change of heart

SoulSearching Sunday~Hope

12:00 AM

Sunday, August 19, 2018


Week Thirty-three

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was Hosea 11 - Jonah 4

 1. What lures you heart away from God? Come to Him today with “fasting, weeping, and mourning” for those areas in your life that need a change of heart.

 That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time! Give Me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” (Joel 2:12)

 2. When have you been tempted to lose hope? How can you remember to turn your thoughts to God in these situations? Praise God for His power to save when the outlook seems hopeless.

 When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to You in Your holy Temple. (Jonah 2:7)

 3. Who is the last person you would expect to come to salvation? Meditate on God’s mercy and love, and then pray for the person you have in mind. How can you reach out to this person?

 I knew that You were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily You could cancel Your plans for destroying these people. (Jonah 4:2)
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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.


God's Faithfulness

God Longs For You {Hosea 11:1-14:9}

12:00 AM



Israel had turned away from the Lord. They rejected His love, choosing instead to chase after foreign gods and live in rebellion. To show the people how far they had fallen, God commanded the prophet Hosea to choose a prostitute and marry her. Hosea picked Gomer, who despite his love and faithfulness, continued in her adulterous ways. Hosea went throughout the land preaching that Israel was the same as a prostitute. As the beloved bride of God, they too, despite His love and faithfulness, continued in their adulterous ways. 

To further prove His point, God instructed Hosea to perform an act of humility, done completely out of love. Upon returning home from sharing God’s message, Hosea found his wife selling herself to the highest bidder. Can you imagine the pain and shame Hosea felt? After all he had given Gomer, there she was eagerly seeking another. Regardless, and even though she didn’t deserve it, God told Hosea to go and bid for his wife; paying whatever it took to redeem her from harlotry. 

This amazing example of selfless love is the same love God has for us. Even in our unfaithfulness, and at great personal cost, He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us from our harlotry. A gift we don’t deserve, can never earn, and one He offers freely to all who love Him. And what does He want in return? What God longs for most of all is a close intimate relationship with those that He calls His own. 

He wants us to walk with Him in love, worship, and obedience. His love for us remains true and everlasting. Even when we are unfaithful, when we reject Him, God never rejects us. He waits patiently until that time, when in repentance, we run back to His loving, and forgiving arms. Even through Israel’s sin and exile God yearned for restoration with His people. “How can I give you up O Ephraim? How can I surrender you O Israel? ...My heart is turned over with in Me, all My compassions are kindled.” (vs. 11:8) “Return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.” (vs. 12:6)

The book of Hosea is a love letter from God to His people. In it He shows His abundant grace; loving and caring for us even when we don’t love Him in return. And just as Hosea took back his unfaithful wife, God is always willing to forgive and restore his unfaithful people. We may turn our backs on Him, but the Lord will never stop graciously calling us, His beloveds, back to Himself! “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (Joel 2:13)


Ezekiel

SoulSearching Sunday~Spiritual discipline

12:00 AM




Sunday, August 12, 2018

Week Thirty-two

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was Ezekiel 39 - Hosea 10...

 1. What defenses do you have in place for your spiritual battle? What spiritual discipline in your life needs fortification right now? Devise a strategy to strengthen yourself to be battle-ready when Satan and his cohorts attempt to undermine your faith.

 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heart in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)

 2. Consider your own worship habits. What part, if any, of your worship is merely playing a part? How can you avoid a lifeless performance of insincere worship? Ask God to reprimand, restore, and redeem you in these situations.

 O Judah, do not join with those who worship me insincerely at Gilgal and at Beth-aven. Their worship is mere pretense as they take oaths in the LORD’s name. (Hosea 4:15)

 3. What hard ground do you need to break up today so that God may find the soil of your heart ready for planting and receptive to the best seed? Confess those areas to God, and ask that He will warm, water, and feed a righteous heart, willing and able to praise Him.

 Plant the good seed of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow sup the hard ground of your hears, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12)
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Do you yearn to experience more of the love of Jesus in your life this fall? Come join our New Testament study with an eclectic group of women from around the world!

Together we'll read through the entire New Testament and grow to love our Lord & Savior even more! Trust in Him, and begin an adventure that will transform your life and maybe others as well!
Begins August 31st! on Women in the Word.