Words, Words... and more W.O.R.D.S!

MEDIUM

an agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred

Communication can happen in many, many different ways.

That statement is absolutely true.

However, probably the most common "medium" by which information, feelings and ideas are communicated is, whether written or spoken, the medium of words.

A followers of the God of the Bible, we know words are significant to God, because while He often chooses to reveal His glory, power and majesty through His creation, He also has also placed an inestimable significance on the revelation of His love, grace, mercy, justice and salvation through this medium of words:

His Word as in the written Word, the Bible

The Word, as in the living Word, His Son, Jesus Christ

Praying, usually using words, we communicate our hearts to God; words allow us to commune with Him

I don't, therefore, believe it to be a stretch to say that God cares about the words we use and how we use them as we communicate with anyone and everyone around us, be it via the written, spoken or broadcast word.

And I can  back that statement up with God's very own words. Consider verses like these:

• Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4.29 NASB)
• Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. (Ecclesiastes 10.12 NIV) 
• Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Colossians 4.6 NASB)
• A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15.4 ESV)
• Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances. (Proverbs 15.11 NASB)
• For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. (James 3.2-10 NASB)

Communicating wholesome, edifying and gracious truth is no easy feat, even if we just look at the actual words that we use. Yet it isn't just the words: in many biblical contexts, the word conversation refers not just to the actual words used, but behavior, manner and the intent with which they are communicated.

I know I mess up myriads of times each and every day - in my home with my family, at work where I minister, on line as I respond to people and share things that I deem important.

A few years back, a song hit the Christian radio airwaves and it has become a daily... or more accurately, a several times a day... prayer. These words are on the images in this post, and I usually, intentionally, think through them and pray them before I leave the house, while driving in my car to an English lesson or riding to church when teaching Sunday School, before I sit to write... I should probably pray them before I get out of bed each morning, as well as make a greater effort to do so before I catch up on (and am tempted to react to what I see) on social media. 

Prayer is powerful and I know it changes me...

...however there are also a few additional strategies that I find beneficial, ones I try to remember to use when it comes to communicating through this medium of words:

1. Respond, don't react. In other words, take my time. Give prayer an opportunity to change my reaction to a response that reflects God's voice.
2. Remember. Most are familiar with this saying (usually attributed to Epictetus), but it bears repeating - "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."
3. Research my reasons. Am I using words for me? Or because I have another's best at heart?
4. Respect. Will these words communicate gently, with integrity and be honoring to others, even if they are confrontational in nature?
5. Reverence. Will these words reflect rightly my holy, gracious God? Are they words I would want to say with Him standing right beside me?

How about you? What strategies do you use to police your own speech as you seek to communicate God's Gospel message at home and in your worlds?

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If you aren't familiar with the song and want to watch the video... or if you are and just love it like we do at my house... here you go!

Have you come to take away our souls?

Have you ever prayed to the Lord and asked Him to show you something… anything… beyond any shadow of any doubt... just so you can be sure?

I have... I still do... some times, some days...

My husband and I have often discussed this. He rarely doubts God, rarely questions if He is true, if He is good, if Jesus is Who He says He is and really did come and do what the Scriptures say He did. I, on the other hand, struggle with doubt more often than I care to admit.

In John 10.24, Jesus spoke to a group gathered around Him, Jews who had come to the temple for the Festival of Dedication. Today more commonly called Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, was not one of the original commemoration ceremonies instituted by God. Rather, it was/is a remembrance – according to rabbinic tradition – of a very specific provision by God. At the same time, it recalls what could seem to some an “inconsequential in the grand scheme of things” miracle. Historically this miracle took place in the time between the Old and New Testaments: Seleucid king Antiochus Ephiphanes desecrated the Jewish temple, forcing the Jews to abandon God’s prescribed system of worship and sacrifices. God's chosen people were obliged to adopt pagan rituals until the Maccabees (a group of Jewish freedom fighters) refused, rose up and overthrew the Seleucids. Once the Jews had regained access to the temple, they found a single, small, sealed jug of olive oil that had not been profaned and was, thus, acceptable for use in worship. They used this oil to light the temple menorah, expecting the oil to suffice for only a single day; miraculously, it endured for eight - the amount of time needed for more oil to be made ready. Thus, the Jews gathered around Jesus were in Jerusalem celebrating and remembering miraculous provision.

