Welcome to The Turnaround!
Week One Focus: God’s Vision and Desire is Generational
God desires a relationship with His people and to give blessings that flow from generation to generation. God’s plan from the beginning was making a way for us to live in eternity with Him. Let’s step back in time and get a heart for what God desires and pray for the next generation to seek, know and love God.
BACKGROUND
After the flood of Noah, the people, again, turned away from God. Scheming to build a tower unto themselves, their actions reveal their hearts. Instead of seeking to obey God, the people sought after their own evil desires. Abraham’s heart is a sharp contrast. Seeking God, Abraham was a willing vessel to do God’s will.
INSIGHT
When I accepted Christ, I now had meaning to live and the love of God to share. A former marine living in my original home town, I was offered assistant football coach at Bremerton High School, the same high school I attended. I decided before I began that I would give thanks to God for the opportunity to serve Him. I had come from a very painful past of rejection from my biological parents and again by my adopted parents. I was filled with hurt, pain and rejection. It wasn’t until my adulthood that I met Jesus. I now wanted my life to mean something and to boldly stand strong for God. I was a new man, a new life was before me and I would lead by loving and serving these kids. I wanted to display to all of them that we will play our best on the field but once the game is over so is the rivalry. The players on the other team are just like us and we will be friends off of the field. I would hold up both helmets and say we are brothers off the field! Then through obedience, I would go to the middle of the 50 yard line to bow my head and pray a prayer of gratefulness. I did not invite anyone to join me but as the games continued throughout the season, courage spread like wildfire. Before you knew it, the whole team was joining me to pray. And then not just my team but the opposing teams as well.Next I knew, I had a choice, continue as assistant coach or pray and be fired for bowing my head. I chose prayer. I look to Abraham’s faith in God and his subsequent obedience to follow his God-given dreams. God gives man free will. He does not force mankind to worship or seek him. It is up to us to choose God! God desires a relationship with man and Abraham chose to seek God… to pray… to listen! It is in this intentional seeking of God that He can use our imagination to expand our dreams with His. God’s vision to Abraham and the blessings of faith that leads to greatness, continues to flow through the blood line of Jesus Christ, who offers the gift of salvation to all the world!Today, we can choose as Abraham did, to seek Him and align our heart with our Father to see faith passed from generation to generation. Looking over history, we see a heritage of blessings when God’s children, his people, choose to align their heart with His and embrace a generational vision. When you look over history, have you noticed when the Body of Christ adopts this “generational vision” that it leads to courageous action? out of love and devotion to seek God, the pilgrims of England left their homes to go to a land where they could raise their children free from the tyranny of the king. Our country’s founding fathers also held Abraham’s vision of faith and pledged their lives, their fortunes and their honor. Look at the blessings that has come to our land, America has been the most powerful and prosperous country of our time and has been called “great” and I believe this greatness has come through the blessings passed down when His people trust in God…
TURNAROUND QUESTION
Has your faith in God inspired you into courageous action? Does your faith drive you to serve and share the love of Jesus with the next generation?
PRAYER
Father God, we choose to align our heart with your heart. We long for our children to know you as their Lord and Savior! And not just our children, but their children and their children’s children! And not only our own but ALL the children of our land! Ignite us, Father, to take the gospel of Jesus to the little children, for such is the kingdom of heaven. Thank you, God, for our inheritance of Abraham’s promise through Christ Jesus! “I will make you a great nation”… may America be GREAT because we choose to seek after you and pass this love on for generations. In Jesus name, amen.
Artwork by Kyle Trudelle of Trudelle Galleries
