• "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ". 1 Thess 5:23-24
• 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. Matthew 9:20-22

Click here to purchase your Advent Devotional: A Thrill of Hope

• 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
• 1 John 3:18 - Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
• Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

What a gift it is to hear the testimonies of women to see how God has worked in their lives through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Revelation 12:11 is the anchor to this series, "we conquer him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimonies". 

Connect with Casey:

IG: @agazefixed

Website: agazefixed.com

Book: Joy of Every Longing Heart

Connect with Sarah:

Instagram: @sarahnicholswrites

Website: www.sarahnicholswrites.com

Devotional: Falling for Freedom + Prayers for the Summertime Mom

Connect with Hanna:

Website: hannaseymour.com

Instagram: @hannaeseymour

Book: The College Girl's Survival Guide

Connect with Rachael:

Instagram: @rachaeladamsauthor

Website: https://rachaelkadams.com/

Book: A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life

Website: ChelseyDeMatteis.com

Devotional: SHOP HERE! 

Kaley Olson takes the seat this week to share her incredible story of how God pursued her heart from a young age, how God is calling her to trust more deeply, and how important our relationships are. 

Connect with Kaley: 

IG - @kaleyolsn 

Rachel Spiller (my sweet neighbor) takes the seat this week to share her incredible story of how God drew her in at a young age, how she pushed Him away - yet He still pursued her heart, and how God healed her marriage!  You will be blessed, sharpened, and spurred on by her love for Jesus!

Connect with Rachel on Instagram!

Main Takeaways:

• God is so sweet to gently correct us when we try to take control of things.
• I knew at a very young age that Jesus was always with me.
• We need to remember God is with us even when we're in the trenches.
• When the Lord shows up when our lives are most messy, those are some of the most special moments.
• Scriptures: John 10:10 // Gal 2:20 

Connect with Chelsea:

IG - @heychelsearoberson

Megan Jenkins takes the seat this week to share her incredible story of how God drew her in after coming from a family that had no relationship with Jesus, how she saw powerful redemption in her marriage, and that when we make Jesus priority over everything - we see Him everywhere!  You will be blessed, sharpened, and spurred on by her love for Jesus!

Connect with Megan

• Website - His Kids Company 
• Instagram - @hiskidscompany
• Youtube - linked here!

Hailey Everett takes the seat first to share her incredible story of healing from depression + anxiety, redemption through the work of Jesus, and walking in HIS freedom that He has for ALL of us. You will be blessed and encouraged by the mark of Jesus on her life and she invites you to step into a life with Christ, too. 

Connect with Hailey:

• Instagram - @haileyleverett

Matthew 11:1

• When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Connect with Chelsey:

Instagram - @chelseydematteis

Website - www.chelseydematteis.com

52-week Devotional Book - More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World

• Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord,  and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Psalm 37:3-5

Connect with Chelsey:

Instagram - @chelseydematteis

Website - www.chelseydematteis.com

52-week Devotional Book - More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World

Scripture reference John 4

• 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Connect with Chelsey:

Instagram - @chelseydematteis

Website - www.chelseydematteis.com

52-week Devotional Book - More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World

• When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13
• Conviction is a GIFT from God. It is how Jesus dwells within us! God uses the Holy Spirit to direct and protect His people!
• In a moment that leads to discipline, think how you can turn that into teaching a gospel truth.

Connect with Chelsey:

Instagram - @chelseydematteis

Website - www.chelseydematteis.com

52-week Devotional Book - More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World

This is mini summer series will leave your heart feeling encouraged, equipped, and commissioned to live with your eyes wide open each day looking for GOSPEL truth in all your moments. Come hear how Jesus used Chelsey's son learning to ride a bike without training wheels to show her that even when we can't see God's hand in our life, we can trust that He is always behind us + beside us. 

• Psalm 139:5 - You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
• Psalm 91:1-2 - He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Connect with Chelsey:

Instagram - @chelseydematteis

Website - www.chelseydematteis.com

52-week Devotional Book - More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World 

Matthew 28:16-20

• 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Connect:

www.chelseydematteis.com

IG: @livingwithlesspodcast

Purchase the Devotional: More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World

Scripture Reference:

• Romans 11:36 // 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
• Ephesians 3:12 // 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Connect with Chelsey:

Instagram: @livingwithlesspodcast

Buy her book: click here! 

Scripture References:

• Nehemiah 1:4-11 // 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.
• Nehemiah 2:2-8 // 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
• Nehemiah 2:17-18 // 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

To purchase More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World

• B&N - CLICK HERE
• Walmart - CLICK HERE
• Amazon - CLICK HERE

Scripture references:

• Mark 12:30 // 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 
• Mark 12:31 // 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
• Matthew 28:18-20 // 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 // 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
• Galatians 1:10 // 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
• Galatians 5:25 // 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
• Ephesians 5:1-2 // Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
• 1 John 3:18 // 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
• Titus 2:1 - But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. // 2:15 - 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
• 1 John 4:1-5 - Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. // 4:7-8 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Scripture References:

• Malachi 3: 16-18 // 16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
• Ephesians 3: 14-21 // 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,15 from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
• 2 Timothy 2:1-13 // 1You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

What a special week of the podcast this is. God has been peeling back the layers of the sin in Chelsey's life: arrogance and pride. She walks you through the unraveling of this sin and the gift of promised forgiveness. You'll find yourself diving deeper in the book of Malachi when you hear for yourself just how good God is and how He desires for us to be right with Him. He will always offer that opportunity, yet we must return to Him. We must be full of repentance and desire His redemption. 

Scriptures:

• Malachi 4:1-4
• Malachi 3:6-18

A note from Chelsey:

• I wanted to put myself in a box, a box created by man that is. However, there is no box I can check on earth that I fit fully into. I realized why, my heart belongs to heaven. I’m a daughter of the One true King. No political group, no denomination, nothing will fully encompass who GOD is. So the box I will check, is this - God’s girl. On fire for Jesus. Wanting to extend compassion while being fully ready to give account of truth. I want to be marked with the distinction of grace, mercy, and righteousness. I want to be known as a servant of Christ, and from that comes being a disciple ready to serve man. // I want the fruit of my faith to bless my husband and my children. I don’t want to be marked by arrogance and pride. I don’t want to live this life with a head of knowledge at the cost of a heart that is hardened. // Knowledge and wisdom matter, but when it repels people with a stench of arrogance and pride..we’ve lost our witness.

Click here to purchase More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World 

Scripture reference: 

• Matthew 28:18-20 // 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Takeaway:

• Inviting people into our lives is it only a sweet thing, it’s a sacred thing. Being in community with other Bible believing women is not only a command from the Lord, but also a gift from Him.
• You can’t have deep relationship without invitation.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:14-16

The Spirit of God Moving

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

• Chelsey and her husband will be welcoming their second child at the end of this year, through this the Lord has made it very clear that it's time to press pause in this space while focusing on what He has entrusted her within their home.
• You can always connect with Chelsey on IG - @livingwithlesspodcast and her website - www.chelseydematteis.com! Her devotional: More of Him, Less of Me: Living A Christ Centered Life in a Me Centered World, will be launching October 5th!!

**A note from Chelsey**

• From the bottom of my heart I cannot thank you all enough for being a part of this special gift the Lord has given me. Getting to connect with so many of you and to know the Lord has entrusted your hearts with me means more than words can describe. This pause is out of obedience because that is what is most important, pleasing God FIRST will always bring peace. Today, I pray you leave here knowing you are fully known and loved by God Almighty. May He increase in your heart as you deny the flesh and take up your cross. Hugs, Chelsey

Today Chelsey unpacks 2 Timothy 2:1-13 and digs into what we are called to do as we share the truth that sets us free. 

2 Timothy 2:1-13

• 2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

James 1:5-6 

• 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Sharing The Truth:

• Teach others the truth we've been entrusted with.
• Share in suffering.
• Do not get caught up in fleshly issues.
• Ask for understanding.
• Know the word is not bound but living and active.
• Endure all things for the sake of others coming to know Him.

Matthew 5:13-16

• 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Acts 4:1-10 

• And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. 5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

There will always be a cost in this world when being bold for Christ. We must look at the ultimate cost, Christ's life in place of our sin and us being made right to God the Father through His bloodshed on the cross. 

Connect with Michelle and SWHW:

Michelle IG : https://www.instagram.com/michellelmyers/?hl=en

SWHW IG: https://www.instagram.com/sheworkshisway/?hl=en

SWHW Website: https://sheworkshisway.com

Free Resources:

https://sheworkshisway.com/resources/

Connect with Yohonna!:

• Website: https://girlstalkinglife.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlstalkinglife/
• Podcast: https://girlstalkinglife.com/podcast/

Sign up for the Gathering Project here!:

• https://girlstalkinglife.com/thegatheringproject/

At the end of this week's episode, you'll hear all about the Mother's Day Giveaway and how to enter!! 

1) Tell us about you, your family, and your ministry!

I loves words — written or spoken. I am passionate about God’s Word and the life changing truths found in it. I love reading it, writing about it, and challenging others to do the same.

I have had opportunities to do just that on several occasions through writing Bible Studies of my own and teaching them both in person and online, as well as through speaking engagements at events and retreats . Anytime I can write or talk about God's Word and His great love for us is such a blessing, and I always learn and glean far more than I teach or give.

My highest calling is to know Him and make Him known. My heart’s desire is to do that everyday, first in my home, and then wherever He calls me to “go.” I want my words to go where even I can’t, and I want the way I live my life to always point others to His Word and the way He lived and died and rose again to bring everlasting and abundant life to all who believe and receive.

I am a southern girl from North Carolina but have lived half my life in Pennsylvania. It was during my college years that my life was radically changed by my discovery of an ongoing, daily walk with Jesus through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. It was through the ministry of Campus Crusade that I met my husband of nearly 20 years, Steve, during the summer of ’96. We were both on a summer project in Branson, MO that proved to be the impetus for passionately pursuing ministry opportunities throughout our marriage.

We have four sons, Joshua (about to be 20 (was born the day after Mother’s Day)), Caleb (18), Nathan (16), and Isaac (14). We are in a mixture of educational stages — 2 in college, one in high school, and one in Jr. High. We’ve homeschooled, public schooled, dually enrolled, etc...

I have always had a desire to teach and share God’s love with others. My passion for writing surfaced when I was as a mother of small children and would use writing as a way of praying, processing, and preparing myself for the future. When I'm not writing, teaching, or speaking, I can be found in the stands at one of my boys’ volleyball or baseball games cheering them on. I love cheering people on and am a natural encourager in every sphere of influence God has provided.

I loves to travel and experience new things but am also a self professed creature of habit. I love routine but welcomes interruptions as I have learned those interruptions are oftentimes God’s divine interjections that lead to ministry opportunities and kingdom building.

If you spend any time with me, you will understand very quickly just how much I love God, His Word, and His people. The deep abiding joy that comes from that love oozes out of me in conversation, and I welcome opportunities to share God’s love with others, in both word and deed. He has truly changed my life, and I seek to spend my life changing others’ lives every chance I get.

Mother’s Day Interview Living with Less Podcast

2) I’ve been so excited to sit down with you for this Mother’s Day episode to not only talk about being a physical mother of 4 boys but also as a spiritual mother for those entrusted to you. I want to first unpack the Biblical call of being a mother and how we are to called to steward well those God has given us. Can you share some scripture with us and talk through the role of being called Mom.

Well, I know the Proverbs 31 Woman sometimes gets a bad rap, but I truly feel like she’s an awesome example to glean wisdom from. Things we are trying to “pass down to” or “teach” our children are more caught than taught. We must model them. A closer look at P31:

NIV
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

NLT
A Wife of Noble Character
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. 16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm[c] clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.

Mother’s Day Interview Living with Less Podcast

24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

ESV

The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Initial thoughts:

We can feel like we have to be WONDERWOMAN OR SOME SUPER MOM after reading this passage...

THESE HAVE TO BE FIRST DONE WITHIN THE HOME...YOUR PRIMARY PLATFORM, MISSION FIELD, BEFORE WE CAN BE OF EFFECTIVE SERVICE ELSEWHERE...

A P31 Woman is:

1. She is TRUSTWORTHY and CONFIDENT (GODFIDENT). (31:11)
2. She is DILIGENT. (PRODUCTIVE not just BUSY) (13:13,15)
3. She is GENEROUS. (31:20)
4. She is SHREWD/PRUDENT. (PRACTICAL CLEVERNESS) (sensible, wise, on top of it) (31:21-22) 5. She is CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT SHE SAYS. (Offers words of wisdom to others...teaches) (31:26)

3) You and I are on the same wave length on all levels. I think we have to address what we’re watching take place culturally in society. Culture wants to strip away the true meaning and value of women being mothers. For all those listening today, how would you encourage them with TRUTH to stand firm against this false, godless narrative in society?

Be in the WORD, before you step foot in the WORLD. Learn and grow from HIS TRUTH, so you can recognize and reject the world’s lies. Surround yourself with LIKEMINDED women, mentors, teachers, prayer warriors. KNOW THE WORD, and wield your SWORD. It does no good to keep it in the sheath.

4) As a mom of 4 boys you’ve seen a lot. I’d love to know what have the most important things the Lord has taught you through your journey as a mom?

Be in the moment. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Always take time to listen. Laundry, dishes, and all other mom duties can wait. Prioritize them. They are your primary mission field.

Shoveling the walk before it stops snowing is like cleaning the house before they stop growing.

5) Being a mom to Cam has changed my world in the most incredible way. God has used it to sanctify me and glorify Himself. Through this though, I’ve been blessed to have several strong Christian women (mentors) come alongside me as motherhood has unfolded. I’d love to hear your heart on Biblical mentorship and how important it is!

Titus 2:3-5 ~ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

These three verses say it all...again, more caught than taught. Model it. Spend time cross generationally. You should always be learning from someone older and pouring in to someone younger. Watch, learn, ask questions, pray together, GROW in your walk with the Lord and in your motherhood.

6) What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received through your years of being a mother?

Don’t stress over the mess.
Shoveling the walk before it stops snowing is like cleaning the house before they stop growing. If you want to see me and my family, stop by anytime, if you want to see my house, make an appointment.

Mother’s Day Interview Living with Less Podcast

Make time. Take time. Don’t waste time.
Involve them in EVERYTHING.
Pray. Pray. Pray. (for them, with them, over them...and let them pray for you, too). More caught than taught. Don’t just GIVE advice. LIVE wise.

7) To wrap up I’d love to know if someone asked you what they needed to begin Living With Less of in regard to their relationship with the Lord what would it be and why?

Social Media. Ugh. Such a time hog. Turn off the devices and tune in to HIM!! Less of the world means more time in the Word.

8) How can everyone find you - IG, FB, website!

www.tabithadeller.com
https://www.instagram.com/tabdeller/ https://www.facebook.com/Tabitha-Deller-Author-Speaker-Teacher-101629781970442

Mother's Day Giveaway Details:

• Head to @livingwithless IG page!
• Like the Mother's Day Giveaway post
• Please follow Oil of Joy, Tabitha Deller, and Entrusted By Him
• Comment on the post for extra entires!

Connect with Embrace Grace:

• Website - embracegrace.com
• Book - www.helpherbebrave.com
• IG - embracegraceinc

Connect with Amy Ford:

• IG - @amyfordeg

Love One's Mission:

In 2007, Mike and Suzanne Mayernick flew to Uganda to bring their little girl, JosieLove, home from Uganda. When they arrived, the 15-pound shell of a 3 1/2-year-old who they came to adopt was raging with a 105 degree fever and at a routine medical exam, they found out that that she had malaria, tuberculosis, and was HIV positive.

After just a few months at home receiving the love, attention, and the medical care she needed, this once dying little girl blossomed into a healthy, thriving child. Watching JosieLove's transformation sparked a fire inside of Suzanne and she knew that she was called to help more children like her daughter...so she started Love+One.

Love+One International got its name from JosieLove and the plus sign represents the mission to support the HIV positive population.

A few of my favorite things Suzanne said in our conversation that I felt needed to be out there in written form: 

• "It’s been really cool to watch the lord move the way he does and I’ve been holding onto the kite string as it took off into the air."
• We saw what love and medical treatment could do for a child like her who could’ve died. My heart just continued to be broken for kids like her.
• I have no idea how it’s happened. It’s just God. The doors have just continued to open and I’ll obediently walk through them.
• When I look in these children’s eyes I see Jesus. It’s the only way on this earth I feel like I’m looking dead in the eyes of Jesus. I feel his presents more than ever before through these children.
• When we resettle these children it’s not love one, it’s the love of Jesus that is why we do what we do. We get to share the love of Christ through this sick kids.
• In the heartache and the hard He brought JOY everyday through these little children he’d given me to care for.
• The goal is to build a bigger facility so we can hold 50-100 children.
• “Submit to His will and I love living in that freedom.”

How to get involved!

