Was very inspired listening to a podcast by Phil Pringle on the verse: Isa 54:3 ‘You shall expand!’

The one that has to expand is ‘you!’ not anyone else, God wants to bring us out of Egypt (it means 'limitation' in Hebrew)
The Isrealites didnt believe that God would do what he said, they couldnt see that every problem could be solved by God!

In Isa 54:2 God wants to help us lengthen our cords (to start stepping out of our comfort zone to love even those who are difficult, are different from us) and strengthen our stakes (we need to be more loyal to the people God has placed us with than just being loyal to the best circumstances)

We all start with having a tiny heart (we find it hard to love people esp when we know their shortcomings and we easily judge/criticise ppl) but God wants to enlarge our hearts to become one that is more gracious to others, more generous, less critical even of difficult members.

The word ‘shall’ tells us that it’s for certain that God will expand us, every promise in bible is yes and amen! As long as we are in Christ, every promise of God is activated for you!

We limit God when we think - 'I dont think its ever going to happen' but we must remember that in Heb 6:18 it says that it is impossible for God to lie!

I think many times I can come to a point of limitation when I just don’t know how to move forward but that’s a good place to be cos it positions us to allow God to break that ceiling and bring forth expansion once again.

I really feel I must start believing again, always knowing that God is the one who will fight for us and bring us into the promise land.

Last wk during cgm, God asked me: ‘am I more impt than receiving that breakthrough?’ and I really feel I must really love/serve/worship God more than just wanting the promise land and blessing. We can plant and water – but at the end of the day, God is the one who brings the increase.

That’s why God brings us out of Egypt to the place of Mount Sinai (where we truly find God) before bringing us into the promise land. Sometimes we can love the promise land so much and just like the children of Isreal – after they went into the promised land, they started to have idols in their lives in serving not just God but also serving our own agenda, own busy schedule, serving our own careers, serving our own desires for a partner, a more comfortable life.

I don’t wanna love God and also love all these other idols in my life. I want just be single hearted for God and I pray everyone in my cg would too.


As we know our distinctive, we can build on it
Distinctive of E417: Effective in welcoming people who have been hurt by other Christians/backsliders, nursing them back to health. Strong brothers. Members would really pray for each other esp those in army – good support so people don’t feel distant. Good at spending time with friends even before we bring them to church we build fellowship w them. People will be easier to retain because of the friendship we have with them!