Another Summer of Devotionals

This morning on my Facebook memories there was a quote from my then 12 old daughter over morning devotionals.

Me: Why do we fold our hands when we pray?

Daughter: Because the grown-ups don’t want us to do anything naughty while their eyes are closed.

Me: (Crickets chirp in the stunned silence)

I laughed, hit the share button, and remembered that summer is almost here and it's time that we start summer devos again.  

We’ve been doing this every summer since my younger daughter was four (read about our faltering start).  It’s more than just a habit, it’s a pleasure. When school is in, we study Bible as an academic subject, but when school is out, it would be easy for Bible study to fall behind.  

This summer my girls will turn 10 and 17.  And every morning, as soon as breakfast is over, even before we clear the plates and do the dishes, we recite whatever verses we are working on memorizing, read a short passage of scripture together and talk about what comes up.  Our school year Bible study focuses on learning; our summers focus on becoming.

We’ve done Daniel and worked through Colossians (both of which are available to you free online Daniel / Colossians).  This summer we are focusing on what it means to be a woman of God. We’ll be looking at Deborah, Hannah, Jael, Miriam, Huldah, Ruth and Esther.  Then turning to the New Testament we will talk about Mary, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, Lydia, Phoebe, and Priscilla.

This isn’t spiritually easy ground.  We’ll discuss the ethics of violence in Jael’s story and our own ethics as we progress in Tae Keon Do.  We’ll work on when it is right to lead and when we should submit with Deborah, Huldah, and Miriam. We’ll talk about courage from the perspective of Mary and Mary Magdalene.  And what it means to be both a female evangelist with Priscilla’s story. We’ll talk about loyalty, God’s and ours with Ruth and Esther. And we are going to learn about prayer, poetry and “reversal of fortune” with Hannah and Mary.  I hope to share some insights with you as we go along.

It’s going to be a wonderful summer.  This is my last full summer to have my eldest home.  Soon after her 17th birthday, she’ll head off to the University of Wyoming.  But for these last precious days, the three of us girls will take that 10 minutes in the morning to have devotionals.  Take the chance to listen to my girls, to hear their hearts and know their minds. To recite God’s word with them and think about His story together.  Time goes so fast and for us summer devos are priceless.

If you are looking for Bible study material for your own kids, you are welcome to use our online material on Daniel or Colossians or we have an entire semester's worth of FREE curriculum just for our subscribers!  Subscribe here!

Do's and Don'ts of Ladies Bible class

I have cried, prayed, been convicted and been gathered in when I was altogether lost. Where?  At a revival?  A gospel meeting?  Some fantastic internet sermon?  Nope.  Ladies' Bible Class. 

I love ladies' Bible class.  I have been a member or a teacher of a class ever since I was an adult. Amazing things happen there.  I have seen women drawn to Christ simply by the fellowship.  I have seen marriages turned around as sisters gathered together to learn how to love their husbands (Titus 2:4). 

Not only that, but I feel that these "Ladies' Bible classes" are an application of Paul's words in Titus 2.  Women are commanded to teach each other-older to the younger.  It's how we learn how to do what we should like love our kids and our husbands, keep our houses to the glory of God, and be kind, sensible and good.  

But how can we have that amazing class?  The kind where we are convicted, repent and are transformed? Let me offer you some "do's" and "don'ts."

Do's

Do be honest.  We've written about honesty before, and the way one person's truth encourages others not only to confess but to feel less alone.  (Truth be told, Truth be told 2) 

Do have a confidential class.  Wednesday night's confession can not be Thursday morning's gossip.

Do study the Bible.  I am not against study books (I have one on sale right now, with a very special bonus just for teachers!).  But no book replaces the Word of God.  Every student needs a Bible open and in use.  Nothing I have to say, nothing any author has to say, trumps the word of God.

Do prepare.  The class will be better if even a few of the members will read ahead.  Make sure you have read the scripture, note down any questions you have, take a few minutes to pray that day for your teacher/class and fill your mind with the Word of God.

Do be open.  Close-knit classes are hard to break into.  Every class needs someone to wave newcomers to an empty seat, find them a Bible, smile and introduce them to others, and welcome them to come back again.  

Do be integrated.  Although our churches have followed our culture by segregating people by age-youth group, young professionals, parents, golden agers etc, women especially need the connection of women older and younger than them. 