• Follow on social media
• Pray for the children by name!
• Pray for our goal: love one - to love that one child that is in our arms or in front of us at that moment.
• Prayer for our staff.
• Donate - loveoneinternational.org

Meet Karen:

• At 17 years old I walked the aisle of the big white church and prayed “the prayer” to get my golden ticket. But it was another 17 years before I ever heard the Lord speak to me personally, and when He did I was completely blown away! That day was a catalyst in my life that undid me in every good way and began my healing journey, unraveling decades of carrying the heavy burden of shame from childhood trauma. Now, whether I am teaching bible studies or doing inner healing prayer, I am passionate about leading women to the Truth that sets them free, empowering them to lay down the masks and walk in the beauty, power and authority they have as daughters of the Most High. Since emerging into my years as an empty nester, I have passionately found a deep longing to equip women. As the Director of Equipping for Be Still Ministries, I collaborated to release a video didven bible study curriculum called Father's House in 2020. I am greatly blessed to have three amazing strong men in my life, my husband Kevin who I have been married to for almost 25 years and my sons, Connor and Cade. 
• Connect with her here - @karenmcadams1111

Meet Rachel:

• Rachel Faulkner Brown is a girl with a past like your worst nightmare and a present that is pretty darn fun. Rachel has experienced the  loss of two husbands tragically in an instant, one to an aneurysm and one in an Air Force plane crash.  After marrying for the third time in 2013, Rachel began Be Still Ministries in Atlanta, Ga. Rachel and her ministry partner, Karen McAdams, published their first Bible study in January 2021 called Father's House. The study is now available on digital platforms reaching 4 million women and in 20,000 churches. Be Still Ministries has hosted over 200 widows for the their curated retreats over the last three years and received a grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2020 to expand the ministry for military and first responder widows. Although Rachel stays busy telling the story of Be Still Ministries and Never Alone Widow Retreats, she still would say her greatest role is that of wife and mother. 
• Connect with Rachel here - @rachelfaulknerbrown

Be Still Minsitries:

• We believe that all women should FULLY embrace their freedom as lavishly loved daughters who release the kingdom on earth as it is in HEAVEN.
• Freedom begins at the finished work of Jesus Christ.
• It's not about how good we are but how about how good our God is.
• An adventurously expectant life is the inheritance of every daughter of God.
• There is more of God to experience and discover in every woman’s life.
• Website - https://bestillministries.net/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bestillministries/

Be Still Ministries is a community of women who are in pursuit of radical freedom + transformation for every daughter of God.

1) Tell us about the wonderful you!

My husband, Dale and I pastor a church an hour south of Washington DC - in Fredericksburg VA. I serve as a pastor on staff with a focus on women and leadership. We have 2 young adults - Gabrielle, who just graduated from JMU with a musical theatre degree, and is home for a little bit performing regionally, and a son, Christian, who is attending college at VOUS University in Miami - an extension of Southeastern U.

So we're in a new season in our family - and there's never a dull moment. And of course, our favorite member of the family, our Shih Tzu, Chewie - short for Chewbacca. :)

My degree was Music Education and I served as a Worship Pastor for 20 years and have 3 CD's with original songs and arrangements before I started writing Bible Study resources for women. I'm still active musically in my local community theatre as a Music Director and pianist. That's a fun, creative outlet for me. 

2) I felt so compelled to reach out to you when you posted about the topic of disagreements. In our time of history it’s SO hard to disagree without walking away with someone feeling “bullied or belittled” “misheard or judged”.  When you’re in a conversation that’s heading this way what do in this situation? Do you address how it’s feeling or do you redirect? 

I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, society has shifted from dialogue to debate, and we can't simultaneously listen empathetically and try to win an argument. Conflict is inevitable, but learning to handle conflict in a godly, respectful way is so important. I don't always nail this, I confess! We don't have to agree with someone to honor them. A mentor once encouraged me to filter disagreements through this lens: "Am I trying to do right or be right?" If the disagreement is with someone close to you - family, or close friend, allowing for things to settle down and revisiting it after emotions have calmed down can help. Listening for - and validating - the other person's feelings is critical - even if you don't agree. Validation doesn't mean agreement. It simply means you understand where that person is coming from. Until someone feels "heard" or "understood" it's hard to move on past that place. But if the disagreement is with someone you barely know, for example social media, or you realize you're not going to get on the same page. It's best to let it go. 

A conflict at work can sometimes be a bit trickier and needs other resolution approaches.

3) We can’t control what people do or don’t do. Stand for or don’t stand for. I spoke about holy boldness on my podcast 2 months ago, God’s Boldness is much more gentle than our fleshly boldness. How have you navigated this with ones close to you? 

I love that truth - think of how God handles us. We can be grateful He is gentler with us than we are sometimes! We can't control other people's reactions; we can only control our responses. We waste a lot of emotional reserves and energy focusing on trying to control where we disagree. Ultimately, I'm not the Holy Spirit and I can't convict anyone of sin or help lead someone to heart change. Only He can do that. I can love people where they are and point people to Jesus. I'm still learning to adapt to having young adult children, and the 4 of us are now adults with strong opinions. Sometimes we disagree and some topics just aren't wise for us to discuss. But relational conflict needs open and honest communication and respect for the other person's viewpoint. 

4) Your statement, “No one has power over you unless you give it to them”. Do you have any biblical encouragement for girls like me who struggle with this! 

I can really credit Eleanor Rosevelt for this statement  - she said it this way, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." But it is challenging! I think immediately of Esther in the Bible. Once she learned that Haman, high up in the King's command, planned the genocide of her entire people, she had to sit on that information until the right moment to act. She gave us a template:

Stop and pray. 

Enlist a couple people you trust to pray with you (they don't even have to know the details.)

Wait for God's timing. 

Speak the truth in love - more concerned with the good of others than your own feelings. 

A friend once said to me - If you have to talk with someone about an offense or a disagreement, it should hurt you as much to say it as it will for them to hear it. If we haven't prayed through our emotions and listened for God's voice on how to respond until we can honestly say we're at this place, we're not ready yet. 

5) Love is fuel. Can you elaborate on this and why we’ve got be better at being the hands and feet of Jesus. 

Anger is fuel but so is love. We have to choose which we're going to be fueled by. One repels and estranges us from others, and one endears us to others. One of the titles of Jesus I'm most intrigued by is those who called Him a "friend of sinners." Somehow he navigated speaking truth but in love - so people were drawn to Him and drawn to a new way of living. Scripture says that the Kindness of God leads to repentance. When our actions and words are fueled by genuine love for others - which can only come after we've spent time with Jesus privately, then others will be drawn to Jesus. In my upcoming Bible study I put it this way: "We'll be the best version of ourselves in public when we've spent time with Jesus in private." If I haven't gotten His heart I can't show His heart to others. 

6) Living With Less Question - the podcast is all about Living With Less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they should start living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why? 

Live with less unmet expectations. The root of a lot of conflict is unmet expectations. This leads us to disappointment and resentment. It doesn't mean we shouldn't have realistic expectations of ourselves or others. It means we need to constantly release any unmet expectations to Jesus, because ultimately, only He is able to fully meet the expectations of our heart. 

If we're feeling stuck, we can get unstuck by talking our emotions through with the other person, if that's the right solution, or settling our sideways emotions in Jesus' presence. Bring as few people into the drama of a situation as possible. It makes it much harder to resolve and adds unnecessary dynamics of conflict. 

Also, living with less insecurity. Insecurity feeds a lot of conflict. When we ground our worth in the Word we aren't as prey to the dangers of insecurity. Insecurity drives us toward competition with others rather than celebrating others. If we look for ways to bring peace into a situation and elevate others rather than win an argument, we'll live stronger, healthier, happier lives. 

7) Favorite bible verse and why 

So many! 1 John 3:1 - See what great love the Father has lavished on us - that we should be called children of God." When we live loved, we can love others. 

8) Share with us your new bible study coming out! 

Fearless, Ordinary Women of the Bible who Dared to do Extraordinary Things - launches October 1st! They can pre-order today at angeladonadio.com and purchase at their favorite retailer on October 1st! 6-session Bible study designed to help us find our fearless as we discover what happens when uncommon faith has an unexpected encounter with an extraordinary God. Whether you're longing to realize your purpose, fighting for a God-given cause, or kicking fear to the curb, these women of the Bible will help us stop the cycle of comparison and overcome the barriers to fearless living.

I don't know about you but recently my heart has felt weary so I pray you to find yourself listening to this episode feeling like you're one of our friends sitting at the table with us.

1) Tell us about you!

Alysha Miller lives in Southern California where she serves her local church in the 5-6th grade ministry and also is a full-time wedding photographer.

Being around a lot of couples stepping into marriage, in 2015, she felt the Lord move her heart to compassion for marriage as a whole and for those who were stepping into marriage without fully realizing what they were stepping into. She wanted to use the gift of photography the Lord had given her to shine a light on what marriage is, who defines it and answer questions from a biblical perspective pertaining to it. Who better than to ask then married couples who have traversed this path? Learn how ironically God would use a single girl to set out on a journey to get to the heart of His heart for marriage.

The project is a photography project turned podcast in hopes that interviewing couples with Christ at the center of their marriage can answer some of the harder questions yet ultimately, the objective has always been to glorify Christ through marriage as it points to our relationship with Him, Christ, and His church.

And help us realize, He is our first love.  Nothing will satisfy us, apart from Him.  No relationship, no person, no marriage was ever intended to take the place of Him in our hearts.

2) I’ve been so excited to sit down with you and talk all things friendship. Not only because of the one God has gifted in us but because of the way God has grown your faith through the strong friendships he’s given you. How have you seen The Lord use the strong biblically-centered friendships you have to keep you focused on Him? 

It would have been much easier to miss on Sunday or not stay committed to things had it not been for the girl's God has placed in my life.  It’s accountability but it’s more than accountability.  It’s love.  I want to show up, I want to see my friends! Church on Sundays is a place that has been built into a habit and I get to see my friends.

Love what Pastor Ed shared on Sunday, the LOVE of Christ that fills us. 1 John 4 — it’s His love, real love, for one another and when we have this in common and come together and hear what He’s doing in each other’s life, supporting each other in prayer, caring for the other, we’re showing His love for us to each other.

Prayer support is HUGE. They have carried out the ministry things I’ve done bc they’ve prayed over future plans with me, and have listened to my heart and dreams and listened intently. carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

It’s not one-sided, I do the same. One of my best friends, how we met, heart to heart across a couch and went on a prayer walk a few hours after meeting. The deepest friendships are formed there.

There’s just been heart to hearts and safe places to land my heart when it’s needed a place to confess, work through heart things.

Listening and being trustworthy, being someone friends can trust and come to with things they need to talk about. Good listeners, but it takes one to be one. Learning the art of listening, with your heart. That was a season God took me through, no always waiting to talk but just listening to understand.  I didn’t always need to get a word in. 

Cell phones face down on the table don’t count. Heart to heart, over a table, no phone out. Also, no gossiping or slandering.  That’s a hard one! I slip so much when it comes to speech and those are usually the more convicting verses for me reading about the power of the tongue,

James 4:11 “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” 

There are at least 32 verses about gossip according to Google and 27 pertaining to the tongue and maybe there’s an overlap on some, but that’s a lot!

My call as a friend is to be encouraging, building my friends up with my words and pointing THEM back to HIM and pray for them. They don’t need my opinion about other people. I need to repent of that when I mess up, (repenting pretty much daily) and ask the Lord to cleanse me from the hidden sins lurking in my heart and to keep me from the deliberate sins lurking there. Psalm 19:12-14 

The hidden sin is the word or impulsive blurb about somebody that comes out of my heart, the deliberate sin is knowing I don’t need to say that, chewing on it and saying it anyway.  I’ve been working with the Lord on this one, thinking ahead. Where will the conversation turn if I say this?  Then probably don’t need to say it.

3) Biblically speaking friendship is a call, we’re called to be in relationship with other believers.  What would you say to someone who gets caught up "taking back their yes?”

I used to be that girl.  I would flake, I would make commitments than decide to cancel last minute. And hey, I probably still do that every now and then. BUT in Christ, He has given me a different perspective.  TO be a good friend is to show up, even when I last minute feel tired or want to be an introvert. 

A loving Creator designed us to exist in a relationship with Him, with each other and with the rest of creation. Friendship is a good thing, a God thing.

Romans 12:10 Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. This is GOD’S HEART.

I have learned and am still learning how to use my yes’ more thoughtfully, not just gleefully excitedly saying YES to every invite and asserting my no’s when I’m being pulled a lot of different ways or no even when I want to say yes because it’s the responsible thing or I know the yes isn’t the thing God wants for me. 

Then I feel more purposeful in fulfilling the “yes’” and knowing there are blessings on the other side of that yes when the day comes around to meet up with said friends and maybe my feelings are telling me to stay home because it’d be more convenient for me.  Whenever I’ve followed through on my yes (and I pretty much will now with any YES unless I’m really sick or there’s rain or something out of my control happening) I am always SO glad I followed through because I would have missed out on SO much with that friend.  And it’s two-sided, I am filled up and so is she!

The devil is in those lying feelings to stay home, he wants to RIP US OFF of anything productive, fun, fruitful, enjoyable, edifying, good for us that’s going to build up the Body.

4) Personally speaking, I know it can be really hard to put myself out there ESPECIALLY with women my age. How have you learned to do this?

It started with bible study.  That’s where most of my friendships in the Lord have blossomed out of.  I’m blessed to be a part of a women’s bible study that is multi-generational, so we get to hear wisdom from someone more seasoned in life yet also been paired with women my age.  Our church is pretty intentional about that.  So within the safe parameters of studying the Word of God together and a group setting, we’ve gotten to know each other through speaking about life’s situations but with prayer and the Word of God around it.  Then it’s branched off from there and we already know some things about each other.

The branching out part though might take some going out of our comfort zones. Being the one to text and invite to coffee or lunch, and I think being the first to share things about me invites this person to share more about herself.  It can be an awkward thing if you make it that, but it also doesn’t have to be. 

But having the Lord in common makes girls I’ve literally just met feel like sisters, we have this immediate bond and it’s awesome!

5) Hardship in deep friendship is inevitable. Knowing your part of your story can you share the difference between allowing the Holy Spirit to work verses hashing it out in the flesh.

Yes! Sharing the iron sharpening iron thing, living together, and having an honest conversation about where we were disagreeing, how we hurt each other alone felt like we had done it in our strength because I walked away shaking and with nothing resolved.  We went in around and round circles and were just not understanding each other.

But we even talked about going our separate ways if it just couldn’t get better because we couldn’t keep living this way and we realized if that happened though it be like a divorce, other friends had connected through the two of us, and we didn’t make other friends have to choose between us the rest of their lives. But God!

I Didn’t text her going to church that Sunday, she came and sat next to me and the message was on the power of forgiveness and we just hugged after and it was gone. Without any words yet a Mediator and He just took it. 

We later realized what held us for that year and a half of bitterness and hurt feelings for each other had felt like a prison sentence….and I kid you not this is literally what I had said a couple years prior.  I had just got done reading a book called Captive in Iran (such a good book!) and the testimonies of these two women in jail together had me saying, “What if we went to jail for our faith together?” And we said, dang we felt like we had.

Mark and Paul (sent Mark away but then called Barnabas to bring Mark back to him as he was helpful in ministry 2 Tim 4:11

6) Living in a world of instant gratification it can feel hard to navigate “lasting” friendships. They seem uncommon and honestly, counter-cultural. What would you say to the person desiring deep relationships in our current fast pace, on the go, busy world?

Pray about it! My mom told that.  You can pray for a friend in the Lord! God will be happy to answer that. He’s answered it a hundredfold and in one on one’s, discussing the Word of God, praying together like I said and just being intentional in investing and listening and being genuinely interested in your friend’s life!

Also, because we live in a fast-paced, busy world, there needs to be much grace… I need to be less and less offendable.  If a friend doesn’t get right back to me through text, grace.  If you see her with another friend on Instagram and you feel left out grace.

Don’t just exit the friendship and start over.  Next time, just say OH ID LOVE TO JOIN YOU GIRLS NEXT TIME if that’s something you really would want.

7) The living with less podcast birthed from John 3:30 is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this, what would you tell them and why?

I’d say, less of isolation, more community.  Do the thing you’re flesh is telling you not to do. Go to the Friday night study, sign up for the women’s bible study, say yes to the book club even if it’s not your favorite book, drive 30 mins out of your way to meet up to study alongside her.

Less shutting down, more opening up.  Be willing to share and be real with that friend.

Fewer friends who only like things you like, more sisters in Christ who may challenge you to do things you’d never do before.

Like run or indoor rock climb, go out on a limb and think less of self and more of others!

8) Can you share a small snippet of what The Marriage Project podcast is all about? 

Yes! The Marriage Project is an extension of my wedding photography business and an extension of God’s heart for marriage.  He’s led me to create a platform for Christian married couples to share their testimonies and to glorify Christ through the messier, harder parts of their stories and hopefully, in doing so, others can learn more about marriage, what it is, what God’s heart is for it and understand the weight of the calling marriage is. Hoping it can equip many!

That is scraping the surface, you can read more at www.themarriageproject.co or on Instagram @themarriageprojectco.

• I come from a large family in Oklahoma, married to husband Danny and live in OC - love our life group, community, church RHMV, and walks to the beach where our story started.
• part time for AKB as the Trauma Trainer and Director of Organizational Health
• part time in private practice in Newport Beach serving children and families through counseling

2) Can you share about the mission of AKB?

• Activate Government, Business and Faith leaders to end the crisis for kids in foster care.

3) When did you feel called to start serving in this space and how did that feel when you first began?

• I had a heart for children for forever & the fatherless since about 10 years old
• Family’s foster/adopt journey + family mission trips seeing hurting people led me to study social work
• Masters program - clearly interested in working in foster/adopt world
• Felt difficult, beautiful, energizing, sad, overwhelming, and yet “right” for me

4) Something that I found really incredible about America’s Kid’s Belong is how it talks about the collective impact. I love that the Church is included in this. Can you share how the church can help make a lasting impact in regards to this organization?

• That is something I am pretty passionate about too!
• Church/Bride of Christ is the only thing that will last, most sustainable
• Only body of people with biblical mandate to care for & bring justice for & uphold the rights of the orphan/widow (James 1:27 & Psalm 82:3)
• Churches/Faith communities are everywhere- Over 300,000 churches in US- widespread
• Faith communities built for caring for people, supporting family, advocating for wholeness
• RESEARCH: Identify families in your church who are (or have) already fostering. Listen to them. Organize and recognize them as a key ministry team in the church.
• RETAIN: Support them with a “Wrap Around Ministry”
• RECRUIT: Host a “Belong” Sunday and a “Next Steps Event” to recruit new families.
• provide space (video shoots, visitations, meetings, child welfare events)
• host trainings (trauma, WRAP around, child welfare trainings, documentary showings like Resilience Film or REMOVED films)
• start foster care related ministry
• educate self & surrounding community on felt needs
• care for & love on local child welfare workers
• wrap around foster/adopt families
• provide parents night out
• teach/preach on current foster care related issues & needs

5) Can you share a little bit about the in’s and out’s of adoption here in America? What is the timeline, what ages have the hardest time with placements, and what does the need look like?

