What Did Jesus Do in Private

What did Jesus do in private?  He talked with His Father!!!
I have found this past week to be amazing!  As God has given me the choice to abide in Him and when I have made the conscience effort to do so through His strength, my heart has been at peace and filled with joy.
Also by abiding in Christ my hunger and desires have been to spend more time with my heavenly Father.  I find myself spending more time with Him and talking to Him and sharing my thoughts and dreams and concerns.
I have truly been blessed to have each and everyone of you in my life and to go on this journey with you all has been life changing!!!  I find myself anxiously anticipating our next bible study to see what Christ is doing in your lives.
With Much Love,
Shelley

Abiding in Christ

Alot of times throughout my Christian walk I thought I was abiding in Christ when I have'nt been.  Now the conscience effort of abiding in Christ found in the second chapter makes me feel as if I am tripping all over myself, there are so many highs and lows but I am getting there. For example, I was very hesitant to run a requested errand because I had just settled down for my relaxtion time plopped up in bed with my remote control,...all was great.  I was grumpy but not cheerful or should I say Christ-like at all about running this errand.  Within a few minuetes of my arrival at the Family Dollar the cashier was in such a sad state and I overheard her speaking with a customer and saying that her mother lives in Vermont and did not have long to live she is dieing of cancer.  It's my turn at the counter and ironically no one else is in the store and I feel this is a devine appointment.  I think to myself "I am abiding at this moment" and God has put me here to comfort her.  I asked if she wanted to pray and she broke into tears and we prayed for her financial situation that she would be able to go to Vermont and be with her mother before its too late (theres more to her story that is heartbreaking),..she reached over the counter and hugged me with tears as big as Texas and thanked me.  I could tell how Christ had sent some comfort into heart and there is a since of hope that she will make it there in time.  Abiding in Christ was spontaneous inspite of my human self.
Get ready ya'll God is going to have you in different situations just because of your slight teany tiny abiding in Him, it may not seem much to us here but it is huge to Him.  I can't wait to here all of your stories of how God is using you more than ever due to the effort of abiding in Him.

First Week in the Jesus Experiment

The Jesus Experiment

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Creekside Bible Church

The Jesus Experiment is an invitation for people to become like Jesus in their feelings, thoughts, words and deeds. Each week they’ll focus on a different aspect of Jesus’ life, including how he faced his fears, how he talked with God, how he overcame evil, how he helped the vulnerable and others. We will begin to discover through our sermons and the book of the same name, how Jesus felt, thought, spoke and acted in specific situations. During the week as they face a similar situation, people will examine their own feelings, thoughts, words and deeds and compare them to Christ’s. Next, people will ask God to conform them into the likeness of Jesus. This isn’t just a sermon series, it is a concentrated effort to become more like Jesus.

Dear Jesus Experiment Group,

I feel alot like the author Bill Perkins as he writes on page 3, week one from "The Jesus Experiment":

"Part of the reason the Jesus Experiment concerned me is that I knew it would quickly expose how unlike Jesus I am.  Though I desire to be more like Christ, my human tendency to remain stuck is strong.  Like everyone else, I'm comfortable with the status quo.  I have attitudes, habits, and ways of speaking and acting that give me pleasure and calm my nerves---almost like pacifiers---

and I don't want to let them go.  My fear of rejection and shame prevents me from going into more detail here, and it's this tendency to cover up that reminds me, even as I write these words, that I am still very much unlike Jesus.  But that does'nt mean The Jesus Experiment won't work,...If you're feeling similarly apprehensive, I understand;  but don't let that hold you back,...it all starts with a simple desire to become more like Jesus and the willingness to live the experiment."