Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 1, 2011

Broken Into Beautiful

 “The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.” Psalm 51:17 (NCV)

 What does it mean to experience brokenness? I think of it like a broken mirror reflecting my image – my sin, my plans, and my desires.  When I am a broken mirror, all of ME is broken, shattered. I realize I am nothing, but sinful flesh. God does the breaking and puts the pieces back together giving me A BRAND NEW MIRROR reflecting Jesus: His plans and desires. It’s a moment by moment death of self, so Christ can radiate through me. The Lord has been teaching me the importance of brokenness in my own life.  It is painful, uncomfortable and humbling; but, so worth it! The love Jesus showed by His death, burial and resurrection is worth being broken. He is looking for brokenness in His Body, not the “perfect”, “put together”, “beautiful”, and “independent.” God is looking for hearts that are repentant and surrendered to Him. He is looking for people who know they are unworthy sinners saved by GRACE and Grace alone. No works make us more or less children of God. Only brokenness restores us as God’s love pours out on us so we may overflow His love to a world in need of His grace.

 “Lord , You are Great and I am small.   I need You moment by moment, not just when I first received Your Grace. But, forever may I live broken, seeing my frailty and Your Greatness so that Jesus is glorified on the earth. I am weak and You are strong. I am broken and You are the Healer.”    

For His Glory

Semone Eason
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 31, 2011

Sweet Fellowship

“Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.” Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

“Your husband brought a stray home for dinner,” my guest echoed as he came through the front door. A smile graced my face as I replied, “There’s always room for one more at the Martin table.”  Our guest’s wife has been out of town taking care of her ninety year old mother, and I could tell this meal meant more than nourishment; it was encouragement to his soul.  My husband kept the chatter and laughter going as they devoured a simple meal.  Nothing extravagant just sweet fellowship amongst friends.  Reminds me of the Father’s table.  How I love the fact that there are no strays – everyone is known and loved.  There’s always room for one more at God’s table.  Nothing fancy or extravagant just sweet fellowship.  Nourishment for the soul, laughter to lighten our load and deep communion that draws us closer.  I love entertaining – opening up our home; but more importantly, I want to share God’s table with others.  It might be a co-worker I’ve prayed for a long time.  It may be a family member who has strayed far from their faith.  It might be a stranger, I’ve met along the way.  What about you – are there any strays in your life?  Maybe you’re the one who has been missing?  An open invitation is always extended – we just have to be willing to open the door.

“Father,  reveal to me the people you have placed in my path that need to be reminded of your acceptance and grace.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 30, 2011

Prayer Makes The Difference

 “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”  Nehemiah 1:4(NIV)

When Nehemiah heard about problems in his hometown, the first thing he did was fast and pray. It wasn’t a quick “heaven help me” kind of prayer instead it lasted for days. Nehemiah didn’t just ask for a solution from God, he offered up repentance for the sins that led to the destruction of the walls in Jerusalem and exile of the Israelites.

How many times do we run into problems and instead of admitting our part in creating some of them, we just want quick relief? Even better, we come up with our own plan to “fix” them.  A recent sermon by a dear former pastor brought this warning/reminder: “Many times we come up with a plan and then ask God to bless it. Then we wonder why it failed.”  Without confession of any sin that may have led to our problems, we are apt to repeat the same thing. It’s a cycle that can only be broken when we are truly repentant and ready to give everything over to God. Like Nehemiah we need to keep praying, waiting for God to reveal the next steps and then act upon it without wavering.

“Father, Help us to get the action plan of identifying the problem, praying for YOUR solution, and then acting upon what you tell us when problems arise. Thank you for giving us the wisdom to get through any situation.”

