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Evidences of a Church that Values Women’s Ministry
Churches that value women's ministry accommodate women needing childcare for participation and working women needing community within their limited schedules.
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Fear of Consequences Can Motivate Obedience
How do you respond to a command for obedience? What motivates you to obey? Your gut reaction to the word “obedience” is reflected in your attitude toward authority and in the resulting behavior. And this inner reaction certainly affects your relationship with God. Do you trust Him enough to obey His commands, even those that make you personally uncomfortable? “Obedient trust”1 is a huge part of living out our lives as Christians in today’s world. Knowing that our God is completely trustworthy and realistically fearing the consequences of going against Him can motivate you to obedience. Or you can give lip service claiming you are a Christian and then choose…
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Never Too Old to Have Impact for Christ
Throughout Scripture, the Lord used many older people as His instruments of grace. He even called Joshua “old, advanced in years” (Joshua 13:1) and still wanted him to keep serving because “there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” What God said about Joshua reminded me that you and I as believers never retire from our calling to witness and work in God’s Kingdom until He takes us home. Listen to this blog as a similar podcast, “Staying Faithful to God by Choice.” Anna, an Old Woman Who Impacted Others Who was Anna? Don’t forget Anna! As you recount the Christmas story and tell about the angels, shepherds,…
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It Matters Who Your Mama Is
The Lord has allowed me to be a mother for almost 50 years. Knowing how so many struggle with infertility, I am truly grateful. And my heart’s desire from the first day was that I would be a godly mother, passing along a love for the Lord and His Word to my children. That would be my legacy that they would remember when I go to be with Jesus. I know from experience that it matters who your mama is. The Legacy of a Godly Mama My mama loved Jesus and His people. She jumped in to serve in her local church wherever she was needed — nursery coordinator, Sunday School director,…
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Be a God-Dependent Woman
Do you fight any need to be dependent on someone? Does that attitude find its way into your relationship with God? God wants for us women to be God-dependent women—not “independent except for when we need Him.” That is very hard to accept in our culture that continually tells us to be self-sufficient. But the Bible teaches that we, as believers in Christ, should live our lives dependent on God all the time. We are to be God-dependent in our strengths when we are using our gifts and skills and opportunities well. We are to be God-dependent in our weaknesses that drive us to Him for help. And we are to…
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The Path to Sticky Faith
Do you want the children you influence to have real faith that sticks throughout their teenage years and beyond? Can you recognize what is pulling them away from that? We live in a pull-apart world. Many teens who were raised in churched homes walk away from their faith when they leave home to go to college or beyond. I know you do not want that. To stay on the path to sticky faith, you have to make choices for yourself and for them. Desiring Sticky Faith for Your Children I loved being a mentor mom for a “Moms Together” group at a local church. I learned so much from these…
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What is better than Shirley Temple goodness?
Do you know who Shirley Temple was? For any of you over fifty, you probably associate that name with a child star of the 1930s movie screens. This cute little blonde girl could sing and dance as well as act. She charmed American movie goers during the very dark years of the Great Depression. Shirley Temple played characters ranging from pampered princess to mistreated orphan. Her onscreen image was that of an everyday kind of girl who brings joy to the lives of others. Every movie in some way communicated her character as a symbol of “goodness.” That had an influence on my early life in the 1950s. Did it…
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Wanting to See Jesus’s Face
During worship at my church several years ago, the familiar song, “I Want to Know You,” struck a different chord in me than usual. The chorus represents the soul speaking to Jesus about knowing Him more. This is what the song had us declare, “I want to know You, I want to hear Your voice, I want to touch You.” The next phrase is what grabbed me, “I want to see Your face.” Yes, my heart is wanting to see Jesus’s face. Christianity is Christ. It is not a lifestyle or rules of conduct. It is not an organization whose members were initiated by the sprinkling or covering of water.…
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Overflowing with Thankfulness
Did you know that the book of Colossians is one of the most “thankful” books in the New Testament? The repeated emphasis on thanksgiving makes it so! Seven times in this short letter the Spirit of God reminds us through the writing of Paul that we should be continually grateful, even to the point of overflowing with thankfulness. But how is that possible? What would that look like? Thank God for Other Christians in Your Life Paul started out by saying this, “We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that…
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Things to Know When Studying the Old Testament
The books of the Old Testament (except for Genesis and Job) are the accounts of people living under the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses. It is important to keep that background and context in mind when studying them. So, here are some simple things to know when studying the Old Testament. These will help you to understand the truth revealed about God and His way of approaching life for you. Word meanings can be different. Here are some examples of word meanings and concepts that are different between the Old and New Testaments. People were saved by faith in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s grace accepted…