Awaken - Part 2

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Last Saturday, I attended an all-day evangelism seminar titled “Awaken”, where we performed exercises that looked back on our individual past experience in life to see how the people, places and events that made up our life were shaping us by those experiences to become the person that we are today and equipment to reach others for Christ and His kingdom. Yesterday, I shared the Biblical Identity Statement that I wrote. But, we also wrote our individual Values Statement that spoke to the foundational core qualities that govern our lives and set the course of our path in life. 

Ephesians 2:6-7 “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”

I wrote: Life is not only a journey, but a learning experience on that walk because, despite our planning and goals, you never know what is going to come down the turnpike, around the next corner, or out of left field. So, you must learn to be stable on a solid foundation of Almighty God and be balanced with flexibility to take the bumps and hurdles, while learning and improving from them all. We walk in the Spirit to grow and mature in Christ, not gratifying the sin nature of our fallen flesh. For this reason, I am actively working on righteousness (being in a “right” relationship with God) and godly self-improvement, aligned with God’s holy Word, Will and Way. Continually learning truth and sharing that truth with others, answering the what and why, so that they may see and know in a way that they can understand and improve their mind, will and emotions on their own spiritual journey.

1 John 4:13 “And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.”

All these exercises and discoveries of our identity as a child of God led to a “Personal Impact Statement of the vision and direction of our Lord-commissioned mission as the church, based upon the unique personalities and gifts of the united body of Christ to impact our community and culture for the glory of God. I wrote: Lord, please give me the platform to present your gospel message of forgiveness and salvation to a lost and dying world, meeting their greatest needs and praying for those walking in darkness that they may see the light and find reconciliation at the foot of the cross. Being a sinner saved by grace, may I be relatable to others as I get out there and get in there with the message of love, faith, hope, and peace in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May I be aligned and focused on His mission to seek and save the lost in this fallen world. Here I am. Lord, what would you have me do.

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,     

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Awakened in Christ, Brian