• U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau  -- AdoptionandFosterCareAnalysisandReportingSystem
• https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport26.pdf
• 125,422 kids WAITING TO BE ADOPTED (legally free)
• 262,956 kids ENTERED FOSTER CARE
• 437,283 kids IN FOSTER CARE
• 61,901 kids ADOPTED through foster care in 2019 report (25%)
• Home Study approval process anywhere from 3 - 6 months
• Age 12+ high risk for aging out

6) “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. – Frederick Douglass This quote nearly took my breath away. Is there a story that stands out in your memory of a time The Lord placed a child with a family and a miracle happened within their heart?

• Educate about and advocate for ALL three responses
• Upstream: Provide care for at risk families before child welfare is involved
• In the stream: Provide care for kids in care & foster families
• Downstream: Provide care for aged out youth
• We get to hear of teenagers and young adults in their 20’s being adopted
• Go upstream and catch them before 10 social wounds
• People need People! Stuff without people/relationships is a bandaid.
• First few months of placement honeymoon, then grief/loss hit, then slow adjustment and steps toward healing

7) For someone listening that what’s to get involved with your organization, what can they do to help? Whether financially, prayerfully, or if they are interested in adoption?

• Pray
• Follow social media to stay up to date
• Wrap around families
• Learn/educate watch videos
• GIVE!!

8) The Living With Less Podcast was birthed from John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease.” If someone approached you and asked what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why? 

• What are you carrying that you don’t need to carry anymore?
• Our unresolved pain, loss, & shame prevents us from fully experiencing all that He is and desires for us in relationship with Him
• For Him to increase in our lives, our barriers to him must decrease
• Resolve those things through healthy community, counseling, support groups, reconciliation, and inviting Him to heal wounds.
• Connects to caring for those in pain - How can we lead the hurting to a place of healing if we have never been there ourselves?
• You can’t give a child what you have never received

 I’ve been so eager to have this conversation for a few reasons. 1st being I know this will be a blessing to each person that listens - this message is one that so perfectly fits with what The Lord has laid on my heart. 2nd this book met me in the midst of a few weeks where I felt like I was drowning in “un-rest”. So first I wanted to start by diving into talking about the first chapter of this book - “the endless pursuit of more”. One of my favorite parts was the Counting of Counterfeits. Can you share about these “counterfeits” of more that seemingly creep in and begin fighting for the throne of our hearts that belongs only to The Lord.

• What takes your eyes off of the Lord?
• What takes your attention of what the Lord is doing in your life?
   

1 John 2:16, "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” This is huge in culture today, we live in the most self seeking, self preserving, self centered generations. What would you say to the women who are getting sucked into these messages of, “me, me, me..and all the world offers.”?

• Keep your eyes on Jesus and the simplicity of His message!
• Be obedient to His call over our lives as His followers.

 Where can listeners get your book and connect with you! 

• Website - https://purposefulfaith.com
• Instagram - @kellybalarie
• Twitter - @kellybalarie
• Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/purposefulfaith

• 1 Corinthians 3:4-9 - 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

• 1 Peter 5:2-3 - 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Women In The Word:

• We have to approach God's Word seeking His heart and not through the lens of what we prefer.
• We have to have dialogue with other believers that will challenge us to seek His Word, we can't just agree with what everyone says God's Word says and claim we know it to be true.
• God's Word will never contradict itself.

Stories in scripture where we see the slippery slope of leading with what we prefer and the detriments of giving into the desires of our flesh:

• 2 Timothy 3:2-7
• 2 Samuel 11 & 12
• Numbers 15:32

We Need Reminders:

• Numbers 37-40 - We need reminders and things/people to hold us accountable to what God desires for us!
• He told the Israelites to make blue tassel cords as reminders of God's commands, to keep them, and to not follow their own heart + eyes.
• Our flesh's preferences and emotions do not have authority over us.
• We can't allow our flesh's preferences and emotions to deluded the work of Christ on the cross.
• Get your freebie blue tassel reminder book mark/printable here! 

False Teachers: 2 Peter 2:1-2

• But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 2 Peter 2:1-2
• False teachers bank on unsteady souls and biblical illiteracy, they bank on you not reading your Bible.
• If you think your pastor has fallen into this or you have questions take them to Him in love and respect. Take God's Word and ask him to clarify what he meant and to point out in scripture where he drew his conclusion from.
• A good, faithful, honest pastor will tell his people and want his people to go to Scripture and hold him accountable to it! 

The Difference Between False Teacher and Heretic:

• False teachers believe in core doctrine.
• Heritics deny core doctrine.
• A false teacher does not always mean a heretic.
• A Heretic will always be a false teacher.

Scripture Reference to Mark and Avoid:

• Romans 16:17 - I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
• Titus 3:10 - As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him..
• 2 John 10 - If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting..

Women's Bible Study

• If you are leading a women's ministry, be FAITHFUL to scripture, don't bank of the felt need of the women.
• Study God's Word and use a solid commentary. Go verse by verse. 
• Edmund Clowney book - The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament
• We must KNOW God in order to worship Him rightly.

Connect with Marcie:

IG: @provokedtoproclaim

Twitter: @provoked2proclm

Exodus 35-40 

• goes through the construction of tabernacle, making the ark of the covenant, , making the alter, making priests garments. These chapters show us that God desires for us to keep sacred what He has called sacred. 
• We need to approach God's HOLY PLACE knowing that it is a HOLY PLACE. 
• The alter is not a place for a show or a place to glamorize to make it look attractive to the world. It is a place dedicated to God the Father.

Exodus 12:24-27 - The Passover 

• We must uphold the call that the Lord gave the Israelites to SHARE what God has done.
• We need to share scripture and TELL of ALL His wonderful works.
• Psalm 9:1-2

Exodus 15 - Moses' Song of Praise

• We should desire to write down the details of our lives that the Lord has orchestrated.
• We should always seek God with a heart of PRAISE! 

Exodus 21-23 - Accountability 

• We see in Ch. 22:1-4 that ALL are held accountable no matter who they are or what they came from.
• We need to stop withholding consequences and start to allow people to see the detriments of their sin, because in this place - they see the cost, redemption, and heart of the Father at work.
• Holding people accountable is NOT withholding grace. 

Exodus 32:26, Exodus 10:21-23, Matthew 10:34-39 - Distinction 

• Exodus 32 - the call to those who were on the Lord's side. 
• Exodus 10 - the LIGHT over ONLY the Israelites (God's people) when darkness was over the Egyptians for 3 days. 
• Matthew 10 - There will be a separation between people who choose a life for Christ or a life that loves the world 

Alisha is a wife, mom, founder of Women (re)Purposed, author of Chasing Perfect: Peace and Purpose in the Exhausting Pursuit of Something Better, and she loves equipping women with biblical truth and hope for their day-to-day struggles. 

1) Tell us a little about you!

• Two years ago I moved from Dallas, TX back to my hometown of Wichita, Kanas with my husband of 14 years and our three, high-octane kids who are 8,10, and 12. We are the in the golden years — the are old enough to rides their own bikes on family bike rides, but no hormonal rollercoaster rides yet. My kids are big into sports and extracurricular activities. Even when we just do one sport per child....it gets busy fast. MOST CHALLENGING PART of ministry and family life. NOT BALANCE, BUT JUGGLING.
• I’ve been in women’s ministry both at home and in the local church for the past 20 years. Currently the founder and director for Women rePurposed, a ministry that God planted in my heart a couple of years ago and is just now launching with a full team this summer.
• WRP MISSION: Encouraging and Equipping Women to Love God, Learn Truth, and Live Transformed

2) I am really excited to dive into this conversation today - I’d love to start with this. Your book is titled, “Chasing Perfect”. Can you give a quick run down of the book and then share where this message came from in your own life. What changed/shifted/conviction did you feel on your heart from the Lord?

• Chasing Perfect: Peace and Purpose in the Exhausting Pursuit of Something Better. Authors often write books, not because they have it all figured out or have perfectly overcome a struggle, but they have learned to STRUGGLE WELL.
• Not all women would probably consider themselves “perfectionists”, wanting all dishes put away, beds made and counters immaculate. I certainly don’t! But many of us are constantly seeking the next best thing or reaching for something better in order to feel content.
• We are chasing after so many things — satisfaction in our jobs, happiness in our homes, a great tribe of friends, and a beautiful body. THE PERFECT PLAN, CONTROL, IDENTITY.
• I honestly believe that the most socially acceptable idols of our day IS ACHIEVEMENT — the continual desire to be great or better. I would add...to be in control. The pandemic and state of our world right now has made that painfully clear. We are looking for an answer. So we strive to be better, do better, find better, live better in an attempt to manage, tidy, and control the outcomes of our lives.
• BUT GOD ISN’T ASKING US FOR TIDY LIVES, BUT TRANSFORMED LIVES. HE CALLS US TO PERFECTION, BUT NOT THE PERFECTION THAT WE CAN ATTAIN, BUT THE PERFECTION THAT HE PROVIDES.
• “Be perfect as I am perfect.” Matthew 5:48
• The NT Greek idea of “perfect” here ‘TE-LE-AS’ is less about doing everything just right AND WITHOUT FLAW as the English word describes it and more about living into your purpose and identity we were designed and called to ... “being brought to it’s end, complete and mature”
• NOT A COMMAND TO ETHICAL EQUALITY WITH GOD, BUT THE COMMAND TO IMITATE AND REFLECT GOD. WHICH IS WHY JAMES 1:2-4 IS SO POWERFUL WHEN IT SAYS TO “COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU MEET TRIALS OF VARIOUS KINDS, FOR YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES STEADFASTNESS. AND LET STEADFASTNESS HAVE ITS FULL EFFECT THAT YOU MAY BE “PERFECT” AND COMPLETE, LACKING IN NOTHING.”
• We are called to aim for increasing holiness and sanctification. He wants us to grow. But through Him and for him and in him. We aren’t chasing perfection in ourselves or for ourselves.
• “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Hebrews 12:1-3
• The more I studied the scripture on this idea of “perfection” and contentment, the more I realized that the desire is not wrong. But, In fact, it may be intentional, part of how God created us.
• The problem is that, in my life, I often had and still often do, chase the wrong things. 
• We were made to chase Jesus.

3) The idol of self has blazed a trail in our world and taken the Lord off of the throne of our hearts. Where do you see this being most destructive and where in scripture would you take someone as they are trying to move away from this way of living?

• It saddens me that so many books, and supposedly Christian authors anchor their messages on self-determination and personal fulfillment. That true hope and purpose is found in “fulfilling your potential”. They may have large followings, but they fail to tell you WHO you should really follow and that the meaningful life is not found in self-empowerment, but the surrender of self to God’s power and provision.
• Rachel Hollis - was on New York Times best seller list 46 weeks, sold over 3 million copies, 1.6 million followers. Her books are flying off the shelf and women are listening and admire her. Says a lot about our culture. 
• HUSTLE CULTURE trend - started when a very popular book was released “Girl, wash your face.” This book was released by a Christian publisher, but is more of a motivational and self-help book with a little Jesus sprinkled in. But the idea of the message and this authors message is that YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN HAPPINESS AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS LIVING INTO YOUR BEST SELF POSSIBLE. YOU CONTROL YOUR HAPPINESS AND DESTINY.
• THE MANTRA ... LIVE INTO YOUR POTENTIAL. SO, you need to constantly chase your “ideal self”. You can take active steps to be happy and fulfilled. Definitely a self- help type message. You are in control of your fulfillment in life. Although some of these things can be helpful, we can’t expect to find soul peace and purpose outside of God. According to this author — “lost” means living into other people’s expectations of yourself and not your own. Ultimate happiness is living into your own potential!! (How you look, how much money you have, how you feel about yourself) the posture is rooted in the here and now! Almost a “chasing of your ideal self” that is her idea of heaven. The mantra is ... “Just try harder!”You are your own Savior!
• It seems like culture (and even Christian subculture) is really BUYING INTO THIS IDEA OF THE “GOSPEL OF SELF” — it’s everywhere
• ITS HONESTLY EXHAUSTING TO BE FORCED TO BELIEVE THAT I AM ENOUGH AND THAT MY HAPPINESS IS DEPENDENT ON ME. DEEP DOWN INSIDE I KNOW I’M NOT ENOUGH.
• And the Bible says I’m not enough. - In Romans it says that I am a sinner. In Eph 2 it says that I am dead in my sins. In Is 64:6 it says that my good works are like filthy rags. We have to get the diagnosis right before we can accept the cure. If we think we are good and able and capable, we will never accept God’s remedy. The endless chase for hope and purpose will go no where and in the wrong direction.
• Self is not the answer. It’s the problem.
• The Gospel is the answer, the good news. Jesus perfection for me. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 For. 5:21
• I needed reminded that the GOSPEL changes everything. In my struggles, insecurities, anxieties ... I need to settle my mind and heart in the hope of the gospel. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
• The “yoke” was a visual of the harness that was used for sen to get them to pull a cart or farming equipment. One yoke for two oxen. The yoke of Jesus was his teaching ... the gospel. The Jews of Jesus day were living under the heavy weight of the law, trying to earn favor with God through adherence to over 600 laws and many extra laws that were merely tradition. This was exhausting. Jesus way was light because it wasn’t dependent on their efforts that were futile, but on his sufficiency. Anytime we look inward to find hope and peace, we pick up our heavy yoke.
• It’s so easy to start feeling frazzled and discontent when the source of our hope comes from ourselves...how we measure up, how we perform, how we compare. It’s exhausting. We will never be ENOUGH. We are the problem, so we can’t also be the solution. We know we aren’t enough, so when the world or even the Christian sub-culture tells us that we are, we get disheartened.
• But Jesus is enough, his perfection is enough. He is our hope...not the number on the scale, your spouses mood, your ability to accomplish or impress. Sure, we are called to put forth effort in life, steward our bodies, gifts, and passions, but the point is .... Our acceptance and identity can’t be dependent on those things. We work from a place of acceptance, not for a place of acceptance. That is life-giving and liberating.
• And let’s not forget that the gospel message transforms or should transformed every aspect of our lives. Because of the grace of God, we can forgive others, live in the freedom that we are found worthy on the merit of Jesus, not our performance. We can extend grace to others in the same way. Because of Jesus, we don’t need to find our significance in our significant other, our waist line or even our ability to handle every situation perfectly. The gospel gives us hope outside of ourselves or our uncertain circumcstances, so when we walk in obedience, aiming to live into the “teleas” or perfect completion, we are not fighting for hope and peace, we are living in and from his provision and purpose.

 4) Self-help doesn’t work, the blood of Christ is what saves. You have the quote that went wild on the internet, "You can eat all the kale, buy all the things, lift all the weights, take all the trips, trash all that doesn't spark joy, wash your face and hustle like mad, but if you don't rest your soul in Jesus, you'll never find peace and purpose.” I’ve seen so many women caught in the trap of “self-help” culture. How would you steward someone away from this lie and to the truth of God’s Word?

• THE IRONY IS THAT THE SELF-HELP GOSPEL ISN’T HELPING OURSELF— ...We think we are STRIVING FOR ACHIEVEMENT, POWER, OR POPULARITY. What WE ARE really AFTER is JOY, PEACE, PURPOSE, SATISFACTION, LOVE, CONTROL .... JESUS!
• We don’t need transformed out of our idols of success, being better, having more, comfort, control, etc. .... We needed transformed out of our DISBELIEF AND DISTRUST.
• Ultimately, WE don’t believe he is enough. We don’t trust him. The kingdom of God says ... Surrender self ... not this idea of promotion of self or focus on self. Surrender is required for soul peace.
• NLT “If you cling to your life, you will lose it. If you give up your life for me, you will find it.” Matt 10:39
• To bear fruit (the fruit of what we are all after — joy, peace, purpose, etc) we must “die” to ourself. John 12:24 (unless the kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed ... it won’t produce abundant life)
• The worship of God, the centrality of God in our lives, not self, is the life-giving well that will bear much fruit.
• THE GREATEST SELF-CARE IS SOUL CARE. THE GREATEST WAY TO LOVE YOURSELF (OR HELP YOURSELF) IS TO LOSE YOURSELF.

5) Submission to God’s will is difficult for all of us at some point. What has this looked like for you - where in your life did you see surrender to the Lord needed to happen most?

• I’ve always struggled with wanting to control the outcomes. Jesus said to cast my cares on him. I liked that idea, as long as I didn’t cast them so far that I couldn’t manage them.
•  HE KNEW I HAD A CONTROL PROBLEM. Knowing that, he allowed me to experience and struggle through a condition that would affect the part of the nervous system that we have no control over and with no real clear control over or answer to what it would turn into or how to manage it. I now have temperature control issues, twitching muscles, heart rate/BP. My hands shake ... but my heart no longer does.
• “If dependence is the goal, weakness is the advantage.”
• But anything that makes us lean on him and turn to his word for truth, security, and hope is a blessing.
• C.S. Lewis said this ... “Pain makes us put away our toys”
• In our struggles we tend to turn away from ourselves, our insufficiency, our entertainment and turn toward the ETERNAL, the sufficient. We cling to the steady and immovable.
• It was this season that I realized I was chasing my own sufficiency and control over Jesus for happiness. My joy was dependent on circumstances, not his presence.
• But ... every day is A daily decision to trust God. SOMETIMES HIS DELIVERANCE ISN’T TO TAKE US OUT OR REMOVE US FROM THE DIFFICULTY. HIS DELIVERANCE IS HIS PRESENCE.

