Ladies of Calvary

Redeemed

2009-08-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ladies,

As we conclude our study of David, I pray that each of us will be inspired to seek after God, His will for our lives, His blessings on our descendants, and His guidance in the here and now. I want to thank you all for your participation in this study. It has been a great time of discussion, laughter, and growth for me, and I hope it has been for you, too. I do apologize for not posting last week, but I will try to give an adequate summary now. Please feel free to post your comments from this week or from the study as a whole.

Week Five:

We began week five on the mountaintop. We discussed reaching that place in life where you think "ahhh, I've made it, and nothing can touch me now." Just as David may have felt when he decided not to go to battle, we are at a crossroads. At this point, do you have so much confidence in yourself, your ability, your acheivement? Or do you fall to your knees and thank the Lord, who brought you to the mountaintop, for all that He has done? Kay Arthur warns that "no one builds their house on the mountaintop". David was heading for a fall, and fall he did. Wow, as I am writing this, I realize how prideful I am. I realize that, though I haven't built a house on the mountaintop, I have tried to pitch a tent up there. For me it's all about the kids. I (I know this is awful and I ask you all to forgive me) have thought, often, yes too often, that my kids are better behaved than most. I have watched other people parent and thought "I would have handled that better, not differently, better." The Lord is opening my eyes everyday to the contrary. Lord, I pray that you would humble my heart. I pray that you would help me love my kids unconditionally, the way You love me. Lord, I pray for forgiveness for the prideful thoughts and attitudes I have had. Create in me a pure heart, O Lord and renew a steadfast and humble spirit in me.

Day Two we once again studied the crossroads of David's life. He came to certain points that should have stopped him from sinning with Bathsheba, like knowing she was married to one of his vailant men or that she was the granddaughter of one of David's counselors. But David didn't flee from temptation, instead he sent for temptation to come to him. So we all knew that David would sin with Bathsheba, we've heard that story before, but some of us learned to what great lengths David would go to cover up his sin. He had to work hard to get Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, killed. 2 Samuel 11:27 tells us "But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord." Can we ever sin in secret? You might be able to hide it from your neighbors or friends for a time, but the sight of the Lord is another thing entirely.

Day Three brings us to the story that Nathan, the prophet, told David. David is rightly disgusted by the horrible rich man in the story and demands that the man pay a fourfold restitution for his sin. And then the light bulb comes on. Oh, you mean that's me. Yikes. David will surely reap the consequences of his sin in a fourfold judgement. Times like these when I am studying the Scriptures and I see some of the big pieces fall into place, like David's self-righteousness and pride actually leading to his own disciple and humility, that I just think God is so amazing. From the beginning to the end of David's life, God has had a plan, and not just a simple one, a complex, detailed plan that would affect generations and generations. Did God use David's sin to work good for him? For us?

Day Four we read psalm 51. Was anyone else moved by the sincerity of David's words? Verse six says "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." Oh, how I want that! I want God to fix the inner, hidden parts where the sin is concieved, so that the outer, in-the-open part will be obedient. I don't want to just seem obedient, I want to be it to the core.

Praise God, Day five talks about grace. For as much as I want to be obedient and submit to God's perfect will, I struggle with the flesh. But, there is grace from God to redeem me when I go astray. David accepted God's grace for his sin. He really knew God. Not just about Him or about His church, David really knew God's character. That is how David could repent of his sin, accept God's grace, and reap the consequences of his sin without becoming bitter.

Week Six

As we began the study of David's children, Amnon, Absalom, and Tamar, I pray for the purity and protection of my children. What a horrible, twisted history David's children suffered through. In 2 Samuel 13 we wondered where the patriarch of this family was. Was he too heartbroken to step in? Was he resigned to these consequences? Yes, God is good but you can also trust that God is going to do what He promises. David was given a fourfold judgement for his sins and sure enough, even though he was a man after God's own heart, the judgement was fulfilled.

Day two is entitled, "Persevering Through Discipline". We could study that topic for months. Scripture teaches us that "those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6) Discipline is evidence of love. Discipline is not meant to break us but to "strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet" (Hebrews 12:12,13). God will not give us more than we can bear, however sometimes instead of taking away the load He will strengthen the shoulders on which it rests. We must persevere.

Day Three discusses the deceiver. Satan is real. He is vicious. And he is on the attack. If you are seeking after God with all your heart, then you had better be on the look out. Satan wants to destroy us. He will tempt, twist, and taint whenever possible. Emerse yourself in the word, walk in the Spirit, and pray for protection from the Father.

Day Four we learned that David "honored God's holiness by never murmuring or disputing God's discipline." David seemed to grasp the depth and severity of his sin in a way that I am not sure we understand. He was truly greived, repented, and soaked up the grace of God.

Day Five at the close of David's life, we see him in humble obedience to his Lord. Despite his good idea to build the temple, he obeyed God and allowed his son Solomon to complete the task. Although David worked tirelessly to make preparations for the temple, he released his desires and submitted to God's will.

I pray that at the close of my life I will be in the same position. I pray that I will live in humble obedience, walk boldly in the faith that has been given to me, and love unashamedly the God who created us all.

Thank you for participating in the book study. If you would like to post comments, make suggestions about future studies, or post your own book reviews, please feel free to use this blog as a tool.

Transforming

2009-07-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

Ladies,
Thank you all again for making the effort to participate in this study. It does take energy and time, two things we could all use more of! You have all been a blessing to me during this time and I hope and pray that this study is helping you to recognize the anointing of God on your life, to submit to the transforming work that God wants for you, and to accept the redemption and grace He so freely gives.
This week we started our session talking about troubles. Okay, so that is not a particularly fun discussion, but a necessary one. Beth Moore makes the connection between things that start as trouble and grow into sin. For example, financial troubles abound in today's economy. Some of us are scraping the pennies out of the penny jar to make it through the month. But this trouble doesn't become sin until we decide to "borrow" a little money from the petty cash drawer at work. Now, our troubles have become sin. Moore suggests that in times of trouble and disappointment we often are lead into disobedience. In order for God to do that transforming work in us, we MUST be obedient. Scripture tells us that when we take matters into our own hands, or "walk in [our] own counsel" we will end up going backwards. (Jeremiah 7:24) I don't know about you, but backwards is the last place I want to go!
We discussed at length the difference between a faith based on what God does and one based on who He is. For some, when times of devastation come, they can't understand why a good God would allow this, even ordain, this event and they become disillusioned with God because of what He did, or allowed. For others, in times of devastation and heartbreak, they know that God has not promised that we would escape these things but He has promised He will strengthen us, even carry us through. We must have faith in God because He is Holy, unwavering, faithful, loving, masterful. He is righteous, Truth, timeless, Lord of all. For us to demand that God conform to our idea of "good" or "fair", is to demand that God not be God at all.
Day two began with a discussion of reverence. What does reverence look like in practical, physical terms? Moore suggests that Uzzah, David's faithful man, was struck dead by God not just because he touched the ark, but because of an inward attitude toward God that lacked reverence. Through this experience, David is transformed. He is reminded of his God's awesome sovereignty and that to worship Him is a priviledge, not an obligation. God works on our hearts and attitudes first, then the outward behavior falls into to place. Has God taught you any lessons the hard way? On the other side of those lessons, do you feel a new sense of awe and thanksgiving toward God? I do, and I am sure that David did, too.
Day Three is entitled "Dance with All Your Might", referring to the celebration that David experienced when the ark finally returned to Jerusalem in the prescribed way with God's blessings. David is seen here in total abandon, worshipping God with his whole being. He is so overcome with joy, with love, and thanksgiving, he can't hold back. Scripture tells us that Michal, David's wife, despised David in her heart after watching this display. We spent a lot of time discussing how our worship services would be different if we felt like there weren't any Michals in the congregation. David wasn't concerned about her and we should be concerned about those who would judge us for our wholehearted worship of God. Someone asked "in the big scheme of things if God going to care how you worshipped?" I believe the answer is yes. If we worship with others taking the number one place in our thoughts, then who are we truly worshipping? When we feel moved to posture our bodies during worship, we should submit to the Holy Spirit's moving in us, and obey. God wants to do an amazing, transforming work in us, and He wants to start by giving us the courage to be bold for Him, to submit to His Holy Spirit, and to worship Him the way He deserves.
As we discussed, there are some families in our church who are in a season of mourning right now. It is our job to pray them through this season, to encourage, support and love them through this time so that their mourning may turn to dancing. How great is the morning when you wake up and realize that despite the sadness and feeling of loss, God is still good, God is still with you, and by God's power you will make it.
God wants to bless us and through our obedience, reverence and wholehearted worship, He will!

