War Strategies no matter what your battle is...

As you know I am a TC graduate and proud of it. It was the first thing I had ever really accomplished at that point in my life and I succeeded in it so the place is very dear to me.

If you have ever been there you will know that the driveway is gravel and has become corrugated. It is also lined with very tall gumtrees overlooking large paddocks and it is a very enjoyable 3km round trip.

At first tried running it as my exercise, then jogging, then riding and eventually I decided a leisurely walk was the best way to enjoy it.

I used to look at those trees and imagine they were Angels all standing there on guard taking care of anything evil that tried to come near us. Like they were soldiers who were there without fail protecting us and watching over us.

The corrugated gravel driveway used to be so hard to walk as you would easily roll your ankle an trying to ride a bike down there (for the 1000km training) it was a miracle if you made it without the bike sliding out from under you!

Right at the very end was a gate. It was a solid wooden gate, painted white  with a sign. The sign was double sided and on the entry side of it was "Welcome to Teen Challenge" and on the departing side (and the side I would see each time I walked the driveway) was "You are about to enter the Battle Field".

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This time I was walking down to the gate, happened to be the last time I would walk down to the end and back and I was thinking about what this sign said and was starting to worry.

This was the day that I was leaving and the last bit of advice Teen Challenge had to offer me was "Good luck in the WAR you are walking into!"

I was wondering if there was anything I could do to stay. For God to decide that I in fact needed much more rehabilitation - or even better - that TC needed me to stay and work there forever. I was scrambling for ideas and I began to feel the pressure in my head and just wanted this all to end.

I could not see my future outside of TC. My vision was limited to that moment in time because from October 2001 I had done my sums and figured out that the program for me would finish by end of 2002 and that I would then have another 6 months traineeship and that THEN I would PROBABLY be when I would think about leaving.

I had always envisaged myself finishing the program and working there a bit... and then I had no plan from there.

And that is what I had done. Completed my goal or fulfilled the VISION I had at the start but now... I had neglected to think much about the future away from the BUBBLE.

So anyway, I stood there at the gate staring at the sign and the only thing going through my mind is, "I know God says He will never leave me but what about me? Am I really capable of maintaining a relationship with God... FOREVER?"

What am I going to do when I get on with life in the real world? Will I start to forget about Him? Will I slowly start leaving Him out until one day I realise it's been a year since I last thought about Him?

How could I have just spent the last 2 years with Him and I still can't be sure I will be faithful to Him when I have free reign to choose what I will do? Go to church or not?

It is all entirely up to me when I walk out the gates and not only that, I will be having to decide while living in the middle of a war zone. Great.

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As the days and months went on after my departure I settled into it and made very conscious decisions to include God in everything, so I was wrong about my capability of hanging on to God...

But unfortunately I cannot say the same about the sign -  it was not wrong.

The Battlefield is certainly what I had walked into.

Obviously I didn't literally walk into an actual war but into a spiritual war.

TURN TO EPHESIANS 6:10-12 The Armour of God SLIDE

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Now at first I thought that the war I was about to engage in was with the DEVIL and his DEMONS. And my experience on the outside was very much in tune with this enemy. I knew him and I was well acquainted with his ways.

So in my head I was pulling on my stompin' boots and shovin' a knife down my back pocket! Don't laugh. A knife was one of my nicer weapons I used to carry.

I knew we had an enemy in the Devil and his demons and still know we do. But I was less acquainted with the other enemies I was about to encounter. MYSELF.

TURN TO ROMANS 7 The Law and Sin

21So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Paul is talking about the "flesh" that has somewhat a mind or a desire of its own. He is saying what we want to do is the thing we don't do and what we don't want to do is the very thing we do. Saying that it is sin that resides in his body, he despairs and wants deliverance from himself!

This scripture is not talking about Paul having a demon inside him or being possessed but about the sin we are born into still affecting him even as he serves Jesus - doing miracles in His name and glorifying God with his life.

So after a while I realised I had 2 enemies. The Devil and Myself. I thought it couldn't get any worse. Then I found out we had another enemy! But who??

TURN TO GALATIANS 5: Paul addressing Christians in Galatia SLIDE

⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers,^[b] still preach^[c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. ¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

Other people who were living by the flesh can also be an "enemy" to our walk in Christ. So the Devil is against me, myself is against me and maybe you are against me....

Ok. I took my knife out and my boots off and sat down defeated. I thought there is no way I can overcome 3 enemies even with GOD. He would have to come down here and take me home coz I was done. I had no strategy.

Of course we can get a clue from the Word and it would be the last part of Ephesians 6.

13Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

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I knew of the Armour of God  and had endeavoured to PUT IT ON regularly. However that is supposed to look... but half the time I wasn't sure if I was swinging my sword at the devil or myself or at you!

Yes we are in a war. Yes there are many things going against us. So what is our resolve in the midst of all these things?

Do we despair and get bogged down in the miry clay again? Do we let our carnal minds take our bodies over seen as it seems much easier to listen to how we FEEL?!

If I had have known then as I was standing at that gate at the end of the driveway I would have made a different choice with regarding the war I was walking into.

I tell you what that choice would have been. PEACE. I would have chosen to rest in the PEACE that he has given me in the promises that I trust that He has said in His word.

I would not have been looking for combat around every corner. I would not focus negative things I still had to overcome in Christ. I would not focus on every negative thing you had to overcome in Christ. I would not see the devil around every corner.

I would have put on my armour and engaged the war like this...

1.    Belt of Truth: Tell the truth and believe the truth.

2.    Breastplate of Righteousness: Accept my righteousness as the free gift it is.

3.    Feet fitted with the Gospel: Be prepared to share the gospel in an opportunity.

4.    Shield of Faith: Exercise my Faith by believing His promises.

5.    Sword of the Spirit: Learn the WORD and apply it to my life.

6.    Helmet of Salvation: Have an eternal perspective on this life.

7.    Pray in the Spirit and then... just rest or stand.

When you have done everything you are supposed to do then you: REST.

REST IN GOD. He is the one who fights on our behalf. He is our shepherd who leads us. If He is for us, who can be against us?

Let's look at:

ROMANS 8 The Future Glory

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,^[j] including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved.

²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers^[l] in harmony with God’s own will. 

²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together^[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn^[n] among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”^[o]) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Listen, we are in a war, but in the best kind of war. It's already been won!

We can't screw this up no matter how hard we try. God is fully able to bring you through to the place He wants you to be. The top of the mountain.

He just develops our character on the way.

Don't despair. When you have been beat up by yourself, the devil or someone else take a second to think about the fact that the war is already won. Rest in Gods arms tonight in peace. 

Looking Backward, Moving Forward...

WHAT ARE WE STRIVING TOWARD?

·        Where have I come from?

·        Where do I want to go?

Two questions I most frequently ask myself.

I always take stock of where I am at in life. I look at what I am doing and analyse what is working for me and what is not.

I look at the lessons God has been trying to teach me and "grade my own paper" (as Dr Phil says).

Am I getting it?

I have done that in my own life for a long time now and now I also have to do it with The Storehouse Church people in mind.

The short answer is YES. I am happy how things are going. My expectations have been more than met for this year.

Sometimes I get caught up in the moment...

·        Do I have everything I want NOW?

·        Have I attained ALL my goals NOW?

But that is an unrealistic view of the way we achieve success in life yeah?

We need to look at where we have come from and what we have achieved within a specified time limit. Dr Phil says: "The difference between a dream and a goal is a timeframe with an end date.

To me dreams are awesome. I dream ALOT and I try to understand what my dreams are telling me... whether they are warnings or encouragements or instructions or what.

But then my Dad's voice will ring in my head, "Nicole, get your head out of the clouds!"

Dreaming is great, but they are fluffy and hard to grasp. I have to make tangible goals that I can cling onto when my focus gets blurry. I need something I can work towards and measure.

In February this year God was speaking to me about the time being right to embark on something big. With a fair bit of opposition from some - together with a lot of good counsel others - we decided to give it a go and we started the process in opening The Storehouse.

To do some measuring from 12 March to December (10 months) I would have to say that we have achieved more than I thought was possible in such a short amount of time.

Especially since the stuff I have been doing is completely new to me and have no  experience at all.

Makes that scripture:

Eph 3: ²⁰ 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..."

very real to me!

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We are heading into 2014 and I know you will agree with me that time goes much quicker when your older!

Have you taken stock of where you are headed lately?

Have you had a good look at where you have come from and whether you are heading in the direction you want to go?

Do you have specific things you would like to accomplish that have been forgotten?                   

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We hear sermons on how God wants to do "BIG" things in our life.

So are we seeing the Kingdom of Heaven manifesting in our lives?

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He wants us to have a "MINISTRY" to use those "TALENTS" He's left us with.

So, is God doing things for you and are you doing things for God?

All of these encouragements are great and true but they are very open ended.

Is changing 15 nappies a day "the Kingdom" living?

Is working at a job for very little money "the riches of heaven" flowing in your life?

