Loved

Potential Church

Loved

Day 34

February 17, 2018

A Vietnamese teenager won the right to change his name. He was born Mai Phat Sau Nghin Ruoi. In English his name means “fined six thousand and five hundred”.... so named because that’s what the Vietnamese government charged his father for having a fifth child. Can you imagine being named after something like that? Labeled as a mistake for the rest of your life? Every time you think about your birth you come to the same conclusion that you are some type of liability? So many people do...

You were a problem child... you’ll never amount to anything.
That bad choice you made before you got married? Here’s your label.
Grew up in a low-income home? You’ll never rise above it.
The addiction that you had... you’ll never break free.

Somewhere along the line we start to believe that who we were back then defines who we are now. Once a mistake... always a mistake. We wear our past problems like a name badge that’s permanently affixed above our hearts for the world to see. The Bible says that this is not the case: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

If you have a relationship with Christ, who you once were... that label you were given... is gone. You no longer have to be defined by your past mistakes or live under the unfair judgment of people who don’t understand that your scars are not marks of shame but revelations of growth. Dare to change your name. Push past who you once were and accept that you are a NEW creation... with a NEW name... given to you by Christ Himself!

The teenager in our story above changed his name to Mai Hoang Long... which translates to “Golden Dragon”. What will your new name be? Forgiven? Accepted? Strong? Overcomer? World Changer? Confident? Secure? Choose today to see yourself through God’s eyes... and you’ll find that the only label He wants you to wear simply says...

Loved.

Window Shapes

February 23, 2018

Have you ever wondered why an airplane’s windows are rounded? They weren’t always that way. In fact, early aircraft were well known for their perfectly square panes of glass. However modern technology allowed planes to travel faster and before long some manufacturers found their planes falling apart in the air. The engineers worked hard to find the cause of these breaks and soon found out that it was the squared windows. The corners of the glass were weak spots and couldn’t stay intact at high wind speeds. Thus... the rounded corner window was born. Everything has a weak spot. You do too. Have you ever sat and thought about what it is? What tempts you to do things you shouldn’t? What do you find yourself swearing you won’t repeat but do anyway? The Bible talks about the reason for this in Matthew 26:41. Jesus tells us, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Our flesh is weak. God is strong. And when the speed of life increases... somewhere at the corner of good intentions and willpower... we start to buckle. We don’t possess enough internal fortitude to stand up to the unrelenting pull to sin. However, when we commit to God that we will watch for weak spots and pray for strength when we find them... God gives us the ability to replace temporary satisfaction with long-lasting joy. Don’t wait for your life to crash to make changes... call out to God and round out the windows of your life. You may not be able to stop the pressure but you can build things into your life to prevent it from bringing you down.

Bedside Table

February 22, 2018

Have you stayed in a hotel lately? When was the last time you opened the bedside table drawer to see if there was a Bible in there? According to a recent study, chances are the table will be empty. In 2006, nearly all hotels had the word of God by the bed... but in 2017 that number is less than fifty percent. Why? The answer is sad but simple. In many parts of our world, people feel as though they don’t need God’s word as much. They think of the Bible as a great book of suggestions... but because their lives are going so well they really don’t need to follow what’s in there. When people stop reading it... or specifically asking for it... hotels don’t feel obligated to provide it. Out of sight, out of mind. It’s easy to wonder what the world is coming to... but here’s the saddest truth of all. There are some people that DO have a Bible and never open it. Not having a Bible to read is one thing... not reading the one we have is tragic. Today take some time and start your journey through the scriptures. Maybe start with the life of Christ in Matthew 1:1... dive into the wisdom-filled proverbs... or enjoy the challenges and encouragement that comes from books like Ephesians or Colossians. What lessons did Moses’ life give us? Why did Jesus come? If you’re a believer... recommit to spending time with God daily to grow and gain understanding of God’s heart through His word. A little time with the Bible each day can radically change the direction of your life for the better.

Superman Saves The Day

February 21, 2018

Their home was about to be foreclosed on. There was no hope among them as they packed the boxes up one after another... getting ready to leave the place they loved and grew up in. The home had been in the family since the 1950s... but it looked like the financial trouble the current members of the family found themselves in would be the end of the decades-old connection they had with the house. That is until Superman saved the day. In a dark corner of the garage sat an unmarked and long-forgotten box filled with comic books . In that box sat a copy of Action Comics #1 in great condition. What’s so special about that book? It was the very first appearance of Superman. Street value? Well north of a million dollars. That old comic from someone who lived long ago in the house was going to pay the amount due and keep the property safe. Miracles still happen. Sometimes superheroes save homes. Cancer re-checks come back unexplainably clear. Doomed marriages end in reconciliation not divorce. God hasn’t given up answering prayer... and He does so in any and every way He sees fit. Find yourself praying for something that seems hopeless? God wants to remind you that He is the author or hope. About to give up on something? Ready to quit on someone or yourself? Keep praying... God is working behind the scenes in ways you may not realize. Stay patient. Keep the faith. And don’t quit. And when things seem darkest and you don’t know where to turn... reach out. You’ll find yourself in the loving arms of a Savior who counts your tears and loves you more than you realize. Superman may be able to fly... but only Christ can heal a broken heart and bring joy to the beaten down. Hang in there... God’s got you.