Sharon's Sharings

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 i...

 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...

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 Kingd...

 Trust has been the theme of my life this week.  Due to a couple of difficult life circumstances I have needed to trust the Lord even more than my normal day to day. Psalms 118:18 was brought to my attention recently.  It is the middle verse of the Bible.  “ It is better to trust in the lord than to put confidence in man.”  So appropriate for these days we are living in.  More importantly, it is appropriate for me (and us) daily. #2620 Strong’s concordance describes to trust:  to hope, to make someone a refuge. Our motto at church this year is HOPE.  Hope and trust go hand in hand.  Our hope is in the Lord that He will accomplish or change a situation according to His will. At the same time, we are trusting that our Lord will bring it about.  Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV “ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” For me, trusting can be hard.  I have absolutely no doubt God is in control and can accomplish His w...

 I have been pondering several thoughts recently.  There is so much going on in the world.  There is so much that can cause division in the church body.  Sometimes the tension is palpable.   The big issue is Covid-19.  To vaccinate or not?  The mask and vaccine mandates.  Conspiracy theory’s abound.  What do we believe?  How do we keep our own beliefs, but respect what others believe? Philippians 2:2-4 TPT says “ So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love.  Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy.  (3)Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity.  Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important that yourselves.  (4)Abandon every display of selfishness.  Possess a ...