Living with Jesus

"We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus."
Romans 6:6-11

As Christ followers, I think we underestimate the power of Jesus in our lives. I know I do. We overlook who He is and the what He has already done in our lives. We lose hope, not convinced that He can do again and again what He has already done before. Whether perpetual or new, our sin often defines us...at least in our minds. We think, subconsciously perhaps, that we will always be our sin. Saying to ourselves something like,

I'm the gossip.
I'm the hater.
I'm the annoying girl.
I'm the dead beat guy.
I'm the alcoholic.
I'm the manipulator.
I'm the adulterer.

But it's lies. Complete un-truth. The Truth is Jesus has changed all of that. Our relationship with Him has power, amazing and unending power, if we allow it to work in our lives - if we continue day after day to allow him into our hearts, to burn away the sin with his pure love and hope and forgiveness.

I have to be reminded again and again that I am dead to the power of sin and alive in Christ. I am alive because Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me. The real truth is

Jesus loves the gossip.
Jesus loves the hater.
Jesus loves the annoying girl.
Jesus loves the dead beat guy.
Jesus loves the alcoholic.
Jesus loves the manipulator.
Jesus loves the adulterer.

Jesus loves us as we are and showers us with himself so that we don't want any more to stay that way. So that we see a new way to live, a new tomorrow, hope for a life with less and less sin and more and more Jesus.

Sometimes I think I don't realize what "living with Jesus" really means. Let's say you're an orphan, living in a land where no one will take you in. You wonder the dirty streets scraping for food, trying to find a warm place to sleep at night, not really trusting anyone because you've been taken advantage of too many times, and bored most of the time. And then one day you meet Jesus. Jesus welcomes you into his home. He provides you with shelter, food, and most importantly love. He calls you his child and you become part of his family. Not only do you now have a secure life, you have purpose. This family you've been adopted into is in the street cleaning business. You know first hand how dirty the streets can be and you always thought "If I could just make the streets a little bit cleaner, orphans like me would have a better place to survive." So here you are, cleaning up the streets, coming home to a loving family with your belly full. How different is your life!? How much better has your Father made it? So much! There are moments, however, when you're tempted to think, "I'm just a dirty orphan." How wrong would you be? In the midst of your warm home, full belly, and loving arms of family, you couldn't be more wrong!

And that's what we do, we forget where we're living. We forget what we have been redeemed from and will be redeemed from tomorrow and the next and the next. Jesus isn't going to send us back out onto the streets. We could choose to go back, but that's our choice not his. We can choose to leave the loving family and go back to the dirty streets. And we do, don't we? Sometimes it's hard to fully believe that Jesus is for real, that He really does want us, baggage and all. But He does. He does!!

I'm remembering today what Jesus has done in my life. I'm thanking him for the sin he has redeemed me from, for the love he gives me every day and for the hope he provides for tomorrow.

Remember with me.

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Kelli Bagby

The bride of Christ and her weekly sermons

"'Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.'" John 6:68

I have been feeling lately an overwhelming thankfulness and need for Sunday morning sermons. I have had weekly sermons in my life for...my whole life! They have been a regular part of my years, year after year after year. You might think at some point I would get tired of them. There have been moments, I won't lie, but overall, I have been reminded regularly of the power of these times - times to sit and let God speak to me.

The church, in all its flaws and strengths, is after all God's plan. I realize how we Americans hold church isn't THE way for everyone, but I have come to love and depend on it. There's something so powerful about gathering together with other people to hear from and worship the Creator. There's power in being in a room filled with people who are trying to figure things out just like I am. People who struggle and hurt, people who rejoice and love, people who have been made in the image of God and who seek to be the image of Christ. There's power in our humanity coming to our Creator, bringing all of that- all of who we are, both the good and bad, the questions and doubts and worry, the joy and gratitude and devotion- to the God who made heaven and earth and yet who chose and chooses all of our days to come near to us, to meet us where we're at in life, to listen and love.

We have been hearing from the book of Proverbs the last few Sundays and this past Sunday Chris preached about conflict. It was just what I needed to hear. I have felt that I need to be more honest in my life lately, which inevitably will lead to some kind of conflict. I appreciated hearing what God's word had to say about it. After all, I can either handle conflict in a healthy and biblical way, or I can handle it like..well..me and destroy relationships and mess things up. Without God's word preached into my life, that's what happens...I happen! =) Even if I have a really great idea, it's not better than God's idea. I need his wisdom and guidance to form my thoughts because left to myself my thoughts aren't good. They are selfish and destructive and just plain stupid. But hearing from God on a regular basis combats all that. Christ's teachings teach me a better way, not just for my sake but for the sake of my husband and child, my friends and family, my co-workers and even perfect strangers. All are affected by the way I choose to live my life, that's no small matter and one that I don't take lightly. One that I want to set aside time to focus on regularly, at the bare minimum one day a week for a few hours.

I have been thinking lately what my life would look like without our weekly church gatherings. What would it be like to have Sunday morning to do whatever with? It would probably be just like another Saturday (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!) But Saturdays in my life have been known to be about me (which also isn't necessarily a bad thing) It's a time to relax and do nothing if that's what I want. Maybe go hiking or do yard work or hang with friends. Or just watch TV all day (pre-kid that is!) All good things. Saturdays usually aren't a time of reflection, they aren't a time for me to listen and learn and be challenged and give thanks. Saturdays are too lazy for that. I need Sundays. I need intentional time that, regardless of how I'm feeling that day or what kind of craziness Gram is being, I need that regular time to come and sit at the feet of Jesus. I need that time of taking a break from all the good things God has given me and focus on Him who is Good.

It's not easy though, especially with a kid. Wow, so hard to concentrate on Sunday mornings. But I'm learning, I'm learning how to glean as much as I can from what's being said. I'm learning that even if I hear 5 minutes of the sermon in between feeding, changing, and keeping Gram quiet, I've heard something and can reflect on that.

I don't say this because I'm the wife of a pastor. My being married to a pastor is one of God's little jokes. I had prayed specifically in college to NOT marry a pastor. Look who has a sense of humor! But God knew my heart better than I did. He knew that deep down I loved His church. He knew I need her in my life so much. Sometimes I wonder if those who are called to ministry are called because they need His church more than anyone! They aren't the most well but the most sick! =) (I'm sure ministers will love to hear that!)

Just like Peter replied when Jesus asked if he was going to leave, where would I go Lord? Where would I go on Sunday mornings that's more beneficial to me than church? Who would I go to for purpose and hope in life if not the Creator? How else would I spend my time if not striving every day to live like the Savior of the world? Nothing else compares. No one else comes even close. Sunday mornings is where it's at.

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Kelli Bagby

Living with Jesus

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