More of Jesus 2012!

"And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people" Luke 2:52 (HCSB)

2012 A Year To Increase In JESUS! That is one of the deepest prayers of my heart for the New Year...that Jesus will Increase in my life so that I will keep growing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God to reach others for Jesus!

EVERY Christian is GIFTED2GO!

"..."I don't need you!" On the contrary..."
1 Corinthians 12:21b-22a (HCSB)


As we look at this picture of baby ducks, we see that one duck is different/unique/one of a kind and it is not in the group with the others...have you ever felt this way? Many people, especially Christians that your path will cross today, are feeling this way! The Good News is that God knew this would happen so He GAVE His Word to equip us in The Body of Christ. The truth is that EVERY Christian is able to learn how they are Gifted2Go and specific ways to make sure that they have opportunities to serve in their giftedness!

1 Corinthians chapter 12 is full of great wisdom about Spiritual Giftedness given by God. Please take some time to read this small but powerful chapter. The chapter begins (verses 1-11) with teaching about the uniqueness and the use of what God created through the different Spiritual Gifts that He has given to EVERY CHRISTIAN for specific purposes in The Body of Christ! The middle and end of chapter 12 teaches about the importance of each member of The Body of Christ working together and the importance of INCLUDING each one in the privilege of knowing Christ and sharing Christ!

This brings me to the point of my words today. In the last few weeks I have had many Christian women share with me how brokenhearted they are because they do not believe there is a place for them to serve in the local church. After much prayer God has laid it on my heart that there is a stronghold, a trap from the enemy, to DEFEAT the unique way that God created The Body of Christ to effectively work together with unity with each one serving God in the giftedness He created each one uniquely! If the enemy can not stop the local church, he sure will do anything he can to cause it to be fractured or ineffective...

Women that are in leadership roles in The Body of Christ must be very careful about decisions they make. It may be "easier" to get things done if the same women are invited to serve over and over, BUT what kind of message is that sending to those that may be new to the church, or those that are hoping to be invited/included to be a part of using their gifts to serve the Lord?

Questions are good to use as ministries are evaluated day by day, week by week, month by month, or year by year...There is an important question that leaders should ask themselves when organizing every evangelistic women's ministry gathering of any kind (purpose driven ministry). It is important to have a clear goal of a balanced ministry (Discipleship-Missions-Evangelism) in order to include EVERY gift and EVERY woman that is in The Body of Christ; this question could be something like this, "Have we invited every woman in our church (Body of Christ) to be a part of what God is doing, and what are some specific ways to make sure that everyone is included or recruited?" Balanced ministry leadership will lead to opportunities for every woman receiving the message that they are needed in some way to use their giftedness that is given by God for service!

Let's think about all the many things that need to be done at each gathering of women, here are just a few of the things that women can be asked to do: pray, teach God's word, reach-out to the unchurched or left-out and invite, encourage, organize, follow-up, name tags, decorate, make sure that The Good News is shared in someway at each gathering...and the list goes on!

The 12th Chapter of 1 Corinthians always reminds me of a city-wide event that God gave me the privilege to organize many years ago. In leadership preparation, I studied this chapter of God's Word and the rich text that helped me to take a huge group of women and help each one of them find their place of service, it was amazing to see how God took each gifted woman and found a place for them to serve! There was something for EVERYONE of them to do as each one of them as Christians has at least one gift given by God to SHARE and SERVE HIM with for The Glory of God...God raised up over 200 women to serve on the organizing team as this event was organized. And most of all many women came to know Jesus as their Lord & Savior and many Christian women experienced a life-changing touch from God's Word being shared!

So let's ask ourselves, especially if you are a woman in leadership, "When is the last time you have been given the message "you are not needed" in The Body of Christ?" "What does that feel like?" and most of all "How can we make sure we have plans in place so that no one feels like their gift is not needed?" If we fail to plan we are planning on failing to fulfill God's unique way He created The Body of Christ to make sure everyone has opportunities to use the way that He has made every Christian GIFTED2GO!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWeHo8E70E&feature=related (If We Are The Body by Casting Crowns)

"...each has his own gift from God, one this and another that."
1 Corinthians 7:7b

"So the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" nor again the head to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, all the more , those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary..."
1 Corinthians 12:21-22

Gifted2go Puzzle

Take the Gifted2go Puzzle. Choose the color or black & while (formatted for a notebook) version. Print both pages. Take the challenge and see where you fit in! Share with others and go! You are gifted2go!

an extended family

This picture is some of my extended family beside my parents and I. In our short first meeting, I enjoyed their company and learned from my mom's cousin. I think it is important to remember to love our families by blood as well as our church family. How powerful of a witness of God's love would it be, if we, as believers, acted like a family?

One of my favorite pictures of the church is in Acts. Acts 4:32 (NIV) reads, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." The group in Acts seems to be a family that is ever-present and happy to help.

My professor yesterday inspired me to think... beyond programs or other borders, we can help each other build a church and a family life that encourages a life led out of love for God. In class, we talked about ideas such as high school guys mowing a widow's lawn, a single helping a new student find a grocery store, or a youth pastor e-mailing parents advice on positive music to play.

How can we help others see how to live out of God's love at home and in our church family?

[A special thanks to Dr. Jones and Dr. Stinson for their inspiring thoughts. To read about this, I suggest Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 4, and Perspectives on Family Ministry: Three Views by Timothy Paul Jones (Editor) (released this October).]

1:30am thoughts on giftedness

So it's 1:30am and i am up. (What's new?) i'm doing the final edits for the new website pages. I'm just amazed at how God uses spiritual giftedness within the body of Christ. What's easy for one is not easy for another. The one with the gift of mercy knows how to comfort while the one who is a natural shepherd can teach/encourage/instruct someone over and over in the same disciplines and never tire of it. I just thank God for how He is using women and their spiritual gifts for Kingdom work.

For instance, take Jana as an example. I can't even remember when we met but chances are that i heard her sing before i knew her personally. She has the voice of an angel and a genuine worshipful love for the Lord and people flows from her when she sings. I met her years ago at Houston's First Baptist, probably when i served there as Minister to Women. I don't know if I changed jobs or she moved but for some reason, she and i have not seen each other for at least 12 years...and it may have been 15 or 20. Anyway, not too long ago, i posted one of those panics on Facebook about how i needed someone to do my website. i've been praying about that for over a year and frankly, just did not have the huge amount to shell out for professional website designer to take it on. Jana sees the posts and insists on helping. Turns out she is doing an incredible job and has taken one small template and turned it into something that looks great! Now whether it is a gift or a talent, i'm not sure but certainly she is talented in music and creativity but she is certainly a servant and i am on my face thanking God for her, her talents, and her awesome servant leadership. She already has a full time job and sings many weekends so how she has accomplished this, i don't even know but what a gift to me and to the Kingdom! Because she is using her serving gift, she is now helping women to learn to share Christ through our ministry. i pray that God will bless her in every possible way!

As we venture together on the new blogging experience, i'm just wondering...what if every woman would use her gifts toward Kingdom work? What if every woman would think of how she could serve but not just serve at church but serve to bring people to Christ? Who do you know that is serving in Jesus name?