SERMON QUOTE
“I want you to lean in. If you are holding back – held back by fear or whatever – I want you to see that God walked through the fire for you. He went first. He is all in.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
You are asleep and you have a dream. You are frantically running along a river bank through the thick, rocky brush trying to escape a fire behind you. You’re getting scratched, bruised, poked, and are tripping, falling, bleeding, fearful. Out of the corner of your eye you see a raft floating down the river. There is a man wearing a white robe standing in the front of it, his arms outstretched as if on a cross, beckoning you to join him, to jump on and fall into his arms. You think no, I’ve got this. I can do it. I’m strong, smart, fast. The raft is passing you by. You realize that you’re exhausted, broken, helpless, hopeless. You jump out and instantly you’re on the raft with Jesus! From fear to faith, panic to peace, wounded to healed, deceived to truth, damaged to delivered, divided to united, distracted to purpose, lost to loved! You suddenly wake up and realize it wasn’t just a dream, it’s your life! You have to make a choice to be all in, on board, following Jesus. Choose wisely beloved.
William Booth, founder of the Salvation army in 1865 in London wrote:
“I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be: religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God and heaven without hell.”
AUTHOR BIO
Kathy Ferguson has attended Christ Church Lake Forest for 30 years, Community Bible Study for 30 years, leads Beth Moore Bible Study, Prison ministry at Lake County Jail for 9 years, and is a certified Chaplain.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you that the invitation to fall into your arms is always there for me. I want to I relinquish running from you and running ahead of you. Today I choose to believe and receive everything you have for me in exchange for my weariness and brokenness. Thank you that daily I can choose to live awake to the beautiful reality of your life within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O’ God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10