Category Archives: Blogs

26
May

Spiritual Giants

I, luckily, am blessed to be around many men and women that are what I consider to be spiritual giants. They are people in my life that I can lean on and that send me to seek God’s word and to lean into Him when I am troubled or going through a difficult season. They are on fire for our King and you look at them and think…I want that, I want what they have! Some are people that have been mentors in my life and in my walk with Christ, but some I have had only brief encounters with, but I am forever changed by their wisdom.

A few days ago, some friends and I were talking about these spiritual giants in our lives.  I would love to be that sound in my faith and that unabashedly unashamed in my witness for Christ that others look at me and think that is what they want.  But I know my weaknesses and I know the many times that I have failed daily as a mother, as a wife, as a friend and most importantly as a follower of Christ.  I don’t want to be that false spiritual giant that we can often present ourselves to be to others, especially those of us that were raised in the church.  We know what to say and when to say it.  We portray of ourselves in one way, but does the picture we show others match the heart and soul inside the vessel?  I know mine doesn’t always, and more importantly so does God.  I do try daily to be the woman of God that he calls me to be, but so many times I fall short.  I have to pray for God to make me more like Christ, to die to myself to bring Glory to God.  Luke 9:23 tells us, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

I want to be a spiritual warrior, a giant.  I want to slay my weaknesses in my life with just one stone, as David did against Goliath.  He was brave and KNEW God would meet him in battle that day, for God’s glory and not his own.  This is the spiritual giant I long to be.  A few years ago a Facebook quote was floating around that said, “When I wake up I want Satan to say, “oh no, she’s up!” Not exactly in those words, but those of you who saw the post will get the gist.  Tomorrow when my feet hit the floor, Satan will say that about me, because God will meet me here and empower me to slay my giants.  I can start this day becoming the spiritual giant God has called me to be, I know I can because IKnowHIM.

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed,

Whitney

25
May

I Change My Mind

Confession:  I know I have a problem. Well, at least, I think it is a problem. I like to change my mind. Specifically, I like to change my mind about furniture placement.  My family has lived in our home for just over two years.  I have rearranged the furniture in the living room at least three times.  I have rearranged the furniture in our bedroom at least five times.  By “rearrange” I mean totally move everything around.  Even the piano has moved rooms and locations in those rooms.  Right now, things feel pretty close to perfect.  But, I have had that feeling before.  At this point in my life I know that I will change my mind again, probably in about six months.  Once again, my husband will be asked to rearrange things all because I like to change my mind.  In this circumstance changing my mind is easy.  Actually, changing the location of the furniture is pretty easy especially, in comparison to changing my mind in an act of repentance.

In the past I have been told that repentance is the act of turning away from a sin and going the other way.  Unintentionally, I carved into my mind that changing the behavior was what I was going for as I repented.  Recently, I realized that the real goal, the goal God asks of me is more than just the behavior. To repent I should be changing my MIND.  In the book of 2 Corinthians, Paul writes to a group of people who have come to understand that they were in need of a change.  They felt sorrow about where they had done wrong.

“yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Godly sorrow is when we are in disagreement with the heart of God.  As we grow in our faith we are in a process of sanctification, becoming like God.  During this process we will get to know God little by little more and more.  As we know and understand God’s heart better he will help us to identify ways in which our life is in disagreement with His heart.  That is the point when we should experience sorrow and Godly grief.  We should change not just our behavior, but ask God to help us to change our heart and mind. This is what leads us to repentance.  This is when we will have no regret because our lives are moving toward the heart of God.  Following our mind and heart change comes life change.  Paul gets really excited when he talks about the change in the Corinthians lives.

“For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment!  At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.”
2 Corinthians 7:11

That’s what I want in my process of repentance!  A longing, a fear, indignation, zeal and punishment as I look at my life and see how it needs to be changed in order to more clearly reflect the heart of God.

God, this is no easy task.  We understand that knowing you will often call us into a place of repentance.  Help us to identify sin in our lives.  Help us to change our mind about our conduct and misguided beliefs.  Empower us through your Spirit to turn away from our broken behavior and let our lives be changed from the inside out.  In your Holy Name we pray these things!

