WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PURSUE - Sadell Bradley 9/30/2020

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD

PURSUE

Sadell Bradley

09/30/2020

"The Constitution only gives the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. " - Benjamin Franklin

PRAY. PROTEST. LAMENT. WORSHIP.

SUNDAY, October 4th, 2PM Pray. Protest. Lament in Washington Park The Warehouse Church joins with Mosaix Cincinnati. Invite your friends and family as we worship Jesus in an atmosphere of UNITY!

WAREHOUSE T-SHIRT FUN-RAISER

Got your Warehouse T-Shirt yet? For every T-Shirt sold, $10 will go to the Warehouse for Missions. Click here to purchase one of the many styles available. Our goal is to sell 500 T-Shirts to raise $5,000 for AV/Sound renovations in the lower level of our church, and to assist parents of CPS students. When you get your T-Shirt, post a photo! Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

In 2006, Will and Jaden Smith starred in an inspiring movie called the Pursuit of Happyness based on the life of Chris Gardner. Gardner, a salesman, goes through a series of misfortunes and financial stressors that alienate his wife and cause his economic collapse into homelessness. Despite his woes, Gardner has a gift of superior intellect. He meets a stock broker from Dean Witter, who gives him a job opportunity. Gardner displays an uncanny resilience as he goes through the stringent training. Once his foot is in the door, he takes risks, and endears himself to his clients and bosses. Gardner has the will to pursue his dream without giving up. PURSUE means- to follow something in order to catch it; to seek to attain or accomplish a goal over a long period. Gardner says, “The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists, and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted me to believe that I wasn't good enough, would be stilled.”

BABY STEPS COUNT TOO... "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand." Psalm 37:23-24 So often we desire and celebrate leaps and bounds but are dismissive of steps. Gardner told his son that the quest of dream pursuit is not just about long strides...baby steps count too! Every move we make in pursuit of what God has promised has worth and value. That series of little steps brings us closer to the finish line than we were before.

"I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become."

Through strong pursuit, Chris Gardner (left) became a multi-million dollar stock broker, eventually owning his own firm. Subsequently, he wrote a best-selling book and was the subject of a movie starring one of the foremost actors of our time. In the movie Gardner tells his son,"Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. Not even me.You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can't do something themselves, they're gonna tell you that you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period." Someone may have needed that today. I know I did.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - FORBEARANCE - Sadell Bradley 09/23/2020

WEDNESDAY'S WORD

FORBEARANCE

Sadell Bradley

09/23/2020

"We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop. " - Mahatma Gandhi

PRAY. PROTEST. LAMENT. WORSHIP.

SUNDAY, October 4th, 2PM Pray. Protest. Lament in Washington Park The Warehouse Church joins with Mosaix Cincinnati. Invite your friends and family as we worship Jesus in an atmosphere of UNITY!

WAREHOUSE T-SHIRT FUN-RAISER

Got your Warehouse T-Shirt yet? For every T-Shirt sold, $10 will go to the Warehouse for Missions. Click here to purchase one of the many styles available. Our goal is to sell 500 T-Shirts to raise $5,000 for AV/Sound renovations in the lower level of our church, and to assist parents of CPS students. When you get your T-Shirt, post a photo! Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

FORBEARANCE is a term that we usually hear used in banking. It means to refrain from exercising a legal right, especially enforcing the payment of a debt. We've heard it recently during COVID-19 as banks offered struggling families a mortgage forbearance - a solution that offers customers a temporary lower payment for up to six months to avoid foreclosure or a negative affect on their credit. We understand that you've lost a job, your income has declined, or you're unable to work due to an illness of your own or a family member. Instead of giving you a harsh penalty, we sympathize with your situation, and we are going to extend grace, mercy, and time for you to get back on your feet". Many have been helped by this intervention.

BEAR WITH ME, PLEASE! FORBEARANCE in relationships means patient self-control; restraint and tolerance. Forbearance is a term that is found several times in Scripture. The Greek, anecho - to hold up, to bear with, to endure, to have patience with, to suffer, to admit. to persist. It has the idea of completing a process, still bearing up even after going through the needed sequence or course of action. It means we are to make allowance for the faults of others and pardon them. Sometimes we'll give them time to make things right or even choose to suffer consequences or carry the burden of what is owed us, whether money or apologies. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12-15, "12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14And above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

'ONE ANOTHERING'

The Bible encourages the character developing practice of 'one anothering.' We are commanded to love one another, to forgive one another, to prefer and esteem one another better than ourselves. Paul admonishes in Ephesians 4, " 1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." We can choose not to be harsh in meting out judgments and penalties. We can be peacemakers who offer others much needed slack, especially in this time...as a mark of Christ's love and our newfound maturity.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PEACEMAKER- SADELL BRADLEY - 09/16/2020

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD 

PEACEMAKER

Sadell Bradley

09/16/2020

"Jesus said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' And I think a lot of people don't understand that there's a difference between a peace lover and a peacemaker. Everybody loves peace, but wearing jewelry around your neck and saying 'I love peace' doesn't bring it. " - Mike Huckabee

 

WORSHIP IN THE PARK!

THIS SUNDAY we will COME TOGETHER for Worship in Washington Park. Activities for Children begin at 11:30AM Worship begins at 12:00 NOON. 1230 Elm Street, Cincinnati OH 45202. If you happen to have a Warehouse T-Shirt, please wear it. Invite your friends and family as we worship Jesus and invite an atmosphere of UNITY!

WAREHOUSE T-SHIRT FUN-RAISER

Got your Warehouse T-Shirt yet? For every T-Shirt sold, $10 will go to the Warehouse for Missions. Click here to purchase one of the many styles available. Our goal is to sell 500 T-Shirts to raise $5,000 for AV/Sound renovations in the lower level of our church, and to assist parents of CPS students. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

A PEACEMAKER is a person who brings about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries. PEACE has many meanings: freedom from disturbance, tranquility, mental calm, serenity; a state or period in which there is no war; freedom from dispute or dissension between individuals or groups. When Jesus declares to his disciples in Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God," He used the word eirenopois which means one who bravely declares God's terms, which makes someone whole. He links the ability to bring an end to strife and division, promote unity, and leave everyone in one piece, a mark of identity. Those who have not just the ability but the willingness to engender peace will make a name for themselves...sons and daughters of God.

ARE YOU A PEACEMAKER OR A PEACE LOVER? As you look at your conversations, social media posts and interactions, especially in this tumultuous season, would others call you a peacemaker? There is indeed a difference between a peace lover and a peacemaker. For us to just say we enjoy peace-filled atmospheres is not enough. Peacemaking requires humility, and a willingness to risk yourself and your reputation to intervene and bring God's truth to combatant parties. Someone said there are always 3 sides to every story: your side, my side, and the LORD's side. Which are you really representing? Can Scripture support it? Paul wrote in Ephesians 4, "1I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, 3endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Have you been doing this lately?

WISDOM FROM ABOVE

James warns us that the tongue is hard to tame. It's like a fire, and delivers deadly poison. We bless God, then we curse people who are made in God's image with the same tongue. (James 3) It's as if PEACE, not to mention love, joy, meekness, gentleness, self control...were not the fruit of God's Spirit living within us. (Gal. 5

:22) We think we're right, and would rather be right than reconciled. James says, "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (vs. 17-18) Here's a challenge for the rest of 2020 and beyond, let's engage in speech and activity that affirms that we are Children of God.