Testimony Tuesday: Craig Suglia

God Gold of the day

First I want to say thank you to Joe Dean for letting me share what God has done in my life and is continuing to do now. It is still crazy to me how God has used a simple accountability question to Jordan to reach people for His glory. Just want to say how proud I am of my brotha Jordan for listening to Gods call on his life and how he has been SO COMMITTED to this and to watch it grow has been a joy to see.

Some things I have learned throughout my life and looking back is; God has always had a plan for me, one that is to prosper not to harm to give me a hope and a future (Jer 29:11) and something I was told by my Papa was to always keep my eyes on Him (Hebrews 12:2).

My life started out from a very sad situation. My mom had 4 miscarriages losing 5 children in the process which led my parents to adopt. They had people in their church at the time rally around them in prayer in such a trying time. One family gave my parents some of the money to be able to adopt me and that’s where my life started. I was adopted at 4 months old from Seoul, South Korea. Right there looking back tells me God had a plan for me out of the millions of children and millions of parents I could have went to I went to a loving Christian home with 2 parents who loved God and loved me.

I grew up in church went every time the doors were open. At the young age of 5 I asked my mom how I could spend eternity with Jesus. I knew I did not want to spend forever away from Him and I certainly did not want to spend eternity with the devil. So I was saved at 5 and baptized when I was 8 years old. From when I was saved to 7^th grade I was a “good Christian boy” I went to church, youth group, went the Christian school, well behaved, and I kept myself busy with sports. 8^th grade came and I was going to public school and I knew it was going to be very different from Christian school so I wanted to make sure I got in with the “popular kids” and that is where I put my identity. That started the trend of me putting my identity in things that would not bring me true joy and purpose in life. To be honest it worked I was popular, but also led me to make poor decisions with smoking weed and drinking some at a young age to be “cool”. I took this same attitude to my new school (Christian school) in New Jersey when I moved in 10^th grade and this time I put my identity in being an athlete. When things weren’t going as good as I wanted my junior year I put so much pressure on myself I turned to weed for some relief. I ended up getting caught and getting suspended for 3 months and being let back just to get suspended again for cheating on a test. That time in my life I was pretty low and turned to God for help, but at the time my relationship with Him was more like a genie I went to Him with my wants when I needed Him. So I stayed low key my senior year and just wanted to be done with HS because I had college soccer to look forward to again putting my identity in being an athlete. I ended up leaving the school I planned to play college soccer and transferred to North Greenville. Where I had no identity and I had to find one quick since sports were gone and I became a partier a started just living for the next time I was able to hang with my friends. That lasted all the way to junior year of college. I had just left the football team and really found no fun in partying anymore I really did not know what I was supposed to do. I started praying more and reached out to Jordan to keep me accountable in that and my hidden sins. From there my relationship with Christ became just that a relationship. I was beginning to figure out what was really important in life and I found my true identity I am a CHILD OF GOD. I won’t say it has been smooth sailing since then, but I rely on Christ in my situations now and have learned to “control the controlables” something my HS basketball coach saying thousands of times. This life and relationship with Christ is definitely a journey and yes maybe I would have changed some decisions, but God has had a plan for it and used it for His glory. So how I try to live my life now is to keep my eyes on Jesus, control the controlables, and know that God has a plan for my life.

Testimony Tuesday: Sarah Rogers

God Gold of the day

Blessed Plans.

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11

Have you ever looked back on your life and seen the good come from tough times? Even if you didn’t know how tough they actually were? As I have grown out of my younger years, I have seen and felt this verse, Jeremiah 29:11, to be some of the most true and comforting words. I can say that because as I reflect back on how the Lord has worked in my life, I know there has always been a plan. There has always been a purpose even in tough times. 

I was blessed to grow up in the household that I did. I come from a long line of strong Christ-centered households. Households that prayed before meals, before bedtime, in good times and bad times. Households that went to church together, served together, and grew together. But, even though I was fully surrounded and poured into, I still had growth to do in my own personal walk with God. 

Wednesday nights became a favorite night of the week because that meant Youth Group was happening. I was blessed to grow up in a church in Lexington, SC. A church with a family focus and where pouring into children was seen as essential. Everything from leadership, games, friends, and trips, were, in my opinion, THE BEST. Starting in middle school, I loved being there. I loved growing there. I was challenged to grow in my faith. I was taught lessons about spreading the gospel, reaching the lost, serving others, you name it. It was through those experiences that I decided to ask Jesus into my heart. To repent of my sins. To be saved. 

As late high school started, even as fun and exciting my church life was, other areas of my life became just as ‘fun’.  Areas that involved making decisions that did not reflect the life of someone who followed Christ. Someone who had a growing relationship with him. My priorities shifted. If you would have asked me then if I was happy at that time, my answer probably would have been yes. Looking back now, I know that was going down the wrong path. I know that path would have taken me far from Jesus.

BUT GOD. God’s plan was bigger for me. God had more of a purpose for me. God had more blessings to come. College was a game changer. College brought me a community of girls that were strong in their faith. College brought reminders of God’s faithfulness. College brought restoration and growth in my relationship with him. I was reminded that living a life for Christ is ongoing. It takes work. It takes investing. But man is it worth it! The reward is so big! Complete salvation. Free from all the pains of this world. 

God is not done with me. He is still teaching me, growing me, and working in my life. God is still placing people and opportunities in my life to show me He has a plan. He is constantly bringing me to the foot of the cross as a reminder that the work has been done and I am forgiven. I just have to trust Him.

If this is true for me, then it is true for you too. I encourage you today to reflect back on your life. Think of the tough times, was there any good that came from it? That’s the Lord at work in your life. That’s His reminder to you that you are loved and He has a plan for your life. That plan ends with you being back with Him. 

