My Top Ten Life Verses

I’ve been talking about blogging a top-ten list of Bible verses for a few years, but hadn’t – until now. After loving responses to Mandisa's Facebook post asking people to share their theme or "life" verses, I was inspired to finally share my list. Yes, I even ranked them – and, in some cases, that was no small feat! There are countless others that I love, but these are the ones that currently are most central in my life. At some point I have memorized each, and they run through my head periodically, in various situations. Let's count down to number one.

10. 2 Cor. 1: 3-7

This is a newer one for me. God really spoke to me about this passage late last year while listening to this message from one my favorite pastors, Miles McPherson from the Rock Church. Through the passage God convicted me about more intentionally using the comfort He has given me in my experiences to then comfort others. This was a different call to me than just being an encouraging person, which is comfortable for me. Instead, it was going a step further by taking the time to pointedly - but genuinely - ask people God places around me how they are doing, and then share how God is working in my life in ways that comfort them in their situations. Until we die, we will always be going through some struggle! It’s been amazing how, in living with these verses in mind, God has opened my eyes to so many spiritual needs around me that I had previously overlooked.

These verses also have been such a reminder that, as Christians, comforting others through Him is a big part of why God puts us here! In a culture where self-promotion has been ingratiated in our lives through outlets such as social media, we can easily get caught up in making our lives about our individual pursuits and seeking praise from others, but God calls us to be more concerned with others than ourselves. We shouldn’t waste the experiences and comfort God gives us to navigate life’s challenges by keeping it all to ourselves and just sharing our high points. Let’s let God get the glory in all circumstances! As I contemplate this verse, I’m encouraged to keep at the “comfort” pursuit for the rest of my life!

9. Philippians 1:6

This whole section of Philippians 1 is my favorite passage for the Body of Christ, especially for close friends who are believers. I also love verse 6 for the perspective it gives me for my own life. That God is doing a work in each believer that He will ultimately finish when we get to heaven gives me hope about our present and our future, and puts relationship issues in particular – squabbles, disagreements, personality clashes, hurts, fears, the list goes on – in the perspective of eternity. Knowing God is working on each of us gives me the grace to forgive, seek forgiveness – and grow!

8. Colossians 1:17

If you’ve gotten an email from me, you’ve probably seen this verse in my signature line. I got this one in Fall 2007 from one of the girls in a college small group I was leading then. She shared how it gets her through life. Her testimony – and the verse – really resonated with me at that point in my life. I was in my last year of law school, trying to finish my classes strong and prepare for graduation and taking the bar exam. I also was anxious about what the future held for my career and other aspects of my life, at times being overwhelmed by all the possibilities! And that year the financial crisis hit. There was so much talk about not being able to find a job – I wondered whether the job offer I had would be rescinded. Yet whenever I remembered Colossians 1:17 – that He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together – all the chaos did not even matter, because I could rest in the fact that God is in complete control. The verse has continued to comfort me, especially in everyday situations – I may feel that I have so many things to do in one day and not enough time to do them, but I’m reminded that in Christ, I have everything I need. It encourages me to take a moment to seek His wisdom even in the most busy situations, knowing that He is my source and enables me to do my best in all situations. The whole section of the chapter, on the supremacy of Christ, is good for that, too! I thank God for holding it all together so I don’t have to try – and fail – to!

7. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Now we’re getting into my lifers – the verses that have shaped me since childhood. This one’s from second grade. I’ve blogged about this verse in a couple entries on giving, so I won’t say too much about it. Knowing that my Heavenly Father loves a cheerful giver has made me give without reluctance or compulsion, because giving is not about pleasing people, but Him. And He so loved us that He gave The Indescribable Gift - His only Son! I have found the promises from the whole passage to be true: when you give with a cheerful heart, God really does take care of you, and He gets the glory for your giving – what it’s all about! While true, godly giving doesn’t give to get, God makes promises to those who sow generously as compared to those who sow sparingly. There’s nothing better than giving to the praise of the most generous, loving Father, who can never be “out-given!”

6. 1 Timothy 4:12

I believe I first learned this verse as a song in elementary school that still plays in my head when I think about it, lol. I’ve shared that I’ve had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ since I was three or four years old and truly remember knowing then that my life would be different because I had met Him. I’ve had the privilege of walking with Him since. Growing up – and to this day – this verse has really helped me navigate my faith as a young person. Through hearing this verse repeated in my context by parents, teachers and youth leaders, I got the message that I don’t have to be a “grown up” to follow Jesus – I can do it right where I am, and in every aspect of my life: speech, life (or conduct), love, faith and purity. In doing so, I am setting an example for others - the young, old, and somewhere in between. I won’t be young forever, but I will always be who I am in Christ because of God saving and shaping me first in my youth. It also encourages me to invest in the next generation, knowing that they too can commit to serving Christ today.

5. Hebrews 4:12 / Psalm 19:7-14

Okay, so I know these are two different passages, but, “what had happened was..." I have these passages that I call “tandem verses”, lol: in my mind, one verse or passage on one topic is inextricably linked to the other. Memorizing these verses as a kid helped shape my understanding of the preeminent power of God’s Word. That it’s living and active and has the might to shape my every decision – and, in turn, my entire life – never ceases to amaze me. That means the more I interact with it – read it, meditate on it, memorize it – I can’t help but be changed.

One of my mottos (which I came up with long before “there’s an app for that”, lol) is “there’s a verse for that,” meaning there is literally a Scripture for every situation in life (which is different from saying that every life situation is directly addressed in Scripture - what I'm saying is that there is a principle for approaching every life situation, even if the situation itself is not directly addressed. I have never had a life situation where I have not been able to apply Scripture, either directly or indirectly). I began memorizing Scripture regularly when I was three or four. As I continued to memorize Scripture as I grew up, I had no idea how much it would shape my life. When you allow the Word of God to be written on your heart, through its amazing power, you find that you can only be different. Yet I believe we sleep on its power so much! God’s Word really is all that He says it is, and these verses are a wonderful reminder of how we are transformed by it. It’s awesome!