6) This makes me want to address the beloved verse Jer 29:11, many in the world even love this. Though many disregard that this is a call to submission, not a promise to have what we want, when we want it, with no pain in life. I’d love to heart from you, how have you seen God draw you in through the “plans and provisions” He’s had for you that were NEVER what you thought it would look like?

• The 3 most important aspects of good Bible study is ....CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT. We have to read scripture in light of the immediate context of what is happening and the big story of scripture if we want to properly interpret. This particular verse is frequently plucked out of context to convey this idea that God will only give us a pleasant and prosperous life....according to world standards. That feels nice. It seems so uplifting. But God was actually giving a promise to his people ISRAEL (who were going to be exiled to Babylon and have their nation and temple destroyed). It was a specific promise that they would return to the land in 70 years. See verse 10. This was a re-assurance that God would not forsake them.
• So the primary application is not for us today. BUT we can apply it as a general principle of God’s consistent character, his grace and affection for those he loves, including us...his daughters! For us, in Christ, he has promised that our sins are forgiven, we stand before God justified (Jesus perfection as ours), and will work all things together for our good ... even the trials and difficulties of life. (Romans 5:5, Romans 8:31-39).
• So, as I walk this out ... I’m daily deciding to trust him. It’s easy to trust him with my soul, it’s harder to trust him with my life. With my chronic neurological condition, with my marriage, my family, my ministry. Sometimes God is quiet.
• He asks me to trust him in the middle moments, when I do the things that don’t get immediately recognized or appreciated. He wants me to walk in step with the spirit, yielding to him instead of controlling and micromanaging every aspect of my day or planning out every step. I’m learning that often his plan isn’t this specific “thing”, but his will is daily dependence and surrender.
• Will I turn to the world’s answer and solution or trust God and his plan, even if it means that the answer may not come or the promise for good may not be realized until I see him face to face and the world is renewed and restored?

7) I ask all my guest this -T he Living With Less Podcast was birthed from John 3:30, “He must increase, I must decrease.” If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of what would you tell them and why?

• First, can I just say that that is my favorite verse in the Bible. It’s actually my life verse. My pastor preached on John 3 last week and talked about JTB. John said these final worlds as a response to his disciples who were frustrated at the greater success of Jesus disciples. What humility to realize that it wasn’t about him! His efforts were always just a response and desire to make much of Jesus. I read the book, “The Voice of Prophet” by A.W. Tozer last month and he talks about how God will use the man (or woman) with whom his glory is most safe.
• This was a mic drop moment for me as I considered how so often I don’t think God’s glory is safe with me. I want the glory. I want applause. I care about what people think, if they like me and approve.
• I want to live with less of me — concern for acceptance, approval and applause. I want to live for the praise and love of Jesus. I want him to lifted, glorified and increased.
• And here’s the crazy thing, the more I live for him, surrender to his will, and willing to lose my life ... the more hope, joy, purpose and freedom I will find.
•  We were never meant to chase perfection, but chase the Perfect one. In him alone and for his glory alone will we find what we are looking for and rest for our souls.

Connect with Alisha:

• www.womenrepurposed.com
• Order Chasing Perfect HERE!
• @womenrepurposed  - Instagram
• @alishaillian - Instagram

Scripture Reference:

• Genesis 3
• John 19
• Isaiah 53:5

This quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship 

• Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."
• Costly grace - "Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him."
• He shares this lastly - "Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

What has been seen under the microscope of the last year and need to accountability:

• A lack of biblical literacy from all facets of the church. We need to know God through His Word personally. 
• Accountability - we need sound people to hold us accountable. In the early church disciples were never sent out alone. We were not intended to be in isolation. 

Connect with Lacey:

IG: lacerab

Website: https://laceyrabalais.com/

Scriptures:

• Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• Matthew 10:34 - “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
• Ephesians 5:6-11 - 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
• Matthew 4:10 - For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
• 1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

To love in deed and in truth we must be walking in the light: 

• 1 John 1:5-10 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
• To to walking in His light means you've accepted Christ as Lord and Savior - you believe in Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
• We in Christ confess our sin and seek true repentance because we know He is faithful and just to forgive our sin. 

To love in deed and in truth we must know what the Lord commands of us because those who know Him seek to obey Him:

• 1 John 2:3-6 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
• We in Christ must know His commands. 
• Keep His word.
• Abide in His ways and WALK like Him.

To love in deed and in truth we must not desire to live and love like the world: 

• 1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
• To love like Christ we must get comfortable with being unpopular. 
• We have to daily seek God's desires over our fleshly desires.

To love in deed and in truth we must reject the deception of the world and lead others in truth:

• 1 John 2:18-24 18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
• We must remember the truth we were taught - VS 24.
• Uphold the truth so you wont be "taken captive by empty deceit". Col 2:8

To love in deed and in truth we must know who we are in Christ, His beloved Children:

• 1 John 3:1-10 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
• True Christ followers have conviction because of the Holy Spirit living within our hearts. We seek repentance and walk in sanctification.
• We love in deed and in truth - 1 John 3:19 "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him.." 1 John 3:23-24 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Stand Firm: Standing Firm In Your Faith Against Deception:

• You can get the 7 day devotional at the link here: STAND FIRM DEVO
• Part of the proceeds for the sale of each devotional goes towards donating Bibles to kids through Compassion!

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

• 3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
      but let your heart keep my commandments,
  2 for length of days and years of life
      and peace they will add to you.
• 3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
      bind them around your neck;
      write them on the tablet of your heart.
  4 So you will find favor and good success
      in the sight of God and man.
• 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
      and do not lean on your own understanding.
  6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
      and he will make straight your paths.
  7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
      fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
  8 It will be healing to your flesh
      and refreshment to your bones.
• 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
      and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
  10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
      and your vats will be bursting with wine.
• 11 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
      or be weary of his reproof,
  12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
      as a father the son in whom he delights.
• 13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
      and the one who gets understanding,
  14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
      and her profit better than gold.
  15 She is more precious than jewels,
      and nothing you desire can compare with her.
  16 Long life is in her right hand;
      in her left hand are riches and honor.
  17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
      and all her paths are peace.
  18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
      those who hold her fast are called blessed.
• 19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
      by understanding he established the heavens;
  20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
      and the clouds drop down the dew.
• 21 My son, do not lose sight of these—
      keep sound wisdom and discretion,
  22 and they will be life for your soul
      and adornment for your neck.
  23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
      and your foot will not stumble.
  24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
      when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
  25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror
      or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
  26 for the Lord will be your confidence
      and will keep your foot from being caught.
  27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
      when it is in your power to do it.
• 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
      tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
  29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
      who dwells trustingly beside you.
  30 Do not contend with a man for no reason,
      when he has done you no harm.
  31 Do not envy a man of violence
      and do not choose any of his ways,
  32 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
      but the upright are in his confidence.
  33 The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
      but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
  34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
      but to the humble he gives favor.
  35 The wise will inherit honor,
      but fools get disgrace.

Deception of Worldly Love: 

• People twist the meaning behind Jesus's words in Matthew 22:39, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
• These same people also fail to read past Matthew 7:1. If they read the verses to follow they would see that they are told they will be held to the same standard they hold others too. "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
• Many get caught up in believe that "love" is something that can at times withhold truth. The love of God never sidesteps truth. Matthew 8:11 we see the example of Jesus telling the adulterous woman that He didn’t condemn her, but to sin no more. In Mark 2:17 we Jesus openly share that He came for those He was sitting with; which are the sinners.
• John also tells us in 2 John 1:6 what is means to LOVE like Jesus called us to. 2 John 1:6 what this “love” is to look like that Jesus commands of us in Matthew 22:39. “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.”

The Godless: (link here for biblical definition) 

• "The principal idea lying at the root of the word is that of pollution and profanity; a condition of not merely being without God but assuming an attitude of open and blatant opposition toward God. The godless man is not merely the atheistic, unbelieving or even irreligious, but the openly impious, wicked and profane man. Indeed it can hardly be rightly claimed that the idea of hypocrisy is involved in the meaning of the word, for the "godless" man is not the one who professes one thing and lives another, but the one who openly avows not only his disbelief in, but his open opposition to, God. Doubtless the idea of pollution and defilement is also to be included in the definition of this word; see Jeremiah 3:9; Numbers 35:33; Daniel 11:31." -BibleStudyTools.com
• Scriptures: Isaiah 9:17; 10:6; Psalms 35:16

The Lost: (link here for full reading)

• "Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The Bible compares human beings to sheep (Psalm 23; John 10:11–14) because sheep are, by nature, defenseless. They are not overly bright and tend to follow a leader, regardless of where that leader is taking them. Sheep need a shepherd to survive. A shepherd protects them from attacks, guides them to good grazing, and keeps watch so that none are lost. Sheep tend to wander from the herd and can become easy targets for predators. In a spiritual sense, people are prone to wander and become easy targets for our enemy, Satan. Without Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we are spiritually lost and unable to find God on our own.
  
  Jesus told a parable about a lost lamb to explain the Father’s heart for lost people (Luke 15:3–7). The Good Shepherd was willing to leave the ninety-nine sheep in the fold to go in search of the one lost lamb. The lamb would never have found the Shepherd on its own. This parable demonstrates God’s tender concern for every individual. He stops at nothing to find those who need Him and bring them safely into His presence. Just as lost sheep cannot find the Shepherd on their own, lost people cannot find God on their own (Psalm 53:2–3; Romans 3:11)."                            -GotQuestions.org

Habakkuk 1:5-11

• 5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. 6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth,  to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. 8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves;  their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar;  they fly like an eagle swift to devour. 9 They all come for violence,all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. 10 At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh.They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. 11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on guilty men, whose own might is their god!”

1 Timothy 6:20

• Guard the deposit entrusted to you

Matthew 28:19-20

• 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

• Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Sola Sisters:

•  join us as we read the whole Bible chronologically study in 2021 
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Luke 2:8-19

• And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Psalm 119:2

• Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

Ephesians 5:15-17 

• 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Matthew 28: 16-20

• 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 5:13-16

• 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Worker Approved by God: 2 Timothy 2:14-26

• 14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Those Under Deception: 2 Timothy 3:1-9

• 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

What Believers Are Commanded: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

• I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Attributes of Deceivers: 2 Peter 2

• But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. 17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

Ephesians 6:11-12

• 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 4:1-6

• Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

• 2 Chron 20:17 - You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
• Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
• Isaiah 41: 13-14 -For I, the Lord your God,  hold your right hand;
  it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;  your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 41:17-18 - and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
  and the dry land springs of water.
• Isaiah 41:20 - that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
• Jeremiah 1:10 - See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
• Romans 17:15-25 - For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• 2 Corin 5:20 -Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• Galatians 5:17-18 - For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
• Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• Ephesians 5: 15-17 - Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
• Ephesians 6:11-18 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
• 1 Thess 5:5-28 - For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.Do not quench the Spirit.Do not despise prophecies,but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us.Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

I pray you find 1 of these 13 scriptures as encouragement and an equipping in your heart to hold fast to the goodness and the truth of God. 

A woman of noble character:

• She led with integrity rooted in Christ.
• She was filled with a servants heart.
• She was always willing when God called her.
• Obedient in all the ways she could serve the Lord. 
• We should desire to be women of noble character - rooted in Christ alone!

Approaching this portion of scripture:

• Hand over any preconceived notions to the Lord.
• Ask for fresh eyes and clear ears.
• Remember the Bible from beginning to end is about the Lord.
• The Proverbs 31 woman was a common woman who loved God.
• Ask the Lord - what can I learn about you in this portion of scripture, rather than approaching the word for what "you" can get.

Speaking life into the next generation:

• Watch their screen time - set boundaries - be bold and brave in your conversations with them!
• Encourage their dads to love and lead them the way the Lord commands. 
• Encourage them to have a relationship with Christ over anything else. 

Connect with Scotti Beth:

• Instagram - @scottibethlawson 
• Blog - www.SimplyScottiBeth.com 

Advent Devotional : Good News, Great Joy - 25 Advent Devotions to Steady Your Heart in the Joy We Have in Christ.:

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• You will receive your 25 day devotional in your inbox on November 30th.

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• Enter every Wed. on the @livingwithlesspodcast Instagram page
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• Donors: Love One International - Hopefuel - Daughter of Delight - Buhbay - Hebrews Coffee NC

Distractions: 

• Nehemiah 6: 1-9 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Shepherding: 

• 1 Peter 5:2-11 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• 1 Peter 4:12 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

God's Promise:

• "...Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10)

The heart of the Proverbs 31 Woman 

• Proverbs 31 isn’t a check list. It’s a character list.
• The Proverbs 31 Woman is the standard of woman God has called us to be.
• Charm is not genuine. Charm can be turned on and off.

How do we smile at the future and be disciplined in our faith?

• My future is in heaven because of what Jesus did on the cross and my belief in Him.
• Our disciple is out of God’s love and favor.
• In Christ we have everything that we need.
• The Proverbs 31 woman is willing to obey in whatever God asks.
• We are never off duty for The Lord.

Unpacking Proverbs 31:15-16

• Women were not put in our path to be inferior or superior. When God puts them in our path we need to ask - how can I serve her, how can I help her, and how can we do more for the kingdom together.
• God does not need you to increase to make Him increase. This is not a dual increase equation.

Connect with Michelle:

• @michellelmyers
• @sheworkshisway
• www.sheworkshisway.com

What happens when we don't seek for understanding from The Lord?:

• Hearts become depleted and overly emotional.
• Lives become ran by feelings.
• Decisions are made based off of what the flesh desires.
• Psalm 119:1-8,  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame,having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes;  do not utterly forsake me!

As we seek understanding in Christ pulls us away from the world, the lies of the enemy, and desires of the flesh.:

• As we lean into The Lord we will be drawn closer to Him and His truth.
• Psalm 119:29-32, 29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. 31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! 32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!

As we seek understanding from The Lord, He will always lead us in His truth.:

• The Lord will always lead us in truth and the Holy Spirit points us in the direction of clarity.
• James 4:7-8, 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy

• By John Piper
• Advent Devotional

• I originally thought of the Proverbs 31 as an unreachable standard. Then as The Lord convicted my heart I realized this is not at all what this portion of scripture is all about.
• We see that she is actually so relatable. She has pressures, she has plans, and she has people just like we all do.
• She is not a perfect person. There has only been one perfect person to walk this earth and that is Jesus Christ.
• She is not the standard to reach for. Jesus is the standard to reach for.
• The Bible is not bound by time. The Lord placed the Proverbs 31 Woman in His Word - we cannot skip over her. 
• I started approaching the P31 woman with a lens of the heart behind the action and the motives behind the motions.
• Jesus did not die on the cross so we could try and be good enough.
• We can mimic her hearts position, her hearts preparation, and her hearts pursuit.
• She exchanges her fear of the future for  fear of The Lord.
• We so often want to start with pursuit and then throw in preparation and position along the way.
• Proverbs 31:10 - An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

Connect with Katy:

• https://katymccown.com
• http://shelaughsconference.com
• Instagram - @katymccown 

Scripture: 

• Proverbs 31:11-12 The heart of her husband trusts in her,and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
• Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
• Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Notes:

• Ruby is the strongest gem stone and God uses this to describe a woman who lives for Him. 
• Finding a  woman of noble character is very difficult to find in culture.
• God calls women in Christ to be noble and strong in Him.
• We as women continue to hold our low points up to other’s high points.
• As a woman we must learn to be kind and gracious to ourselves.
• We need to look to the Proverbs 31 woman  as the aim of a life of someone who loves The Lord with all her heart and lives fully surrendered to Him.
• Sometimes the best yes is not doing the thing that needs to be done and spending time where God desires you to be.
• One of the hardest things to surrender to God is our future.
• We need to live with less of culture telling women who they are and what makes them roar. We need to go to The Lord for that.  We also need to live with more grace and humility that comes from The Lord.
• We must always remember God uses the small things.

Connect with Katie:

• Instagram: @katiewalters
• Francis and Benedict : francisandbenedict.com
• Francis and Benedict Instagram: @francisandbenedict

 1) Tell us about you!

-My name is Pam Lozano. I am passionate about mentoring and empowering next generation women with truth. Truth that God created them uniquely and adores them just the way they are. That He has a specific purpose and plan for their lives and if they pursue that plan, they will be fulfilled in ways they cannot imagine!  I am a mom of three grown children - a 23 year old daughter, Caeilen and two sons - Judah is 19 and Markus is 13. I love writing, leading worship, decorating, taking long walks and enjoying a Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate over a long chat with a friend. 

  2)  I loved getting to sit down with my friend Shanda Fulbright to talk about raising Godly men in a world that teaches otherwise and now I’m just as excited to sit down and talk with you about raising Godly women in a world that teaches otherwise. So I first wanted to start with this: the world deems masculinity in men as a bad thing and then in the very same breath they deem femininity in women as weak. We see secular feminism which is built on earthly strength, hardened independence, and a  “trailblazer” attitude. This is sweeping young women off their feet and into a life that doesn’t fit God’s desires. 

   As a mom of girls how have you trained up your daughters to know what God says about them regardless of what culture teaches? What negative effects have you seen happen to our women through this culture? 

-Caeilen is now 23 and grew up with us in youth ministry throughout her teen years. I tried to always instill that what God says about her trumps everything culture teaches. That His word is truth and the only thing we can anchor our hearts and emotions to. That no matter who said what - she is unconditionally loved by God for who she is - HIS daughter. And that she doesn't have to do anything to earn God's love. 

There are so many negative effects from what culture teaches our daughters. Culture portrays beauty as stick-thin, air-brushed models of perfection. Anything less is unacceptable and less than. This generation of women compares themselves to the women on the covers of Cosmo or Teen Vogue, forgetting that these altered images aren't truth. 
These photographs are photoshopped, cropped and filtered to create an unrealistic image to be idolized and sought after. This results however, in demoralized women who hate themselves and their bodies because perfection cannot be achieved. They often then fall into self-destructive behaviors when they realize they can never attain this level of beauty.

