The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
  a broken and contrite heart,
  O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:17 (NIV)

I think everybody has brokenness. There’s no doubt about that. We live in a fallen world. This is not heaven. Everybody has scars. Everybody is hurting somewhere, I guarantee you that. Everyone has a hidden hurt.
Rick Warren

It’s Day 10. How’re you feeling? If you are like some who have enrolled in the Metamorphosis change campaign you are feeling frustrated and maybe a little like a failure on Day 10. Sometimes we feel so broken and messed up that we wonder how God can use us. Hey, good news - that’s probably right where you need to be for God to begin to use you! Check this out for some heavy duty encouragement…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qSqXe9z_scU

For fun you might want to check out http://www.jasongraymusic.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/jasongraymusic for some free Jayson Gray music - it’s quite enjoyable and was a little slice of serendipity to stumble upon.

Want to go deeper on this idea of  “brokenness”? Read a devotional from Charles Stanley…
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dhKHIXPKIuE&b=3868283&ct=4973301

Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly
Francis Bacon

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Romans 6:11-14

Bamboo
Once upon a time, in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden was wont to walk. Of all the denizens of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle withal. And often when the wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would cast aside his grave stateliness, to dance and play right merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the garden, Which most delighted the Master’s heart.
Now, once upon a day, the Master himself drew near to contemplate his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting. The Master spoke: “Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you.”
Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny. His voice came low: “Master, I’m ready. Use me as Thou wilt.” “Bamboo,” – The Master’s voice was grave — “I would have to take you and cut you down!” A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo…”Cut …me… down ? Me.. who thou, Master, has made the most beautiful in all thy Garden…cut me down! Ah, not that. Not that. Use me for the joy, use me for the glory, oh master, but cut me not down!” “Beloved Bamboo,”—The Master’s voice grew graver still—“If I cut you not down, I cannot use you.” The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There was a whisper: “Master, if thou cannot use me other than to cut me down.. then do thy will and cut”. “Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also”. “Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would thou also have to take from me, my leaves and branches too?” “Bamboo, if I cut them not away, I cannot use you.” The Sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low: “Master, cut away” “Bamboo, Bamboo, I would yet… split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use you.” Then Bamboo bowed to the ground: “Master, Master… then cut and split.” So did the Master of the garden took Bamboo…
and cut him down…
and hacked off his branches…
and stripped off his leaves…
and split him in two…
and cut out his heart.
And lifting him gently, carried him to where there was a spring of fresh sparkling water in the midst of his dry fields. Then putting one end of the broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in His field, the Master laid down gently his beloved Bamboo…
And the spring sang welcome, and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of bamboo’s torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew and the harvest came.
In that day Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant, but in his brokenness he became a channel of abundant life to his Master’s world.
Author unknown.

We’ve talked about how a death must occur to embrace new life and how death can lead to even greater gifts (the seed dies but gives life to numerous new seeds). It’s all about surrender - and not “white flag” surrender but trust. Please read this devotional from The Purpose Driven Life to see what I mean.
http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/FreeTools/devotional/todaysDevo/Devotional.htm?a=131&z=1

I want to live my life so that my nights are not full of regrets.
David Herbert Lawrence

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6: 5- 7

Pastor Nathan shared yesterday how a death is always necessary in order to be able to embrace new life - life change. For some it takes a rock bottom experience to motivate change. Read this Daily Bread excerpt.
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2005/08/19/devotion.aspx

Brian Welsh of the heavy metal group Korn hit rock bottom too, even while he was on top in his career. With his band at a peak in fame, ”inside I felt dead.” But at the bottom, he reached out and God met him right there in the pit. Be encouraged. God has the power to save.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5H2IDo0fIA

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
John 12:24 (NIV)

Hope you can join us at Grace this week and find out why this is our key verse this week.

