Day of Praise

Sat, 09/09/17, "Day of Praise"

As our church continues to pray for our growing Disciplemaker groups, the Spirit encouraged me to encourage all of you to prayerfully think about and courageously share your faith story with a world of people who sorely need it. 

"But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'" - Matthew 14:30

Like her older sister, Calley, our daughter, Cassidy, was quite the pacesetter at camp a few years ago. She wasn't necessarily the best at everything, but she was often the first. 

Like the 757, which is a 50-feet high telephone pole, topped by a 14-inch square board, which you're supposed to stand up on so you can jump out 7 feet to a trapeze bar that is 7 feet higher than the top of the pole. Cassidy was the first in our group to scamper up 50 feet, jump out 7, and grab a hold of the 7 feet higher (or 57 feet high) trapeze bar.

Or like the Alpine Tower, which has all sorts of poles and ropes, but is 10 feet higher than the 757. Cassidy was the first in our group to climb that 60-feet high craziness. 

Many people at camp, even ones we hadn't even met but who were watching all this, started to call Cassidy "Fearless." 

And I said to her, "Cassidy, I'm so proud of you." She said, "Why?" I said, "Because you're so courageous with all this stuff." And then she said, "Dad, I'm afraid, but I just want to try these things and grow in the Lord."

Friends, there were all sorts of famously faithful people in the Bible who, just like Cassidy, were afraid, but they did stuff because they wanted to grow in the Lord: Gideon, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, David, the New Testament Joseph and Mary, Peter, the women at Jesus' empty tomb. Along with many other faithful ones, they all experienced fear, but they kept going because they wanted to grow in the Lord, who leads us through things with a love and wisdom that are greater than our fears. 

So, as challenging things are set before you today, don't kick yourself and call yourself "weak" or "chicken" if you happen to be afraid. Instead, put your eyes on Jesus because he promises to lead you through whatever might come your way, and he will give you clarity and courage to tell others about the great things God keeps doing in your life! 

Praise God!