How do you explain repentance?

Amy

24
May

Say I’m Sorry

I don’t know how many times a day I have to tell one of my littles to apologize for something they said or did to hurt one of their siblings. With four of them, it’s pretty frequent. Don’t get me wrong, they love each other and they get along really, really well. But there are days when it seems to be their goal in life to drive their sisters or brother crazy. (Which drives me completely out of my mind). When I do get them to apologize it is half-hearted at best, and at most the look on their face tells their victim that “I’m only saying this because mom is standing beside me.”

We as adults hate saying we are sorry, too. It’s hard to admit we were wrong or that we have hurt someone. Yet we have no trouble demanding the same thing from a four year old. Now, I might not have thrown a matchbox car at point blank range, but I have thrown some sharp words that hurt far longer than the bruise from that flying car. We may be sorry for what we did or said to someone, but we do it again and again when we are frustrated or angry. There isn’t any true repentance.

God tells us not to just be sorry, but He calls us to repent from our sins. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 tells us, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a Godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” God wants us not to just be “sorry” for our sins then continue on as though we were never burdened. He wants us to repent or turn from our sins, never to return to it. We need to be changed and to live a life as God has called us to live.

What an awesome example we can be to our families if when we sin or hurt someone we can admit we are wrong, seek forgiveness and live differently. We can leave our sin and sinful nature and cling to God. This week I pray that we will seek forgiveness from our sins and truly repent!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!
Whitney

23
May

Choosing Hope

There is one thing that every single individual has experienced or will at some point or another. It unites us, it tears us apart, and it emphasizes our instinct that there has to be more than just this life. It is grief. My two year old experiences it daily when he falls down or his feelings are hurt because he has been disciplined by us for unkind behavior. The next door neighbors experienced grief a few weeks ago when the matriarch of their family passed away and cars filled their yard and the street as they came together to comfort one another. Several of my friends grieve constantly over a way ward child, broken that they are left to watch their precious ones self destruct, refusing to turn to Jesus. A family wrestles with grief over the loss of a precious child as they see their beloved legacy off to be with our Savior. A pastor grieves at the state of his nation, the rebellious hearts of its’ people towards God, always praying for revival.

We also experience grief when we can’t seem to break free from a sin pattern. We fall into the same, painfully obvious trap set by the enemy over and over. We feel as though we have become captive to that one thing that we just can’t seem to get rid of. That immense knot that wells up in the pit of our stomach when we simply cannot break free from that one habit, that one addiction. This kind of grief, as well as the ones mentioned above, will aways fall into one of two categories according to 2 Corinthians 7:8-10.

“For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

You see friends, in any circumstance where our hearts are grieving, whether it be at our own sin, loss, or someone else’s darkness, we have two options. Paul’s words tells us that there is Godly grief, in which we choose to repent and ultimately seek Christ. Additionally, there is worldly grief, that if chosen, means we are seeking death. Often Satan uses our grief over our own sin and maliciously converts it into guilt. Don’t ever be fooled, dear one, God loves you deeply and would never put one drop of guilt in your heart. This is from the enemy and the enemy alone. If we are deceived into allowing our grief to overwhelm us to the point of despair, whether it be from our own struggle against our flesh or a circumstance that weighs heavy on our hearts, we are choosing worldly grief. We are choosing to believe that there is no hope. The morning will never come. The dark is too great for the Light. Oh, but if we choose to protect our hearts and choose Godly grief, then we are choosing hope! When we choose to take our mourning and intentionally claim it as Godly grief, we offer up our brokenness at the foot of the cross and tell our beloved Father to take it and make it something beautiful. For His glory. Whereas worldly grief leads to a dark pit guilt, full of shame and despair, Godly grief will only lead to a heart turned back to God, a lost one to new life, and hope for the future.

