Let Me Feel You Shine

This past week I spent some time down in Mexico Beach, FL at my parents condo with my friend, Jenn. It was a relaxing trip, very worry free.

This week God was so evident in nature. Creator of it all. Looking out at the ocean, it is huge. I started to think about how mighty God is. The one who can calm the seas. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and really challenged. If he is in full control of something so large, why do I have such a hard time trusting him with things in my life that are so small in comparison? This is definitely a year of surrender for me, giving up control and letting God take care of ALL things. I can’t keep a little box for myself, I have to let go.

Passion 2012 – Day 3 – Notes

Community Group – January 4, 2012  – Clay Scroggins

God saved us so our lives would be a testimony and we can tell others.

We were saved FOR something, for a PURPOSE!

– Which do you have a harder time grasping: that you’re “saved from” something or that you’re “saved for” something?

• I have a harder time that I am “saved for” something. I think I struggle a lot with where God has me and if I am doing what is in His will. I know the road I was heading down and what I was saved from. Looking forward to what He has for me and not what I have in mind for myself, the unknown, is what is hard for me to grasp.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 The masterpiece ALWAYS points back to the Artist.

This made me think about how I act. I am the “masterpiece” and I should be reflecting my Creator.

God receives all of the glory and honor.

…but God –

He made us to DO SOMETHING for a reason and a purpose.

You have to put yourself in a position to have influence.

We were meant to be in community – there is little spiritual growth on a deserted island – we were meant to grow together.

–  What comes easier for you? Growing alone or growing together?

• For me, growing together. I love community. I love people. I love learning from other people and the accountability that comes with growing together.

–   What does Friday, after Passion, look life? What happens after?

• Serving
• Raising awareness
• Exposure

Ephesians 3:20 – Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.

TOGETHER! Look what God can do with our group. God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

Ephesians 3:14-19

–  What is His power and how do I obtain it?

• His power is LOVE
• We obtain it through community – together with other believers – through the Holy Spirit we are granted that strength

–  The difference between HEAD knowledge and HEART knowledge.

Rest in God’s love for you! He will do more than you can ask or imagine. Be inflated with God’s love.

–  How does that inspire you that God wants to do immeasurably more through you?

• It inspires me to not put limits on what I can do. If God wants to use me as a voice to help end human trafficking, He can. Just because I feel like I am so small in comparison to a HUGE problem, He can use me!

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Main Session 5 –  Lecrae, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, Louie Giglio and John Piper

They took turns reading through Ephesians. After each chapter we took time to reflect and pray, “Jesus, speak to me!” So awesome that we were just singing and praying that in community group the night when our leader wrote the song after Francis Chan spoke! It was awesome just to read and reflect as a group of 45,000 on the WORD OF GOD.

Main Session 6 – Interviews with People who work with organizations working to end human trafficking

–  Call and Response – Connect music to movement. No movement has happened without music. Music being released into culture brings attention to the cause.

–  People remember stories, not statistics. We must tell stories and advocate for those people.

Isaiah 58:6 – “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”

Night Light – Grace Church Midtown – Works with Prevention, Intervention, Follow-Up, Education, etc.

–  Enthusiasm does not equal accomplishment

–  Just because we feel good about it doesn’t mean it’s better.

–  We need to connect action with awareness!

–  The power of prayer – we can all be a part of HOPE.

–  Slaveryfootpring.org – find out how many slaves are working for you. Work to lower! **SPREAD THE WORD**

– Free2Work app

*Remember to pray for the girl in Atlanta that Night Light helped rescue. She was stuck in trafficking from age 13-22. She now married; a believer (so is her husband) and they have 2 daughters. She is trying to go through college.*

– For once it seems like the church is ahead of the curve. We are leading a movement!

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Main Session 7 – John Piper

 

Do ALL for the glory of God.

–   Seeing and Savoring the supremacy of Jesus Christ frees you from the slavery of sin for the sacrifices of love.

–   Being Satisfied in all that God is for us in Jesus frees you from the bondage of sin for the sacrifices of love.

–   Believing in Jesus frees you from the bondage of sin for the sacrifices of love.

All three points are the SAME.

 

When it happens to you, you are outwardly set free from your sin – this is seen by others.

The ROOT of salvation – private – the soul is unseen

The FRUIT of salvation – public – change is evident

We then fulfill our reason for existence.

 

–       Why are those three equivalent realities?

