Enhancing Your Relationships

Have you ever thought about the importance of white space when you are reading text on a page? White space is the area on the page where there isn't any print or image. It's the space between the words and the space that makes up the margin. White space helps guide the eye and gives the text some breathing room so that you can focus on the words. Without white space, thewordsonthepagewouldbeverydifficulttoread.

White space is just as important in relationships. We have to give the people in our lives a little breathing room from time to time so they can recharge and be their best. If we are constantly together, constantly talking, constantly in each other's faces, it opens the door for frustration and strife. In order to maximize the "on" time, we also have to have some "off" time because it helps us refocus on what is most important in life.

To make the most of our relationships, we have to be willing to give the people in our lives what they need, which may not necessarily be what we need. When I need to be refreshed, Joel doesn't tell me to go play kickball in the backyard with the kids. He doesn't say, "That's what I do, so you should do it, too." In the same way, when he needs to clear his mind, the last thing I would suggest is for him to go to the mall. Joel and I both know how important it is to be considerate of each other's needs, so we make every effort to study and adapt to one another.

When you see your spouse after a long day at work, instead of bombarding them with all of your requests, be patient and give them some time to unwind. The same is true for children. They may not want to answer twenty questions the first minute you see them after school. Instead, wait until they have a snack and settle down, and then ask them how their day went. If you will look for the best opportunity and wait for the right time, you will have much more success and much less tension in all of your relationships!

Today, I encourage you to consider what others need and give them the space to recharge. Even Jesus had to take time to be alone and recharge. If Jesus needed down time, we can be sure that all of us need it, too. So embrace the white space and enhance your relationships!

-Victoria Osteen

What Are You Living For?

This Francis Chan video is powerful!  If you need a reminder to live eternally today – then give this video just 4 minutes of your time to be challenged - Chan’s perspective could change the entire course of your life!

Thank You & Updates!

Ladies,

THANK YOU to everyone who attended Conversations Saturday morning.  We had a wonderful time, and so blessed to hear the testimony of Julie Raby.  We have lots of bible studies going on, along with several new studies starting soon too!!  Stay posted to this blog and church bulletin for more announcements coming soon.

Below are some new announcements for this week:

• Serving Knoxville As One (now called “Inasmuch”): Save the Date April 21st. NorthStar will join other area churches in this community wide ministry day to our city sharing the love of Christ through deeds. Projects are being formed and sign-ups are located on our website and at Connection Point.

•  Easter at the Tennessee Theatre! Make your plans now to be there, Sunday April 8th, 10:30am. 

Easter at the Tennesee Theatre from Northstar Church on Vimeo.

• It’s time to assemble our ensemble...our 2012 Easter Choir, that is! Those 16 and older interested in being a part must sign up either on our website or at Connection Point no later than Sunday April 1st. There’s also a mandatory practice Thursday night April 5th from 6-7:30pm. Sign up today. 

• An army of volunteers needed for our Easter celebration! We need help with set up, tear down, First Touch (parking, greeting, ushering) and everything in between! If you are willing and able to serve, sign up in the back of the Worship Center or visit www.northstarknox.com. 

• All Wednesday night programs this week, March 21st will be cancelled due to Knox County Spring Break. 

Have a blessed week!!!

Fellowship

Today's devotion is all about small groups, or as we say at NorthStar....Life Groups.  We will cover alot of frequently asked questions, and even provide a link for a sign up form.  And, as always let us know if you have any questions.  

What are LifeGroups?
LifeGroups are small groups of married couples or individuals who meet regularly in someone’s home for community, Bible study, and mission. They are for adults of all ages, stages of life, and spiritual maturity.

When and How often does a LifeGroup meet?
A LifeGroup meets at a time that is most convenient for the majority of the group.  A LifeGroup should meets 2 – 4 times a month during the school year.  In the summer time a LifeGroup may scale back to once a month because of vacations and such.

What happens at a LifeGroup meeting?
Though each group differs in how they do things, many groups have a social time in the beginning, then transition to a time where they discuss questions from the sermon discussion guide and pray for each other. At the very beginning of the group, the whole group decides how much time they will spend on social, discussion, and prayer time (as well as the order in which they take place).

What if I don’t like the group I visit?
Sometimes visiting a group is like trying on shoes. You may have to try a couple of groups out to see which group is the best fit for you and your family. It is ok to visit multiple groups before deciding on which one to join.

Do I have to know a lot about the Bible to attend a group?
No. People that attend groups are at all different levels of their spiritual journey. We don’t expect you to know everything about the Bible. It is always ok to ask a question related to the Bible in your group time if you don’t know the answer.

What do I do with my kids!?
We leave it up to you and your LifeGroup to arrange for childcare. Some groups pool together and pay for a sitter, some rotate childcare among the members, and some leave it up to the individual. If you are having trouble finding childcare, we may be able to help you.

If you’ve been searching for a place to connect at NorthStar, let us show you how joining a LifeGroup can get you connected to others like you in our church, while helping you grow in your relationship with God.

To find available LifeGroups, click HERE.  If you need more help contact us HERE.

Prayer Request

This past Sunday, Pastor Scott encouraged NorthStar to pray over the following Prayer Requests.  We've uploaded some great worship song videos, and encourage you to lift up the following the prayers to the Lord in the coming days:

• Pray that the Spirit of the Lord will fill the sanctuary with His Power. 
• Pray that broken people will be drawn to NorthStar
• Pray that the People of NorthStar are filled with boldness and power to spread the Word of the Lord

Forever Reign - Hillsong

Awakening - Chris Tomlin


I Bless Your Name - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Have a blessed week!!