Do speak carefully.  "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person," wrote Paul (Colossians 4:6).  He could have been writing to us.  We need to think carefully and speak gently.  This is especially true when sisters have some painful area of their lives (divorce, infidelity, infertility, grief etc) or if we have to correct or confront a sister. 

Don'ts

Don't be negative.  The class must be free from husband-bashing, griping about the elders, running down the minister or general gossip.  Remember Jesus' admonition to deal with problems personally and face to face.

Don't neglect the chance to serve.  I have seen ladies Bible classes do amazing things: send cards, arrange for the care of a widow while her daughter was out of town, send cloth diapers to a missionary with a new baby, and build a church building in South America. Let study naturally flow to action.

Don't forget to pray.  Although I have seen classes devolve into a half hour of chatting and 5 minutes of prayer before the bell rings, I still feel prayer is a crucial part of the process of Ladies' Bible class.  For one thing it is the only opportunity most women have to pray with and for their sisters each week.  For another, it is a private and confidential place to beg for intercession.  

Don't be divided.  Women fall prey to Satan's divide and conquer scheme. We allow competition and envy to defeat us.  We judge each other on issues unrelated to our faith   or even worse entirely related to our Christian freedom.  Satan wins when sisters don't stick together. 

If you are a part of an amazing class, I can't wait to hear all about it!  Tell me what your class is doing, how they are changing, and what they are studying!

Helene

PS  If you are looking for new material for next quarter, or if you feel like your class just needs a reboot, I want to help.  Click here to get to my videos introducing Women of Action:Transformed by Obedience.  

Scrubbing Soap Scum for Jesus

One Wednesday I woke up and scrubbed the bathroom. It was the start of an amazing day from God. 

I live in the Wyoming desert.  Rock Springs is one of a pair of twin communities almost a 100 miles of highway away the next town.  We have the hardest water of anywhere I have ever lived. I would like to write, “I am constantly battling soap scum,”  but it’s more like soap scum is constantly winning battles I forgot to show up for.  But this Wednesday, I made a bottle full of the “magic” soap scum cure (Dawn and vinegar) and went to work. 

Sister, Value Yourself

My sweet sister, value yourself.  

Women have been at the forefront of the news.  Not only because of the rise of LGBT, the resurgence of the "reproductive rights", and the recent Women's march but because so many women young and old feel devalued.

It's no wonder we feel devalued.  We have sold the truth for a lie (Proverbs 23:23).  

Women are devalued when they are exploited, taught that they are only valuable as sexual objects.  It happens when women read porn; it happens when women become porn.  It happens when women believe (and so dress) as if their boobs were more valuable than their brains.  You think women's education is disrupted by enforcing a dress code?  I think girls struggle to receive an education when our society and their parents have encouraged them to think of themselves as 16 year old sex objects instead of 16 year old scholars. The lie: A woman's value lies in her attractiveness.  The truth: Women are intrinsically valuable-humans made in the image of God.

Women are devalued when they believe that they are victims, constantly attacked and belittled so they should take up arms and militantly defend their rights.  The women of God, like the men of God are meek.  We are spiritual warriors, mighty in prayer.  When we suffer in the world, our Father takes up our cause.  The lie: Men and the paternalistic society are our enemies and we must fight even harder for our rights.  The truth: Women are often mistreated in the this world.  Yet the women of God seek justice at the throne of God and stand in peace for those who are mistreated, brother and sister alike. 

Women are devalued when they categorize themselves.  To the single some mutter, "Why can't you find a man?  Without a family you are nothing." To the married others mutter "The man you married has made you barefoot and pregnant, a servant in your own house." Women are never nothing.  Each one has the potential to become a daughter of the King, priests of our God, holy, mighty in prayer.  We are not only the nurturers of life, we can bring people to new life.  The lie: Our worth is found in our marriage or in our career.  The truth: Whether we are in the workplace, in our home or out having fun, we are all servants in God's house.  Checking the box, "married" or "single" will never be as important as serving Him well. 

Women devalue themselves by choosing lie over truth.

Let me tell you the truth, sisters.  You are of immense value.  Your Father adores you and wants you to becoming everything you can be.  But that "everything" isn't skinny, or curvy, married or single or any other category that the world trumpets.  God's everything is holy, self-controlled, peaceful, meek, powerful and gentle.   God's everything reflects His character and is empowered by His Spirit.  The truth will set you free from the world's expectations and bring you into your Father's light. 

