Sharon's Sharings

  Happy Christmas Eve Day,                                                   December 24, 2021 It is hard for me to believe it is Christmas again.   As I sit here looking at my Christmas tree in my new home I truly feel incredibly blessed.   It has been an amazing year for us. As I continue looking at Advent, the fourth week of Advent is the Angel Candle or candle of Love.   As Believers in Jesus, we know the Christmas Celebration is about Jesus and His love for us.   He left His Father to come to earth as a baby born in a humble stable.   We celebrate His birth and later His resurrection because our faith is based on this belief.   It is only because of His love for us that He was willing to live a human life.   Our love for Him acknowledges our acceptance and belief in Jesus as our Savior.   The middle white candle is traditionally lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.   It is the Christ Candle.   It is the Christ Candle because it is only in Christ that we find the Hope, P

  Greetings Fellow Believers, December 17, 2021 The third week of Advent, the Shepherd’s Candle or Candle or JOY, was lit.   To the Shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble people like them.   Luke 2:8-12 says;   Now there were in the country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.   And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.   Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great JOY which will be to all people.   For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.   And this will be the sign to you.   You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Did the shepherds understand what the angel’s message meant to them and to the world? Luke 2:17 explains they understood enough to travel to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus and then to

  The second week of Advent we remember the gift of Peace we have in Christ.   Peace is a gift that we must be prepared for and must work for.   God gives us the gift of peace when we turn to Him, working together in faith.                                                                                                                    Our peace comes through our faith in Christ that He is in control. Faith: “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NKJV I believe peace and faith go hand in hand.   As we grow in faith in Jesus, the peace in our hearts becomes more real.   His peace is like nothing else.   It is an inner calm in the midst of external chaos.   As we shift our gaze from the turbulence in our lives to our Savior, peace ensues. Philippians 4:7 “ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We can have peace in our minds and hearts as we focus on Jesus

 Dear Friends, December 3, 2021 We began our Advent celebration at church this week.  Advent is meant to represent an aspect of our spiritual preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Traditionally, the Advent wreath symbolizes the passage of the four weeks before Christmas.  It is typically a circular candleholder that holds five candles.  During the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday until all of the candles, including the fifth candle, are lit on Christmas Day.      Our advent theme this week is HOPE. Hope has also been the ongoing theme of our church this past year.  We have hope because God is faithful and will keep His promises made to us.  If you put your hope in the outcome of life events, your hope can be taken away.  But true hope cannot be taken away.  True hope is in a person.  God is hope. Hebrews 11:1 NLT tells us “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for:  it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” As

 Genesis 1:27 NKJ “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Who God is…is beyond comprehension.  And yet, He created us in His image so we can have fellowship with Him!  If I spend much time thinking about that, I am overwhelmed.  I can’t wrap my mind around God loving me enough to first, create me, and then wanting me in heaven forever to be with Him.  I believe, because He created us in His image and likeness, we have intrinsic worth as an individual.  God desires us to be the best version of ourselves.  We are to be accountable to Him and each other and accept the responsibilities He has given us. Sometimes it is hard to believe in ourselves and accept that the God of the universe loves us and only wants what is best for us.  We might know it in our “head” (mind) but it has not penetrated our spirit.  God created us as spiritual beings.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, an

 As you are aware, next week is Thanksgiving.   A time when we often concentrate on what we are thankful for.  I realize I need to be thankful everyday – not just one day a year.  Our thankfulness should begin by being thankful that God chose us to be His child.  He allowed His Son to die a cruel death so we can live eternally. 1 Corinthians 15: 57 “But thank God!  He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Being thankful in all circumstances can be a challenge.  It is easy to be thankful for events that we consider a Blessing.  Are we thankful for events that hurt us or cause us to grieve?  For me, it can take time to develop a thankful heart and attitude when I’m hurting.  Ephesians 5:20 “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” NLT  A spirit of joy can only be found as we praise and thank Him in all circumstances. We cannot have true joy without a thankful heart.  Remember that joy from the Lord is not the s

Recently we had to make a big decision, should we buy a home we had viewed?  We have been praying about this decision for months. Asking God to provide the perfect home for us.  We have looked at many homes. God said, “no” on two we liked.  How did we know this is the right home for us?  We did not hear an audible, “ This is your home. ”  We continued to pray.  We relied on Psalms 32:8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advice you and watch over you.” NLT.   We did not make a hasty decision. We knew if this was the home God intended for us, it would continue to be available. We also knew my husband and I would need to agree – which we did.  And…I’m happy to say, God has provided us with our perfect home! Decisions we make based on what the Lord wants for us can be difficult. We may struggle with what we want and what we believe God wants.  But always, we can trust that the Lord’s direction for our life is best for us.  Matt 7:11 “So i

 Today I want to resume examining “The Lord’s Prayer”    “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.” NLT Luke 11:4 “Forgive us our sins, so we forgive those who sin against us” We are humans who sin. We violate the will of God. Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we fall short of God’s glorious standard.” NLT   But….God gives us a way out. If we repent, God will forgive us. We are also instructed to forgive others as God forgives us.  Mark 11:25 says, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” NLT This is such an important principle that as Christians, forgiving those who sin against us is not an option. We cannot stand before God with unforgiveness in our hearts. Luke 11:4 “And don’t let us yield to temptation” We have an evil s

