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There are no comments yet.Jul 12th, 2010God Moving in My Life
Hello. My name is Sharon Andres and I have been attending the First Step classes at Central and I've been taking everything in and being as serious and as diligent a student I can by doing my homework and memorizing my bible verses, which btw I am proud to say I so far have the three we've learned thus far memorized by heart, verse number included. :) Praise God as my memory DEFINITELY isn't as sharp as it used to be. Anyway, I am compelled to contact and share my story because for the first time ever have I truly and genuinely felt the Holy Spirit nudging me within the past few days.
Firstly, I want to acknowledge God moving in my life. He's ALWAYS been moving in me and I've been aware of it but only NOW am I truly getting it. To give a quick background about myself, I've been a lost wretched soul in desperate need of guidance. I've been trapped in darkness for a very long time, walking blindly through it longing for any light to lead a way out. I've been through the darkest of abysses dealing with sin (addictions with alcohol, drugs, promiscuity, materialness, vaingloriousness--basically all things that equate the Vegas Sin City lifestyle) and multiple tribulations (depression, wrath, unemployment (twice), multiple health crises including lymphoma cancer, and now another rare, incurable chronic illness, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, or LAM for short). By the grace of God and my family and friends' wholehearted prayers I survived those afflictions: I have been drug-free for the past 3 years, I am cancer-free, I am seeing a Christian counselor/life coach to help me deal with my depression and anger issues, and I'm still here, breathing to live another day. However, the battle still was not yet won; Satan still had a firm hold on me. I was still lost. I was still confused, I was still partaking in reckless living i.e. continually surrounding myself with the wrong crowd & environment, heavy drinking/DUI, living a non-purposeful life. Times I felt like, 'Why does God keep me on this Earth? Why am I still here? Why did he save me through all my illnesses and turmoil while I do NOTHING to glorify Him, glorify this life of mine that He spared, that He gave His only Son to die for ALL MY INCONCEIVABLE SINS? Instead I continue to stay in darkness. How on EARTH am I worthy?" I finally had to put my foot down. I needed to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I wanted to be released of these shackles. I wanted to be free. I needed to be free.
I was finally saved on May 13, 2010 with my Christian Life Coach, with whom I recited the Sinner's Prayer with. I then took the next steps by enrolling in First Step and getting baptized at Central on June 19, 2010 where I got to share this moment with my sister, Antonette Andres, who was baptized at Central a decade ago & who has been actively praying for a relationship between Jesus and me. She came into the water with me and I'm sure that she'd like to hold me down in that water a lot longer than that split second. :) Anyway, I'm trying to say that God never left my side. Even though it took a long while for me to rid my blind eye and finally reach for His hand allowing Him to pull me out of the darkness, He waited patiently - like any Loving Father eagerly waiting and wanting a relationship with me.
Inspired by John Chapter 15, I'm gardening. I've been on a pruning process, purging out those negative influences in my life whether it be "friends" and just "things" that hinder my walk in Faith, resowing my seeds in hopes that I'll become a gigantic, fruitful tree. I am in that point in my life where I really need to refocus what I'm doing, who is in it, and where I'm going. I want to feel rejuvenated, recharged, redirected, refreshed, recentered. I've decided to focus on myself 100%, with zero distractions. I've been trying to figure out my purpose in life for the past decade, and what great timing that I'm taking First Step because it's also allowing me to focus in on allowing God to control it. I've struggled through this throughout my 20's and I know now that it’s because I didn't accept Christ into my life. Now that I recently celebrated my 30th birthday, I'm happy to be starting a new decade with God at my side because "once I was lost, but now I'm found." I know that I won't be struggling anymore...because now I am one with Jesus. He is "the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Him, Christ Jesus." I am now guided by the light. The light I wish to foster so that I will shine so brightly in His name, a light that I wish to shine over the darkness.
God has a plan for me and He wants to use me. I don't know what it is yet, but by golly I'm longing to find out! And I'm glad to be a part of the Central Family as I know that it will be there too to help guide and support me. I am so joyed to be a part of a church that will nurture me, a baby lamb, that when I'm ready to take on what God has in store for me, I will be prepared. :) So thank you, Central. And (from what I learned in First Step) THANK GOD! PRAISE GOD!
Lost but Found,
Saved Sharon
Aug 4th, 20096 WAYS A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE #4
ac·count·abil·i·ty
Pronunciation: \ə- ˌ ka u̇ n-tə- ˈ bi-lə-tē\
Function: noun
the quality or state of being accountable ; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions accountability >
By definition, wouldn’t you agree that accountability has almost vanished from society? What comes to mind when you think of the Enron CEOs, Wall Street executives, John Ensign, Manny Ramirez, Ted Haggard, or Judas.
In my mind I think, lack of accountability . What if those mentioned above had a person or a group of people that held them accountable – especially in their greatest areas of temptation? Would their choices have been different?
One of the best benefits of a Small Group is the opportunity to build authentic, trusting, and long-lasting relationships. It is in this type of relationship that we gain a great gift – accountability. It begins with a simple invitation; “will you hold me accountable in the following areas?”
I once heard that we all live three lives, one in public, one in private, and one in secret. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (NLT) Accountability is powerful, in part because it brings our private temptations into the light. And when we live in the light, God’s power is available to us.