Transformed

2009-07-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies,

Thanks again for your patience with me this morning as we worked through a very challenging topic this week. We started out with a quick review of how David was “Anointed” or chosen for a specific task. And we’ve learned that God wants each of us to accomplish something. For that task, He prepares us, equips us and then gives us direction.

Last week Beth Moore talked about the difference between a “good” plan and a “God” plan. David had a good idea about the ark and celebrating God’s presence. But when Uzzah was struck down, David became angry and fearful.

For our homework this week, Days One and Two discussed how we have been transformed to this point and why we are transformed. Would God place us on this earth to stay in one place, without any growth in our faith, without learning as we go, and without the ability to look back and use our experiences to grow and to share our growth with others? I’m so glad that He never left me, not for one second. God’s transforming work continues daily, whether I want it to or not. He wants to bear fruit, as it states in John 15: 7-8.

So we know that we need to be transformed, and we know that more is on the way. But many times we are pained by the process. Days Three and Four talked about anger and fear, but mostly anger. 2 Samuel 6:5 shows David and everyone that was with him celebrating the Lord. In the middle of the celebration, the oxen stumbled, the ark of God began to fall, and Uzzah tried to catch it. And God struck him down.

What is that about? David was doing God’s work. He was joyful and celebrating God. He was bringing the ark of God back to the center of Jerusalem. He had Nathan’s blessing in his work. What went wrong?

We discussed and then heard from Beth Moore many situations where things seem to be going along just fine and then tragedy strikes, sometimes more than once. We get angry and then are left with questioning God and his reasons. I cannot imagine the pain that is felt when these losses occur, sometimes pain that never completely heals. Pain felt in tragedy will not be forgotten while we are on this earth. Does God still have a plan?

God’s plan is to allow us to have anger for a while, but not forever. He wants us to lay our pain at his feet. And He wants to be changed, transformed, as a result.

Psalm 62:8. “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour our your hearts to him, for God is our refuge”

At the bottom of page 73 in our workbooks, Beth Moore simply states “Sometimes there’s just a bigger plan”. Prior to that she gave the example of the execution of John the Baptist. Here’s the abbreviated version:

What We See – appeared to be John’s worst day
- John the Baptist was imprisoned and then executed by beheading.

What God Sees – must have been John’s greatest moment
- John the Baptist entered Heaven and saw the face of God.

God does NOT want us to hold on to our anger. The toxicity of anger that remains in our heart is a feeding ground for Satan. Satan can take our anger and grow our sin. Beth Moore stated that he could take our “disappointment” and turn it into our “disobedience”. “Sometimes there’s just a bigger plan”

Day Five brought this all together in the healthy fear of God. David received a healthy fear of God the day that Uzzah was struck down. He didn’t run away, he ran TO God. I love these verses at the end of that study:

“You are My treasure.” Deut. 7:6
“Return to me with all your heart.” Joel 2:12

“Sometimes there’s just a bigger plan”. God loves us and wants us back. How will you be transformed today?

Anointed by God

2009-07-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

This week we discussed the anointing of David and all that it entails. Our homework began with a basic definition of anointing, which is essentially God enabling us to complete the divine or supernatural task to which He has appointed us. We discussed that our everyday lives lived within the will of God is a divine accomplishment. Sometimes we think too big. We imagine that because we serve a big God that He must only call us to big things. The only problem with that way of thinking is that our definition of "big" is wrong. We have let society tell us what it means to do great things....it means bringing home the biggest paycheck....it means finding the cure for a disease.....it means playing pro-ball...it means starting, running and promoting a company, etc. But the question is How does God define big? Scripture teaches us that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matt 19:30). In God's eyes a big accomplishment is to serve someone so that His love is revealed to them through us. We are the Body of Christ and we were made to work together to serve God, each other, and the world. So, the conclusion is that our tasks may not seem big or flashy to the rest of the world, but Galatians 1:10 says "Do I now persuade men? Or do I seek to please men or God?" It doesn't really matter what the rest of the world says, it matters what God says.
In Day two we studied about opposition to the anointing and how it can come in many forms. We had several people share personal experiences where they felt like Satan was speaking untruths, lies, to them that would prevent them from fulfilling their God-anointed task. We discussed the importance of recognizing God's hand in everything we do but the flip-side of that is also being able to recognize the enemy so we are prepared to do battle. Like David, we must know that the battle we are fighting is the Lord's.
Day Three started with a discussion about being called to a certain position only to experience a brick wall in your path. Priscilla Shirer used the illustration from David's life of being anointed as king at age 15 but having to wait 22 years to see it come to pass. He could be disappointed and allow that disappointment to dictate his attitude, his heart but Scripture tells us he served Saul, tended sheep, and played music in the interim. Instead of taking on the "woe is me" attitude, he accepted God's call and decided to live fully in the moment, learning and preparing for what lay ahead.
Day four is a lesson on the importance of prayer. Because we are children of God, we have the benefit of being able to speak directly to Him and of being able to hear His voice. The only problem with that is that so many of us are so busy that we forget to stop and ask for God's help. I have a five year old son who is so smart. He has a very large vocabulary and I know this because he uses all of his words at least fifteen times a day. By the end of the day my ears are so tired from trying to keep up with him. It's no wonder I have a hard time hearing God speak to me....he can't get a word in! So, we discussed the importance of making prayer time, and quiet time with God a priority. Most of us agreed that it couldn't be scheduled, as was suggested by the study, but that we needed to get there every day.
Day Five's lesson is all about Obedience. I think that word ought to be a proper noun. It deserves respect and significance. I was taught a definition of Obedience as "doing what you're told, when you're told, with the right heart-attitude". In order to achieve all of those things, we must be living in the anointing of God. To Obey requires God's Holy Spirit to fill us, to take over, because our flesh, our human nature will automatically want to kick it off. We don't want to have someone tells us what to do or how to do it. It is God in us that will allow us to be Obedient.
We ended the session with our first video from Beth Moore. She is a powerful speaker, full of passion, wisdom, and humor. If you missed today's session, please borrow the DVD so you can get caught up. You won't want to miss it. Next week we will meet at Kim's. Kathy H will be at Calvary at 8:30 for anyone who wants to follow her there. Hope you have a great time!