• Louie said two harsh realities on night 1
  • It’s not that we were un-churched, we were DEAD
  • The enemy is still on track to kill and destroy – your funeral is still in progress.
• What IS saving faith?
  • Seeing and Savoring
  • Being Satisfied
  • Believing in Jesus
• John 6:35 – Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” A soul coming to Jesus and being satisfied in who He is – faith
• John 1:12 – ” But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” – Receive – See what He is – you want Him, you take Him, embrace Him! He is your treasure.
• He is the Giver – He gets the glory
• Faith is a child-like response to glory
• Coming to faith requires resurrection from the dead.
• Bored people do not become satisfied with what bores them.
• Romans 6:17 – “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” Freedom: Doing what you want to do and not regretting it in 1,000 years.
• The more satisfied you are, the freer you are.
• No struggles in heaven, we will be slaves of righteousness.

–  The supremacy of Jesus – Who He is

• Jesus is a gift to our souls
• His eternality – no beginning, always reality, never changing, constant existence.
• Knowledge – nothing compares, WISDOM
• Purity – will NEVER sin
• Trustworthiness
• Justice – NOTHING left unsettled
• Patience – holding back final judgment
• Sovereign servant obedience
• Meekness
• Lowliness
• Tenderness
• Wrath – FIERCE!
• Grace – life to the dead
• Love – willingly died for sinners
• Gladness – the trinity – extraordinary and supreme
• SUPREME in EVERY way over EVERY thing!

–  Seeing and Savoring the supremacy of Christ frees from sin

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
• You are changed.
• When you see the magnitude of your treasure, your heart swells.

–  You will be freed for the sacrifices of love

• Hebrews 10:34 – “For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.”
• Your supreme name is the desire, not decision.
• What frees you???

“May God make the supremacy of the name of Jesus be your sight, savor, satisfaction, desire, and trust.”

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Community Group – Clay Scroggins

 

–  What’s the one thing you need in this moment for God to grant you?

• Satisfaction in Him
• Discernment
• Clarity
• Guidance

–   *Seeing leads to freeing which enables loving* – Clay Scroggins helping to better understand John Piper

Discussion Questions:

–   How does the supremacy of Jesus give you freedom from the slavery of sin?

–   How do I live in the valley like I feel on the mountain? What happens after Passion?

–   How do you regularly cultivate a love for Him? How do you fan the flame?

–   Why does this free you to sacrifice? Where do you need to sacrifice for His sake?

 

That’s all folks! Louie Giglio closed the conference on Thursday morning. I was unable to go, but his talk will be available with the All Access Pass on February 28th. I will post notes and reflections soon after that! 🙂

Keep on living what you love! Much love, my friends!

Passion 2012 – Day 3

I never thought I would look forward to waking up before the sun. For me this was the last day of Passion 2012. My new job at Loganville High School started bright and early Thursday morning.

We drove into Atlanta and once again started our day with Community Group. We continued working through the book of Ephesians. I was hit in the heart that morning. Clay said, “The masterpiece ALWAYS points back to the Artist.” It made the think about how I am reflecting my Creator. I am about to start a job where I will be under the microscope in a school. The students and teachers will be watching me more than I realize. I want to make sure that I am a reflection of Christ. I was so impacted that morning. Wow, thinking back and looking at my notes encourages me so much!

On the first day of Passion, we all got a paper with an assigned time and topic. We were to pray during this time for the topic assigned, that way there was prayer for Passion and the 27 million the entire conference. My assigned topic was for peace.

After prayer you put your sticker on one of the letters that were all around the Dome and World Congress Center.

In the end, the letters spelt “Together we are a force for good.” 

We did not know who was speaking in the morning session, we all filled the Dome, once again. David Crowder led worship that morning and then Lecrae, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, Louie Giglio, and John Piper came on stage. They each took turns reading through the entire book of Ephesians. After each chapter we took time to reflect and pray, “Jesus, speak to me.”

During one of the prayer times I could not get the “Freedom Hand” Art Installation out of my mind. It was going up quickly and I did not know what all of the materials were on it. All at once it hit me, they were items that were made by slave laborers, they had to be. I turned to Estelle and told her what I was thinking. I realized this is where I wanted to begin my stand for freedom. I wanted to become a conscious consumer, research products before I buy them to make sure they’re not made by slave or forced labor and that their workers receive fair wages. I have been successful so far, it is difficult, as some companies I cannot find information about, but I am trying!

