A “Moderately Important” Jesus

Have you ever felt sort of in between? The feeling that maybe you have one foot over there and one foot over here, but you haven’t committed to one thing or another.

I’m talking to you if you feel like an in between Christian. Maybe you’re a “Sunday Christian, ” and you forget God the rest of the week. Maybe you’re a “Call upon God in the rough stuff” Christian, but think it’s all about your efforts when things go well. Or maybe you are just dipping your toes in the water when it comes to God. I can assure you; I’ve been all of these.

Jeremiah 10:23 says “I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.”

And Luke 9:24 says “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

So in the words of C. S. Lewis, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”

This “moderately important” Jesus makes us loose out on the benefits He offers us in full surrender.

We lack peace as Christians who view God as somewhat important. We lack a wonderful counselor. We lack miracles. We lack a purpose driven life. We get off track. We put God up there in the sky on a chair in Heaven.

With this moderately significant view of Jesus, we forget that when we believe, our heaven, our joy, our peace, starts today.

Maybe you said an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot sinners prayer when you were twelve. Maybe you haven’t felt a change in your heart. Maybe you’re a lukewarm Christian, not all in but testing out the waters.

I want to encourage you to believe today. Believe with your whole heart.

Believe, and your heaven starts today.

John 3:16 is enough

John 3:16 is enough.
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“The God who knows everything about us so loves us” – Pastor Mike Patz
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How could anyone love me if they knew every dirty part of my life, every hurt, every word I said, every single thing I did or said that I regret? No human being would.
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BUT JESUS does. He knows the depth of my being, He knows my decisions before they happen, and He SO loves me still.
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And He SO loves you too, sweet friend.
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I am so bad, so imperfect, and so sinful that He had to die, BUT so loved that He was glad to.
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This is Easter. This is the gospel. This is the truth my sweet sister. He died on the cross with the scars from OUR sin, our imperfect nature, not His own, and He was glad to. For me, for you, for all of us.
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“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. This is enough.
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You’re never to dirty for Jesus. You’re never too bad for the gospel. He died for you. And He rose again to fulfill the promise to you: death could not hold him down and it won’t hold you down either. All you have to do is believe.
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“Hallelujah, you have won it all for me. Death could not hold you down. You are the risen King!”
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camihall.com • michaelpatz.com
#Heisrisen #nevertoomuch #enough #john316 #thegospel #jesus

It is finished

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” -Romans 5:6-10
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“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
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Woah, that’s a lot of info so let’s break it all down. Jesus was sinless, meaning He never did anything wrong. He was perfect. He never gossiped, nor did he lie. He never was anything other than Holy. But they nailed Him to the cross and He let it happen. Why? So we didn’t have to die for our sin. Why? Because He knew the plan of redemption. Because the prophesies in Psalm 22 were to come true.
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Remember what He did for you. He died the death you and I deserve so that we can be free. Rejoice in that but remember the cost of your freedom, His life. His suffering. Choose to live in freedom today, friend, for it is finished.
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Thank you Jesus for the good gift of mercy and patience. Thank you for this Good Friday, for this gift that we discover in the resurrection. It is finished & hallelujah we are free!
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camihall.com #goodfriday #cross #saved #mercy #patience #itisfinished

13 Reasons Why You Matter

Have you been watching #ThirteenReasonsWhy on Netflix? It’s about suicide and the main character tells you why she did it.
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Why? She didn’t feel loved. She felt forgotten. She didn’t know she was wanted. She didn’t realize she mattered.
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So here, my friend, is a list of reasons why you matter- thirteen to be exact.
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Better things are yet to come, sister. The Lord has plans to prosper you, not to harm you •Jeremiah 29:11•. You have a guaranteed victory •Psalm 18:35•.
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Oh friend, I know you feel alone. But please know that the Lord sings “you’ve got a friend in me” softly to your heart. You are NEVER alone. You matter. If you impact just one person with your story, you’ve begun to change the world.
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It’s so much bigger than you. This earth. His plan. Set your eyes on heaven, you have citizenship there. You’ve been adopted, you’re called daughter, you’re called friend. Sister, you matter.
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#youmatter #Hecares #youareloved #mentalhealthawareness

Remember the Promise

I used to think my faith depended on my knowledge of Christianity. The use of words like “salvation” and “intentional” were important for me to understand and if I could just “fill my cup up” and “pour out” I was really doing it right.
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I had this view that God would just tell me what to do. That He was far away. That I was just supposed to obey. That’s it. And the better I was at following rules, the better my Christian self was.
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Well I want to let you in on a little something… this failed miserably. Why? Because it was impossible for me to live up to my own expectations and impossible for me to live up to every single law every minute of the day.
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I was forgetting the entire New Testament. I was forgetting the promise. I didn’t work toward a relationship with Him, I worked toward the unattainable goal of perfection.
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Are you looking for fulfillment in how perfectly you follow commands or are you looking to the perfector?
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Cling to the promise and be honest with God because “faith is about relational loyalty not intellectual certainty” and everything God promises, He performs.
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So, stop looking in the mirror for perfection and look up. He chose you. His promises will be fulfilled. It’s not the perfection of your faith but the perfection of the God you believe in.
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Seek Him with all your heart, develop your relationship with Him. Lay it all down at the cross.
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Hebrews 7:11 | Hebrews 10:14 | Psalm 18:30 | Jeremiah 29:13