Lean into Him today friends, and choose hope. Much love,

Rachel

18
May

No Longer Driven to Impress

This week I have been reflecting on Galatians 2:20.  In the ESV it reads “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The author of Galatians is Paul and a narrative of his conversion to Christianity is found in Acts 9.  Paul, prior to encountering Jesus, helped to kill Christians.   Paul persecuted Christians in the name of religion.  He was a Pharisee, a religious leader whose job was to strictly observe and enforce religious law. Paul wanted to do his “job” well.  Devastatingly, in his effort to follow the law he had a hand in the murder and persecution of some of the first Christ-followers.  He had made a name for himself. Sadly, that was his purpose.  Paul was driven to impress others, including God.

After his encounter with Jesus on the road to a town called Damascus, Paul’s purpose in life completely changed.  He would now spend his life preaching the gospel and helping others come to know Jesus.  His life before Christ was full of selfish ambition and pride, attempting to impress God and others.  Prior to his conversion he had been motivated by his love of the law, rather than his love of God.  After he met Jesus he strived to be like Christ and share the good news of His love.  Paul’s life no longer served a selfish purpose that would bring glory to his own name, but it served a purpose to bring glory to Jesus’ name.

As we grow in our faith we are being asked by God to put our desires aside.  Sometimes in our life we desire to do good things, but deep down they serve the wrong purpose.  For example, we may bake a loaf of bread for a family in need, but if our motivation is to make them like us more or think of us highly, we have it all wrong.  Or, I might even be trying to be a “good person” always saying the right thing, volunteering in the right places, and listening to the right music.  But, if I am doing all those things in order to “look good” to the world and be known for being “good,” then I have it all wrong.  The point of living should not be to bring glory to ourselves, but to God.

This is hard.  It’s is why I am encouraged by the part of this verse that reminds me that Christ lives within me.  I can give up on my own self-driven goals and motivations, and turn to Christ to empower me to complete His goals and purposes through me.  God does not expect me to please Him; he wants to use me for his purpose.  He desires to fulfill His plan by using my gifts and life circumstances to bring glory to His name.

“The Message”, a paraphrase of Scripture, gave a powerful wake up call to me.  If you can, read it aloud to yourself.

“What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work.  So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man.  Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it.  I identified myself completely with him.  Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.  My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me.  The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I am not going to go back on that.  Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God?  I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace.  If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.”

Galatians 2:19-21

Have you ever sat still and thought about what is really motivating you?  Leave a comment and let us know!

Amy

17
May

Deny Ourselves

What does it mean to deny ourselves?  To deny ourselves means to say “no” to ourselves and our desires and say “yes” to God and what He would have us do for His Glory.  My generation, and the generations that are following mine, don’t think of denying ourselves of anything very often.  If we want something we want it now.  We have anything and everything we want and it’s just a tap or a swipe away.  We don’t have to worry about being patient or waiting for the right time or taking time to pray about something.  We act and react.  This is not the way Jesus describes how we should live a life as followers of Christ.

Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  He is not saying that denying ourselves of everything that this world has to offer us is going to be easy.  That is why He says that we will have to “deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.”  He knew that we would battle our flesh everyday, but he is asking us to intentionally put Him first and seek His will in our lives.

Jesus lived a life in the flesh before He was crucified.  He knew what it was to be tempted and He also knew that the temporary pleasures this world offers doesn’t hold a candle to what our reward will be in heaven.  Jesus taught us to pray “thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as in Heaven.” We are to seek His will in our lives, not as a punishment, but as a choice to follow Him.  Saying “no” to ourselves and “yes” to God is hard, but He is here with us and we are strengthened by Him.

Today, Lord I will seek to put you first in my life, because I want to be closer to You and to live the life you have called me to live.  I know it won’t be easy, but I know you will meet me here.  You will help me turn away from my temptations and turn towards You.  May we be the people you have called us to be today.

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

16
May

Beginning With the End

Several years ago, I was at a conference for children’s ministry put on by an organization that is exceptional at creating curriculum for students of all ages.  I don’t remember too much about the sessions individually, but I left with one thing written on my heart.  To “think with the end in mind” was the ultimate goal.  At the conference, this specifically referred to the fact that everything that they created was intended to lead students deeper into a relationship with Christ.