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Prayer, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 29, 2011

Holding Onto God

 “Save me, O God,  for the waters have come up to my neck.” Psalm 69:1 (NIV)

While sitting by the ocean watching my boys boogie board, I’m reading Psalm 69:1 in the Angela Thomas study “Brave.”  I look up and see my youngest son riding the wave to the sand.  What a reminder of the many times we stand head deep in the water holding on tightly to the raft.  We’re totally afraid to pick our feet up out of the steady sand in complete trust of God to let Him take us to dry ground.  When we finally give Him complete control, He brings a wave and carries us in.  We like my son can say “WEEEEE” and enjoy the ride out of the deep waters of whatever may be holding us back.  Why don’t we try this week holding onto God and lifting up our feet in obedience to Him for whatever He has in store for our lives?  We might just land on a beautiful shell as a reminder of His faithfulness.

 

“Father, today I lift my feet in obedience to You, trusting You and looking forward to what You have in store for my life.”

For His Glory,

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 26, 2011

Guarding Our Gaze

“When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister.  So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die.”  Genesis 30:1 (NIV)
Quite the ultimatum, Rachel lost sight of her desire for motherhood and exchanged it for a competitive race with her sister Leah.   The two were married to one man, Jacob – how’s that for marital bliss. Jacob loved Rachel; however, Leah was the mega baby producing wife.  She had no problem getting pregnant, so Leah attempted to use her fertility to gain the love of Jacob.  Rachel was barren, and her fixed gaze on Leah led her into a pit of discontentment.  Manipulating handmaids as surrogate mothers, these two sisters desperately tried to out do the other as the seeds of jealousy grew in abundance.  And when God opened Rachel’s womb, her words reflected the discontent in her heart:  “God has taken away my disgrace. May the Lord add to me another son.”  The infant nestled in her arms wasn’t enough to satisfy the raging battle within her soul.  How many times have we fixed our gaze on God’s blessings in someone’s life and nursed discontent in our own?  Like Rachel, we can become obsessed with our own idea of fulfillment and miss the hand of God’s blessing upon our lives.  By fixing our gaze on God, and not people, we can avoid the drama of a soul eaten up with jealousy.

“Father, Help our words to reflect a heart that is truly satisfied in You and Your unfailing love.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 25, 2011

Treasured Pain

“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise.”  Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV)

Healing happens one moment at a time , continual bandaging, nurtured by the Father until the moment our pain transforms into joy.  Witnessed this first hand as I watched a friend’s little girl making giant strides in walking.  Now you might think what’s so amazing about that – all children have to learn to walk.  But this girl started life weighing under two pounds.  She has leaped over many hurdles and at almost two, her sweet smile reminds me that God is the only one who numbers our days.  Every sound of laughter is a gift to be treasured.  Many years ago, I held my daughter in my arms as she tenderly met her Savior at the age of two.  Her days were numbered and no doctor or medicine could change God’s plan.  Healing seemed impossible when empty arms were consumed with sadness, but God graciously kept me close to His heart.  Day by day, moment by moment He transformed my pain into joy.  A different joy that rests and finds peace in God’s sovereign will.  Dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes have smiled at me this week, so much like the one I have missed all these years.  I could have pulled away, hiding in the remembrance or crying out for answers, yet instead I treasured each moment.  Grabbing her hand and helping her walk, I realized God was still holding my hand helping me make giant strides.

“Father, help us to cherish the moments we have and accept the healing grace that moves us past the pain.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 24, 2011

Reflecting Beauty

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25 (NASB)

Picking up my coffee cup, I decided to reheat it in the microwave. Reaching for the handle, I could see my reflection in the door and I basked in a job well done. But when I opened the microwave, I immediately thought, “Yuck!”

Inside the microwave was splattered with reheated leftovers.  I scrubbed and wiped wondering how the inside got so crusty and dirty. Then I realized, I’m usually in such a rush that I clean the outside and decide that’s good enough.  We too spend hours making sure that everything looks good from the outside: fancy hair dos, expensive clothes, large beautiful home, and the newest model car.  Yet we tend to spend no time at all on the inside, where we carrying around a lot of yuck: anger, bitterness, jealousy, selfishness.

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they worried more about what everyone saw on the outside than the condition of their insides. If their outside looked good, then that was good enough. But when God looks at us, He only sees what’s inside. He isn’t concerned with our hairstyle or perfectly coordinated outfit. What concerns Him is the condition of our heart. And the only way we are able to live a God honoring life is with a clean heart. If we don’t clean up the inside, we’re just a yucky microwave with a shiny door.

