Date: March 4th 2010

One of the best things about being a follower of Jesus is this: I can know that despite my sins, faults and failures, I am accepted by the Father. I am his beloved child. He doesn’t extend that kind of grace to me based on what I have done. He extends it because of what Jesus has done and my faith in Jesus. He looks at me through the lens of Jesus and what he sees is that I am his child, loved and accepted by him.

When we understand and live out of that kind of grace, it is a remarkable thing. We experience joy and freedom and energy. So it is no surprise that the Evil One would attack us on that point. His voice tells us we are worthless, beyond God’s love and acceptance. His desire is that we would give in to doubts and discouragement as to how God feels about us. He knows that if he can win this battle in our mind and heart, we will become joyless and weak followers of Jesus.

Last week we continued in the "Gear Up" series by looking at the breastplate of righteousness. What Paul is teaching us is that our protection from Satan's attacks that call us to question God's love lies in the righteousness of Jesus. When he tells us we are worthless, we need to listen to the Father's voice that we are loved through Jesus.

How are you doing in that part of the battle? If you know Jesus, do you live in full confidence of your forgiveness? Do you sense the Father's smile when he looks at you? Do you know that he loves you, even at your worst moments?

When I give in to the voice of the Evil One on this point, I often go back to the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:10-24. Take some time today to read this and notice how the Dad in this parable responds to his wayward son. The Dad here is a picture of our Heavenly Father. Let the story remind and assure you of God's love for you through Jesus.

If you missed last weekend's message, you can watch or listen by going to www.ehills.org. This weekend we will go to Ephesians 6:15 and take a look at what Paul says about putting on the shoes of peace.

Last weekend I also did an update and challenge about our Stewardship Campaign. We are down to the last 4 months and want to finish strong. If you missed it, you can watch it by going to the resources page and clicking on the Stewardship Campaign update. If you are on our mailing list, you will also receive a letter about this in the mail.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend.

Blessings,
Pastor Shawn

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