The Sweetest Name We Know!

As a first generation Christian, John 3:16 means so much to me because it is the very first Bible verse I ever heard.


I did not own a Bible until I was 22 years old and I will never forget the impact upon my life when I read John 3:16 for the first time; “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” My life has never been the same since the day “God so loved…” a “whosoever” like me. I will never get over the miracle it is to Know, Love, Follow, and Serve Jesus!

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and as you read John 3:16 today, let each word make a fresh impact upon your life because “…God so loved…” you!

God’s “one and only Son”, Jesus, He has a plan and purpose for your life to: Know Him, Share Him, and Lead others to do the same. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to share His Love & His Heart with others! What are some simple ways you can do this?  We would love to hear some ways that you share His Love on Valentine's Day.  Here are a few simple ideas:

♥ Be Loving by Sharing God’s Unconditional Love with Others – Look for those who need a friend

♥ Be Willing to Share a Word of Good News with Others – Look for Valentine Cards to share that include the Gospel (perfect time to share a HeartTalk booklet) and God’s Word

♥ Be Generous with what God has Blessed you with – Share your Blessings as you Bless Others

♥ Be Sensitive to The Holy Spirit – Share a Prayer, Share a Cup of Encouragement, Share whatever the Lord personally leads you to Share with Others as you Leave the Results up to God

Most of all, this Valentine’s Day, is a great day to share ♥JESUS♥, as He is the SWEETEST name we know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5k6ASRS5gQ  (Chris Tomlin - The Only One)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1NsGJsCVbM  (Jesus, There's Just Something About That Name - The Isaacs)

A New Heart: Thankfulness

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful" (Colossians 3:15b, NASB).

Count your blessings. What are you thankful about today? I'm thankful for family, friends and great sunsets like the one pictured. We can celebrate all the ways God has blessed us today. Just having a relationship with Him is a blessing.

Count on Him. The peace of Christ is a confidence in God and His Word. We can believe God loves us, that He sent Christ to pay the price for our sins and that God's forgiveness lasts. This pardoning love brings a peaceful relationship with the Lord, who is life-giving and in control over all things. We can let this peace rule in our hearts, whether it's a good or a challenging day. There is this joy we can find in putting our trust in God above all else.

Count others in - contagious thankfulness. When we have this relationship with God, we are a part of this one body, the church, a family of people who also believe in God's saving grace. We can walk in faith and encourage each other to persevere together in our trust in Him. Hopefully, this thankfulness overflow into our lives so much that it is contagious. We can pray that, by the Holy Spirit, others may see just how great our Savior King is.

Lord, thanks for being One who sacrifices, forgives, redeems and renews. You are full of faithfulness, goodness and truth. Thank You for giving us fellow believers who also understand this walk with You. Grow thankfulness and peace in our hearts, and help us point others to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17, NASB). 

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Check out the song, "I Smile" by Kirk Franklin - www.youtube.com.

A New Heart: Forgiveness

"And forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you" (Colossians 3:13b, NASB).

One of the greatest pictures of forgiveness I see is in couples who have been married a long time. Picture any two people living together. After all of those years, they must have shared so much of life together. Surely, even if you can't see it, there have been times when they disagreed about something or when they messed up and hurt the other. What lasts forever, though? A love that forgives, I see, and a love that presses on during hard times.

Our God lives a lifestyle of forgiveness. He keeps loving us, even when we turn away from Him and go our own way. It is why He eventually sent His Son, Jesus, to die for the times we turned against Him. Forgiveness is a part of His nature. Nothing can separate us from His love.

Romans 8:38-39 (NASB) says:

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 

nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 

nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God's perfect love shows in His forgiveness. With His help, we can make it a part of our every day walk with Him. As He makes our hearts be more forgiving, hopefully others will see Him working in us and will see more of how our Lord loves.

Is there someone on your mind that doesn't know God's forgiveness? Let's pray for them, so they see and know His grace.

Mighty God, we are amazed at the way You forgive us. Help us practice forgiveness the way that You do. Help someone on our minds today, someone who doesn't know You, come to know Your forgiveness as well. We pray that they come to be a part of Your loving family. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.revitalizecounselingservices.com.

A New Heart: Bearing with one another

"Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other..." (Colossians 3:12b-13a, NASB).