 

Worship with Your Whole Heart!!

 Today's devotion focuses on our worship.

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! (Psalm 57:2 Amplified Bible)

Great worship leaders know to come into the presence of God with their entire being, prepared to give thanks and praise (see Deuteronomy 10:12). They don't just roll out of bed, throw water on their face, and run a comb through their hair before church. They know that the anointing comes from a sincere pursuit of loving God with their whole heart.

Likewise, as you approach God in the morning, come to Him with a heart full of worship, expressing your awe of Him for His faithfulness toward you. He promises that He will never forsake you, but will be with you all day long (see Joshua 1:5).

Find Quiet Time

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb. (Psalms 19:9-10 Amplified Bible)

Sometimes I set aside the entire day just to be with God. I stop everything and seek Him. I know I am not going to hear from God if I don't get quiet on purpose by that time set aside for Him. It is so important to have some "down time" to be alone and just sit quietly. You may think you don't have time, but if somebody was giving out thousand-dollar bills at the mall, you would find time to get there. Don't use the time to try to figure out something; just be still and available to the Lord's attention.

Increase Your Days

Behold, the Lord's eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. (Psalms 33:18-19 Amplified Bible)

When I talk about seeking God early, many people think they will have to get up at three o'clock in the morning! I am not trying to tell you how to do it. I am not even suggesting that you pray for an hour. I am just saying that some way, somehow, if you want to start your whole day right, you must find time to seek God's wisdom in the morning.

Time with God adds years to your life! God is eager to give us insight and understanding. His Word says, "For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased." (Proverbs 9:11 Amplified Bible)

© Joyce Meyer  - Starting Your Day Right

Our House Series........In the Living Room Recap

If you missed Sunday's service, I would like to encourage you visit the NorthStar website and listing to the latest installment of the Our House Series.  This week's sermon focused on the Living Room in "Our House," and at NorthStar this is the Sanctuary.  The place where we come together in corporate worship.  Pastor Scott broke down the four (4) purposed of Corporate Worship:

1. Teaching the Word
2. Corporate Prayer
3. Fellowship
4. Worship

We explored each of these areas, placing an emphasis of Worship, Corporate Prayer and Giving, Fellowship, and Thanksgiving.   Pastor Scott also lifted up three specific prayer requests as we entered into Corporate Prayer:

• Pray that the Spirit of the Lord will fill the sanctuary with His Power. 
• Pray that broken people will be drawn to NorthStar
• Pray that the People of NorthStar are filled with boldness and power

This week, we will continue on the theme of Sunday's Message, and take a deeper look into the four pillars of Corporate Worship.   Also, we will spend a couple of days praying over the prayer requests.  We are excited are you coming along with us on this journey this week. 

Please let us know if you have any prayer requests or comments.

Have a blessed week!!

No More Nagging

Today’s Truth
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,” (James 5:16 TNIV).

Friend to Friend
There are some verses in the Bible that I wish God had just left out.  Here are a few of them:

• A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping. (Proverbs 19:13)
• A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. (Proverbs 27:15,16)
• Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife. (Proverbs  21:19)
• Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. (Proverbs 25:24) 

OK, that’s about all I can take right now.  When I wrote the book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams, I surveyed and interviewed men about what they longed for in a wife.  One thing that men repeatedly mentioned was their aversion to nagging. Drip, drip, drip. Webster defines nagging as to scold or find fault with repeatedly, to cause annoyance by scolding or repetition. Interestingly, a nag is also an inferior or aged horse. The best remedy to cure ourselves from being a nagging wife, or a nagging mother, or a nagging friend, is to become a praying woman. Jesus invites us to stop nagging our husbands (and others) and begin nagging God!         

Here’s what Jesus had to say:
"Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

"Then the one inside answers, `Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:5-9).

In the Greek, the words ask, seek, and knock are present participle verbs. The more correct translation would read, ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. God invites us to be persistent in our prayers. We can give our worries and cares to God and leave it up to Him to do the rest. “Cast all your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you,” (Psalms 55:22).  “Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you,” (1 Peter 5:7). If you are married, remember, you don’t want to be your husband’s mother…you want to be the woman of his dreams.

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I confess that sometimes I nag my husband…alright, maybe more than sometimes. But Lord, I am determining in my heart to stop nagging my husband and start being consistent and persistent in prayer. My husband is Your workmanship, not mine. Forgive me when I try to yank the paint brush from Your hand and create brushstrokes of my own. I pray that I can be the woman that he needs in order to become the man that You desire.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

• What do you think a nag sounds like?

• Do you ever nag your husband or other significant people in your life?

• If there are things that you tend to nag your husband about, try this - write them down on a piece of paper, turn the list over to God, and then turn off the leaky faucet. Give it a try.  You might be surprised!

More from the Girlfriends in God
Nagging just seems to come natural for most of us girls. But God calls us to live super-naturally.  If your marriage could use a bit of freshening up, take a look at Sharon’s book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams. And if it that little but powerful muscle called the tongue that needs an overhaul, see her book, The Power of a Woman’s Words. It is up to us to turn off that leaky faucet for good!

Comfort In The Valley

Today's Devotional Is a Video! 

And, it is so powerful!!