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Tag Archives: word of god
Something I gained in Lifegroup
When I first went to Lifegroup, I had no idea what it was about, only that some people got together to study the Bible,
and I couldn’t think of anything more boring than that other than watching paint dry.
Since that was my only other choice most Sundays, I decided to give it a try. I’d already decided to be a Christian, so why not learn more about it.
When I got there, I didn’t know what to think. There was a group of people, sitting and having coffee together (or in my case, hot chocolate) and chatting and laughing.
They looked like normal people! Well, here is the breaking news…
They Are!
I was confused, weren’t we supposed to be sitting down and seriously diving “deep” into the Bible and talking about weird stuff?
What I really found was a group of friends. Not just people passing through my life, and not people who were there the one week, and gone the next. These people were there for me every week.
More than that, They were there for me during the week too; having breakfast together, and celebrating my birthday.
Every low point in my life those friends are still there for me, and every high point, those same friends are right there to be happy with me.
What did I gain in Lifegroup?
I gained friends
What would you gain from a Lifegroup?
Something I learned in Lifegroup.
One of the best things that ever happened to me is joining Lifegroup.
A small group of people meet and share about the amazing things happening in our lives, and the victories over the trials in them.
We give each other good advice, share about what we believe, Read the bible together and have a lot of fun.
Wait a minute… Read the bible AND have fun? Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible.
I used to think that reading the bible was a recipe for boredom:
Take one story about a man who did a bunch of stuff years ago
Add in a lots of names and numbers
Stir it in with a bunch of rules
And let it cook for 2000 years…
NOT!
It’s more like this:
Take stories of people doing action movie-like feats of heroism
Add in lots of stories of romance, treachery and ridiculous bad-guys
Stir it in with the ultimate heroic ending
And see how it keeps on nourishing people for 2000 years
In Lifegroup I learned not to be so prejudiced about things I don’t know about.
Where do you go to grow and learn?
Just in time
I’m not exactly the best at getting things done in advance. Usually I get things done just in the nick of time.
It isn’t the best way to do things. It’s better to be prepared way in advance, and to know exactly what you’re going to do when an event comes up.
But even though that way is best, you shouldn’t give up if you haven’t prepared. Things can be done right up until the moment that something starts.
It’s the same with life.
It’s always best to live our lives the best way from the beginning. But even right up until the end, there is chance to change, and a hope for something better.
When are you going to make that choice?
I am who I am
What am I?
I am loved
I am blessed
I am beautifully and wonderfully made
I have a great life ahead of me
There is nothing in this world that I can’t cope with
I am free
So are you.
So you can be, too.
Do you know that you are loved unconditionally?
New Venue!
Jesus Lifehouse Sendai just started at a new venue!
We are now in Livehouse Enn Every Sunday from 12!!
It’s really exciting and already a great hit.
Being part of such a great team, and working towards the same goal is really fulfilling. I feel connected and driven.
Where do you go to feel that connection?
Fortune’s Favour.
I’ve found that I really have Fortune on my side.
I have a house, a job, great friends, and a wonderful church.
Why do I have so much? I think part of it is that I don’t see fortune as money I can get for myself. I see fortune as time, people and resources that I can use to help others.
I think that having savings is a good idea. but should it be at the expense of our beliefs?
If you have something you truly believe in, try giving to it.
Reasons I often hear and used to use myself…
I can’t spare the money (and by the way have you seen my new DVD?)
I haven’t got the time (oh yeah, did you see that tv show? I never miss it!)
I can’t find the right charity/church/organisation (but I’m not really looking anyway)
I found that once I dedicated my time, effort and yes, even my money into a cause, that I have been more fortunate than I could have imagined when I used those same reasons not to give.
I have a great spirit from doing what I know is right, I have more energy from using my time effectively, and I have more money left over than before.
I’ve found that in helping others to be more fortunate, I’ve been blessed with fortune myself.
What can you do to be more fortunate?
Even Greater Expectations
We all have great expectations of others, but what about us?
I always expect the best of myself, so that when I see the results of my work, I can judge myself not on how well I did, but how much I’d tried according to my self-expectations.
For example, I did very well in my teaching course. I studied hard, did all my coursework properly and stuck to the schedule I set myself. At the end it didn’t matter what kind of grades I received, because I knew that I’d done all I could to meet my own personal expectations of myself.
On the other hand, When I was at university, I slacked off in my final year, let myself get behind deadlines, and only put in half the effort. At the end of which, although I received my degree, I felt that I had failed myself.
I know enough not to beat myself up over that, but I have also learned enough from that experience to know that I don’t want to go through life like that. Just barely passing by doing the minimal effort.
Making an effort
What do you expect of yourself?
Are you trying to meet your own expectations?
Great Expectations
So many people have high expectations of others.
Parents expect their children to go to university, children expect their parents to be able to solve any problem, and patients expect their doctor to cure them.
These aren’t bad expectations. We should always hope the best for our children, trust in our parents and expect our doctors to try their best.
But how far should we go?
Some women expect their future partner to come riding in on a white horse, some parents expect their children to get perfect in every test and become high level executives, and some people expect others to be infallible.
Is putting that pressure on other people really a good thing?
Most children will lie to their parents at some stage in their life, and a lot of people will try to make themselves sound more important than they actually are. The reason? There is this emotional need to have people approve of them.
What are your expectations of others? Are they high enough to challenge them or so high that they are unattainable?
Found In Light 