Tag: jesus

Motivational Monday

On December 16, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Well friends, we only have one more Monday before Christmas. Are you ready? I’m ready to see my family and watch everyone open presents. That is my favorite part of Christmas. Sitting back, sipping coffee, watching those I love and smiling. Seriously. It brings me an abundant amount of joy. Which just so happens to be TODAY’s topic! Shocker, I know. So, let’s talk about it.

In the beginning, the God of joy made a world full of joys. I like to call these normal joys. Now, let me be clear for a second, none of these joys are exactly “normal”. I mean, I can’t create animals or vegetation. But, that is what I call a normal joy and not a “great joy”. I know most of you here are thinking, “Umm Jennifer…if creation is just a normal joy what is a great joy?” I am so glad you asked! But hold that thought a second.

The word “joy” appears in the Bible over 200 times. Just like your parents when they repeat something over and over, it’s important. Apparently God wanted us to know and experience joy which is why it’s repeated. But did you know there is great joy? Seriously! And great joy is only referenced in the Bible single digit times. I feel like if God could have circled certain things in the Bible as important, I feel like “great joy” would be circled because those things are pretty important. Let me give you some examples of great joy: the anointing of David’s own son as his successor, at the height of Israel’s kingdom — “great joy” (1 Kings 1:40). At the restoration of the Passover after generations of neglect — “great joy” (2 Chronicles 30:26). At the dedication of Nehemiah’s rebuilt walls after the return from exile — “great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). Matthew and Luke celebrate “great joy” at his resurrection and ascension (Matthew 28:8; Luke 24:52). There’s a few more but I think you get the point on the importance level. Except I left one out…

Christmas is a great joy.

God created the world to just remake it again. God gave us our first covenant to just give us a second. God gave us a garden so we could have a garden city later. God gave us all these normal joys because He knew it would be surpassed with Jesus. He gave us these “normal” joys just so we know deep, great joy. Just like everything else, you have to know good before you can know better.

From Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem to his crucifixion death, this Joy aka Jesus was born of insignificance. Meaning, He was born in a stable and laid on a manager where animals ate. He was rejected by His own people, betrayed by His friend and killed. And it was a “normal” death. He was beaten and made to carry the cross He was to die on through the streets while wearing a crown of thorns shoved on His head. He was spat on, cursed and hated. He was NAILED to that cross where He hung there in the heat. Yet he was still witnessing to the thief next to him. Then, THEN He died. But guess what? Even in death, He could not be extinguished. It was too deep..it was great.

Every Christmas, we talk about Christmas joy. I think most of us get caught up in the season. We know it’s Jesus’s birth. But like everything else, we treat it as just a “normal” joy. Friends, it is so much more than that. We can’t love Him and appreciate Him enough for what He has done for us because we aren’t perfect. And He knows that!! Yet, He still takes care of us.

So this week, as things get pretty hectic, remember Christmas Joy. And a lack of presents, decorations, food, or family can never take that joy from you. Ever.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On December 9, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends!! Did y’all see the Cantata? Listen, I love that our little church in Montevallo puts on a BEAUTIFUL show every Christmas. The adult and kids choir, the musicians and the sound booth really make it all come to life. But none of those things would happen without Amy. It is so apparent how much time and dedication she puts into the music ministry of our church. She is appreciated more than she knows.

Yesterday, Jon and I had the opportunity to light the Peace Candle on the second week of advent. And it got me thinking about peace in general and what that really means. So let’s talk about it.

Today, I had to go to the eye doctor for a checkup. As I was sitting in the waiting room, I was sitting next to an elderly woman who was waiting on her husband who was seeing the doctor. When he came out, she got up and walked to him. She held his jacket out for him and then proceeded to help him put it on. Then, she quietly asked him if he wanted it buttoned up and he said, “Just one button.” She quietly buttoned just one button and they left. I loved everything about this situation. The love they had for one another. How she helped him and how he allowed it. It was obvious they were content. Peaceful if you will…

You see, to me, peace isn’t just the absence of conflict or animosity. Peace is also the presence of joyful tranquility and a richness of interpersonal communication. So what is the key to peace?