So let me beg you sisters, value yourself because the Father values you.  

  

Honor in Exile

When I realized that we'd be spending some time in Daniel, I remembered this post from the mid-term elections about a Christian response to living in under a passive hostile government.  What could be more appropriate as we face these upcoming elections than to model our public life on Daniel's! 

I voted. 

It was the first time in more than a decade.  I'm not lazy, honest.  For most of those years I was abroad, and for all of them I was deeply conflicted about the candidates, finding them all so distasteful that I couldn't bring myself to endorse any of them.

I'm trying again.

Resources for your Reboot

How are your New Year’s resolutions going?  Did you give up on the gym yet? Start cheating on your new diet?  Violate January’s budget?  No?  Great!

I hope your rebooted plan to be a regular student of God’s Word is also going well.  If you missed the first part of this post, go read it real quick and then come enjoy the multitude of resources we gathered for you to help you get started!

Spiritual Reboot

I love the gym.  I love the spiritual disciplines too. I love them both the same way.  Sporadically.

Seriously, in the long-term, discipline has been a powerful component in my walk with God. It does more for my spiritual health than exercise does for my physical health.  I appreciate them all the more because I can see so clearly how empty, tempted and tired I am without them. 

Praise the Lord!

I love Ladies Bible Class.  For nearly a year, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching a class that encompasses women who have walked with God for many years, baby Christians and women who are seeking God.  I love the class for the fellowship, the joy of studying the Bible, and because my “students” teach me things all the time. 

For instance, recently I wanted to teach a lesson on the power of prayer.  I pulled out some of my favorite Old Testament prayers for examples.  I had them lined up: Nehemiah’s prayer when he wanted God to help gain the King’s favor to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem; Hezekiah’s prayer when he spread that blasphemous letter from Assyria in front of God and insisted that God uphold his good name; Daniel’s bold prayer with his Hebrew brothers that stopped the murder of the wise men and gave the King the answer he asked for.  I had so many lovely lessons we could learn from these brave prayer warriors. 

When we finished the lesson, I asked them, “What stands out to you about these prayers?”  And they piped up, “Praise. All these prayers start with praise.”  I was stunned by their point.  Think about it.   None of these men were sitting around with nothing better to do, watching a sunrise or contemplating a mountain range.  Daniel was facing his executioner and Hezekiah an enemy army. This is the perfect opportunity to stop and praise God?

The Day Cancer Ate My Blog Post

For November, Helene and I wanted to do a few weeks on praise and Thanksgiving.  When I was thinking of what to write, I wanted to go beyond thanking God for our blessings (a good thing to do) and speak about being thankful for our trials (a hard thing to do).  


I had several verses picked out to show that we are indeed supposed to be grateful for everything, including suffering. (Romans 5:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 if you are interested) It would have been a scripturally accurate blog post.  And it would have been sterile.  Empty.  I would have been speaking from the Bible with very little personal experience.  

9 Christian Strategies for Helping Kids Overcome Fear

The shadows on the wall as they try to sleep; hurricanes, earthquakes and shootings on the news; bullies at school; learning to read a bike and don't forget Halloween.  If you're a kid, life is scary.

I’ve seen all kinds of parenting posts about how to comfort kids and help them overcome their fears.   None of them were terrible.  Well, ok, I found the ones that suggested lying to your kids pretty horrifying.  But it seems to me that Christian parents have a whole different playbook for solving these kinds of problems. 

I Am Not Afraid.

I’m not afraid.  

I am not afraid of thunderstorms, heights, dogs, or mice.  They are little things that have been known to startle me (barking dogs and thunderstorms) or make me mad (Rodents of all kinds infuriate me! Tiny little home invaders!).  To say that I am afraid of them would be an exaggeration.  

I am not afraid of ISIS or any terrorist domestic or foreign.  They can beware of me. They have guns; I have prayer. They steal life - precious to me because it represents the days I have here to serve my King and his people.  Yet if they steal it, they have only moved the place I am praying from earth to under the heavenly altar (Revelation 6:9-11). 