2009-07-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

Wasn't it great to have everyone there on Thursday? It may have been the only time this summer that the entire group will be together. And what a discussion! It is certainly obvious by the passionate responses to the homework that we all love the Lord. We may not agree on every theological question but we can openly share where we are in our walk with the Lord without fear of insult or injury. For those of you who did share your thoughts and opinions, testimonies and stories, I thank you.
So, Day One's homework definitely caused us all to really consider what we believe, why we believe it, and the Scriptural basis for that belief. I am sure that is part of God's plan for this study, to help us remember that His inspired Word is the only Truth we have to stand on. Whatever your beliefs about election, I think we can all agree that God's plan is sovereign and He intends for us to share the gospel message with everyone. I, for one, am thankful that I don't have all the answers because I would be that much more accountable. In the context of the lesson, election is all about our purpose in life. God created us for a specific purpose. There are some who, after college or mid-life, set off on a voyage of self-discovery to determine their purpose is in life. God has already done that for us....all we have to do is ask Him what it is. He will reveal His plan to us, then, we must submit to it. Granted, we may not be the anointed King of Israel, but our purpose is just as significant as David's.
Day Two helps us to remember patience. As we studied, the time lapse between David's anointing and his installation as king is 22 years. Would we have the patience to wait that long for God to fulfill His will for out lives? All the while, God is preparing David for his life as king. Priscilla Shirer calls us to have a God-consciousness or God-Awareness so that we may more fully live within His will. Even in the mundane, everyday decisions we are encouraged to have a God-aware response. Anyone else challenged by this? Anyone else ready to be changed by this?
In Day Three we realized that God is faithful to complete what He has called us to do. Here is the key: surrender. We have to surrender to God's plan, trust Him, and lean not on our own understanding. How hard is that??? I consider myself pretty smart, okay no laughing!!, I feel capable of handling a lot of situations but God's Word tells me that He knows better, that His ways are not my ways. We must be faithful to release, to let go of the control, and the "I know better" attitude that gets in the way of God's doings.
Day Four, Established by God, really hit home to me. It made me realize that God, who created the entire universe from the stars to the starfish, who established the earth and the planets in their order and spins them on an axis, also created little ole me. The same power and awesomeness, the same creativity and craftmanship, created me to fulfill His divine purposes. Wow! So what am I waiting for???
Positioned for a Purpose, the title of day five, maybe the most common source of questioning in our walk with the Lord. Why would God let this happen? Why is this happening to me? What am I doing here? As we look more closely at David's life, we see that God didn't haphazardly call David to the position of king and David wasn't the only one who benefited from his placement. (Obviously, we're still reading about him!) God used David to reveal and fulfill His divine purposes. Did David know it? Probably not, at least not all the time. Do we know it when God is using us as a conduit to present His grace? How different would we live our lives if we considered every encounter with every person an opportunity to be the conduit of God's love and grace? I don't think I'd recognize myself! And wouldn't the world be a better place for it?!
Ladies, I love spending time with you, but even more than that, I love growing in depth and scope of faith with you. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will work on us so hard during this time that we would be able to see a difference from the beginning of this study to the end. I pray that each of us will be a conduit of God's love and grace and that this time of study will lead us to seek after the Lord each day.

Established by God!

2009-06-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ladies, Good news.... you are established by God to do the job that is facing you, whether it is mothering, working, taking care of extended family, or all of the above, you have God's power to complete the task. We discussed how David'd roles of son, brother, anointed of God, shepherd, last born, etc, effected the expectations that others had of him. Sometimes these roles are limiting, Jesse, David's father, didn't expect Samuel to bless and anoint his ruddy last born son. He reluctantly presented the boy who was in the field with the family flock and lo and behold, he was the one! We discussed how our history with family, friends, and maybe even in our churches is sometimes limiting because they only hold us to the highest historical precedent. In other words, they tend to expect from us the same old thing we've always done, and nothing more. So what happens when we wake up to the realization that with God's anointing and establishment we can't and won't be or do the same old thing?
We also discussed how God's anointed ones are guaranteed opposition. Having God's blessings rest on us is like a bright red flag to Satan and you can bet that he will be after us. His goal is always to dethrone the Sovereign Lord whether by doubt, insecurity, mistrust, fear, or hate. He wants us to take our focus off of God and put it on ourselves and in an instant we are like Peter sinking in the sea. So how can we resist? Priscilla Shirer suggests that we have a God-conciousness or God-awareness. This is when we filter every thought, word, action, emotion through the lens of God.
So ladies, this week focus on God in all that you do, say and think. Remember that you are anointed for the task at hand and live in such a way that God's establishment is visible to all. Can't wait until next time. Have a great-God week!

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed

2009-06-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Ladies,
Our first book study session will be on Thursday, June 25. If you are bringing children or are helping babysit, please try to arrive by 8:45 am. I would like to get kids settled in their play groups and content so we can begin our study promptly at 9:00.
For the first session you will need to bring your book, unless I am ordering one for you (in which case, I will have those for you here), something to write with, and your Bible.
This study is exactly that, a study. It will require time, effort, and commitment on your part but it is sure to provide you with the opportunity for spiritual growth, a time of intimate fellowship with God, and a sense of Christian community as you get to know the other group members.
I hope you are all as excited as I am about getting started. Begin praying now for God to remove the distractions, interuptions, and other things that might take your attention away from the study. Pray for the other ladies who will join us and pray for the children and childcare workers, too.
Can't wait to see you all on the 25th!

2009-06-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ladies,
Thank you for making the first Awaken conference a success. Your support and encouragement meant a lot. We have heard many positive responses to the program and hope that you recieved a blessing from the event. We hope to post some pictures soon.
Our ladies summer book study is fast approaching so we would like to share some information about that. This year we will be studying "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed", a study of David. The format of this study is a little different than what we are used to. You will not need to prepare for the first session, just bring your book, a pen or pencil, and be prepared for a blessing. As we begin the study Priscilla Shirer, well-known bible teacher and speaker, will lead us through David's childhood and his anointing. Beth Moore will help us understand the transformation that occured in David's life during his middle-age years. Finally, we will wrap up the study by looking at a redeemed David with the help of Kay Arthur. These wise, godly women have lots to teach us through the use God's Holy Word. Be prepared to meet new faces and to welcome old ones. Childcare and refreshments will be provided. If you would like more information, contact us!

Awaken 2009

2009-02-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

Ladies,
I am so excited to invite you all to attend our first Women's Conference at Calvary called Awaken. Do you feel like you are just existing? Do you feel like you aren't really living? Have you forgotten who you are in God? Are you all you were meant to be? Come to the Awaken conference. Let God Awaken your heart, your soul, let Him take control.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Come for music, worship, drama, and more. Lunch will be provided.

Mark your calendars. March 21 from 9-4 at Calvary Baptist Church in Lovingston. All are welcome. Please RSVP to the church office, 263-5010.

Week 2 Chapters 6-15

2008-06-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Ladies,

First some housekeeping information. We have decided to do our July 10th study in the hotel after dinner since the majority of us will be attending the Women of Faith Conference. For those of you who are not able to join us, I will post our comments as soon as I can.

This week we completed two sections of the book, Finding the Way and Miles and Missions.