It stands out when someone "bears with" someone else, whether it be in times of celebration or in times of sorrow. This "bearing with one another" is greatly seen in how God redeems us, because He brings hope that lasts:

• In the Old Testament, we can see how God's  love for the Israelites remained steady, even as they went through seasons of following Him and seasons of running in the opposite direction. He was just, and He was there for them when hard times came.
• In the New Testament, Christ lived to show us how to love others. He helped people who were struggling with things, from leprosy to pride. He died on the cross, paying the price for our sins as a way to offer a free gift of forgiveness.
• Today, God is faithful to give hope and establish trust as He listens to our prayers, encourages us through His Word, and offers comfort and wisdom through the Holy Spirit. 

How can you "bear with" someone else? Maybe pray for a coworker or listen to a neighbor? Would you share your ideas in the comment section below? We'd love to read them, and maybe they'll inspire others.

As we reach out to help and bear with others, let us remember that God is the best One we can turn to. He has the power to lead us through every moment as we set our trust in Him.

Lord, thanks for bearing our burdens. Help us be there for others and encourage them. Please help others know the hope, joy and peace that You offer so freely. Amen.

Check out Tenth Avenue North's song, "Let it go" at YouTube.com. It reminds me how God asks us to give our burdens and lives to Him (1 Peter 5:7).
Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.therapeuticassociates.com.

A New Heart: Patience

"The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression" (Numbers 14:18, NASB).

There is something about patience. When I run across someone who shows patience, it usually stands out - a father taking time to teach his son how to catch a baseball, a gardener who waters their plants regularly before they sprout, even an astronaut having patience with themself as they try to walk again in gravity. This patience draws me in, and I wish I could just soak it up. When is the last time you saw someone showing patience? What did you think?

Patience is a part of who God is, so the great thing is that He's fully capable to help us grow in this area. He has shown us a lot of patience. He is wise, good, our Creator and our Savior. He waits for us with open arms to come be with Him and know Him on a deeper level, like the prodigal son's father in Luke 15:11-32. He continues to forgive us and to welcome us back into a closer relationship with Him.

God knows I still need His help with patience today, especially in traffic. Let's ask Him for help in showing others the same sort of patience He has.

Lord, thank You for showing us patience. Help us to grow in it, and please give us joy in the meantime, as we wait. We ask today that you give us an opportunity to share this part of You with someone else this week. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

A New Heart: Gentleness

"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love..." (Ephesians 4:2a, NASB).

"You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your help makes me great" 2 Samuel 22:36 (NASB).

What does God's gentleness look like? Gentleness sees the beauty in God and His glory, as well as the way sin causes destruction. It acts with compassion. I love that another version of 2 Samuel 22:36b reads, "You stoop down to make me great" (NIV, 1984). When God sees us, He knows that we are His creation and that He loves us. He also faces that we aren't perfect, that we have sin in our lives and that we may be far from Him. God sees we need help. In our weakness, He is strong. The Lord seeks to:

• forgive us
• develop a relationship with us, a relationship based on trust in who He is
• clean out the sin in our lives
• give us the Holy Spirit to give us power to walk a fresh life with Him

God's gentleness uses wisdom and acts on love. How can we act in gentleness? We need humility in knowing who we are, as well as faith in who God is. We also need God's grace, love and strength.

Lord, thank You for showing gentleness toward us. Help us see how to live out this fruit of the Spirit. Help us show others that the gentleness we know comes from You, because it's a part of who You are. Amen.

For more on living out gentleness, see Galatians 6:1, Ephesians 4:1-2, 2 Timothy 2:25, James 3:13.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.alcsaguilas.com.

A New Heart: Humility

"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love..." (Ephesians 4:2a, NASB).

Do you know a story of someone showing humility?

By looking at the verse above, humility looks at another person in love. This sort of humility loves the Lord, because God is love and love comes from Him. Humility comes from the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. Out of this love and God's blessing, a person can look at someone else and remember that God has this unstoppable love for His creation.

In humility, we can:

• Remember and have faith in God's promises, knowing He has a plan for our lives
• Look at others with humility, realizing we are in as much need for God as they are
• Pray to live the humility that Christ displayed on earth for us, as He served God and reached out to others

Lord, thank You for giving us life. We need You, God - Your mercy, wisdom, direction and strength. Help us live with humility and point others to You. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).