Not only that, but they had gathered in a location where God had traditionally accomplished great things (Matthew Henry), Solomon's Colonnade. 

At such a place, for such a purpose, at such a time, the Jews listened… and then confronted... Jesus. Standing in the presence of the most miraculous of all provisions, the Messiah of the World, in a place where the evidence of God’s hand had been so clearly present, the Jews asked Jesus a rather blunt question.

Most commentators suppose that the primary goal of this question was to waylay Him.

Look at some of the different renditions/translations of their question:

• “…and said unto him, how long dost thou make us doubt?” (Gill)
• “how long dost thou take away our soul?” as per the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions 
• “wherefore dost thou steal away our minds with words?” (Nonnus)

The Jews charge Christ with taking away their souls, or stealing away their hearts by hiding Himself from them. Strong words.

I find I can often easily identify with the Jews in this passage. Some days, I start with worship - thinking about God. But then my thoughts migrate. I start trying to figure Him out, trying to make Him make sense-according-to-me. Overwhelmed by the enormity and awesomeness and power of the God I want to believe in, I look for answers that make sense… and then I start coming up with reasonings to try and make all of the puzzle pieces fit together. Eventually, I start doubting and asking questions like:

• What if man really has made all of this up out of desperation for something beyond this life?
• What if there really isn't a God? I think I've seen evidence of Him, but what if I'm only seeing what I want to see?
•  What if Jesus wasn't anything more than a good man but deluded teacher?
•  What if the Bible isn't inspired and is nothing more than a creative, enticing fabrication created by those who wanted for themselves and others a real purpose in life?
• What if this life is all there is and then there is nothing?
• What if I'm hoping for heaven and eternity... and there isn't?

The problem with asking these questions is: How do I EVER really answer them.

And even if I did have clear, unquestionable answers, wouldn’t that negate the idea that humankind is made up of moral agents with free will to choose what we believe? Wouldn’t that call into question the very premise that we are, in any way, different from the rest of creation?

There really aren't any answers other than to confess, once again, my sin of unbelief - to cry out in desperation, "Lord, I believe! Help Thou my unbelief!"

All of the Sunday School analogies I've learned through nearly 50 years of life all fall short. How can a finite mind comprehend an infinite God? The obvious answer is that man can't. I can't.

And that's what faith is all about. Faith is believing that a miraculous synergism between God's empowering grace to believe and man's choice to trust in that belief occurs, regardless of how things look or how well it all makes sense... 

Repeatedly, I must choose to leap and trust that God will be there to catch me - even on the doubting days when I can't see or feel Him. I must live every day as though He were walking next to me, even when I don't really feel like He is there. I must choose be okay with knowing that the moment I'll know for sure will be that moment when I take my final breath on this earth.

"Tell us, tell me, plainly... Have you come to take away our souls?"

The answer to that question is that Jesus came to deliver life back to my soul, your soul, every single one's soul...

 Just as those today who fear making that leap of faith and trusting Jesus... just as those who fear that a life spent following Jesus is only a life wasted because this life is all they have... these Jews accused Jesus of stealing from them the very gift He offered and longed for them to take. Jesus' response to this question was that He'd already plainly told them. He was not the thief, coming to seek and destroy - go back and read the first part of John 10, in case you've forgotten what He'd just taught.

As I begin yet another new year, I am, once again, also trusting that God will use this continual tension in my life… in my faith walk… to encourage and minister to a few others somewhere along the way. Who knows? Maybe that will be the very answer to my "Lord, I believe! Help Thou my unbelief!" prayer.

Were there some in that crowd of Jews that day who then believed?

How about you, today? What do you believe about Jesus?

How can you encourage someone around you keep on making that leap of faith toward the Christ, regardless…?

Longevity in Ministry ~ "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear" ~

A few months back I began a series that has certainly been challenging and thought- provoking for me. I hope God is also using it in your life. The information discussed comes from a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. My notes start with these words: "Like longevity in life, some basic things are needed - right genes, right diet, right exercise, and right environment." Can you see the spiritual parallels? Examining how these principles apply to longevity in ministry on the mission field is forcing me to evaluate whether or not I've been building into my daily life the right sorts of habits and practices to facilitate such longevity. Key is an understanding that God is sovereign and that He is also sufficient.

But what does the practical outworking of those beliefs look like?