Our lessons pick up with the stoning of Stephen with Saul cheering on each blow. We learned of Stephen's forgiving spirit and what is, perhaps, Saul's first experience with true grace. As the life leaves Stephen's body, he cries out on behalf of his persecutors, begging for their forgiveness. We questioned whether we would, in the same or similar situation, be able to show as much of Christ in us as Stephen did. Would we be dominated by the Holy Spirit or by a spirit of hatred and revenge? Moore states that "the more Stephen poured out his life for Christ, the more Christ poured His life into Stephen." We are all human, flawed and fickle. Stephen was no exception. The difference is how much reign we are willing to let Christ have in our lives. Stephen had given himself over to Christ completely....have we? Our ability to forgive, our ability to make Christ-like decisions of grace is a wonderful testimony of our faith. No doubt that we will struggle with human nature but in the end it only matters whether or not we let Christ win the fight for us. After all, He already has.

In the next chapter we see the dramatic conversion of Saul. I kind of feel sorry for Saul. He is so sure of his beliefs, but he is surely wrong. What a lightbulb experience this must have been for Saul (only I guess his lights went out). Remember Saul was on his way to Damascus to bring back Christians in order to have them executed. Saul is up to his neck in nastiness. He is out to get people he doesn't even know. Christ confronts him with the the question "Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4) Suddenly this obsession that Saul has with a faceless group of troublemakers becomes personal. Christ makes it personal. Saul isn't just persecuting his followers, he is persecuting Jesus himself. Big mistake! So Jesus strikes him blind and forces Saul to spend some time in real prayer. Has God ever had to force you to your knees so that you would really spend some time with Him? At the end of the 9th chapter in Acts we meet a man named Barnabas. He plays an important role in the development of the great missionary named Paul. The other apostles were not quite ready to accept Saul's conversion, probably out of fear, but Barnabas brought him in. Barnabas, whose name means son of encouragement, took the first important step to reach out to Saul, to welcome him, and to make him feel like part of the group, much the same way that Christ would have done. It takes courage to go out on a limb for somebody, especially one as notoriously mean as Saul. But look at how the church grew under Paul's ministry. Do you stand in the way of a modern-day Paul or do you open the door wide and welcome all those who want to enter?

Chapter 9 focuses on the story of Peter and Cornelius. We see Peter experience a revelation about equality. In this vision, the hierarchy of spiritualism is torn down. God wants ALL people to come to know Him. This was a new concept for the Jews of Paul's day. To this point there had always been a "chosen people" but now God is making it clear that everyone is welcome at the cross.(kind of makes sense doesn't it, since He created us all) Peter is being called to minister to the Jews while Paul is being called to minister to the Gentiles.

In Chapter 10 talks about Paul being a mold-breaker for Christ and His church. We discussed at length how molds have been broken over the years in our church. Things as simple as clapping at the end of a special music to the drums being played during worship. We shared our opinions on why these molds existed in the first place. Most of what we find is that these molds are based on tradition, not biblical rightness. It is important when we feel that our worship is being effected by change that we examine why things are changing. Are things changing because the Holy Spirit is at work and therefore we can't remain the same? Are things changing because Satan is trying to distract us from our God-focused perspective? We don't want to be a stick in the mud and if we look at the early church we see that change was the only constant.

In Acts 11:23 we see that Barnabas is still living up to his name as he encouraged the believers to "remain true to the Lord with all their hearts". Moore points out that what he is really saying is that we need to plan to be faithful. We have to plan during the smooth sailing that when a storm starts to build we will remain true to the Lord. What a great point! It reminds me of a marriage committment. When we say our vows, we are essentially planning to remain true to that relationship. When we committ our live to God it shouldn't just be for an instant, it should be for an eternity. Plan to remain true.

The next section of the book is called Miles and Missions. Paul sets out to answer his calling. Paul and Barnabas go to the church at Antioch. Moore describes this church as being full of "willing evangelists, willing recipients, effective disciples, and strong leadership. If we were to evaluate our church, would we be able to say the same? Which areas are we lacking in? Which areas are we strong in? Moores writes "The leaders of the church in Antioch were constantly ready to hear from God; therefore, when He spoke, they were listening." What is he calling us to do? Where is he calling us to go? Are we listening or too busy talking?
Next we discussed miracles. Beth Moore asks the question "Do you ever wonder why God doesn't more often perform miraculous works?" We concluded that God performs miracles everyday but we often allow Satan to blind us from seeing God's hand. Several of us shared recent examples of miracles we have experienced. What a great way to reaffirm our belief in our awesome God! If anyone has a miracle they would like to share, please post it and I will take it to our group next week. Moore points out that God uses both natural and supernatural means to deliver us from danger but both are divine provisions. Maybe we need to change our definition of miracle to help us see God at work in the everyday.
Trials and hardships are not fun things to discuss but we braved the topic anyway. Scripture states that "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). So we know they are coming....the question is How are we going to deal with them once they get here? Have we planned to remain faithful in difficult times? Have we decided to accept the inevitability of trials and suffering so that we can move on to the responsibility of remaining faithful no matter what? I think that Paul had to know that he would surely suffer a painful end, just as Stephen did as he looked on a cheered, but he committed his life to Christ anyway. His suffering would not be in vain. He was a forgiven child of God and would, after his earthly trials were finished, be in heaven with the Christ who saved him from himself. We concluded our discussion with the topic of legalism. How can we pursue a godly lifestyle without becoming legalistic? Moore says "When we paint the picture of salvation for others to see, we may use different colors, textures, and shapes on the edge of the parchment but in the center can only be a cross." We must focus on the love God has for his creation (all of us), the sacrifice of His only Son, and the forgiveness we ourselves have experienced through Christ.

2008-06-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Chapter 2 begins with the verse "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6). As we begin this chapter we learned that the person who was primarily responsible for a child's "training" was the father. We can assume that Saul's father took his role very seriously because it was his duty as defined by the Code of Jewish Law. As Saul continues to grow and develop, we see that his training deepens with more memorization and learning the rituals that will dictate his life. We admired the Jews of Saul's day for being so dedicated to the Word but we questioned what was the motivation behind this type of rote memorization. Did this daily routine of praying, dressing, moving, and thinking result in a love for God? or maybe just a love for the fulfillment of the law of God?
In chapter 3 Saul journeys to Jerusalem to pursue the best rabbinical training that existed at the time. He is taught by one of the most impressive Jewish rabbis in history, Gamaliel. Beth Moore gives a great description of Saul's first glimpse of Jerusalem and the temple that means so much to his religion. Some of us agreed that the mountains in Nelson County or the ocean create the same feelings of awe and acknowledgement of God that must have passed through Saul's mind when he first saw the temple. So why is it important to know that Saul was trained by Gamaliel, in Jerusalem? I think it gives us some significant perspective on who Saul was before he accepted Christ. How indoctrinated into Judaism he was! But as Moore writes "Nothing in the young man's life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it." God is going to use Saul's past, his upbringing, and his training to make him a better servant.
Chapter 4 is entitled "Strangled by the Law". We discussed how Saul probably began his studies with the right intentions but somewhere along the way the law took over and suffocated any love that may have existed. Saul eventually becomes one of the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do Pharisees. Moore points us to Matthew 23 for Jesus' opinion on the hypocritical Pharisees of his time. As we examined that chapter, we realized that there may be some Pharisee in all of us. Moore says "Godly people are valiant people. They are people with the courage to ask God to spotlight areas of weakness, sin, and failure. Then God can strengthen, heal and complete what is lacking." So are we willing to look at the possibly long list of shortcomings and ask God to fix it....and then have the courage to hold on tight to Him while he sends our dirty laundry through the cleaners?
In Chapter 5 Saul heads back to Tarsus just as things are heating up in Jerusalem. There is a man named Jesus who breaks on to the scene after some guy named John the Baptist gets things warmed up. The Pharisees didn't much care for John the Baptist but they really couldn't stand Jesus. And with good reason. Jesus was well trained too. He knew the laws, he knew the history, but more importantly he knew the Father. He knew about love. The Pharisees are outwardly disgusted by Jesus eating with sinners and healing people on the Sabbath but inwardly don't you think they were intimidated? Don't you think maybe they were wishing they had realized that was the point to all this religion stuff? Their is some scriptural evidence that some Pharisees did believe in Jesus as the Messiah but they were too in love with the law and their titles and the prestige of their position to speak up. The Pharisees were desperate to put an end to Jesus and his teachings so they cooked up a scheme that fulfills many of the prophecies that they learned about in school. It's just too bad they didn't realize it. Jesus did what he came to do. He payed for our sins on the cross. Moore says the work of Calvary is finished, Salvation is finished but Santification is not, completion is not. Good news for us and good news for Saul. We will see just how far from finished God was with Saul. Are you willing to admit that God is not finished with you yet? Our sins have been forgiven but God's not done with us yet. Where is He taking us? You can bet the destination is heaven but the road to get there may not seem like it.