   3) I love your ministry Pure Design. I’d love to unpack that a little bit. How do you share purity with your girls? What have those conversations looked like over the years.
   -Pure Design exists to empower girls with truth and authenticity. Three main areas of impact are self-image, self-worth and pure beauty.
Purity is a big piece of what we talk about with young women, but it isn't the main focus.Desiring to walk in purity comes from a place of first loving God.When we love God, we want to please Him. But secondly, it comes from a place of VALUING ourselves and SEEING OURSELVES as God's treasured daughters - so deeply loved and valued by Him that we KNOW what we are worth.When we know our worth, we take pride in ourselves and THAT keeps us desiring to please and honor God.

-I go more in depth in this in my new devotional - Purity's Still in Style - there's an entire week on sexual purity - but there's 2 pages called Why Wait that I believe gives a great Biblical overview and perspective.
My message / conversation has changed over the years... I've really moved away from any type of Do's and Don't's list or any fear tactics.
The BEST motivating factor is love - when we love God, we want to obey and please Him.

   4) How have you and your husband tackled hard issues/conversations together in regards to leading your daughter and pointing her to living out what God desires for her life? 
Well let me say, we haven't always done it right. We made our fair share of mistakes in conversations...In fact, my biggest mistakes were made when I parented out of fear - being afraid she might mess up or make a mistake... rather than trusting and empowering her to make right choices. There's a different underlying factor - and as believers we are called to parent and lead from a place of faith.

-It hasn't always been easy... we've walked through some difficult seasons with Caeilen. But the key word is WITH. We stuck by her side and loved her no matter what. There were times when we didn't see eye to eye when it came to boys, but we talked it through, sometimes more than talked... but we stayed committed to the relationship and God has really seen us through... We always strived to keep communication open between us. We were involved in her life and asked a lot of questions - probably more than she ever liked. And today we have a great relationship, one where she includes us and asks our opinion on things way more than she did in the past. We love working together and growing and developing Pure Design Ministries & Magazine as a team.

   5) I know you and your husband have done youth ministry for years. I know there is a mom listening to this episode who has kids in the “youth group” age. What is the best wisdom you’d share with them in regards to   pointing them to Jesus? (Devotionals/one on one time/less busy schedule)

-Yes, Jake and I have been Youth & Young Adult Pastors for 23 years.
Best wisdom - is get your kids to church... YES, MAKE them go!
I hear so often parents say - I don't want to make them go to Youth Group if they don't want to - yet in every other area of life we "make them" do things they don't want to... We make them go to the doctor, we make them go to the dentist, we make them eat their vegetables... why in the world then wouldn't we MAKE them do something that we know is spiritually good for them. I know there are many reasons teens don't want to go - they don’t know anyone, the music isn't their style, they don't love the Youth Pastor, but let me ask you this - if you think your kid MIGHT have a chance to encounter God and have a chance to grow spiritually - don't you think it's worth encouraging them to get over themselves and just go!?

My husband challenged a young man over 20 years ago to get back into youth group and really TRY - and within months, this teen was the strongest leader, who would pray, preach and lead the group in ways we couldn't have imagined. It all came from a challenge to get over the uncomfortable and simply say yes and show up. To this day, this man is a strong Christian leader.

   6) Something that I’ve seen play out over time in our culture is the attack on how God created a woman. I think of what God’s word says about His daughters. He uses them in mighty ways yet talks about them with a sense delicacy. The world wants to create harsh women, but God created women to be - skillful, tender, refined, delicate, loved, wise, discerning, trustworthy, honorable just to name a few from scripture. We don’t want harsh women, we want Godly women. I don’t want to be known as Chelsey - the harsh one. I want to be known as Chelsey - the woman that loved the Lord. 

-As a mom how have you tackled this? How have you taught your girls to seek these things above the things of this world? We talk a lot about this very topic in our brand new issue of Pure Design Magazine - Fierce Femininity. I truly believe just like a coin - there are two very powerful sides to every woman. I think God did create us to be fierce and powerful. If you are a mom - you know creating a life inside of you, growing that life, nurturing it and then bringing that child into the world - takes some grit and determination and fierceness. God desires kingdom minded women who are powerful, resourceful, skillful and able to do what He has gifted them to do from a place of securely knowing they are His daughters. You see as Daughters of the King - we have the rights and authority of God's kingdom. Just as a princess or queen would on the earth.
-But, that doesn't mean we have to "lord it over men"... he did create us to reflect his beauty, grace, tenderness and  so many other amazing traits that are usually found in the beautiful gift of femininity. You see in Genesis - God called Adam AND Eve to have dominion over the earth - as equal partners. So we don't have to fight for position or importance. It was granted to us in the garden. We simply have to be secure in knowing who we are.

7) The Living With Less podcast was birthed from John 3:30, He must increase, I must decrease. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to what gets in the way of Him what would you tell them and why?

Honestly, I believe this answer is the same and yet different for every single person. Firstly, we must live with less of ANYTHING that gets in the way of our relationship with God. The greatest command is to love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Anything else is less than ALL... So anything that creates a barrier from our relationship with God has to go - whether that's food, money, relationships, alcohol, whatever... we have to let go, so God gets more.
But the items or issues for each one of us are very different depending on our history, our weaknesses and our tendencies. So it really takes listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and walking in obedience every single day.

Connect with Pam here! 

Pam Lozano is the Founder & President of Pure Design Ministries & Magazine. She is a speaker of topics on faith, self-image, self-worth and purity. Pam has been a Youth & Young Adult Pastor for over twenty years. She is passionate about mentoring young women to identify and pursue their dreams and to live whole-heartedly for Christ.  Pam has written two devotionals for teen and young adult women on self-image and purity. Pam leads Pure Design with her daughter Caeilen, who oversees social media and is the Fashion & Style Editor of Pure Design Magazine. You can find more information about or follow Pure Design at:

Website: www.puredesigngirl.com

-Instagram: @PureDesignGirl

-Facebook: @Pure DesignGirl

-Twitter @PureDesignTeen

- For moms of teen daughters: Private FB Group – Pure Design Mom2Mom

*Next week I will be sitting down with Pam Lozano to talk about Raising Godly Women in a World That Teaches Otherwise.*

1) Tell us about you!

• I am happily married to my husband o 19 years and together we have 3 boys: 17, 15, and 10. We live in the Central Valley in Ca. I am an ordained minster with the COG as well as a credentialed teacher. I felt the Lord leading me out of the church and into a new way of ministering and I started blogging 2 years ago. Last year I started a podcast called Her Faith Inspires where I really combat cultural Christianity with the Word of God. I currently teach online Bible studies and am hosting my first “How to study the Bible like a scholar class” which I anticipate being a repeat. 

2) As a mom of boys - lets start with this - how have you seen culture attack our young boys, who become young men, who become grown men. What scriptures do you use to combat these lies from culture. 

• This is a great question because I just heard this week that the American Psychology Association came out with an article that says that masculinity is harmful. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing so I went and read the article and sure enough, they are teaching psychologists how to treat men to suppress their masculinity. 
• Feminism is another movement that has demoralized and put down men with the sole purpose of elevating women. 
• We are currently hearing the message that the roles of men and women are interchangeable. We hear the message from Disney that girls are independent and strong and don’t need a man. It’s all about girl power, and while that message in isolation may not be a bad thing, it is always congruent with the message that boys have to suppress their masculinity. Our culture doesn’t celebrate manly traits. 
• It’s clear in God’s word that God made a distinction in the male and female creation and I always go back to Genesis 1-3 with this argument, although it is in the new testament as well. I wrote a study called Reflections of Eve and I explain in depth the male and female roles. God gave the man specific jobs and duties and when the man fell short of this, God came looking for him to give an answer. God will never reverse or the mix the roles of the male and female. Society and culture may try but it won’t work because this is outside of God’s design. 

3) I loved the episode you did with your husband about the attack on men (episode 25). How do you and your husband lead your boys in biblical truth?

• This is one I am big on as a parent. My first job is to teach inside my home. I will not gain the world and lose the opportunity to pour into the souls of my boys. With that said, we have devotionals and talk to them about God all of the time. I am currently teaching them apologetics curriculum because they go to a public school and are BOMBARDED with ideologies that conflict with biblical truth.I have taught them creeds by Voddie Bauchum to defend biblical truth and the scripture that goes with it. It is imperative that our kids know what they believe and why because I tell my boys all the time that faith is often tested … it’s truth and the quest for truth that stands. When one of my boys admits that they are struggling or doubting, I don’t fret. Truth sets us free and I know that’s what they want. Only God can reveal it to them, but I make sure they get it. I also encourage my older two to read their own bibles because they need to develop this disciple and relationship with the Lord on their own. There aren’t too many bible studies that are deep in spiritual truth so I just teach them from my own bible and we talk often about how to contend for the faith. 

4) Tell everyone about your #boymom bible study! How has being a mom of boys grown your faith? What things have you learned about the heart of God that you wouldn’t otherwise?

• I wrote #Boymom because the Bible is full of them. Every man in the Bible has a mother who influenced their relationships with God and the call God plead on their lives. So, I took 8 moms in the Bible, even ones who made hellacious mistakes because we all do and we can learn from them, and I wrote this study for all of the boy moms like me who are running alongside our boys and cheering them on even when the world does not. 
• I wanted girls. I cried when I found out I was having boy #1 and then boy #2. But God showed me several things: 
•  He knows what we need more than we do. 
•  He has called me to be an advocate for good men. I will not allow the world to brand my boys before they have a chance to become men. 
• The call of a son is entangled in his mother. What I mean by that is Sampson’s mom had to commit to the Nazirite vow while he was in her womb. She had to make the commitment follow the Lord before her son ever did. Our call as a mother is so important and it is the highest call we will ever have. The corporate ladder, education or anything else pales in comparison to the impact a mother makes in the lives of her children. 
• What I’ve learned about God:  He loves my boys more than I do.  He teaches me through them. When I see their hurts, their joys, their fears, I realize through glimpse  the relationship the Father has with me. 

5) Something I see often is this attack on men to suppress the gifts God has given them.  As you train up your boys are there specific things you talk with them about in regards to what God calls them to be as follower of Christ?

• From the time my boys were very little I told them they are men of God. They will choose an occupation, become a husband and fathers one day, but first and foremost they are men of God. I tell them the kinds of things I pray of them: that they will grow in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man. I tell them they don’t have to have it all figured out because God knows the path they should take and will guide them. I tell them all the time that they need to have their own relationship with God and they have to come to the knowledge of the truth on their own. 
• I tell them what I see they can be in Christ when they’re defeated. I remind them of God’s truth when they get fearful because this world bogs them down too. I speak truth into them all the time and teach them to call on the Lord with their own heart and mouth. 

6) Something my husband and I often talk about is the lack of responsibility the current americanized christian movement has led men into. They don’t have much in the way of accountability to lead their families, share what God’s doing, and speak up on behalf of the gospel. I don’t believe its because they are weak - I believe its because they’ve not been taught. Can you share with those tuning in what God does command of our men and that it is different than what He commands of women women.

• God gave Adam the responsibility to tend and keep his home. To keep means to guard in Hebrew. Men are the watchmen of their homes. 
• When I wrote #Boymom, I realized that God has asked men to do hard things.
•  Paul wrote the chain of command in the word: God, Christ, husband, wife. 
• The man will answer to God for the way he leads his family and home. As women, we must also remember that the husband is the only one in the relationship commanded by God to love his wife like Christ loves the church and to give himself up for her. That is the highest example of love we have. 
• So, as a mother, I have to teach my boys their responsibility according to God’s word, AND allow him to do this when the time comes. That is also the call of a #Boymom … to let him leave me and cling to her. 

7) The podcast was birthed from John 3:30, “He must increase, I must decrease”. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why? 

• I would say more of Jesus means less of the world. We are bombarded with ideologies and information and it can bog us down and we carry these things around like baggage. The truth of God’s word sets us free and when we fill up on Him, those things fall away. As Christians, we must learn to read, pray and study the word of God. We must cling to it and fill out minds with it. More of Him means less of the world and that is the best way to live. 

8) What is one of your fav bible verses and why!

• 1 Cor 9:27 partly because I do crossfit and partly because I teach the word. “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should, So that after preaching to others, I myself may not be disqualified."

Rebekah is also the author of 4 books. Lies Moms Believe, Lies Moms Believe companion Bible Study, Advent Devotional, and co-authored Walking by The Spirit. 

1) Tell us about you!!

• My name is Rebekah Hargraves, and I have been married to my husband, Owen, for 6 years. We live just outside Chattanooga, TN and have two kiddos, Anna (5) and James (3). As for church, we attend Concord Baptist here in town, which describes itself as a "gospel-centered, gospel-shaped congregation", which I love. I'm a work-at-home mom, so I stay at home with my kids but also blog, do freelance writing, podcast, homeschool, and am the author of 4 books and coauthor of 1, soon to be 2, books. My first book was Lies Moms Believe (and how the Gospel Refutes Them), and the second was Lies Moms Believe: The Companion Bible Study. I then wrote an Advent devotional study for women in 2018, co-authored a book on walking by the Spirit that released this January, a Lent devotional study for women that released this spring, and I'm currently working on co-authoring a book on friendship that will release this fall.

2) I’ve been looking so forward to this conversation because I am a momma who has definitely believed lies spoken to me from others or straight from the enemy himself. Can you share why and how this message became so important to you to share with other women?

• Absolutely! The funny thing is that this was not my original book idea. The original idea (which is one that I have in the works to go the traditional publishing route with, up to this point I have done all self-publishing) was on the topic of the mommy wars. But one day I had this "random" idea (that, looking back, was clearly God!) to write a little blog post addressing a few lies moms commonly believe and the gospel truth which refutes them. I had every intention of just writing about a handful of the lies I myself have dealt with, imagining that if I have battled them, surely other moms have, too. Well, instead, I had another "random" thought right before I sat down to work on that blog post - I had the idea of instead of just relying on my own thoughts and experiences, to instead take to IG and FB to ask fellow mamas what some of the most common lies were that they found themselves believing. That way the blog post could be as relevant and applicable as possible. I was only expecting maybe a handful of answers, but what ended up happening was that within the first 10 minutes of making that post, tons of responses came flooding in. At that moment I knew this area of lies we're believing as moms was a huge issue that did need to be addressed. At that point I thought I would then create a short little freebie ebook instead of a blog post, as the list of lies had now grown beyond what a blog post could handle. By the time all was said and done, however, and I had received all the input from various women on social media, I ended up with 32 lies to address and a full-length paperback book that is over 250 pages long! I never set out on my own to write this book and it was never my initial project or idea - it was all God! But I'm so grateful His plans were different and bigger than my own, because, honestly, the Lord has used this book and the process of writing it to change my own heart and life and to free me from lies I didn't even know I had been believing!

3) 1 John 4:18 tells us - His perfect love drives out fear. For me, fear is a huge lie I’ve taken the bait from in motherhood. Fearful of the world my son will grow up in, fearful of something happening to him, or just little fears throughout the day that seem normal. How would you lovingly challenge someone like me, with God’s word to move past the fear and cling to God’s truth that He has everything under control. 

• I can totally understand that! Especially after the insane year we have all been experiencing. From the moment my first child was born, I had fears set in about whether or not I was doing the best job possible, making the best choices, what life would hold for her, how I would protect her from the darkness in the world, etc. While sometimes those fears do again try to rise to the surface, there is something I have found to be incredibly helpful, and that is to know the character of God. That is so, so key for me. I have to know that not only is God in control and sovereign, but that He is also wise, kind, loving, tender, gracious, caring, concerned for our wellbeing, and compassionate. If I can remember all that, then I can remember that He allow absolutely nothing to touch me or my children that He will not ultimately use for our good and His glory. Furthermore, I do not believe it is a coincidence that it has been said that there are 365 verses in the Bible addressing the topic of fear - one for each day of the year! The Lord knew we would battle fear (fear comes from the enemy and is one of the biggest ways he tries to get at us and our faith), so He provided truth and encouragement in His Word for how we can battle it. Studying, meditating on, and memorizing the Word is so key. And, finally, one particular story in the Bible that always helps me battle fear is the story of Joseph, found in Genesis.

4) What are some of the most common lies moms believe and why do you think they’ve become such a stumbling block in our lives?

• There are so many, but one interesting thing I have found is that many of them come in pairs of opposites - the enemy lies to us with extremes on both sides. For example, the lie that motherhood is a woman's highest calling is common, but so is the lie that motherhood is unimportant or worthless work. That lie can also be accompanied on the other side with the lies that we are to find our ultimate fulfillment and identity in being moms.
• But, beyond those, I would say that some of the most common are that mommy guilt is just something we have to live with, that we are bad moms, that our success as moms is tied to how our children turn out, and that theology isn't important for the daily work of mothering. All of these are tied directly to wrong understandings as to the truth and implications of the gospel. The enemy wants us to doubt Christ, so he will do anything he can to keep us from understanding and living out the gospel. And we have just fallen for it because we do not take the command to "take every thought captive" seriously.

5) What have been the lies you’ve struggled with the most?

• One of the big ones I have struggled with the most is the lie that my children would be better off with a different mom (and close behind that being the lies that I'm a bad mom, mommy guilt will always be something I just have to deal with, and that I have to be a perfect mom).

6) What has been the greatest blessing/teachable moment from being a mom and stepping out in faith to trust God and put the lies behind you?

