Mary and Martha

Read it in Luke 10:38-42to hear Mary and Martha’s story . After you read it you saw that Martha was overwhelmed and filled with anxiety because there was suppost to be a feast at her house. That anxiety made her lash out at Jesus, and become angry with Mary. All Martha needed to do was listen to Jesus’ words instead of work. It’s important that we arent just focusing on serving Jesus the way we think we should, because if we aren’t doing what God wants we are sinning, and its easy to sin the way Martha does, by just doing things our way and not listening to God. We should act like Mary who humbly sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him, instead of fretting, and ignoring Jesus.

The book A young woman after God’s own heart asks

questions based on their story, to think about, here they are:

“Am i busily “serving” Jesus or sitting at his feet? am I lashing
out at others or am i listening to my Savior? Am i worrying about
life or am i worshiping the Lord?Am i restless or am i resting in
God.? Think of changes you can make, so you can develop a heart
devoted to God.

Abby

Redemption Video

This video shows hope academy’s 7th grade class

doing a stomp in a play called “redemptions song”.

Its a cool way to worship and “dance” for God.

Abby, Anna C, and Anna K are in it.

Abby

Alright, girls. (This is mostly aimed at the writers of this blog.) Here is my proposition: we should each post about a certain theological/Biblical/spiritual topic. Any ideas as to what? Post your ideas as comments to this post, and check each others’ comments, even if you don’t have any.

Maddy

A good thing to live by

This is a great verse to think about “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. Serving, and spreading God’s name is a great and probably the best way to lead others to Christ.
I want to remind you of some good ways to do so:

• Live by the fruits of the spirit, and demonstrate them in any way you can, people see that something different. God can use alot more when your demostrating good character. When you demostrate the fruits of the spirit it fills, God’s spirit goes inside of you, and God can work with you. If you have an unpure heart and are filled with the “seven deadly sins” etc. You cant be a light for Jesus, its impossible! heres a reminder of the fruits of the spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
• I bring God or Jesus’ name up in conversation. Doing that shows your faith and your love of God. Thats a challenge for me, but its the right thing to do. A couple days ago i went to the doctor and i just told her about my intersests, and one of them was serving and sharing Jesus, and she just stood there and was like “wow” good for you Abby. I think she was surprised that some one like me would even want too, when its so easy to slide right in with every one else. Heres a good verse to remeber, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord. 2 timothy 1:7,8 Just try and spread Jesus’ name, there are great rewards, and YOU have the strength to do it!

Abby

Verses

I think it would be really encouraging if we all posted good verses.

Psalm 118:8-12

It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

Anna Carlson

Dear Lord,

Please, I ask that you would come in power through us. Please, work in us. Make us servants. I ask that you would stop all doubts we have- that we would trust in you. You have the plan. We need you for all. You have to work in us, the people of the neighborhood. You gave us the idea. Make us filled with the Holy Spirit! I love you, Daddy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Anna Carlson

Humility

Oh Lord, keep us from pride, which will destroy us and take all power from our work. Oh Father, help us to guard from pride in our holiness, in our service. Please help us not to do our acts of righteousness before people, to be seen and honored by them, but really, truly, down to our very deepest heart of hearts, to be doing all for the glory of God. Only your Spirit can allow wretched, prideful sinners to be humble servants. Only in your power can we remove all pride. Help us, Father, we ask in the Name of the humblest, most glorious One, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Talking about God, and serving Him, can so easily be perceived as prideful, and so easily becomes a source of pride. Even when we do mean things humbly, sincerely, they can seem overly pious to people. This is especially easy on the Internet, where we feel more bold to say things we would not say in person, and where we cannot communicate by tone of voice and body language. I definitely say things on the Internet that I would not be bold enough to say in person. We need God’s help to be who we are in every context we are in. We need to be transparent. The Lord convicted me of my pride today, not just in this, but pride I had all over my life. I need His help to overcome it. Pride blinds us to the truth, harms our growth and productivity, and not least of all, comes between us and God.

Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 10:4 “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”

Proverbs 13:10 “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

James 4:6 “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ ”

Oh Father, give us more grace. Keep us humble. Keep reminding us not to be proud, even in our inmost thoughts. Give us the sweet grace of humility, and honesty. Help me! I am so easily prideful!
Give us grace, oh Father of Lights. I ask this in Jesus’ glorious Name, Amen!

Further Recommended Reading on transparency, being one person:
“Be Pure Hearted”
(It’s a long article, but I recommend you read all the way to the end! It has some good insights and suggestions.)

Maddy

Reaching Out

One of our main goals in the Symposium group is to reach out to the city by beautifying, and illuminating things to glorify God.
So today I (Abby) got an opportunity to volunteer at World Relief, a center to help refugees settle in Minnesota. I filed papers and searched for files to help organize their records and such. Most of the refugee files we were working on were from Somalia. It helped their organization have less things on their “to do” list so they can focus more on helping the refugees then filing papers. It was a good way to help beautify their organization.

I was also able to serve ice cream to nearly 500 people from teen challenge! (with the help of a mission to the city team) That was fun, and it probably was for the people, but after eating ice cream we had an amazing worship service with teen challenge. Everyone there Shouted and Sang and Clapped with all their strength to God! And i love hearing music, so i was just filled with joy while we sang. It was the most powerful service i have ever been in! After the singing a few people from teen challenge got up and shared their testimony. You become amazed at what God has done, and you realize his loving redemption when he takes drug addicts, robbers, and prisoners, and then makes them his beloved child! God is so good! So I wanted to share this with you to show that God has already started working in a powerful way, and he’ll use us to spread his word or be his “salt”.

Pictures to show what we did

Abby

A Highlight

I would encourage everyone to check out this article from the Rebelution.
Also a book I highly recommend is Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper. Maybe we could even all read it together. Here is the link for the article:
The Great Rescue

Maddy

Dedication

We decided to do a blog. We rushed off and jumped on the computer and made it. But my conscience whispered to me that something was not right. I knew I had to pray. My friends left, and I went out to the (physical) Symposium and prayed. I just poured out my heart to God. Then I wrote down what I could remember of what I had said.

“We want to do Your will.
We want You to be our only Leader.
We want You to be our Focus.
We want Your glory to be our passion,
Your power our driving force,
Your love our strength,
Your Name our battle cry,
Your beauty our joy,
Your mercy our stronghold,
Your light, our light.”

This is our cry, Lord. We want to be instruments in your hands. Let us not lean on our own understandings, but trust in You with all of our hearts, and acknowledge you in all our ways. If we stray from your will, Lord, please show us. We want to do your will. Please help us.

That had been our problem in making the blog. We had not acknowledged God. So as I prayed out in the Symposium, I asked if this blog was His will. I asked that He would help me listen to Him, and that I would not be swayed by my own wishes. I believe it is His will. This blog will be a place where we can share the things God is showing us, articulate thoughts, encourage one another, and be reminded of Scriptures. Praise God!

May the words we type and the thoughts we share be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer. And if at any time we need to end the blog, we are willing to do so. I ask your blessing on this blog, and dedicate it to your glory. In Christ Jesus’ all-powerful Name I pray, Amen!

Maddy