Chapters 1-5

2008-06-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Ladies,
We are off to a great start. We had a good turn out today and I hope you think we had a good discussion, too. For those of you who couldn't make it, here's a recap.
Last year, we did a great study on God's grace. It was a wonderful study for our group but it was totally different from the study of Paul's life and mission that we began today. We will focus mainly on one man's life and the unexpected paths he finds himself on as a child of God. There are plenty of opportunities for you to be blessed by this study if you will allow God to have free reign in your life.
Chapter One is entitled "Set Apart from Birth". Beth Moore introduces us to Saul through the description of a typical circumcision ceremony in Saul's day. We learn that the Orthodox Jew has four main realms of focus: the circumcision that represents the covenant of Abraham, the marriage relationship, the study of the Torah, and the performance of good deeds. These are the things that drive the Orthodox Jew. We learned from our reading that the homes of the devout Jew of Paul's generation were marked by a mezuzah, a container that housed specific verses from Deuteronomy. We commented that it might be nice to have a specific marking that would identify us as Christians. (Unless, of course, you catch one of us on a day that we really need that whole grace thing that we talked about last year.) I think it is important to understand the type of home and upbringing that Saul most likely had for us to understand how far Paul really had to come. The same may be true for some of us. We may have come from some pretty crazy circumstances, as far from God as possible, but the good news is that we still belong to Him, the cross is big enough for whatever background you came from, and best of all, God has a plan for your life.

To Live is Christ

2008-06-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ladies,
Thanks for joining us again this year for our summer book study. We will begin our discussion group this Thursday. I look forward to a good time of reflection, study, and fellowship. I am posting the reading schedule for your convience. Please read the chapters and Scripture before coming to the group. Please feel free to post your opinions and responses to each week's reading and to use this tool for those occasions when you cannot attend. I can't wait to get started!

Chapters Dates
Intro-5 June 19
6-15 June 26
16-25 July 3
26-35 July 10
36-45 July 17
46-50 July 24

2007-08-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

August 7, 2007

Ladies, I want to thank you all for participating in the book study. Our study was certainly a blessing and timely message for me. I hope it was for you, too. This book was recommended to me by a friend, so friends keep your eyes open for more books that would be good for another book study. Let’s commit to share the love of God through the study of His word, our fellowship, and through giving grace as abundantly as we receive it.
Chapter 14 is where we began today’s discussion. The focus verses in Romans 7:7-25 focus on sin (duh) and that which is good. The debate: Why do we keep sinning if we know it is bad, we know what is good, and we really, internally, want to do the good stuff? The group decided that the following verses are at the heart of the matter: v21 “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” As we mentioned a few weeks ago, as surely as God has a plan for good in your life, so the Devil has a plan for evil in your life. We struggle with the fleshly desires when we should heed to the desires of the Spirit living within us. It is a civil war. We must arm ourselves for the battle on a daily basis. Lucado refers to these warring factions as the “ought to” and the “want to”. Which side is going to win the battle today? Will today’s fight be recorded as a score one for the “ought to” or a point for the “want to”? The good news is this, Even if today’s battle goes down in the books as a victory for the enemy, you can get up tomorrow and beat the dickens out of him! And this is the weapon of choice for that battle: v24, 25 “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Our yesterdays don’t matter to God if we have confessed our sin and accepted Jesus as our Lord and personal Savior. God “still claims you” no matter how badly beaten by the enemy you’ve been, no matter how long you’ve stood on the front lines of the wrong side, you are still His. Lucado reminds us of this truth “If your sin were too great for his grace, he never would have saved you in the first place.” Lucado gives us another weapon for the battlefield: “He still guides you.” God gave us an arsenal of heat-seeking missiles to launch at the enemy. Where can they be found? Within the pages of your bible. Daily reading the scriptures will surely strengthen your convictions, while making the enemy shake in his boots.
Let’s look at a focus verse for chapter 15. “Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.” {(Eph. 4:32) The New Century Version} The book of Ephesians was written by Paul during his imprisonment in Rome to the believers at Ephesus. Does anyone else find it incredible that Paul could write such beautiful words of forgiveness while being held in prison, mistreated and abused because he is doing what is good? So let’s get a different translation of the same verse and compare. The NIV says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” The KJV says “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Is anyone else seeing a theme here? The descriptions of our hearts may vary, loving, compassionate, tenderhearted, and kind but the scripture is clear, God’s word is clear that we are to be forgiving of one another. Lucado describes hatred as a habit. He mentions several techniques that we use to “settle to score”. Silence, distance, and nagging….check, check, and check. Been there done all of those! He says that we make a habit of bringing to mind the wrong that has been committed (though we claim to have forgiven), of seeking repayment (though nothing can be done to undo what has been done to us), of “indulging our hurts with doses of anger” (though we know that two wrongs don’t make a right). So how many times are we supposed to forgive? Scripture says “seventy times seven” (Matt 18:22) How can you continue to forgive without giving in? Lucado’s take on Peter’s question in Matthew 18 is this “Keeping tabs on your mercy, is not being merciful. If you’re calibrating your grace, you’re not being gracious.” Oh yeah and remember the “forgive” refrain in the Ephesians verse? Well, let’s look at the part that follows… “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” “…just as in Christ God forgave you.” “…just as God forgave you in Christ.” So the example has been laid by God. He is not counting the number of times we ask for forgiveness for the same sin…neither should we. We loved these statements that Lucado makes towards the end of the chapter: “The key to forgiving others is to quit focusing on what they did to you and start focusing on what God did for you.” “You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace than God has already given you.”
Lucado begins chapter 16 with three proclamations of grace. “First, only God can forgive my godlessness. Second, only God can judge my neighbor. Third, I must accept who God accepts.” Let’s go to Romans 15:7 for the biblical perspective: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” As we discussed on Tuesday, the life of a “walking in the way” Christian is not a cake-walk. God has called each one of us to follow him, but the catch is this…each one of us has a different path laid before us. So often as we are on our path we see others on similarly laid trails and we walk alongside them for a while. We enjoy the conversation, we share stories about where our path has taken us and where it will end up, we steady each other when the path gets narrow or steep and encourage each other if we trip or fall. But occasionally someone comes along who is on a totally different kind of path. Maybe yours is one made of brick and theirs is a dirt path, cut into the green grass. The destination is the same but the route is slightly different. You and your brick-path friend look curiously at the dirt path fellow and whisper “My his feet are dirty! Wonder why he doesn’t walk on a real path like us?” “How in the world did he end up there?” Or “Poor fellow, he just isn’t doing it quite right.” “My path is made of brick and I know that’s right and good so a path made of brick must be a sinful one.” We tend to stick to those on similarly laid paths and question the validity of those on different paths. The point of Romans 15:7 is to unite in the belief that Christ loves us all and it doesn’t matter whether you like the dirt path folks or not. As long as they believe that Jesus is God’s son, that he died on the cross for our sins and rose again, then they have been accepted by God. We want to unite on our paths so that those still wandering lost in the forest will choose to follow us, choose to follow the path that God has laid for them.
In Chapter 17 Lucado discusses the focus verse from Romans 8:35 which reads “Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us?” He has subdivided this into five sections that speak to each of us at different points in our lives. The first is “The question of Protection”. Romans 8:31 says “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God is for US so there can be nothing that holds any weight over us. Death? Nope, I’ve got eternal life. Sin? No, been forgiven. Worry? No, God will take care of me. We are protected because we are His. “The Question of Provision” is for those who wonder if God can really provide, can He really meet my needs? Well, He provided his son as a living sacrifice for my sin, sin that hadn’t even been committed yet. So, the answer is Yes! God “graciously gives us all things.” (Romans 8:32) The questions of Guilt and Grace go hand in hand. Do I have to feel guilty over sins of my past and will I exhaust the resources of grace to cover the sins of my future? No and No. If we have confessed our sin to God and asked for his forgiveness then any guilt we may feel is coming from Satan. He is trying to use it to beat us down. God doesn’t believe in guilt trips. So if you are experiencing one you either need to confess some hidden sin or tell Satan to get of your back because you are a forgiven child of God! The bible says “the wages of sin is death.” And although we will all eventually come to that end, the death here was that of Christ. He paid the price for our sin. If God can give his son to save our souls then I think he can keep us wrapped in grace until we are free from the sin in this world. And finally endurance. How long will God’s love last? Well, ladies how long will you love your children? When is the expiration date on that love? Forever, I will love my children forever. That’s it. That’s what God thinks of us. He will love us forever.
If you haven’t read the conclusion to the book, I highly recommend it. Page 183 fires off some tough questions that we need to use to examine ourselves. Have we been bragging about God in our lives? Have we found contentment? Do we open our arms to welcome those from different walks? Do we thank God for everything we have and do? Do we show God’s grace in our lives? Do we continually ask God to look after us? Are we in the Grip of Grace?

July 31

2007-08-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:8 says “Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Try reading that sentence and putting emphasis on a different word each time. “CHRIST died for us while we were still sinners.” Christ DIED for us while we were still sinners.” “Christ died for US while we were still sinners.” “Christ died for us while we were STILL sinners.” Lucado says that “God has made a covenant to adopt his people. His covenant is not invalidated by our rebellion. It’s one thing to love us when we are strong, obedient, and willing. But when we ransack his house and steal what is his? This is a test of love.” Christ died for us, God sent his only son to die for us, while we were still sinners, living in and loving sin! But God promised to love us and forgive our sins, to send a way for us to be with him in eternity. (I can’t find a happy medium between summarizing the book and summarizing the discussion so I am just going to jump in and hope you can keep up!)
In 2 Sam. 9 we see David begin to reflect on his friendship with Jonathan. He asks “Is there anyone still left in Saul’s family? I want to show kindness to that person for Jonathan’s sake.” Little picture: Jonathan saved David’s life, David promises to show kindness to Jonathan’s family. Big picture: God saves our lives (eternally), we promise (through our faith and through baptism) to show kindness to God’s family (that means everyone!).
Do you have someone in your life that comes with a subtitle? Susie, the homewreaker. George, the alcoholic. Liz, the one who got pregnant in high school. Do you think of yourself in terms of what you have done, good or bad? That was how Jonathan son Mephibosheth, the cripple, was reffered to. (I probably would have reffered to him as Mephibosheth, the one whose name I can’t pronounce or spell correctly!) Lucado asks “Isn’t there anyone who sees you for who you are and not what you did?” Once Mephi is found and escorted back to the palace, he falls before his lord (by lord I mean ruler of a certain land) and confesses “I am your servant” (2 Sam 9:6). David could do any number of things here but he chooses to openly welcome Mephi, to reassure him that he is in the right place, and to make room for him at the table. We are imperfect, crippled descendants of a royal lineage and we have been invited to dine with the LORD (by Lord I mean ruler of all things). We have been shown grace and mercy in our current, seriously flawed, state. Does anyone else feel a sense of relief? Whew, I’m glad to be at this table and could you please pass the potatoes?
Lucado provides us a partial list of what awaits us at the table. Go to page 104, 105 to see the full list. We discussed that we are most excited about being “delivered from the power of evil” (Col. 1:13). As someone said today ‘evil is everywhere here, on earth’. It is oppressive, it is mounting, it is daunting, but when we get to his table it will be no more. We mostly agreed that it is hardest to believe that “You are perfect” (Heb. 10:14) will ever apply to a big ole sinner like me! But won’t that be a great meal? A perfect me, eating with a perfect you, who is sitting across from a perfect God…..wonder what we will talk about?
The next three chapters were a real light bulb experience for me. I hope some of you felt like they provided some insight or highlight. I love the intro to this section where Lucado writes “The more we immerse ourselves in grace, the more likely we are to give grace.” That was a homerun statement for me. It really hit home and it makes me want to get up and run! And how true it is! Don’t you agree that the more focus we put on God’s grace in our lives, how he has forgiven even the worst of sins, leads us to be more forgiving of the worst of sinners in our lives? It’s not easy and it’s not always fun, but then again sending your only son to die on the cross for a bunch of selfish sinners probably wasn’t easy or fun either. Some people have a major problem with grace and the main reason is because “to accept forgiveness is to admit sin”. To allow God’s grace to dominate our lives is to admit that we sin, and sin a lot. Why do some people have a problem with that? I tell you what, it is a lot easier to live in a world where no one expects you to be perfect and to never be perfect, than it is to live in a world where everyone expects you to be perfect and you never are. I’m glad I don’t have to live with that perpetual disappointment. So let’s thank God with all our hearts and minds that he doesn’t expect us to be what we cannot ever be. He freely offers grace to those who will believe that it is there!
How many of you would consider committing adultery on your wedding night? Not many of us would. Sometimes we see our commitment to God as a convenience. But did you get married just because it was convenient? I think not. So if we take our baptism as seriously as our wedding vow s and we work as hard at our relationship with God as we do our relationship with our husbands, can you imagine how great it could be? Some people think: ‘I’ll pray real hard when I need something or when I’m in trouble but as for all the other times I can make it on my own. Oh yeah, and let’s have a don’t ask don’t tell policy for my sins…you don’t come right out and ask me about them and I won’t tell you about how bad I’ve been.’ But is that what our baptism in the cleansing waters was all about? Is Christ’s commitment to us that flimsy? Lucado says “To return to sin after sealing our souls in baptism is like committing adultery on your honeymoom.” Why bother even dunking your toes in the baptismal if that’s all it means to you? Now, of course it is inevitable that we will sin but let’s not try to hide it from God. That’s just a waste of time. Instead, let’s thank God for the grace he has shown us and really make use of it. Admit your sin and ask forgiveness and experience the relief and freedom and purity that comes from the love of God.
Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions: Why doesn’t God just remove the temptation from my life? Why doesn’t God remove the enemies in my life? Why doesn’t God alter my personality to be more godly? Why doesn’t God heal my aching body and my broken heart? Why doesn’t God give me a great skill to use for his glory? I know I have asked almost all of them. Sounds a little whiny doesn’t it? I think we do that a lot with God. But as we see in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” We need some weaknesses (one of mine is writing, especially punctuation) so that God’s power, love and grace can be clearly seen in our lives. I love the quote from Lucado that reads “God would prefer we have an occasional limp than a perpetual strut.” So for whatever the circumstance, no matter how bad, God’s grace is sufficient. God’s grace is sufficient.

