New Creations | Thank you, That’s True!

Once in Youth Group, we were talking about compliments. We issued a fun challenge:  If someone gives you a compliment, you had to just say, “Thank you!” We realized our culture teaches us to be somewhat uncomfortable with compliments. To deflect or explain or change the subject. Someone’s intent to encourage us turns into an awkward exchange. That is so sad! So in our group, we started by taking some time to compliment each other and respond with a simple, “Thank you!” Then it got real, and we upped the ante. We had the kids respond to a compliment by saying, “Thank you, that’s true.” Wow, that was a challenge! Try it sometime!

We are so trained to see the lack, to see what’s missing, to use a lens that compares and comes up short – especially in regards to ourselves. This is a reflection of what we believe we are at the core, what our identity is.

Often in the City Salt Kids’ classes, we talk about our identity. Who we are. Who God created us to be.  We even have a list of verses that the state who God says we are, and we practice believing this about ourselves. It’s so fun to work with our Littles, because they have no problem believing what God says! They believe it about themselves, they believe it about each other, and they believe it about everyone. Easily.  

Around Middle School, this begins to change. This is a developmental time in a kiddo’s life, where their brains are actually beginning to be able to think differently about themselves and the world around them. And the world is sadly teaching them to not think much of themselves.

As we continue to grow, the world continues to beat this message into us doesn’t it? To compare ourselves to others, to never be enough, and even in the places we know we are good we aren’t allowed to share or talk about it, at the risk of sounding prideful.

It has been so fun to cover this topic in our woman’s bible study this session as well. We are going through a study by Kris Vallotton, called the Supernatural Ways of Royalty. We are taking a lot of time to look at who God says we are and what we believe about ourselves.  

The other week, we had a fun time with this quote from Kris Vallotton:

“You are not what you think you are, and you are not what others think you are, but you become what you think the most important person in your life thinks of you.”  -KV

This is so easy to see in my kids’ lives. For example, my third grader loves to play basketball. It just is a part of him.  In the house, he will shoot a Nerf basketball at a plastic hoop for hours, playing out whole games in his head.  This year, as he started playing on a team, we noticed he wasn’t taking a lot of shots. We encouraged him to shoot when he’s open, but he just didn’t seem to have the confidence. Finally, my husband had a brilliant insight.  He sat my son down and told him the truth – that he has a really good shot and he believed my son should take shots in the game. From the next game on, things were different. My son would shoot! He didn’t make them all, in fact not most of them, but he keeps shooting and he has a new confidence because he knows his Dad thinks he has a good shot.

I think this principal applies to all of us, doesn’t it? The words that the important people in our lives have spoken over us, the words we have said over ourselves, the beliefs we have developed, all paint a picture of who we believe we are. And sadly, the picture we paint of ourselves is often way off from the one God paints of each of us. And God, our Dad, wants to sit us down and remind us who He says we are!

I heard it put this way once: You see a painting on the wall. If you insult the painting, you are also insulting the artist and the model. We are the painting, God is the artist, and Jesus was the model. And as our Creator, we get to renew our minds with what He says about us!

Romans 12:2 tells us that our outer transformation starts with changing our thoughts. We can begin to ask God how He sees us, and by spending time with Him and in the Word, we can begin to understand who we really are!  

The first step in believing what God says about us is to know what He says. In the Bible, in Ephesians 2:10, it says we are God’s handiwork. And 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us we are a new creation! What does that even mean? SO much! We are something brand new, never before seen creation that was created by God Himself! And who should we look to, for understanding of who we are? Of course, the Creator!

A crazy thing happens as we begin to see ourselves as God sees us. We also begin to see others as God sees them. Instead of being clogged up with comparison and self-protection, we can begin to have God’s eyes to see people as He made them and to call that out in them. As we realize we are deeply loved and have enough, we can pass that message on!  

Below is a list that we have been keeping with us in our Bible Study. It lists just some of the things that God says we are. If He says we are, we get to believe it! We have been practicing letting God talk to us through this list, and renewing our minds with how He sees us as new creations! Not perfect, but loved!  

My challenge to myself, and to you if you’d like, is to do the same. Let your Dad, Father God, talk to you about who you are. Let Him define how you see yourself and see others. You see, He has His A-team players in the game and He wants to give us the confidence that He loves us and believes in us!  John 13:34 tells us Jesus said, “A new command I give to you: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” As we receive and realize who God created us to be and how much He loves us, we will have the ability to love others as He loves us! So good!

