Fran lost her daughter, Katie, two years ago this week to pancreatic cancer...Katie was pregnant...the baby didn't make it either...Katie was BRAVE...James, Katie's husband remains BRAVE...Larry, Katie's father and Fran's husband remains BRAVE...Teresa, Katie's sister remains BRAVE...Fran shared yesterday morning from the TREASURES OF HER HEART. There was much that Fran had to say about her christian heritage, mistakes along the way, GOD's providence in Newark, NJ, praying her girls through life - the importance of prayer...hearing their prayers - even when they didn't know that she was listening..
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Then, she spoke of Katie's strong spirit, her love for the underdog, her going on to get her master's in Marriage and Family therapy at Harding University...she wanted to make a difference in life...she did! She also made a difference for so many in her death! She gave herself to her work with children and families and in the process touched many! One of Katie's favorite scriptures:
1 Corinthians 13:13
"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
the greatest of these is love."
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I wrestled with our theme for this week because I wanted to connect two songs by Nicole Nordeman as we continue looking at GOD's LOVE in spite of our circumstances. I should have known that it would be GOD who would orchestrate the illustrations!
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During communion, Garth, told about a poster of his that he got in Germany at a cathedral years ago. It said: BREAD FOR THE WORLD! Because Garth knows that the only true bread for the world is JESUS CHRIST, he shared this verse with us:
Mark 10:43-45
"But it is not so among you,
but whoever wishes to become great among you
shall be your servant;
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you
shall be slave of all.
45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
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Then it was Preacherman Dan's turn to talk to us about our need to be reaching out to the poor and downtrodden. ...focusing on servant hearted ministry bringing the BREAD OF LIFE. He emphasized that JESUS fulfilled these words in Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives,
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD,
that He may be glorified."
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There it is!
- Katie was a channel of GOD'S LOVE and GOD was glorified!
- JESUS was a channel of GOD's LOVE and GOD was glorified!
- Dan wants us to be channels of GOD'S LOVE to the poor and downtrodden so that GOD will be glorified!
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Dan gave us these 4 words:
- CARE ... enough to make a difference!
- DARE ... to step out of our comfort zones -be BRAVE!
- SHARE...GOD'S LOVE in a very real and personal way!
- PRAYER...ask GOD to lead us in LOVING HIS WAY!
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For several reasons, this is one of my favorite Youtube music videoes. I can't articulate it totally, except to say I love the tears, the names of JESUS, the way the woman shakes the water off, the upstretched hands, and the way it ENCOURAGES me to be BRAVE ...stepping out there to show GOD's LOVE, the Deuteronomy 6 way:
"The LORD is our GOD,
the LORD is one!
And you shall love
the LORD your GOD
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your might!"
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- Katie left a LEGACY OF LOVE: BRAVE!
- JESUS left a LEGACY OF LOVE: BRAVE!
- Dan asked us to love like JESUS...thereby, leaving a LEGACY OF LOVE: BRAVE!
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BRAVE by Nicole Nordeman
1.
The gate is wide
The road is paved in moderation
The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in
Welcome to the middle ground
You're safe and sound and
Until now, it's where I've been
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything
But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings
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CHORUS:
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
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2.
I am small
And I speak when I'm spoken to
But I am willing to risk it all
I say Your name
Just Your name and I'm ready to jump
Even ready to fall
Why did I take this vow of compromise?
Why did I try to keep it all inside?
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SING CHORUS AGAIN
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3.
I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame
Every storm will start with just a drop of rain
But if You believe in me, that changes everything
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SING CHORUS AGAIN
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