4. Jeremiah 29:11 / 1 Corinthians 2:9

Okay, another tandem set. In response to Mandisa’s post requesting people share their life verses, Jeremiah 29:11 was the number one response, and for good reason. I too am on the Jeremiah 29:11 – and 1 Corinthians 2: 9 – train, and I believe every Christian should be on it! Of all the verses on my top ten(ish) list - with the exception of one, these two verses have meant the most to me over the last few years. I also memorized them as a child and they resonated with me then, but even more so now. As the years pass, more of life happens: things unexpected; some seemingly great, others seemingly not. Yet when I remember that God’s plans for me are always good – plans to prosper me and not to harm me, and to give us a hope and a future – and that no eye has seen, ear heard or mind conceived what God has in store for those who love Him – whew, and Amen!– I (and we) can trust that my Heavenly Father knows what He’s doing and loves me, even when I don’t understand it. And, further, 1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds me that His plans for me are not only for this life, but also for heaven, which will be unimaginably spectacular!

3. Psalm 139:14

This one’s on the list because it’s a Word from God that my mother gave me when I was still a pup: that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Because of this verse – and my mother modeling it –I never got the memo society sent that I was not supposed to love myself or think I’m beautiful because I have brown skin and black hair (and every day I wake up, I still haven't gotten it!). My name, Oluseyi (Olu meaning God), means “God did this.” My mother always put it this way: “God did this, and you are fearfully and wonderfully made!” In our culture we have an epic identity crisis, but there’s a verse for that! The whole Psalm 139 also is awesome - it got me through law school, and I call it “God’s hug to me." Until recently, it was on my license plate (I’m going to explain why it’s not now shortly). I have the whole chapter memorized, and I recite it whenever I need a hug from God! God loves us so much, knew us even at our conception, and He’s still with us now – He’s everywhere! That should give us joy no matter what the circumstance!

2. Psalm 119:9-11 / Joshua 1:8-9

Okay, so now we are talking the story of my life. These are among the top verses that my parents instilled in me. I do not know anyone who loves God’s Word more than my dad. He told me and my siblings that “The Word” would keep us throughout life if we only mediate on it, hide it in our hearts and seek God with all our hearts. My mother also emphasized that following God’s Word would keep us out of trouble. She said over and over again: “If you’re obedient, your life will go well...” Similarly, in Deuteronomy, God gave the Israelites a choice: they could choose blessings – i.e., life, by their obedience - or curses, by their disobedience, and He urged them to choose life. What my mom - and the verses – don’t mean is that that life will be problem or trouble free – but that if we are obedient, living the life that God has for us, we will experience God's success – which may not look like the world’s, but will be the best because it is what we were made for. She also didn’t meant that we would be sin free, because we all sin. But when we seek Him and follow His Word daily, we don’t get stuck in our sin. We also experience the forgiveness and fellowship that comes when we confess our sins. All in all, as we continue walking with Jesus, we become more like Him!

I thank God that, thus far, my testimony has been about choosing life. While God’s blessings for me have involved some earthly success – and I am thankful for that – the best success still, and always will be, the spiritual blessings. Material blessings can come from God, but they don’t get you through life’s challenges. When I’m having a rough day, looking around my closet doesn’t give me supernatural peace, but His presence does. That’s the Joshua 1:9 promise that I can cling to no matter where I am.

I still have to make the choice every day to choose life – and I pray that I always make that choice. And I can know that as I seek Him with all my heart, He will be with me wherever I go, and I will have the strength to courageously face life’s challenges. And I pray that for the whole Body of Christ. Amen!

1. John 10:10

This one also is courtesy of my dad. Growing up, he said it often (as a hopefully humorous aside, when I mentioned to him at Thanksgiving that I was reflecting on my top ten(ish) verses, he queried why 2 Timothy 4:7-8 was not on the list. Growing up he probably referenced those verses with me and my brothers more than any other passage aside from Psalm 1. He first had us memorize it in the KJV, before the complete NIV took off, and reciting it is still the only time I use the word “henceforth.” Anyway, I told my dad that, while I do like that verse, he will have to do his own top ten for that to make it, lol). John 10:10 is so big for me right now that when I got a notice saying it was time to renew my car registration and that I had the chance to change my plates, I knew I had to swap Psalm 139 for John 10:10.

If you would have asked me a couple years ago, I don’t even know if John 10:10 would have made the top ten. But as it was written on my heart, God, through His living and powerful Word, could make it come to life right when I needed it. A couple years ago, I particularly needed it (and still do – that’s why it’s currently my life verse!). I found myself spending too much time not living in the moment – where God had placed me right then. I was thinking too much about what I wanted things to be but not how they actually were. With John 10:10, God basically gave me the message that “I sent my Son to die for you to have eternal life, and if you’re not living life abundantly right now, that’s your fault!” (and it wasn’t in a haha, condescending tone, but a call to action!). Even those of us who are believers often spend so much time chasing pursuits that God never wanted us to. We’re often saying “when I get ‘x,’ then I’ll be ‘y’,” or “if I had what ‘x’ has, then I’d be satisfied.” Yet God has a purpose for each of us that He wants lived out daily, in all that we do. And not only that, it’s the best life that we can ever have. The verse reminds me that fulfillment is always in Christ, and anything else that the enemy or anyone else can make look appealing never will be, because it’s not what I was made for. I was made to live the life my Creator purposed for me, and that is the only way I will ever truly be fulfilled.

