Friday nights

Are You Exhausted Spiritually?

Exhaustion means that our vital energies are completely worn out and spent. Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but of service. Whether or not you experience exhaustion will depend on where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter, "Feed My sheep," but He gave him nothing with which to feed them (John 21:17). The process of being made broke bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other people's souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you completely-to the very last drop. But be careful to replenish your supply, or you will quickly be utterly exhausted. Until others learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply, until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We out it to God to our best for His lambs and sheep, as well as for Him.

Have you delivered yourself over to exhaustion because of the way you have been serving God? If so, then renew and rekindle your desires and affections. Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies. You have no right to complain, "O Lord, I am so exhausted." He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. "All my springs are in you." (Psalm 87:7).

'The everlasting God... neither faints nor is weary." Isaiah 40:28

by Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest

Barn Party, Corn Maze and Baby Camden

Baby Camden Payne Oakley (my cousin's first little boy)

BARN PARTY and QUEST "Corn Mazin' It!"

The Cost of Nondiscipleship by Dallas Willard (from The Spirit of Disciplines)

"When Jesus walked among humankind there was a certain simplicity to being a disciple. Primarily it meant to go with him, in an attitude of study, obedience, and imitation. There were no correspondence courses. One know what to do and what it would cost. Simon Peter exclaimed: "Look, we've left everything for long periods to go with Jesus as he walked from one place to place announcing, showing and explaining the governance of God. Disciples had to be with him to learn how to do what he did....

Discipleship Now... We cannot literally be with him inthe same way as his first disciples could. But the priorities and intentions-the heart or inner attitudes- of disciples are forever the same. In the heart of a disciple there is a desire, and there is a decision or settled intent. The disciple of Christ desires above all else to be like him...

Given the desire, usually produced by the lives and words of those already in The Way, there is yet a decision to be make: the decision to devote oneself to becoming like Christ. The disciple is one who, intent upon becoming Christlike and so dwelling in his "faith and practice," systematically and progressively rearranges his affairs to that end. By these actions, even today, one who enrolls in Christ's training, becomes his pupil or disciple.

Discipleship can be made concrete by loving our enemies, blessing those who curse us, walking the second mile with an oppressor-in general, living out the gracious inward transformations of faith, hope, and love. Such acts-carried out by the disciplined person with manifest grace, peace and joy-make discipleship no less tangible and shocking today than were those desertions of long ago.

Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul...The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest possibilities and as life on the highest plan."