Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This verse has very strong significance for me. This verse is the verse that my mom quoted over and over it didn`t matter what you were struggling with or what you wanted she would say, "Shelly our God is going to give you more than all we ask or imagine!" Now if you know me at all I have a HUGE IMAGINATION, I think my husband might say the word REALITY honey more then he thought he would. So this verse it FIRES ME UP!!! It excites me to out dream God, not that I can but OHHH to try! I think of EVERYTHING.... from walking off a plane and meeting eyes with a child that I have been longing to adopt from another country to seeing my husband and our family in a place where the Lord is using all of our gifts to influence the WORLD for his call.
Today this verse keeps ringing in my head for several reasons. One we are starting to get a glimpse of what things are going to practically look like her at NCC. It looks like Jason will be "Point Pastor" at Ebenezer's. Ebenezer's is the Coffee House that NCC built that is one block from Union Station. It is open 7 days a week and people from all walks of life and Congress...lol... walk in and out every day. The bottom floor is a "Venue" of sorts, like what you would imagine a poetry reading to look like. On Saturday nights we have service down there at 5:00 Live and 6:30 with everything Live except the sermon. NCC has a total of 8 services between Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, three of those are preached live and the others have access to the same sermon to play at the other services, it is quite a amazing concept really. Ok sorry off topic. So Jason will be pastoring between 300-400 people from that location. It is so amazing to see where God takes you and how he promotes when you trust in him. Jason and I have gone from sitting on our floor 10 minutes before midnight on new years eve feeling God doing something HUGE in our hearts to MORE than we could have imagined. Don`t worry Jason will also be leading worship, not at the same location because it would be a little much to try to connect with everyone and play each night. Imagine Jason having One job at a service...lol!! He will be leading worship at a location on Sunday Mornings helping another Point Pastor at their location.
Another reason that his verse is going around and around in my head this morning. Before we left Salisbury the Lord gave me a word about discipleship for a dear friend. The Lord opened my eyes to two stories in the Bible and really brought them together. He showed me when Jesus fed the 5,000. AMAZING act of Jesus to show mercy and to feed the hungry. I think often times we are drawn to the big events. We are drawn to The Call, Convoy of Hope, Conferences, and when the Lord does healing. I am not saying that we should not be called to those things. We are doing things that the Lord has asked us to Pray, feed the hungry, Heal the sick, and meet together. What the Lord showed me for this friend, and I think for myself even more is JESUS poured his ministry of three years into 12. Not 12,000 but 12. He selected 12 to be with him through what the Lord was calling him to. And he even choose 3 to be even closer to him than the rest. It was through the life of those 12 that a nation, world, generation, PEOPLE were changed. Those that were fed on that day he fed the 5,000 they were impacted with a person need that the Lord met for them. THAT IS AMAZING. When we met at RFK last weekend to feed, pray, love on, provide for over 10,000 people. We were able to help the Lord answer prayers of his people. But my eyes have been opened to the impact that pouring your life into another can have. Jesus thought it worthy to select 12 to share his journey with the good and the bad. So during this time God was revealing this to me he was giving me a heart for Discipleship and the impact it has on the church. I would venture to say with out effective Discipleship in a church your church will die. I was moved and God has been pushing this on my heart. AGAIN, more than we could ever hope or imagine. This week Jason came home to tell me that the semester of small groups is starting this week at NCC. They have a plan for every person that enters the doors from a study for new believers or non believers to groups for those that want to give back and identify the gifts the Lord has given them. Jason said, "Shelly guess how many groups are meeting this semester?" I was like 20.... Then you know that Jesus more than you can imagine. NCC has 100 groups that will be meeting this semester for people to be DISCIPLED!! The bible says that God announces what he is going to do before he does it. I am so amazed and humbled that God can speak to me and prepare me for where he is sending me if we just wait on him and open our hearts to his Word.
