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Prayer Day 15 Here Is My Amen!

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Chronicles 29:10-15
2 Kings 19:14-19
Matthew 7:9-11

Prayer, Day 15

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. Amen.

I still remember the sound of my mother’s strong voice carrying each note of this ancient doxology and the way everyone stood in solemnity as the final strains from the organ hung in the air on Sundays.

“World without end…Amen, Amen.” (want to listen to the song in my head?! Here’s a link!)

The doxology itself is a plea to the Lord, beseeching Him to act for the sake of His Name. It’s an insistence on being heard  regarding the aforementioned petitions based on His character.

King Hezekiah, of the Old Testament, knew how to apply this better than anyone. When he found an entire army of blood-thirsty Assyrians headed straight for his small, ill-equipped nation, he could have tried to find a way out in his own power…but his response was neither to flee nor ask a neighboring nation for aid. Instead, he stood boldly before the God of the Universe, and pleaded with the Sovereign to save them because of His power, dominion, and authority over all. (2 Kings 19:14-19)

Job’s prayer was equally as bold:
I would lay my case before Him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know what He would answer me
and understand what He would say to me.
Would He contend (or fight) against me in the greatness of His power?
No; He would pay attention to me.
There (at His throne) an upright man could argue with Him,
and I would be acquitted forever by my Judge. (Job 23:4-7)

Job wasn’t saying he would come against God with literal negative “arguments”, rather, like King Hezekiah, that he would lay before the Almighty his brokenness, his wounds, his petitions, and he would be confident that because of God’s character, Job would be heard and welcomed into God’s presence.

Neither man’s confidence was hinged on their own power.
Neither man’s confidence was even dependent on God delivering them,
but instead on the fact that they knew their God would listen to them.

They knew they would be heard because, while the Kingdom is His, the power is His, and the glory is His, their personal experience told them that His heart is love.

That His Abba heart was theirs.

Because God is the Father who loves, and who knows how to give good gifts.
Because He holds all power and authority.
Because all glory belongs to Him.
And knowing He hears and listens to us, is enough for us, too.

We don’t have to know He will answer like we want Him to.
We don’t need to have all the answers of how prayer works.
We simply need to know that the God of Love who holds all power, not only hears us, but listens to us, and invites us to call Him ‘Daddy’.

It’s His eternal, un-ending love that gives us the safety and confidence to lay our needs before Him, knowing He is good.
It’s the doxology at the end of our prayers that reminds us of both His character, and the absolutely certain hope we hold fast to: a coming world that will never end.
It’s what allows us to echo all the saints before us by adding our hearty “Amen.”

“So Be It” is the literal meaning of the word Amen, but it’s so much more than those three little words.
It’s not a magical end mark to our prayers which guarantees a response in our favor.
It doesn’t bind God to do our bidding.
It’s our whole heart, whole mind, whole soul nodding in a somehow both solemn, yet enthusiastic YES, Abba.
Your will be done, Abba.
We are Yours, Abba.
And You are ours.

May Your will be done…so be it.
May Your kingdom come in us and through us…so be it.
Fulfill our needs for today, physical and spiritual, as You see fit….so be it.
Forgive us, and teach us to forgive….so be it.
Sanctify us, teach us to flee sin and become like You….so be it.
Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever….So. Be. It.

As I was considering all of these aspects, the image of my own children asking for something came to mind. When they beg and beg and insist and insist and whine and whine…. (I know you mamas know exactly what I mean!), I’m pressed to my limits of “good and generous”. Rather, it’s more the “annoyed and exasperated” that comes out. But, when my kids ask for something genuinely, with full confidence that if I say yes, it’s good, and if I say no, it’s still good; that is gold!!

One of my daughters absolutely loves to write me notes. She would rather handwrite her communication than verbalize it every time. Recently, her note read, “Could we get ice cream tonight? I would please you to say yes, but if you don’t, it’s okay because you give me so many good gifts. But I would really like ice cream.”

For. Real.

That’s the heart behind doxologies!

You, Oh God, are good and no matter what, that will not change, but based on your goodness and what I know of your character, I know you listen to me because I know our relationship matters to You; and that is enough. I choose to trust You with the rest!

“So Be It”, Lord, because You are good.

Here is my whole heart, whole mind, whole soul nodding in agreement with You, Amen.