I've identified seven essential priorities that help protect from burnout and the temptation to sin... ones that direct and give hope for the future... ones that remind that all is grace and a gift from God.

Those priorities are:

1. Growing an increasingly intimate relationship with the Lord by consistently, daily and throughout the day, seeking Him; 
2. Praying without ceasing (steadfastly, continuously, patiently, powerfully); 
3. Striving to maintain a good balance between personal growth and service or ministry; 
4. Welcoming accountability; 
5. Committing to marriage and family; 
6. Choosing to be teachable even in difficult circumstances; and 
7. Determining to be a genuine team player.

Last time I wrote, I made the statement that, perhaps, accountability is the most difficult one of all. Those who have conversed with me regarding that statement definitely agree that it is a challenge. 

I've been considering two questions:

1. Is accountability to our faith brothers and sisters a biblical idea - or is it a tradition of men (the type of behavior for which the Pharisees were so consistently rebuked by Jesus) and the only one to whom we need to answer is Jesus? I believe the Bible speaks for itself on this matter, and I identified several places in the Bible where I believe the principle of mutual accountability is clearly taught and/or encouraged. One of the most powerful passages, in my opinion, is in Genesis, where, right after murdering his brother, God asks Cain, "Where is your brother?"  and Cain essentially replies, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" I believe a clear implication in that passage is that yes, we are to watch out for... watch over... each other.
2.  What is it about such accountability that creates an environment where longevity and finishing well can flourish? 

I'd considered discussing accountability strategies, but I think that is less important than establishing a case for the importance of accountability (i.e. the most recent post in this series) and the rationale for why... maybe how... accountability helps.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, my girls and I watched The Hunger Games together. At one point in the movie, Katniss, the main protagonist, feels hopeless and is despairing. Immediately, the scene changes to the two men who are responsible for organizing and structuring the games. They are conversing and one of the men, President Snow, says to the other "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear." 

Very profound statement. Maybe it resonates with me because a verse to which I quite literally cling is 2 Timothy 1.7: "For the Spirit which God has given us is not a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of sound judgement." (Weymouth New Testament)

I would propose that accountability-done-right works because it gives hope, and it is that hope which defeats and frees from fear.

How does accountability bring... or give... hope? Free from fear?

• Accountability makes me part of a team, continually reminding me that it isn't just "me and God"  against the world. Rather, there's a whole army fighting with me, an army that includes my brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Accountability forces humility - and while God resists the proud, He gives grace to the humble.
• Accountability ultimately makes me stronger as I acknowledge where I've fallen... or am tempted to fall... and therefore others step in to help and be strong where I can't or where I struggle.
• Accountability reminds me of my need for God's grace and for God's grace flowing to me through the lives of other believers. 
• My dependence on the grace of God and others through the practice of accountability gentles me and makes me more likely to be gracious to others.
• Accountability through confession is cleansing; when I feel cleansed, I feel more hopeful and once again renewed.
• Accountability frees. When I'm no longer trying to maintain an image to meet the expectations of others, because I'm open and authentic regarding my struggles, I don't have to carry the burden of what happens when I fail to meet those expectations.
• Accountability enlists the power of prayer.
• Accountability promotes to healing and health.
• Accountability done well builds up and encourages.

James writes about the hope and power that comes with accountability:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

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Have you ever had someone confront you on an area of sin or a blind spot? 

If so, how did you handle it? 

James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Why are these traits important in an accountability partner? Which one do you need to most work on?

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Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

2. Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God, 09/08/2014

3. If you don't want to shorten your ministry... obediently abide, 23/08/2014

4. The essentials? Or merely superfluous? 13/09/2014

5. Habituate yourself? 27/09/2014

6. One Priority that can Never be in Excess, 11/10/2014

7. Of rest and rescue, 23/10/2014

8. Dare to Disclose, 8/11/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

Longevity in Ministry ~ Trusting in the Sufficiency and Sovereignty of God ~

Two weeks ago, I started a series that I'm hoping will be both a challenge and encouragement to you, based off of a sermon by the senior pastor at my sending church. Before delving into my notes, however, I'd like to share a story of one of our scariest moments overseas... one of those times when our only hope was to trust in God, His sovereignty and particularly?  In His sufficiency.

The story centers around our precious Anna...

She was six years old, in her first full year of school at a local French language school, still young enough that we called her by her baby nickname (Anna-lu) and that she still cried when we dropped her off at school - before bravely trudging on in through the gate. Elsie Mae had recently joined the family... she was only a few weeks old... 

