What is in God's notebook...about you?

Hey Friends…

​  Does it feel weird to you that God has been tracking your every move before any of it came to be? How about that God has kept a well-worn journal recording every aspect of who you are? If it was anybody else writing down literally everything about you, we’d call that creepy. But since this “recorder of all things you” is also your creator, I suppose we grant Him a little extra license to be so nosey. He’s not a stalker in the creepy sense of the word. But He is VERY invested in your story. Do you know why, and do you know what He has been writing down? Let’s talk about it in Deeper Thoughts below…
 
But first….
 
·      Can I tell you about our next teaching series? I’m excited to start our next study of scripture beginning on Sunday, September 8: “The Normal Christian Life: Not Weak, Not Weird, Not Wandering.”
 
o   When we see someone living totally “sold out” for Jesus, we tend to think of this as abnormal and super-spiritual, while the rest of us “normal” folks live more moderate lives. But the scriptures reveal that full devotion and supernatural levels of spiritual power are the actual “baseline” of normal Christianity. Come explore with us the God-centric, Spirit-filled life and discover all the elements, habits, and outcomes of being a “normal” Christian. God has some big things in store for us this fall!
 
·      Ladies… Pool & Prayer TOMORROW: Saturday, August 24, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.  Join us for swimming, food, a devotional, and prayer! Oh… and you don’t have to swim to enjoy this… c’mon out! Click here for more info and to RSVP!
 
·      Parents—Join us for an important after-church parent’s luncheon THIS Sunday, August 25, 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. We will explore your ideas and family needs for long-range planning of our kids and family life ministries. We’ll share what’s upcoming this fall and co-create our direction for the future with you. This is a don’t miss event… yummy lunch provided!
 
·      The Eads are trying again for vacation after our early July attempt ended up being Covid recuperation instead. We’ll be out Monday, 8/25, returning late Tuesday 9/3, and will not be checking our email or phones. If anything arises where you need pastoral support, please contact Kristie Zoller (click here to email, or call 703-999-3156) so she can coordinate a response from our Elder Team.
 
o   Next Sunday, Pastor Randy Richardson will bring the Word of God to us… the Lord has laid on him a special word of hope!
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who aren’t curious about what God just wrote down about you.  BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts…
 
You may have heard this revelation from Psalm 139:15-17:
 
“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious are your thoughts, O God!”
 
Did you notice that God has been keeping a record book… about you?
 
On the one hand, this could be a little intimidating. What exactly is He writing down? Revelation 20:12 reveals that there will be books opened at the final judgment and everything we’ve done will be read aloud. Gulp. (We taught on this just last Sunday… if you missed it, click here to catch up!)
 
But on the other hand, if we fully understand the revelation of Psalm 139, we recognize that in this particular book, God isn’t recording deeds to be adjudicated at the Pearly Gates. No, this journal is about who you are, why God made you, and the God-designed purposes that your life will fulfill.
 
That sounds pretty lofty, doesn’t it?
 
Most people get a little sheepish when the spotlight is on them. We get even more squirrelly when effusive praise is lavished on us. I know it can be intimidating when I tell you--as I do often—that God is so giddy about you that He has been keeping meticulous notes by his bedside as He visualizes everything about you.
 
But this grand affection is not at all about what you have created for yourself. This is not God’s notebook of how impressed He is with your self-made success, your spectacular decisions, your perfected impulses. We all know the drill, don’t we? Our self-made efforts typically don’t end so well, and surely don’t impress God.
 
God is writing meticulously about what He can do with you, what He will do with you, and what He has done with you. In that sense, God’s journal is not about you at all; it is about Him. It is about His work in you that makes you all that you are.
 
Your life is a story that God is writing. It is not that He is determining the outcome—you still have free will and all your faculties to make your own decisions. But He is influencing you. He is leading you. He has designed you with a purpose and goals in mind. He has a mission for you to fulfill—if you will seek God’s leadership in your life and choose to engage that mission.
 
So, what is the story God is writing? How has God been at work in you? How have you seen God lead, and stir, and provide for you?
 
This Sunday, we are going to do something very special for the last teaching in our “God’s Game Plan” summer series, wrapping up our study of biblical prophecy and God’s plan for the good and glorious outcome of all things.
 
Not so coincidentally, this Sunday is also the 189th anniversary of the founding of Mt. Hope Church.
 
On August 24, 1835, a handful of people signed their names to a charter that launched our church, pledging themselves “to strive together for the faith of the gospel, by all the methods laid down for our observance in the word of God… cordially uniting in those efforts by which the people of God are now labouring to evangelize the world… in the service of our Adorable Redeemer… living according to the pattern shown forth in the Divine Word.”
 
This Sunday, we will share stories of God’s purpose, plans, and activities in our church all throughout our 189-year history. We will open the microphones to share our own stories of God’s present faithful activity in our church family.
 
In God’s handwritten journal about you, your days at Mt. Hope are part of it. You and I have been chosen by God to have a place, a part, and a purpose in the 189-year-long journey of this beautiful church family. What is that purpose? How has God been at work in you? How has God been providing for you? What have you seen God do in your life and in others as you belong to this family?
 
Think about what God has been doing in your story as a part of this bigger story. Consider if there is something you should share with us all.
 
Do some advance reading in the Word of God if you will… Acts 2:42-47, Acts 4:32-35 and 1 Corinthians 12. See if you can recognize any patterns to what God is doing in you and in us!
 
Much love to all…
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend