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Stop the “It’s MY Ministry” Mentality
Do you have women who have started ministries in the church and insist they keep going regardless of effectiveness? Has your ministry team been event-driven with one person overseeing Bible studies, another the retreat, & another the Christmas brunch with complete authority in each? If you are a church leader and suggest that some things need to be changed, do they balk at that? We can get so attached to what we want to see happen that we dig in our feet and take on the “it is MY ministry” mentality. Even something good can take our focus off of what is best. Every local church belongs to Jesus Christ…
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Stay Christ-Focused When Telling Your Story
How did you first hear about Jesus? Did someone tell you their story? People love to hear stories. Look at all the time we spend watching movies, reading books, and scrolling through Facebook. Yet, the tendency for all of us humans is to spend way too much time telling about ourselves, focusing on ourselves. This article will help you to stay Christ-focused when given the opportunity to tell your story. Storytelling focuses on self. Storytelling is popular these days, especially on social media. We are continually prompted to “Add to story” on Facebook. Yet, the focus is on “me, me, me, what I am doing, where I am going, who…
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Don’t Bring Toxic Shock to Your Workplace
Are you kind to your Christian friends on Sunday but mean to your co-workers on Monday? Do you tend to talk about other women behind their backs, especially the other women in your workplace? Are you emotionally miserable and take that out on others around you? You might be the one bringing “toxic shock” to your workplace, a poisonous condition that is lethal to relationships and to your purpose as a Christian at work. Toxic Shock Syndrome Years ago, a condition called “toxic shock syndrome” suddenly appeared in the news during the late ‘70s. Toxic shock syndrome is a potentially fatal condition caused by the release of toxins from the…
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Can you pursue the “American Dream” and be Jesus’ disciple?
A question presented at a church-planting conference I attended several years ago was this: “Can you pursue the American Dream and be a disciple of Jesus Christ?” I circled those words on my paper and figured I needed to think about this question. To answer a question like that, you and I must first understand the terms. What is meant by the phrase American Dream? Then, what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? How do those two concepts influence one another? In this post, I’ll try to define the terms and answer the real question, “Can you follow Jesus Christ as His devoted, committed disciple and…
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May I have your jewelry, please? God’s commission to the women in Exodus 3:21-22
When was the last time you asked your neighbor to give you her jewelry so you could go on a trip? Probably never! But that is exactly what the Israelite women did just before leaving on their trip to the land God promised to them. So often when we think about the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt, we look at how God commissioned Moses and Aaron to go talk to Pharaoh. But God also commissioned women to do something to support their fellow Israelites after the nation left Egypt. In this post, we’ll look at the end of Exodus chapter 3 and see that God indeed planned for…
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Live a Question-Stimulating Life in View of Your Neighbors
Several years ago, I read the book Dwell: Life with God for the World by Barry D. Jones. The author of that book challenged every reader to live a question-stimulating life. What is a question-stimulating life? It is a life that those around us notice and are drawn to ask us why we live that way.
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When Heaven Comes to Earth
“The LORD reigns! Let the earth be happy! Let the many coastlands rejoice!” (Psalm 97:1) The declaration that the LORD reigns is common in the Psalms. I know in my head and believe in my heart that God is ruling His creation. It is hard to see in real life, though, in a practical sense. He tolerates more rebellion and disobedience than any earthly king or dictator I’ve read about in history or current events. If left to evidence alone, we could easily think that God’s rule is “hands off” and passive and that Satan is really the ruler. I have to remind myself that God hasn’t gone to sleep…
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Right Thinking When Facing Evil
“Why, God?” The question that always comes up when something evil happens. Yes, something evil is happening in many places around the world, including right here in the United States. God does not do the evil. Evil humans do it. The next question is usually, “Why didn’t God stop it?” Now you are at the bigger questions, which are “Why does God let any of us do evil? Why doesn’t He stop it if He is capable of doing so?”
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Are You Lamenting or Whining?
We live in a culture of complainers. Everywhere we turn, we hear complaints. The culture’s bad. The neighbors are bad. Life’s not fair. Why can’t we have what we want when we want it. You know what I’m talking about. I listened to a sermon series1 recently on the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk looked around him, seeing all the injustice, and challenged God on why He wasn’t doing anything about it. Habakkuk asked God a bunch of “why” questions and “how could you let that happen” questions. The speaker asked this question, “Was Habakkuk lamenting or just whining?” That question struck me. The answer has stuck in my brain for…
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Defeat the “Mean Spirit” Button
Just as the children of godly, loving parents don’t always take on the loving characteristics of their parents, God’s children can also choose to be unkind and sometimes just plain mean. And, those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior point to those unkind Christians and say, “Why should I join your team? I’m nicer than she is!” Engaging unbelieving co-workers This topic came up in a class I was teaching about intentionally engaging unbelievers in your life to show them who Christ is as they observe your own life. The hope is that you will be able to lead them to faith in Christ and help them to grow…