The other side of John 10:10 for me is the reminder that there's an entire world that needs Jesus, and I have to share Him! There are so many people who are looking for fulfillment through worldly things but don’t even know that what they really want is Him. When we as Christians are so wrapped up in earthly pursuits, we miss that we have all been given the mission or “ministry” of reconciliation, telling people about Jesus Christ. It also should be evident from our lives. If you know Jesus and aren’t living abundantly through Him, that’s your fault!

Final Thoughts

We are so blessed to have the treasure that is God’s Word. If you read my blog, you know I quote Romans 15:4 very often (technically it could have made the list, but since it’s a verse that summarizes why God gave us His Word, it makes a good theme that I can sneak in without having to use up another spot on the list, lol). I stay quoting it four versions deep:

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (NIV)

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (NKJV)

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (NASB)

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (NLT)

Amen! For followers of Christ, the Word of God is really all we need, yet we often take it for granted. It’s also how God reveals Himself to the whole world.

What are your favs? I’d love to hear!

Being (But Not Playing) Hard to Get

Trying to read this entry? Check it out on my new blog here. Thanks!

Lessons in Prayer

I haven’t posted a blog entry in a few months – forever in my book! That isn’t because I haven’t been writing, I’ve just been working on some theologically weighty topics on and off that need more time (sigh!). Anyway, I will get it together, but, in the meantime, today while I was cleaning up my kitchen after an afternoon of making gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with my teen girls small group (love my girls!) and doing our latest lesson from The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, God really impressed on me to put my next planned activity for the afternoon on hold and blog about a few lessons in prayer that I’ve been reflecting on. These likely are not new, but are ones that God has reminded me of over the last few months and, in some cases, years. I’m going to attempt to make these short and snappy, but we will see how that goes!

For the last several months, God has really been growing my prayer life. One obvious way He’s done this is through increased time in prayer. Another way, among others, has been through reading The Circle Maker, which I first did last spring. It’s a book on prayer that I think can be summed up with one of the mantras repeated in the book: “God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God.” It focuses on the concepts of dreaming big, praying hard and thinking long (multi-generationally) – all in prayer. This isn’t a book review, so you can check Circle Maker out in more detail here. It really brought together lessons I have learned in prayer and packaged them neatly for reflection and implementation in my prayer life now. A few months after reading Circle Maker it was recommended as an option for my teen group study, and I almost picked the student edition immediately. Although I see the girls benefiting from the study, I really believe God had me choose it for me too! Every chapter I have reread so far has directly addressed situations I am currently facing and dovetail into other lessons God has impressed on me though other media. Some principles in the book are peppered below. I also recommend checking it out!

Prayer is part of God’s sanctification process for His children.

Sanctification can be a theologically deep concept, but here I will sum it up as the process of God making believers in Christ more like Him here on earth. At times in prayer we can become focused on “unloading” to God, petitioning Him for our personal needs or praying for others. While those are all good things, at times, consciously or unconsciously, we can see getting an answer to our requests as the end. While God loves to provide for our needs and answer our prayers in various ways, He also uses our time in prayer to grow our dependence on Him and conform us to His likeness. We find that as He transforms us in prayer, an answer to a prayer is the natural – but secondary – response to pursuing Him. Today we read a chapter in Circle Maker that I think has an appropriate section: “you shouldn’t seek answers as much as you should seek God…If you go looking for answers, you won’t find them, but if you seek God, answers will just naturally find you.” p. 56 (see section for other context). Our prayers are part of the process of God changing us, and His work in sanctification continues until we get to heaven and are perfected.

God also just loves for us to spend time with Him and experience the benefits of doing so! Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (ESV). The joy we can experience in God’s presence – no matter what our circumstances – is a wonderful respite from life’s challenges and, even better, does not compare to what believers will experience in heaven!

God’s plans and thoughts toward us are infinitely greater than our own.

I love this truth! In a nutshell, it’s that whatever I may go to God thinking I want, what God is thinking toward me is so much bigger than anything I can even conceive. I love to illustrate this principle with kids by asking them to think about the grandest thing they could ever imagine. Then it follows to say, “whatever God is thinking is infinitely bigger than that!” Isn’t that verse amazing!?!?!??? Now, what God is thinking may have nothing to do with what we’re thinking is “best,” and it may even involve pain, but His Word says that His plans are mind-blowing, beyond what we can imagine! Two scriptures that God has impressed on me in prayer for things I desire have really given me rest and helped me encourage others: the popular Jeremiah 29:11 and I Corinthians 2: 9.

Jeremiah 29:11 says:

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (NKJV)

First Corinthians 2: 9 says,

9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—” (NIV)

Both in heaven and on earth, God only desires and plans good for our lives. We may not think of suffering or hardship as good, but let’s not forget that the Father put His Son through the ultimate suffering to accomplish His grand plan to give us eternal life! Through Christ's agony on the cross came His victory over sin and the opportunity for us to be made right with God – justified – through belief in His Son. And even when we sin, God still promises that, for the believer, He works all things together for our good. How special that should make us feel!

Father knows best.

This lesson relates to the last one about God always having good for us. Trusting that God knows best – even in the most trying times - is SO.HUGE. In theological speak, it’s resting in the sovereignty of God. Things happen in our lives that we may not understand – why God caused or allowed a death, breakup, job loss – the list goes on. But if we can take comfort in the fact that God is in complete control and knows better than we do, we can accept the bumps, bruises and bombs in life. Isaiah 55: 8-9, which we actually read today in church, says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is just much greater than we are, and, frankly, even in the challenging times, that makes me really happy – that my life is not left to chance, but is in the hands of my Creator, who knows exactly what He is doing. Moreover, that God knows best AND His plans for me are always infinitely greater than my own excites me – what may seem like a disappointment is an opportunity for God to blow my mind!

