Statistically they say that Wednesday is one of the hardest days of the week because the weekend feels too far away and the refreshing that you once felt from the previous weekend is now past. This often means that fasting on Wednesday may prove to be one of the most difficult of them all! We encourage you to really dig in to God’s Word and invest in a time of prayer during those times when you feel most “hungry”. Even when you are at work, take a few moments and set aside to focus on Him, you might be surprised by your change of perspective.

Today’s Encouragement and verses for today come from Patricia Sharp. We hope you are encouraged by her story

Our devotional thought and verse for today is brought to us by Joshua Jones one of our Awaken Kids leaders who has a huge heart for outreach and reaching the lost and hopeless. All of us at one point or another have asked God for more boldness as we approach those that we desire to share the message of the gospel. Often times we are left feeling inadequate, if you can relate then we hope you are encouraged by today’s blog entry.

“And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’ And they said to Him, ‘We have here only five loaves and two fish.’ He said, ‘Bring them here to Me.’ Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭14-20‬ NKJV)

When the disciples saw the multitude they were overwhelmed, they thought the need was too great. They wanted to send them away but Jesus replied, you give them something to eat. They said we don’t have enough, but they brought what they had and Jesus multiplied what they had. Jesus used this moment as the perfect opportunity to show Himself more than able to equip them to build His kingdom.

A key part of this verse is when Jesus had His disciples distribute the goods out to the crowds.

This was symbolic. (Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. – John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ NKJV) Jesus is the bread of life. God was showing us that when we go to share Jesus we may feel as though we do not have enough. The truth is we don’t have the ability, but Christ in us gives us the ability. Jesus said I am with you always even to the end of the age. He is with us today as He was with them then. He will provide all our needs. He will provide the ability we need to build God’s kingdom. (Joshua Jones)

We are praying for you as you continue this journey of prayer and fasting! (JZ)

Our Verse and Devotional Thought for today comes from our Growth Track Director at Awaken, Jennifer Ester. If you are new to Awaken and you have never attended our Growth Track event, we encourage you to mark your calendars for this Sunday night at 5:30 PM to attend. Dinner and Child Care is provided and the event will be held at the Zdrojowy home. If you have any questions or would like to RSVP, email Jacqueline at jacqueline@awakenchurchonline.com.

Our verse for this Monday afternoon comes from Philippians 4:12-13

“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.  I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”

Without God in our lives we can do nothing.  However, if we ask Him into our lives we can do anything!  Don’t let your life be stressful and overwhelming, put your faith and trust in the Lord and He will guide you through even the most difficult times. (Jennifer Ester)

Be blessed this Monday, lean on Him and you will find He alone is the source of strength that you need the most! (JZ)

What a beautiful Sunday! As you continue to persevere during this time of fasting and prayer, jump start your week with our verse for today,

Romans 12:12.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV)

^“Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.” (The Message)

Are you expecting and waiting for God to answer a prayer that perhaps you have been praying a long time? Today’s testimony by one of our A-Team leaders who wears many different hats at Awaken offers hope for those that are persevering in prayer and need encouragement to keep HOPE and wait cheerfully!

“I prayed and fasted for ten years for Charlie (my husband) to get saved! God is so good! His word never comes back void!! He came home with a Bible my brother bought him and said he accepted the Lord! I didn’t believe him! I said actions speak louder than words! He started coming to church, read his bible….amazing to see how God honors your prayers and fasting! God is just so good!!!” (Donna Carter)

We are praying for you this week as you continue this journey of prayer and fasting!

We hope you will join us this coming Friday night at 7:00 PM at Heron Creek Middle School for a time of prayer and worship.

We are almost halfway there! We hope you are enjoying this time of pressing in to God.

Our Encouragement and Scripture of the Day is brought to you by one of our A-Team Members, Jennifer Ester. We hope you are encouraged today as we continue on this journey of fourteen days of prayer and fasting.

Our Verse for the Day:

An encouraging verse for today:

Our Encouragement of the Day is brought to you by one of our Life Group Leader Coaches at Awaken. We hope that you are encouraged this morning as you continue this journey of fourteen days of fasting and praying.