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Justice Day 11 Beyond My Walls

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 30:18
Psalm 146
Psalm 147

It’s something I take entirely for granted.
Clean water.
In my house, there are 21 outlets for fresh water.
Twenty-One!
In many third world countries, there are zero.
Even traveling outside of a home or village to get to water, it’s contaminated and disease ridden,
meaning that literally millions of people have no access to clean water whatsoever.

My church has proudly taken a stand to help fill the gap, standing up for those suffering without this most basic necessity of life. They run for clean water by partnering with Team World Vision, where just $50 changes 1 life with clean water access.
For the amount of a nice dinner out, 1 life can be forever changed.

The fact that people, usually women, spend their days walking about 4 miles one-way to collect dirty water for their families, and then carry it home again, is a social injustice worth fighting against. One, that together, we can make a huge difference in.
It’s practical, it’s tangible, and it’s life changing!

We hashtag #firstworldproblems and snicker a little, knowing full-well the incredible advantage we have in the country we live in.

My daughter has every athletic bone in her body, she is speedy, determined, and does backflips like nobody’s business. She ended up on a soccer team with another girl her age, Addy. Addy is 8 years old, in the 3rd grade, and is training to run a half-marathon in October.
For Real!
What’s more, she’s raised a mind-blowing $10,000 for clean water in Africa so that little girls like her can grow up healthy because they have access to something my 2-year-old can turn on and off without even thinking about it.
Clean. Water.

Access to clean water saves lives.
While access to the Living Water of salvation through Jesus Christ saves souls for eternity.
We must not divorce these two!
We are called to share the fullness of the gospel and intertwine it with loving others in the nitty gritty real stuff of everyday life from digging wells, fighting for equal rights, supporting abortion clinics, and passing out food to those less fortunate.

Drink in Psalm 146 and joyously celebrate our God of Justice:
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
….who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry,
The Lord sets prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
He watches over the foreigner,
He upholds the widow and the fatherless.

This is our God, Ladies!
A God of freedom for all.
A God who stoops low to love well.
A God who fights for the oppressed.
A God of justice.
A God who never ignores people,
never side-steps issues to sweep them under the rug,
and never is blind to injustice,
but is a righteous Defender of the weak!

Looking at this list of those the Lord loves to defend, who do you know who fits these categories?
Who do you see that is
oppressed,
hungry,
in prison,
handicapped,
weighed down,
is a foreigner,
a widow,
or an orphan?

Yes, sister, we are called to share the gospel.
We are called to ministry in the church body.
We are called to encourage the saints (our fellow Christians).
But sharing the fullness of the gospel,
extends far beyond
words we say,
prayers we pray,
or classes we teach at church.
We are called beyond the safe walls of our homes, and churches, and carpool lines, and grocery aisles.
We are called to outside of us.

Plead with the Lord, this Maker of all, who cares so deeply and intimately about His creation,
to break your heart over what breaks His own.
Beg the Spirit to peel away the blinders on your eyes and truly see beyond yourself to the least of these.
Those you don’t like,
those you feel defensive against or look down upon,
those who clearly need the gospel as much as we do.
Then, fueled by the love of a Father who gave to you, choose to give yourself away for another.

Help Addy raise money for wells in Africa.
Adopt a family in need.
Partner with your local women’s clinic to help save unborn lives.
Go inner city and look under bridges and behind old warehouses for the souls who feel like they’ve been abandoned by humanity and God.
Find Them.
See Them.
LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS!
Love them like the God of Justice!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Justice Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Justice!

Freedom Day 15 Living Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 6
1 John 4:21
John 13:34-35
Romans 14:10-12
Matthew 12:33-36 . 

Love is hard, friends. It is so incredibly hard sometimes.

Some days (most days) I think what is perhaps the most important line was left out of 1 Corinthians 13. You know the passage I’m talking about (and if you mouse over that link, you can read over them again for yourself.) Those lines list out God’s painfully clear description of love. I usually refer to them as the “love is” verses. We’ve all heard or read them dozens, maybe hundreds of times, so I’ll spare us the replay…except to say that I’m pretty sure He left out what is (in my opinion) the most crucial aspect of the whole deal: It’s not easy.

