Danny | Hesterly

“for to us a child is born, to us a son is given”–Isaiah 9:6 NIV I was sitting with a friend last week talking about Christmas and other things. I shared this thought that Christmas is all about RECEIVING…and his initial look said, “dude you’re freaking crazy!” We began to talk about the biblical implications of this statement…and maybe my theology is wacky but if you look at the above passage in Isaiah he tells us that “a son is given.” When something is given you have the opportunity to receive it.

My favorite thing about Christmas is watching people open up presents I’ve bought them. Many times in the past I’ve used birthday money to buy presents (my b-day is 10 days before x-mas) for friends and family JUST BECAUSE I like giving them. I want see their expression and know I put a little joy in their life.

Think about it. When the angel came to bring news to Mary that her baby boy will save humanity from their sins…that her baby boy will literally be “God with us” what!!??!! And if you’re wondering, yes I was just listening to “Mary, did you know?” by Pentatonix. God was giving this little family the greatest gift ever in the history of histories. What was Mary’s response? “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38 NLT)

Mary RECEIVED this gift.

I’m reminded, especially during this time of year, how amazing God’s love is. All God asks is that I lay down my selfish life, receive and follow the one who brings purpose and restores my relationship with God. I now have a responsibility, as a follower of Jesus, to live my life accordingly to this gift I’ve received. This gift is not for me to hoard but share freely and often to those around.

On December 27, my son is going to be baptized. As a dad, I couldn’t be more proud of him! He’s already received God’s great gift but now it’s time for him to give. To let everyone know that his life will be one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. These are the makings of a follower of Jesus. And with the same eagerness, as watching someone open up a present, I’m even more excited to see what God will do through this little man as the gift of Jesus is unwrapped in his life.

8.16.15. A very important date for our student ministry. This will be the moment when we look back and say, "Yeah...I remember when it all started." Last night, we launched a new name for our student ministry...not that we felt we needed to be more relevant or have the most creative brand. For months we have prayed, went to people for wisdom and prayed some more...it was just time for our student ministry to make a shift.

City Students is one of the many amazing student ministries in the greater Chattanooga area. We are honored to be a part of what God is doing in the youth of our city. There's a lot of work to be done...many middle/high school students are broken, told they'll never amount to anything, ashamed of their past and afraid of what their future might hold.

Our purpose is to help students understand they are to reflect the very character of God in all they do. We want them to worship the Creator and in doing so find their purpose in Jesus.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing." John 15:5 (MSG)

We must realize that our relationship with Jesus is everything, and everything good comes from Him. We must not just simply believe in Jesus, we must believe on Jesus because He is the source of life. It's not just enough to be physically alive; God wants us to be spiritually alive as well.

We receive spiritual life through Christ. He works within us to produce the fruit of the Spirit and His character in us.

Choosing to stay connected to God is what will allow you to grow, to truly live and to be effective.

Q. What seems to be distracting you from being fully connected to Jesus Q. What does your daily time with God look like? Do you have time set apart to spend with God daily Q. Because you know that being connected with God produces fruit, how will that effect the way you live on a daily basis

THIS WEEK: Spend time enjoying God through worship, prayer and scripture. Create an environment to experience God by finding a quiet place where you can talk to him. 

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV)

Loving yourself is not about pride, but about seeing yourself through a lens of grace because we all have imperfections. God gives us grace, so we need to learn to give ourselves grace as He completes his work in us. God has made each of us unique in how we work and operate. He has placed special gifts inside each of us, and has created us in a way that he can use us for His glory. When we realize that truth, we can be confident in who we are. We must love who God has created us to be, and not compare ourselves to who God has made others. Once we learn to love ourselves and enjoy how He has made us, we can love others.

Q. Do you truly know and believe that God loves you Q. What gets in the way of that Q. How can you love others this week? Who can you be intentional about loving this week

THIS WEEK: Spend time resting in God's presence, allowing Him to pour His love out on you. Find a way to serve a family member or friend as an extension of God's love

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

No matter where you’re at in your relationship with Jesus you can always move one-step closer to him. There are countless opportunities each day for you seek after him, to let the world around you speak about his endless grace and wondrous acts of love. 

God is ready and willing to give us wisdom and understanding for our lives, all he asks of us is that we be open to what he has in store for us. The Bible may seem confusing at times, but Jesus is able and willing to open your mind to understanding his word. 

God wants us to be honest with I'm, with ourselves and with others. When we keep things locked up inside and ignore them, we won’t get passed them. Sometimes our mind, will, emotions, which make up our soul, get out of control. We don’t know what to do or think or how to feel, but the good news is Jesus knows our struggles and he is the anchor that will never fail, if we just lean into him. 

Q: What does it look like to have an open mind? What does it look like to be open to God?

Q: What type of person comes to mind when you think of someone who is completely willing to do whatever God asks?

Q: What is the next step you need to take to move closer to God?

THIS WEEK: Spend time enjoying God through worship, prayer and scripture. Create an environment to experience God by finding a quiet place where you can talk to him. 

4 Wednesdays in March 2015...we invited middle and high school students to the Tyner Rec Center to play basketball, win Atlanta Hawks Tickets and talk about Jesus. That's it! We didn't do anything flashy or hype anything up. What we found was middle/high school students needed something to eat, an opportunity to have a safe place to hang out, burn off some energy and learn why Jesus is a big deal. The video speaks for itself and God is continuing to do amazing things in the lives of middle and high school students in Chattanooga.

NUNATION began back in 2000. It's a place where building meaningful relationships with God and others are valued. We believe when students begin to live in relationship with their creator they begin to live a life of worship and discover a passion for living.

This past weekend was completely designed for high school students & leaders to connect w God and each other!! Objective met with 100% awesomeness

Thanks a ton to Jeremy Campbell for the goods from DX in Chattanooga!!!

The 3 tents above represented a passage of scripture used from Exodus 33:7-11…where God would speak to Moses face to face as w a friend. Students and leaders spent time there in God’s presence. Hearing their experiences was amazing. God listens. God speaks.