Joey Francis

I taught yesterday on the Image of God. This teaching is deeply rooted in our call as the Church. If we do not strive to be more like God in all we do ,without trying to become God, then all hope of being successful in evangelism will be lost.

We must let people know who God is, and we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in this, or else it is not God we are promoting, but our own ambitions and desires instead.

I wish, many times, that I vented more often on this blog. I wish I could be more open with my thoughts on this space than I am. I wish I had more people around me that would hear what I have to say without thinking more of it than should be. I wish my life were simple, and I could place it into words.

I want to speak more openly. I want to be taken more seriously. I want to be understood more clearly.

I will work on being more honest and transparent. I will work on becoming more serious. I will work on speaking clearly. I will work on graciously taking criticism. I will work on caring for others, while speaking about issues which affect me directly.

I hope you will have an open mind. I hope you will not condemn. I hope you will not think more of this than needs to be. I hope you heart will be filled with love, honesty, purity, and Christ.

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog. In fact, it has been so long, I think I have forgotten how to even write. But, I am going to shoot for it anyway. In the past few months I have had a lot going on. Between a new job, serving my Church and loving Jesus, as well as starting a small Web Design business; I feel like I’ve been going nonstop!

But it has all been good. I started working for Arvato about 4 months ago. Most of you don’t know what Arvato is, so I’ll make it simple. It is a Microsoft vendor. Basically this means that Microsoft pays this company to do work for them. I’m not sure if it is cheaper for Microsoft this way, or what, but it has created a great opportunity for me to look at the corporate world. By working with such a large corporation, I have seen business done in ways that I could only imagine. My communication skills have greatly increased, and my confidence in my capability to reason has gotten much greater. Arvato has definitely been an adventure, and I am very blessed to have been given a job there.

On top of this, I’ve decided to take a break from college. I know, college is so important, but I just couldn’t afford it without taking out massive loans which I think would be irrational. I’ve decided to head back to school when I am financially stable enough to, however, with work progressing and other things arising in life, I am hoping I don’t put it off too long.

I also have started a small business named “Ever Present Web Design”. This business is still in its beginning stages, but I am hopeful. I really feel like with my motivation and ability I will be able to create a service of value. I hope to see this business flourish within the next 3 months, but if it does not, it will be an amazing learning experience.

Last, but definitely not least, I have been serving Jesus! For a small amount of time, I fell God allowed me to be in a dry spot, where I had to overcome and push to feel His presence. I feel that I have overcome this place, and I am now more motivated to serve others, and I am more overwhelmed by the greatness of God in my life. I am seeing Him move in ways that I never suspected, and He is revealing things to me in scripture which I have never even fathomed. God is so good, and I am so happy and grateful to be living in His grace.

I guess, this post was just something to break the ice! I hope to be on here way more often, talking about ministry, work, business, and much much more.

How often do we feel too good about ourselves?

How often do we feel like we are standing on top of the world?

Does everyone feel the same way you do?

How do we reach those who feel worse off than we do?

How do we show them…

Jesus loves them. Jesus Died for them. Jesus forgives their sins and makes right their failures.

How do we show them…

Don’t keep quiet their is a hurting world looking for the thing what you hold inside!

Hello! Sorry for my long absence in the world of blogging. But… I don’t have the Internet at home, so it has been difficult for me to find time to upload anything to my site. I have been doing a lot of thinking, whether that is good or bad, I do not know. I do know though, that God has been showing me many things that I have never expected to even consider when it comes to my faith in Christ, and the result of that in my life. Throughout this past week I have been reading through the books of Samuel. And it has been very enlightening, encouraging, and challenging. But there has been a bit of scripture that seemingly jumped off of the pages and has stuck with me for the past few days.

You may not know the story told through Samuel’s books, so please let me give you a very brief upbringing to this point which I will have you read in just a few seconds. Basically… Israel is without a king in the beginning of the book, but like any nation, they fight wars and have many conflicts which they must deal with. In the midst of all of this, they begin to look away from God (God being what is in place of their king, and the reason they do not need one) and hope to have themselves a king which will lead them into victory! This being something which turns their trust from God and to man, is ultimately sinful, because they doubt God and what He has told them.

Eventually God grants and chooses for Israel a king which He sees as fit. Around the time that this all actually happens, the people of Israel become aware of the sinfulness and lack of trust they placed in the God who delivered them and provided for them. They begin to cry out, doubting God would ever love them again, but then… Samuel  tells them this… (I hope it rocks your world or paradigm as it has rocked mine)…

1 Samuel 19-22-

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 

I hope this is hitting you hard. God does not want His people to sin, right? God called Israel His own though, correct? After being called His, they were to follow after God. When they sinned against God, they knew that they failed to respect or accomplish what they thought God to be expecting from and of them. But instead of hearing  condemnation, they heard a powerful word of encouragement. “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord.” Do not turn! That is so powerful. Even though you have failed to do exactly what you think God is expecting you to do, do not turn from God. Your failure is expected! Do not allow your failure to cause you to stop following the one who is pleased that you are one of His people. 

It is in these moments of failure, that we turn to lesser things. We turn to these things, because they do not condemn us like we think God will condemn us. But remember this. “For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has PLEASED the Lord to make you a people for himself.” Isn’t that amazing! God will not condemn you! It has pleased Him to save you, and He just wants you to follow Him and love Him in return. That is all! Be encouraged. Christianity is not about living to a perfect expectation. In fact, that expectation was never meant to be met. Instead live your life as the person you are. A person who is claimed and saved by the living God!