Years ago I heard this quote from Elisabeth Elliot that so encouraged me that I ended up memorizing it from repetition: “Let’s not forget that some of God’s greatest mercies are His refusals. He says no so that He may, in some way we cannot imagine, say yes. All His ways with us are merciful. His meaning is always love.” What an awesome, loving Heavenly Daddy we have!

What God purposes always happens.

This last lesson is about discerning the voice and move of God in prayer. There are times where we think God is moving in a particular direction, but what we thought God was going to do ended up not happening, at least initially. I have even heard it put, “God told me ‘x’ but ‘y’ happened.” While in some cases this may be an oversimplification of the situation, I think any instance where things do not go the way we may have thought God was directing is a good opportunity to look at a couple aspects of God’s character.

The first: God does not lie or change His mind.

Numbers 23:19 says:

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (NIV)

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (ESV)

Further, Isaiah 55:10-11, which follows Isaiah 55:8-9 that was quoted above about God’s ways being higher than our own, is God speaking about Himself: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (NIV)

If you believe that God is speaking to you that something will happen, it will come to pass, or it was not God speaking. At times what we think is God not fulfilling what He spoke to us could just be Him delaying an answer –He may say no to something for a time, and then He may later say yes in the same situation. In those cases, it is not God changing His mind, but Him working out His plan over time. Also, in such instances where the final answer does end up being what we thought God said, our belief will be validated when the act comes to pass. In other words, at times we just have to wait out God’s promises – often for longer than we think! Scripture is filled with examples of people who had to wait a long time for God’s promises to materialize, but, where they actually were His promises, they always did!

On the other hand, where what we thought we heard from God does not happen, in those instances we may have opportunities to later reflect that, while God may have been speaking to us, we made the wrong conclusion. In some cases it may be that we become better able to discern God’s voice another time as we grow in our faith, including through doing the things that we already know to do. See James 1: 22-25.

Other times, we may not be able to fully understand what God was doing in a situation until we get to heaven and have full knowledge. As 1 Corinthians 13 says, now we know only a part, but, when we get to heaven, we will know fully, as we are fully known. And at that point, we’ll be in the glorious, unimaginable presence of God and probably won’t even care about some situation that weighed on us so much earth. Another reason to look forward to heaven!

The other related principle is about recognizing that our sin can deceive us in situations where we may have thought God was speaking: that God does not sin and never causes us to sin.

James 1: 13-15 says, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

As we pray and seek to discern God’s voice in our lives, we need to be very aware of the impact sin has on our ability to hear Him. If we are led to sin, we also need to be honest about our condition and our choices and not ever claim that God directed us to make a sinful choice. As already noted, God turns even the bad decisions of a Christian for good, but we can’t blame our negative choices on God. But that His sovereignty covers even our sin should also remind us of the goodness of our God!

Lessons in Prayer

In this period of my life, God has increased my awareness of my dependence on Him, especially through prayer! I am guessing that every season after this one will heighten that awareness. And I am ever thankful for the sweet fellowship with God that I have experienced through prayer. I pray that as we commune with Him, we crave Him more, are changed and experience the life He has for us. Amen!

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ~Ephesians 6:18

What Women Want (and other Goodies)

Passing on some messages, stories and other resources that I’ve been listening to…enjoy!

 “The Marriage” Message (which I subtitle “What Women Want”) by Matt Carter for Acts 29 Network (a resource for church planters founded by Mark Driscoll): Male or female,  my “What Women Want” title probably caught your attention (and perhaps reminded you of that Helen Hunt and Mel Gibson movie of the same title which I saw bits of years ago and do not remember, other than to note that I don’t  recall it actually being about what women want). As I listened to “The Marriage” message, which, from what I gather, was preached to an audience of pastors and their wives, for probably the first time I felt that this was an articulation of what women who love Jesus (and, to some extent, women who aren’t followers of Christ) actually want. 

Whenever there's talk of what women want – including in biblical sermons about romantic relationships–  almost inevitably I end up rolling my eyes over the practical tips given to men for giving women “what they want” because something is usually said as an absolute that does not represent what I actually want. My favorite example: the advice that telling a woman she’s beautiful  - and offering other compliments – is an essential for making her feel special. I’m not saying I don’t ever want to be told I’m beautiful or be otherwise complimented, but offering compliments would not make a top five list of things I need to feel valued by a man in a romantic relationship (as I’ve blogged before, I am a "show me" rather than a "tell me" kind of girl; I’m cool with whatever compliments when they’re anchored by actions!). 

Anyway, my mini diatribe highlights what I think this message gets right: first, it articulates the biblical calling of a man in marriage (and can be applied to Christ-centered dating relationships) - but then gives practical tips for men loving their women in the ways they accept love. Men, it hits home that showing love to a woman is not about working around the fact that women are “complicated” or dealing with us hailing “from Venus” while you are “from Mars,” but about studying and understanding the particular woman God gives you.  I think that’s a lot easier than trying to figure out what women collectively want, in the abstract– and will certainly get you better results! And I see this message as the closest thing to a tailored “how to love a woman” that I’ve ever heard. Most importantly, the message reinforces that, in any godly marriage, she must be loved as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

Ladies, I also think it’s a good message to evaluate potential mates and, married or single, pray for men.

I won’t say any more because you just have to hear this message! A couple of housekeeping items for when you listen: (1) Question: Ladies, am I the only one who never read or watched Twilight? I feel like there’s a lot of us who didn’t for various reasons, but I get – and appreciate – where he’s going, lol. And (2) there is a passing reference to The Drudge Report. I do not support The Drudge Report, and note, it is a passing reference (whew!).

