Spark Ministries

When was the last time that you simply sat at The Father’s feet? Taking in the sweet peace that comes from just being with him. Is your time with God far too often fueled by an agenda over a relationship? If so, sadly, you’re not alone.

“When your doing for God outweighs your being with God you are simply dying a slow brutal death”

We are more than called through the dynamite power of The Holy Spirit to be world changers who impact this planet in immeasurable ways for the sake of a world groaning for a savior. However, the mission is not our God, God is. Who do you serve? A mission or a master?
The Lord who crafted every detail of this universe doesn’t just want to seek and save the lost, He wants to spend time with his son or his daughter.

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Take some time today to sit with Jesus.
Take 15 or 30 mins, turn your phone off, find a quiet place where you are alone and see what happens.
Bring your bible, but don’t feel the pressure to read a certain amount of scripture.
Pray to God, but don’t feel the need to pray heaven down.
The Holy Spirit may very well lead you into an immersive study of scripture or intense intercessory prayer but, that’s not the point. The point of this is to get some much-needed time with a God who cares for you.

A few years ago, someone posed this challenging question to me.

"If God answered every one of your recent prayers, would your life look different, or would the world look different?"

God cares about every detail of our lives! Yet, how often do we yield the most powerful resource in the universe to benefit our small personal desires? God invites us to join him in changing the world through prayer!

Here's a practical resource to help us pray for the world!

https://joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday

Read the full chapter here!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%202&version=ESV

Wednesday Worship!
Join Isla Vista Worship to start your day off with some praise!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVx1MKIBpB8



Credit: https://www.facebook.com/IslaVistaWorship

family fruit sessions | isla vista worship - mark barlow + allie paige we're so excited to share these unedited worship sets with you alongside clips of our community in moments of friendship and fun here in isla vista. we hope ...

Have you ever thought, "There has to be more to this life?"

Well, welcome to the club. We're all plagued with this desire for a greater purpose. In this classic John Piper message, he gives a compelling call to live for more than the trivial pursuits of the American dream and lays out a path to cure this ever-pressing desire for more.

You Have One Life, Don't Waste It – John Piper From John Piper's message "Boasting Only in the Cross" at Passion OneDay 2000. Watch the full message: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XajXpH908Yg

A buddy of mine, who recently returned from India, was showing me pictures of an Indian market. At one of the market booths, a man stood in front of several white, high quality, expensive washing machines. What caught my attention was that the machines were in the middle of their cycle with lids wide open, filled with dark colored water. The man was not selling washing machines. He was selling tea.

Despite this man’s ingenuity and resourcefulness in his tea selling business, the man was not using the washing machines to do what they were made for. And this bothered me! The machines were not being used by their design or to their full potential. Why was he misusing these washing machines? Had anyone told him what those machines were made for?

Design is important. In order to get the correct result from anything we must first ask the question, “What is it made for?” I wonder how many of us have ever asked the question, “What are we made for?” Or “What am I made for?” For what purpose has God made us?

“True worship is the highest and noblest activity of which man, by the grace of God, is capable.”
— John Stott

Worship is important because it is what we are made for. Cheetahs are made to run, stars made to shine, and people are made to worship. I’ve never seen my dog worship. God designed mankind to worship. We do it naturally, instinctively. In fact, our lives are characterized by what or who we worship.

Simply defined, worship (v.) is intentionally giving worth or value through our words or actions. It’s worth-ship.

The Bible clearly states that God is the most valuable being in existence and deserves the worship of every person because “the Lord our God is holy!” and “his righteous deeds have been revealed.” (Revelation 15:3,4).

Our greatest rebellion against God is that we have chosen to not worship him. Underneath all of the corruption and brokenness of this world, there is a misplacement of worship. Romans 1:23-25 describes man as “exchanging the glory of the immortal God” and “worshipping the creature rather than the Creator”.

Yet God, even before sin entered the scene, has been diligently working towards a world filled with worshipers of him. Worship from all peoples is God’s global pursuit. Worship must be at the center of all of our missional endeavors, otherwise we jeopardize the eternal impact of our service and charity.

Just like any machine will break when it is not used according to its design, we will find ourselves short-changed through misdirected worship. You were designed for worship and Jesus deserves your worship. Give yourself to true worship.

By Spencer B