I am Unashamed About What I Love

Y’all. I love this series. I could seriously write about each message from Wonderlife. Really. It is that good. 

Wonderlife is simply good for the soul. It’s a weekly reminder that God is our number one cheerleader. I wrote on the blog last week about how you need to start getting excited about YOU and what God has in store for your life. Out of all the Wonderlife messages, I think that this one was my favorite – especially since it goes with the whole YOU ARE AWESOME theme. 

Image from Cross Point Church

There are two questions that get asked at the start of each Wonderlife series.  Number one: Who am I? Number Two: Why am I here? Really, this is exactly what the Wonderlife workbook is all about. I know because it says it on the front cover “a not-so-perfect guide to who you are and why you’re here”.

This particular message is focused more on the “why am I here” and how we are all equipped with a passion that God has put on our hearts. The struggle is that some of us tend to feel shame over what it is we want to do because of the critics in our world. We allow those critics to shape us instead of allowing God to mold us into the person He wants us to become. 

Image from Cross Point Church

In the workbook, there is a quote from Jon Acuff that I have just fallen in love with it. He warns us to “stop giving haters speaking roles in the movie of our life. They are just extras.” Because of those haters, we start doing the things we feel like we are supposed to do instead of doing what WE—what YOU—want to do. 

"Whatever your hand finds you to do, do it with all your might.” – Ecclesiastes 9:10

So now you know that you should never feel ashamed about what you are passionate about. God has placed that passion on your heart for a reason. But, what next? What if your dream isn’t God’s will?

This part really got me.

For some of us we think that God’s will should be revealed to us in fancy bright lights, as if one day you will be walking down the street and suddenly the movie theater sign will read “[Insert your name here], your will is to be…” and then we will have it all figured out. But that’s not how God’s will works.

In 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, it says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

Image from Val Marie Paper

The message goes on to talk about how we allow the “fear” of making a wrong choice paralyze us from doing what we love.

The past year, I have felt that way about my dream. There are days where the thought that I might not have all the puzzle pieces in the correct spot at the perfect time would literally send me into a fit of tears. It is almost as if I put a deadline on my dream – like if I didn’t have the next steps figured out by summer, then I would have to wait another year for it to come true. So, when Pete said to us, “You don’t have to think for a moment that God burdens us down with the task of trying to figure out the direction of your life ahead of time[,]” the weight of that so called deadline just lifted in a way.

Your dreams don’t have deadlines. There are no wrong decisions. Everything you are doing right now is part of God’s plan for you. In every event that has happened, or will happen, or you hope to happen – God will have a hand in all of it. So, as you go out to chase YOUR passion, remember that it is on your heart for a reason. And God is cheering you on the entire way.

Unwavering Faithfulness

Photo from Cross Point Church

It is a difficult concept to grasp- realizing that God is always there for us. No matter what.

It is also difficult to understand that people will fail us.  It’s inevitable.  

For years, I have heard about God’s unwavering faithfulness. And while I knew that in my heart, I am not sure I totally accepted it. To be honest, I am not sure that I will ever be able to fully grasp it. I am human. When I first heard this message, I remember walking out of church with a sense of peace, and eyes full of joyful tears.

I personally hold a lot of trust in people… probably too much trust. This has frequently led to heartbreak. It has been an issue that I have had to work through for a long time.

I chose God’s unwavering faithfulness as the message for at the first Sunday in the Shed.  In this message, we are told that people will fail us, churches will fail us, and organizations will fail us; yet, we are still okay because God will never fail us. I’ll admit, a light bulb went off after hearing that. Like, news flash, Taylor Ann – people are going to let you down.  They are humans after all.

As a teacher, putting kids in timeout is part of the job.  When it happens, you should see the kids’ faces. It is painful to watch them get upset with themselves and know that they have disappointed you. It makes me want to say, “Oh ok, its fine, don’t cry. You only have to sit out 4 minutes instead of 5.” But even though their pitiful faces and crocodile tears absolutely destroy my heart, I can’t give in or they will never learn. But the one thing they know is that I always love them. Even when I am upset with them, I tell them that it is only because I love them. I wouldn’t waste my time dealing with a meltdown if I didn’t want them to grow from their mistakes.

It’s the same thing with God. He isn’t necessarily going to make us sit in time-out for 5 minutes during recess, and he isn’t going to punish us either when we make a mistake. He is, however, always going to love us. No matter what, he will always be faithful to us.

This message walks you through that kind of thinking and does a great job explaining God’s relationship with you. I highly recommend watching the whole OMG series, but if you are going to catch just one, or share just one, this is my favorite.

Photo from Cross Point Church

In my opinion, the end of the message is the best part.  It’s also the part that had me wishing that Cross Point would keep a small box of tissues under each seat! I am not going to give it away because I want you to experience it for yourself. Hopefully, it will be a message that you will want to share at your own Sunday in the Shed. 

Is it Sunday yet?

The history of Sunday in the Shed

Earlier this year, we had a crazy snow storm that left most Nashvillians trapped in their homes for the weekend. We got out of school for two whole days, leaving us with a four-day weekend. It was glorious. There was so much snow that churches even cancelled their services and encouraged members to stream the service from home. Our church went a step further.  It encouraged us to invite people to our home to watch the service that day -- an idea that seemed so simple, yet had never crossed my mind. 

Of course, that simple suggestion sparked an idea of something more in this brain of mine. I could see the movie reel playing in my head as the idea unfolded. Suddenly, Sunday in the Shed was born, and I am so excited about it's future. 

I love my church. Being there on Sunday mornings is the best part of my week. But not everyone loves my church, and I am aware of that. I don't need these people to fall in love with my church. I want them to fall in love with the peace God offers.  Falling in love with a church would then be the inevitable next step.

God should be talked about in every situation, but sometimes you might not always feel comfortable including him. You also might not feel comfortable inviting that friend, co-worker or even family member with you to church. Mostly because you probably feel like they won't want to come. But inviting them to your house...now thats a different story. 

So I thought, why not throw a party at your house, invite some people over, make sure there is food (people always come if there is food), and watch a church service. Give yourself an opportunity for those relationships to grow, while including God in on the fun.

Why the name "Sunday in the Shed"?

I picked Sunday because I have this vision of my readers and their friends getting together on a Sunday afternoon. Grilling out, having some chips and dip, and learning together about how great is our God. I hope that it will spark conversation and community in such an effortless and comfortable way.  

But if Sunday doesn't work for you and your crew, then choose another day. Call it Tuesday in the Treehouse if you want. 

I picked The Shed because this doesn't have to be a fancy thing. If you are hosting a Sunday in the Shed, you don't have to cook a bunch of fancy appetizers you found on Pinterest, or make your house look like it just came out of a Pottery Barn catalog. The point is to keep it comfortable.  

I also picked "The Shed" because it is where I will be hosting my first ever Sunday in the Shed. We have this random building in our backyard that the previous owners turned into a "man cave."  We have since added couches, a TV, and even a ping pong table -- all making for a perfect place for community and fellowship. 

"The Shed"

How I'm here to help

Each week, starting the first week of April 2016, I will find and review a church service for you to share with "your people."  All you will have to do is come to this page and share the lesson. I am a member of Cross Point Church in Nashville, so a majority of my posts will come from there. But expect to see lots of different messages and series from amazing people across the country. 

Sunday in the Shed is something you can host monthly, weekly, or just one time. The point is to help you grow in your relationship with God while being a guiding light for others. Isn't that the whole point of being a Christian anyway? Spreading the news of the love of God?