 

Anyway, I pray the message speaks to you, male or female – our world needs it! Click here to download the message, or get the podcast on iTunes: Acts 29 Network Sermons > select “Podcasts”  (rather than “All”)> “The Marriage”, March 29, 2012. 

Jordan & Jessica Video  (click  here to listen, from Essence.Com):  Speaking of love, this true story is a wonderful example of God’s power and plans for His children. It’s about a couple, Jessica and Jordan, who were both widowed in their 20s and how God orchestrated their love story. In explaining their story, Jessica referenced Ephesians 3:20, which I will quote along with verse 21:  “²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Amen! Be encouraged by this story – and pass it on!

Do North: My pastor has been preaching an eight-week sermon series on the seven letters to the churches in Revelation 2 & 3 about the importance of re-focusing The Church, The Body of Christ – on Christ. He’s done an excellent job providing historical context for each of the churches and very relevant, practical manifestations of both the grievances and the praise Jesus expressed, and how it relates to the church at present. He also addresses how the letters may apply to your personal walk with God. He then provides ways for turning our focus northward. We just had the Week 5 message and have three weeks to go. The whole series is worth listening to – weeks four and five especially (as I type, the Week 5 message is not up yet, but it will be soon). You can find Do North messages here.

 National Christian Writers Conference:  A few months ago I attended a Christian Writers’ conference in California that is coming to D.C. in October! It's a great resource for writing workshops, marketing and publishing tips. There also is a Gospel Music Expo track that provides similar resources for artists. Currently, early bird registration is $125, and you can register here. Additionally, for the conference NCWC is accepting proposals for classes and workshops on publishing books in the Christian market.You can find more information here. 

Dad

I’m thankful it’s another Father’s Day – and, specifically, for my dad! Just as I shared some of the many great attributes of my mom, I’m sharing just a few of my favorites about my dad. 

I am so blessed to have a great dad – I'd say the best! Unfortunately, we have a world with many absent fathers. But to those of us who have received Christ, no matter what our earthly father is like, we have the ultimate, Heavenly Father – who loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, is always with us and has promised never to leave nor forsake us. 

Today when my family celebrated Father’s Day over lunch, my earthly dad reminded us about our need to rely on our Heavenly Father. That’s a pretty good segue to my father’s best quality: his complete commitment to Jesus, which makes him the best example of what spiritual leadership is supposed to look like in family leader. My dad, who is passionate about evangelism, has told us how he came to know Jesus about 31 years ago, the year I was born. He had grown up going to a Christian school, church and being a “good” kid, but that year was the first time that he could say The Gospel penetrated his heart and changed his life. I am pretty sure that, from that point on, he committed himself to following Jesus wholeheartedly. 

My dad is an academic with several degrees, but I have never seen him more committed to any study than the study of God’s Word. He reads it, digests it, memorizes it and lives it. And he passed his zeal for God and His Word on to his family. He’s always made sure that we relate the Word to everything we do – school, work, play and beyond. Growing up we also had family devotions most nights of the week, went to a church with solid Bible teaching, and me and my siblings went to Christian schools – beginning with enrolling my older brother in kindergarten while my dad was a grad student and our family barely had enough money to live on. Each time tuition was due, he and my mother trusted God to provide the money because they believed it was so important for their kids to get a biblical foundation. And for many years, they continued to rely on God to provide financially so that just as we were learning our ABCs and 123s, we also daily digested the foundations of the faith, which made me and my siblings wise unto salvation and maximized our growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because of my dad, I have learned what spiritual leadership is – and when to recognize and encourage it in other men, too. 

As with my mom, I could go on for quite some time singing my dad’s praises. Just a few more attributes that I must mention tie into his commitment to Christ. He is perhaps the nicest, most compassionate person you will ever meet. He treats people kindly regardless of who they are, which also is why he often attracts broken people who look to him for guidance. Over the years, I have watched him take time out of his always-busy schedule to give biblical counsel to others and bear their burdens. He never gives up on anyone, and, in his faithfulness, has been part of seeing countless lives changed through Christ.

Another that warms my heart is how he is never too busy to talk to me and the rest of our family. He prefers to have long conversations with us (I say that his love language is quality time-dialect quality conversation, but he refuses to take the quiz, lol. I have blogged about my fondness for the love languages as a way of seeing whether I am maximizing my relationships with others, here). And although I am not much of a phone person, I love that I can call my dad and he will pick up anywhere – even in a meeting, if only to say, “My girl [or, in the case of my brothers, my boy], I can’t talk right now, but I’ll call you back.” And he always does.

I will close with sharing that my dad also is great because of his amazing outlook on life. Despite not always having had the best circumstances, he still has a very positive, spiritually focused perspective. He  chooses to see even trying, "unfair" times from a biblical perspective. He models what Paul said in Philippians 3: 7-14 about forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead to win the prize for which God will eventually (but, prayerfully, not any time soon) call him heavenward in Christ Jesus (or, to put it in a reference to what I believe is one of his favorite passages, which he quotes often and had us memorize, 2 Timothy 4: 7-8). I’ve seen my daddy change lives for Jesus in so many great ways, and, the more I live, the more I see that I’ve been blessed with the very best father that God could have given me.

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!

Not For a Moment

I've been listening to the newest CD from one of my favorite artists, Meredith Andrews, who writes and sings such beautiful, amazing worship songs. One song in particular, "Not for a Moment," has been a great source of reflection on God's sovereignty and promise never to leave nor forsake His people. It's been especially relevant considering the recent Moore, Oklahoma, tornadoes and other tragedies in our country and around the world - through which we can still see God at work.