One afternoon, Anna came home from school's morning session telling us she didn't feel well. Over the course of our sieste that day, she continued to wilt. I was pretty sure she was running a fever and so we took her to the recording studio where Tim was working (and the air conditioner was running) to see if we could cool her down. She only ended up chilled and uncomfortable, curled up by her daddy's feet under the production desk, as far away from the AC as she could be.

I decided to take her to the doctor.

Once there, she promptly threw up all over the waiting room... which sent us to the front of the line. A blood test confirmed that she had malaria and our doctor immediately prescribed medication. I think it took three pharmacies to find it. Three days later, her prescription had run its course, but Anna wasn't acting as if she felt any better. It was so evident as we sat poolside, trying to entice her to drink a strawberry milkshake, that her treatment hadn't worked. I took her back to the doctor, where they agreed that she was clearly worse. They wanted to admit her to the clinic and start her on IV medications.

This was one of the better clinics, but it was still a far cry from medical care in a developed country. 

• Mosquitoes (the bugs that carry malaria) buzzed around the room, 
• paint on the walls was chipped and stained, 
• doctor bedside manner did not feel gentle or compassionate, 
• everyone rattled along in rapid fire French and my exhausted-caring-for-a-newborn brain struggled to keep up while catching and making sense of all the technical vocabulary, and 
• the only place for me to sit was the stained and very worn-out mattress on the other cot in the room. 

The nurse did move in a TV... and we brought our own DVD player... We knew they cared and were doing the best they could for our little girl, yet she wasn't improving. In fact, she was lethargic, pale, and had lost 15 pounds - 25% of her body weight - in just a few days. Her doctors concluded we were not only dealing with a resistant strain of malaria, but also a resistant form of amoebic dysentery. 

The two most common causes of death for young children in W. Africa. 

Our little girl was sick with both of them. Yes, our Anna was one very sick little girl.

My hormone-befuddled brain did't quite grasp that reality of just how sick, however. I really felt we were doing the very best we could for our daughter... until our supervisors asked if we wanted them to begin arranging a medical evacuation.

It hit me like a ton of bricks that maybe we weren't... we had other alternatives... and that if we didn't make the "right" decision, we just might lose our Anna-lu... 

I think that is a very common way to look at choices and decisions. 

Either the decisions we make are right. Or they are wrong. If they are right, the results are what we wanted and hoped for. If we make a wrong choice or decision, however, there will be consequences to bear. That mentality neglects to consider that we serve a sovereign and sufficient God.

"Trusting [in] the sufficiency and sovereignty of God [means knowing and believing that] every day is a gift from God, Who IS the source of faithfulness." Remember that cliché often heard in church circles?  Pray like everything depends on God; work like everything depends on you. For me, at least, it is easier to work like a mad-woman... and forget to pray. Especially as a mama. Especially as a mama who is also a missionary. Even especially more as a mama who is also a missionary and who lives off of the support and gracious gifts of others. In that sense, I live my life as a "practical atheist," a term my husband coined almost 20 years ago.

With that mentality, it is easy for me to work myself into nothing less than a frenzy.

It's a pretty quick and surefire recipe for a burnout disaster. I know. I've been there.

It's also easy to slip into the trap that if (and when) I remember to pray, God will work everything out just the way I'm asking Him to... and that if He doesn't, my prayers (i.e. my work) weren't sufficient.

But what does God say? God's Word teaches us that our responsibility is to trust in both His sovereignty and sufficiency.

Psalm 127 (from the EasyEnglish Bible) is pretty clear:

If the LORD does not build the house, the workers cannot do anything.

  There are men who watch (for danger).

  But if the LORD does not guard the city, they will be useless.

If you work all day for food, from early morning to late at night, you will get nothing.

  It is God who gives sleep. He gives it to the people that he loves.

Children are something that God gives.

  The fruit of your body is a gift (from him).

The sons of a young man are like arrows in the hand of a soldier.

The man with many of them will be very happy.

  He will not be ashamed when he meets his enemies in the city gates.