Five times in the New Testament, God is called, “the God of Peace” (Romans 15:33; 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20). Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). And Paul said, “[Jesus] himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). So if you want peace but not God or Jesus, then that is not possible. If you want peace to rule your life, then God has to rule in your life. He IS your peace.

What connects you to God and His peace? Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” Believing. In, by and through believing the promises bought and PAID FOR by the blood of Jesus.

If you want peace, the foundation has to be God. Nowadays, our minds race with thoughts. It could be because of Christmas holidays, money or just a lot of past mistakes. Our minds take us places where peace can be scarce. Peace inwardly and outwardly is based on your relationship with God. Are you friends? Do you talk to Him? Do you glorify Him? Do you admire Him? Do you thank Him? When you do these things, not only are you glorifying Him but you are thinking about forgiveness, blessings and having an open and receptive heart. Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith [by believing], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Having been justified by faith…believing, trusting him and all of His promises to me…I have peace.

So, it doesn’t matter if you are Baptist or Methodist or Presbyterian. It doesn’t matter if you volunteer at the local soup kitchen or if you give ALL your money to the needy. Peace comes solely by faith. When faith happens, we are united with Him and His righteousness on this side of heaven. That unitedness is…peace. Peace with God.

Are you at peace?

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On December 2, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey Friends! IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! December! Christmas! THE CANTATA!!! WOOHOO! Seriously, the Cantata is THIS SUNDAY. Listen, we might be a small church but the Cantata sure is mighty. Amy, the choir, those playing instruments, and guys in the sound booth do such a great job every.single.year. Please go if you have never been. Please go if you have been!

When I first mentioned December and Christmas, what was your response? Were you happy, sad, or stressed? I want to go down the stressed road today. Why are you stressed? I am going to go out on a limb and say it’s finances. Am I right? Let’s talk about it.

When Jon and I got married, we were broke. And when I say broke, we were broke. And then BAM! I got pregnant with Logan. God planned him perfectly but Jon and I were not prepared. So after a year of daycare, diapers, formula and all of our other bills that we couldn’t afford, we were bankrupt. Literally. The house was in foreclosure. The cars were getting repo’d. It was bad. We had no choice but to declare bankruptcy.

We wanted to keep everything we had (because we couldn’t afford NOT to). So we filed a chapter 13 which means we had to pay it all back within 5 years. And guess what? We paid it back in 3 years! But there were a million tears shed. Lots of hours worked. And we became a connoisseur of hotdogs. 😏

When Christmas rolled around during those years, my stomach would hurt because of stress. I wasn’t worried about Jon and I. I mean we knew our situation and we just dealt with it. But Logan. We loved that little boy more than ANYTHING and we wanted to give him the world (still do). We never wanted him to know we were struggling. So it was a facade. I was so thankful for our families picking up any pieces we fell short on when it came to gift giving. We got through it. Logan was not impacted negatively. And we are better financial stewards because of this time. So I wouldn’t change it.

So why do we give gifts at Christmas? I mean hello! It’s not our birthday, it’s Jesus’s birthday. And the last I checked, I don’t get gifts on my husband’s birthday.

I think what is important to remember when giving gifts is the meaning behind it. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” he wasn’t talking about that Bath and Body Works set you were eyeing. He’s talking about His son. The very essence of Christmas is about generosity, kindness, grace and giving. God gives God for the enjoyment of his people, whom he saves by giving his Son to suffer. That’s beautiful. It is the heart of Christmas.

Second, we give to Christ. Now, I want to be clear here. God does not want you to buy anything. I mean, he has zero use for a Lowes gift card. He’s not interested in you trading anything with Him. Seriously, He gave you His son. You can’t compete with that (and He doesn’t want you to!). But what He does want…your time. Commitment from you. Yes, I know it’s hard and there are a million reasons why “you can’t today”. But stop and think about what gift would be equal to what He did for you. I’ll wait. Spoiler alert! There’s not one. You can make time for Him.

