God is in a Good Mood!: Diving Deeper
See Jesus
Here is some really GOOD NEWS for you this week (and forever!) :
In Christ, God is ALWAYS in a good mood towards you!
One of the things that I love about teaching children is that as I prepare to share the simple truth, I often find out how unnecessarily complicated I have made things. And sometimes Holy Spirit highlights to me the “extras” I have tacked on to the truth. The ‘Charla-filter’ that I have become blind to.
This week for Kids church we learned that when we have Jesus in our hearts, God is ALWAYS in a good mood towards us. Do you believe that? I would have said yes on paper but when I checked my heart I found that I was a little bit unsure sometimes. Very unsure at others.
What about when I fail? What about when I am running away or avoiding time with Him? What about when I have a bad attitude? What about when my action or inaction hurts others? What about when I am in the very act of rebellion and sin???
Here is the simple truth: In Christ, God is ALWAYS in a good mood towards you.
This is not dependent on our behaviour. Colossians 3:3 tells us that, we died, and our life is now “hidden with Christ in God”. Our life is in Christ, so we are free from all condemnation, death and separation from the Father that sin produces.
So, if God is always in a good mood does that mean he will never correct us when we make mistakes?? Nope! And this is good news too.
The Word tells us in Hebrews 12 that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Did you catch that? Even in discipline and correction God is working from a place of love and acceptance. He is consistently in love with you. This doesn’t mean that correction is fun or easy HOWEVER knowing the heart stance and mood of our perfect, loving Father makes all the difference.
God is not mad at you. He is not looking at you with disappointment. Those are not good moods. Family, God actually LIKES you. You are enjoyable to Him, and you are accepted. He likes being around you and hearing you as you speak with Him. His love for you is perfect!
One way that scripture describes love is this:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
This is just a glimpse of the mood of God towards YOU.
So, let’s boldly approach Him this week with the confidence that He wants to be with us and is filled with joy about our relationship with Him!
-Pastor Charla
Know Jesus
This week, you can dive deeper into the message through one or all of the following:
If you find, like I did, that believing God is in a good mood towards you is a bit of a sticky spot for you, do not worry. Ask Him to help you see Him clearly in the Word and in your time with Him this week.
Do a DBS on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Consider praying for the prayer prompts this week.
Discovery Bible Study
TO BEGIN
Pray and ask Holy Spirit to teach you about God from His word.
Next, read the verse a couple of times.
Now, ask these questions:
What does this tell me about God/Jesus?
What does this tell me about people?
How can I respond to what I just read?
When you’re done asking these questions, it’s a great idea to pray and thank God for teaching you more about who He is and who you are!
Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a way for anyone, anywhere to read God's word! You can dive deeper into this week's message by doing a DBS one any one or all of these scriptures. DBS is a great tool to use for your own devotions, as a bible study with friends, or as an evangelism tool!
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 23:6
Prayer Prompts
Pray for the Lord to lead us in worship by His Spirit.
Pray for deeper revelation of the heart of God towards us and towards others.
Pray for the influx of souls into the Kingdom! Pray that the love of God would shine through the family as we are on mission through hospitality.
Share Jesus
You can share this week's podcast, email, or blog post. Check out volunteer opportunities to get involved in the work of sharing Jesus in our church family and community.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
January 28th we are hosting a "Mid-Winter Feast" community outreach dinner! The vision behind this dinner is the instruction that Jesus gave us in Luke 14: "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” If you would like to volunteer for this ministry opportunity, you can reach out to Pastor Merodee by clicking here.
Pastor Charla is creating the upcoming Kids Church schedule. You can reach out to Pastor Charla to sign up by clicking here.
