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Michelle Gaddi 5/15/23 Michelle Gaddi 5/15/23

Jeremiah 1 - 5.15.23

Scripture

Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Observation

God speaks to Jeremiah and anoints Jeremiah as His prophet. God tells Jeremiah that He will use him to speak to kingdoms and nations on His behalf. Jeremiah feels that he is too young, and unqualified for this task. But God encourages Jeremiah that He is with him wherever he goes. He will protect him, and He will give Jeremiah the words to speak to the kingdoms and nations.

Application

God doesn’t call the qualified, but He qualifies the called.

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You ever notice that God operates in unconventional ways? I mean he uses a stuttering man who hates public speaking, like Moses, to lead the nation of Israel out of captivity from the Egyptians. God uses a small shepherd boy like David to defeat a nearly 10 foot tall warrior like Goliath. Or God uses someone like Paul, a man who once sought out to persecute Christians, and even killed them, to be one of His main apostles to help build His church that we know today. The reason I believe God uses people like this is to display just how mighty and powerful He is. Because there is NO WAY, and I mean NO WAY, that these people could ever do these things on their own! But only through the power of His Holy Spirit, and His unfailing grace can we accomplish all these things and more.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”-Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭

So what is God calling me to do? What possible excuse can I have for Him? Am I willing to say “yes” to God’s calling and see the awesome things He can do? Because at the end of the day, I know God cares more for my availability, than my ability. Am I open to be available to whatever He calls me to do?

Let me share with you all a quote I read today that goes perfectly with this journal:

“God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, He will increase our capability.” -Neal A. Maxwell

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for choosing to partner with someone like me, to help accomplish Your mission. I know I’m not much, but with Your Holy Spirit working through me, I know You can accomplish great things. May You give me the strength and courage to be bold, and open to whatever You may call me to do. May it further Your Kingdom, and bring glory and honor to Your name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

Psalm 61 - 5.12.2023

Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.

Psalm 61:2-3

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.

Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?

King David calling out to God in a time when he did not feel strong. His heart was fading. And he was at the “ends” of the earth, perhaps feeling as if on a cliff’s edge, prepared to fall away. As the king clings to life here on earth he calls out to God, “lead me to the rock (!)”.

Application - How will you apply this to your life?

I think that as a person who has believed in Christ for years now I tend to get down on myself, just a smidge, when I take inventory of my spiritual walk and I am not at the point where I believe to be. While David calls out to God in a situation that may have been a lot more dire than mine, the principle remains. When you are down and out, when you are feeling faint, in your weakness, what is the most encouraging thing you can be saying?

Prayer - Write out a prayer.

Today, when I falter, when I fall, when I feel like I am on the edge of a cliff I will cry out in prayer, “Lord, please hear me! Lead me to Your rock! For you are greater than I, and you are my safehouse. You are the strength I need against any enemy!” I pray that this may be my prayer, my natural reaction to when the world has me feeling down.

In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.

-kenneth lee

1 Thessalonians 4 - 5.11.23

Scripture

1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT

“For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”

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Observation

Paul writes his fellow believers to encourage them and remind them what happens to those who die in faith. They should not grieve like unbelievers do when a loved one in faith dies. But because they put their faith in Jesus, they should have confidence that since Jesus conquered death, that those who put their faith in Jesus will conquer death too. That all who believe in Jesus will be reunited with Him one day in paradise. That is the hope that we as Christians have that will never be taken away from us!

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“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”-John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

Application

Knowing that death is not the end, is there anyone that I know who can benefit from hearing the gospel message and the saving grace of Jesus Christ?

Here at DSC we encourage having a PII List. What is PII? It is an acronym for:

P-ray

I-nvest

I-nvite

It is a list of at least 3 people who we want to see come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And one of the ways we promote that is by first praying for these people. Pray for God to soften their hearts and move in their lives. Second, we should invest in these people’s lives. Hang out with them over a meal or a cup of coffee. Speak to them regularly to see how they’re doing and ask if they need help or prayers for anything. Finally, be bold and courageous, invite them to church, or better yet, invite them to having a relationship with Jesus Christ by putting their faith in Him.

So who is on your PII List? Let’s pray for these people and invest in their lives today!