• Two things instantly come to mind for me here. One is just the sheer freedom, joy, and lightness I feel now that I have intentionally chosen to take God at His Word and truly and fully believe - for me!- that I was never called to be a perfect mom, but rather to point my kids to the perfect Savior. That takes such a load off! I don't walk in guilt anymore. Sure, I am convicted, sure I apologize to my children and grieve that I have sinned in anger or what have you, but I am no longer buried under all that self-inflicted guilt and condemnation anymore, because I know the full truth of Romans 7 and 8. Which brings me to the second thing - a sweet story with my 3 year old at the time, my daughter, Anna.

7) Is there a way you would steward someone to see what lies they are believing?

• One key thing here is to be a student of the Word. You won't know the lie, the counterfeit, until you know the truth, the real thing. Likewise, you can't take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ unless you know what the obedience of Christ is. I've done a Bible study 101 episode on my podcast for anyone interested in diving into that. But, beyond studying the Word in order to know truth for yourself, I would also say to pay attention to what your thought patterns are. Journal through that. Assess what it is that is filling your mind most often. When you are feeling down, anxious, depressed, stressed, or discouraged, take an assessment of your thoughts and intentionally stop to see what it is you really are thinking. Chances are, the thoughts leading to those negative feelings are lies you have been believing. Then take what you find to the Word and search for the truth that will combat those lies. Talk to your pastor if need be, use a concordance to find all the passages that speak to that topic, etc.
   

8) John 3:30, says  “He must increase and I must decrease.  If someone were to ask you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to what gets in the way of The Lord in their life, what would you tell them and why?

• I would say live with less of the thoughts and opinions of man. Every human being is fallible, so every teacher, pastor, blogger, podcaster, social media influencer, commentary writer, parenting "expert", online guru, etc. is going to get it wrong at some point. You need to stop having google be your guide and start turning to the Word of God first and foremost as your ultimate guide. Sure, we can and should learn from our pastors, mentors, and others, but we have to know the Word of God first and foremost and follow it more than we do some self-proclaimed expert.

• I am from Pennsylvania originally from Ohio. I moved to Pennsylvania after getting married to my husband Jon! We met on eHarmony and commuted for 2 hrs each way until we got married and lived together. I love helping women find freedom from their part and healing in their bodies. 

2) I’ve been so eager to tackle this topic of doubt especially with you since you LOVE combating the lies with THE TRUTH! Doubt can look different for everyone BUT, I think we as Christians can all agree doubt begins to invade when we’re not fully trusting God. Even if we don’t mean too - it always goes back to that. When you’ve experienced doubt in your life - is there typically a commonality in each time you’ve walked through it? 

• We can see doubt form, first within ourselves and our capabilities. Whether we don't think we are capable of love or being loved, whether we feel qualified or not. The list can go on. We first experience the doubt at a surface level within ourselves. As we begin to dig deeper we can then confront the issues of our hearts which could lead us to not receiving Christ's love fully, doubting in our hearts what God is capable of doing (especially when we depend on our senses to tell the Gospel), or trusting that He will come through. I will typically add myself to the equation where only Jesus is supposed to stand.

3) These seasons of wrestling with questions or doubting where God has me have certainly taken me to deeper places and conversations with The Lord. What are some of the things you’ve learned about God and who He is as you’ve wrestled through these seasons as well? 

• Learning to discern the voice of the Father I believe is so crucial. Many people equate the way their earthly relationships and situation to be equal to the Father and how He would respond. The Father's voice is not harsh, does not rush, is not condemning, nor does it cause us to question who we are. 

4) This piggy backs on #3 - What places in scripture do you go to when you feel this creeping up? Whether it’s your own questions, doubting what God is doing in your life, or a full on attack from the enemy. 

• Some of my favorites are the scriptures that remind me that when I do things in the Kingdom, God's way, I don't labor in vain. 
• "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
   
• "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17 NASB
• "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:19 NIV
• This helps remind me it's not about the works as much as it is about my heart posture. God is the owner. We are the stewards. 

5) I always think of Eve in the garden when I dig into this topic. Because, as fallen people, I feel satan begins his attacks with the “what if” questions. From these what if’s come doubting God’s goodness. What would you say to a someone sitting across from you if they told you they were dealing with the enemy attacking them with “what if” questions. 

• To be true to myself, I would honestly ask a question back, "Who told you that you could XYZ?" They would insert their situation. Truth and lies is all about getting to the root of voice speaking. Our what if's can provide valuable feedback from all different angles but ultimately we have to decide if we are using excuses to not follow the call or if we are using these questions to take a closer look. With Eve, the question the serpent posed back was just slightly different than God's word.

6) Your ministry is all about removing the lies from our lives and replacing them with the truth of God’s word. When you hear a woman doubting what God has for them because it seems to good to be true, to far off to ever happen, or they think someone else is better suited for the assignment how do you encourage them and equip them with the truth. 

• Usually, it begins with what they are willing to confront. We can't renew what we are not aware of. With so many lies going around in our heads, the willingness to pick out one and focus on it to bring truth to it can be so critical in the healing journey. Since every situation is different I would begin to help them work through what they are experiencing, dig deeper into the lie to help them get to the root, so that you can move through it instead of it getting stuck within them. 
• You are not broke and damaged goods. Some parts can be messy or unsued but God is a kind Father to show you how to begin using them again. 

7) The Living With Less podcast was birthed from John 3:30, “He must increase, I must decrease.” If someone were to ask you what they needed begin living with less of in regards to these words spoken by John the Baptist what would you tell them and why?

• Less emotional reaction and more dependent on God's word. There are a lot of things I see and experience with my emotions. However, living by faith requires me to not deny my emotions but hold God's word above them.

Join Chelsey this week as she shares how God is stirring her through Nehemiah's story and how we all in Christ must be diligent as we walk with Him. 

Nehemiah's Diligence 

• Nehemiah 2:11-13 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

Nehemiah Shares The Call 

• Nehemiah 2:17-18 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
• King Jehoshaphat's Prayer - 2 Chronicles 20:12 - O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Nehemiah Tells The People "Do not fear. Remember The Lord.."

• Nehemiah 4:14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

Nehemiah Confronts the Distractions

• Nehemiah 6:8-9 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

What is our call?

• Pray + Seek The Lord
• Wait on His timing 
• Move when He commands!

The Lord made it clear to her that while He desires to be near her (He slways it), He desires to be her refuge, and He desires her to share of the amazing things He does...that it's her choice to be obedient in all 3 of these things.

What does Psalm 73:26 Call us to Do?
1. Be near to God! This doesn't change because of  circumstances, this should be a constant in all of our lives.
2. Make The Lord our refuge - we need to stop turning to earthly things to fill this void and create a false safety net. 
3. We are to tell of all His works. The Lord calls us to share the amazing things He does in our life (in His timing, not always right away) but to give examples to the world around us that The Lord is moving even in our days!

How Do we Live This Truth Out?
• Get in His word even when we don't feel like it. His word NEVER returns void (Isaiah 55:11). We grow nearer to The Lord by having a growing relationship with Him. 
• First we need to ask Him to reveal what things we turn to when we should be turning to Him. Repent of not turning to Him, receive His forgiveness and choose Him daily as your refuge!!
• Share what God is doing in your life with someone! It can be family, a neighbor, a friend, your barista at Sbux, just SAHRE HIM and what He's doing in your life with anyone that will listen, it will always bless them! (Remember Isaiah 55:11).

Q & A 

1. How do you handle being friends with non-believers? 
◦ Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times. - The Lord will call me into relationship with people who love Him and those who don't know Him. He calls me to love them and how them the hands and feet of Jesus. There are friendships I've had for years where they are not walking with Jesus but they fully respect my faith and what's important to me. 
◦ Proverbs 11:14 - Where there is no guidance a peoples fall. - God calls us to walk in wisdom so if you're finding yourself feeling tempted within friendships who don't respect you, your faith, cause you to stumble due to their lack of guidance this is where we have to lean into the Holy Spirit and ask The Lord what to do with these friendships.

2. What are you favorite stories in the Bible?
◦ I love 2 Chronicles 20 - King Jehoshaphat's pleas with The Lord when He is facing something he doesn't know what to do with is such a testament to how we feel when we cry out to God in the same way. His words in vs. 12 are, "For we are powerless against this great horde coming against us, for we don't know what to do but our eyes are fixed on you. 
◦ Habakkuk - this short book is a powerful one. It gives great perspective on God working in the midst of things we don't understand as well as us seeing we are able to go to God with all of our feelings and trust that He hears us. 
◦ John 4 - The Woman at The Well - This was the first story in the Bible that opened my heart to fully accepting the truth that Jesus loves me regardless of what my past sin was. I am redeemed in Him and I'm filled with joy to speak of the redemption He's worked out in my life.  

3. Do you think social media is a distraction or blessing? How do you balance screen time when you find yourself with lots of time on your hands?
◦ I think it can be both a blessing and distraction. The Lord gave me Matthew 6:19-25 last year when working through discontentment. This is what I use to keep my social media time as a blessing. When it begins to cause me to feel tripped up by my emotions or falling into feeling of discontentment I know I need to take a break and get my heart back aligned in what God wants to use this for. 
◦ For balancing screen time, I don't get this perfect but one thing that has worked is all apps on my phone are locked until 9AM. I also set a time limit for the day on IG at 40min a day. (this is the only form of SM I have). So setting limits and alarms are helpful! The Lord gave us boundaries for a reason so we certainly need them in all areas of our life.

What happens when we don't seek for understanding from The Lord?:

• Hearts become depleted and overly emotional.
• Lives become ran by feelings.
• Decisions are made based off of what the flesh desires.
• Psalm 119:1-8,  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame,having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes;  do not utterly forsake me!

As we seek understanding in Christ pulls us away from the world, the lies of the enemy, and desires of the flesh.:

• As we lean into The Lord we will be drawn closer to Him and His truth.
• Psalm 119:29-32, 29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. 31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! 32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!

As we seek understanding from The Lord, He will always lead us in His truth.:

• The Lord will always lead us in truth and the Holy Spirit points us in the direction of clarity.
• James 4:7-8, 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy

• By John Piper
• Advent Devotional

His Immeasurably More Bible Study:

• Bible study kicks off this Sunday, September 6th!
• If you still need to register head to ChelseyDeMatteis.com and you'll find the registration on the homepage.

Summer of Sisterhood Series Writers:

• Mandy Johnson - @mandycjohnson
• Elle Cardel - @daughterofdelight
• Alysha Miller - @themarriageproject & @alysha.miller
• Kristen White - @kristen.white
• Rebekah Hargraves - @rebekahhargraves
• Kendra Schwarz - @kendraschwarz
• Shanté Grossett - @herstyleoftea
• Bailey DeHaven - @my.holistic.heart
• Nichole Godsil - @nlgodsil
• Racahel Adams - @rachaeladamsauthor

Thank you to all who have left a rating and review! It means the world to me to hear the way God has used this space in your walk with Him. Thank you for sharing your heart, it has blessed me. 

2 Timothy 2:1-13

• 2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men,who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

James 1:5-6 

• 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Sharing The Truth:

• Teach others the truth we've been entrusted with.
• Share in suffering.
• Do not get caught up in fleshly issues.
• Ask for understanding.
• Know the word is not bound but living and active.
• Endure all things for the sake of others coming to know Him.

As followers of Christ we are seeing more and more people give into the comforts of complacency, fear of man, and the twisting of the Word of God. Today, we look at what Paul lays out for us in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 on the things that will happen in this world and what we are called to as Christians.

2 Timothy 4:2-5

• 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

What will people say that are misleading?

• "It says _____ in the Bible". Yet the cannot give you any scripture reference.
• "God said _______." But, cannot tell you where or context of what their words mean,
• "I read ____ in the Bible and felt ____ so it means ____." They speak from their feelings and call it truth. They go by their feelings and NOT what God's Word says/means.

The breakdown of 2 Timothy 4:5

• Keep your head in all situations - Christians are not exempt from conversations that happen in the world. We are called to engage and share. Vs 2. says to reprove, rebuke, exhort with patience and teaching.
• Endure Hardships - 2 Tim 3:12, all who desire to live a Godly life in Christ will be persecuted. Persecution is promised.  Now, what we see happening in cultural Christianity are people claiming to live for Christ, yet they sidestep the truths about Him that cause persecution. 
• Do the work of an evangelist - keep sharing the good news and don't shy away from the conversations God places you in!
• Fulfill your ministry - Keep doing what God has called you to do. Allow Him to lead you, teach you, and sanctify you no matter what it looks like in a particular season. Hebrews 12:3, "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." This reminds us of what Christ endured. We find our strength and endurance in Christ! 

The Gate is Narrow - Matthew 7:13-14

• 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
• Seek Him - seek the narrow gate, the hard way that leads to life.

His Immeasurably More Bible Study

• Sign up at ChelseyDeMatteis.com 
• Study kicks off September 6th!
• All details can be found on ChelseyDeMatteis.com homepage!

THANK YOU DONORS

• Thank you to everyone who has supported the ministry. It means more than you can imagine and is a tremendous blessing to the ministry. 

Psalm 119:71-72 

• It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

4 week online bible study His Immeasurably More info:

• Registration opens August 17th at ChelseyDeMatteis.com
• Study kicks off the first Sunday of September 
• All resources and links will be sent to your email each week!

Stop Blaming and Start Changing:

• Once the sin is confronted - don't place blame where it doesn't belong. Turn your face to the Lord, repent, and allow Him to heal that place.
• Be a doer of the Word - James 1:22
• We should desire to walk in our convictions - this is a gift of grace from the Lord.
• When we are walking with The Lord, that is when we see life change inside our hearts.
• We have to stop saying "it's sin ...but...". Sin is sin. There is no way around it and it must be addressed.

Hard seasons = Fruit Bearing:

• We have to ask ourselves - what is God birthing in me during the season He has me in?
• Some of the seasons God uses to unearth the worst of who we are, are where the most life-changing growth comes from.

Scriptures:

• James 1:22, 25
• Ephesians 2:10
• Romans 8:28
• Psalm 91
• Psalm 92

September Online Bible Study:

• Registration opens August 17th on ChelseyDeMatteis.com

Acts 4

• Acts 4:13-14, 21, 29, and 31
  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
  21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.
  29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
  31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Holy Boldness

• At our point of history we all can agree we live in a time where we tend to be hesitant, timid, or fearful in regards to standing firm in our faith to the outside world. We get caught up in the fear that we will be misheard, labled judgmental, or a hypocrite. While all these feelings are certainly valid because of what we see day to day, Acts 4 gave me a new perspective and helped change my human way of thinking on the topic of boldness.
• When we're acting in the boldness of the Holy Spirit our demeanor isn't one of intimidation or trying to put your "opinion" on someone else. Boldness from the Holy Spirit is quite the opposite, it's approachable and truth filled.
•  If you read this story in Acts you'll also see when the council saw the man who had been healed, they couldn't deny what had been done. This goes for us as well, when we show and share the things God has done for us, people cannot deny what we have experienced.

Chelsey's Story
4 years ago a friend and I were meeting for dinner and I He boldly put on my heart I was to talk to her about her relationship. I remeber being so concerned with how this would even come up, not to mention she's not walking with The Lord. I remeber packing my bible, getting to dinner early to pray, and just kept asking Him to open up the converstation because I didn't know how to. About a half hour into our meal it somehow came up and God blew my hair back.
We talked about the relationship, we talked about all the things God wanted for her life, how special she was to Him, and why He wanted her to be treated with respect.
I walked away from that dinner with my heart filled to the brim but I also walked away thinking how on earth did God do that! Well..4 years later He's answered. God centerned boldness.

God Centered Boldness

• As I wrestled with this chapter of Acts I kept coming back to the place of seeing that our fleshy boldness is  NOT the boldness of God. When we act in the flesh things feel off, words feel pressured, and the person were talking with becomes unengaged. I know this because I've been on both sides. I've been the non-believer with someone making me feel uncomfortable while sharing their faith. I've also been the believer trying to have a conversation with someone that I felt needed to happen and things went nowhere.
• When our boldness is set in the things Christ is doing, it becomes filled with truth and love. It's captivating. It causes believers and nonbelievers to lean in to what His word says. His truth gives wandering souls a safe place to land.
  So, if God has asked you to share the gospel with someone, pray over someone, or just ask someone too lunch to be the hands and feet, trust that He will pave the way. He will make the conversation happen. You follow the call, He's got the plans.

I pray this week's episode leaves you feeling encouraged to step out in Godly centered boldness as you pursue your kingdom work. Whether that be in your home with babies, at a corporate workplace, in ministry, or a mixture of these together if God is on the throne of it all that's the best place you can be.

Rebecca is a pastors wife, dog mama, podcast host of the Do The Thing Movement, and founder of 818 Ministries. She runs hard after Jesus, loves serving her people, and is always pointing people back to Him.

1) Tell us about you!

• My name is Rebecca Dotson George and I'm a newly married pastor's wife! I live in Brookhaven, MS with my husband and almost 1-year old puppy Jasper. He pastors Easthaven Baptist Church where we're serving now together. I have a podcast + community called Do The Thing Movement where I bring a guest interview each week of someone chasing hard after their God-given calling. It's my greatest joy to cheer on my friends in pursuit of how God has asked them to uniquely serve and glorify Him. Lord willing, a book will be the next step in this journey!

2) You wrote a post for my blog this past summer and I loved every word of it. You talked about courage. This is a word we don’t hear enough about, especially when attached to being courageous in Christ. Can you share a little bit about what you felt the Lord teaching you when He placed “courage" on your heart.

• Courage: possessing the ability to do something brave.
• Where we miss it most often is we think we're stepping into this brave-ness by our own strength. That is a lie straight from the enemy! It's "doing the thing" scared, anxious and maybe fearful because we know the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside us and we're operating out of HIS strength and not our own. We were made a new creation the moment we trust in Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 - Do you not know that you[a] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

3) I love that you shared being courageous in Christ as this, "It's a quiet confidence that I'm not doing this alone. As a follower of Jesus, the same power that raised Him from the grave on the third day lives inside of me. Therefore, I'm never alone, forgotten or forsaken.” I believe we live in the most encouraged generation to date. Every where we turn there is a person, a sign, or a trendy shirt that is tell you, YES YOU CAN. But, I’ve found in most people I encounter these words from people don’t really propel them forward and what’s missing is Jesus. How would you encourage a man or woman who is feeling exhausted by trying to do it all on their own, when you and I both know Jesus is one choice away?

