Shellie Rushing Tomlinson's Blog: Shellie Rushing Tomlinson's Blog, page 17

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 23rd

Christmas is near, and I hope you and yours enjoy every minute of it! My prayer is that these short devotions have set us up to resist the empty promises the world hawks twenty-four/seven and walk into the deep and wide life Jesus died to give us.

It’s impossible to read John without wondering about the discrepancy between the experience of the average believer and the one Jesus promised, the one I’m daring us to pursue! We can ignore those words and make excuses for why we’re not...

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent- Dec. 22nd

The to-do list is long, and time seems short, but we walk among souls God dearly loves. Our opportunity is to stay conscious of Jesus and let Him reach for them through our lives, even as we go about our day.

We don’t learn such living in a once and done. We learn it by daring to die to us and live to Him in this moment and the next, until we realize Jesus is taking our bloated, self-centered lives and giving them purpose and meaning. When Jesus becomes our food, He becomes our life, and our...

Finding Deep and Wide Advent – Dec. 20th

Caution. We are the most susceptible to reaching for the wrong fix when we’re tired and stressed. Jesus is near, count Him dear and choose well today.

Temporary hits can’t satisfy eternal hunger … Whatever we reach for to make ourselves feel better today will become a fix we’ll need more of tomorrow. No amount of acquisitions, affirmations, or acclamations from creation can substitute for the Creator. We were created for God, and living for ourselves will always leave us empty. Jesus is the...

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 19th

The Christmas countdown may bring stressful shopping trips and exchanges with the occasional grinch, but you and I are not only called to be Christlike in our response, we’re equipped for it. Immanuel is real world support for all who learn to call on Him.

I haven’t yet made it to a place where I’m always saintly, and I don’t live with unlimited patience for those around me. The sole difference is, I now understand how quickly darkness can creep in and consume my thoughts if I refuse to...

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 18th

Christmas may be drawing closer, but for those who have trusted Christ, its promise is already ours! We can say no to the commercialism with its empty promise of the perfect Christmas by saying yes to Immanuel, God with Us, the perfect Savior.

We don’t want to try harder to do better, remember? We want to lean harder, and trust Jesus to strengthen our dusty frames from the inside out. We’re learning to say yes and amen to Jesus’s word, “Without me you can do nothing!” We’re learning we can’t...

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent Dec. 17th

People are prone to making us perform to stay in their good graces or do penance if we let them down. We lose big when we allow those experiences to color our relationship with God. No amount of penance before God can secure the favor Christ Jesus has already won on our behalf.

I’ve learned to live celebrating the truth that I’m forgiven, accepted, and loved when I feel like it—and when I don’t. I’ve discovered the power of reminding ourselves Jesus not only met the bar for us, He...

Finding Deep and Wide Advent – Dec. 16th

Sweet believer, you who came once for salvation. You say you don’t know how to come to Jesus for day-to-day life? It’s easier than your enemy would have you believe. Acknowledge His reign, submit your will, and then use your words to bring Him anything and everything, anytime and all the time.

Every day, all day, we’re given opportunities to cling to our right to ourselves or concede everything we are in voluntary offerings to everything He is. It’s our privilege to bring God our eyes, ears,...

Finding Deep and Wide Advent – Dec. 15th

Pause and reach for the marvelous opportunity that is ours to walk with the God of the whole universe today. Through Christ Jesus, we can come before Him without intricate steps, fancy prayer words, or prescribed formulas. That’s the Gospel. That’s the good news.

Whether or not we build our lives into a home where God is welcomed and His Presence enjoyed will depend on whether we voluntarily lay the building blocks of our lives before Him. Believers who never experience the intimate...

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 14th

We’re two weeks into December, and despite our sincere intentions, there’s a chance you and I have already lost the Christmas spirit once, if not a couple times. Am I right? If that’s you, let’s ask forgiveness and train our eyes back on Jesus! His company will be our reward!

Being all too aware of how often we fall short of holy, it’s hard for us to believe we can dwell with God all day every day, and in His favor no less. But we must remind ourselves of this truth because if we aren’t...

Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 13th

The perfect Christmas will never be found in the decorations, the gifts, or the food, but in a sincere celebration of the day Heaven’s King came to earth with baby fingers and baby toes. Ponder His purpose and worship: This holy child was born to die that fallen us might live.

Grab a scrap of paper and print this next line out where you can see it today and tomorrow. Put it on your refrigerator. Write it with lipstick on your bathroom mirror. Do whatever you need to do to hold on to it. Man’...