What Makes You Come Alive?

It is interesting how all people are created differently. All of us have a different fingerprint and a different tongue. Although some similar, we all have different personalities and temperaments. We also have things that will set us off and things that will make us come alive. Unfortunately we forsake time on the things that make us come alive and spend a lot of our lives on things that waste our time. God has given us all a God given passion that makes us come alive. Two of my passions are relationships and preaching. Food and ping pong are a close behind.

God called me to start Awaken Community Church which launched this past September. I have had to get people around me to help the church function in all different areas. The two things that I am good at and must focus on are preaching and building relationships. I find that when I spend time focusing on all of the other details and do not spend quality time developing those areas, I get weak and burned out, however when I am meeting new people, disciple, share my faith or just have a guys night at my house, I come alive, because I was meant to develop relationships and influence people. Same with preaching. When I spend a lot of time praying, reading, watching other preachers, reading commentaries, doing observation through a text of scripture, studying the culture and the context of a book or a chapter and I preach it, I feel so alive. I expect lives to change on Sundays through the preaching, so I better focus on the pouring time into preaching and not into my personality.

What is your passion, talent and love for life? What makes you come alive? Try to focus your time and dedication to those few things so you feel alive and accomplish what you were meant to accomplish. Maye you should focus more time on being the best mom, organizer, planner, encourager, leader or giver. What makes you come alive? What are you passionate about? Allow God to use that gift that He has given you.

Connecting with Jesus

Life can get so busy that we forget about our purpose and reason for living. I love looking at the life of Jesus, because as I observe the way he lived, I notice that He always had time with His Father. He had to, it was a priority and a necessity. Jesus was fully God, but also fully man, so He had temptation to do thing on His own strength. He never did, because His focus was always on what God had for Him to do each day and each hour.

I have noticed that in the midst of school, work, family and all of the business of life, it is easy for us to crowd out God with our stuff. He becomes a mere option rather than a necessity. That is a dangerous road that many of us go down daily and the road has become all too familiar to many of us. Followers of Christ need to repent and realize that Jesus really is our life, not our Sunday satisfaction. Jesus didn't die to be an option in our life, but to be the center our life.

I encourage you to make Jesus more real to you and spend time seeking Him daily and hourly. Change your schedule, priorities and your mind. This life was not meant to live alone. Connect with Jesus.

Summary: Song of Solomon Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Song of Solomon is made up of two main conversational pieces: Connection and Conflict. Those are two necessities to make any relationship work well.

Connection: You can tell that this couple is deeply in love with each other. (2:4) "his banner over me was love". Banner was a military term. When soldiers were on the battlefield and all scattered out, one of the men would raise a banner so all of the soldiers could come together and meet under the banner. It represented safety, security, unity and hope. The men would fight there way to get back to the banner. Men, are you man enough to be the banner for your marriage? If you can't keep a job, clean your room or have any gas money, then you are not ready for a wife... not even a pet. Allow God to take you through life and produce character in you to prepare you for marriage. Instead of strong banners we have deflated balloons out there. Application men, connect to a good church, get a job and repent of your sins. Women, don't settle, connect with a real man, a real leader and get a good banner.

Conflict: (2:15)"...catch the foxes, the little foxes that spoil our vineyards". I remember my first year of marriage lying on the hardwood kitchen floor crying my eyes out and feeling numb. It was so bad that I was even drooling on the floor. What happened? The little foxes destroyed my marriage. It was the first and only time that divorce was heavily considered. In the day of Solomon they would spend a lot of time cultivating their vineyards. After hours, days, weeks and even months, foxes would get in and jack the whole thing up by stealing the fruit and destroying the vineyards. Make sure that in your relationships that you have open, clear communication. Confess your weaknesses and sins. Walk upright and never lie to your spouse.

There much more to unpack in Chapter 2, I thought that I would throw out a few highlights. We are starting chapter 3 at Awaken this Sunday at 10:30 at the YMCA in Hixson. I Hope this was helpful and you could benefit from Song of Solomon.