However, as I traveled home with this on my mind, I realized that I had held this perspective in my own life for quite a while already.  I had been living with tunnel vision on the truth that all we have left when we are gone is what we have done for Jesus, as my youth minister had pressed this into our hearts.  Looking back on this I am so extremely grateful because this has shaped the way I have lived my life ever since, seeing every decision, opportunity, and circumstance through the lens of eternity.

As we see in Galatians 2:20, if we have been given a new life through Christ, the way we think about every single detail should reflect that relationship.  Every thought should mirror our belief that we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us.  Every decision should reflect the truth that at the end of our days, at the end of our lives here on earth, it is all about Him. The only two things that will matter is if we knew Him and the things we did for Him (which includes WHO we told about Him).  With whom have we shared the beautiful news of the Gospel?  These are the matters of eternity.  One of my favorite passages in Scripture comes from Colossians 3, but today I want to focus on verses 1-4, although I encourage you to dive into the whole chapter.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”  Colossians 3:1-4

I love that Paul, the author of Colossians, writes that when we become followers of Christ setting our minds on things above is imperative.  It is key to die to our desires daily, so that when people look at out lives and our decisions all they will see is Christ in our life.  This friends, is what is looks like to live a life with the end in mind.  Always remembering that all we will have when we are relieved from this earth are the things we have done for Jesus, to lay at His beautiful feet in a moment of intimate reunion with our Savior.

Stand Firm in the Faith,

Rachel

11
May

Let Us Sing

We all have things we are good at and things that are not “our gift.”  God designed each of us with certain gifts and each of these gifts were designed in us to work for the body of Christ, the Church, to bring glory to Him.  Many of us look at the gifts others have and desire them to the point that we minimize the gifts that God has given to each of us.

I have a hard time acknowledging the gifts that I have.  I can look back 15-20 years ago and see things like athletics or academics that I was really good at, but when we are talking about the gifts that I have and how I can use them to serve God, I get a little nervous. I know which gifts I want.  For instance, the ability to sing.  Oh, it’s not that I have a horrible singing voice, in fact I was once told I have a good “choir voice.”  At the time I took that as a compliment, but in hindsight I think that it is a little like being told “you have a face for radio.”  To say the least, I have never been asked to sing a solo at church.  But, that is the gift I want!  I want to be able to sing so that those that hear my voice will raise their hands and be BLESSED and feel closer to Christ.  THIS IS NOT MY GIFT!  I know that I will never sing like an angel until I am an angel.  (Until then I will sing loud and apologize to those around me if I need to.)

It is so important that all of us realize where our strengths and weaknesses are in serving God.  If you are serving in an area that is a weakness you will be drained instead of energized and excited. Too often, we serve because we didn’t say no.  This can be a blessing and is often needed, but we should be looking for ways to use what we have be given to glorify Christ.

There are times the body of Christ is divided and churches die because there are too many people doing jobs that God has not called them to do.  I am not a singer, but I am a Type-A leader that loves to teach.  If you have things done 2-weeks early and everything is planned and organized you are speaking my love language.  But I have dear friends that when I talk like that look at me like I have lost my mind.  They need to just take things as they come and they truly think that it is ok to leave dishes in the sink for days at a time, (what is wrong with you people) and that is ok.  In fact that is perfect.  We need people that balance each other out to move the Church the way God has ordained it to move.

How would our churches, Christ’s body, look if we were all doing the job we were created to do?  That is the church we should all long to be a part of!  I pray that we will all seek out our gifts that God has given each of us so that we will work as one body to serve and seek out those who do not believe and reach them for Christ’s Kingdom.

Ephesians 4:11-12
“And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists and still others to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints, todo the work of ministry, and to build up there body of the Messiah.

Be bold, Be Brave, Be blessed

Whitney

10
May

Corporate Worship as a Discipline

There are some disciplines I am good at and some that I am not.  Staying out of the cookie jar…not good.  Praying daily…good.  Exercise…not good.  Using the blinker…good.  Obeying the speed limit…not good.  Attending worship regularly…good.  Ok this is cheating because I work at a church.  But, even before my church was my employer you could say I was a regular.  Long ago attending church became a discipline for me.  I think this discipline has been instrumental in my growth as a believer.  Before I explain, I wish to make something clear.  Regularly attending church does not save me, nor does it make me grow in my relationship with Christ.  However, attending corporate worship regularly gives me the opportunity to grow in my faith as a Christ follower and to be obedient to God’s plan for my life.  A second thing I wish to make clear is that corporate worship can look radically different for each person.  I meet in a building with a platform filled with musicians and a video teacher.  But, corporate worship could be in a building with a steeple, on a couch in a living room, outside in a pasture, in a school auditorium, a storefront property or a variety of other gathering places.  Scripture doesn’t tell us our church should look a certain way, but it does tell us we should meet together.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Day is drawing near.  Jesus will return.  I will stand before Him soon.  This is a fact and nothing I do will change that everyday I am one day closer to being in the presence of my Holy God, one day closer to being held accountable for my life.  As I pursue transforming my life to be holy,  I could sure use some help.  Being a regular part of corporate worship can help me in my walk with Jesus.   I need a lot of help.  I need the weekly guidance from a spiritual leader who communicates the word of God.  I need the corporate experience of worshipping the One True God.  I need the encouragement of other Christ followers who have learned truths from Scripture that I am in the process of receiving.  I need the love of the body of Christ when I am hurting or suffering through a trial.  I need the opportunity to serve and share the love of Christ with my church family.  All of these things, as a habit, pull me towards being ready for the day that I am before God.

“Real, meaningful worship with God’s people is not optional. It’s not a suggestion. It’s not a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Worship on the Lord’s Day should be the crowning joy of our week. It’s our opportunity to engage our minds toward God. To enjoy His people. To bask in His presence. To corporately drink from His Word. To give of our talents and resources. To encourage and to be encouraged. To offer praise.”

– John MacArthur

See ya Sunday!

Amy

 

09
May

Power in Numbers

Ever since I was in 5th grade, I have had one very best, dearest friend.  Then during high school I was fortunate to have another additional friend that was also very close to me.  Don’t get me wrong, I had lots of friends.  I lived in a town with tons of really good people but that close, intimate circle of friends had been gifted to me by God to encourage me in my faith and push me to look more like Christ during my academic education specifically.  What made these people so special to me was that they not only loved me, but they loved Jesus more than anything else.  Together we held each other to a standard of integrity and way of living that helped us to be above reproach in our character, so we could all know Jesus more intimately and be more effective in what God was asking us to do.

Having these people in my life was crucial to my relationship with God during that time in my life.  The beautiful thing is that God not only provided for me that particular way in high school, but provides a similar support system to each believer through the body of Christ.  The gift of the church is something so dear to my heart.  At both of the churches I have been blessed to serve at, people have poured into me and truly become family.  To be a part of the body of Christ is an incredible privilege because we are given the honor of lifting the name of Jesus high and worshipping God corporately.  When people that love God come together to pray, sing, and speak the Word of God, all bets are off.  There is nothing that can not be accomplished through the church when they come together to tap into the Holy Spirit and God’s incredible grace.  Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”  How wonderful is it that when we simply gather in the name of Jesus we can fully expect His presence to join us!

The body of Christ is not only powerful when coming together, but as I mentioned earlier one benefit of belonging to people that love Jesus is that they will push you to be the man or woman God created you to be.  These people will not only hold you accountable to living a life that honors God, but they will also be there to walk with you through the mountaintops and valleys that life is sure to bring.  One of my favorite Scriptures come from Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  When we are in a season of joy, the church is there celebrating God’s goodness with us.  When we are in a season of brokenness, there they are also, holding us up and reminding us of His goodness.

There is power in coming together with other people that are chasing after God.  He uses the church to strengthen us, refine our character, and encourage us to serve us in the capacity to which we are called.  I would love to encourage you to seek out a church home if you have yet to find a community you can run this race with.  It’s such a privilege to serve and grow in faithfulness with people passionately loving Jesus and cherishing one another.

Stand firm in the faith,

Rachel