Wake Up and Rise Up

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Southeast Christian Church

Apr 12, 2023

Oftentimes, there are some things or situations in your life that Jesus is trying to use, out of his love for you, to get your attention and wake you up. No one wants to be shaken awake from a deep sleep, but if somebody is asleep in a building and the building is on fire, then you shake them awake because that’s what you have to do. It’s actually the loving thing to do. Maybe for you, this is what God's Word is trying to do in your life right now.

Maybe you're pretending like everything is okay in your marriage, but it's not okay, and you need to get some help. You need to be honest with yourself and you need to cry out to God. He can help you, but you can't keep sleeping. Or maybe you need to have somebody grab you by the shoulders and tell you this struggle you've had has become an addiction. You don't see it but everybody around you sees it, and you keep saying you can quit whenever you want to, but you can't. If you could, you would've by now, but you don't have the power. You need a different kind of power. You need the power of the resurrection. Maybe you are missing a window with your kids that you are not going to get back. You keep telling yourself there's going to be time, but you're not going to get these years back, and your kids desperately need an example of someone who's following Jesus.

You need somebody to grab you by the shoulders, shake you, and say, “You're living like this life is all there is. You’re living like you're not going to stand before God one day. You're living like there's no eternity – that there's no Heaven and there's no Hell.” But there is Heaven, and there is Hell. Jesus actually emphasized and warned about Hell more than he emphasized Heaven, describing it weeping and gnashing of teeth and place of ultimate turmoil. Jesus desires everyone to reach Heaven and we, as his followers, are to help accomplish this desire on Earth by spreading the good news.

Reflection/Discussion Question: When have you had to be shaken awake by someone in the past?

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Growing in Faith

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This is a wake up call for my spiritual fruit. Spring is here time to blossom