CUSTOM
DESIGNED FOR YOUR CALLING
BREAD
13 For
you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in
the secret place. When I was woven
together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained
for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV)
5 As
you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's
womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NIV)
10 Did
you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, 11 clothe
me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? 12 You
gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my
spirit. Job 10:10-12 (NIV)
4 The
word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 “Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to
speak; I am only a child.” 7 But
the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone
I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do
not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the
LORD. Jeremiah 1:4-8 (NIV)
15 When
they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon
son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I
love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again
Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love
me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you
know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things;
you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed
yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out
your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want
to go.” 19 Jesus
said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then
he said to him, “Follow me!” 20 Peter
turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was
the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord,
who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about
him?” 22 Jesus
answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I
return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John
21:15-22 (NIV)
10 In
Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a
vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord," he answered. 11 The
Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight
Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his
hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,”
Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he
has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And
he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call
on your name.” 15 But
the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen
instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the
people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for
my name.” Acts 9:10-16 (NIV)
3 For
by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more
highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in
accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just
as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have
the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each
member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given
us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If
it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if
it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of
others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;
if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to
go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever
you ask in my name. John 15:16
(NIV)
7 The
end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so
that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each
one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)
10 For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
19 And
my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
BUTTER
“This ‘it’s all
about grace’ talk goes wrong when we say that the amazing grace that saves the Christian
doesn’t also make him distinct from the unbeliever in love, action, and
speech. When we go out of our way to
discount the grace of good works in Christian life, we betray how little we
really know of grace. Nothing on this
planet is like it. It is the most
precious jewel we can receive. The
sweetest thing our souls can taste. The
loveliest lyric our mouths can sing. But
it is never a powerless thing. God does
not have a type of saving grace that, once given, leaves its recipient unchanged. Saving grace not only justifies the ungodly
(Romans 4:5) but trains us ‘to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and
to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age’ (Titus
2:11-12). God himself is at work in us
by His Spirit (Philippians 2:13). And
this grace is a more effective teacher than Dr. Phil or Dr. Seuss or any other
teacher in the world. But the doctrine
of same-as-the-world Christianity tells us something different: that those who have found the doctor are no healthier
than those who have not. Or, in the
other rendition, that those beggars who have found the bread stay just as
malnourished as the starving world. But
patients who tell us that they have seen the medic, while also confessing they
are still no different from those miserable souls in the waiting room, let us
all in on the secret that they are either lying or need to find a new doctor.” Greg
Morse
“God has designed a particular purpose for all His creatures
– birds, beasts, bees, sun, moon, stars, flowers, trees, and fruits – all are
appointed to act according to their nature.
Flowers refresh us and trees give us shade and fruit. Rivers run along their course to the ocean,
and the mighty sea ebbs and flows. Man is designed for a nobler end, suitable
to the excellence of his being: to
worship the glorious and blessed God, and to exercise himself to
godliness. The Lord made all things for
Himself. Man was made to worship Him
actively and affectionately. He is
predestined and created for this purpose.
How absurd to conceive that God would so carefully form us and enliven
us with a spark of His own fire and a ray of His own light, to send us into the
world merely to eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, sow, and reap! Surely He had a higher purpose in forming man
with so much care and cost? Man is a
spiritual being that he might seek heaven and be serviceable to the Lord of
heaven.” George Swinnock
“Good works do not
make a good man, but a good man does good works.” Martin Luther
HEART SAVOR
- ·
We are uniquely
created for works that God planned in advance for us to do.
- ·
We are the
ultimate losers if we choose not to stand firm in God’s will for our lives,
mature and fully assured. In doing so,
we miss out on His best for our lives
- ·
He gives us the
power to accomplish His works and the One Who gives the power gets the glory.