It is one of (if not the) most challenging tasks we are given as believers. Even if we set aside our own personal expectations and baggage from prior experience or lack thereof, we are inundated with humanity’s tainted view of what love is and should look like.
Our world paints love to be this wild, unbridled, amorphous thing.
Something that pulses and changes with the tides.
Something unpredictable and decided by mere chance.
Something over which we have no control.
Something which often controls us and our emotions, words and actions.

Thankfully, God responds to those misperceptions with Truth by saying:
No. Love is more. I am more.
I give you control.
And patience. Kindness and contentment.
Humility, gentleness, forgiveness, hope and more.
This is what love is.

He doesn’t stop there. We learn in Galatians 6 that we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ by coming alongside those who are caught in sin and helping them back to the right path.

Without pride. Without judgement. Without that silent little bubble of self-righteousness that whispers in the back of our mind, “I’m so glad God placed me in this position to help them,” while simultaneously thinking “I will never allow myself to get in this situation.” Without encouraging a victim mentality in our friend, rather than gently and humbly steering them back to Truth. Without silently grumbling about the inconvenience we experience at sacrificing our time or schedule.

Ouch. Hurts, doesn’t it?

Paul goes on to say that we must be careful that we don’t make the same mistake ourselves. He implores us to share in their burdens. This is where we tend to get a little fuzzy on the details.

We might feel that by listening to others share what they are going through in their lives, we are fulfilling this directive. Maybe we feel that by knowing about our sister’s burden, sin or struggle, we’re good. Check the box.

Except…is that really what it means to share someone’s burden? Or are we meant for more?

What if instead of merely listening to our sister as she pours out her need and her not enough, we kneel with her, right there in the dirt, grasp her hand and cry through it, together?

What if instead of pushing aside the memory of a quiet addiction admitted in a hard moment, we gently and humbly hold our sister accountable and walk with her in her journey to clean?

What if instead of pitying her marital trouble, we stopped by with a pizza, a flower and a gift card, cared for her children and sent her on a date with her husband?

What if instead of sweeping those precious, discarded raw moments under the rug and pretending they were nothing, we polish them in private, praying over, around and through them until we SEE the realization of His redemption in those dark places?

What if this is love?

Never one to mince words, Paul is succinct. “If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” (Galatians 6:3 NLT) While his words may be painful to hear, he is not wrong. How quickly do we “check the box” when we are helping a sister in trouble? How quickly are we measuring her trouble against our own? And how quickly are we determining that her trouble is either bigger or lesser than ours? When we allow our eyes to veer left or right, we forget that we will only be held accountable for our own selves. Paul is clear in this: We will reap what we sow. When we sow into comparison, we are sowing into the flesh and nothing spiritual will be reaped from that “work.”

Love is hard, friends. It is the dirty work. But it is the good work.

Living love is forsaking the flesh and sowing into the spiritual realm. There is nothing easy about looking the dark and hard things in the face, seeing the broken pieces of those close to us and carrying part of a burden. But it is our work.

And it is so beautiful.

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Freedom Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Here’s a link to all past studies in Freedom!

Flourishing Day 15
Speak Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Proverbs 18:21
Philippians 2:14
Colossians 4:6
Ephesians 4:25-32
2 Timothy 4  

Preach the gospel. Be ready, whether you are uncomfortable or at ease. Be patient in guiding, correcting and encouraging your people with sound truth from the Word.

I paraphrase, but Paul’s words to Timothy are clear. As we finish the book of II Timothy, a few points stand out to us. We know that Paul was writing to Timothy, a young leader in the church. While each of us may be involved in serving our own churches in various ways or functions, it is doubtful that every one of us would consider ourselves to be “church leaders.” However, if we have accepted Christ, did He not issue the Great Commission to us, too? “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” To quote a certain youth pastor I know, no matter my occupation, “I am a full-time minister of the gospel!” And if you have given your life to Jesus, so are you. Paul’s instruction to Timothy is with regard to how he should approach discipling those entrusted to his leadership, but his words ring true for us as well.

Preach the gospel. The reason this charge causes many of us to squirm is because our experience in seeing others “preach the gospel” outside the church building resembles the man on the corner with a sandwich board sign held high for all to see. Or the “holier-than-thou” acquaintance posting religion-charged political posts into the void that is Facebook. If we, who already love and know Jesus, are turned off by this, how much more alienated are our pre-believing friends and family? The gospel is first and foremost about inviting others into relationship, just as God invited us into relationship with Him through Jesus’ sacrifice.

As we examine our own lives, can we say that we are walking that out? Are we living a life of invitation to others? I’m not talking about other believers here. Are we finding ways to intentionally connect with and build relationship with those in the world around us who don’t yet know Christ so we might live out the gospel by being Christ to them? And once we find those ways…are we putting them into action?

Be ready, whether you are uncomfortable or at ease. Ya’ll, we will be uncomfortable. Jesus guaranteed it. Loving is not self-serving. It requires time, effort, intention, selflessness…all things that require us to drop the mindset of our culture, get out of our comfort zone and focus on putting the needs of others first.

Be patient in guiding, correcting and encouraging your people with sound truth from the Word. In this age of constant connectivity, instant gratification and endless knowledge only a Google search away, patience is quickly becoming a rarity. Aside from all that, every parent or teacher will agree that repeating the same thing over and over again can be exhausting. Frustration threatens to rush in when we repeat the same instruction or admonishment, only to find that those we thought were listening…weren’t really listening at all. Paul’s instruction shows us that we are not only to be patient with those we disciple, but we are also to encourage them with the solid Truth of the Word. Rather than grumbling or complaining, we are to speak the Word of life into those around us.

Did you catch that? Mouse over that link again.

Do everything without grumbling or complaining.

Dishes, laundry, cleaning the bathroom
Homework, chores, mowing the yard
Change dirty diapers,
answering endless toddler questions,
tripping over the 1000th Lego block,
responding to last minute inconveniences,
receiving unexpected guests,
or listening to our spouse’s long-winded story

E v e r y t h i n g.

Love inconveniences us because it isn’t about us. As we learn to flourish in love and how to speak life into those around us, we must also examine whether or not we are serving others without grumbling or complaining even in our own minds. Can we say that we willingly approach everything we do without grumbling or complaining? Does our inner dialogue reflect a servant’s heart…or a selfish one?

As we approach discipling with a new awareness of our heart posture, let’s take time this week to note the times when we begin to grumble or complain to ourselves. Rather than allow that to continue, let’s make a point to begin thanking God in place of those complaints. As we begin to choose an attitude of praise in the face of our discomfort, His heart for others will begin to flourish inside us.

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Flourishing Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Flourishing!

Flourishing Day 12
Everyone Belongs At The Table: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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2 Timothy 2:1-9 English Standard Version (ESV)

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!

The Questions

1) What is the main take-away from this passage?

2) Who are considered “faithful men”?

3) What do the illustrations of soldier, athlete, and farmer point to?

4) How is the word of God “not bound”?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the main take-away from this passage?
Preach the full gospel faithfully. All the time. No matter the life circumstances. Let the entirety of the gospel be your centering point for life, regardless of cost. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…” Paul repeats the gospel so many times in His letters to believers because it’s the epicenter of our daily life and ministry. The gospel dictates how we are to live out love and embrace God’s very fullest. Christ has conquered our sin, freed us from slavery to the Enemy, brought us into life, and condemned us no more! The gospel is worth everything!

2) Who are considered “faithful men”?
Paul insists that Timothy, as a pastor, entrust this same entire gospel truth to other “faithful men”, whose qualifications are that they will be able to “teach others also”. Teaching, pastoring, and leading aren’t meant to be one-man (or woman) shows. Paul wants Timothy to multiply himself by making sure that he is bringing along other leaders who are learning from him. Faithful leaders who will hold unswervingly to the gospel; leaders who will make living and sharing the gospel their life’s essence.

3) What do the illustrations of soldier, athlete, and farmer point to?
Paul frequently used common-day illustrations to help his audience better identify with a truth he was teaching. A “good soldier” would focus on the greater good of his mission and his fellow warriors than focusing on his own pain and suffering. He or she would keep the focus of the gospel as being central and let it be the sieve through which all else of life flowed, regardless of deception or discord happening around him or her. Paul tells Timothy to hold onto truth, to not be swayed by deception, and to take the high road in treating people with love. Using the example of an athlete who competes by the rules, Paul is telling Timothy to hold to the whole gospel and not compromise its truths. Grace alone, faith alone, not by works. The hard working farmer is used to illustrate the dedication needed to be gospel focused. Paul reminds Timothy that much will be rewarded for those who make the gospel their way of life day in and day out.

4) How is the word of God “not bound”?
Again, the “word of God” refers to the whole message of the gospel….we are sinners hopelessly separated from a perfectly holy God, but who were offered boundless mercy when Jesus lived the perfect life for us and died the death we deserved in order to give us the eternal life we could never earn. Despite earthly circumstances, which in Paul’s case meant imprisonment, beatings, and eventual death, the good news of freedom in Christ will continue in its power given by God. Earthly rulers have been trying to squelch the truth of Jesus since time began, but it isn’t possible because of the power of the gospel and the Living God behind its message!

The Everyday Application

1) What is the main take-away from this passage?
Isn’t preaching the gospel for, like, actual pastors? Preaching as in shepherding a church; yes, that’s a special calling of “pastor”, but every single believer who has chosen Christ as their Savior, is given the task of sharing the gospel. Preaching its full weight of grace and truth to ourselves every day, to our children, and to those we have been given influence over is our responsibility in Christ. Its fullness should season our conversations, our Facebook posts, our texts, our conflicts, our choice of churches, and the way we talk to people at the store. No, it doesn’t mean literally every word must be the gospel, but that our lives shine forth the brilliant love of Jesus Christ displayed on his incredible grace coupled with His unshakeable truth!

2) Who are considered “faithful men”?
As we grow in Jesus, multiplicity is for us as well, whether we are a leader in the church or not. There will always be people around us we can help train up for godliness. Discipling others is walking along with someone else in life and pointing them faithfully to Jesus Christ. Who are you discipling? And if you aren’t, pray about who the Lord might be calling you to walk more intentionally alongside!

3) What do the illustrations of soldier, athlete, and farmer point to?
Holding to the gospel takes hard work, determination, constant diligence, and living in gospel-centered community to be held accountable. A life that is gospel centered will not always be popular, and choosing to love others the way Jesus loves us is often costly and risky. Paul’s teaching here should prompt us to examine how highly we value the gospel and how closely we are willing to follow Jesus’ example of loving others with truth and grace. Are we willing to suffer for the gospel? Willing to lay aside our own pride and agenda for the sake of the gospel? Willing to constantly be testing what we believe to see if it holds up to biblical truth and accuracy?

4) How is the word of God “not bound”?
Beautifully, God invites believers to partner with Him in sharing the good news of freedom in Jesus Christ. He invites us to invite others to share in this life of abundant grace. He designed His plan of welcoming others to His table to be placed in our hands. Remarkably, it’s when we take seriously this call to tell others the gospel that we find fullness of purpose and abundant life. Graciously, despite our human failings, weaknesses, and our tongue-tied words, the gospel is still unbound. God will use our efforts to bring others into His kingdom, despite ourselves! Are you sharing?!

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Flourishing Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Flourishing!

Space Day 11
Space For The Gospel

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 18:1-6
Mark 9:33-37
Mark 16:14-20
Luke 7:36-50  

I don’t remember when I heard this story and I don’t even remember where I heard this story. But, I heard a story once, a true story, about a little girl who stood up on a stage and said, “I just love Jesus, and I want everyone to know it!”

Although my surroundings were insignificant to me, that story impacted me greatly, as I have found myself thinking of that little girl many times over the years.
“I just love Jesus, and I want everyone to know it!”

Jesus invites us to become as little children.
Like the children who boldly gathered around Him, sat on His lap, and let Him love on them.
Or, like the children who dance while they worship, singing loudly of God’s love without caring what others think of their voice.

When I was just a little girl, I had a dream. I wanted to preach to hundreds of people and help them see Jesus in a way that made Him even more real. I wanted people to know that Jesus loves them, He forgives them, and has an amazing plan for their lives!

“God sent His only Son, Jesus, to come to earth and die for our sins!
But He rose from the dead! And because of Jesus, we can live forever in Heaven!”

I passionately shouted phrases similar to this to cars that passed before my house and anyone else that would take a moment to listen (even if it was only a passing hummingbird or a stray cat).

I had learned the gospel from an early age, and I was so excited, that I couldn’t help but share this good news!
The gospel was so precious to me.

Like many Christ-followers, my life became busy and my heart became crowded.
The Lord gave me passion and deep joy in doing many different things, but over time,
those things slowly became more important to me than sharing the gospel, or even treasuring my Savior.

That crowded heart is something I still battle. When I was in high school, dance, theater, academics, and even service projects, would often give sharing the gospel the boot. These days, it’s my family, work, volunteering, and friendships, that often find their way to the top of my “list”, with talking about Jesus coming second.

In Luke, we read that Jesus was invited to dine with a Pharisee named Simon. Somehow, news traveled that he would be in Simon’s home and a woman frantically grabbed her alabaster container of ointment and ran to Simon’s home, determined to see this Jesus she had heard so much about. She quietly snuck in, trying to get a glimpse of Jesus. He lounged before her on a couch, leaning on His arm with His legs stretched out to His side. The woman couldn’t see His face, but she knew it was Him. She crept closer, and the closer she got the more she became overwhelmed with her great sin compared to the sin-less-ness of this Man before her. We don’t know what her sins were, but we know they caused her great shame. This woman became broken; she couldn’t stop her tears from spilling over and onto the feet of Jesus. Ashamed, she quickly stooped down to wipe the salty tears from His feet with the only towel she had at hand: her long hair. The tears kept coming, and so, she picked up the alabaster jar she had set down when she knelt to wipe his feet, and began pouring the ointment on Jesus’ feet. She was anointing the feet of the only Man who could offer her forgiveness for the sin that consumed her.
Jesus was so precious to her.

This woman knew she wasn’t worthy.
She knew He was.
She knew she needed His grace and forgiveness.
Which He freely gave her.

That is the good news!
That is the Gospel!

We need forgiveness because we are great sinners.
And Jesus has forgiven us, because that is who He is.
Good News!

As I remember this woman’s story, and as I think about the way children hold the Gospel so dear to their hearts, I long for that passion to return in my life.
But there is no room for it when my heart is crowded with everything else I try to hold dear.

Space.
Space for the gospel to change me, everyday, and as it does, the passion to share it with others becomes intensely pressing.
Clearing space is tough, but precious treasures are worth it.

Join me, won’t you? Take the time to daily preach the gospel to yourself, allow its truths to wrap you up and press your arms outward to love others with the voice of the precious good news.
“I just love Jesus, and I want everyone to know it!”

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Brave Day 10
Brave Prayers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 4
Matthew 7:7-11
1 John 5:14-15
Ephesians 3:20-21 attachment-1-13

At the time of this writing, we are saying goodbye to our son. Our foster son. He’s been in our home for about four months. Though we are sad to see him go, I believe that, as the next chapter unfolds for him, it will be an amazing story of God’s grace and faithfulness. (We became foster parents several years ago and most of the stories don’t leave us with the happy-ending feeling. I’m so thankful this one has!) Through the years of fostering, I’ve witnessed an interesting dynamic that I couldn’t have fully understood if I hadn’t seen it firsthand. Most foster children have a great deal of insecurity about asking for something. When they first come into our home, they have little assurance about their position in our family. Almost none of them walk in assuming we’ll joyfully meet their needs. Low expectations have become their default.

In our family, our children made requests. In fact, they typically ask for things from us with confidence – even when they had been misbehaving – because they’ve learned that for us to withhold what they needed went against our character as loving parents. Because of their life experiences, fosters do not have much trust that they will have their needs met, and often don’t ask for what they need. When they do ask, it’s with hesitation and fear that their request will be criticized or rejected completely.

I’m sad to admit that this scenario is much like my prayer life.
I approach God with low expectations.
But walking on eggshells to the throne of grace is not what God desires.
Being on my best behavior for an entire day is not a prerequisite for coming to God in confidence.
I am accepted and loved because of the Father heart of God.

But too often we approach praying as if we are foster children. We sheepishly tiptoe into God’s presence and mumble our requests, almost certain we aren’t going to receive an answer. The writer of Hebrews reminded the people to have confidence in God’s provision because He would never abandon them. (Hebrews 13:5-6) When we enter the Throne Room of the Father’s amazing grace, we don’t need to pray as if we are His foster children. As those who have been baptized into Christ’s life, we are adopted! (Galatians 3).
He has invited us into His family and we have all the benefits of being one of His own!

Approaching God with boldness doesn’t mean we come to Him arrogantly. Jesus taught the disciples that prayer starts with acknowledging the greatness of the Father and our desperate need for Him. Our prayer posture should always be one of humble boldness. (Don’t you love the scripture’s paradox!) James tells us “if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand.” I have a good, good Father who desires to give me good things.