ACTIVATION:
Take some time to read through the list below.
Are there some that it is easy to believe about yourself?  Some that are harder?

Ask God if there are any of these elements of your identity He wants to talk to you about. Take some time to look up the verses, journal about these with God, declare them over yourself. See how this begins to give you a lens to see these things in the people around you as well!

I am wonderfully made.  (Psalm 139:14)
I am blessed.  (Ephesians 1:3)
I am complete.  (Colossians 2:10)
I am accepted.  (Ephesians 1:6)
I am loved.  (Jeremiah 31:3)
I am delightful.  (Zephaniah 3:17)
I am forgiven. (Ephesians 1:7)
I am victorious.   (Philippians 4:13))
I am beautiful.  (Psalm 45:11)
I am more than a conqueror.  (Romans 8:37)
I am chosen.  (Colossians 3:12)
I am holy.  (Colossians 3:12)
I am dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12)
I am God’s handiwork.  (Ephesians 2:10)
I am worth fighting for.  (Exodus 14:14)
I am healed.  (Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24)
I am worth it.  (Romans 5:6-8)
I am set free.  (Galatians 5:1 and Romans 8:12)
I am a new creation.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I am royalty.  (1 Peter 2:9)
I am God’s daughter/son.  (Galatians 3:26 and John 1:12)

And as we walk in that confidence, know who He is and who we are, it is contagious and His light will shine through us!

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About the Author

Pam Sand is a fun and encouraging team-builder that brings the best to those around her.  She loves young people and is committed to serving and mentoring kids with opportunities to grow closer to God and each other.  She joined our staff team in 2012 and oversees the ministry of ages from birth to eighth grade. Pam and her husband, Jared, have been married since 2005 and have three boys.

New Creations | Living a New Creation Journey

Ephesians 5: Walk in Love
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…”

We are living a predestined life journey, yet we determine our own journey both at the same time. Our life stories become full of pivotal choices, slight adjustments, unexpected opportunity and events that happen to us. We live in this web of events and wonder about God’s plan for us while we debate what choices to make in our lives. The complexity of how one event effects and responds to other events is often beyond our comprehension.

I am so grateful to the Lord for my husband. He was the final blessing in my life that revealed the truth of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I had been searching off and on since my grandfather passed away when I was 14. My grandfather was a very spiritual man toward the end of his life and had opened a Christian book store. I was so intrigued by his faith. I am sure he prayed often, because I could sense the peace and power in the places he had spent his time, even after he passed.

I continued to explore through high school and then faded off in college. When I met my husband, it wasn’t his detailed knowledge of what the bible said that impressed me most, but his unwavering conviction of a biblical truth and the one true God. He spoke about God like he was a true friend, a role-model, someone or a concrete something that he looked up to, truly loved and depended on. Through my husband’s faith, I had found what I was looking for!

A couple years later I was baptized. It was such a simple adjustment, yet so deep and profound all at the same time. We continued to be part of our amazing church community until we packed up and moved out of the country. During the years leading up to our move, I joined as many bible studies as I could with two small children and continued my journey in faith. A theme in one of these bible studies was how God gave us the freedom to choose. CHOICE is on my mind a lot.

I am amazed at how God guides us and is always there for us, while at the same time allowing that space for us to CHOOSE HIM. It is the most perfect balance of love, intention and strength. As a parent, the love we have for our children drives a desire for their freedom, independence and joy. We intentionally weave around them trying to put in place all the right steps and opportunities that will lead them through this journey safe and fulfilled. Yet it takes so much strength not to pull them away from wrong choices and force them into a safe bubble. We persist, knowing that there is usually little joy in a life chosen for us.

I imagine God must have to redirect new opportunities for me all the time! As I wander off, how does He so gently guide me back? His power is so great that there can exist a predestined plan for me, all while providing space for me to choose for myself, what God has already set out for me. My husband was put in front of me, in an unexpected place, at an unexpected time, yet I still needed to choose to speak to him, to listen to him and to decide to join him in this life journey.

A concept tricky to comprehend, until we understand that this path laid out for us is the only choice that will truly fulfill us; it is the path carefully and lovingly formed by our Creator. All we need to do is choose God.