After this session we went to lunch over in the World Congress Center. After lunch we decided to go to the Freedom Station and give to Do Something Now. Walking through the line was eye opening. Not only did they have facts about human trafficking, but they had some plywood cutouts of people. They put “bodies” with the numbers. They also had a part where the people were chained to a map and marked with the city they were from. There was one from Atlanta. It broke my heart, it still does. I cannot believe that this horrific trade is going on in my own back yard! It was amazing to see people lining up to give money, especially “broke college students”. For myself, I saved Christmas money. I knew that I wanted it to be a personal sacrifice, not just asking my parents for money. Since I did not have a job, that was my income! 🙂

After giving I got to meet up with Daniel. He decided to spend the rest of the day with us! It was so great to have another familiar face around! We headed back in for the afternoon session. During this session, Louie did interviews with four different people that work with different organizations centered around ending human trafficking. During this time we learned about Slaveryfootpring.org – find out how many slaves are working for you and then you can work to lower that number! We also learned about an app, Free2Work, you can scan items and check to see if they’re using slave or forced labor to make their goods. They told stories of people they have worked with and seen first hand freed some slavery. It was amazing! I know that I won’t be kicking down any doors or working with special police force units any time soon, but how awesome is it that God can use simple people to fight such a huge cause!

After the session, Louie brought out the lieutenant governor and  the mayor of Atlanta on stage. He announced that with the amount given so far, we will be giving a check for $100,000 to the city of Atlanta to train police officers to start a “Special Victims Unit” to identify and rescue those stuck in trafficking in Atlanta. Praise God! It was such an awesome moment. There will be a special unit to work specifically to end trafficking in Atlanta!

For the afternoon and into the evening we had free time. We took time to go over to the Freedom Art Installation. You find a slave made product to write a prayer on. There were clothes, shoes, Christmas ornaments, toys, brick, burlap, rubber, even soccer balls! I could not believe how many products were out on the plaza to sign, and they were all collected, Passion did not purchase them.

We decided it was about time for dinner, we tried to go into the CNN Center, but it was packed, literally. According to fire code they can only let in so many people and they were at capacity, so as groups left, they would let groups in. We decided to walk a few blocks to McDonald’s. On the way we encountered quite a few homeless people. We got to McDonald’s and it was full of homeless men and women. I don’t know the exact story, but I think one asked Daniel for money. Instead he bought the homeless man 10, TEN, double cheeseburgers and prayed with him. What a heart!

On our way back we saw another one of the homeless men we encountered on our walk. We gave him some money and took some time to talk to him and pray for him. It was a moment I will never forget. I literally have THE BEST friends (and brother) ever. We even all got a kiss from the man, on the cheek, or in Daniel’s case, the neck! Mark that off the bucket list – “Get kissed by a homeless man.” We also got the chance to share with a business man, who was headed home from work, what we were doing in the city and what Passion was all about.

The final session was John Piper. What an incredible speaker. I have listened to his messages many times, so I was very excited to see him speak at Passion and WHAT A MESSAGE! I struggled to keep up, I wanted to write down every single word! He spoke about being free from the slavery of sin. His prayer for us was  “May God make the supremacy of the name of Jesus be your sight, savor, satisfaction, desire, and trust.” I cannot wait to get the All Access pass to hear this message over and over again!

My last time with Community Group was sad. I grew to love them and had a great time sharing my heart and praying with them. We spent the evening just going through John Piper’s talk and doing discussion questions. One question that I had for myself that Clay asked that night was, ” How do I live in the valley like I feel on the mountain?” How do I go from how I feel at Passion (on the mountain) and live it out in the valley. It has been an awesome journey to see how God is using those three days to shape and change me in incredible ways!

The late night was a candle light prayer time. We were so sad to miss this, but the group from PA had to get on the road the next day and I had my first day of work, so unfortunately we headed home.

Life since Passion 2012 has been awesome. I have found ways to live out what I learned every single day. Matthew and I made the decision to start regularly attending Passion City Church. It is about a 45 minute drive every Sunday, but totally worth it. I actually love getting up for church. All week I look forward to Sunday, which I can honestly say was not the case since I moved back home. I found myself so stuck, stagnant. I love and appreciate Hope Community Fellowship so much, but there is nothing for my age group. It was so frustrating. I realized through Passion that I really miss that community. I definitely had not been growing like I should beFriends, if you ever have the chance, you MUST come to Atlanta to visit me and attend church with me. It’s not the building or the people that really matter (even though they are great!), but I get to be a part of a local expression of the Gospel of Jesus, it just happens to be PCC. The center of all they do is Jesus. I LOVE IT!! Here is a little glimpse of the amazingness!