Surrendering Trust (Matt Howard)

God Gold of the Day

I am extremely excited and thankful to share with you today a God Gold from a good friend of mine, Matt Howard! I had asked Matt if he was interested in writing a God Gold awhile back and thankfully he was because what I thought I saw in his pure and faithful heart was displayed for real in this message! Before posting this message I read it myself and it resonated with me the very next day as I found myself in a situation that called for this truth found here to get me through! Then, later that day, still before this Gold had even been posted, I was listening to a friend discuss some tough situations he was going through. Not having the words to say to help my friend, this God Gold message from Matt came to mind so I sent my friend these truths which turned out being EXACTLY what he needed to hear!!! It amazes me how God works from one person’s heart to another, and to another to bring His faithful and loving presence so HUGE in our lives when we need it most! After seeing what God has already done through this gold even before being made public, I can’t wait to see what all God has in store to use these truths in your life!!! BIG thank you to Matt again for sharing what God laid on his heart and Matt is also one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever seen so this may not be the last time you’ll hear from him!!!

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Him, And He will make your paths straight.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Good morning God Gold Family! My name is Matt Howard, and I hope that this truth speaks into your life this morning. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite verses, reminding us to place all of our trust in God alone, laying all of our burdens at his feet. It promises us that God will take care of us no matter our circumstance. Every day, I have to remind myself to cast my cares upon the Lord and commit everything to prayer. I pray that whatever you are going through that you would realize that you are NOT alone in the fight and that every circumstance is a part of God’s PERFECT plan.

Isaiah 55:8-9- “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Jeremiah 29:11– “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God’s ways are higher than our ways, and he has a PERFECT plan for each and every one of us. Right now, I challenge you to commit anything and everything in your life to prayer. Whatever burdens or worries you carry; I pray that you would surrender it all to God.

Proverbs 18:10- “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”

 

Video on Trusting God:

 

SEEK WEEK #3

God Gold of the Day

‘Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God ! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord .”‘

Jeremiah 1:4-8 

 

What is SEEK WEEK?

The Background, challenge, and tips HERE:

 

So this is how SEEK WEEK will go, everyday I will send out a few verses and that’s it. No words of mine or anything else just God’s pure Gold!!! And with that verse I challenge you to SEEK God. Spend some time to deeply meditate on what God is telling you, shut off our your racing thoughts of what you want it to mean or what you’ve got planned in your day, shut it all down and be still before God. Some things that have helped me recently to not just read it and move on through the motions is to;

1. Write the verse down. This helps you hold it to your memory as you go throughout your day and as you write you have the chance to think deeper on each Word.
2. Pray over God’s Word. Praying God’s Word over your life is so powerful, as you speak His truth out loud you are speaking this truth over your life. Also, you are praying so in that time ask God to help you see His truth in it, what it means, how this is to be applied, and ask God for help in living it. You have the chance to take your voice to God for help, He will never disappoint so don’t pass this time up.
3. Putting away your phone or anything that could be distracting. This is a time to be still before God and we have an enemy that is a master at distracting us, taking our attention away from God. Why? Because the enemy knows how much stronger you’ll be after really spending time with God. Let go of distractions and focus in on God.
4. Don’t overthink it. I don’t know about you but my thoughts are wild and will take me a million different directions. The tough thing about this is when our thoughts are going everywhere, we’re not spending time to really hear God, be still, and let His Spirit strengthen and speak truth into your life.
5. Context is everything. It’s easy to read the verse, take it at surface level and read what you want to hear with it. I have a problem with this and if you’re human I’m sure you do too. We are self-centered and even when reading God’s Word we will seek the truth that we want to hear, the truth that makes us feel good and keeps us in our comfort zone. The TRUTH is, God’s Word isn’t meant to keep us comfortable in our ways, it’s there to reveal to us the depth of our brokenness and the steps of faith that will need to be taken to move out of the temporary pleasure we want into the eternal, FULL LIFE God has for us as we move faithfully. I said context is everything because looking over the whole chapter or book that the verse is found in is a way to detour us from getting our truth out of it and see God’s actual truth and intention in His Words. Don’t just take it at face value and get what you want, dig deeper and get the goodness that God has for you.
6. Seek God. During this time, the most important thing to do is just seek God, seek His heart, seek to learn more about who He is, how He feels about you and your identity in Him as a child of God. Don’t complicate it too much, just seek God intimately and personally as the Father He is in your life, in this relationship you have with Him, treat like just that, a loving relationship. Grow in Him and seek His presence continually.
7. Embrace the discipline. The last one and probably my least favorite with how much I love discipline. As much as it’s not fun to embrace change and building a habit, just continue to remember your desperate need for God and why this is important in the first place. Without God you have nothing, you don’t have what it takes, and life is hard. But with God, you still face the same day except with Him at the lead the day looks, feels and you live it a lot differently. Remember your WHY when you want to go through the motions or skip a day. It may not be easy at first but after a while it be a piece of cake, and the best tasting cake you’ve ever tasted without a doubt.
8. It’s bigger than you. Of course starting the day to seek God is personal but the effects of that time spent with God is bigger than you. We go to God for strength, provision and protection so we can live out the “bigger than me” mission He’s called us to. As we rest in His loving presence, in His strength, as we live in Him and through Him, others lives will be affected, changed even and some may hear your excitement about your experience with God and decide to experience God themselves. It starts with you and God and with God in it, He always makes it bigger than just you!

Praying for you in this challenge of SEEK WEEK!!!!! God has so much more for us and the world around us, let’s not waste any more time going through the motions but instead seek God and embrace His more!!!!