 
It would seem that might be the end of the story for Moses. It might even seem Moses failed.
But throughout life, where God reveals character He also forges it.
Forge: to shaped, fashion or make.

Moses ran to Midian where he marries and spends the next 40 years as a shepherd.
For 40 years God forges Moses' character; making him into the man God wants to use to deliver the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh.
A man who would trust and obey God.
A man who would walk in faith.
A man who would point to God.
A man who would seek the approval of God above all else.
A man who would give grace as he had received it.
 
On their journey, God gives Moses many character revealing opportunities.
On their journey together, God gives Moses many character forging opportunities.
This revealing and forging goes hand-in-hand; one rarely happens without the other.
 
So, what about you? What in your life is revealing and forging your character?
Golf both reveals and forges character.
You could replace "golf" with anything.
Soccer.
Bad haircuts.
Picky eaters.
Busy schedules.
Sleepless nights.
Sick kids.
Not getting what you expected (wanted).
Chronic pain.
Anxiety.
Injury.
Cancer.
 
Everything in our lives - big or small - trial or victory - reveals and forges character.
This is how God works. He's into growing you and me.
In God's eyes, if you're not growing you're dying.
It's not growth for growths sake. There is an end goal.
The goal: to make us more like Jesus.
Unfortunately, becoming more like Jesus doesn't usually happen through the easy and fun - it happens through the frustrating and the ugly.
It happens through the bad haircuts (or the home perm gone awry in middle school!), the picky eaters, the busy schedules, the cancer, the chronic pain, the anxiety and the depression, the thoughts of worthlessness, the disappointments, the sleeplessness, the loss.
 
(fill in the blank) reveals and forges character.

I leave you with a few questions:
How's God forging and revealing character in you?
Are you working with Him or against Him?
Do you look more like Jesus today than yesterday?
 
I want to be more like Jesus. If that's the case, I know it will mean having my character revealed and then forged.
 
In all this, I hold on to this promise:
"we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
 
May whatever it is you are enduring, whatever way your character is being revealed and forged; may it cause you to turn to Jesus and put your hope in Him - that you might become more and more like Him. 

2 Comments

Testify

10/6/2015

5 Comments

 
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Ah, a moment to sit and write.
It's been awhile. I've had a few people jokingly ask me why I haven't written lately!
Things are busy here…but SO good.
I have started many new posts and they have gone unfinished.
 
I started writing about how funny it is that the Pope is such a rock star and Jesus is so offensive. All the Pope is doing is trying to be like Jesus and encourage others to do the same.
 
I started writing one about abortion and how the desire for a baby does not determine it's "babiness."  But to be honest, I am too sleep deprived and short on long stretches of time to thoughtfully write about the heartbreaking fact that so many see abortion as the only option for an unplanned pregnancy.
 
I started writing a post about the summer we just had and the incredible number of times I sat back and just wanted to hold onto a moment forever. We had so many joy-filled times - with both family and friends that I just want to praise and thank God for them. Bless the Lord.
 
But today, I want to testify to God's faithfulness.

I was invited to lead worship for our church's Fall Retreat for junior high students.
A few years ago, I decided that leading worship was something I could always say "yes" to (as long as it worked for our family), because it is something God has called me to do. Despite having a 3 month old and 3 other kiddos, I said "yes." It meant we all got to go out to the beautiful Castaway Club in Detroit Lakes, MN.
 
It is true that I have been a Director of Student Ministries before - in what seems like another life - but I was nervous.
As soon as I said yes to this opportunity to serve God, I immediately thought, "Oh Lord, what did I just get myself into?" And then came the host of excuses and fears:
I don't even know what junior high kids are like anymore.
How can I possibly relate to these young people?
I don't think I'm goofy enough anymore.
What if they don't like what I'm wearing?
What if they don't think I'm cool?
 
And there I was…back in junior high! Or at least the days of youth ministry when I would go have lunch with students at school and worry about who I would sit with!  Ahh, how our insecurities can keep us off center!
 
I was relying on God for this one.
My family came out with me - my husband being the most supportive spouse on the planet and best dad ever - watched our kids while I got to lead 250 junior high students in the worship of the One True God!
Let me tell you, God totally showed up. The students sang, they worshiped, they heard the Word of God spoken into their lives and they were encouraged to step out in faith and live lives worthy of the calling they have received in Jesus.
 
