There are times in life when we feel abundantly blessed, believing God has met our every need. Then there are times of struggle and hardship when He seems strangely silent and then times when He answers our questions but we don’t like the answer. In the tenth chapter of Mark, we meet a young man who runs up to Jesus, excited to ask one question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The young man is not asking a question in so much as he is looking for affirmation that he is good enough, smart enough. The real question of his heart is “Am I enough?”

Jesus looks upon him with compassion and love and poses another question, “Am I enough?” The implication to the young man is, “do you recognize that all you have and all you have accomplished is because of me? Young man, do you realize that when you lose all those things, you will still have me? Am I enough?”

Committing our lives to Christ is a lifelong journey of always becoming more, more loving, more peaceful, more joyful and ultimately more free. What the young man didn’t understand was that God didn’t have his whole heart. He was replacing God with other things and depending on them to make him enough.

We do the same thing. We look to our bank account or our job for security. We look to our accomplishments for our worth and value. We look to our good health as a sign of God’s favor and when we lose any of those things, we question God’s love for us. But God’s love is always faithful. It never gives up on us. On the other hand, it’s us who, like the young man in Mark 10, give up and walk away from God.

We decide that the sacrifices are too risky, too hard, and too much. What the young man did was focus on what he was losing rather than what he was gaining. The apostle Paul reminds us in the 3^rd chapter of Philippians what it means to gain Christ.

Philippians 3:7-11The Message (MSG)

^7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

^10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

Whatever place God has you in right now, know that He has your best interest in mind. Whether you find yourself on the mountaintop or the valley, understand that He sees the big picture and knows what you need better than you do. Trust Him to protect you, to give you security, value and worth. Let Jesus be enough!

Don’t let your fear and your insecurity push you away from God. Stop trying to ‘do’ on your own and trust the One who created you, who died for you, and who loves you with an unrelenting love. We will never be enough on our own, but the Good News is that Jesus is always enough!

Beloved, do you believe that Jesus is enough? Do you want Him to be enough for you? He stands at the door of your heart waiting for you to say, “Jesus you are enough for me. Lord, help me to believe you when you say, “I am enough.”

Blessings,

Pastor Kristen

During a recent trip, I had the misfortune of arriving at the airport at the exact time that the local cruise ships’ buses were unloading all of their passengers to embark on their journey home. The airport was crazy busy with people everywhere so I chose to sit for awhile in hopes that it would soon settle down.

There was one sight that caught my attention. There was a small boy about the age of 6 walking with his dad. His father had his hand resting on the young boy’s shoulder gently guiding him through the sea of people. But this little boy was not content with his father’s direction. “I want to do it myself, dad.” He would try to escape his father’s gentle touch to race ahead saying, “I want to go this way, dad!”

Over and over, dad would respond kindly with, “It’s okay son, I see where we’re going, we’ll get there don’t worry, don’t rush.” It struck me in that moment, how much I was like that little boy. How often had I said to my heavenly Father, “Stop, I want to go this way, I want to go that way.” Or the countless number of times I’ve tried to run ahead of Him. In each of those times, I had forgotten that my Father sees above the busyness, above the chaos. He knows where I’m going and He knows the best way for me to get there. Sometimes, I just need to be patient and allow His gentle hand to direct my steps.

Church, may we be encouraged this week as we hold tight to the truth that our Heavenly Father is guiding and ordering our steps as we strive to fulfill the calling He has placed on our lives.

Blessings,

Pastor Kristen

Hello Sawgrass Family,

Over the last several weeks, we have been walking through the 11th chapter of Hebrews, most commonly referred to as the Hall of Faith. Along the walls of this hall, we are introduced to people of faith through only a snapshot of their lives.  This snapshot gives us a picture of what God deemed to be the best depiction of their life of faith.

In a painting called, ‘Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem’, the painter, Robert Haydon created a scene with Jesus riding on the donkey into Jerusalem. In the crowd are some of his contemporaries. Voltaire, a philosopher known for his criticism of the church, was painted in as a smiling scoffer. The poet John Keats was painted with a bright, amazed face in the background. William Wordsworth was pictured as a devout man, a disciple. Others he knew, were painted as detached observers just watching it all pass by.

Think of Christ in our world today. We are in the crowd that watches Christ coming into our world, and into our lives and circumstances. Let’s think of ourselves and our actions and our attitudes. Where would we find ourselves in that picture? What would be the best representation of our habitual conduct? Would we be the detached observer? Or might we be the ones with bright amazement on our faces?

Sawgrass, let’s commit and encourage one another to shine with amazement as we seek the work of  Christ entering into our day to day happenings. Let's reflect the glory of our Savior in all things!

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6(NASB)

Blessings,

Pastor Kristen

Hello Sawgrass Family,

I write this note from high above the hustle and bustle of New York City streets. It’s a time of meditating on the verses from our By Faith sermon series, while reflecting on all that I saw today. There was hopelessness and sadness among the bustling traffic and bold lights of Times Square and yet God’s goodness was still breaking through like a ray of sunlight in a dark sky.

He was present with the father who was helping his young son deliver food to the homeless man everyone else was ignoring. He was present in the kindness to help another cross the street. He was present in the friendly smiles and conversations of strangers. He is always there, waiting for us to seek Him out.

Praying Hebrews 11:6 for each of you this week. Praying that you see Jesus working in you and through you. As you seek God throughout your week and discover ways  to love in a way that matters, may our Father reward you with glimpses of Himself. May you receive the peace and wisdom of knowing that you are His and in His will.

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”-Hebrews 11:6

Blessings,

Pastor Kristen