Is sitting with papers up to my ears learning how to keep legal financial records for a Church, showing the love of Christ?

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I actually think the answer is yes to all those questions, but if we haven't set a goal it would seem like a big waste of time doing all these things, when all that is in our heads is: "We need to make disciples of all nations and baptise them."

I mean far out, where do you even start with that goal?!

What does account keeping have to do with Baptising someone?!

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There is a lot of LIFE that happens while we are heading towards our goals and that is what God uses to enable us to KEEP and ENJOY our success when we hit the target.

If we don't have the character to sustain what God wants to give us in our life, it will slip through our fingers when we get there.

This scripture keeps coming to mind lately:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. ²⁶ So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷ I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Training is the changing nappies and learning to work for a hard boss. Training is being who you are in front of people as you are when no one is looking. Training is the attitudes we have toward people who are awful to us and so much more. It's hard and we will get it wrong.... many times.

Then I find this awesome encouragement when I fail...

Eph 3:¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

So a few things we can take from this is:

There is an eternal prize.

We need to train to attain it.

It takes a long time to obtain it.

The best way to move toward it is FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND and PRESSING ON TOWARD THE GOAL.

Now we just need to define what our goal is.

AND THAT'S BETWEEN YOU AND GOD!

KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST

When we are looking at what the future for our lives hold while we are working toward our goal... we can see in:

2 Peter 1:3

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to^[a] his own glory and excellence,^[b]

 

When we are wondering where we can find some wisdom, love and encouragement... we can see in:

 

Colossians 2

2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

 

When we feel like everything is against us and we are not succeeding.... we can see in:

 

2 Corinthians 2:14

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

 

And when we have people around us who don't support us and ridicule us... we can see in:

2 Peter 3 

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The commonality in us succeeding in our future is getting to know Jesus better. Growing in knowledge of Him. Very exciting to do that together with you in 2014! 

Let's pray:

Father you have created each one of us with a plan for our lives. We need you to tell us what that is and give us the wisdom to see the distractions. We want to glorify you in our lives - not ourselves.

Bless everyone here with a fresh understanding of the call on their lives and a renewed motivation to strive toward You in 2014. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Storehouse's VISION

I found myself struggling this week for a message.

Mainly due to being in the presence of really great preachers at the ACC Conference.

Listening to all the advice they gave and testimony of how they run their church and motivate their people.

Raising $60,000 dollars for Cancer research.

Walking into buildings of millionaire business men and ending up being given the place for their church in one day.

Having 200 people turn up to the first prayer meeting.

I hear about the strategies that God has literally "DOWNLOADED" to a person 20 years ago coming to fruition now.

Things that these Christian leaders have heard from God about and listened and obeyed and are right now reaping an amazing harvest.

I was feeling extremely inspired as well as completely out of my depth.

I wondered if everything I have heard God say to me could turn out to be as successful as what it has for these guys?

Then I said to myself:

·        "But I am just a girl."

·        I said, " I am pretty young."

·        I said, "I have a pretty bad past."

·        I said, "I didn't finish High School."

·        I said, "I don't think that much of myself so why would others?"

And I began to get a bit discouraged...

But then I looked at the Word of God and:

IT SAYS (about me being just a girl): Galatians3:26 "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

IT SAYS (about me being too young): 1 Timothy 4:12  "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 

IT SAYS (about my past): Psalm 103:10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

IT SAYS (about me not finishing High School):  2 Peter 1:³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

IT SAYS (about not having a puffed up idea of myself):

James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

So now what is my excuse for having an inferiority complex!?

Um coz I don't believe what the Word of God says?

Well I know that I believe the Word with every fibre of my being. 

There was a speaker there named,  Martin Steel. He blew my mind. Although everything he said resounded with what I already believe but just didn't have the vocabulary to put it into words.

In a nut shell he talked about the leaders of the church needing to start empowering there congregation to view their vocation as their field of ministry.

He explained how many people think that working in a church or for a church is the epitome of doing God's work, therefore being a good Christian worker and successful Christian.

We know that sounds wrong but it is easy to get caught up in a church that requires a lot of commitment to all its programs and ministries. That is not The Storehouse's call on you.

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·        Let me share with you what our Vision is for this church again...

"To introduce people to Jesus Christ, to help them grow to be more like him, and then to reproduce the process in others."

I know that vision cannot be completed through how many people I can recruit to work in the building of the church.

But still we need the building of the church. We need somewhere we can come together and be empowered to work toward the vision.

It starts to boggle my mind how big this job is when I think about how this vision will be perpetuated.

