I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Part of the Plan
In the beginning, God created everything.
Galaxies and volcanoes, fireflies and diamonds, oak trees and great white sharks. Finally, saving the best for last, He created humans in His image—to fill the earth, reign over its creatures, and cultivate a world that magnifies Him.
But even before the beginning, God was already there. He spoke time and space into existence, while existing outside of time and space. And long before you were born, He already knew all about you—your strengths and weaknesses, your successes and failures.
He knew all about you and chose to make you… because He loves you!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 NIV
You are God’s handiwork—sometimes translated as masterpiece, workmanship, or work of art.
You are also God’s masterpiece because of the unique spirit, personality, and gifts that have been uniquely wired in you.
Because we know that God is more brilliant than we could ever imagine, and because He loves us more than we could dare to hope, and because we know He writes great stories, we can trust what He has planned from beginning to end.
And His plan includes you. Yes, you! He has prepared good things for you to step into—meaningful relationships and impactful work. He is continually putting people and opportunities in your path, as well as working inside of you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13).
He has empowered you to partner with Him as we experience the greatest story on earth.
So as you consider how God has intentionally designed you and placed you at this specific point in history, what passions and callings has He placed on your heart? This could be one big thing, or several small things. As you think about that, what step do you need to take to pursue your calling with God-given confidence?
Jesus Does The Impossible
Jesus’ statement in Matthew 19:26 is often taken out of context. Many people have taken this verse to mean that they can do anything they want in life because God can do the impossible. Often this can lead to selfish prayers and a small view of God.
In order to understand what Jesus is saying, we should read the preceding verses. In Matthew 19:16-22, a young man comes to Jesus asking for eternal life. Jesus tells him that he must give up all of his earthly possessions—something the young man is not willing to do. Because he failed the test, the young man failed to inherit eternal life.
Jesus says in Matthew 19:23 that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter heaven. The point is that loving Jesus requires everything we are. Our ultimate love cannot be split between Jesus and something else.
The disciples then ask, “Who can be saved?” Jesus responds in Matthew 19:26 that it is impossible for man to save himself—but it is possible with God. God can do the ...