All of this to say:
God is faithful.
He alone drew these students to Himself and prepared them for what they would experience.
He used many faithful adults who are passionate about Him, love kids and desire to help them know Him more. I'm guessing most of us felt ill-equipped for a weekend surrounding the topics of sex, drugs, alcohol and self-harm; yet God is faithful.

At the end of the weekend, after the students heard about God's pursuing grace and how it gives them a fresh start, they walked down to the beach. At the waters edge, these students knelt down with their leaders, faithful adults who spent their weekend praying for and interacting with these students, and they received the renewal that comes when the grace of God pours into your life.
God is faithful.
In my doubts,
In my questions,
In my second-guessing,
In my fears
In my trials,
God is faithful.
Why is He faithful? Because it's not about me...it's about Him.
 
Because God is faithful, we don't have to wonder how much these students will put into practice all that was taught or how it will impact their lives; God's word promises that His words will not return void; they will accomplish the purpose for which He sent them. 
God is able and God is faithful.


5 Comments

Bless the Lord...

8/7/2015

6 Comments

 
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The other day, I was sitting in a chair feeding our new little man and his big brother picked up my book, sitting on the nightstand and said, "Bible."
Then, he held it to his chest and said, "gress the ward."
Which in 2 year old language means, "Bless the Lord."
Melt my heart.
Yes…bless the Lord.
He can be caught singing this song or saying this phrase multiple times a day.

It's as if he knows we can bless the Lord in any and every situation, no matter the circumstance.

When Asher John joined our family on June 18, the song "Bless the Lord (10000 Reasons)" by Matt Redman was playing on our "hospital playlist." It brought tears to my eyes seeing our new little guy for the first time and knowing that God, in His infinite wisdom, had chosen to bless our family through this 7 pound, 11 ounce boy.
It doesn't get better than that!

Asher means happy or blessed.
I am big on name meanings, so these verses helped us narrow down our name list:
In 1 Chronicles 7:40 it talks about Asher's descendants being choice men and outstanding leaders.
The blessing the Lord gives to the tribe of Asher in Deuteronomy says this: "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil."
Both verses we will pray over this little guy, for sure!

Psalm 103 is one of my favorite Psalms.
In it, David blesses the Lord.
         He blesses the Lord for forgiving
         He blesses the Lord for healing
         He blesses the Lord for redeeming
         He blesses the Lord for loving-kindness
         He blesses the Lord for working

David knows something we must remember; our God is a living God. Not only was He active and doing these things then, He is doing these things now - for you and for me.

May you take a moment to read this psalm and may it cause you to Bless the Lord.

Maybe you even want to write your own psalm - intentionally, on purpose, taking time to Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord - no matter your situation, in every circumstance!

Why did it take a 2 year old to point that out to me?
Bless the Lord!


6 Comments

The truth is...

6/2/2015

6 Comments

 
Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Last week, while walking through soggy grass with my six year old daughter; I was pushing a stroller with my toddler son, nine months pregnant, heading to watch our nine year old son play baseball, God got my attention. My husband, the coach, was already at the game.  As I walked by a couple of men, one looked at me (carrying the bag chairs and activities to keep the toddler busy) and said, "wow…you're busy." 
I smiled. I nodded.
I sat down and his comment rolled over and over in my head.

Four days earlier, I brought a picnic lunch to all four of these people (my husband and three kids, not the two men) and when I strolled up with the lunch, a father of four little girls saw that we were expecting our fourth. His condolences at having the fourth were unending:

"I KNOW what you're about to experience."
"Wow! I hardly know any families with four kids."
His tone, his comments, his body language…none of it was encouraging.

Let me take this opportunity to personally apologize to every amazing momma I have failed to encouraged.
How many times have I found out about someone expecting a fourth or fifth child and said, "wow, you're going to have your hands full."
As if I'm telling this momma who will have four under four something she doesn't already know.
As if I have the right to tell anyone how busy they're going to be…when I lack the experience required for such an estimation!

Thankfully, it was around this same time that I texted a dear, wise friend. Her fourth is just graduating from high school and I am about to have our fourth baby. In the text, I wondered what she was thinking when she was in my shoes - 18 years earlier. 
The text I got back from her was like a refreshing breeze. It encouraged me and poured a soothing balm over any anxiousness I may have felt at the time.
She talked about how their fourth changed the fabric of their family.
She talked about what a strong man of God he is and how he loves Jesus and loves people.
She talked about her feelings at the time he was born and how undeserving she was of the young man God had created him to be.
She asked me if I could hear the joy knocking at our door.
YES! YES I could hear the joy!!
I'm so thankful she invited me to hear the knock…to hear the joy!
Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
If only we could all encourage one another in such a way!