And again I go back to the Word to encourage myself... I am not too young, I am not just a girl, I have been called and graced to be in this position right now.

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I was at PMH on Thursday, in the outpatients waiting room. AGAIN.

A lady with a file came to me and asked if I had heard about the new way they were keeping medical records now. I said no. She explained to me what it was and did I want to sign up.

Believe it or not I was saying to Steve a few years ago now that the government should come up with a digital way of keeping records as I was sick of telling the same medical story a million times to different doctors.

Anyway she was filling in my details as I was contemplating the size of the job - of converting all of peoples medical history to a digital version. Wondering how far they would go back...

I said, "Gee this is gonna be a big job hey!"

And she said something to me I still can't get out of my head,

"Well that is not my job or yours to worry about."

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That was true, for that job as well as this job. Who's job is it to build this church? Mine? Yours?

The answer to this worry came again from the ministry of Ps Martin - at the conference.

Let's turn to Matthew 16:13

 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

 ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it. 

So I said to God, so what am I supposed to do then, if you're going to do everything?

He said, "Define the vision I have given you, then work to the best of your ability."

"To introduce people to Jesus Christ, to help them grow to be more like him, and then to reproduce the process in others."

Can you see how that vision is self perpetuating. It is a never ending cycle. Once we have completed it once, it should start to reproduce itself - gaining momentum the longer it goes on.

God has given us this vision for The Storehouse. So how do we define our role as individuals in this grand scheme?

Another revelation through Ps Martin... we take what is in our hand.

We look at where God has positioned us and we see that as our mission field.

The Church Building is not every bodies mission field.  

Also that a secular vocation is not everyone's calling either.

Neither is more important that the other!

·        Think about our vision:

We don't need to introduce people to Jesus - inside the church. It is outside the church.

But we grow to become more like Him by attending the church and learning His Word and being prayed for and supported in a fellowship of other believers.

So there are INSIDE THE CHURCH BUILDING jobs.

And there are OUTSIDE THE CHURCH BUILDING jobs.

To achieving the full vision.

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I don't want anybody here feeling like they are obliged to work for me. You are not. You are however obliged to work with your whole heart for the Lord.

How are we supposed to introduce Jesus to people if we don't know Him ourselves! Our relationship with Him is of ultimate priority.

That means YOUR role is to spend time with Him.

Ladies who are not married, he is your husband. Now I know that when you wake up, your husband is there the minute you open your eyes. Treat the Lord like that.

Men, he is closer than a brother or a mate. He lives with in you. Don't take on the day without connecting your heart with His.

This is MY role as your Pastor to encourage and equip you in your relationship with Him.

I am defining my role very quickly because I want to be effective fast. It was the reason I chose "Speed" as my drug of choice. I wanted everything very quickly. LOL. Funny how it worked the opposite.

I have heard many times that the Lord is going to do a "quick" work ... or He will "quicken" something to happen faster than usual.

I actually can't find any scripture that talks about Him doing this... but if I draw on my personal life in Christ, I can see how fast He can actually get things done.

Although, I think, this does depend on our level of willingness to abide in Him.

I believe The Storehouse Church has had a "quickening" to this point. We have moved very fast from conception, to birth, to nurturing a living part of Christs body.

Now we must define our role (with a element of flexibility) so that we can be effective in this vision.

I don't want to be doing a job that is better suited to someone else, at the same time I want to do the job that Christ has CALLED AND GRACED me to do - to the best of my ability.

I don't want you doing a job that you are not called and graced to do.

It says in Ephesians 2:⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

So there are actually "works" prepared - by God - IN ADVANCE -for us to do.

Has anyone actually felt like they are smack bang in the middle of doing the GOD prepared work? I wonder.

I heard it said, I think it was a professional cyclist or marathon participant...

The good works that your Father has prepared you to do in advance is like picking up the bicycle that is fit perfectly for your body - height, weight etc. You will get on in and it will fit. You will be able to reach the pedals and you will ride that bike like an extension of your body.

Have you ever got on a bike that was not built to your specs? It is extremely awkward. Your back hurts and your hips hurt. You are not comfortable and you really just wanna get off before you fall off.

This is what it feels like when you are doing the works that have not been prepared for you.

The thing we have to remember - like cycling - it still requires work. It still requires you to be motivated and enthusiastic and willing.

The works God has prepared will still require commitment and determination and an expelling of your energy. You do not get to check out thinking that God will do it all through you.

You must pedal.

Will you pedal YOUR BIKE - alongside me - to work toward the introducing people to Jesus, growing to become more like Him and then replicating that process in others?

 Ps Nikki x