One of my favorite stories about the Oklahoma tornado was the elementary school teacher who gathered her students under some structure (I believe desks), had them play makeshift instruments and sing "Jesus Loves Me" through the storm. Somehow - God's how, all the children from that elementary school were spared. And even in the deaths, God is being glorified.

"Not for a Moment," which I've had on repeat for a few days, has a couple lines from the chorus that have stuck most: "After all, You are constant. After all, You are only good. After all, You are sovereign. Not for a moment will You forsake me."  The words bring me to tears because they ring so true  - El Roi, The God Who Sees Me, has never left me - and never will.

Jesus promised His disciples that in life they would have trouble, but should take heart, because He's already overcome the world! In Romans 5 we also are reminded by the Apostle Paul that, in believers, suffering produces godly traits – perseverance, which leads to character, and character to hope: "And hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out His love on us” (v. 5).

I praise God for His love and sovereignty. He has a definite plan to overcome tragedy and evil that will prevail. Romans 8: 35-39 is appropriate:

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
             we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Check out "Not For A Moment." It's a wonderful reminder of The God we serve. He'll never leave us - not for a moment.

Num Nums

Note: the links below were deleted as a result of some updates (technical difficulties), so I need to fix them. I will do so by tomorrow when I get a chance...thanks!

I've been digesting a few great resources the last few weeks that I wanted to pass on. Bon appetit! 

“Ephesians” Sermon Series on Identity by Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church: For about the last year and a half or so, I've been regularly listening to Mark Driscoll, whom I credit with discovering my Calvinistic side. Going to a Southern Baptist-run middle and high school, I became well versed in Arminianism (with a belief in eternal security rather than the idea that you can lose your salvation) and arguments refuting aspects of Calvinism. Some of my classmates came from a Reformed theological background (our school was technically non-denominational), and in Bible and sometimes History class there were some serious debates over predestination, but ultimately I was never presented a complete picture of Calvinism and did not explore it on my own. What I’ve learned in the last couple years through Mark Driscoll and other sources, however, is that I actually agree with most tenets of Calvinism, and now consider myself, at minimum, an “Arminist” - i.e, Arminian-Calvinist, if there is such a thing, lol. I still need to study limited atonement some more in particular to figure out my position (in case you need a brief overview of Arminianism v. Calvinism, click here, but note that I purposely did not link to anything else because the sources I would choose for more detail are biased one way or another).

Anyway, all this started in attempting to highlight that I think Mark Driscoll is a theologian, and I gain so much from listening to him. Not every pastor makes you feel like you are in Bible class – gaining in knowledge – though their sermons. While I wholeheartedly believe that applying what you learn is the most important step to take as a result of gaining biblical knowledge, understanding the doctrines of the faith is still critical because your theology directly impacts how you live. Second Timothy 2:15 says, in part, that we are to study the Word of God so that we can know how to apply it rightly –not a command reserved just for theologians!

Whether you agree with Calvinism, Pastor Mark still presents core tenants of the faith that are not reserved for Calvinism. I highly recommend him (and you may not necessarily recognize what he says as Calvinism – but I do agree that he is distinctly Calvinist in his focus on our sin nature as totally depraved and salvation through the grace of God despite the fact that we in no way deserved it. However, his emphasis on salvation through grace also is central to evangelical beliefs).

Okay, so now that I am finally saving the rest of that ramble for another time, I will get to recommending Driscoll’s series on Ephesians. It’s based on a recently released book he wrote titled, Who Do You Think You Are? Finding Your True Identity in Christ. As my pastor has put it, one of the greatest crises facing our world today (and, I add, particularly shaping youth) is a lack of understanding about our identity. For Christians, our true identity is found in Jesus Christ. This means that we are to allow Him to conform us to His likeness, and that we do not have to identify ourselves in ways that contradict Scripture despite the fact that the world tells us we do. In this 16-week series, Pastor Mark preaches on 15 awesome statements about our identities that should shape how we live:

I Am in Christ
I Am a Saint
I Am Blessed
I Am Appreciated
I Am Saved
I Am Reconciled
I Am Afflicted
I Am Heard
I Am Gifted
I Am New
I Am Forgiven
I Am Adopted
I Am Loved
I Am Fathered
I Am Rewarded

It also should be noted that, as you may know from listening to him, he does not mince words and I think can sometimes be on the confrontational side, but despite the fact that I may not agree with his approach or opinions all the time, I still respect his communication of deep spiritual truths as a teacher of The Word.

You can check out the Ephesians series here, or on iTunes, Mars Hill Church: Mark Driscoll or Marsh Hill Church Everything Audio; podcasts January 13 - May 5, 2013.

“God in the Mirror” Sermon Series by Pastor Miles McPherson, The Rock Church San Diego: Pastor Miles is another one of my favorites (and was very blessed to visit his church in San Diego recently). If Mark Driscoll is a theologian in a more common sense of the word, I consider Pastor Miles McPherson a practical theologian - he’s a master at breaking down deep theological concepts to express their everyday implications for both the saved and unsaved. For example, he often gives the definition of love as “helping someone else obey God.” To me that really provides a very good measure of whether my actions are genuinely loving or selfish.

“God in the Mirror” is another great sermon series on identity in which Pastor Miles explores characteristics humans possess as a result of being made in the image of God, and how to conform ourselves to our true identity. It also is based on his new book, God in the Mirror. Throughout the six- week series he preaches on each of the following attributes of human identity using the acronym IMAGE (with an introduction to all for the first week):

Individually unique
Moral mirror [of God]
Authority to rule
God’s friend
Eternal

Last week’s sermon was on authority to rule, and there are two weeks left in the series. Here’s a link, or access through iTunes, The Rock Church: Weekend Messages, Series “God in the Mirror.”