God, forgive me for spending too much time on my outside and not enough on the inside. Help me to remember that what matters is honoring You, and I can only do that when my inside is clean.

For His Glory,

Josey Bozzo
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 23, 2011

Total Devotion

“You shall have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

While I have no ancient idols perched on my shelves – I’d have to admit there have been idols that have surfaced in my life.  Didn’t recognize them at first; they just crept in consuming my attention. Before I knew it, I was obsessed with them. Distracted, I found my attention shifting away from the One true God.  There’s no need for interpretation here – when God says no other gods before Him – He means it.  So why do we attempt to lift up others, things, or ourselves in our pursuits as if He wasn’t enough. It is really no surprise that God would give this commandment first because everything else hinges on those words.  We can’t receive His power, strength, or wisdom apart from giving Him first place in our lives.  So what imposters are taking us away from the One God that truly satisfies?  What would cause us to even look or consider placing anything above Him? The Giver of life, Sustainer of our souls and Redeemer of our hearts has earned the right to be our First Love.  Are we willing to tear down those things we have erected?  How do we let them go so there is nothing else standing in the way?  It’s elementary – yet its crucial if we want to serve Him, enjoy Him and glorify Him then we’ve got to place God higher than anything or anyone else in our lives. Total devotion is what He desires; it’s what He requires.

“Father, When we are willing to surrender everything, we finally realize that You alone are worthy of our devotion.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 22, 2011

More Than Enough

“Then Jesus directed them to have all of the people sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.”  Mark 6:39-40 (NIV)

Worn out. Hungry. Without resources.   Consumed with exhaustion, the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away.  But Jesus had other plans; He began to teach the people.    I can just hear the grumbling of the disciples.  Now they were faced with a hungry crowd in a barren place with NO resources. They didn’t think there was anything they could do. Been there myself – times when needs faced me at every turn.  My hope would flicker; there was nothing I could do.  While the disciples were wondering what they were going to do,  Jesus took what was offered (5 loaves of bread and 2 fish) and made it much more than they ever imagined.  Every person was fed and there were 12 baskets of food left.

Focused on their own lack, the disciples forgot they were standing next to the One who could help.  Jesus put them to work on the practical task and then He performed the miracle.  When I face difficult times, I too tend to focus on the problem and forget I’m standing next to the One who can help.  Instead of wringing my hands with worry, I need to put my faith in Jesus and trust Him for the miracle.

“Lord, forgive me when I focus more on my own limitations rather than Your power.  There is nothing too great for You!  Help me to turn my thoughts on what You have placed in front of me and trust You to do the rest.”

 

For His Glory

Melissa Tucker
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 19, 2011

Embracing Freedom

 “And God spoke all these words:  I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”  Exodus 20:1 (NIV)

A personal God who intervenes on behalf of His people – who would ask for more?  His desire is release, freedom and deliverance so that we can enjoy the abundant life.   Who wouldn’t be empowered to seize their Promised Land?  Yet the Children of Israel seemed reluctant to embrace the road to freedom.  God alone was the one that knew every detail of their past. He saw them getting caught in the snare; He witnessed their wanderings, bargainings, and complainings– yet God excused none of it.  They didn’t move out of their bondage due to a twelve step program, diligence, or discipline. They moved out because God’s mighty hand led them out.  Lingering back, His people often cherished the memory of the very life that kept them enslaved.  Sound familiar? Aren’t we guilty of looking back and seeing the good, while God looks back and sees the path to destruction? Redeeming His relationship with us, God proves His power to lift us up and beyond the remnants of our sinful past; however, God isn’t just the God of the past. He is in our present and our future. He knows what it will take for us to reach our Promised Land and some of us won’t pay the price.  We will settle for Egypt and chose slavery to past sins, habits, devastation, heartbreak, etc.   And when we do, we will miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Father, transforming our lives is the goal of Your deliverance.  Teach us to grab a hold of Your hand and cherish the freedom You offer.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Freedom

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