July 17 Chapters 6-9

2007-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

So, when I turned to the first page of chapter six and I saw the title "Calling the Corpses" I thought 'wonder who he's talking about this time?'. I knew it wasn't me because I am still alive. Right? Boy was I wrong and in a big way! The focus of chapter 6 is on Romans 3:21-26 but we have to look back at the earlier verses to get the whole context. The gist of it is sin, a breaking of God's law, is bad...you remember the whole "throats are open graves and their tongues practice deceit" thing. But what the Jews and Gentiles alike were struggling with, as we do today, is that our golden ticket to forever paradise in our Father's castle comes in the form of wholehearted faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, not in upholding the law, not in maintaining every facet of the ten commandments. Lucado describes sin as the univeral problem and death as the universal condition. This sin that infects our lives is what rots our souls and renders us dead. This is what seperates us from God. Some choose to deepen the expanse by jumping in with both feet and splashing around in it. Others choose to lessen the great divide by confessing our sins to God and stretching out of our comfort zones to be who HE wants us to be. As Margie says, there is a 100 percent chance of death. Inevitable, unavoidable, death will come to our bodies whether they are old and worn or whether they are young and agile but what of our souls? I believe with all my heart and mind that our creatures, our beings were created with an inate desire to worship. God put in us a need to worship HIM. So what happens when we try to fill this need with something else? Think of the other basic needs; food, water, shelter, and love. So what if I come across someone who is in need of shelter...and I offer them some bologna. Can they make a house out of it? In case of a blizzard, could they wrap up tight in it and stay warm? Or what if someone is in need of food? They have the kind of hunger where it feels like your stomach might eat your right leg if you don't give it something soon. Imagine that starving person chewing on the side of a four bedroom. Tasty?? Filling???? Satisfying??? I don't think so. The person who refuses God or doesn't know him to begin with is not filled or satisfied, there is a constant yearning or longing for "something more". So we are the corpses only Christ is calling for us, He wants to fill us with His grace, mercy and love. Can you hear Him?
Chapter seven begins with a laughable scenario from Lucado's own life. It's all about the car insurance company cancelling his policy after he had proven he was a very worthy client. In other words, after racking up a few blemishes on his record he was kicked to the curb. Is that the standard operating procedure in heaven? You sin one too many times and God says 'it's been real but you're outta here'? No way no how! I loved the part in Lucado's book that says Salvation comes from heaven downward, not earth upward. It's not about what we do or did it is about what Christ did for us on the cross. Salvation has been offered and it is up to us to accept it. God wants to make us right with him. How do we do that? Some might see God's grace as an invitation to run willy-nilly. The willy-nilly runner says 'If God is going to forgive me then why not sin sin sin'? The reality is that if you truly accept Jesus as the Savior of your life then you will want to please him and you guessed it, not sinning is what pleases him. I love this paragraph "My eternal soul is under heavenly coverage, and Jesus isn't known for dismissing clients. He is known, however, for paying premiums and I'm paid up for life. I'm in good hands with him." So my question to everyone and to myself is this: How can we truly accept or even begin to understand God's forgiveness of our sins if we are not willing to forgive others of their sins?
The next chapter talks of the debt of sin. We tried for a minute to put a price tag on various types of sin. You know, how much should we charge for greed? How about envy? Adultery should carry a really high price. I know where the price tag is for greed, envy, adultery, malice, for murder, idolatry, and hatred. The tag hung on the cross. It died there. We are paid up even before we need it. Our sin debt has been canceled. Lucado says that "people accept Jesus as Lord before they accept him as Savior". I completely identified with this. In my mind Lord has always been LORD and Savior has been savior. But unless we accept both parts with equal excitement and reverence we are missing a big part. I love these verses from the MSG translation of Romans 4 "When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do, but on what God said he would do". God said he would forgive our sins and give us eternal life. Let's just trust him to do what he said instead of trying to do it ourselves.
Chapter 9 starts out by recollecting the 95 MLB season. The professional players were complaining and demanding more money, they were refusing to play the game until their demands were met. So the owners decided to allow anyone who was willing and sometimes able to play in their stead. The result: there were players who played for the love of the game, players who cherished their standing with each other, with their fans, and with the people who served them, players who recognized the privilege they had recieved. So based on that brief description, are you a professional player who complains when things don't go the way you plan, who demands that your wants be met, who tries to bargain with the owner? Or are you a rookie who came willingly to the field not because of the fame and fortune but because you love the game, are you willing to play when and where the owner tells you, do you consider your position one of privilege? If we look at Romans 5:1-12 we find all the blessings that will be freely given if you come as the rookies did. Some of the highlights: Peace with God, no doubt about it he loves you and accepts you the way you are; A Place with God, walking hand in hand with Jesus into the throne room; Sharing in God's Glory, which is where we will begin our discussion next time.

