God's kindness awakens me

We are never more alive than when we are connected to God. Let me take it a step further. We are never more alive than when we are serving God by serving others. I get plum excited when I read that someone or some church is going off the deep end serving outside of their comfort zone and doing things that are not the status quo.

Why does that stuff get to me the way it does? It is because God has worked in my heart. Yep, I've known God all my life and been his child since May 10, 1986. And I haven't gotten over it. My prayer is that I will be more excited about God and serving others today and tomorrow than I ever have been before. My objective in leading is to lead others to be more excited than ever about God and about serving others. What do you think?

Staying connected to God ain't easy. It is a choice each of us has to make. I recently shared the lyrics of the song Marvelous Light here in a devotion. Last evening I was hit once again with the reality of who God is and what God is doing. It was while listening to the song and then praying that some things came to mind. Let me share:

lyrics: Your kindness wakened me, Awakened me, from my sleep

Ephesians 1:7 (nlt) --- He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Coming to know the kindness of God is an awesome thing. It is almost like waking up and realizing you are in a neat place or that something has happened that is awesome. God's kindness changes us big time.

lyrics: Your love it beckons deeply, a call to come and die.

Romans 5:8 (nlt) --- But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Galatians 2:20 (nlt) --- My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The love of God is something we will never fully understand, but the longer I know Him and allow His love to fill me, the more I see how good God is. That leads me to be more like Jesus. Literally, less of me and more of Him every day. That is living to serve Him and serve others.

lyrics: My dead heart now is beating, My deepest stains now clean. Your breath fills up my lungs. Now I'm free. now I'm free! See the light that i have found. Oh the marvelous light...

Luke 11:36 (nlt) --- If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light."

Known anyone who has ever come back to life? That is what happens when Jesus comes into our lives. We were dead. Now we are alive. Living for Jesus is real, free living.

We have got to stop letting ourselves or letting other people put blinders on us or putting us in some sort of bondage that keeps us from really living life. To let that marvelous light fill us is to let Christ live through us. For me, that is not described as a quiet existence and somber. It is best described as emotions you can't keep inside and stuff you can't keep from doing. In other words, I love Jesus so much that I want to serve others all the time. What do you say to that?

God's kindness awakens me every time that I give God time. Join me and lets let God's love, God's light and God's kindness awaken us!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you

why is it Good Friday?

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Day 8 in Cuba

We have just come off and incredible weekend, and it is day 8 of the mission trip in Cuba. Thank you to all who have been praying for this trip, the mission team and the impact it will have on those we serve. Please don’t stop praying. Last week Alex and I served with a mission team in the mountains of southern Cuba. There were several challenges, but God gave us safety, provision and opportunity to serve some of the sweetest people I have ever met. No running water… sporadic electricity generated by a small, logo dammed up river, no transportation other than animals, limited food sources and more. These people love the Lord and sharing their faith with others. Over the weekend we made our way back to Havana. On Friday our vehicle broke down leaving us on the side of the road for several hours. We then boarded a bus and rode 14 hours. We arrived safely and even got some rest. Sunday was so, so good. We visited two partner churches. In the morning we were with one church that

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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