“God, I really regret that sin. I sure hope I can do better next time.” Does this sound familiar? The following link will take you to an excellent feature article by Dr. Charles Stanley. Please give it a read.
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dhKHIXPKIuE&b=3015781&content_id={86621E35-1323-4824-9307-205DF00B572D}¬oc=1

Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me it is a kind of order that sets me free to fly.
Julie Andrews

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.
Jim Rohn

Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
Proverbs 12:21 (NIV) 

The following is your “hit” for the day (from Harvest Online). It’s Saturday - don’t fall apart today. You can do it, though extra effort may be needed today and tomorrow (or less depending on what it is you are working on changing). Hang in there.

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/index.php/2/2008/04/21.html

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.
Billy Graham

But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law.
Galations 5:22-23

I bet there is not one thing you could possibly have signed up for in this “40 days to change your ways” that is not covered one way or another in Galations 5. Whether it’s an attitude or action, passive or active, an issues of will or of control, you’ll see it’s represented there. Click this link to both read Galations 5 and some great thoughts on the passage by Charles Stanley. This is day five - press on and know we’re praying for you!
http://www.intouch.org/site/c.dhKHIXPKIuE/b.2406769/apps/s/content.asp?ct=3400581

If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.
Maya Angelou 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds.
Ephesians 4:22-23

Welcome to day four. What does it mean to put off your old self and be made new in the attitude of your minds? Our mind is where the battle is. And to change we need to start with repentance - getting real about our “stuff” and asking God to help us truly repent (a deep in the heart yielding that causes real change).

A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit’s aid than he can create a world.
Charles Spurgeon

Your reading for today…
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2002/11/08/devotion.aspx

And if you have two extra minutes, check out the first minute of these video’s just for fun - it’s pretty cool!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-K9QgTI_gLE&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C-sKCGHLHiY&feature=related

Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.
Dean Acheson

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

It’s day three. Need a little encouragement that this change you’ve embarked upon is possible? Check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94c43AlwLKo  

The change begins in your mind. Check out what Charles Stanley has to say about it. You can make it through day three!
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2000/09/27/devotion.aspx

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
C. S. Lewis

Living Sacrifices
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2


Have you focused, truly focused on the regrets you might face from your inaction? At the end of your life what will you think of your choices. Will you be one of the 84% who have the most regret over the things you didn’t do? This Phil Collins song is typical of way too many of us, “reaching past the goal in front while what’s important just slips away”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LjPBS20oJM 
 All of my life, I’ve been searchingFor the words to say how I feel.
I’d spend my time thinking too much
And leave too little to say what I mean
I’ve tried to understand the best I can
All of my life. All of my life, I’ve been saying sorry
For the things I know I should have done
All the things I could have said come back to me
Sometimes I wish that it had just begun
Seems I’m always that little too late
All of my life
Set ‘em up, I’ll take a drink with you
Pull up a chair, I think I’ll stay
Set ‘em up, cos I’m going nowhere
There’s too much I need to remember, too much I need to say
All of my life, I’ve been looking
But it’s hard to find the way
Reaching past the goal in front of me
While what’s important just slips away
It doesn’t come back but I’ll be looking
All of my life
All of my life, there have been regrets
That I didn’t do all I could
Making records upstairs, while he watched TV
I didn’t spend the time I should
It’s a memory I will live with
All of my life 


Picturing yourself in the nursing home yet? Liking what you see? If not, remember you can change – you can change it today. And there is assistance – you don’t have to do it simply out of your own well of self control. Read this for some encouragement and get hatching.
 http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11569838/

WEEK ONE – DAY ONE

Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
Frank Herbert

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

So you want to make a change. Excellent! Have you had a cold hard look at reality yet? Until you really, really grasp reality and graphically picture where that reality will lead you down the road, you may not be ready to begin and succeed.

Check this video out to see what an extreme lack of reality can look like. (Parents please note: some of our younger Grace members have signed up to be part of the metamorphosis experiment. Please use your discretion and preview or watch  the videos with your child if they have joined this group.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94c43AlwLKo  

Now check this out and be encouraged. And remember, we are in this together and we are praying for you!
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2000/09/27/devotion.aspx