Whether we have no children or many children….
Whether we are married or not married….
Whether we're in the prime of our lives or spiraling to what seems to be rock bottom….
We would need to set aside our judgments of how many kids is too many;
our notion of what is best when it comes to being married or being single;
our worldly estimation of the worth of a life
and just build each other up with our words.

This doesn't mean we fill people full of untruth in order to make them feel better.
It means speaking truth, with love.
To encourage one another, to build each other up…this is what we've been called to do.

So the next time someone says to me, "you're busy," I'm going to respond with truth.
The truth is, "I'm blessed."

The next time someone says to me, "you've got your hands full," I'm going to respond with truth.
The truth is, "my hands are full of good things."
These words are truth.
These words are encouraging.
These words bring hope on the hard days, when we're not feeling blessed or like our hands are full of good things.

So, next time you see me (or anyone else) pushing my toddler with a new baby in the Ergo and a six year old and nine year old walking alongside me, remind me that my hands are full of good things and just how blessed I am! If you want, offer to carry the bag-chair! That would help me out a lot! 

Until the fourth is born…
May you hunger and thirst for Jesus, the One who is full of grace and truth!

6 Comments

If you could ask for one thing...

5/20/2015

3 Comments

 
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It's been awhile since my last post. Things have been a little crazy around our house.
Here's my truth: I'm 34 weeks pregnant.
I have checked the last "must do's" off the "to-do" list before the baby comes!
We're ready!
Ready to meet this little guy.
Ready to see what kind of baby he'll be!
Ready to give him a name!
Ready to introduce him to his siblings! 
Ready for so much of what is to come…the Lord has done great things for us!

Yet, this readiness comes with a little mourning for me personally. 
The investment, the energy, the lack of energy, the fact that my schedule is not my own, the lack of time for doing anything I might want to do - these make me selfishly mournful.  
That's my truth. 

God blessed me this winter. He gave me many awesome opportunities to speak and to lead worship; to meet some beautiful women and spend time getting to know them! Honestly, it felt like God took me off the shelf and allowed me to serve Him, doing what I was made to do.
Yes, I know I was created to be a mom and a wife and more, but these opportunities spoke to my desire to serve Him with the gifts He's given me.
I am so grateful for each opportunities and I completely recognize them as God's gift to me during a season of His choosing.
It was His way of saying, "I know things are about to get crazy. Let me remind you who you are and what I've created you to do."
Thanks, God. I needed that and I didn't even know to ask for it!

One Thing
As I have studied the life of Moses in Bible Study Fellowship this year, one thing has struck me over and over.
Moses has been leading this uncooperative, ungrateful group of Israelites toward the Promised Land for some time. Honestly, I would have ditched them long ago, but not Moses.
The Israelites have just had another bout with disobedience and Moses cries out to God.
If you had reached your limit...
If you didn't think you could possibly take on another thing…
If you heard words from a doctor, a friend or a spouse that would change your life forever…
What one thing would you ask God for?

In Exodus 33:13 Moses asks God for one thing: "If You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You."
Moses has reached his limit! 
Of all the things Moses could have asked for, the one thing he does ask for is to know God more.
It is Moses' desire to know God more in each and every circumstance that comes his way. Disobedient Israelites, hunger, thirst, feelings of being directionless, feeling lost - the prayer of Moses resonates "teach me Your ways so I may know You."

I want this to be the one thing I desire in the face of all the circumstances that come my way. I can foresee some of my upcoming circumstances: sleepless nights, sleepless days, a 2 year old having a hard time adjusting to a baby brother, busy summer schedules, sleepless nights, challenging feeding schedules, making dinner, feeling like God could never possibly use me again. But I can't foresee them all!

Whatever the circumstance: Lord, teach me Your ways so that I may know You.

