by Sadie Robertson Huff | Nov 17, 2017 | Life Advice |
His love heals.
I was in the car with my support team and greatest friends on an exciting trip to Atlanta, to speak at passion city church college night on May 31st. We were just a mile away from where we needed to be and stuck in a little traffic, when I looked over and locked eyes with a homeless man. Immediately when I locked eyes with this older African American gentleman, I felt the Lord say in my Spirit, “go put my word in His reach and then you will understand how I feel.” I asked the guy who was driving to turn the car around and drop me off where the man was sitting. All I had to give was my bible, so I began to walk up to this man and I knelt down on his level. When our eyes locked, I realized something. Physically you can be worlds apart from someone, but spiritually you can be in the exact same place.
I feel like many of us can relate to the image and posture of shame that this man embodied on that day. I have enough sense to know that man did not just wake up one day on the ground homeless. Feeling lifeless. Feeling hopeless. Alone. Unworthy of love. A series of events had to of taken place for him to be where he is. Maybe today you woke up to a home and a family, and you look like your standing – but you actually feel like you are sinking, and have an overwhelming feeling of isolation. The posture of your heart may feel similar to the image of this man, on the heat of a Georgia day who did not feel worthy of change.
I walked up to this man and simply put my bible out in his reach and said, “hi, I’m Sadie. I know this is probably not what you are wanting, but I want to give you this. It means everything to me and I would really like it if you would have it.” He looked at me a little shocked at first and kindly said, “no ma’am I’m so sorry, but I cannot take that.” I said, “oh sure you can! I would love for you to have it.” tears began to swell up in his eyes and he said, “I’m really sorry ma’am I just cannot take it.” once again I pressed on and began to tell him how It has all my notes in it, and how it has changed my life, but he cut me off and very harshly with a stern voice said, “NO! I cannot take that, because I am an atheist.” I said I would respect that, but again stated to him how badly I wish he would just take it from me.
Tears swelled for both of us and he shook his head no. I started walking back to the car, and I was honestly very confused by the response and the feeling I had. Right before I got back in the car, I turned around and set my bible on the curb and said, “I’m just going to leave it here.” He began to get up and yelled, “NO! Don’t leave it on the ground! Please don’t leave it on the ground!” I said, “oh do you want it?” he said, “no but just don’t leave it on the ground.” I looked at him so confused and said, “tell me why you don’t want me to leave this book on the ground, because if you were an atheist you really would not care what I did with this book.” He began to cry and said, ‘because someone needs that. It just cannot be me. Give it to someone who will take it.”
That is when my heart broke and I began to sob, because I felt the Lord breathe in my spirit… “This is how I feel.” We believe that there is hope for everyone else, but we could not possible to worthy of accepting belonging, and shame isolates us from the feeling of love. We allow the worldly cycle of sin in our life produce a load of shame, and that brings us to the state of isolation, homeless, hopeless and lifelessness. Jesus came and defeated death, and gave us the gift of life – and an invitation into an eternal heaven, invited out of the darkness of the world and into an eternal wonderful light. In an instance, by accepting Him in and receiving His great love, we go from being homeless to having a forever home. We go from being hopeless to having a hope for a future. We go from being lifeless to having life abundantly and eternally. We go from being isolated and feeling alone, to belonging to a heavenly family and a good good father.
You may be like the homeless man, not feeling worthy of accepting His love – but the thing is, He gave His life and gives us mercy not because of anything we have done or could have done to deserve it, but because of His great love and ridiculous grace. If you are the one sitting in the pit of shame, it is time to rise up and pursue Jesus.
In Mark chapter 5, we find an example of what can happen when you change your posture from shame to pursuit – all from a woman who was struggling from a long-term issue. She had suffered from bleeding for 12 years. It says that this woman went to see many doctors, and spent all that she had yet instead of getting better her issue just got worse. Some of you may feel like this. You have struggled with the same thing for years and years to come, and tried many options, but instead of getting better it has just gotten worse. Now you’re at a point where you have almost given up, because the suffering has become unbearable. I want to tell you right now…no matter what it is you are suffering from or how many options you have tried that didn’t work, or how many years you have been in the thick of it – there is an option left and His name is Jesus, and He has never lost a battle.
He responds to a pursuit of faith. It took this woman breaking through the cycle of shame, and pushing through pain. She had to boldly go into a public place with her condition, but to her…it was all worth it. She thought to herself, “If I could just touch His clothes, then maybe I would be healed.” It says, “Immediately when she touched His clothes she was healed.”
Priscilla Shier says, “all Gods promises are yes and amen, but God doesn’t just put them in your way, but He will put them in your reach.”
