The Sinner and The Saint

What is this thing you speak of - spiritual disciplines? The top referred to spiritual disciplines are: prayer gratitude  stewardship community compassion  confession of sins fasting solitude simplicity and  meditating on Scripture PROVERBS 4:23 - Above all else guard your heart Spiritual disciplines help us guard our hearts. AND about  "Spiritual Gangsters" ...the world has made this al...

What are the things we chase when looking for God? followers money clothing success affirmation acceptance love, or companionship  In the Bible, we are told to "seek first the kingdom of God" and to seek the face of God (Matthew 6:33, Psalm 27:8).  We were actually made to chase - created for longing . . . And the Bible tells us who to seek first . . . As usual, we don’t listen, learn th...

Jesus broke ALL kinds of rules for LOVE!  - worked on the Sabbath - ministered to women  - forgave sins - was friends with the unclean and misfits - disregarded the Law of Moses

" I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy: Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out. God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. When I was desperate, I called out, and God g...

Jim Branch, in The Blue Book , asks "What does it look like to seek God earnestly?" The definition of earnest:  serious in intention, purpose, effort, and sincerely zealous.   Today we look into how earnestly we are seeking God. Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart”  So we asked ourselves: What are your intentions when you seek God? To grow,...

 Who are you? How are you living?   It’s easy to skip over these questions - these are the ones in bible studies I would quickly skip over, dismiss or ignore to get to the “good” stuff.  John 4:23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. . . . That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.”...

What is we changed our worry to wonder. . .  Definition of Wonder: the feeling of surprise mingled with admiration caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar and inexplicable.  Today we explore replacing worry to wonder in all of these aspects of life.   Beautiful  Unexpected Unfamiliar  Inexplicable   

Three cool things I noticed by studying the questions Jesus’s asks:   1: Sometimes the simple questions He asks are the hardest to answer.  “Who do People say I am?” Vs. “Who do you say I am?”  2: Jesus talks more about worry than anything else in scripture - even more than fear, grief, loneliness, & shame. He often uses rhetorical questions to move our hearts and minds in the right direction....

Jesus asked A LOT of questions during His time here on earth, but the three he repeated: 1- What are you looking for? 2 - What do you want me to do for you? 3 - Do you love me? We should revisit these often, hold them close, and let them tumble around in our hearts & minds on a regular basis. 

We all have fears - fears for ourselves - fears about those we love - fear of what others think of us or do to us.    “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. . . . So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27   There are a few ways we can overcome fear: Name all of your fears - make them personal - when our fear is named and we recognize it - it’s easier to control them instead of le...

Two kinds of open hands -  Open hands that are already full . . . of our plans, control, sin, selfish desires Open empty hands are trusting ones . . . . ready to receive what God desires for us.    Keys to keeping open/empty hands -  Evaluate & acknowledge what you are holding Surrender it to God Prayer - for self-control & God’s strength  resting - in God’s presence, His love & truth...

How do I know if I’m experiencing burn out and what’s the antidote? You feel overwhelmed b/c it seems like your “to-do” list or work will never be done (in life or at physical work)  You feel like you are in a rut/pit and can’t seem to climb out.  You feel a little bitter towards God or those closest to you. Everyday tasks completely overwhelm you and seem impossible to complete.    The floodwater...

Hebrews 12:4 -11 MSG   My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible pare...

Holier than Thou - having or showing the annoying attitude of people who believe that they are morally better than other people 1 Peter 1:13 MSG - So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you d...

Do you feel like you life is in a holding pattern? How do we cope with the waiting, learning, pitstops, and challenging growth in life? -Isolation from others and/or God  -Fall into sin -Avoidance/ignoring it -Depression -Isolation from others & God   How we should respond: -pray -worship/gratitude -focus on eternity -remember God is not surprised - he is with you -follow Him and persevere wit...

Psalm 119:9 MSG How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart  so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, GOD; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I deli...

Today we discuss judgement, pigs, and cross stich! We also dive into how we may be asking the wrong questions :) John 9 - Jesus and The Blind Man   When Jesus and His disciples come along a blind man- they begin to ask Jesus all kinds of questions.  Why? Why is he like this? Who sinned in his family to cause this happen? Whose fault is it? How did this happen?  John 9:3 MSG - Jesus said, “You’re a...

There is a profound difference between feeling as though "you are not enough" and believing that you are underserving. This week we go toe to toe with our inner critic and discuss ways to find the root cause of our inner critic. Not Enough = feeling of inadequacy -  Questioning if you have what it takes - you ask yourself “What if I’m not good enough?” Not Worthy Of = feeling of undeserv...

1 CHRONICLES 19:13 “Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD’s will be done.”   Where does true courage come from? God, but do we truly believe it?   Side effects of courage - Trouble & Contagion Do you prefer trouble with others or trouble with God?  How do you respond to someone else's courage? DEUTERONOMY 20:8 “Is anyone here afraid or...

"but even after all He did, you refuse to trust the Lord your God." Deut. 1:32 In what ways am I not trusting God? What are you tight fisting? Are you willing to deep deeper? What is the root of the problem?  Are you willing to stop the spin cycle? Who or what are you putting your trust in?      

Have you ever felt like "quiet quitting" motherhood? You are not alone! Join us today, we are sharing five parenting lessons learned in the Afghan Knit of the Month club. (Can you guess which one of us would have joined this club?!)

Taking a closer look at our own motives and the motives of others while asking ourselves as Paul did, "How will I respond?" The best ways are 1) with questions and 2) prayer Philippians 1:15-21 (MSG) 15-17 It’s true that some here preach Christ because with me out of the way, they think they’ll step right into the spotlight. But the others do it with the best heart in the world. One grou...

When do you feel the pressure to water down your faith or step away from the truth of scripture? What strategies do you use to resist falling into the trap of following deceptive teachings/the world? Colossians 2:8-10 (MSG) 8-10 Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. The...

Many of us are walking around all prettied up on the inside but a total disaster on the inside. How do we know if we are truly following God in our lives or just checking off the "Saved Soul" box?  And why does it matter? We can't earn our way into Heaven! Ezekiel 36:26-28 I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll rem...

Are you running away from something or to something? We all have different coping mechanisms and they often keep us hiding from the HARD stuff. 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 “And you, Solomon my son, get to know well your father’s God; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek him, he’ll make sure you find him, but if you abandon hi...