#redeemed #identity by: Julie Wicker

Hosea 3:1 “The Lord said to me, go show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other Gods and love the sacred raisin cakes”.

This is a beautiful story of Redemption and the beginning of Hosea’s Reconciliation with his wife. Hosea has been left by his wife Gomer to take care of their home and three children, so she can go live her life as a prostitute and give herself away to other men.

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#newthing #bigdreams by: Deborah Ard
Are you a dreamer? Are you a risk taker? Are you invigorated by new challenges? Usually Julie and I like to play it safe and follow the steps laid out in a logical order. Both Julie and I find comfort in the known. We like to follow a schedule. You might say we are somewhat predictable. However God likes to stretch us and challenge us into the unknown.

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#abide by: Deborah Ard
One way to abide with Christ is to be in prayer throughout your day. Many times we are intimidated by the thought of prayer because we think our prayers should be filled with fancy, big words. Simply put, prayer is talking with God. God wants us to talk with Him like we talk with one another. Talk with Him about your day. Talk with Him about the things that excite you. Talk with Him about the situations that concern you. Ask Him for help. Ask Him for direction. Thank Him for His presence. We can be in conversation with God through prayer all through our day. It only takes a moment to call out the name of Jesus for help, comfort or peace. His Holy Spirit is always with us to guide and direct us. God wants us to be intentional about praying and talking with Him throughout our day. He wants us to walk closely with Him.

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#Overflow by: Julie Wicker

Our word for this week has been Overflow, which means to be so full that the contents go over or extend above the sides. When God gave me this word, I had His Holy Spirit in mind. The scripture that comes to mind is from Romans 8:11, “The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by the same Spirit living within you.”

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#dailyhabitroots by: Deborah Ard

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”             Colosssians 2:6-7 NLT

I want to be healthier. To become healthier I need to eat healthy foods and exercise. I can’t just eat healthy and exercise for only one day. I need to do it consistently. To become consistent at eating healthy and exercising I need to consciously and intentionally develop habits that support the goal of being healthier.  Likewise, I want to plant seeds for Christ so I need to consciously and intentionally develop daily habits to support that goal.

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#Flourish by: Julie Wicker
Who is your tribe? What do I mean by tribe? Your circle of family and friends you surround yourself with. We have some great family lineage, since we know that Jesus was the tribe of Judah. In Revelation 5:5; “Do not weep. See the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Rood of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll & Its seven seals”.

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#shedlight by: Deborah Ard

Has anyone asked you to help “shed light” on a situation? What were they looking for from you? Ultimately they were asking you to make something less confusing or to clarify. As a Christian we are constantly “shedding light” on what it means to be a Christian. Others are always watching to see how we act and react in everyday life situations. Sometimes we are successful in showing others the light of Christ when we are in the middle of circumstances. But sometimes our actions and reactions show darkness.  

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