North Shore Christian Fellowship

"Ever had one of those crazy-busy days trying to finish odds and ends? We struggle to find something for our kids to wear amongst the Kool-Aid stained shirts in their closets. We pick up all of the superheroes who have been saving the world on the living room floor even though we know they will magically reappear in the next five minutes. We’ve got to rustle up something for dinner and realize we haven’t been to the grocery store this week. What scraps and bits of food can be... thrown together to feed our families? Then we pop open social media. Big mistake. We see beautiful children in their spotless, freshly pressed, fashionable outfits. We notice homes that look like they popped out of magazines. And we behold Top Chefworthy meals being set before kiddos who seem to happily eat their veggies. Instead of feeling joy and happiness for friends, we begin comparing and start to think we’re just not good enough. Our vision of life is reduced to thinking about the things we lack. How we don’t quite measure up. Comparison is the internal measuring tape we carry in our back pocket. We use it to measure our deficiencies against the best qualities we see in others, and we fall short. Or we pull it out to measure our successes against the weaknesses of someone else, and we fly high. If we allow it residence, comparison will occupy and fill space in our minds with thoughts that limit our potential and hold us back. Instead of looking at everything God has made each of us to be, we can get laser-focused on the achievements and talents of someone else. That can lead to us hating ourselves for everything we're not, doubt of our self- worth and believing the lie that we aren’t good enough. In the comparison game, there are no winners. Comparison kills contentment. We aren’t responsible to make sure to measure up to the people around us. We're responsible to do the creative best we can with our own lives. To take the gifts, talents, strengths, and purpose we’ve been given and to do our best to use it for God’s glory. So stop comparing your life to another’s, and start focusing your thoughts on Jesus. Your name is Confident." -You Version My name is victorious

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.I will decla...re the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. -Psalm 2:1-12 See more

"Ever felt worthless? Ever felt like a grungy cast off? Ever felt like an inexpensive piece of junk? Ever felt too banged up, too messed up, or too beat up to have any value? I know I have. But there are two things I’ve learned from my obsessive love of antique stores and flea markets that have convinced me of our value. First, the maker matters. We have the best craftsman in the universe! We were made by God. ... Look at Isaiah 64:6, We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. We are banged up, messed up and beat up. We may feel worthless, but we're valuable. Look at verse 8, And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. The maker of the universe crafted YOU. The One who had the creative vision to form the mountains and the valleys, the rivers and the canyons, the oceans and the plains creatively formed you as well. He chose the color of your eyes, the pigment of your skin, and the curl of your hair - or lack thereof. His fingerprints are on you. His signature is on your soul. You have value because your maker matters. The second lesson is that value is determined by what someone is willing to pay. Someone was willing to pay a great price for you. Someone was willing to pay the ultimate price for you. You are so valuable to Jesus that, according to Phil 2, He gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. He gave up His divine privileges as the son of God, humbled himself, and died an excruciating death. You are so valuable that He was mocked, beaten and nailed to a cross. You are so valuable that He defeated the grave so you could be reconciled with the Father. That’s the value you hold. Jesus has deemed you extremely valuable because he was willing to pay the price for you! You are not worthless. Your maker matters. Your value is determined by the great price Jesus was willing to pay. Your name is Valuable." -You Version My name is victorious