There isn’t an easy or pat answer to maintaining balance in your life. Sometimes I think that Christians overate “balance”. It’s not so much about balance as it is about boundaries…living your life in such a way that the Holy Spirit is un- quenched and un-grieved in all your relationships/endeavors.

Practice life and ministry out of the intimacy of your relationship with the Trinity –just like Jesus did. In reading the gospels it often looked like Jesus life was out of balance…yet he only did what the Father told him to…he lived his life out of the overflow of his relationship with the Father.

 - JP

 

www.johnpalmieri.com

Relationships: A small group gives you the opportunity to get to know people at a more intimate level.  Sunday mornings are an awesome time to worship with the whole family of God, hear a sermon, engage in corporate vision, but a small group gives you a chance to build deeper friendships.

Learning the Word of God: Sunday’s sermon is a great time to get a broad teaching of the Word of God. However, small groups provide time for one on one discussion. Your group can provide a time to clarify answers to questions from Sunday’s sermon.

Opportunity to Serve Others: One of the greatest joys of being in a small group is the chance to bear others burdens, serve their needs, and step out beyond your own issues.

Place to invite friends: A small group is a natural place to invite friends and family. Sometimes people are more comfortable going to a small group then attending a Sunday morning service.

Place to Pray and Share your needs: A gathering of a few people is a natural environment for prayer. A big part of prayer is conservation with God and small groups provide the perfect environment for communing with God.

Engage in worship: Gathering in a small group allows you to experience worship at a very intimate level.

Follow the New Testament pattern: Acts 2:42-47 gives us a blueprint of what the early church was passionately committed to. The early Christ Followers gathered in homes, shared meals, read the Word, prayed, and worshipped. When you participate in a small group you are following the New Testament pattern.

Today I’ve chosen to be intentionally Thankful and oh! What a breath of fresh air giving thanks has been to me. I’ve lost count on how many times the Spirit of God has nudged me to give thanks…you know to focus on the positive instead of camping in the land of the negative. When I give thanks to the Lord I begin to become unstuck, I see and think more clearly and above all I cultivate an atmosphere of faith in my own heart…one that spills out into the lives of others. Oh God, let me never be comfortable in the land of an unthankful heart. I choose this day to praise you and give thanks unto you…you are good! Amen.

I Thess 5:18 “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Psalm 106:1 “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” 

We are now in the third week of Advent. Derived from the Latin venio, (come) and ad, (to) or come to, in Advent we anticipate the celebration of the coming of God in flesh. Often, I’ve found great comfort in the truth of God’s incarnation. There isn’t a day that passes when we do not hear of some type of human suffering, Throughout history, injustice, poverty, scandal, health issues and more have all dotted the map of humanity and yet in the midst of it all – God has come. He has answered the problem of human suffering by becoming human himself. Indeed, he has not abandoned us but took on our vulnerable state and taught us how to really live.

      My prayer for you this Advent season is to find time to nurture a sense of appreciation and anticipation of the coming of Christ –not only as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes; but also as the Second Coming King. 

John Palmieri 

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.” (Psalm 107:8 NIV) 

Often in life it is difficult to give thanks. Sometimes a specific event, like the death or sickness of a loved one causes us to be become reluctant in giving thanks. Other times, we find ourselves steeped in circumstances that are hard to understand and beyond our control. The cumulative effect of bad news or unmet expectations can also take a toll on our reservoir of thankfulness.

I understand these enemies of thanksgiving and have often succumbed to their attack. However, there is a more daunting and dangerous foe of thanksgiving…an opponent that lurks inside each of us. It’s the heart of mankind. In the midst of all the blessings and evidence of God’s hand upon our lives, we often do not give thanks. We find ourselves knit picking, finding and magnifying the negative aspects of life and loved ones. It is in this condition that we are the most vulnerable. We are at risk of losing so much. We do not realize it, but in actuality, an unthankful heart sits at the precipice of a downward spiral that is almost impossible to recover from. Romans 1:18-32 points to an unthankful heart as a precursor to a lifestyle that only leads to bondage, depression, addictions, and destructive relationships. 

God wants us to be thankful not only because he is worthy, but also because it is good for our soul. I encourage you to intentionally give thanks today for your family, friends, and circumstances. I would venture to say that within a matter of hours you will begin to feel better and have a clearer perspective on life.  

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,” (Hebrews 12:28 NIV) 

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thess. 5:18 NIV)

The story in Luke 5:17-26 of the four friends lowering their paralytic friend through a roof to Jesus has always inspired and intrigued me. It’s within this story that we see the faith of others believing for someone who couldn’t believe for himself. Faith building people are like that. They believe for those who can’t believe for themselves. There will be times in your life when God is going to put you directly in the path of people so paralyzed by doubt, depression, fear, addiction, financial problems, disease that they can’t believe for themselves. You need to believe for them! It’s a revolutionary thought…that your faith can radically change the destiny of another person. Your faith can’t make another person a Christian but it can completely have an effect on the people around you. Look at the four friends that carried their paralytic friend to the roof of a house, dug through it and then lowered him directly in front of Jesus. It’s important to note that Jesus doesn’t comment on the faith of the Paralytic but on the faith of the friends. The text, verse 20, says that Jesus saw their faith, “and seeing their faith”. This is a powerful insight…because Jesus took into account the faith of the group of friends. There is power in the united faith of God’s people--power to bring change in the lives of family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
This is the kind of faith you will find at New Life Mont Clare. I encourage you to come, invite a friend and see that your faith can make the difference!

The story in Luke 5:17-26 of the four friends lowering their paralytic friend through a roof to Jesus has always inspired and intrigued me. It’s within this story that we see the faith of others believing for someone who couldn’t believe for himself. Faith building people are like that. They believe for those who can’t believe for themselves. There will be times in your life when God is going to put you directly in the path of people so paralyzed by doubt, depression, fear, addiction, financial problems, disease that they can’t believe for themselves. You need to believe for them! It’s a revolutionary thought…that your faith can radically change the destiny of another person. Your faith can’t make another person a Christian but it can completely have an effect on the people around you. Look at the four friends that carried their paralytic friend to the roof of a house, dug through it and then lowered him directly in front of Jesus. It’s important to note that Jesus doesn’t comment on the faith of the Paralytic but on the faith of the friends. The text, verse 20, says that Jesus saw their faith, “and seeing their faith”. This is a powerful insight…because Jesus took into account the faith of the group of friends. There is power in the united faith of God’s people--power to bring change in the lives of family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
This is the kind of faith you will find at New Life Melrose. I encourage you to come, invite a friend and see that your faith can make the difference!