Well, after such a delicious message on Sunday (my blog post yesterday)...I had to dig back into last weeks message at Eagle Brook. I'm happy to report that the message entitled Peace was EVEN BETTER! And by better, I mean that it met me exactly where I am at and the reminder really resonated with me in a new way!
Pastor Jason explained:
If there’s one thing that’s needed today it’s a sense of peace. All we have to do is turn on the TV and we can begin to worry about where our neighborhoods, cities, nation and world are headed. Add to that what might be happening with our job, in our families, or with our friends, and it’s no wonder we live with anxiety. Yet, Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.” Jesus wants us to live with his peace; it’s a gift He’s given us. So the question is how do we do live with a deeper sense of God’s peace?
He then went on to explain two elements that are a needed part of our prayer life. Whether you are hearing this for the first time, or being reminded...I think we all can relate!
TWO ELEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO OUR PRAYER LIFE:
· Petition God:
o 1. Coming before God and letting him know (continuously) our need... (invite him to be an active part of it)
o 2. Ask him to show us what we can do. (God, show me what I need to do, what needs to change in me)
· Thanksgiving: The foundation of our prayer - thank him for ALL that he has done! God already knows what we need before we ask him. It’s all about the relationship! (God is not our vending machine).
What better way to dig into the Christmas season then to remember the peace God gifts us with everyday! I really encourage you to listen to the message! It will be the BEST 32 minutes and 48 seconds you spend today!
Click here to watch: http://www.eaglebrookchurch.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=38656 (click on show details under INKED and then click WATCH NOW next to 1. Peace)
JOHN 14:27 (NLT)
I am leaving you with a gift– peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give you is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:23-27
I have worked harder, been put in prison often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I’ve been shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
PHILIPPIANS 4:12
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 2:28
I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:8
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need.’
JOHN 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
One of my favorite Christmas songs came on my Pandora station today and it fits well with the message of peace today...and I just had to share it with ya!
My Christmas Prayer: That you find peace in the amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?