True Living Water!

My husband is on a mission trip in Mundri, Sudan.  Here is the report that I received today from the wife of the team leader. 
Mark Whitehead (team leader) was really excited when he called today.  He said he could tell that family and friends were praying for the team.  

Today Events:

- Mark took the guys and drove to Mundri where they were beginning to drill (above) in the village.  The well will be located between a church and a school in the area.  He said the guys loved seeing this process.

- Spencer (team leader) stayed in Lui (above) with the girls.  They were able to teach the women in the village about community health.  But, their main focus was on the gospel.  Mark said the teaching time went great and that the ladies in the village loved it!  

- Spencer also took some guys into 2 other villages today.

From being there 2 years ago, I (Sherri) know how exciting it is to teach the women in a community.  They have such a loving spirit and are so eager to learn.  I also understand what a joy and excitement it is to see a whole village come out to say thanks for providing them clean water.  It is at that time, that the teams are able to teach the village about the True Living Water!  

Let's pray that John 6:35 would become a reality to many this week.

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 short message from my hubby:  A long day, but a God day. ILUwamh.

Imparting Hope!

Go to this blog, IMPARTING HOPE,  and check out the crosses being handmade

to raise money for Sudan.  Purchase these items to give Hope 4 1.

World Class

Becoming a World-Class Christian

The Great Commission is your commission!  

“Jesus said to his followers, ‘Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.’” Mark 16:15 (NCV)
You have a choice to make. You will be either a world-class Christian or a worldly Christian.
Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment.  They are saved, but self-centered. They love to attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you would never find them at a missions conference because they aren’t interested.  Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for his purposes.
In contrast, world-class Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God.  World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they’re making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways. 
Which type of Christian do you want to be?  If you want to be like Jesus, you must have a heart for the whole world.  You can’t be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over 6 billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all his lost children found. 
The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills

Sharing

Sharing Your Life Message

Colossians 4:5 (NIV)     Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

“Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word … The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore – you’re the message!” 1 Thessalonians 1:8 (Msg)

A testimony of grace by Angela Ventry, Child of God
A facilitator in Purpose Driven Parents RBF

I have spent many years of my Christian life in a cold, dark box.  The perception of Christ as an instrument of grace was a completely foreign concept to me.  My life consisted of “faith rituals”-sitting in a pew, singing hymns, having a daily quiet time, and maintaining an image of perfection to mask the pervasive feelings of shame that were ingrained in my spirit since childhood.  On the outside of my box there was a pretty bow and a neat package. On the inside, there was gnawing emptiness and a thirst for something that was more tangible than my weekend rituals. 
When I could no longer bear to live in the filth and darkness of shame, I decided to reach my hand out of my box.  If the God whom I claimed to believe in was real, I had to trust Him and allow Him to see all of me-my pain, my self-rejecting behavior, my legalism, my shame.  That was the moment a nail-scarred hand embraced my own.  He lifted me out of my shame and allowed me to see His face. This was not a countenance filled with judgment and rejection. It was a face that reflected love, forgiveness, and complete acceptance. The woman who once considered herself a slave fell into the embrace of Christ. I will never be the same.  I am a picture of grace, a reflection of the love of my Father and my Friend. I never have to run or hide. I stand blameless in the shadow of the cross.
It was never about who I was. It is about who He is. It was never about what I had to offer. It is His offering to me.  The message of my life is grace.
Father,
You are everything that is beautiful and whole in my life. Every breath that I take is the gift of your grace. Thank you for loving me enough to allow me to see you for all that you really are. You are my life and purpose.In His grace, Amen.


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills

Monday Monday

Its been ten days since Rick's back surgery and guess what came out!  The 13 staples and they removed them like this - Ouch.  The pain was described as a quick deep sting on each side of the staple.  The wound looks great and is healing.  Thank you Heavenly Father - our Great Physician.

Still no driving for another two weeks.  Whew!    A job,  four men and no drivers - I am so thankful, Lord, to be the wife and momma of this house - they all make me feel so loved and we will serve You all of our days.

Mission

Made for a Mission

You were made for a mission!

“In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” John 17:18 (Msg)
God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him. This assignment is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world.  Your life mission is both shared and specific. 
Jesus clearly understood his life mission on earth. At age twelve he said, “I must be about my Father’s business,” and twenty-one years later, dying on the cross, he said, “It is finished.”   Like bookends, these two statements frame a well-lived, purpose-driven life. 
If you will commit to fulfilling your mission in life no matter what it costs, you will experience the blessing of God in ways that few people ever experience. There is almost nothing God won’t do for the man or woman who is committed to serving the kingdom of God.
If you want to be used by God, you must care about what God cares about; what he cares about most is the redemption of the people he made.  He wants his lost children found! Nothing matters more to God; the Cross proves that.

Always be on the lookout to reach “one more for Jesus” so that when you stand before God one day, you can say, “Mission accomplished!”


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills

God's Power!

God’s Power in Your Weakness

Colossians 4:5 (NIV)      Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

God loves to use weak people!

“I am with you; that is all you need.  My power shows up best in weak people.” 2 Corinthians 12:9a (LB)
A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change.  Everyone has weaknesses. In fact, you have a bundle of flaws and imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.  Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way he desires.
When you think of the limitation in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, “God could never use me.” But God is never limited by our limitations. Sometimes, however, God turns strength into a weakness in order to use us even more.
Jacob was a manipulator who spent his life scheming and then running from the consequences. One night he wrestled with God and said, “I’m not letting go until you bless me.” God said, “All right,” but then he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and dislocated his hip.
What is the significance of that?  God touched Jacob’s strength and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp so he could never run away again. It forced him to lean on God whether he liked it or not.If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life, because God uses weak people.


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills

Thinking Like a Servant

Service starts in your mind!

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV) 
Real servants serve God with a mindset of five attitudes: - Servants think more about others than about themselves.- Servants think like stewards, not owners. - Servants think about their work, not what others are doing. - Servants base their identity in Christ. - And servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
Henri Nouwen said, “In order to be of service to others, we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others … thus we become free to be compassionate.” 
When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best.  
Imagine what could happen if just 10 percent of all Christians in the world got serious about their role as real servants. Imagine all the good that could be done.  Are you willing to be one of those people?


40 days of purpose - The Church at Brook Hills

Today!

Today this is what I feel like!  Screaming at the top of my lungs!  Ever have one of those days?