The amazing beauty in all of it is that God truly is in control, and he has offered us redemption and the Holy Spirit so that we have a constant guide as we choose to follow in His light. To be honest, this is still not completely comprehensible to me, but it shouldn’t be! God is so amazing and I embrace the AWE-someness of it all. This most amazing God has laid out a web of events that is and will be our journey, we have the freedom to choose within that and The Holy Spirit lives within us and is our guide. I find this so beautiful and so real. It’s a never ending, awe-inspiring concept for me. Maybe that’s because we’ve chosen a spontaneous, nomadic lifestyle… or was this always God’s plan for me?

Ephesians 5:8-14
“... 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

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About the Author

Leona Abrahao is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

New Creations | The Side Door

Escape rooms seem to be “a thing” right now. You get with some friends, pay your money, then are locked in a room with only your collective wits and an hour to escape. That may sound claustrophobic for some, but for me the strategy, challenge and group interaction seems appealing (I haven’t done one yet).

Fictional games are one thing because we know we have an out. But wiggling around in our real-life tight spaces is another story. We believers are indeed new creations, and all things do become new. But much of this change doesn’t just happen - easily or quickly. It needs to be worked out.

The mystery and a frustrated effort in a hard life circumstance can make us feel helpless and alone, caught in a whirlpool of fear, anxiety and even depression. Not knowing what to do is hard, and reaching out for help - perhaps even harder.

Beyond finding the way out, we typically also want to know the WHY of it all. There are always lessons to be learned - a revelation tailor-made just for us, but seldom within our best time frame, right?

Recently, in the midst of an “escape room” situation (though not the fun and games kind), I heard the Lord whisper to me in my frustration and despair. He said, “You won’t find the way out right now, but I will give you a side door”.

“What?”

He continued: “I am not asking you to solve all this by yourself, but I do need a response to my direction. Your side door is your point of response - something to DO as an act of obedience”. Even though he wasn’t offering “an escape” from my problems, I said yes.

I realized that my Lord and I are a team, but there is plenty that I just can’t handle, let alone have the vision and understanding for. He does the very difficult, and I respond by helping and not getting in between Him and the ultimate solution. Specific actions right now, and “ah ha” moments of understanding will follow.

So let’s look for His side door for us. It’s not a way out, but a way through!

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About the Author

Terry Sheldon is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

New Creations | The World is About to Turn

Ordinary Time. That’s what the Church calls these long weeks after Epiphany (the last hurrah of Christmas) and before Lent. The Savior has arrived, the Creator of the whole world is among us, incarnated in flesh and blood and bone…so now what? What are we to make of that space in between? Do we sit back and wait, or is there something deeply compelling and convicting about Ordinary Time, which is really not so “ordinary” at all?

In Luke 2:22-32, we read about Jesus’ presentation at the Temple, which took place forty days after his birth. Deeply faithful, and poor, Jesus’ parents bring him and two small birds to present to the priest. At the temple, they encounter Simeon, who the gospel writer describes as “righteous and devout…waiting for the consolation of Israel.” The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah.

“Moved by the Spirit, [Simeon] went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’”

Later in his life and ministry, Jesus would encounter extreme resistance from the religious establishment. This God enfleshed didn’t look like the Savior expected by Israel. Instead of a mighty Messiah who would emancipate the Jewish people from the Roman occupation, Jesus turned out to be a wandering teacher who broke the Law, consorted with rejects on the far margins of society, and disavowed the long-held acceptability of violent retaliation.

We get a glimpse of what the radical life and ministry of Jesus will hold in Mary’s spontaneous song of praise upon her visit to Elizabeth. Her son will be the one who scatters the proud, brings down the powerful from their thrones, lifts up the lowly, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty (Luke 1:46-55). I wonder if she wasn’t quite the naïve farm girl we often portray her to be.

For those of us in the global north, this first Ordinary Time starts in the dead of winter. Days are short, dark, and cold, and it’s easy to succumb to the temptation to let the prophetic imagination hibernate. In the last few years, I have located a profound sense of hope, of surpassing joy, in this song, inspired by Mary’s own hymn of praise more than two thousand years ago. “From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone. Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne. The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn; There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn.”

Nothing we can do will bring about the Kingdom of God. But perhaps one great opportunity of Ordinary Time is to sit with the fantastic reality that God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and showed us how to live in this brand new world…our world…a world into which the Kingdom of God has broken, but has not yet been fully realized. And what does that living look like?