Wow this was a long blog but it was just burning in side of me to get out!! Thank you Jesus for your love!! Leave a comment!!! Talk to you tomorrow!!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This verse has very strong significance for me. This verse is the verse that my mom quoted over and over it didn`t matter what you were struggling with or what you wanted she would say, "Shelly our God is going to give you more than all we ask or imagine!" Now if you know me at all I have a HUGE IMAGINATION, I think my husband might say the word REALITY honey more then he thought he would. So this verse it FIRES ME UP!!! It excites me to out dream God, not that I can but OHHH to try! I think of EVERYTHING.... from walking off a plane and meeting eyes with a child that I have been longing to adopt from another country to seeing my husband and our family in a place where the Lord is using all of our gifts to influence the WORLD for his call.
Today this verse keeps ringing in my head for several reasons. One we are starting to get a glimpse of what things are going to practically look like her at NCC. It looks like Jason will be "Point Pastor" at Ebenezer's. Ebenezer's is the Coffee House that NCC built that is one block from Union Station. It is open 7 days a week and people from all walks of life and Congress...lol... walk in and out every day. The bottom floor is a "Venue" of sorts, like what you would imagine a poetry reading to look like. On Saturday nights we have service down there at 5:00 Live and 6:30 with everything Live except the sermon. NCC has a total of 8 services between Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, three of those are preached live and the others have access to the same sermon to play at the other services, it is quite a amazing concept really. Ok sorry off topic. So Jason will be pastoring between 300-400 people from that location. It is so amazing to see where God takes you and how he promotes when you trust in him. Jason and I have gone from sitting on our floor 10 minutes before midnight on new years eve feeling God doing something HUGE in our hearts to MORE than we could have imagined. Don`t worry Jason will also be leading worship, not at the same location because it would be a little much to try to connect with everyone and play each night. Imagine Jason having One job at a service...lol!! He will be leading worship at a location on Sunday Mornings helping another Point Pastor at their location.
Another reason that his verse is going around and around in my head this morning. Before we left Salisbury the Lord gave me a word about discipleship for a dear friend. The Lord opened my eyes to two stories in the Bible and really brought them together. He showed me when Jesus fed the 5,000. AMAZING act of Jesus to show mercy and to feed the hungry. I think often times we are drawn to the big events. We are drawn to The Call, Convoy of Hope, Conferences, and when the Lord does healing. I am not saying that we should not be called to those things. We are doing things that the Lord has asked us to Pray, feed the hungry, Heal the sick, and meet together. What the Lord showed me for this friend, and I think for myself even more is JESUS poured his ministry of three years into 12. Not 12,000 but 12. He selected 12 to be with him through what the Lord was calling him to. And he even choose 3 to be even closer to him than the rest. It was through the life of those 12 that a nation, world, generation, PEOPLE were changed. Those that were fed on that day he fed the 5,000 they were impacted with a person need that the Lord met for them. THAT IS AMAZING. When we met at RFK last weekend to feed, pray, love on, provide for over 10,000 people. We were able to help the Lord answer prayers of his people. But my eyes have been opened to the impact that pouring your life into another can have. Jesus thought it worthy to select 12 to share his journey with the good and the bad. So during this time God was revealing this to me he was giving me a heart for Discipleship and the impact it has on the church. I would venture to say with out effective Discipleship in a church your church will die. I was moved and God has been pushing this on my heart. AGAIN, more than we could ever hope or imagine. This week Jason came home to tell me that the semester of small groups is starting this week at NCC. They have a plan for every person that enters the doors from a study for new believers or non believers to groups for those that want to give back and identify the gifts the Lord has given them. Jason said, "Shelly guess how many groups are meeting this semester?" I was like 20.... Then you know that Jesus more than you can imagine. NCC has 100 groups that will be meeting this semester for people to be DISCIPLED!! The bible says that God announces what he is going to do before he does it. I am so amazed and humbled that God can speak to me and prepare me for where he is sending me if we just wait on him and open our hearts to his Word.
Wow this was a long blog but it was just burning in side of me to get out!! Thank you Jesus for your love!! Leave a comment!!! Talk to you tomorrow!!
1 comment:
Can I just say that you and Jason express your hearts beautifully with words, so when are you guys writing your first book? You sure could with these amazing testimony's that I have been reading and seeing in your lives. It really hasn't even been one full week at NCC and God is already doing BIG things, proving and confirming that you were created for such at time as this! Praise God! Love you guys, praying for you daily, expecting big things this year!
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