What about you? 
What kind of circumstances might you face this over the next few days/weeks/months? 
What might God want you to know about Himself through those circumstances?
Do you think your relationship with Him could grow because of circumstances you didn't choose for yourself?
I do. 
In fact, I believe it's through our challenging circumstances that God does His most transforming work in our hearts and lives.  
That's really what Moses was inviting God to do.
"If You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You."
Moses wasn't asking God for more information.
Moses was asking God to transform his heart and his life through experiencing who God is and what He does.
Through trusting God's provision because Moses had experienced it.
Through relying on God's grace because he had desperately needed it and gratefully received it. 
Moses wanted to know God more and more and let God work in his heart and life like only He could work.

Maybe you're wondering how God responded to Moses' request:  
The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
God promised Moses His Presence through these circumstances and not only that, but He promised that His Presence would be enough to give Moses rest. Despite the challenges Moses would face (and there would be many…which is why I would have ditched them!), God would be present with him and that Presence would be all Moses would need to find rest and to really know Him.

So this summer, whatever my circumstance, I will pray, "If You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You!"
And chances are, if I'm praying for you this summer, I'm praying that you would know God better through whatever your circumstance.
How about you? What one thing are you asking God for?


3 Comments

I want to be the journaling type.

4/21/2015

6 Comments

 
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I want to be the journaling type.

I have great friends who journal.
Some journal as prayer, some as a way to put in writing all that God is teaching them.
They can actually go back in their journals and witness again where God's been and what God's done.
I want to be the journaling type.

I have a stack of cool notebooks journals sitting on my desk. Each one has something written on the first few pages. But then I forget. I make a mistake. I miss a few days. The journal disappears and I am off the bandwagon!

I want to be the journaling type. Consistently.
Why? you might ask...
Someday, I'd love for my kids to be able to read them…
           Prayers I prayed
           Answers to prayer
           What God was teaching me during a particular season of life
           How I felt about what God was teaching me

I think God is pro-journaling.
He wants us to remember where we've been and what we've done.
Correction: He wants us to remember where He's been and what He's done.

Check out Deuteronomy 6:4-23
In this passage, God is giving Moses instructions. Instructions to ensure that the Israelites for generations to come will know His mighty deeds!

how the LORD brought them out from the land of slavery into a land flowing with milk and honey;
how it was their God who parted the Red Sea;
how their God guided them in a cloud by day and by fire at night.

Because they've been told. Because it's been written down.
These short 19 verses help us see where God's been and what God's done.

If Moses had not written this down, how could we possible know all that we can know about where God has been and what God has done? 
If Moses had not written all this down, how could we possible see any way for God to work in our own lives - in whatever situation we find ourselves.

I have a feeling that when we write things down; when we chronicle the work of God in our lives, it helps us
          see His faithfulness in the past,
          trust His faithfulness for today and
          put our hope in His faithfulness for tomorrow.

When we write things down it aids us in our journey of faith.
When we write things down, when we're vulnerable and honest about our weaknesses and our needs; generations to come after us will know where God has been and what God has done.

All of this to say, I think I'd like to start journaling.
But I have to give myself permission (otherwise I'll just give up):

It might not be daily, it might not even be weekly; but I will chronicle the work of God in my life.
It might not be perfect and it might have scribbles and misspelled words, but it will be honest.
It might not reflect the best of me, but it will reflect the best of Him.

The Lord has done great things for us. It's time to write them down so that when my kids ask me, "mom, why do you…?" I'll be able to tell them about where God's been and what God's done.

How about you?
Got any tips for journaling? I'd love to hear them!


6 Comments

Heart of stone...

4/7/2015

2 Comments

 
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So, we've had a few things going on at our house and I did not accomplish my goal this Lent of one blog per week. This one has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks, but Easter gave it life…so I'm finally sitting down to put cyber-pen to cyber-paper.

I had the joy and privilege to help lead worship at my church for Easter. As is the case on many of the BIG church holidays, there is a wide variety of heart attitudes coming to church on Easter. From hearts that cannot wait to celebrate and worship the risen Christ to hearts that cannot wait for the brunch that follows church; and everything in between.

Our pastor talked about the change that happens in a human heart when we embrace the truth and the power of the resurrection of Jesus in our own lives during his message.

It reminded me of one of my absolute favorite scriptural images: when God says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

Who among us has not felt like our hearts have been hard? I know I have! Whether it's a hardness over one area of my life or a hardness toward God - my guess is, we've all experienced a heart of stone.
But God's word gives me hope!

