The first Friday in December is our Women’s Tea at Freedom International Church!  It’s one of those events that the ladies, 6 years old and up, wait for all year long.  There’s lots of singing, laughter, gifts, fellowship, and food!  At this year’s tea, Pastor Sarah shared these anointed thoughts with us and they touched my heart.  I asked her to write them down to share with you!  So, I’m excited to introduce guest blogger, Pastor Sarah Lehmann, to you!  Pastor Sarah has an amazing way of speaking life and encouragement to those around her.  When you talk with her, you feel like the most important person in the room!  She is an anointed woman of God, wife, mother, and friend.  May her words lift you up, encourage you, and challenge you as they did me.

Obey, Adore, Pursue

December’s airwaves are filled with notes of joy and words of truth as carols proclaim our Savior’s Birth!  Christmas is a time of celebration like no other… filled with sharing, friends, family, and traditions. Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus can almost seem common place during this season.  But His birth was anything but a common place!  As I meditated on the approaching season, my heart longed for fresh revelation.  It was with this mindset that I considered some of those figures in our Nativity scene.  What do their actions teach us today?

Mary… she demonstrated unquestioning obedience even in the hard things. Mary’s decision to obey came at a great cost.  We can only imagine the stigma, being unmarried and with a child, she faced in the culture of her day.  When Gabriel revealed to Mary her destiny, she didn’t ask for guarantees or affirmation.  She simply obeyed.  Mary received no applause for her obedience.

An opportunity to obey in the ‘hard’ things, is also an opportunity to see with eyes of faith without looking for affirmation or applause from others.  From our obedience to God, we derive a fulfillment greater than any applause that comes from men. We obey because we love the Father and we have a deep, meaningful, and abiding sense of fulfilled purpose as a part of His plan.  The lesson of Mary: Be willing to be obedient in all things!

Shepherds – these people dropped everything. After the angels’ radical announcement, the shepherds were quick to search out and adore Jesus! They left their work… their ‘do-to-list’… and made adoring Jesus their first priority. Life is busy and we all have obligations and priorities that require our time, energy, and attention. In our busy lives, can we be quick to ‘drop’ what we feel is important and run to Him?

God honors our love-gifts of time spent with Him by giving us all that we need in order to accomplish (with joy) the things we had set aside to spend time with Him. The lesson of the Shepherds: Be quick to adore Jesus!

Wisemen – those who kept seeking Jesus.  The Wiseman were wealthy, had influence and were most likely very comfortable. Yet they chose to search long and far to find Jesus.  They endured all kinds of weather, rough roads, wrong directions, and threats from an insanely jealous king. But in the end, they found Jesus!  They never stopped pursuing Him.

Have we become satisfied with a ‘comfortable’ relationship with God?  Has going to church, doing good, and even daily devotions developed into a spiritually sedentary lifestyle? Let’s never stop seeking the King of Kings.  Let’s not allow storms, rough roads, or threats from the enemy to keep us from actively cultivating and growing our love for Jesus.  And may comfort be a blessing that comes from our increased capacity to love our King! The lesson of the Wisemen: Never stop seeking the King!

Obey, adore, pursue… lessons from the ones who were there on that very first Christmas! Lord, May our hearts be willing to obey You, quick to adore You, and persistent to pursue You!

In Him, Pastor Sarah

Freedom International Church, Pastors Eric & Sarah Lehmann, Wesley Chapel, Florida

Thank you, Pastor Sarah, for sharing this encouragement!  You are a blessing!

Joy