Humility. Lament. Fidelity. Justice. Mercy. Peacemaking. Turning the other cheek. The pursuit of righteousness. Loving our enemies. Relationships before ritual. Giving to everyone who begs from you. And on, and on. Because the world has begun to turn.

Canticle of the Turning
Words by Rory Cooney

My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the one who waits.
You fixed your sight on the servant's plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

Refrain:
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears,
For the dawn draws near,
And the world is about to turn.

Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me.
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn.

From the halls of power to the fortress tower,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
every tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
These are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn.

Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God's mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise that holds us bound,
'Til the spear and rod be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around.

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About the Author

Sarah Withrow King is the author of Vegangelical: How Caring for Animals Can Shape Your Faith (Zondervan, 2016) and Animals Are Not Ours (No, Really, They’re Not): An Evangelical Animal Liberation Theology (Cascade Books, 2016). She spends her days working for Evangelicals for Social Action and CreatureKind, helping Christians put their faith into action. She lives in Eugene with her husband, son, and animal companions and enjoys action movies, black coffee, the daily crossword, and dreaming of her next international journey.

New Creations | Fresh Start

The longer I live the more I enjoy the New Year’s holiday. It reminds me of Christ’s life changing gifts of salvation and redemption. I treasure the privilege of a fresh start that allows to me to learn from past failures without condemnation. This gives me the freedom to grow into the new life that Christ gives me.

I had such an opportunity recently. I did much research to find the best company to move my 123 year old, 700 pound piano from storage to my home. I asked the 2-man team I’d hired to replace the old metal wheels with a newer rubber composite design.

The piano was levered onto blocks in the storage unit and I watched the two men remove the old screws and wheels. One of the screws broke off in the piano base meaning they would have to drill new holes for one wheel to accommodate the new wheel design. I bit my lip and resisted the urge to worry and complain as the process continued.

However, it soon became evident the new caster wheels would not click into the new wheel receptacles, which were already bolted into the piano base. I started to panic, questioning my choice of contractor. I felt a knot in my stomach and feared I was about to lose my temper.

A calming thought came into my mind guiding me to walk away from the unit and pray. As I prayed I looked up at the sky, and at a great height I saw a hawk gracefully and effortlessly soaring on the thermals. I realized that the same loving, Heavenly Father that keeps the hawk aloft will faithfully take care of me.

When I came back to the storage unit the moving contractor and his assistant were installing the last caster wheel into its receptacle. He told me the usual casters he liked to use were discontinued and these new wheels needed to be installed differently. He stated he just needed time to figure it out.

If had complained I would have missed out on seeing how God faithfully provided me with a highly knowledgeable and experienced moving contractor. The man explained to me that wood, as it ages becomes harder, and that it was not unusual for screws to snap off in old wood. He and his assistant then skillfully moved my piano into my home. I smile when I see it in my living room, remembering the lesson learned.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV  
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

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About the Author

Sara Gore has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”

New Creations | Dogged Obedience

If you’ve ever owned a dog, you know what a wonderful source of love and companionship they can be. Most of the dogs I’ve owned, however, could not be trusted off leash in community situations. We did have the honor of enjoying a big yellow Lab in our family for 14 years and Ollie was one of those dogs that could be relied on to behave (tennis balls and squirrels notwithstanding). Our current dog; Sadie, is sweet and gentle but sadly has earned a short leash existence.  It is a beautiful thing to see a dog that can operate without the need for constant supervision… a dog who can be counted on to do exactly what the master has trained it to do and not wander off to do whatever those other, unwise dogs, might do. Dusty has mentioned their dog Hammy in this context. If I recall correctly, Hammy lost many an opportunity to do enjoyable things with the family because he just could not be trusted to be obedient.

An analogy can be made to our human experience. As we acquire knowledge and learn to apply what we’ve learned it can look a lot like ‘Wisdom’.  But what does it look like when apply our hard earned wisdom?  I believe it looks a lot like ‘Obedience’. Knowledge is to wisdom as wisdom is to obedience.

Wisdom is the application of knowledge
Obedience is the application of wisdom.
~Anonymous

I heard this phrase a decade or so ago and it has stayed in that little corner of my brain reserved for the profound. I first understood that this quote was attributed to Solomon but find that this is not included among Solomon’s writings in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Song of Solomon. In any case, as I grow older, it is becoming increasingly clear that this progression from knowledge to wisdom and then on to obedience is vital in our journey to understand and carry out God’s will in our lives.