“I wasn’t raised in church. Mark and I dated in high school and we broke up because I thought he was going to get religion. I knew my parents would not accept that, so I ran. I ran for 28 years and by God’s grace he brought me back to him. Obviously God had a plan for my life. On June 28, 2007 the day Mark and I got married I also gave my heart to God. Since that day the old was gone and the new was born. We have allowed God to guide and direct our life since. Praise Him for what he has done in our lives. We are committed to serving Him for his kingdom. Glory to God!!!” (Shelly Mousty)

Are you praying and believing for a loved one today, that God would change their heart and rescue them from the pit they find themselves in? Be encouraged today, God hears your prayers and is doing work behind the scenes! Perhaps you feel that you have taken a back-seat to where you know God desires for you to be, God is not finished with you! His work has only begun. Believing the best is yet to come in 2015! (JZ)

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.       ~Daniel 1:8 (NASB)

This is one of my go to verses.  I am always challenged by the simple phrase “But Daniel made up his mind”… Daniel refused to lower his standards or rescind his commitments.  He made up his mind to honor God even in the most difficult situation.

The question for you and I today is this… Will we make up our minds or “Resolve” to keep our commitments to honor God, no matter what we are facing.  One of the primary ways we as Christians develop resolve in our lives, is through the work of the Holy Spirit.

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.  And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

John 16:7-8 (NASB)

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

John 16:13-14 (NASB)

“Conviction leads to resolve, and resolve leads to action.” – I read this quote on the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) website.  I was challenged by the fact that as Christians we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit to bring conviction into our lives.  As we yield to the conviction and it becomes resolve in our hearts, we learn to please God in our actions.

As a church, we are participating in a fast to kick-off the new year… We are believing God for some pretty audacious things this year, both as a church and in our personal lives.  My challenge to you is to draw closer to God and ask Him to open your ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to you.  Ask God to strengthen your heart and deepen your resolve to please Him in 2015.  Finally seek the Lord for eyes to see as He does.

I believe that no matter what you face,  if during the next couple of weeks you put God first and draw closer to Him during this time of prayer and fasting, you’ll experience His blessings throughout 2015.

So many times, we are looking for more time… But here’s the truth, we have enough time for everything that God wants us to do!  The problem is that many times we are more interested in doing what we want to do, or at the very least we are distracted by seemingly good things that become the enemy of the best things!

God’s plan for our lives includes “All these things” (see Matt. 6:33), but He demands that our priority is His “Kingdom” or His Plan.  Our focus has to shift off the glaringly obvious, and rest squarely on Jesus.  When this happens, we become less concerned with the superfluous and get more in tune with the heart of God for others and for our lives.

Here are five ways to shift your priorities starting today:

1. Make a To-don’t List (What are 5 things you could stop doing today?)
2. Make a list of things you’ve been neglecting… do they need to be higher on the list?
3. Set 1 or 2 achievable and sustainable goals (START SMALL)
4. Ask those closest to you what your priorities are… (WARNING: you might be surprised by their answers even a bit hurt)
5. Make time for moments you’ll never get back.

I’m not suggesting that these five things will fix all your problems or even make you life totally different… right away, but I am convinced that over time with your focus shifted and your priorities straight, you will see a difference in how you feel, manage stress and relate with others.  Most importantly your relationship with God will deepen and become more fulfilling, because you will start living to bring Him glory, rather than living to keep the glory for yourself.

#AwakeningToGRACE

Brian Zdrojowy

I was really looking forward to a great weekend of relaxing, hanging out with my family, sleeping in as long as the kids would allow and simply being lazy. My thoughts were focused on this until I got a phone call the day before my lethargically sluggish weekend began.

Jacqueline began to tell me how Pastor Z, her husband and my pastor, had a conversation with a man that was coordinating an event called “Remember the Fallen” Memorial 5k Run. This was the 2^nd year the event had been held in North Port and was put on to remember those who died on 9/11 as well as honor and support the first responders and members of the armed services who protect and serve our communities daily. The coordinator had told Pastor Z that he would like some of the team from Awaken Church to participate, Pastor zealously agreed and asked Jacqueline to start making some calls. She then called and began explaining that she realized it was last minute, but she would really like to have me participate at the event. Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive because I was looking forward to sleeping in and I didn’t really feel I was up to participating in a 5k run! But how could I not go and support such a great cause?