In these verses, the Psalmist instructs His people to remember that it was God Who saves, God Who preserves and protects, God Who provides, God Who presents us with anything and everything that is important and/or worthwhile: homes, food, family, well-being, safety, peace. In this Psalm, the name/title of "Lord" is used to refer to God. That is His covenant name, a covenant cut in sacrificial blood. The people promised to love and worship God alone. They agreed to obey Him. God promised to help those He calls His. Put simply, God's providence provides whatever it is that He knows that His people need. Even when we don't like His provision, it is still what He sovereignly knows to be best.

How can that be true?

Why trust in His sufficiency and sovereignty?

1. We should trust because even pagan kings recognize His sovereignty. Daniel 4 contains an amazing account of Nebuchadnezzar, one of the most powerful men to ever live. He concludes: "At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth... Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble."
2. We should trust God because He is faithful. He proves Himself every day, every moment, every breath and every heartbeat. "Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds."(Psalm 36.5) "Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds." (Psalm 119.90) "The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.;" ( Lamentations 3.22-24)
3. We should trust because God does give faith to live and to die [and sometimes to watch those we love die] for His glory. This is such a hard thing. I love that God gives us faith to live. I love living. I love this life He's given. So what about those times when His choice as sovereign is that this life will be no longer? Does that mean He's no longer sovereign? Does that mean He's no longer sufficient? No. It means I -and those I call mine- are His to do with as He sees fit. I have the opportunity to choose trusting Him, regardless of what I feel or perceive.
4. We should trust because Christ is building his church and we are privileged to join Him in His work. Jesus said to Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16.18)" Jesus builds His church. Jesus' literal words are "I will build..." The Greek word translated build literally means to erect or construct upon a foundation a home or other edifice; figuratively, it means to edify by literally building someone up and helping them to stand firm... to be strong and sturdy. One of the key ideas as we approach ministry is to recognize that it isn't "MY" work... but rather it is God's work and He gives us opportunities to join with Him in what He is already doing. Thus, success depends on Him. Our job is obedience without worrying about results or effectiveness. That takes a huge burden off of our shoulders, a load the Lord never intended for those He has placed in international missions to carry. But, the other neat side of this idea is that God is also the One Who has uniquely equipped and prepared us to do the work He has set before us. He has "built us up" to be just the person He wants for such a time as the one before you.

Are you curious about "the rest of Anna's story?"

We didn't lose her. After nearly a week in the clinic, consistent IV treatment - lots of pokes, lots of liquids and lots of prayer, she slowly began to perk up and was clearly on the road to a full recovery. A month later, she'd regained all of that lost weight and it was easy to forget she'd been so sick.

I hope I never forget, though, the things God taught me during that time.

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How are you seeing God's sovereignty at work where you are currently ministering?

How are you currently experiencing God's sufficiency where you are currently ministering?

Can you share a testimony of how God has grown your trust in His sovereignty and/or sufficiency?

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Series: Longevity in Ministry

1. Just Think About a Horseshoe, 26/07/2014

Please note: 

Italicized words are from my notes or from the guided notes in the church bulletin

and are, to the best of my recall, actual content from the sermon.

The rest comes from my continued study and meditation prompted by that sermon.

To listen to the actual sermon "Start, Run and Finish Well," click here.

How’s your discerning doing?

Ever feel overwhelmed… even a little fearful… with this task that God has entrusted to you… partnering with your husband, raising and overseeing the education of your children... and all this while serving on the mission field? 

Why? Especially KNOWING "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

I think it's because practically, we act as though it all depends on us. We want to get it right. We want our kids to learn and do well. We want our husbands to succeed in ministry and value our contributions. We hope to see hearts and lives changed for eternity. And we try and carry that burden, one never meant for us, by ourselves.

Such lofty goals... Yet we forget about a caring Father accompanying, guiding, strengthening and even carrying us on this path. 

Why worry? Why fear? Why feel guilty or like failures when we do - worry, fear and fail?

Overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged, distracted, forgetful, fearing what the next moment will bring...

We don't have to be.

For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, 

but a spirit of power, love and sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

This has long been one of my favorite verses. When I started studying Scripture in my French Bible, at church and preparing for Bible studies, I discovered another reason to cling to this verse.

Translated back to English, from the French ~

For this is not a spirit of timidity that God gave to us; 

on the contrary, 

His Spirit fills us with {His} power, {His} love and {His} wisdom.

I LOVE that slightly different nuance!

It isn’t just any spirit. We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide, to teach, to lead, to disciple, to encourage, to confront, to comfort… to fill us.

What are some of the things that His Spirit does?

