pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: connection


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Two Sides of Faith

Faith is at once both personal and corporate.  Most of the time we live out our faith in isolation but we gather periodically with other believers.  Each day we seek to connect with God through prayer, reading His word, and in reflection upon His word.  This connection and relationship shows as we live out our life on a daily basis.  At times we also gather with other believers – perhaps on a Sunday morning for worship, maybe at another time in a small group or class.  These gatherings encourage, equip, strengthen, and support us in our relationship with God.

Much is the same in our two faith lives.  Daily we come before God, laying our sins before Him, seeking to be cleansed.  Daily we offer our thanks and petitions, seeking His presence in our life.  Daily we read His word, seeking to find how He speaks to us that day in the words we read.  As we gather together, these practices are done again, but this time as a fellowship of believers.  Although on one level, the acts are the same, there is meaning and value and much is gained from our time together.  In the songs, the message, the communal prayers, we are united as one.

Both aspects of our faith are essential.  One fuels and builds the other up.  They work together to help us on our Christian journey.  As we seek to grow in our faith, may each day bring us blessings through our connection with God.

Scripture reference: Psalm 105: 1-6 and 37-45


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Story of Faith

As Christians, we are a people connected to each other and to God.  Our common connection point is His son, Jesus Christ.  As our overall faith and individual denominations have developed, others have become a part of the story too.  People like Paul and Augustine are common to us all.  We also have unique people in some of our stories – Martin Luther for some, Calvin for some, Wesley for some.  Each helps us to define our faith and to understand Jesus’ message and how it affects our personal lives.

Within our own stories we also have people who were or are significant.  Maybe it was a grandparent or a parent or a particular pastor.  Maybe it was a friend or a mentor.  These important people have helped us grow in our faith and also connect us back to the root.

It all connects back to Jesus, for His story is the story we must all share with others.  Our own faith story is woven in with His story, and that is what makes our story wonderful and amazing.  It is the call of every Christian to connect others to Christ, to make Him a part of their story too.  We must share our story  of faith with others to draw them near to Christ, to help them feel His love too.  Your story is great and awesome.  Share your story every day with anyone willing to listen!

Scripture reference: Philippians 1: 27-30


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Natural Connection

Do people of faith always feel connected to God and to other Christians?  Do we always feel like we are part of the family?  At times I think we all feel disconnected from God and from our community of faith.  We are never truly disconnected, but at times we feel like it.

As life tosses us about we can wonder if God is present in the midst of the storm.  We do not see Jesus walking on the water towards us.  As emotions of sadness or loneliness sink in, we question if He is there.  We do not see His hand reaching out to pull us up out of the turmoil.  As we pass through difficult seasons in life, we sometimes look around but fail to recognize Him.  We do not see Jesus in the people God sends our way.  Yet we feel apart from God only in our own minds – God and His love are always present.

In these trials, how do we maintain contact with God and our community of faith?  It starts long before the storm, before the sad emotions, before the season.  If we spend time reading, praying, studying, we build up that “reserve” that will carry us through the trials.  The more we know God, the more natural that connection becomes.  If we spend time in fellowship and in caring groups within our faith community, then we are known and we know others in ways that will sustain us in the trials.  Just as we can learn to sense when another needs us to walk alongside them, others too will come to sense when we need that as well.  We train for the race so that we can run it with perseverance, with strength, and with God’s presence.

In Psalm 31, verse 3 we read: “You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me.”  When we know Him as rock and fortress, trials are so much easier to walk through.

Scripture reference: Romans 11:1-2a


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Our Connection

In Youth group, their favorite way  to pray is in a circle, their own arms criss-crossed, holding each other’s hand.  A squeeze passes the prayer around the circle.  After someone closes, we raise arms and spin out away from the circle.  If you asked them why they like to pray this way, they would tell you it is because we spin at the end.  I think they also like being connected to each other through touch.

Sometimes the ‘squeeze’ moves around the circle like lightning.  Sometimes two middle school boys see who can ‘hold’ each other’s hand  the tightest.  And sometimes a Youth or an adult shares a heart-felt prayer.  You can feel the love and the focus and the energy zoom right in on them.  It is pretty cool.

Prayer is such a powerful weapon – for us to find guidance, peace, comfort, strength, … and to ward off Satan.  Prayer is our personal connection to God.  Prayer is how we call on the almighty and how we draw close to Him.  Come close often.