John 14:23
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

The word obedience often carries a negative connotation as it is often perceived as conflicting with our independence or free will. Mandated obedience is not what I am talking about here. If someone tells us that we have to do this or can’t do that, it just makes (many of) us want to do the opposite. We can certainly learn about obedience through the consequences mandated by the mortal authorities in our lives. However, wouldn’t it be great if we could move beyond the need for negative consequences toward the kind of obedience that occurs naturally through wisdom: Obedience that springs forth from our hearts because we have wisdom enough to understand that doing God’s will enlarges our ability to be independent and gives focus to our free choice.

God does not operate by leashing us until we prove we can be trusted. God instead provides us with opportunity, every moment, to be a New Creation… to apply our wisdom as a new being obedient by nature because we trust God enough to let go of our old selves as he refines our knowledge into wisdom and our wisdom into obedience.

Thank you Lord for the gift of free will that I may choose to obey your teachings. Please help me understand Your vision for my life and provide the power to carry out Your will through beautiful obedience.  Amen.

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About the Author

Joseph Scheyer was born in Pendleton, Oregon. He attended the University of Oregon from which he graduated in 1979.  He then served as a medic in the US Air Force.

Joseph has been married to the same woman for 38 years and they have four awesome children. He has enjoyed careers in forestry, education and software and currently is a substitute teacher and loving it! Joseph gives his time working with our kids’ ministry and helps out in Sunday worship by running the video screen when asked.

New Creations | “Through My Savior’s Eyes”

Have you ever thought you would like to be part of something and then said to yourself, What I was thinking?

I do this a lot. Like when I went to a CitySalt blogger meeting last month. After the meeting, I didn’t think about it again until I received notice that it was my turn to write. That’s when I thought, Oh, no! What was I thinking? My topic was a new creation…

2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” the Bible says. “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”.

When I received Jesus as a child, I became a new creation. I have been that “new creation” for about 51 years. But for countless years, I did not know what or how to be the person that my God created me to be. And I did not understand why I couldn’t be who I thought I should be or who I thought I ought to be. Then I learned that abuse can keep a person from understanding that they are created in God’s image. The abuse I suffered as a child, the abuse and betrayal I suffered as an adult, and some of my own choices had made it impossible to be who I thought God wanted me to be.

Now I know it is important to see people and myself through my Savior’s eyes. This was a lesson I learned when Mr. B came into my life. At 27 months, “they” said he tested as a nine-month-old, and I was told that gap would likely never change. I can remember holding him in my arms, praying to God. I would say; “My Jesus, I want him to be who You created him to be. Please, Lord, I do not want what the world has done to him to be who he becomes. I just want him to be who You created him to be, no matter what that looks like.

Slowly he began to talk. I taught him that I loved him and that he could trust me. I taught him that Jesus loved him. I taught him how to run to me when he was afraid or in pain instead of running from me.

Today, instead of listening to the words of people who say that I try hard but I can’t do anything right...I have no talent...I am stupid—I could go on and on with this list but I will not—these days, at almost 65, I listen to what my Jesus says: I am loved, I am chosen; I am His bride; I can trust in MY Jesus when I am afraid (Psalms 56:3), and I am a new creation.

I realize that being the creation my God intended me to be is a lifetime mission. As I take the hand of my Jesus and walk in who He has created me to be, I am beginning to see me as Jesus sees me. Just like Mr. B, I need to know that I can trust Jesus and that He loves me. I need to know that He wants me to talk to Him even if it starts with just a few words. Lastly, I need to run to my Jesus when I am hurt or in pain and allow Him to heal that hurt with His love. And when my journey is done here on earth and I enter into my Jesus’ arms, I will be a COMPLETE NEW CREATION.

Psalm 56:3
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

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About the Author

Sara-Etha Schnieder will tell you, “My Jesus is my very best Friend.”
Sara has worked for Lane Community College for over 20 years and has been a member of CitySalt (SouthHills) Church from the very first service. She co-leads the Women’s 242 group that meets the 3rd Friday of every Month from September to June. She is a proud mother of 4 children and has 13 grandchildren who she dearly loves.
Following a year of multiple health issues she created a “to-do” Celebration List because she feels blessed to be alive! This year she hopes to be able to cross parasailing off that list.