Good morning everyone! I hope yall had a great week! I unfortunately had to cancel today’s coffee and Bible zoom call. I find another time for us to get together in fellowship this weekend or week. Enjoy your weekend and I look forward to getting together soon :)

If you know the story of Ezekiel, the Israelites have once again, turned their backs on God and have done A LOT of bad things. They have completely forgotten who God is and His ways, and have taken on the ways of the surrounding pagan nations. Obviously, God gives consequences to the Israelites for their disobedience (you can get a great explanation in this Bible Project Guide), but in Ezekiel 36:22-23 it says, “Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight." God still chooses to lift them up as a nation, not because of who they are, but because God wants everyone around them to KNOW that He is Lord. God is upholding His end of the covenant that he made with Israel to honor HIS holy name. So yes, we do not deserve God's grace. We do not deserve His blessings. We can never earn it, but that is kind of the whole point. We could never measure up, yet God still chooses to give us grace and sent His only son to be reconnected to us. When we get something we do not deserve, we HAVE to give all glory back to God. That is a beautiful redemption story 💜

These are some of my favorite quotes from my pastor at Hope Church this past weekend. How often do we only praise God when our circumstances are good? Yet, because He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, we have hope beyond this life on Earth. Jesus lowered himself to a human form (Philipians 2:5-9) to take our on shame, guilt, brokenness, and sin to give us life. That alone is worth praising and having a heart of gratitude. Now any inconvenience, any trial, any heartbreak , and any pain that we experience is temporary. We get to join Him in heaven when we leave Earth. You might think - how can I praise God when my life is falling apart? When nothing is woking out? Everyone else has left me? I have been abused. The doors to opportunities are being shut in my face. I look back on the rock bottom of my life, and can now see.... He was there all along. He has always been faithful (Psalm 119:90). He has restored me (Isaiah 61:7). He has called me His friend (John 15:15). He has crowned me with glory and honor (Psalms 8:5-6). This sermon was a friendly reminder of how good God is, even in the midst of our negative circumstances. From @hopechurchnc on YouTube. Episode - The Life Of David | A Heart Of Thanksgiving & Gratefulness

Here is a quick video and encouraging word on battling discouragement. I hope ya'll have a great weekend and stay warm! ☕️ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WECxb5XacAgru2mJTC4bg5TeMRllHPdk/view?usp=sharing