Not only did God know we would struggle with having a hard heart, He knew that our hearts can be so hard, they are like stone!
Yet, He doesn't want to leave us like that.
He wants to give us a heart of flesh!

On Easter Sunday I had the distinct privilege to see that transformation first hand.
From the platform, I got to look at all these beautifully dressed people and lead them in worship. 
There were 2 individuals in particular, who looked less than thrilled they had been dragged along to church.
They came disengaged.
Disengaged from their families and disengaged from the whole "church experience."
However, as the drama began, followed by a time of worship and prayer, the sermon and everything else - I got to watch these hearts of stone soften.

You can see it when a disengaged dad scoots closer to his wife and kids and puts his arm around them.
You can see it when a person sits expressionless through most of worship and then gets a big smile on their face as they look around at their family.
Work only God can do: removing a heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh.
I love it!

Jesus said in John 10:9-10 "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Sometimes our hearts have been so hardened by the world; whether by circumstances, cynics, or by people who talk the talk but don't walk the walk - we forget where the gate is…rather who the gate is.
Jesus reminds us.
I AM the Gate.

Finding the gate is as easy as turning around.
Turning away from whatever it is that made us forget about the Gate and turning to Him.
He is the way to life; both eternal life and a full and abundant life moving forward.
Jesus said, "I Am the Gate…"  

May you turn toward the Gate; letting Him remove your heart of stone in order to give you a heart of flesh so that you may live a full and abundant life - not dependent on circumstances or people, but dependent on the Gate!


2 Comments

This way...

3/23/2015

5 Comments

 
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Isn't it so nice when you're given instructions on how to do something?
I admit, I haven't always followed directions...until Legos entered my life. But in the world of Legos...I follow directions. 
Much like Redbox movies.  If the movie gives me an arrow and some instructions for returning..."this way," I'm probably better off following them than figuring out my own way.

In John 14:6 Jesus makes one of his boldest "I AM" statements yet. He says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
These words are from Jesus...not Redbox; yet we trust and follow the words of Redbox, but for some reason we want to pick apart the words of Jesus. We want to make them mean something they don't. We want to make them more palatable to the people around us. 
We think we can come up with a better way.
We think Jesus is being really exclusive here.
We think He's leaving people out.
But really, He's letting people in. 
He's letting people in on the single most important thing they'll ever need to know.
How to get to the Father. 
No guess work. No cheating. No trial and error.
He is The Way.
He is The Truth.
He is The Life. 
May you put your hope and your trust in Him today. 
You have everything to gain!

5 Comments

the Voice...

3/13/2015

7 Comments

 
PictureWhen you don't know the voice of the world yet...
In John 10, Jesus says, "I am the Good Shepherd." In the midst of His teaching on what it means to be a Good Shepherd, he says something profound about the voice of the Shepherd.

John 10:4-5 "When he (the Good Shepherd) has brought out all his own,  he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

What does the Good Shepherd's voice sound like and what would he say?
Conversely, what does the voice of the world sound like and what does it say?

Let's be honest, for most of us, the voice of the world is pretty loud and it's the most consistent voice we hear.  It's the voice that tells you if you lost 10 more pounds, you'd be so much happier.
It's the voice that says the perfect shape face is oval.
It's the voice that says if you just bought that, wore that, had that or did that…then you'd be happy. 
It's the voice that tells you you'll never be good enough.
It's the voice that tells you that you aren't worth anything.
It's the voice that tells you that you aren't loveable. 
Feel free to add to the list. 
The voice isn't always bad…but it's always there. It's the voice that's in our face and in our ear the most…and so we often end up listening to it most.

The voice of the Good Shepherd doesn't sound like that. 
His is the voice that says you are mine.
His is the voice that says you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
His is the voice that says through Me, you will have life and you will have it to the fullest.
His is the voice that says you can do everything through Me, I'll give you the strength.
His is the voice that says you are worth so much, I gave my life for you.
His is the voice that says I have loved you with an everlasting love.

May you follow the voice of the Good Shepherd daily and run from the voice of the world.
His is the only voice that matters.

 "For the wisdom of the world is foolishness in God's sight." 1 Corinthians 3:19


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    Andria Messelt

    Wife, Mom of 3, Sister, Daughter, Friend, Worship Leader, Song Writer and Bible Teacher: I am passionate about helping people know God's love and character, through his Word, so they might hunger and thirst for more.

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