I Have an Announcement - FAMILY PLUS Children's

"Excuse me. Excuse me. Joseph, I have an announcement to make." That's what it seemed like that angels were saying to Joseph and Mary when they share with them how they were going to be a part of God's plan. That honestly sounds great to me. I want God to be that clear to me. I want Him to use an angel to tap me on the shoulder and give me the specifics to the future of my life. Actually, if you know me at all, you would know how true this is for me. My biggest struggles come because I can't know or anticipate what's going to happen; however, the greatest moments of my life happen when I least expect it. 

For instance, God called me to children's/family ministry out of the blue. I didn't have experience working with kids when He called me. In fact, I did not even know there were jobs called Children's Ministers until 2 months previous to that call (I grew up in a small church in a rural area). I was 19 when that happened, and I didn't expect it. 

Or the time when Katie and I surrendered to follow God to go to seminary. We moved blindly to Louisville, KY. Before we moved God provided a church for us to serve in and paid our first semester of tuition in full. To this day we still don't know who paid my tuition that first semester. (We actually know who did it. We have never met them. They were friends of a friend.) I can't tell you how affirming this was for us.

I'm summarizing John MacArthur from his book "Found: God's Will" when I encourage you to take steps in your journey when you don't know what else to do. After you've sought counsel, prayed, and looked for the next step in Bible study, you just start moving in a direction you think you should go. God will show up and direct you. You will find out what works (like seminary for me because I really wasn't sure until we took the step) and what doesn't (youth ministry didn't work for me). 

When I look back on my journey the thing I love to celebrate the most is that I couldn't have planned my journey so I know it must have been God who has led me to this point.

This week's details:

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-24

Life Point: Jesus was God's plan to save people from their sin.