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Sunday Reflections and News in The Grove

Big Idea:
Staying in Love requires putting the interests of others first and dying to self.  Empty Yourself!

Scripture memory:
Philippians 2:3-5 (ESV)
³ Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Action Step:
Go WAY BEYOND the norm in loving and serving your spouse this week.  Empty Yourself!

Random Thoughts:

• This “Staying in Love” series is turning out to be a great one!  I have had more feedback through emails and phone calls than I have had in a long time from one of our sermon series.  God is working in marriages.
• I love Craig and Lori Ellington!  They are such a model for couples in their marriage.  I am so thankful for them sharing this morning.
• The prayer time was powerful!  I admire so many of the couples that were willing to stand and have people pray for them.  God will honor their dependence on Him!  Thanks to Gabe for his leadership in prayer.
• One of the hardest but healthiest things we can do is ask for help when we are struggling in an area.  God wants us to come to Him for help and sometimes it means going to ask a person or a group of people for help.  I have some great counselors I can recommend to people struggling in an area or in their marriage.  Let me know if you would like their info.
• Check out Jamesh and Kim Part 2 here!
• Thankful Thursdays at Youth Middle have been awesome the past 2 Thursdays!  Thank you to Barbara Bledsoe and Lisa Malcolm for their leadership and to all those volunteers that have prepared food and been there to help.
• I loved the snow this past Friday night!  It is beautiful when it snows like that.  Our family had a blast playing in the snow.  I hope your family enjoyed it as well.  I am so glad it did not impact our Sunday!
• Pray for our students this coming weekend!  They will be participating in a fun and spiritually challenging weekend called a “Aquire the Fire” Disciple Now!  They will spend Friday night in homes with other students and participate in Bible study on Friday night and Saturday.  It is an awesome weekend.  I am praying that God will change lives.
• Community Groups are cranking up!  Don’t miss out on what God is doing and your chance to build some lasting friendships.
• I have the greatest wife in the world!  She is my valentine!  We had an awesome time yesterday going out to eat thanks to the DiPascal family watching out kids.  It was great to have a conversation without being interrupted.  She has been my valentine for 16 Valentine Day’s!  She wrote me the coolest poem and gave it to me today! (Sunday)  If she will let me I will post it on my blog.
• As we continue to strengthen our marriages, do something this week that is a reflection of  ”emptying yourself”.  Go WAY BEYOND the norm and show love and sacrifice for your spouse.
• Check out the true story of St. Valentine’s Day and how it started here. 
• Empty yourself this week.  Put Philippians 2:3-8 into practice.
• Begin to think of who you can invite with you to Easter on April 4!  Remember 10 for 2010!

Keep Praying, Keep Investing, Keep inviting!