My alarm sounded at 5 o’clock in the morning and I found it very difficult to rise from my deep slumber. It was still so dark outside that even the rooster outside shouted at me to shut my alarm off! I rolled out of bed and into my closet to throw on the appropriate attire, and then headed out to the race. As I said before, I was a bit nervous driving to North Port City Hall not knowing what to expect, I mean I have never participated in a 5k run before.

As I pulled into the parking lot the runners were piling into registration. As I looked all around I felt a bit out of my element…

The event had a tremendous turn out, almost doubling the amount of participants from the previous year. The city of North Port did a tremendous job putting the event together. It took some time to check all the extra competitors in, which gave me a lot of time to ponder how I was going to make it through and what my strategy would be in the race.

After all the competitors were checked in, it was finally  time to give tribute to those that gave and risked  their lives on that fateful day that the Twin Towers came down. Following the opening ceremonies, the race would begin. It was certainly a time of reflection and perspective. These service workers gave their lives, their time and their effort to make sure the citizens of America could be safe and secure. This is a sacrifice that allowed me to be where I was at that time; I was suddenly rejuvenated and ready for the race to begin!

All the competitors were lined up on the mark, ready for the North Port fire engine to sound off the start of the race. I couldn’t believe the sea of people that had turned out to race. Young to old, everyone was ready to begin the race, and now I was. On your mark, get set….the fire engine sounded and the sea of people began to flood the streets of North Port.

 I knew as the race began that I would not have much time to decide on my strategy. The winner of the previous year finished under the 18 minute mark, so my time to decide how I was going to handle the race was not far off in the distance. I decided to just hang back and hold steady, then make my push as the leader pushed toward the line. It may not have been an amazing plan, but it was the only one that I had at that moment.

About 17 minutes had passed by when I looked down the street and saw the first person heading toward the finish line. It was a little unexpected, the time had gone by so fast and I was not really ready to “turn it on” and make a push toward the finish. However, I knew I had to step it up; I was there to support and serve the fine men and women that serve me. I also knew I was there to represent Awaken Church as well, so I could not just stand back while everyone else was putting in such a great effort to finish the race.

As the guy in the head of the pack made the turn for the finish line, I stepped it up and ran by to grab a cup of fluids. I looked over at the the leader as he steadily approach the final destination. Thoughts crept through my mind, “can you do this?” Would I be able to make it through this exhausting 5k race? I was so exhausted from getting up so early.

 The frontrunner was now closer and closer to the end of the race.

“You can do this Shawn,” I thought to myself. “Here we go!”

The first place finisher suddenly crossed the finish line and then I jumped into action!

“Would you like some chocolate milk?” I asked with fervor.

“No thank you,” the winner stated out of breath.

“Okay…well…congratulations?!” I replied.

Okay, so I wasn’t there to actually run the race. I was there to SERVE…chocolate milk. Come to find out chocolate milk is a great way for runners to recover after a long run, due to the high content of carbohydrates and protein. Who knew?

The point is that even though I was not actually running in the race, me being there still served a tremendous purpose. Because I decided to take a few hours out of my relaxing weekend, I was able to help runners recover from a long race, promote Awaken Church and, more importantly, show support for those who have taken their time to serve me with their lives.

In 1 Peter 4:10 the Bible states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (NIV). Every single person has been given a gift from God to be used for the benefit of others. These gifts can be as simple as a small portion of time that you have been given at this moment in life. Just like God has called us to be faithful stewards of our finances, we are also to be faithful stewards of our time, our talent and our finances.

I could have easily stayed home, slept half the day away and balanced a plate of cookies on my belly as I watched reruns of “Duck Dynasty”. However, as the great Si Robertson says, “Hey, Homie don’t play that Jack!” I got up at five and used my morning as God had intended for me that day. I am not saying that you can’t sleep in every now and then. I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy an episode of “Duck Dynasty” every now and then. In fact, I highly recommend it. And I certainly believe that it is important to spend quality time with your family. However, just as I was meant at that moment to provide a drink of energy for participants of a 5K Memorial Run, show how Awaken Church is committed to serve the North Port community and serve the God who has given me everything,  this  moment may be your moment to serve.

So, what are you doing at this moment with your time and gifts? Are you wasting time and effort that could be spent on uplifting others? Are you being good stewards with the life God has given you? Life is a great race. You don’t always have to be the one that is actually running. But the least you can do is make an effort and pass out some chocolate milk.

Shawn Leaverton