Our Assignment for this Week

On Sunday, Pastor Wes asked us to answer a question, well.... actually finish a sentence in Home Groups this week.  In relating the story of Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32), Pastor Wes said that one of the steps we needed to take was to name what and who we are; to finish this sentence: I am a(an)________________.  For Jacob, his name meant Deceiver.  When God asked him his name, He was looking for a confession of who Jacob was.  God was looking for Jacob to get real with himself and with God.

As we started into the discussion of this last night in our Home Group, there was a part of me that was struggling with the idea of focussing on the negative.  At least that is what it felt like.  I understand the 4 steps that Pastor Wes was talking about and have lived them on different levels as I have grown in Christ throughout my life.  The four steps being: 1- Admit that the struggle is with God, 2 - Refuse to let go, 3- Admit that you are the problem and 4 - Get a new identity. I so desperately want to be walking by faith in the calling God has placed on me (the new identity) that the idea of looking at the sin that is in me seemed like a step backwards.  The reality is that those thoughts were just another deception to keep me from looking at the sin in my life!

As we started praying about taking these steps, the confessions came. One by one the areas of neglect and rebellion were named and a release came - not just for me but for others as well.

Then I read this blog this morning by John Piper.  I really want to encourage you to check it out. John Piper is one of my favorite bloggers! God is so amazing that He confirms His word to us so faithfully.  To see that God is dealing with the same issues with someone else that I have never met in a different part of the country at the same time is really encouaging to me.

Thank You, Father, for your faithfulness!