• This is the person I feel called to speak into - the stay at home momma, the ministry leader, business owner, network marketing girl, all of it! We are fed lies around us each and every day that if we do more, get up earlier, drink more water, work out harder, put in a few more hours, etc. we will finally be "enough". I would put my hands on either side of their face and say, "Your worth and identity have absolutely nothing to do with your productivity level, a number on a scale or how many items you checked off your to-do list today. Has God called us to be good stewards of our time, our bodies, our finances, etc.? YES!
• Ephesians 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  
   

4) Can you share a few of the BIG things that have happened that took leaning into Jesus as your source of courage and strength.

• -Marraige "Quote by Gary Thomas: "What if the primary goal of marriage is to make us holy and not happy?"
• Quote by Tim Keller: "Within this Christian vision of marriage, here's what it means to fall in love. It is to look at another person and get a glimpse of what God is creating, and to say, "I see who God is making you, and it excites me! I want to be part of that. I want to partner with you and God in the journey you are taking to his throne. And when we get there, I will look at your magnificence and say, 'I always knew you could be like this. I got glimpses of it on earth, but now look at you!”
• -Ministry: Acts 20:24 - However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
• -Podcast : 1 Timothy 1:6-7 - For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
• Fan into flame (in original language): to kindle afresh, inflame one's mind, strength, zeal, to stir up
• The gift (in original language): a favour with which one receives without any merit of his own; grace or gifts distinguishing certain Christians and enabling them to serve the church of Christ, the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating on their souls by the Holy Spirit.
   

5) I love what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9:10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 This ties in so beautifully with John 3:30. He and John were certainly on the same page. We must decrease and The Lord must increase in our lives, in all areas. What is an area in your life that you’ve had to let die in order to see Christ increase in your life. 

• I think this side of eternity, if we're honest, we all struggle with wanting to "please others". I think my personality type, Enneagram 3 wing 2, especially struggles with this. But God has called us to chase after that which glorifies Him! This is a process for me this side of eternity.
• Galatians 1:10 - For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
   

6)  "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does. In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." (Psalm 135:6) This passage takes a lot of trusting in the Lord and the way you’ve put it, courage is believe in what God has planned for you. When you’re in seasons of wonder/worry about your plans what do you do to get back into the place of trust what God has in store even when you can’t see it?

• I remember His promises. His character never changes. God's Word is living and active. When I find myself worrying or have an anxious heart, most times I've taken my eyes off of Him and onto my circumstances. I turn to Him in prayer as we're instructed to in Philippians 4:6.
• Philippians 4:6 -do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7) The living with less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be, if someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why?

• The expectations and thoughts of other people - it's crippling! Our aim and mission is to please God and bring Him glory! If we spent more of our time sold out to chasing after this, it would remove a lot of our wandering thoughts about others' opinions!

8) What has been the best part of moving to your new town!

• I think Brookhaven will always be special to us because it's where we started our marriage. We both live away from our family and many of our closest friends so it's brought us closer together. Mississippi is a part of the country I haven't explored a lot yet, but we're only an hour from Jackson and Natchez, Mississippi AND only 2 hours from New Orleans!

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.dothethingmovement.com/

@rebeccadotsongeorge

Courage blog post 

Ephesians 3:20 - Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

• This verse can be easily taken out of context if you don't read the verses that surround it! 
• 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us  21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
• The immeasurably more is talking about the GLORY that God does in and through us. It's not about our things/stuff but what God does in us. 
• What are the things that God has done in and through your life that is more than you could've imagines?

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 - Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

• Verse 24 is one that hustle culture/self-help culture tries to attach itself to. They claim God will do what they desire for their own life, not what GOD desires for their lives.
• These two verses together show us that Paul was talking about the promise of sanctification through what God will call us to.
• Sanctification is a beautiful part of walking with The Lord. He loves us too much to leave us unchanged.

James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

• We are called to be doers of the Word of God, not just a hearer. 
• When we live by the Word of God we know that Jesus' dying for us was the only way our soul was saved. 
• We cannot side step living out the truth of the gospel. 
• We as followers of Christ must be doers - we must be different from the world. 
• 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

This week I pray you will spend time in prayer with The Lord with these parts of scripture. Seek His wisdom, His peace, and the good things He is doing in and through you.

• Bailey Stone is a Montana raised blogger, podcaster, speaker and soon to be certified Life Coach. She is the founder of This Illustrious Life and host of The Illustrious Podcast. Bailey aims to empower women in the pursuit of their God-given calling through personal development practices that boost confidence and clarity. Bailey loves baking, taking walks with her husband Kyle and nurturing an ever growing army of houseplants.

2) I’ve been so eager to sit down and dig into confidence rooted in Christ with you. As women we’re living in a time where confidence is displayed more apart from Christ than with Him at the center. Can you share biblically speaking what true confidence looks like! 

• I too have been so excited for this conversation because you are absolutely right! Whenever I prepare to make content on confidence I always hear that Demi Lovato song “what’s wrong with being confident” and while that’s a catchy tune it grieves me a little bit because when we place our confidence in ourselves we are setting ourselves up for disappointment, and heartache and ultimately the antithesis of confidence! 
• Because the truth is we humans are fallible. We are created with amazing abilities but we all fall short of the glory, we all fail and we all make mistakes so if we are the sole source of our confidence, we’re bound to be let down...
• So with that in mind I want to dig into scripture a bit and explore what God’s design for confidence is. I few prominent figures always come to mind when I think about Biblical confidence like Ruth, Esther and Abigail but today I wanted to throw out some verses that your audience could explore and meditate on...
• First, I love Romans 8:37 which says, “You are more than a conqueror through Christ”. That word conqueror makes me feel so powerful like I am capable of crazy cool things BUT the caveat is those last two words “through Christ”. What this verse means to me is that I can do big, bold things but ultimately the source of my confidence is in my gifts and abilities is Christ.
• I also love the encouragement we are given in Hebrews 4:16 one of the only verses in the bible to use the word confidence. Hebrews 4:16 says this”Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”.
• So not only can we be confident in ourselves but we can boldly approach our creator. What this means to me is that I don’t necessarily have to rely on my own gifts and talents and trust that God is hanging out in the sidelines. This means that when I am feeling insecure, when I am scared I can run to the source of my confidence and get a fresh injection of that confidence.
• So Romans 8:37 - I can have confidence in myself and my endeavors because of Christ.
• Hebrews 4:16 - I can boldly approach my God and the source of my confidence and a final verse I want to throw out, Joshua 1:9 which is a life verse for me.
• Joshua 1:9 says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Those three verses as well as stories from women in the Bible like the ones I mentioned above have really shaped my understanding of confidence. It’s boldness, it’s reliance on Christ and it’s courage.

3) Something that many people get confused with when it comes to confidence (and I see many women doing this right now) is they think just because a dream is on their heart it means God will make it happen. They believe if a dream is on my heart then why wouldn’t He do it? How do you/would you walk a woman through this thought process of needing to be confident in the abilities/giftings God has given them BUT also understand that just because we “want” to do something with those gifts doesn’t mean He will do it. Because for some women if He doesn’t do it - then they allow that to weaken their confidence in Him.

• Again, you hit the nail on the head. It is SO easy to runaway with the beautiful dreams that God plants in our hearts and that’s an analogy that I like to use a lot. I like to think of God planting little seeds. 
• When we start to see little seeds sprout we can get carried away and start overwatering or exposing our “seeds” to too much sunlight or buying fancy gardening gadgets and gizmos to make our little “seedlings” or dreams flourish. But God is the ultimate gardener and apart from his lead, again, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. For rot, decay, and sometimes death.
• When we place our confidence in God he is faithful to see our dreams through to fruition.

4) I’d love to hear some of your story in this area of being a confident Godly woman. Did you have a season where you saw your confidence wasn’t rooted in Him or did you feel like you lacked confidence in Christ because of something not happening the way you desired.

• I have always been pretty naturally confident. From a young age I was pretty “large and in charge” which is funny because I’ve always been a tiny blonde thing. And I’ve had a really strong relationship with Lord from a young age too.
• I was that girl going to church at least 2-3 times a week and participating in all the summer camps, church events and volunteer opportunities.
• But it was around age 12 that I started to first feel a wane in my confidence and my faith. From ages 12-14 I became REALLY hyper aware of what other people thought and I started to drift farther and farther from my faith and actually found myself in a pretty dark time by the age of 17.
• I was crippled with anxiety, filled with a self loathing that expressed itself in gossip and anger and a bit of paranoia and I would have to say that that was the lowest point in my life so far. I was separated from God and I was so depleted of confidence.
• And I don’t think my story is super unique or surprising because A LOT of young girls start to experience a confidence shift at that age. Your body is changing, your social climate and skills are changing at break neck speed and suddenly, for a lot of us, the opinions of others start to feel a lot more important than God’s opinion.
• Fast forward a few years and I really got my confidence back after my freshman year of college. I’m not a confidence legend and I certainly don’t have the concept of confidence mastered but when I returned back to God full force and moved farther and farther away from what others thought of me (which is still a daily struggle) the more confident I got and the more clarity I received about my calling which is why I’m so passionate about confidence and clarity work today!

5) I think Rahab is a beautiful example from the Bible of being confident in her God. (Joshua 2) Her story was one of much suffering, terrible life choices, but a mustard seed of faith. How can you and I + all other believers help steward women away from their suffering to true confident relationship with Christ?

• Such a great question. I’m a huge advocate of community over competition. As women I think we struggle with cheering each other on and supporting each other and in that kind of world it's hard to inspire confidence in one another. 
• So the first thing I would say is support other women. When you see something that God has uniquely equipped a fellow sister in Christ to do, cheer her on! 
• And how do we do that? We silently observe, listen and use our words sparingly. 
• So to break that down, when you see a fellow sister is Christ doing something great encourage her! Let her know she’s rocking that mom life, let her know you see her crushing that side business she’s got going on our even just simply remind a friend that you appreciate her perspective. Encouragement doesn’t have to be big grand gestures or speeches, it’s often just a simple, unexpected word.
• Next, sisters, I know many of us love to chat! But, man, I haven’t met very many humans that genuinely love to listen. And it doesn’t necessarily build confidence to give unsolicited advice and lecture one another. What really inspires confidence is the feeling of being heard and having valid feelings. We all love that feeling of being able to pour out our heart and just be heard, right? Extending that feeling of “your worthy of being heard” can be a HUGE confidence boost!
• Finally, I want to throw out this idea that unsolicited advice can be a big confidence killer and I see this ALL the time in the church. We blow right past the two things I just mentioned, listening and encouraging and we rush right to scolding, blaming and shaming. There is a time and place for Christ like correction but I would caution anyone listening to check how often they are correcting versus listening and encouraging.

6) You and I address on your podcast holy endurance over hustle culture. I think confidence fits right in with that. The hustle culture preaches the message of a selfish self confidence (in my opinion — you can disagree if you feel so and we can talk through that!). How do you blend the two of being bold in your calling but keeping your confidence rooted in Him. 

• I actually couldn’t agree more. This is such a tricky tightrope to walk. Walking this tightrope, so to speak, requires a high degree of sensitivity. Sensitivity to what God is speaking, what He is up to and what His will is.
• We know that we can be confident in Christ, we know that we have each been given unique gifts, skills, talents, passions and burdens to fulfil our calling but we also know that apart from God we are susceptible to heartbreak, failure or wild success. Success that ultimately leads us astray from God.
• So my commission to anyone who wants to be bold in their calling with a confidence rooted in Christ is to be sensitive. Take time for stillness, silence and solitude. And again, these are things that I am not perfect at but I value because I know they lead to the source of both clear direction and confidence in my calling.
• Lately, for me, this has looked like being really slow to take action. I have to ask “God is this from you” and if it’s not I have to walk away and that’s been so hard because I’m a girl who like to hustle for her worth. 
• So again, be sensitive, slow down, find some stillness (the opposite of hustle) and have confidence in your God to sift and sieve the assignments in your life that truly align with where you are being uniquely called in this season. This may sound like the opposite of boldness too but the more concentrated your energies are on the things that are aligned with God’s call the bolder and better you can be in those pursuits.

7) If someone were to ask you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to John 3:30, “He must increase, I must decrease." what would you tell them and why!

• I feel like I should say less insecurity to stay on topic BUT honestly I think I would say less hurting and more healing. 
• I feel like in order to become less we have to do some hard, personal work which is why I am so passionate about personal development. I feel like we can be better wives, sisters, moms, mentors and disciples when we have less baggage and bruising from our past because the longer we carry that heavy load and wounding around the less effective our witness is. 
• When we’re stuck in hurts from the past we are more focused on ourselves than we realize. Doing the hard work of work on yourself which actually equips you to extend more love and kindness to others which is what being a disciple is all about.
• I’ll not here that I’m not necessarily talking about BIG traumas. I think it’s obviously important to work through those but I don’t want to communicate that you're a crappy Christian because you have some deep wounding from the past that you haven’t recovered from. What I’m saying here is identify your blindspots, your character defects and your biases so that you can become a more effective witness.
• Ultimately, this kind of hard work that leads to healing can really inspire confidence not only in yourself but in those you have influence over so there you go I brought it all together!

8) What have been your current favorite worship songs! 

• Okay, I love that we are talking about confidence today because the worship song I ALWAYS return to and constantly have on repeat is Confident by Steffany Gretzinger.

Find Bailey here!

Podcast - The Illustrious Podcast

Website - thisillwstriouslife.com

IG - @thisillustriouslife

• Brooke is a wife, a mother, social media faith-blogger and currently a student at Liberty University pursuing her Bachelors of Science in Religion with a focus in Christian Counseling. Brooke uses her voice and heart to not only share her personal life’s journey in Christ, but also to encourage women to seek after God first hand. In a world where it is easy to access biblical theology and doctrine through a variety of sources (podcasts, social media, books etc.), Brooke states that secondhand faith has nothing on true, firsthand relationship that abides and walks with God. Brooke enjoys writing, reading, learning and talking about all things pertaining to theology and God’s word. To contact her personally, you can find her on Instagram @thegorgeousgrace or email at brookietabor@gmail.com

What has God been teaching you in 2020?

• Obedience in the uncomfortable
• I’m learning what it means to lose.
• To have an eternal mindset
• I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:1-4
• How comforting it is that I don’t have to stress myself because God is in control. All he asks is that i trust him and keep an eternal mindset.

How have you felt spiritually during this season? (Be honest!!!)

• Grieved and homesick - Ecclesiastes 3:11: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 
• Humbled and hopeful - Hebrews 4:16, ESV: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

In what way do you know God more deeply because of this year?

• I feel like this year has been one gigantic trust fall. - Jumping into the pool as a child. It was scary the first few times, but as my father caught me, i began to jump more confidently (Hebrews 4:16)
• The more times you fall and let the Lord catch you, the more confident you are that you are going to be caught.

What’s one portion of scripture you’d share with someone who you knew you’d never see again?

• Ephesians 2! 
• This passage I think speaks to both unbelievers and believers. (which the entire bible does) but the sections within this chapter break down what it is to believe.
• Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

What has God been teaching you in 2020?

• One thing God has been teaching me is He has been and always will be in control. I can’t plan anything that would supersede His.
• He is our strong-tower. The name of the Lord is Strong tower. What a picture that we get to cling to.
• He is safety - He is God almighty.
• God is not a God of confusion.

How have you felt spiritually this season?

• And I’ve seen Him spiritually renew me as I’ve been obedient in prayer with Him.
• When my phone was in my hand I felt Him saying to my heart you have a piece of the  armor down.
• Search me God and know me. Give me clean hands and a pure heart.

How do you know The Lord more deeply?

• I’m more in the rhythm of God than the rhythm of the world.
• This whole thing has caused me to pause and lean into what He's doing.

What part of scripture would you share with someone if you knew you'd never see them again?

Romans 6 

• 6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of  your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Where can everyone find you!

• www.themarriageproject.co
• Instagram @themarriageprojectco.

A few things come to mind –

• Clear the path so that God can speak. Prior to COVID-19, there were so many days I thought to myself, “Oh if I just had time to do quiet time, get in the word, listen to a sermon, etc. then I’d grow closer to the Lord.” But time wasn’t the issue, it was me choosing to not prioritize Jesus as much as I knew I wanted to.
• Being forced to stay at home, where God has literally wiped my schedule clean, has shown me that when life goes back to “normal or normal-ish”, I have to make an effort to clear a path for God to speak. To choose to seek him first in my heart, mind, and schedule.
• I can’t wait for another pandemic to clear my schedule so that I can focus on him with unwavering dedication. It takes effort from us to actively remove what gets in the way of following Jesus. And, for me it’s a filled schedule. He rewards those who seek him earnestly. Second, this year has reminded me of a question Andy Stanley often asks, which is, “What does love require of me?”
• I’ve watched several family members and friends respond differently to this pandemic, and it reminded me that I need to actively respond with love – not judgment – in all circumstances. Just because someone responds to an issue differently than I do doesn’t make them better or worse or more or less faithful – it makes them still loved by God, just with a different opinion. And, it’s not my place to judge them for that!
• So, I ask, “What does love require of me?” Most of the time love requires me to take a step back, to listen, to learn, to show empathy. So, I’m learning/relearning to constantly ask that question: What does love require of me? And being at home is a great place to start. My husband, Kyle, is wonderful and I love him to pieces but we can both get on each other’s nerves – I mean that’s any relationship, right?! So, in those frustrating moments, instead of letting my emotions take over, I pause to ask: what does love require of me? And as we continue to ask that question over and over again at home it begins to trickle outside of our home too.
• Third, it’s that resistance builds our resilience. Watching people suffer is the worst, and it breaks my heart just as it breaks God’s. But we serve a God who doesn’t waste our pain or sadness. In fact, he uses it to help us grow in our faith and grow closer to him. So, in a season of what feels like resistance on all sides (someone losing their job, getting sick, becoming a teacher/mom at home, etc.) I’m learning that God must want to teach me something – or all of us something. It’s painful and it stings, but it also bridges the gap between where we were and where we want to go spiritually. Resistance is an opportunity, and it’s a way to build our resilience.