• But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13)
• I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)
• 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. (John 16:33) 
• And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
• For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
• We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Thus, we need to trust God and not fear as we approach the things He has called us to do and those things that seem so scary and hard. We need to trust God and not fear as we become who He has created us to be. We must seek His wisdom and guidance, make decisions by choosing a course of action based on what we believe He is telling us, and then trust the results - as well as further guidance and direction - to Him.

No, God has not given us a spirit of fear – that spirit comes from this world. It tells us we are not enough, points out our inadequacies, and twists truth into clever deceptions that are not quiet blatant lies… but lies nonetheless. No, the Spirit He has given us is His very own. His Spirit is available to fill us with power, love and wisdom, leaving no room for timidity.

I have heard another paraphrase of this verse...

God has not given us a spirit of fear, 

but of power, of love and 

of the discipline to use His wisdom in discerning 

the difference between those two.

So I ask you again, “How’s your discerning doing?”

How to Start a Ladies Bible Study

I am by no means an expert on this. I have only led a few Bible Studies, but that being said, I struggled with how to start one. I googled for information, but really didn't come up with anything. So I thought I would share with you how I started a Bible study.

A few years ago before we moved to Australia, I went to my pastor and asked him what he thought of having a ladies Bible study for the moms in our church. He said it was a great idea, and to go ahead and start it. Um, me? I had no intention in leading it, I just wanted to attend a Bible study!

With the encouragement of some friends we started a Bible study for moms in our church. I was a bit nervous, I felt the women in the group were far more qualified than I was, but looking back I am so thankful for the experience! We simply used Elizabeth George's Bible study books. I think we ended up doing three of her books. 

When we arrived in Australia, I wanted to start a Bible study here, but since I didn't know many people I didn't know where to start.

Where to Begin...

• Pray! Pray! Pray! If it's the Lord's will, He will show you what to do!
• If the Lord leads, post flyers at your supermarket, library, or places like that.
• Talk to your friends about your burden, it is possible they are wanting to attend a Bible study!
• Begin searching for Bible studies. (I will share some links below.)
• Continue to pray for the Lord's leading. A Bible study without the Holy Spirit is pointless!

I prayed about starting a Bible study, and simply asked the Lord that if it was something He wanted me to do that He would open the doors. A few weeks later I was visiting another homeschool family, and as I was talking with the mom she mentioned that she would love to attend a Bible study. I told her it was something I had been wanting to do. She said that if I would lead it she had many friends that would be interested. I came home and prayed about it and discussed it with my husband, and knew this was the Lord opening the door.

How to Start...

• Pray! Pray! Pray! Seek the Lord's direction.
• Choose a Bible study. Seek the Lord's direction.
• Set a date, time, and place. Again, seek the Lord's direction.
• Send out invitations.
• Begin the Bible study yourself.

Once you have chosen your Bible study, the date, time, and place, I'd encourage you to look thoroughly over your curriculum and begin the first lesson a week or so before the actual start date. You want to be familiar with what you are going to be teaching.

Bible Study Schedule...

• Open in prayer
• Introduction...have each lady introduce themselves and tell something about themselves
• Icebreaker game. We played the purse game...this is a good game to get to know each other!
• Explain the Bible study. Go over the schedule, how often you will meet, homework for them to do throughout the week, Bible reading, book reading, etc. Try not to make this overwhelming.
• Ask for questions.
• Give a short devotional pertaining to the lesson. After the first week, you can use this time to go over what you have learned since your last Bible study.
• Prayer Requests
• Closing prayer
• Food and fellowship

Our Bible study meets every other Monday evening at 7:30pm. It normally gets over around 9pm, then everyone stays and chats a little longer.

Please know, this is how it works best for me...these are only suggestions for you!

Bible Study Suggestions...

*Please note, I do not necessarily condone all that these authors have to say. I've learned that there is not perfect Bible study material out there (except God's Word itself), you have to learn to take the good, and skip over the not so good.

• Good Morning Girls (I am currently using their study on the Proverbs 31 Woman. These are helpful because it gives a schedule of verses to read each day. This blog also gives helps on leading a Bible study)
• Elizabeth George
• Beth Moore

These are just a few that I have used as Bible studies and have enjoyed and learned much from. I'd love to hear your suggestions!


What are your suggestions in starting and leading a ladies Bible study?  What study guides do you/have you used?