If I am a child of the One who really hears and wants to answer me,
why do I continue to pray wimpy prayers, half believing and half doubting?
It must be because I lack confidence in Who He is.
Our God is not a temporary foster dad.
It’s our spiritual birthright to pray with confidence in our God’s ability to intervene in any situation. He desires for us to pray with boldness and courage, not because we have it all together, but because He holds it all together!

One definition of bold is: beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.
We are the daughters of a limitless God
who “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work within us.”
Praying brave prayers demonstrates that we have faith in a gracious and generous Father.
THAT’s the kind of praying I want to practice!

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Safe Day One
Be Careful!

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Daniel 6becareful
James 1:2-12
Matthew 10:16-23
Isaiah 26:3-4
Acts 16:21-34

“Be careful!”

With two Littles at home, I often feel that I am basically a constant warning signal to them.  Flashing lights and siren singing, I find myself repeating mantras that could easily become the “voice in their head” as they grow and mature.  Cautioning against carelessness, accidents, bad behaviors, injury, poor choices and more.  I guess this is part of my job: to teach them to make thoughtful choices and decisions that will result in the best possible outcome and keep them (and those around them) safe.

But.

As I reflect on the parallels I find between my parenting and the way that God parents me, I am faced with some important differences…especially when it comes to our definitions of “safety”.  He has outlined how I should walk, and His precepts are made clear to me when I spend time in His word and seek His heart.  He has given me “rules” to follow that will keep me “safe”…  Not unlike the rules I give my Tinies.  But His definition of safe does not mirror our natural definition of the word.  At this stage in life, the guidance I give to those in my charge is mostly with regard to their physical, mental and emotional well-being, while His guidance to us regarding safety has little to do with the physical and everything to do with the spiritual.

When I examine the account of Daniel’s experiences, I am hard-pressed to find examples of Daniel being “careful”.  Practically nothing he did would be considered the “safe” choice by any stretch of the imagination.

  • When offered rich foods and delicacies, he refused the king’s offer in order to honor God.  He could have been killed at the king’s whim.
  • When faced with the threat of certain death, rather than choosing to flee, Daniel requested an audience with him and boldly interpreted the king’s dream, giving glory to God.
  • When called to interpret another dream, Daniel spoke the word of God to the king, even though he knew he could be killed for this.
  • When summoned a third time, Daniel was again faced with the possibility of physical death, but instead of choosing the “safe” option, He chose instead to speak the truth of God.  His life was spared and he was rewarded.
  • When faced with the command to worship another, Daniel chose to worship the God he loved instead, bringing honor to Him.

Throughout his life, Daniel chose to obey God.  Time and again, he blessed God through his obedience, even in the face of certain death.  Our nature is to focus on our immediate physical safety, but God is concerned with something far more grave:  our eternal safety.  In fact, we find Jesus’ own words to His disciples, those closest to Him, in Matthew 10:16-23.  I’ll summarize, but the cost He referenced is along the lines of…

You will be sent out amidst wolves.
Delivered to courts.
Flogged in synagogues.
Dragged before governors and kings.
Delivered to death… by those closest to you.
Hated by all.
(seriously, check out the whole passage here, it’s worth the 20 seconds!)

Those words don’t give me the slightest assurance of physical, mental or emotional safety.  Actually, they convince me of the exact opposite.  This, to those He kept closest.  His tribe.  His family.  Those he broke bread with, laughed with, prayed with.

But.

The one who endures to the end will be saved.  He isn’t talking about our physical well-being here.  Nor our emotional state or mental well-being.  He is talking about our spiritual destination.  

You see, here’s the thing:
He never promised us safety as the world defines it.  Quite the opposite, actually.  What He did promise is that upon accepting Jesus as our savior and committing our lives and hearts to Him, we could rest in the security of knowing that when these bodies fade, wither, and return to dust, our spirits will be safe in Him for eternity.

My job as mama is to teach my little ones to make good choices and to learn consequences.  More importantly, it is my job to teach them about Jesus, and what true safety means.

Lord, help me to walk before You in bold obedience that others may seek You for themselves, so that they might know what real security and safety in You looks like.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Safe Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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