Lastly, we need to give in the right mindset. 2 Corinthians 8:2, “for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” One more…Hebrews 13:16, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” When giving gifts, you need to do it in the mindset of giving back to Christ. That is the gift of trust, hope, admiration, joy and affection.

So, if you are worried about gift giving at Christmas, please hear me when I say, STOP. I promise God did not give you His son for you to worry about gifts. Christmas is truly not about financial hardship. Your children will love you if you can’t afford that XBox. And if you can’t afford it, that doesn’t make you less of a parent. And it sure doesn’t mean you love them less.

So, if you are someone feeling this stress, please pray. I would pray specifically for peace, love and joy in your life and for your family. If you are someone who is more fortunate, remember you are blessed. Your generosity can positively impact someone’s life forever. Can you remember a time someone was generous to you? You have never forgotten it or how it made you feel. That feeling needs to be shared because it gushes love, joy, trust, and hope…like God. Like what Christmas should be.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Thankful Tuesday

By Jennifer Robbins

On November 26, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey Friends! I thought in honor of Thanksgiving this week, I would turn Motivational Monday into Thankful Tuesday (Thankful Monday just doesn’t have the same ring 🙂). Clearly, today, I want to focus on Thanksgiving. Is it a Christian holiday? What should our focus be? So…let’s talk about it.

I LOVE Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, it was just an ok holiday. I saw my cousins. We played. We ate. We played again. As an adult, I feel like Thanksgiving is overshadowed by Christmas. A lot of us LOVE Christmas decorations and we have already decorated (and that’s ok!). Personally I choose not to decorate early because I want to focus on Thanksgiving and if I decorate, it’s hard to keep my focus (again, this is JUST me!). I love that this holiday is not centered around gifts. In fact, the gift is fellowship. We literally sit around, talk, watch some football, go outside and take naps. It’s relaxing. And don’t get me started on the food! Man!

But is Thanksgiving a Christian holiday?

Well, yes and no. It’s a civic holiday with religious roots. I’ll explain. Thanksgiving is a civic holiday that came about from a custom by European Christians. These European Christians were Puritans and Pilgrims. When they came to North America, it was pretty traumatic in a lot of ways but they clearly triumphed. They wanted to give thanks as a community for God’s great provision and blessings. This tradition has been practiced heavily in North America since 1621. So, in 1863 during the Civil War, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

So, let’s peel the layers away and look at Thanksgiving a little deeper. When the Puritans and Pilgrims migrated hare, it was bleak. Out of 102 colonists, 44 died the first winter. At one point, their food ration was down to five kernels of corn. Y’all. That’s pretty bad. But then, a ship came and swapped grain for beaver pelts. This brought hope. Do you believe they were saved by happenstance? Of course not! God saved them! It was all in His plan for them to go through hard times and to be saved. For them to give thanks to Him. For a movement to make it a national holiday. For all of us to stop and thank Him for our blessings every year. That was all planned.

Even though the Thanksgiving holiday is not in the Bible, there are a ton of references of thanksgiving. Individuals offered up sacrifices out of gratitude in the book of Genesis. The Mosaic Law set aside three times each year when the Israelites were to gather together. All three of these times the Feast of the Passover, (Exodus 12:15-20), Harvest or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21), and the Feast of Ingathering or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36) involved remembering God’s provision and grace. Harvest and Tabernacles took place specifically in relation to God’s provision in the harvest of various fruit trees and crops. And if you are wondering, yes the New Testament is chocked full of verses to give thanks to God in your prayers.

So while you are sitting at the table with your family and friends, please remember Him. He gave the greatest gift and that is His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus paid our debts so we can peacefully sit at the table with our loved ones this season and for all seasons to come. Please take time at the table to talk about what God has done for you and what blessings He has provided for you. Remember what this day is really about. Make sure it’s not overlooked.

Happy Thanksgiving and love you all,

Jennifer