  Most of us probably know the Lord’s Prayer in the KJV. I’m going to examine it using the NLT.  Jesus said, “This is how you pray:” “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need,  And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.” The Lord’s Prayer is our example of how to pray.  Luke 11:2 Begins with “Our Father”. We are recognizing that Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father. He and the Father are one.  John 10:30 “The Father and I are one” Luke 11:2 “Hallowed be thy name” – Hallowed means blessed, sacred, revered and respected.  1Peter 1:16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”  Luke 11:2 “Your kingdom come” – “when” not if his kingdom will be established on earth.                 Mark 1:15 “The time promised by God has come at last! He announced, The kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News! Luke 11:2 “Your will be d

Greetings, Control, or lack of it seems an appropriate topic this week.  Having surgery and not feeling my normal self, plus loosing use of my left arm, has left me feeling out of control.  As my husband would tell you, I like to be in control.  I know where things go and I know how I like them done.  I think most of us are like that to some extent. Having to rely on others is very humbling.   Who do we let control our lives?  Do we give control to God or do we try to manipulate and change circumstances to meet our expectations? Prov. 19.21 says: “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel – that will stand.” Once we realize that God is sovereign, that He is in control of every thing, we have the assurance that He is on our side.  We can have peace even when things in our personal life or in our world seem out of control.  Lamentations 3:37 NLT “Who can command these things to happen without the Lord’s permission?” As we grow close to Him, and are able to he

Today I want to look at wisdom.   Wisdom:  #1.  The ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting; insight                     #2.  Common sense; good judgment.                 #3.  The sum of  learning through the ages; knowledge. I like all of these definitions.  As you can see by the first definition, wisdom often goes along with discernment.  We need wisdom to discern how to use good judgment.  I also like # 3.  Those that have known Jesus personally for many years frequently have an abundance of knowledge that the immature believer may not have obtained yet. I look to women and men in our church body for counsel knowing they have years of experience and wisdom.  Many have given me Godly advice.  I so appreciate their guidance.  Spiritually, wisdom should look different from the world’s definition.  #2 says to use common sense.  What seems right to us is NOT always correct with God.  Proverbs 2:6 Amp. “For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; From His mouth come

 I am aware this past week of how blessed I am.  My husband and I have been able to go on a weeks vacation.  We have had a week of relaxation, which we needed. What does being blessed mean?  The Bible Dictionary defines blessed as “make happy or prosperous; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God.” Deuteronomy 11:26-27 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. (27) the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today;” From this scripture we see we must obey the commandments of the Lord to receive a blessing.  Deuteronomy 11:22 says “For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do — to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him” It sounds simple.  “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”  John 14:21 Luke 11:28 But He said, “ More than that, blesse

  I need to start by saying this title isn’t my own.  I read what someone wrote about Decluttering the Soul and it intrigued me.  I know about decluttering our home – I’ve recently done a lot of that in the moving process.  Decluttering my Soul is a new concept. In reading what this author said, I started thinking about attitudes I have that need to go.  What thought patterns do I hold on to that don’t serve me well – that actually hinder me from hearing God?  Psalms 51:10 NKJV “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Do I pray that scripture and mean it when I ask God to create a clean heart? Psalms 119:11 says, “ Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Do I know God’s word so that I am able to stop sin before I am tempted?  Can I totally let go of a negative thought or behavior, or does it pop back up and I have to deal with it again?  We need to trust what God says in Isaiah 43:25 TLV “I, I am the One who blots o

As I ponder the word freedom (A state of exemption from the power or control of another), I have discovered it has more than one meaning to me. Freedom immediately makes me think of my personal freedom in our country.  I have always experienced freedom of choice.  Religious freedom, who I wanted to marry, what career I wanted and where I want to travel are a few of the choices I have been allowed to make.  I have always been thankful to be born in the USA yet I can see that some freedoms are being taken from us and that is a concern for all. But….. I have come to understand that my ultimate freedom is in Christ.   John 8:32 & 36 NLT  ( 32)“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (36) “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”  Once I accepted Jesus as my savior my freedom was guaranteed. The most important thing to assure our freedom is the condition of our hearts.  God looks at out hearts and His desire is that we have a heart that is free.  Prover

 Gratitude: A feeling of thankfulness or appreciation. This word has come to me several times recently.  I have so many things to be grateful for, but do I have an “attitude of gratitude.”  I also have many areas of my life that I am concerned about. Do I feel grateful even when there are areas that are uncertain?  Philippians 4:6 NLT “ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” Recently there was a possible serious health issue with a close family member.  Initially I was anxious, but I chose to believe God was in control.  I was extremely grateful when the results came back with a clean report. I had been examining myself and asking what my attitude towards God would be if the results were different.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  This is who I want to be.  Grateful in ALL circumstances. Sometimes I “feel” grateful.  My

Do you ever wonder how Jesus sees you?  What your life looks like to Him?  Is He satisfied with this person He created?  Does He expect more?  How do we know? Do you feel inadequate and unable to meet the expectations you believe God has for you? I ask these questions because that is often where I am.  Writing these messages once a week is way beyond what I ever saw myself capable of doing.  Every week I wonder what I will write.  God always shows up and gives me a topic and the words to say.  Honestly, I am continually amazed.  They may not speak to everyone but I totally believe God has someone in mind.  Jesus invites us to do things beyond our abilities because He knows we must depend on Him to accomplish what He is asking.  Luke 9:1-2 NLT “ One day Jesus called together His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. (2)Then He sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Jesus gave the discip