Never done this before

Well, here it goes.  I don't really know who I am writing this to or who will ever read this...but I am willing to take a chance!

Today, I decided that I wanted to blog, because I think it is so important to share with people what you are learning.  I think that God often times teaches us things so that we can in turn teach others.  Yesterday, while at church.  I was challenged by a number of different things and I think they are appropriate to share.  One of the opening things our pastor challenged us with was not are you a Christ follower or did you read your Bible this week?  He asked, what have you done this week that showed you were a Christ follower to someone?  It doesn't matter how well you know the Word if you aren't willing to turn around and tell others about the Word.  Joe and I have also been experiencing a number of challenges finncially.  Our most current challenge is that my three year old jeep needs a new engine, totaling $4,000.00.  We do not even have the means to pay a portion of this.  During our sermon, we were reminded that God is going to challenge us and being a Christ follower was never promised to be easy.  In fact, we were PROMISED the exact opposite.  That to strengthen our faith, we would experience hardship and turmoil.  The common day church has had no problem taking the text, "I will supply all that you need," and defining that as money, food, materialism, etc.  Th problem, that text was intended to be sulf sufficient.  That Christ is all that we need.  In the midst of turmoil, he will supply and he will be all that we need.  We sit in churches every week that teach, "if you are a good christian you will experience financial adundance or good health."  No offense, but we are seeing faithful people dying everyday.  God did not betray them.  That is exactly what was intended.  We are being fed lies that are ruining and masking Christ's true self. 

May you be challenged this week to really seek out who Christ is and not who we want him to be.  As Matt Chandler says, "if I live or if I die, God is still good."  If we all began living with this perspective, we would live much more peacefully.  God Bless.