This coming year we will focus our attention to the idea of pursuing holiness, but pursuing God. The word for our theme is “Elevate.” This word was chosen to remind us that we elevate God, Jesus, Spirit, and Kingdom in all situations. The tag line is, “The Pursuit of God.” When we choose to elevate God, we are choosing to pursue Him. And because of His great love for us, God is always pursuing His people as well. So, we will choose to keep in front of us the idea of elevating God and so a holy pursuit begins.
Below are a few thoughts from scripture about the idea of elevate and the pursuit of God. And following those thoughts are some ideas we have of how we can put our thoughts and prayers into action. We look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback. Blessings for 2014!
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
-Deuteronomy 6:4-9
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, the first two sentences above were his reply. This may have been one of the few times that those in power agreed with him. The Israelites took this command very seriously and still today this command of God is passed down from one generation to the next. This phrase from Deuteronomy is known as the “Shema.” This beginning of the most recited Jewish prayer was so important that it is also found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This one phrase put away the doubt of who God is and how we should respond. God is one. He is the only God. He wasn’t saying that He was the only god we should have in our life. He was saying that He was the only god that existed. That means He is God, with a capital “G.” Due to this text we have become monotheistic (only one God). This began with Israel into the time of Christ, to the apostles, and through the years to today. Our response to the one true and only God is that we should love Him with our entire being. Basically, God pursued a people he chose connected to the beginning of creation and in return asks for them to pursue Him with our whole self. We don’t offer God only our heart or just our actions, but with every desire, passion, posture, and thought. And it makes sense, because He is the one and only God!
Below are a few thoughts from scripture about the idea of elevate and the pursuit of God. And following those thoughts are some ideas we have of how we can put our thoughts and prayers into action. We look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback. Blessings for 2014!
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
-Deuteronomy 6:4-9
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, the first two sentences above were his reply. This may have been one of the few times that those in power agreed with him. The Israelites took this command very seriously and still today this command of God is passed down from one generation to the next. This phrase from Deuteronomy is known as the “Shema.” This beginning of the most recited Jewish prayer was so important that it is also found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This one phrase put away the doubt of who God is and how we should respond. God is one. He is the only God. He wasn’t saying that He was the only god we should have in our life. He was saying that He was the only god that existed. That means He is God, with a capital “G.” Due to this text we have become monotheistic (only one God). This began with Israel into the time of Christ, to the apostles, and through the years to today. Our response to the one true and only God is that we should love Him with our entire being. Basically, God pursued a people he chose connected to the beginning of creation and in return asks for them to pursue Him with our whole self. We don’t offer God only our heart or just our actions, but with every desire, passion, posture, and thought. And it makes sense, because He is the one and only God!
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