The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by Mark Batterson, pastor of the DC-Based National Community Church (NCC): I highly recommend this book on the importance of fervent prayer. It peppers stories about the “true legend of Honi the Circle Maker, a first-century Jewish sage whose bold prayer ended a drought and saved a generation (see back cover) ” – with principles and real-life testimonies about the spiritual and physical results of praying without ceasing. The back cover of the book also notes a major principle covered in the book: “God honors Bold Prayers and Bold Prayers Honor God.”

“Circling” is a theme throughout the book emphasizing continuous prayer. In addition to the introduction, there are four main sections addressing different aspects of circling in prayer: Dream Big, Pray Hard, Think Long (on the importance of planning and praying long term or for future generations) and Keep Circling (about never ceasing prayer). A really cool aspect of the book is that many of the testimonies highlighted are about God at work through Batterson and NCC and reference various D.C. landmarks. Now if I ever pass them I will think about answered prayers and how God’s power is on display right here in our city.

I felt this book really summed up my personal journey with prayer and encouraged me to continue growing spiritually through pursuing prayer at increasingly deeper levels (although I do feel that based on some of the word choices Batterson and I probably have some theological differences that would cause me to characterize some of the principles in the book differently, I do not see these differences as diminishing the importance of checking out the book. I only note this in case you may feel the same when you start reading and wonder whether to continue reading; as I said, I still highly recommend!).

As I read The Circle Maker, I spent time thinking about the relationship between prayer and God’s Word. At times I have gone through the motions of prayer without always comprehending its significance. I often fancy reading God’s Word because of its immediacy in telling us what God says, as it is God’s revealed word. By contrast, the result of prayer is not always an immediate word from God; we may pray for something for years without seeing God reveal the answer (although God does transform us in the process, but this is still gradual). While we may read God’s Word and it may take us time to understand what it’s saying about a particular issue and conform ourselves to what it says, we still can always be sure when we read it that God is revealing Himself to us.Yet the Bible and prayer are meant to go hand in hand.

God’s Word gives us the ability to continue praying even when an answer is years away – or may never be answered while we are on earth- by helping us meditate on the promises of God even when we haven’t seen them materialize in specific situations. Romans 15:4 (which I know I recite often:)) says of the Bible: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (NIV). The NLT translates the second sentence as “And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” The Word of God gives us encouragement for now as we pray for later.

The Word of God also tells us how to pray and what to pray for. I like this quote from nineteenth century theologian R.A. Torrey: “To pray 'the prayer of faith' we must first of all study our Bibles intensely that we may know the promises of God-- what they are, how large they are, how definite they are--and just exactly what is promised.”

The Circle Maker is an inspiring title that should encourage us to go to God both in prayer and Scripture, and not only about our biggest dreams and greatest fears, but also in everything! Here's a link to The Circle Maker.

Num num!

Mom

Many of us love Mother’s Day for the chance to honor our mothers for all that they do for us. I’m taking this opportunity to show thankfulness for mine.

A lot of us would put our mothers in the running for world’s greatest mom. I totally nominate my mommy!

One of the many amazing qualities my mother possesses is wisdom - not just in her speech, but also in her conduct. Her life is a testament to what planning, obedience, diligence, love for God and a host of other qualities radiate when someone's prudent. There are a few areas that my mom has shared wisdom with me from childhood that particularly come to mind.

Two can be explained with a story. A few weeks ago, at a birthday party, I got into a conversation with someone that led me to mention two warnings my momma gave me growing up that particularly stuck with me: no sex and no debt. She was never afraid to talk to me and my siblings about saving sex for marriage. We never had just one “sex talk"; we had many. In fact, I remember being in elementary school and not yet completely knowing what sex was when my mom told me I should wait to have it. I credit her talks with planting the seeds that later led me to pursue purity. It also was because of my mom that in college I said no to those shady credit card company reps carousing my campus trying to get kids to sign up for a tab. Her lessons also taught me about the importance of financial stewardship and still govern the way I spend money today.

And then there was her constant admonishing, from James and Matthew, that my yes should be my yes, and my no, no. Because of her example and words, I’ve learned to keep my word.

I could go on for quite some time, but I have to stop somewhere. I’ll end with highlighting what she taught me about prayer – to do it without ever ceasing. Growing up my siblings and I would sometimes groan when my mom was about to pray, because we knew that we were going to be there for a long time (and my dad always made us have long family devotions studying the Bible, so, not always to our delight, we had full-fledged church in our home several times a week!). Through her example I also am still learning to devote myself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And what I love too is that in Sunday School growing up, whenever kids in her presence said that they couldn’t pray aloud because they were too scared, she let them know that they should snap out of that, because prayer was simply a conversation with the God who loved to hear them. As a high school and college student one of the greatest joys I had being a first grade Sunday School teacher in the same children’s department of our home church where my mother has served for more than two decades was seeing the kids become more and more comfortable just having a conversation aloud with God as I repeated my mother's words throughout the school year. And I’m still encouraging kids to pray aloud now – and, in turn, helping them learn to talk to God more openly when they’re in secret, too.

It’s also my desire to be a mother, and for my kids to spend a lot of time around my mother (who is certainly itching to be called grandma, lol). There are many capable and virtuous women, but I believe, truly, that my momma surpasses them all.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy!

Jesus, My Redeemer

It’s another Good Friday, and I love it for the chance to reflect on The Cross – and use a blog entry to do so!