2007-07-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ladies,Thanks for coming today. I think we are off to a great start and I hope everyone is enjoying the book and the fellowship. If you couldn't be with us today, here is a recap (based on my non-existent capacity for memory)...First we reviewed the parable of river and we all agreed that the chart on page 8 and 9 was great. We mentioned that we can all identify with the various brothers at some point or another. We are reminded through this parable of the importance of educating the next generation with a tangible faith. One that we can draw on when temptation is near. We agreed that the image of the younger brother submitting to Firstborn and being carried back home is of great importance. We are not walking hand in hand but rather we are being carried all the way. Okay...how funny and up-to-date was the talk-show with Paul? I have often flipped through the channels to see some sensational mud-slinging show and wanted to tell them how wrong they were, and why, and who it's hurting. I think Lucado does a great job of illustrating that in Chapter 2. We agreed with the statement that "every broken heart, every unwanted child, every war and every tragedy can be traced back to our rebellion against God." How frightening the verses from Romans that start "God left them and let them go..., God left them and let them do..., God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking." God is angry at the sin in our lives. He hates it and wants it gone...like the smoking biker your daughter brings home from college...He knows what is best for us and sin is NOT it. As Paul says in Romans 1:20...we have no excuse. God has laid it out plainly for us and there is no excuse for that behavior. How often can I hear my mother's voice saying those same words..(not to me of course but to my brother) 'it was wrong, you know it was wrong and you have no excuse, there is just absolutely no excuse for that' (most effective with left hand on hip while right hand is pointed and the guilty party shaking furiously).We loved the statement that "Creation is God's first missionary". Of course there is a God who loved us enough to create such a beautiful place for us to be stewards of while we are here. A big bang certainly couldn't have planned the fall foliage in the Blue Ridge Mountains or the glaciers of white blue ice in Alaska. Some people, as mentioned in chapter 3, who delve into the scientific realm see the explanation of cell division or photosynthesis as proof that no God exists but we argue that it should deepen your conviction of how awesome our God really his. He planned for each green leaf to go through that process. He knows all about mitosis and meiosis because HE made them happen. How can you believe anything else? Could it really just be random? And while were are asking dumb questions Are you sure the earth is round and not flat??? Just like the cricket, do we assume that since we can't see the creator that there was no creator?We are reminded that we were all created for God's purpose. Not to be a dentist, a singer, or a candlestick maker (although I hear there is a big demand for them these days), No we are created to worship the One who created us. Our worship should lead us to the desire to spread the great news of salvation and the great news that the world is not random...that we are not random. We have a purpose. I love when Lucado writes "They opt to be a human "doing" rather than a human "being". Who they are is what they do; consequently they do a lot." Isn't that how we feel? Where is my identity? How often do we introduce ourselves by stating our names and what we do, or whose mom we are? How about this? Hi I'm Susie and I'm a child of God. Okay so it might sound a little hokey but seriously isn't that how we should define ourselves. Put our faith on our nametag and wear it proudly. Next week we will be reading chapters 4 and 5. Hope you are enjoying the book.

2007-07-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Whew! That chapter 4 is some tough stuff! Today we discussed two chapters, one of which is a hard pill to swallow for a lot of us. "Godless Judging" even the title sounds ominous. Lucado begins the chapter by talking about Jeffrey Dahmer and his conversion to Christianity. We, like Lucado, struggle with this concept, that someone "as bad as Dahmer" can reap the benefits of heaven by repenting and putting his faith in Christ....after all he has done! Most of us have a Jeffrey Dahmer in our lives, maybe he didn't slice us up on the outside but he cut really deep, straight to the core, on the inside. We struggle with the "f" word...Forgiveness. How can I forgive so and so for this and that? It hurt so bad, it messed me up so I don't know which way is up, it left me not whole, broken. As I focus on what someone else has done to me, I tend to forget what I may have done to someone else. I also forget that Christ’s compassion on the cross is what mends the broken pieces of our lives, it is what binds us up and helps us face the next challenge. I make a comparison between my sin(stealing a penny candy) and their sin(robbing a bank at gunpoint). Mine wasn't so bad. I didn't even use a weapon! No one got hurt and boy did that candy taste good! Only God doesn't see it that way....sin is sin. (reminds me of the commercial Parts is parts)Surely I can ask for forgiveness for stealing that candy...no big deal right? God will easily forgive that. He has enough mercy to cover that little sin. But here is the good news, no matter how bad we mess up God has enough mercy to forgive us. He can forgive the bank robber packin a 757(okay I know that's a plane but I couldn't think of a gun name). If we repent and put our faith in Him, He will forgive us and wash away our sins. More good news, God, unlike homo erectus, does not compare us to them or them to us. That's why in Romans 3:12 we read, "there is no one who does anything good" because the only standard we are compared to is God himself. Lucado lists two reasons why God gets to do the judging, #1 We aren’t good enough. What a blow to the overgrown ego we carry around on our backs! He uses a moon jumping scenario to illustrate this point. God is the only one without sin, therefore the only one qualified to judge those who are sinful. We wouldn’t want the world’s worst ice skater judging the Olympics figure skating competition. We only want the best to judge us, so let’s leave that up to our Father in heaven. Reason number two is that “We don’t know enough”. I love the question “How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete?” Maybe I should have some t-shirts printed up that say “Warning—Work in Progress”. God is still working on me and I am thankful that I am not being judged yet. We expressed our frustration about people in our lives who are making bad decisions and who don’t know God. But some of us are slow learners. It will take some people until their last breath to accept the reality that is salvation through faith in Christ. We have to wait patiently as God softens their hearts. It is not our time schedule, it is not how we would do it, it is not what we want for them. But then again, it’s not really about us and our wants. Natalie Grant sings “I thank God for another day, another chance to love the ones I love, to find my way”… and I say it’s another chance to live for God. All we have to do is ask for mercy and “by heaven’s grace we all receive it”.
Chapter 5 started off a little easier, on a day as hot as today I would jump in the boat with anyone who would have me just hoping for a glimpse of the water. Godless religion is often hard to spot. Some sin is loud and clear while other is sneaky and silent. Godless religion is one of those sneaky types. It is when we proclaim our faith not based on the merits of true faith i.e., trusting in God, having a PERSONAL relationship with God, and studying God’s word, but rather based on the symbolic evidence of faith like taking communion, being baptized, and carrying a bible. While those things are all fine and dandy without the other stuff, the deep stuff, the hard stuff, our faith is just surface level, not eternal. We don’t have to come from a long line of church-goers to be saved by grace. Paul is fussing at the Jews for trusting in a symbol rather than in their Savior. They saw their circumcision as a sign of superiority rather than submission. As Lucado says, the wedding ring is a symbol of love it is not the source of love. The cross on my necklace shows people that I believe in a risen Savior but if I take that necklace off does it mean that I no longer believe? My belief goes deeper than a necklace and my faith is more than a decoration. Sometimes these symbols come in the form of good works. There are some Marthas (read Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World) who do, do, do and do some more without stopping to be. Be with God, Be still with God, Be honest with God. Now don’t get me wrong we love a Martha who whips up a delicious dinner and is content to clean it up but what about the fellowship and friendship? Wouldn’t you be disappointed if you were asked to come for dinner and your host shows you to the living room and leaves you there. You look at the pictures on the wall, you test out the chair, you even take your sandal off to see if the carpet is really as soft as it looks. You are called to dinner, where you eat by yourself because your host is busy fixing dessert, and after dessert your host retreats to the sink to wash all the dishes. Now wasn’t that fun? Don’t try to do it all. Let God do God’s part. Now, we all have our part. I could bring the rolls and dessert next time so my host won’t have to worry with them. I’ll even offer to help wash the dishes. But next time let’s just talk, fellowship, spend some time together. Isn’t that what God wants? Put down your bible school materials, stop making a “To be Saved” list, turn off that TV evangelist and spend some time with God. What a difference it will make. (Of course this is not a charge to become a lazy bum, but we will get to that in a later chapter.) We also discussed how thankful we are that we can have a personal relationship with Christ. I am so glad that my faith doesn’t have to look like someone else’s. I have tried that and it is too exhausting. I was too busy watching what they were going to do next to see where Christ was leading me. ME. Yes God has an individual plan for each of us. Mine will look different from yours and that, my friends, is a good thing!

Welcome to Our Book Study

2007-06-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

We will begin our book study on July 3. The following is a break down of the chapters and when we expect to be discussing them. If you would like to post your thoughts, reactions and questions that pertain to those particular chapters before the meeting date, we will be glad to share your post and respond.

"In the Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado
July 3 Introduction -3
July 10 4-5
July 17 6-9 At 9:30
July 24 NO BOOK STUDY
July 31 10-13 At 9:30
August 7 14-End