Take A Look Inside!

Last week I cleaned out our minivan in preparation for our family to take a weekend trip. As I was doing this I found a sippy cup underneath one of the bucket seats. I tossed it in the "take inside" pile and finished cleaning up. A few minutes later, I was standing at the kitchen sink with this cup in my hands. I unscrewed the lid and moved to place the cup underneath the faucet when I was met with an unbelievable, overpowering odor! Turns out my sweet little girl had tossed the sippy cup under the seat BEFORE finishing her milk a few weeks ago! Let's just say that the inside of that cup was one of the most disgusting things I have ever witnessed in my time as a mother (including diaper duty)! As I was talking with my husband later that night, he brought up the passage in Luke where Jesus is talking to the Pharisees. In Luke 11:39-41, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for cleaning "the outside of the cup and dish, but inside [being] full of greed and wickedness". The Pharisees were people who had all external appearance of holiness down perfectly. However, once Christ took a look inside, he exposed the dirty mess of their hearts. Even though that sippy cup looked perfect on the outside, I would have never been able to give it to my children since the inside was so disgusting and would harm my children. However, many times I think this is exactly the attitude we can have before the Lord. We try to focus on looking right, talking right, acting right and overall convincing ourselves and those around us that we are living a good Christian life. This week, choose instead to take a look inside and allow the Lord to examine your heart. Would you do what you do if no one was looking? Would you stop what you were doing if someone was watching? Would you continue to serve if no one notice to give you praise? This week choose to spend your resources on your heart and clean out the inside of the cup!

Shine in a Crooked World

"that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15, ESV).

The end of last week was a great time of remembering what being a woman in ministry is all about. On Wednesday, I got to be with some of the finest young women who are in our girls ministry class happening this semester at Southern Seminary.

We were blessed to be joined on Thursday by Women's Ministry leaders who came to our campus where we discussed the ways to reach young women with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Chris Adams was our guest. On Friday, the students gave presentations of how one would base a ministry to girls on the Word of God, and carry out Titus 2 ministry to middle and high school girls. It was an incredible week.

I was reminded of this verse in Philippians 2:15. One of the groups based their ministry plan on it. What a great reminder! We are called to lead young women to be blameless and innocent in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. We are to lead them to shine like stars, holy and pure, pleasing to God!

This is what our W Conference is all about...showing women how to reach the next generation, modeling how to live holy and pure lives, and making a difference in the world we live in. We need your help! Please pray. Please bring women. Please come and help us by being available to reach out to those who come. Find more details about W at http://events.sbts.edu/wconference.

Please pray. We want to change the world!

The Gospel Never Changes

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says."  (James 1:22)

As I have been reading some current books on total abandonment to God and the emphasis we must all have in our lives on sharing the gospel, I re-read a portion of a journal written by my husband back in 1991 on the Puritan pastor, Richard Baxter, and his views on evangelism.  "Baxter taught that each individual Christian had the responsibility to witness.  The profession of true religion is such a great duty that only foolish persons would try to conceal their faith or keep it to themselves.  Baxter stands amazed that anyone could be genuinely converted and not be telling others about salvation through Jesus Christ." (Beougher, "Richard Baxter and Puritan Evangelism")

Baxter himself said:  "Can a man have a taste of heaven upon his heart, and the kingdom of God begun within him, and yet not express his life or joy?....What!  have the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, and say nothing of it?  have the pardon of sin in the blood of Christ, and say nothing of it?  What!  see many hundred souls in danger of damnation, and say nothing, but let them perish?"

Wow!  If we have experienced the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in our own lives, we MUST speak of what we have seen, heard, and know! 

Lord, help me be a doer of the word and not merely a hearer!

Beougher, Tim.  "Richard Baxter and Puritan Evangelism."  from the Journal of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, Vol. VII, 1991-1992.

a mighty fortress

"Therefore, since we are reiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us hold on to grace. 
By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe;
for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29, HCSB). 

Has someone asked why you have patience when coffee spills on your new clothes, why you are able to not gossip when the office talks about an insulting customer or how you are able to trust that God will take care of your family in the midst of a challenging time?

The other day, a man from FedEx came in to my office and asked why I was smiling.  My response was quick, and I explained that I was able to pray that morning.  Yet, the true reason is deeper.  As I think about it, it is because God has given me hope. 

As believers, it is Jesus Christ who has changed our lives from the inside out.  Are we in awe of Him?  I pray that if someone asks us why we have hope that we are able to tie it to the original source, that we know as followers of Christ.  We have a mighty King and Savior who is dependable, a strong fortress and our true source of joy and peace.

"But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed.
Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed,
but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts,
and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you
for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:14-15, HCSB).



YouTube - "A Mighty Fortress," Christy Nockles

FALL In LOVE With JESUS!

"This ONE THING I do..." Philippians 3:13

"....you have persevered and endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet...return to your FIRST LOVE...Remember...Repent, and do the works you did at first..." Revelation 2:4-5

New Season~New Opportunitity For Jesus In And Through Our Lives!!

Let's Ask Ourselves Some Challenging Questions Today:

• On A Scale From 1-10, how passionately "IN LOVE" Are We With JESUS?
• Do We Remember A Day That We Loved Him More?
• What Are Some Things/Activities/People/Habits That Can Take First Place First Love In Our Lives?
• Will We Do Whatever It Takes To "Fall In Love With Jesus" Anew & Afresh This New Season?

HOW? Good News!! Here is a Simple Plan:

Simple Steps To Take DAILY (the word DAILY is very important!): PRAY, CONFESS, TURN TO HIM, RUN HARD AFTER GOD, NEVER FORGET WHAT IT WAS LIKE BEING LOST OR AWAY FROM HIM, GET SATURATED WITH GOD THINGS-HIS WORD-HIS PRAISE & WORSHIP-HIS WAYS-HIS WILL & MOST OF ALL TAKE AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH US AS WE CAN because God has GiftedU2GO!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEGp9SPdtfo

Seasons of Change

In the past few weeks, my kids have been amazed at the changing leaves. Every morning when we walk outside, my two year old girl exclaims (again) "Mommy!!! There are MORE leaves on the ground!" It has become part of our daily routine to go out and play in the piles of leaves after our naptime. We talk about the colors and I answer questions every minute about "how come the leaves don't like to be green anymore?" As I have spent my days focusing on the things that are changing around us, I have been so comforted to be reminded of a truth that Malachi records for us: "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob are not destroyed" (Malachi 3:6). While I love to watch the beauty of the seasons changing, I am so thankful today that my God remains constant. That the One I worship is consistent. That the Lord's Word is dependable without exception. God can be trusted without hesitation. This season, as you praise the Lord for the beauty of the changing seasons, take a moment to stop and thank Him for His unchanging nature that continues to forgive, accept and love you without condition or changing standards. "The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever!" (Isaiah 40:8).

Radical Commitment

Matthew 7:23-25 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Some high school students where I teach are going through the book Radical by David Platt. Many students are giving up their lunch times to crowd into a room to read and discuss this book. Platt challenges the way it seems we often do evangelism--i.e. bow our heads, close our eyes, and pray a prayer. Evangelism is sometimes reduced to series of steps. But Platt says: "Meanwhile, the biblical gospel says, 'You are an enemy of God, dead in your sin, and in your present state of rebellion, you are not even able to see that you need life, much less to cause yourself to come to life. Therefore, you are radically dependent on God to do something in your life that you could never do."
This book has challenged all of us, who are reading it, to make sure when we share the gospel, we share the WHOLE gospel, not just try to add to our numbers by offering a series of steps.