Maybe it is time for you to take off the weight of fear, addiction, pain, guilt and shame. Rise up and go out of your normal, worldly way to pursue your heavenly father. This woman was the first woman in the four gospels that Jesus ever called daughter. A woman who was isolated from her community, who felt lifeless, hopeless, and unloved. In an instant, she was healed and redeemed, and her life was restored. She belonged to a Father. She walked away that day in peace – free from her suffering, because that is how Jesus sent her off. It may be time for a posture change. The only thing stopping you from going to the homeless man, to the healed woman is a pursuit and an ounce of faith. It was by hher faith that she was healed.
by Laney Rene | Nov 15, 2017 | Life Advice, Relationships |
“What’s your name?”
“Who are you?”
“What do you do?”
These are probably three of the most asked questions in our culture and our generation.
They’re the go-to questions when you’re getting to know somebody. The sad part is, often our answers get mixed up with the questions being asked. We answer the “who are you?” question with the “what do you do?” answer.
To be honest, this has been a CRAAAAZY year for me. I would say some good and some bad – but because of where I’m at now, and God’s continual faithfulness, I can now say it was ALL good because He uses EVERYTHING for our good. (Romans 8:28)
This year came with a lot of changes and a lot of letting go of what I knew, and what had been my “world” for the last few years. I found myself asking God the question, “what do I do?” A lot. Not just in small situations, but in big picture too.
Jesus what do you want me to do with my life? Now that I’m not doing that, what do you want me to DO now? Asking again and again…and again. Finally, one night I heard Jesus say so clearly to me, “Laney, I’m not concerned about what you do, I just want you to know who you are… and out of knowing that, then you will know what to do.”
Throughout my life and still to this day, I like to do a lot of different things. Sometimes I’m backup dancing, sometimes I’m styling or re-making clothes. Sometimes I’m singing, sometimes I’m doing who knows what, to be honest. Probably something ridiculous that one day I will regret posting on social media! But hey, yolo! Right?!
I’ve also been a nanny, and I’ve worked at Chick-Fil-A…but none of those things told me who I was. Shoot, if that were the case id be exhausted by now! Trying to be all those different people.
So, instead of asking God “what do you want me to do?”, I began asking Him to remind me of who I am. The Lord reminded me of a video my mom found recently of me from when I was a little girl. In the video, I pick up the mic from our little Karaoke machine and I said “I (long pause) love (long pause) Jesus”.
I felt like He took me back to when I was a little girl, to remind me that I was a daughter. Before I was old enough to have any kind of job title or social status. Before I walked through a painful season, or won or lost or succeeded or failed. Before all of life had happened, I was HIS. And when I know I’m His, I will freely tell the world I love Him, I’m loved by Him, and I will share what ALL He has done for me.
Not only did this change how I saw myself and my situation, but it changed how I saw other people. I stopped looking at what he or she did or didn’t, does or doesn’t do, and began to look at who they are. A son. A daughter. HIS kid! Sometimes it can be hard to walk in relationship with people once we realize we may not like certain ways they do things, or if we feel like we’ve been wronged by them in some way. But if we see them for who they truly are, and not just what they’ve done or do, we can walk together in real relationship and a genuine love for one another.
Before anything else you’ve ever been, you were His. You are not what you do, or what you’ve done. You are not the model, the dancer, the singer, the actor, the speaker, the brains, the athlete or the muscles that come along with that. Although it’s easy to find temporary confidence in these things because they’re all things the world has a tendency to hold highly and admire, these things will never truly satisfy our soul or fulfill our purpose. Whether we ever acknowledge it or not, our souls long for MORE. To belong. To be accepted. To know who we are, and whose we are.
Life with Jesus is an adventure and it’s a journey. The titles people give you throughout this life will likely change many, many times…. but this truth will never change. You belong. You are accepted. You are child of God. You are HIS!
by Courtney Leatherwood | Nov 3, 2017 | Testimonies |
you are good.
Let the King of my heart
Be the mountain where I run
The fountain I drink from
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the shadow where I hide
The ransom for my life
Oh, He is my song
You are good, good
Let the King of my heart
Be the wind inside my sails
The anchor in the waves
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the fire inside my veins
The echo of my days
Oh, He is my song
You’re never gonna let
Never gonna let me down
—
This song has been on repeat for a year – a full year to (begin to) understand the depth of God’s faithfulness.
The first time I really “listened” to the lyrics of this song was a year ago, standing in a church in LA. I felt the overwhelming sadness and desire to be in a relationship with a Christian guy, while also feeling the joy of moving to a new city with a new role in ministry. It was a confusing time of emotions and stretched boundaries of trusting God. So, I listened to this song for countless hours – both in quiet places of solitude and grand worship.