Of course, accountability not only keeps us from falling into sin and temptation. It also strengthens us in areas we want to grow. For example, you may want to be more consistent in reading your Bible, or to exercise more and get in shape. You may want to achieve specific professional or financial goals. Inviting others you trust to hold you accountable in these areas can be the difference between success and failure for you.
During my twenties, I was part of a Small Group with other young single guys. One night we decided to bring all of the major decisions we had individually before the group. We agreed that if the group did not think the decision was wise, it could “veto” the matter. It was actually very freeing to talk through any life circumstance or decision with people that I totally trusted. In most cases, we didn’t outright veto very many things. But I do remember vetoing a couple of potential dating relationships. J
Do you have a group of friends like that? It’s invaluable to have people in your life that you trust enough to hold you accountable for the changes you want to make. The beauty of finding those people in Small Group is that you already share the most important value of an accountability partner, the foundation of your faith.
Next Blog – Fifth Way a Small Group will Change your Life.
Jul 13th, 20096 WAYS A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE #3 -STUDYING THE BIBLE
My journey of following Jesus started at age 23, shortly after graduating from college. While really fired up about my new faith, I had a big problem. I didn’t know anything about the Bible. I owned a Bible, but had never read it. I didn’t know the difference between the Old Testament and the New. I couldn’t even tell you the story of the guy who was swallowed by a whale!
Before long, I was invited to join a Small Group. I had no idea what a Small Group was or what they did, but thought I’d check it out. Once there, I realized it was all about the Bible. I was supposed to bring my Bible, open it, read it, and discuss it with others. Oh no! I felt intimidated and embarrassed in having to go to the table of contents to find the book we were reading. Thanks to a great Small Group leader, my fears and discomfort didn’t last long. Despite my ignorance, Bible study had a dramatic effect on my life. I was amazed at how quickly I was changing (and I had a lot of things that needed changing!). Naïvely, but faithfully, I just tried putting into practice what we learned each week. Later I learned that we call that obedience. God honored my obedience and helped me grow in ways I could never have imagined.
The Christian life is all about following Jesus. The primary way we do this - through the power of the Holy Spirit - is by reading, studying, and applying God’s teachings found in the Bible. Sometimes we do these things alone and other times we do it together, in a Small Group. The Bible is at the heart of a Small Group. Learning God’s Word together in Small Group will undoubtedly change your life.
One final thought. A few years after I participated in my first Small Group, I was challenged to lead my own Small Group. This was a huge surprise and a step I felt very inadequate to take. But with encouragement, I took that step of faith. Since then, I have been privileged to lead many Small Groups and have met the greatest friends of my life along the way. Isn’t it ironic that a guy who once knew nothing about the Bible is now being used by God to help others who feel the same way? Only God can change a life like this. Only God.
Next Blog – 4th Way a Small Group Will Change Your Life.
Jun 16th, 2009#2 - Life Long Friends
6 WAYS A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
#2 - Life Long Friends
Some of my best summer memories are the road trips I took with family and friends. Taking a trip alone just doesn’t bring the same joy. The road seems long, the miles drag, and it’s more about just getting there than enjoying the journey.
The Christian life is much like a road trip. God never intended you to journey through life alone. In fact, He has great things in store when you travel with companions. These are your Christian friends in small group; the people who often become life-long friends. And life-long friends are priceless.
In Small Group we begin to share life. It doesn't happen overnight. But week-by-week, as trust and friendships grow, we begin to convey the stuff of life - both good and bad. We celebrate new babies, new homes, birthdays, promotions, career change, and accomplishments. We encourage, comfort, and walk along side through job loss, parenting challenges, difficult decisions, accidents, painful memories, loneliness, and medical concerns.
As we go through everyday life, our Small Group is right there beside us. This is why those close bonds form and forge deep and lasting friendships.
Spiritually, we grow closer to God and each other in ways that can only happen in Small Group. We pray for and with each other, challenge each other, offer accountability, learn Biblical teaching, confess our failures, and encourage each other to follow Jesus day by day. When you are in Small Group with fellow Christians, your burdens are shared and you’ experience true joy in the journey.
As always, Jesus is our supreme example. After three years in His own Small Group on earth, Jesus said His disciples would “be with me always.” Wow! Best friends with Jesus for all eternity! What could be better?
Something to Think About:
In his book Intimate Encounters, Dr. David Ferguson discusses one way that people build strong friendships. Ferguson says that doing activities together or what he calls, "joint accomplishments" foster true friendships. Small Groups can experience “joint accomplishment” by doing a service project, lending a hand when one member is moving, painting, or landscaping, or even taking a road trip together.
Next blog...THIRD WAY A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Viewing 10 Most Recent Blogs
- Jul 12th, 2010God Moving in My Life
- Aug 4th, 20096 WAYS A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE #4
- Jul 13th, 20096 WAYS A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE #3 -STUDYING THE BIBLE
- Jun 16th, 2009#2 - Life Long Friends
- Apr 28th, 20096 WAYS A SMALL GROUP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
- Apr 18th, 2009ATTN: Small Group Leaders & Small Group Members
- Apr 6th, 2009A Tap On The Shoulder