Pretending

Our trip was really cold, really windy, and we spent two out of three days at sea.
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Our day in the Bahamas was cloudy. I was cold and I cried (lol). We had margaritas and burgers at margaritaville because I wanted wifi to FaceTime call my mom…. instead of making the most of it I just whined to Jason that it was bad weather and I didn’t feel well.
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If you want a lesson in how to be a “Negative Nancy” just ask me!!!!! _________________________________
Moral of the story: those pictures you see on Instagram aren’t the whole story. No one ever shows the world the dirty parts. No one ever shows the parts that make them (gasp) human.
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Are you feeling down based on the highlight reel of lives you see on Instagram? I’ve been there. Are you feeling lonely or broken? Been there too.
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Friend, you’re not alone. We are all broken. We all need a savior. And social media highlight reels can get us down only if we let the devil’s lies into our heads.
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Crack open your bible and read Romans 15:13, James 4:14-15, 1 John 5:3
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You don’t have to be on a fancy island with perfect weather, have a perfect boyfriend, the fanciest clothes, or the perfect body. Not even the perfect Instagram will bring you joy or help you feel accepted. Nope. Only Jesus can do that. Will you invite him in? You’re invited. You’re loved. You’re a princess. You’re delighted in. You’re chosen. You’re all of these things because you’re you, not because of who you pretend you are.

College

College has changed me, but not in the way I thought.
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Cliché, I know.
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I thought maybe I’d grow out of being a “goodie two shoes,” maybe learn to cook a few meals, manage my time and discover what my future career would be.
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Oh man, college has done so much more than that. I continue to discover what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. I continue to realize that I can call on Him in times of need and in happy moments.
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I’ve met my best friends. Friends who have encouraged me, who point me to Jesus and ALWAYS meet me right where I’m at.
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Maybe you’re struggling, wanting college to change you. Maybe you’re waiting til after college to follow Jesus because you think you need to clean up your act first. Maybe you think you need to change you.
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But friend, I’m here to tell you that Jesus meets us right in our brokenness. He meets us as a friend, as a protector, a peacemaker, a faithful father. He reminds us that “it is finished” and our salvation isn’t something we can earn.
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Grace is so cool y’all, you’re invited into it. It will change your life.
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Shoutout to this awesome bible study- highly recommend checking it out @soulscripts

Spiritual Legacy

I just LOVE watching these sweet girlies run after Jesus. It brings me so much joy.
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Grab some friends, be a disciple, share in community and snuggle up. It’s time we live in community with Jesus and with each other.
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Sharing burdens with one another is important. Sharing our highs and lows are important. Find friends that lift you up, encourage you, and never put you down.
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If you’re in a sorority, a club, or on a team, be bold in your faith and find some friends to worship with.
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Start a bible study, disciple the pledge classes below you, and encourage new leaders.
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Leave a spiritual legacy in your organization. Leave a footprint of the gospel on your campus.
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We can’t do this life alone.
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Thank you @soulscripts for sharing your heart. We love studying Gods word through your “College” study book. I highly recommend checking it out (Amazon or ebook).
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#letstalkaboutjesus #spirituallegacy #communityiseverything #jesusiseverything

He Likes His Oatmeal With Water

He really bugs me sometimes… He likes his oatmeal with water instead of milk and his coffee black. He thinks organic food is silly and is always 10 times more outgoing than I.

We are different. He’s extroverted and I’d rather sit alone with a book. The way we worship Jesus is different. Our past is different, and for both of us it’s filled with hurt. We are broken.
But you know what? You know why we work? We run toward Jesus. We run separately toward him for now, but this ultimately brings us together. We are kinder to each other. We show grace toward each other. And we work to embody Christ.
What’s the secret to a relationship? Working on your relationship with Jesus first. Making Him # 1. Prioritizing Him.

Thank you Jesus for accepting me as I am. Thank you Jason for constantly embodying Jesus and always accepting me, encouraging me, forgiving me, and reminding me who I am in Christ.

Uninvited

One time I was invited to go to Europe over spring break with a group of girls. I was so excited, probably too excited, because for once I actually got included in someone’s plans. I started looking at flights, talking with my parents about finances, looking into my savings, and telling my boyfriend all about how great this would be for my personal growth.

A few days later, two girls from the trip texted me and told me that they just couldn’t have me come anymore because of financial reasons. They said it would be a burden to have another person there. They said it would be uncomfortable for one of the girls if I came because she didn’t know me.

You know what I heard? I heard “you’re a burden.” I heard “no one really wants you there.” I heard “they invited you out of pity.” I heard “you’re not enough.” These were pure lies from the enemy, but this is what I internalized. I was crushed. I was annoyed at the situation, hurt by the community of girls I so longed to be a part of, and broken down by the lie that I was a burden.
I’m sure they didn’t mean to make me feel this way, but because of my past hurt in elementary, middle, and high school, this felt like someone stepping on my, already broken, self worth.

Friend, maybe you’ve been uninvited by someone in your life. Maybe you’ve been dumped by a boy. Maybe you’ve been feeling not enough. I want to encourage you that you’re always invited with Jesus. He takes us right in our broken, messy lives and reminds us that only He can make us whole. You are loved even when the people in your life tell you that you’re not. Seek Jesus. YOU were chosen, hand picked, and you belong. Ask Him to remind you of this truth.

While you’re at it, read this really awesome book that speaks to the core of this hurt. #Uninvited #rejected #liveloved #letstalkaboutjesus camihall.com

Cami Hall

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