with a heavy heart

Today I come to you with a heavy heart for so many reasons. Compassion is something that Jesus had for the people He met who were hurting and living without direction. He did something about the hurting around Him, and we must do the same.

Proverbs 3:25-26 NASB

Do not be afraid of sudden danger, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; 26 For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

Yesterday there was a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Such a sad tragedy in so many ways. Many students and a few adults lost their lives in this event, and it breaks my heart.

Pray for those impacted by the shooting. Pray for those who touched by tragedy and who are victims of things outside their control. Ask God to protect the innocent and to have mercy and justice on those who have responsibility.

My heart is heavy due to a report given to my denomination earlier this week about sexual abuse it’s cover up. There were so many things in the report that give us more and more need to stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves and to ensure justice. My calling in life fits right here and such happens make it even more evident. See Proverbs 31:8-9.

The enemy is tearing apart all he can get his hands on. He wants to send families and marriages to ruin. That breaks my heart. He was to make churches powerless and turning from God. That breaks my heart. Our enemy is about the business, the same business he has been about since the beginning of time.

Be careful to not let the fallen world around us turn us away from God. It is easy to get distracted. It is easy to give our power to others by choosing to live without faith and without integrity.

What should be do in light of the pain and struggle around us? We should pray. What should we do for those who are hurting? We should practice compassion and show up in the lives of the people who are in need.

What should we do for ourselves in times like this? We should shore up our faith and choose to live with integrity!

Proverbs 11:3 NLT

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

The world needs to see what faith and honesty look like. It is Christians who must stand on truth. It is you and me that need to run to and be with those who are hurting.

May God use each of us to make a difference as He allows our hearts to be heavy for those in need.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Search This Blog