 I like to think about what aspect of The Cross stands out to me on Good Friday that year and blog about it. Last year it was the fact that The Gospel is “good news” that we are to share with others. What came to mind when I asked that question this year was simply the word “redemption,” and the fact that, without Christ, I was once “dead in my transgressions.” After looking up the passage using those words, Ephesians 2: 1-10, I found that they summed up my reflection.

Ephesians 2: 1-5 reads,

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  Without Christ, I was in the worst possible state – spiritually dead, and I deserved to stay that way. Yet God, in His love and mercy, redeemed me through His Son. By accepting His free gift of salvation, I am made "alive in Christ" – gain spiritual life, which outlasts my physical life– and allows me to belong to the family of God. I like how the Apostle Peter describes Christians in 1 Peter 2: 9 - "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Ephesians 5: 6-7 also adds, "6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

Further, Ephesians 2: 8-9 hits home that nothing I ever did, or can do, can ever save me: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” When I recognize that my redemption through accepting salvation is not my doing, my response is humility.

But the most exciting part of Ephesians 2:1-10 for me as it relates to this life is verse 10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The passage culminates in the conclusion that God redeemeds Christians for a purpose – not just so that we can escape hell, as glorious as that is – but also today so that we can join in His work and live out our calling in Christ. And, for every believer, that includes sharing The Gospel - the story of God's Redemptive plan - with others.

The more I consider that I’m God’s "handiwork" (or workmanship) created to do good works that He prepared for me to do, the more it hits home the result of redemption in the now. In 1 Corinthians 13: 12 the apostle Paul notes that on this earth we lack full knowledge, and will continue to until we get to heaven. While God’s ultimate plans are revealed to us in Scripture, and the more that we study God’s Word and walk with Him the more that we learn about His character, purposes, and ways, there is still much that we will never understand on this side of heaven. But today, I know that God has a purpose for me being here and, as I seek Him daily, He shows me what I should be doing today, and, as He wills, tomorrow. And His plans far outweigh any that I can come up with on my own.

For the last couple years, particularly as I’ve been continuously reading through the Bible – through which I've come to see even more as an awesome, mind-blowing true story of Redemption (as is said, “The Greatest [True] Story Ever Told”), God has really revived John 10:10 as a “life” verse (and I feel like I somehow reference in it in like, every entry, lol). I will repeat it (again), in three versions:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJV)

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.(NLT)

John 10:10 excites me to know that God has such an amazing purpose for my life, one that is greater than anything I could dream up on my own. It’s this knowledge that helps me see God’s glory  in the trying times that, truth be told, you and I often would rather not experience.

Yet in John 16:33, Jesus said to his disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I also like how the Apostle Paul looked at hardship as a result of this knowledge. In 2 Corinthians 12: 10 he says: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Through His death on the Cross and resurrection, Jesus paid the ultimate punishment - and triumphed over it - to accomplish my redemption. His free gift of salvation allows me to be “justified,” be in right standing with God. As His child, on this earth He sanctifies me as I walk with Him, making me more like Him. And, after this life, I will experience glorification, eternity with God and freedom from sin. In other words, He’s The Redeemer who keeps on redeeming; or, the God who keeps saving. I am looking forward to glory, but I am thankful for redemption today. Thank you, Jesus, for redeeming me!

REQUEST FOR READERS: Please Take My Survey!

As you may know, it's been about seven years since I started blogging. My blog (oh so creatively titled) began as nothing more than an outlet to express myself and keep up my writing skills after getting a journalism degree in college but choosing to pursue another field. Although my earliest entries tended to cover more random topics - such as annoying summer tourists in D.C. and my favorite food flavors, it quickly became clear that my desire was to blog about my ongoing journey as a follower of Christ and encourage other believers - especially those around my age and younger - in their walks with Jesus. I can't believe it's been several years!

Recently, I've really been getting direction from God that He wants me to do more with my writing. I'm not sure yet exactly what form He wants my "next steps" to take, but I'm starting by compiling some of the material that I've amassed on this blog.

That's where I need your help - you, the reader! As I'm pursuing potential projects, I want to get a better sense of who (if anyone, lol) periodically reads my blog, and what you have to say about it. Some of you have given me comments over the years (which I very much appreciate), but I'd also like responses to a quick survey that I've created (so far, everyone has completed it in under 5 minutes!), which you can access here. It asks for some demographics and thoughts about the blog. I know my girls will come through on it (and, just to be clear, I very much need you to!), but I'd also like to hear from any males who are reading (or have read), just so that I can get some sense of whether my blog appeals to you too.

In short, please take my survey - and thanks in advance!!

The New Rules of Resolution

There's a sermon series I just finished listening to from Steven Furtick, Pastor of Elevation Church, that I absolutely had to pass on. I only have a few moments, but I wanted to do so before I forget because it's just sooo good. It's called "The New Rules of Resolution: Five Facts that Change the Way We Change." If I can summarize it in the minute that I have, it's about how to live the Christian life successfully.  The answer in a nutshell, which relates to one of my recent entries, is in "embracing the now" that God has placed you in (like, right now, lol). The theme passage of the series is Colossians 2: 6-7:

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

The five facts from the series (also preached in five weeks), involved what I thought were profound statements about maximizing the Christian life:

Fact 1: It’s not a project, it’s a process.

Fact 2: It’s not achieving, it’s receiving.

Fact 3: It’s not trying, it’s training.

Fact 4: It’s not a competition, it’s a calling.

Fact 5: It’s not what you would [do], it’s what you can [do].

If you are feeling at all down about some aspect of walking with Jesus, may not be now but want to have another weapon in your arsenal for when you are, or just want another way to meditate on the things of God (I hope at least one of those categories includes you!), check out these messages! You can either click here, or download them on iTunes: Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC>The New Rules of Resolution (Jan. 5, 2013 – Feb. 2, 2013).

Happy Listening!