This is your life

Watch this - http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=24dd1977661aa0b64331

It is the best Video ever!!!!

The lost sheep

I wrote this for my preschool group, but I think it has relevance!



There once was a shepherd, he has 100 sheep!
One day when he was counting them, he discovered one was missing!
So he left the other 99 to search for this one sheep.
He looked, and he looked... Eventually he found the missing sheep.
He picked it up, and carried it back to the others.
The shepherd was so happy! He invited all his friends over, and had a party!!

Did you know we are like sheep?
God loves and cares for each of us....
In this world, we are lost.
When just one of us is found, God is so happy!
He throws a huge party in Heaven!

Luke 15..

Good bye - Hello

Don't say Goodbye - Skillet

Things are changing
It seems strange and
I need to figure this out
You've got your life
I got mine
But you're all I cared about
Yesterday we were laughing
Today I'm left here asking
Where has all the time gone now
I'm left alone somehow
Growing up and getting older
I don't want to believe it's over

Don't say goodbye
Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight
Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I
And although we knew
This time would come for me and you
Don't say anything tonight
If you're gonna say goodbye

Do you remember
In December
How we swore we'd never change
Even though you're leaving
Thought our feelings
Would always stay the same
I wish we could be laughing
Instead I'm standing here asking
Do we have to end this now
Can we make it last somehow
We both know what we've gotta say, not today
Cause I don't wanna leave this way

And if it's over
It hurts but I'm giving you my word
I hope that you're always
Happy like we were
Happy like we were

Yesterday we were laughing (if you're gonna say goodbye)
Today I'm left here asking (if you're gonna say goodbye)
And although we knew this time would come for me and you
Don't say anything tonight
If you're gonna say goodbye

Nothing in this life lasts forever. Someday we will have to say goodbye to things.

Some things are easier to say goodbye... But somethings are so hard to let go of...

Letting go is something you will have to do in life.

One of the hardest things I've had to let go of was a friendship...

I met them about two and a half years ago..

She was the best friend I had ever had since moving to Auckland a few years before..

We had the best times together, doing all sorts of fun things together!!

As I was more open and honest about who I was and so was she, we grew closer together.

Eventually I felt comfortable telling her stuff I was going through, that I didn't want others to know. She was fine with me at first, but she wasn't fine with what I was doing.

So she started distancing herself from me.

It was so hard to face, when I needed a friend most, they would walk out on me.

I understand now why she would have left. I was dumping stuff on her some of the time, and she had her own problems. Also I was somewhat pushing my beliefs of vegetarianism on her. It was a slow process, but it got to the point when she would totally ignore me whenever I talked to her.

I still wanted her in my life, because I had nobody else.

Well, so I thought.. Through it all, I had forgotten the best friend I had..

God.

I started trying to spend more time with Him when I was lonely.

When I really needed a friend I called out to Him.

One Sunday I was at night church, my youth pastor, and another person prayed with me for a vegetarian friend for me...

Within a few weeks, a new girl turned up to the other church I go to in the morning..

(Long story why I go to two churches...).. Mum had been talking to her mum through some homeschooling thing.. and so my mum forced me to talk to her..

It was so awkward at first, but within a month we were like wow - Bestest Buddys!

She was an answer to that prayer. God is faithful.

If I had spent all my energy chasing after the old friendship, I would have never seen this new one.

I am still open to be friends with her, but I know it can never go back to how it was.

So what am I trying to say?

God is faithful. We are not doing this alone.

We need to let go when the time is right, and face the direction we are walking in.

"It is good for me to be near you. I choose you as my protector, and I will tell about your wonderful deeds." Psalm 73:28 (CEV)

Identity

"Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect." - Romans 12:2

Who's voice you listen to, defines your identity.

The world might identify you as: Stupid, Fat, Ugly, Dumb, Emo, Unloved, Unaccepted, Dirty, Filthy.

The identity the world gives you is based on your actions, and looks.

Maybe you are used to this identity from the world...

But...

What you do or how you look, does not define your identity in God.

Jesus identifies you as: Loved, Accepted, Belonging, Beautiful, Being Sanctified.

Let God define your identity, Not the World.

For it was God who created you for a purpose, not the world!

So who's voice are you going to choose to listen to today?

God? or The world?

(Based on a sermon @ Epm on 11th April 2010)