Paul George

Seeing God at work is so amazing and humbling. I wanted to share a beautiful story of a heart transformed..a life changed…at a recent adore ministries night.
love, Paul,

Dear Paul, So i just had to pass on some thoughts about last nights adore. It truly was for me an annointed night.  Yesterday was just so crazy, I so needed to enter in and pray.  For the first time in a long time I allowed myself to do that and block everything else out. This email would be too long to type everything that has happened in the past two days. We will catch up with that another day. I think I finally have a plan to get myself back on track, figuring out what I am truly being called to do with my life…In essence find out who my bookends are and keep them my priority. Yes I realize that God has to be one bookend but I’m still praying about who the other bookend is.  Can’t wait for the next night! Your talk last night was wonderful. When the Spirit moves in you He moves in big ways! Thanks for letting Him use you as He chooses. I hope you know what a huge impact you have on the lives of people you touch, especially mine.  Peace and Love,
L 

Have you ever had a really bad week and just felt like giving up?  Last week was one of those weeks for me.  There was a lot going on and tons of spiritual distractions as we kicked off our semester of outreach in two cities.  I came into the adore night on wednesday prayed up and prepared for what the Lord was asking, yet I was still feeling a bit down.  Here’s the great news…God is so much bigger than our junk.  God is much bigger than any spiritual thwart of the enemy and God has so much more in store for us then we could ever ask or imagine.  Of course, I often remind myself of how great God is and often forget when things aren’t going well.  Can you relate?

During the night I felt something shift, I knew there were people there that God was ministering to, some for the first time, others as a recharge.  Despite my bad week, God was moving in victory.  At the end of the evening our Bishop asked if he could come out on stage and give people an opportunity to commit their life to Christ.  It was a beautiful, prayerful moment.  When I went down in front to pray with everyone , I closed my eyes and just sat in the moment.  I was really only expecting a few people to come up front responding the God’s call for their life.  If I had to be honest I think there was still a place in my heart that was struggling, maybe because the attendance during the night seemed a little lower, maybe because my own inadequacies of not thinking I’m good at this, whatever the case…God is much bigger than numbers and surely much bigger than me.

When I opened my eyes standing next to me was a young girl around 11 years old…her eyes were shut tight, hands open in front of her…and she was praying the most honest prayer I’ve ever heard.  Next to her were many other people of all ages praying and crying as they gave their life to Jesus.  My heart welled up and tears came to my eyes.  It was such a beautiful moment to watch.  It was reminder for me of the joy and beauty of the new life we have in Christ.  In that moment I renewed my commitment to Jesus.  I want to bend my life around his ways…The joy and new life I witnessed in a small little girl reminded me of how great and generous God is.

Blessings,

pg

This next week we begin a wonderful new semester of outreach here in the diocese of Houma/Thibodaux.  For the past seven years we have been committed to the mission of reaching people.  Adores outreach of evangelization, discipleship and formation are more important today than ever before. We live in a world where all people are in desperate need of love, truth, hope and freedom.  We also know that living life in today’s time is difficult and the solutions the world offers us leaves us empty…because it is through Jesus that our greatest needs are satisfied.  Adore continues to be committed to this great cause.  Thank you for being a part of this mission and for helping adore bring the love of God to so many.  Please know that we have been praying for you in advance and believe that God has great plans for you life.  Our prayer is that you will know the love of God and that you will find your purpose in relationship with him.  I pray and encourage you this semester to open your heart to receive whatever it is that God has for you this evening.  Together let’s continue be a part of the mission of Jesus…may tonight be a new beginning for all of us.

In Christ,

Paul

Behind the series…..Bookends:

 So what are bookends for?  A bookend is a support placed at each end of a row of books to hold them upright.  Tonight we ask the question…what are the things that we rely on to hold our life together?  It’s a question we must eventually answer…because the bookends we choose to be the support structure for our life are as important as the breath we take.  Tonight we begin by looking at the first bookend…the starting point…the bookend that will set the tone for the rest of our life!

Behind the Teaching:

 Scripture Passage:

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  He is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of the cross (through him), whether those on earth or those in heaven.  And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through his death, to present you hold, without blemish, and irreproachable before him, provide that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel.  Colossians 1:17-23

Points of interest:

·      It’s not a question of “what” but a question of “who”.

·      New beginnings begin with every new day. 

·      Proclaim, announce and assert the “who”.

 ·      Reclaim, recover, and regain what belongs to you.

 ·      Reorder, rearrange and restructure what life has ordered.

Journal and Reflection Questions:

What are the bookends you rely on most in your life?

Is the “who” greater than the “what” or is the “what” greater than the “who”?

How can you proclaim Jesus as the bookend of your life?

What do you, with the help of God, need to reclaim and reassert in your life?

Is there anything that needs to be reordered in regards to your life and relationship with God?