Watermark Blogs

If you were at the Christmas Eve service at Watermark, you got to experience 20-30 Cardboard Testimonies. It got my wheels turning about how different our group looks this calendar year then the previous year.  The thought that every year that you walk with Jesus your perspective becomes more eternal, you have more of a grasp of your corrupt heart, have experienced life and freedom in obedience to Christ that materialism just can’t satisfy, and the list goes on…right? The message is consistent through out scripture, a Savior saves you from something (The judgement of Sin) and continues to save you out of something (my corrupt self that continually doesn’t bring life when I choose to not submit to God). He has saved us and is saving us out of something today.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.-John 8:34-36

Here’s an example in my life from 2009.  I’ve been a very judgemental  and critical person.  When you’re like this Mercy, Grace, Kindness, Gentleness, and Pride are out of whack and not honoring to the Lord.  It’s something, I’m not proud of, so I mentioned to my guys January 2009 that I wanted the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18) to become a reality in my life.  Why?  When your heart grasps how much you have been forgiven (a ba-zallion dollars in terms of sin), then it is hard to be critical and judge people who are “less than perfect” in your eyes.  If you are critical and judgmental or you just been around someone who is, you know that there is no freedom there, no life, but bondage and captivity to yourself and your world.  I Feel like Jesus has given me life and freedom like I have never experienced as a result of making my sin worse than anyone else.  Sounds harsh, but it is so freeing.

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. – John 10:9-10

So here’s the application: Our group is on year 2-3 right now, we have all grown this year, and who knows if it is the Lord’s will that we will all be doing life a year from now (James 4).  I’ve asked everyone in our group to write one page on where Jesus has set you free this year and allowed you to experience life and green pasture.  We have 12 people, so in a month from now we will have a 12 page chapter on the Story that a Transforming God is writing in our lives: 2009  I’m am praying that the Lord allows us to write another chapter together for 2010.

How is your group celebrating, remembering, and recording how the Life Giving God gave you life in 2009?  Will God’s story in your life encourage future generations?