5 Ways to Combat Sinful Anxiety

There are two kinds of anxiety.  There’s the chemical imbalance kind; the kind that is medical, needs a doctor’s care and possibly some kind of medication.  I make no claims to know anything about that kind of anxiety, nor would I presume to tell someone who suffers from it what they should or should not do. The kind of anxiety I have is different.  It is the kind that worries about things I can’t change, fears failure, and dwells on “what ifs” that may never happen. This anxiety could be considered more or less serious, depending on how you look at it.  On the one hand, it is sin, and that makes it a grave problem. Jesus told us not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34), so when I do, I am disobeying him.  On the other hand, sin has a solution.  Not only has Jesus’s blood cleansed me, but the Bible has given me ways to deal with my irrational (and even rational) fears.  Here are some ways that we as women can handle our sinful anxieties before they become a snare to us.

Battling Hate

Hate.  It's like the rash from the black plague.  Contagious, obvious to everyone who passes by, hard to treat, and sign of a fatal illness. 

And our country is brimming with it. 

I can't make it half a scroll down my Facebook feed and I see another angry post.  I wish I could say that it was just the lost hating each other.  That at least would be normal.  

But instead what I see is the Christians I know becoming angrier and angrier at the world around them. 

And it's not even election year. 

On this Make a Difference Monday I would like to suggest some practical things that Christians should remember about hate. 

Learning a Lesson from a Strange Place

I don't have time for much TV watching during the day, but once in a while when I have laundry to fold, or I don't feel good, I'll fire up Netflix and see what I can find.  With a small daughter at home, I have to be doubly careful what I choose.  Yesterday, I found a show called "The Paradise," and decided to give it a try.  It's a BBC show, so I kept one hand on the remote, expecting to have to turn it off any moment.  What I got instead was a lesson on loving your enemy that beat any sermon I've heard in church about the topic. 

21 Days of Evangelism: Week 2

 

I hope this new lifestyle of evangelism is going well for you!  If you haven't gotten started yet, go back and read last week's post and join us! 

21 Days of Evangelism: Week One

For most of us, evangelism is a new endeavor. I don't want you think of it like a "fad diet."  You know the kind of thing you have to give all your effort and attention to for 3 weeks then you're done with it till next January when the pounds from the holidays have made their annual return.  Rather this is the start of a new lifestyle.  A regular, never-ending cycle of prayer, relationship building and invitation that makes disciples. 

Quick Start Guide to Evangelism

You're convinced. 

You know you are supposed to be calling the world to come to Jesus.

We've talked about the fundamental ideas that lead to successful evangelism.

You've read the story of a sister whose life was changed.

Maybe you've felt a little guilty thinking of the lost around you.  Or worried  Or sad.  Maybe you've felt a stirring of excitement.  How wonderful it would be to see the Kingdom of God grow and know you've had a small part in it! Maybe you simply feel scared, as if God is asking for something you don't know how to give.

Are you willing to try?  let me offer you a quickstart guide (like for your computer) to evangelism!

All I Want for Christmas

Perhaps of all the people in my life, my Mother-in-law knows my little quirks the best.  I say this based on this evidence: she did not bother asking what I want for Christmas.  Everyone else still held on to a smidgen of hope that I might be able to come up with some useful suggestion.  They are all doomed to disappointment.  I'm hopelessly unable to think of anything I want or need.

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

The Holiday of Thanksgiving might be over, but as Christians we know that we should have an "attitude of gratitude" all year round.  In an attempt to foster gratefulness in my children, we already say something we are thankful for every morning on the way to school.  Lately, though, I've been thinking we can do more than that.  In the Old Testament, the Israelite people made peace offerings, including offerings of thanksgiving (Leviticus 7), and out of that the term "sacrifice of thanksgiving" came into being.  While it sometimes referred to the actual offering of an animal and leavened or unleavened bread, the phrase also came to signify the many ways we can express our thankfulness to God. 

Comfort in a Scary World

I usually have an optimistic disposition; I've never been a "doom and gloom" kind of person.  I never thought that President Obama would destroy the country and try to make all Americans turn into Muslims.  I don't worry that my preacher will go to jail next year for refusing to marry a homosexual couple. But sometimes when I watch the news, I get so discouraged that I want to weep with sorrow.  Human trafficking, passenger planes shot out of the air, Christians sentenced to death because of their faith are all stories to make me long for heaven and an end to the suffering on earth.