Ghosts

Ever hear a sermon and cheer someone on in your head? Respect and admiration for him and his wife just grow as he shares with tears in his eyes his ghosts? I hadn't either, .... before Sunday. They became relate able, they earned street cred, they took a job position, a calling and lead by an example that required themselves. Some would look down on the particular struggle, but that's the devil getting a foothold. I've been been more grateful and blessed to be part of a church body than I was today.  I have been going to church for 17 years off and on in my life and this is easily in the top 5 of sermons I've heard. I've been blessed to hear Godly informational , challenging, compassionate, convicting messages by the likes of Rick Atchley and Prentice Meador.

When Jen Hatmaker said when one persona puts the mask down, another dozen feel safe to do so as well, she spoke beautiful freeing truth.

A few gems from the notes I took this morning. Man, I have missed being able to take notes in church with three small children. When we share only the successes with each other we become competitors. When we share the failures, we become brothers and sisters.  What you repress by day, will haunt you by night. So we deal with our ghosts, by first confessing them to God (1 John 1:9). That offers forgiveness, the healing comes when we second, confess them to each other. (James 5:16)
Collin reminded us that Yes, the truth will set you free, but first it tends to make you miserable. Confession to another breaks the power of sin. Satan deals powerfully in isolation and secrecy. We are only as sick as our secrets. I agree when he said that we all want to be both fully known and fully loved. Revealing those struggles will cause the vast majority to respect you more, not less. and that freedom or confession leaders to a life with out fear. No one else will have the power to out you. You've confessed it and on your own terms.

What I forgot to mention about last week's sermon is there was suit cases around the auditorium with small pencils and pieces of paper. We were invited to get up and write down our baggage and place them in the cases. We chose whether to put our name on the note or not. What I wrote down was "fear of abandonment and rejection"