Every time this song played, I shouted my prayers…
God,
You’re never gonna let me down… in relationships
You’re never gonna let me down…. in a job
You’re never gonna let me down…. fill in the blank
And over this year… He did answer those prayers. Repeatedly.
I spent this last week celebrating my birthday and reflecting back on the year. I’m overwhelmed by God’s faithfulness in my life – and his constant provision. Praises for sure! There’s something more important that I learned.
There is no situation, relationship or location that can change the goodness and joy of the Lord. He is everything we need – always.
John 16:33 – He has already overcome and laid the path before us. Take heart!
Friends, God is never gonna let us down. Period. This hopefulness in his provision is not in one area, relationship, situation, or location. His provision for LIFE. And life to the fullest is a promise.
Stepping into another year, I am trusting him now more than ever. His abundant faithfulness has moved me into a posture of rooted confidence in His provision, for EVERY aspect of my life. He will never let us down in good situations. In bad situations. In all situations. These words are filled with a hopefulness, as well as a comfort.
Psalms 91 sums up this promise and comfort so well. The Word says His faithfulness will be your shield – that’s a promise!
I love resting in that His faithfulness, no matter the season – He will be our shield to experience constant joy, peace and His love. It’s the kind of armor that nothing this world can shake – if we trust.
Friends, He will not let you down if you let Him be your everything.
Father I pray that your goodness will always be evident in our lives – that situations, locations, and relationships will not define your love for us. For greater trust and deeper faith in your provision. And for those who are weary – may you deliver rest to their hearts.
by Courtney Leatherwood | Aug 4, 2017 | Life Advice |
learning to lean into discomfort.
Imagine this scenario. A girl walks into a local coffee shop. Looking around all she sees is unfamiliar faces – yet everyone around her moving with purpose and passion. Out of fear and discomfort, she pulls her phone; to text friends back home and scroll through Instagram – in hopes to feel known. She feels a pit in her stomach – then a wave of discomfort. However, she has a decision to make, to continue to feel unknown, or to push past the discomfort. So, she puts her phone back in her bag. And although uncomfortable and unknown, she stands there, confidently looking forward to her new surroundings. By pressing past discomfort – she was able to lean on her greatest friend, Jesus.
Maybe you’ve experienced a similar scenario in the past. Or perhaps you are currently in a season of discomfort – beginning college, new jobs, moving to new cities, marriage. We all go through seasons of newness and change, where our identity truly tested.
Learning to lean into discomfort and embrace my identity through the grace of Jesus.
That girl, in the coffee shop, was me.
A few months ago, I left my career and moved across the country for a unique ministry opportunity with Live Original. I felt fearful and unknown. Today I share this message – still trying to seek comfort in my new surroundings and responsibilities. I’m just a girl who is learning to rest in the reality that we will not grow, create, or be free until we experience discomfort.
This has been a new challenge for me because for most of my life I thrived in comfortable situations. I was conditioned to seek, strive and achieve comfort. I’m a person who loves the feeling of success and competence. I am not hardwired for need – I am wired to work to a place of comfort. But that’s where I had it all wrong. God wants us to see him. To need Him. He designed us to need him so we are able to do his work. God wants us to know him as the ultimate comfort and provider that He is. And that’s exactly where God wants you. It took me 27 years to learn that comfort often distracts our hearts from following Jesus. Up until a few months ago, I wasn’t risking, creating, moving – at least in the direction of the kingdom. Instead, I was so focused on building a comfortable life.
Paul speaks of season of contentment and need in the book of Philippians. “I know what it is to have plenty and I know what it is to need.” 4:10-13.
PHILIPPIANS 4:11 “FOR I HAVE LEARNED TO BE CONTENT WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.”
I love this Word – and I’ve learned that “plenty” looks different to me in different settings. But it always means resting in what Jesus can do.
When you stop leaning into the comfort of this world and start craving discomfort, God will be able to use you in big ways. 2 Timothy 3:12-16 says we can live freely in our identity in God when we remember what we known. What is in your purse of comfort? Take a few minutes to consider the people, places and things that make you most comfortable. (praises that you have those gifts in your life). But, do any of those things on your list stop you from seeing God and serving him fully? It’s small (and big) moments, like in the coffee shop, where Jesus can capture your heart and use you. He wants you to have eyes open, and seek comfort only in his Heart.
Father I pray that we lean into discomfort – rather than strive for comfort. For your strength and glory is made perfect in our weakness. We are hungry and ready for you to use us for your will and your glory. Give us the confidence and courage to press pass discomfort. Also I pray against the pressures of this world to seek comfort For our home is with you in our hearts – and in heaven.
