Women of Promise

      As most of you know, we are right in the middle of VBS! It is beautiful to see the children having fun as they learn the Bible and interact with each other and the leaders.  As a church, it is lovely to watch so many work together for a common mission: sharing the gospel message.     The Bible has so much to say about children.  Luke 18 tells us that Jesus had a very special spot in his heart for children.  He gives a command and a clue about the beauty of His Kingdom: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."    Luke 18:16      Service to children is service to Jesus.  He calls us to serve and love these little ones, because He loves them!       As a church, we are blessed with leaders and members who love our children well.  I am so thankful for that. My thoughts as we are walking through this week, are to encourage us to remem...

Image source: KnowingHim.com     When my mom was teaching me to bake, she often taught me bits and pieces of the science behind it as she went.  Understanding that yeast requires a form of sugar to make the perfect bread or that baking soda and baking powder are not exactly the same can be important knowledge in the kitchen.  As I have grown, I have been so thankful for this lessons.  I wish I had paid closer attention to them.  Knowing the science behind many recipes allows me to make substitutions, or even just execute a new recipe with greater confidence. Meshing philosophical information and the practical application is vital as we walk through life. Both are so important.        The epistles of the New Testament are so full of practical helps for us. I love practical.  Paul just joins the seemingly less tangible aspects of doctrine and the nitty-gritty everyday application so wonderfully. (Isn't it beautiful how the H...

     Last week we thought about the importance of seeking out God and who He is. Did you know that God seeks us out too?  He is chasing after our hearts and desiring to draw us close to revive and renew us.  Isaiah 57:15 gives us a look at what kind of person God is looking for to accomplish this beautiful work of revival: For this is what the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite."        That word lowly is also translated as "humble" in some translations.  I don't know about you, but I desire that renewing of the spirit that only God can provide.  Isaiah tells me that God is looking for humble people to lift up and revive.  Revival is not for the lost.  Revival is for those who are Chris...

       How much of our time do we spend looking for things?  Some of you are extremely organized and are able to locate things easily.  I am one that is not naturally extremely organized, but have been trying to glean tips from those who are gifted in that area.  As I grow older, I am slowly gaining some ground there, but I still frequently spend too much time looking for things!  Often, the search is half-hearted until a crisis arises, then it becomes desperate! The joy, comfort and relief that is felt when that item is finally discovered (probably in the "safe" place I placed it in myself!) is so good, isn't it?      Do we put the same effort into seeking to know Jesus as we put into looking for those lost keys or that lost form that needs to be filled out?  As King David was handing the Kingdom of Israel to Solomon, he gave him specific instructions: Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God. 1 Chronicles 2...

     Recently I was led through a short study on the book of Nehemiah. What an amazing story! It is easily overlooked, yet it is in the Bible for a reason.  God has lessons to teach us from this book.   The book of Nehemiah is full of fascinating information and lessons for us today.  It is easy to get bogged down reading this little book, because some chapters are simply lists of names or details about rebuilding a wall around Jerusalem. Let's look at a few highlights of this special section of the Old Testament. 1. The passion of Nehemiah for God and his people.      Nehemiah 1:4 tells us that Nehemiah wept and mourned for days  after hearing about the state of the people and the wall in Jerusalem. Are we burdened for our families, our church, our community, our nation with a passion like Nehemiah? The rest of chapter one is Nehemiah's beautiful prayer where he begs the Lord to forgive the nation for turning their back on God. I p...