Becoming like Christ for the sake of others

You Are What You Behold 8/9/16

What’s Going On In Your Head? Whatever you focus on. What you give attention to. What you constantly think about. What you look at. What you ruminate over…..be assured of this, you give it power over your life. And whatever it is will impart either good or evil. Affect you for the better or worse. Lift you up or take you down. Make you more like Christ or more like the devil.

If you stayed glued to the news, focusing constantly on terrorism, shootings, political coups, disasters, and injustice, this is what will be imparted – anger, outrage, frustration and hopelessness. Pull up pornography all the time? This is coming your way – addiction, a poisoned mind, a ruined marriage, and probably a few demons taking residence.

Think about yourself constantly? – here’s the outcome – self-centeredness, self-pity, self-obsession, self-conceit, self-serving, just a whole lot of self.

Think about God. And all that is wondrous about Him and you will become more like Him. Think about doing good and all kinds of opportunities to do good will unfold. Think about loving and you’ll become one who naturally loves others. Bottom line is, you become what you behold.

There’s a reason God put this verse in the Bible: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, on what is honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think on those things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8

Peggy Hank: Peggy passed over the weekend. We will miss her greatly but we are grateful her suffering is over, that she will never again have to cope with her debilitating paralysis.  Her memorial service will be held at Little Church by the Sea this coming Saturday, August 13 at 6 pm. All are invited.

Prayer Focus This Week…

One prayer target this week – Pastor Sam and his leaders are taking a bunch of high schooler’s on a road trip to Denver and back. They left Sunday and will be gone 11 days. About half are unbelievers, or kids from broken homes, and there are a few struggling to make their way back to Jesus.

Here is Pastor Sam’s list: “Pray for all these students and leaders going on the Refuge road trip!”

Sam Ellis (Male/leader)
Logan Motzinger (Male/leader)
Kevin Carr (Male/leader)
Aubrey Spurlin (Female/leader)
Taylor Shipley (Female/leader)
Josh French (Male/leader)
Darby Winson (Female/leader)
Thomas Gregory (Male)
Addie Briggs (Female)
Ryan Meisberger (Male)
Christian Marron (Male)
Claire Knill (Female)
Dylan Petway (Male)
Mia Brisker (Female)
Dario (Male)
Armand (Male)
Laila (Female)
Jake Joiner (Male)
Sidney Williams-Goldberg (Female)
Anna Madigan (Female)
Landon Needham (Male)
Savannah Colburn (Female)
Francesca Antioch (Female)
Becky Roach (Female)
Scarlett Colburn (Female)
Journey Tupper (Female)
Angelique Begay (Female)
Cesar Jacquez (Male)
Tristian Colburn (Male)
Frankie Cotinola (Male)

And Finally This Week: One of the best quotes I’ve ever read…

PrayerLetter_20160809
Have a Christ-filled week everyone.

Pastor Jay