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Welcome back to Riverwood's weekly News & Notes! I trust you had a good week with all the sunny weather, but I can't really have confidence that you have had a good week! For the next several weeks we're going to look at a more confident use of the word "trust" and where ours should be placed.
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Trust God's Teaching
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Roughly two years after LeAnn and I moved to Cedar Rapids, an unmarried couple with a toddler moved into the house behind us. The wife was an extrovert who decided LeAnn (who was also a mom to young ones) needed to be her friend, so many playdates were scheduled. Jenny (not her real name) wasn't a Christian, yet was fascinated by LeAnn's faith. Her incessant spiritual questions led to numerous faith conversations and Bible studies.
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Eventually, Jenny came to a place where she believed that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus were historically true, yet wasn't ready to put her faith in Christ. As LeAnn asked what made her hesitant to make that life-changing step, Jenny admitted she struggled with trust. She realized trust was the foundation of a faith in God, yet she had been hurt so many times (primarily by men - which was a big reason why she wasn't married yet) that the idea of putting her complete trust into an unseen Heavenly Father seemed too difficult.
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And yet, by not trusting the Father, Jenny was missing out on some of the greatest blessings in life.
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A New Series on Trusting God
Today, we launch a new email series on The Effects of Trust. To guide our series over the next five weeks, we will be looking at Proverbs 3:1-10. These instructional words are from a father to a son to guide and protect him as he grows into adulthood. Because these ten verses are ultimately words from God to His children, we will be considering how we can be like a wise son who trusts the words of his loving Father and enjoys the positive effects of this trust.
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Over the course of this series, we will see five effects that result from a life that fully trusts God. To kick off the series with a look at Effect #1, I want to start at the beginning of Proverbs 3 with verses 1 & 2...
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"My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you." (Proverbs 3:1-2, ESV)
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Taking Him at His Word
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In verse 1, we see that a person needs to trust God's teaching by letting their heart obey His commandments. This means letting God's Word guide your thinking.
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However, this is easier said than done. When I want to lie to protect my reputation, I don't care in the moment that God's Word calls me to honesty (Leviticus 19:11). When I see an attractive person, my lustful eyes don't want to turn away but rather envision something more (Matthew 5:27-28). When I make some money, my first thought isn't to obediently give, but to use it for my own comfort (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
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Yet, despite my heart's sinful longings, God's commandments aren't there to rob me of happiness. Rather, His words are there to free me to live the life He knows will give me great joy. So He calls for me to "not forget [His] teaching," because His commandments are for my good.
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The Effect of Trusting His Teaching
What is the result of obeying God's commands? It's right there in verse 2: "length of days and years of life" filled with "peace."
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Roughly a dozen years ago, when I worked part-time delivering medical equipment to homes and care centers, I once delivered to a house where the gentleman thought I was in college. When I let him know I was actually 40 with four kids at home, this sixty-something-year-old man looked at me with shock, and said, "You sure must have done some clean living!"
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God is telling us something similar in verse 2. If you want to live a long life filled with peace, you need to do some "clean living." Oftentimes, the temptations of the world only end up harming us, sometimes short-term, but usually long-term. Many poor health conditions, broken relationships, and ended careers could have been avoided if a person had only sought to trust and obey God's commands.
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So may you trust your Heavenly Father's teaching, because He gives it for your good, that you may live a peace-filled life with "length of days and years of life."
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The Table
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Ladies! The Table is a great place to begin or continue your walk with Jesus. We invite you to join us NEXT MONDAY, March 17th @ 7 pm as we gather together for meaningful community and biblical conversations. Get connected with Sara Corcoran or The Table on Facebook for location details. Nothing to prepare, just bring yourself or invite a friend!
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Pine Lake Work Weekend
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Work Weekend is March 28th-30th! Take advantage of this open invitation to men & women (age 18+) wanting to volunteer for various projects around Pine Lake Camps! This is a great opportunity to hang out and bond with others, spend time on their gorgeous 49-acre property, and take part in the life-changing impact that takes place every year! Registration closes on March 26th, so get started right here if you are interested in volunteering!
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New Arrival
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Jake & Grace Epley welcomed their daughter Sonnet Euodia on March 10 (Super MAR10 day ;-)! She weighed 7 lb., 15 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Welcome, sweet Sonnet!
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Just for Fun
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Tomorrow is 3/14, otherwise known as "Pi Day," and while it's not a day to celebrate pies, there can still be pies involved! Celebrate with a pizza pie, a dessert pie, a chicken pot pie, a whoopie pie, or maybe even a pie in the face?!
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