How have you felt spiritually during this season? (Be honest!!!)

• Filled is the first word that comes to mind. As crazy as it sounds, I haven’t worked since March, we’re stuck at home for the most part, there is a lot going on that wants to steal our joy, but I’m filled. The Lord is near. And of course, my heart breaks for the people hurting – but I believe in the power of hope. Clinging to hope and the ability to clear a path for God to speak has left me feeling filled in this season.

In what way do you know God more deeply because of this year?

• I think I’ve seen him more as a protector and provider this year. Nashville was hit with tornados in early March, and houses just two miles away from where I live are gone. Still, to this day, there are houses and businesses with broken glass windows and rubble all around. It was devastating. I feel very strongly that the Lord protected us that night. Kyle still has his job. Protection. We haven’t gotten sick. Protection. I even received the news while at home that a devotion that I wrote will be published in a Proverbs 31 book – so not only is he protecting me, Kyle, our house – he’s progressing the dream he placed in my heart which is to write. He’s providing above and beyond for us even in a pandemic. And if your story is different, that doesn’t mean he’s not protecting you or providing for you – he’s intricately writing your story too. But for me, in this season, I know him more deeply as a gracious, protective Father.

What’s one portion of scripture you’d share with someone who you knew you’d never see again? 

• Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” I think for most of us, faith can be tough to navigate whether you’re not a believer or you’ve been a believer your entire life. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Faith is not ignoring painful circumstances; it’s believing in the hope of Jesus in spite of them. It’s knowing that he is with us no matter what. Don’t lose hope. He loves you and he’s with you!

1)Tell us about you and share with everyone about the Love Offering mission and where it was birthed from? 

The true inspiration of the love offering actually started about 10 years. I was in a transitional season where I stopped my career to be a stay at home mom. Motherhood gave me a greater sense of purpose than I had ever had before, however there was still this inner longing I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I was questioning my purpose, my significance, my value, my worth. I was questioning do I matter? Why am I here? I was on a search to determine my purpose and fulfill it. I began to notice that serving my husband and children gave me purpose. Serving in my church and my friends gave me purpose. God continued to speak to my heart this recurring theme of service. The more I served others and the Lord my empty heart was filled. 

One specific night I woke up with the idea of the service project. I had recently read the happiness project by Gretchen Rubin and while I agree with a lot of what the author had to say I thought that there had to be something more to the equation other than simply making ourselves happy. From a Christian standpoint our happiness is derived from staying connected with the Lord and sharing His love with others. So I began journaling for years on the topics of servanthood and purpose in the Bible. 

Fast forward about 10 years later, I was sitting in the church pew on Sunday morning and I looked at the back of the pew and there was a love offering envelope. These envelopes are typically used for monetary giving, over and above your tithe. But on this occasion I got to thinking about how we as Christians are love offerings. We give our lives as love offerings to the Lord and we give our lives as love offerings to the world around us. That we can tangibly go above and beyond for others and for the Lord.

2) God put on your heart, “Rachael, who do you want to feed them, who do you want to hug them, who do you want to give them a home?” You followed by saying it’s not enough to just pray, we have to be active in loving people tangibly. How can you encourage someone in this place. When God does choose them to do the very thing they are asking Him to send someone else to do? 

Yes one night my daughter Kate and I were reading a book that she chose from our local church library titled Willie’s Soup Kitchen. In this book there is a baby in a high chair and Kate who was 4 at the time began to question how a child did not have anything to eat because she had no frame of reference for lack of food.  This lead to a conversation about hunger and homelessness and orphans/. I told her that it broke my heart to think about a child out there somewhere that has no one to hold them when they cry. Hearing this reality, Kate began to weep as if she was physically hurt, but it was an emotional hurt I had never witnessed from her before. Due to her reaction I was prompted to pray, Lord please give them a home and give them someone to comfort them and give them food. And in the middle of the prayer I clearly felt the Lord speak my heart and say, Rachael who do you want to feed them? Who do you want to clothe them? Who do you want to comfort them? That is why I put you here.

It was this call to action then and it is a call to action now. I am a firm believer in prayer. Prayer does work. God does listen to our prayers and we must communicate with him, however there is a point when He says quit praying about this and act. I have given you everything you need to change this situation. You have the time or the talent or the finances or the capacity to make a difference in this person’s life. So often we just wait for someone else to move or for God to move, when that is why He’s put us here on earth, to be his hands and feet. He uses us to accomplish His purposes. I have to remind myself of this often. We can be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

3) One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 Timothy 6:20 - “Guard the deposit entrusted to you.” I felt this when I listened to the episodes. We’ve got to love people with the gifts God has given us. Unfortunately, we live in a world where comparison and the enemy tries to make us look at everyone else’s gifts as better than our own. Was there a time when you felt this way and how did you get to the place of knowing the gifts God gave you were sacred and needed to be shared. 

I would love this verse too. It reminds me of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. God gives us these talents and we can bury them or we can use them and we can invest them for His Kingdom. At the end of my life I want God to say well done good and faithful servant. Not well sad or well thought, but well done. 

You know I still doubt the gifts that God has given me. I feel like it’s so much easier to call out and see the gifts in other people than it is to recognize our own. But when we read in the Word, God says that we are all special. We all have a talent. We all have a treasure and time to share. But it is love that makes all of our gifts useful and we can all love.

When I doubt the gifts or wish for the gift He have to someone else, I am doubting God who gave them to me. When we start to compare our gifts to other people we are undermining God‘s workmanship and providence. God gave us these gifts and God does not make mistakes. 

I have not overcome this doubt and insecurity in my gifts. I question what I have to offer and I don’t know if this will ever go away altogether. But honestly, I wonder if this is for the best because it keeps me humble and reliant on the Lord. If I could do it on my own or in my own strength or because I have worked so hard, then I would take all the credit and I would get the glory. When the reality is, I can’t do this on my own. Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. That is why I delight in my weakness, for when I am weak, then I am strong. It is only because of Him that we can do or accomplish anything and that way He always gets the glory because he is the only one who deserves any glory. 

To answer the second part of your question, how did I get to the place of knowing these gifts needed to be shared, I began to realize I was insecure in my giftings because of my concern or fear of man’s reaction, but the turning point for me was the realization that I feared God more. This fear is more of a reverent fear and a posture of obedience to His call to use the gifts He has given me. Not in an arrogant way, but in a humble responsible way. I got to the point that I can’t not do the things God was calling me to. It was a realization that I didn’t want to waste my life. I want to live this one life well, so that at the end of my time here on earth, He will say well done good and faithful servant.

4) If someone sees the need, knows God is calling them, but they don’t know how to move on it, how would you speak into the life of a woman who comes to you with that? “I know God is calling me to “this” and wants me to use “this” gift, but where do I start”. 

Gosh this question really resonates with me. It’s a daily battle isn’t it? The main thing is simply to start. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 14 about a woman who anoints Jesus head with perfume. Everyone around her rebukes her and calls her offering a waste, but Jesus says she has done a beautiful thing. She did what she could. Those five simple words. And I believe that is all that He is asking of us as well - to simply do what we can. 

If your listeners are anything like me, we tend to get overwhelmed with the enormity of the problems and our lack of time and resources. But what these verses reveal to me is that we don’t need to exhaust ourselves thinking we have to do it all and do it all perfectly. There is such freedom in these verses. 

My family has a motto that says “do our best and let God take care of the rest.” We can't get stuck in the opinions of others, our our insecurity in our gifts, or fear of failure. Because if we do we stay stagnant, apathetic, and complacent and end up doing nothing instead. My hope is that through the love offering our generation is inspired to do something to manifest the better world we want to see. 

I do want to make it clear that we are not saved by our deeds, we are only saved by faith, however the book of James says faith without deeds is dead. It is our faith that saves us, but it is our active obedience that proves that our faith is genuine. 

So for the woman listening wondering where to start, first pray for God to lead you and secondly, start wherever you are. Where does God have you? Love there. And who has He surrounded you with? Love them. From the book of Eshter, who knows? You were there for such a time as this.

5) How do you inspire others to do the things God calls them. I can see we live in a place of we want to share seats at the table but at the same time hate seeing others get ahead of us. One thing I’ve learned is if I’m in step with the Spirit, I’m right where God has me. How do you push people God-ward?

I am directionally challenged in a physical sense, but also very much in a spiritual sense. I can get lost, sidetracked, and detoured so easily. I love the image in the metaphor of staying in step with the spirit, because where He leads I want to follow. I want nothing more than to be in the center of God’s will. However, how easy it is to question if the direction or step we are taking is in the right direction. We wonder if we heard God correctly, but I’m finding God can redirect us if we are on the wrong course, look at Jonah for example. He brought a fish to get back on track! 

God can get us back on track if we make a misstep. When we stay in tune with His voice by reading His Word, He will lead us. We need to trust that God will open and shut the right doors. He is the light for our path and Scripture assures us in Isaiah 30:21, whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way, walk in it. 

In regards to saving seats at the table, we do have a tendency to believe there is not enough room for all of us, but the reality is, God just keeps making a bigger table. He is a God of abundance, not scarcity. I want to be the kind of woman who helps others, rather than hinder others in their walk with Christ. And yet I fall short daily. Thank goodness for God’s grace. I can only hope I don’t push anybody in any direction, but rather point them in God‘s direction, so they too can stay in step with His Spirit. We never know whose eyes are on us, and so we would benefit from keeping our eyes fixed on Him. He is our shepherd and He will lead us, guide us and direct us Godward. 

6) People are feeling weary, excited, anxious, joy filled. There are so many emotions going on this time of year. How do you feel we can live out the rest of this season with our arms wide open and be the hands and feet of Jesus? How can we be a love offering? 

There are so many emotions this time of year. And I think the first step is to recognize that it’s not always joyful for everyone. I know for me and my relationships that even though people may be smiling on the outside, there is always something deeper on the inside that someone may be battling. Whether it’s a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. We all have need. We all need love. We can be a love offering by first allowing Christ to fill us with His love, because without the love of Christ we don’t truly have anything valuable to give. Then through Him and through the help of the Holy Spirit we are able to notice others. We can pray to be sensitive to His leading and to open the eyes of our hearts to see first the need and then act on the need. So many times we worry about having the right words to say or giving the perfect gift, but in reality people just want you to see them and to care about them and their needs. The greatest present you can give this season could simply be your presence.

7) I love when you talked about starting a chain reaction that points people to Jesus. I love the thought of what this looks like. Encounter after encounter. What are some simple things people can be focused on to start this chain reaction?

I also love this image. I believe our small acts of love in God’s hands can make an enormous impact. Throughout the Bible God always used ordinary people and ordinary objects to do extraordinary things. He is a God of multiplication. Although I’m not much of a scientist, when I think of reaction, Newton’s Law of motion comes to mind which states for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. When I apply this to my Christian life, God’s love should prompt a response of love in me. This concept has proven true in my own life. When someone smiles at me it causes me to want to smile. When someone laughs it makes me want to laugh. When someone gives me a hug it makes me want to hug them back. If someone makes me a meal, I want to make a meal for someone else. It’s this pay it forward concept for Christians. 

We also need to be mindful that this chain reaction can go the opposite way. Our harsh words, our judgement, our lack of forgiveness, our lack of mercy, and our inactivity can do as much negative as our positive can do positively. 

In order to start a positive chain reaction we must first stay in God‘s word, stay in step with His spirit like we talked about earlier, pray, and be willing to be interrupted. So often, especially during the Christmas season we are busy with all the things. This season let’s make it our goal to slow down enough to notice and be aware of the needs around us. Simply take the time to invite someone to get together, text someone a kind thought, pray for someone, give someone a gift, or surprise them by doing a chore. It’s not as much about what you give but, just that you do give and with the right motive.

8) The Living With Less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this, what would you tell them and why?

I love the name of your podcast. It brings to mind less of me and more of Christ. That we are dying to our self and living a newness of life with Him. Our natural sinful tendency is to be selfish and focus on our needs and our wants. So in this respect, to live with less would be to live with less of ourselves- to be selfless. God has called us to take up our cross and follow Him. Jesus came as a servant and we are to model our behavior to live like Him. 

Isaiah 40 talks about being a servant of the Lord and one of my favorite phrases in the commentary I read about this chapter stated majestic works prompt majestic responses. Because of God’s love we should respond in love to Him and to those around us, so they may respond to God’s love too. That is our purpose. To have a relationship with Him so that we can spend eternity in heaven and to lead others to relationship with Him so they can spend eternity in heaven too. 

9) What's been the best thing God has taught you in this season of “The Love Offering” podcast? 

Gosh this is a hard question because He is teaching me so much every day and through this podcast I feel so lucky to be able to talk to so many amazing women and get to learn from each of them. So many times we hear a lot of negative news, but there really are a lot of people doing a lot of great things in this world. And that is something to celebrate. Everybody’s life and offerings look different and they’re all at a different pace, in a different place, in a different position, but they are all important to God and kingdom work. We just simply must all do our part. 

When I think about the love offering and I think about God as the most extraordinary giver, we give because God gave first. He created us in love. He sent His son Jesus because He loved us. Jesus died on the cross because He loved us. And we are to love because He first loved us. That is our greatest offering.

Where you can find Rachael at her website https://rachaelkadams.com, on Facebook, and Instagram @rachaeladamsauthor.

In this short 18 min. episode Chelsey shares on the portion of Luke 2 that stood out to her most this year. The Shepherds response when the angles left them, "LET US GO". They had no hesitation in the truth they heard. They wanted to see Jesus and share the good news of great joy with all people. Which is exactly who Jesus came for. You, me, and everyone else. Let us do just as the shepherds did. May we declare this year as one where we will urgently, without hesitation share the GOOD NEWS.

Psalm 115:1, 9-18

• 1: Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
• 9-18: O Israel,trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord,  nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord  from this time forth and forevermore, Praise the Lord!

What We Learn Here

• The author shows that they were completely OK with however God chose to display His glory and whoever He chose to do so through. 
• They trusted God's best and provision.
• God's glory is about God, not me. 
• We can rest in His eternal promises/blessings - provision, protection, help, mercy, grace, eternal life. 
• Someone else's blessings don't negate God's goodness in your life. 
• Their blessings don't change God's plans for you!

What We Need To Do:

• Stay in step with The Spirit (Galatian 5:25)
• Repent of the jealousy, pride, fear, and eagerness to get ahead! 
• Ask God to help us see where this is rooted in our lives.
• Cheer on those who are in the same space as you! 
• Celebrate God using others to reach people on behalf of His kingdom!

Prayer:

How long O’Lord? I know these words are very familiar to you. They’ve been muttered, whispered, and screamed at you. Our hearts are aching for normalcy and connection. Our hearts yearn for the day this is over and past us.

Lord, I am not alone and I know that. You make it so evident you are with me. In this time where we are physically distant from others, I pray we all feel a deep sense of your presence.

God, my heart in some ways has turned to stone. Lord - remove it. I pray Ezekiel 36:26-27 over me and anyone listening. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Lord, remind us you are outside of time. You don’t ask us to control the next second before us. You just ask us to trust you. To stand firm. To await the eternal glory you have called us to. 1 Peter 5:10.

Jesus wipe mud on my blind eyes so that I see you when I look at my circumstance. As my earthly heart shatters from its lack of control remind me that even in my sin-filled flesh you love me. You died for me so I can live for you.

Help me, love where you have me. Help me wake up every day grateful for another opportunity to grow closer to you and help me rest peacefully knowing you see me.

God, bind the enemy and shut his condescending mouth. Remind us that his head has been trampled. Help us to speak your truth out loud as he tries to defeat us in our thoughts.

You’re in charge. You’re on the throne. YOU’RE THE ONLY ANSWER. 

I ask this all in Jesus’s mighty, powerful, redeeming name. Amen. 

**Giveaway Details at the end of the show notes!**

1) Tell us about the wonderful you! (Where you live, church, writer/speaker, family, etc.)

• I’m a writer and speaker and abundant life seeker. I’m a sunset chaser, a carpooler, and a storyteller. I am a member of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ writing team, so I have the privilege of reaching over a million readers around the globe each month with hope from God’s word. Best of all, I’m a mom and a wife. five kids ranging in ages from 11-21 with our sixth child coming home through adoption sometime in the year ahead. I’ve been married for 26 years to the cute boy who sat behind me in the fifth grade. Rob and I have 5 kids ranging in ages from 11-21, and we’re in the process of bringing our sixth child home through adoption.  We live in Holland, Michigan. 

2) When I met you at She Speaks and sat in the Motherhood meets Ministry session I loved your raw honesty about the blessings, beauty, and challenge within the gift motherhood. Can you share how The Lord used a crayon box to restore your colors of contentment.

• When I was just two and a half  years into my journey of motherhood, I finally admitted that there was a huge gap between what I’d expected motherhood to be and the reality I was living. It was harder. Lonelier. More draining and demanding than I ever could have imagined. When I’d imagined life as a mom, I’d pictured this colorful season of joy and abundance, but with two little ones 2 and under,  I just felt empty----and disappointed.
• So, one day, as I was cleaning up after my toddler had sat in his high chair and colored (for 2 minutes at the most)--I crawled under the kitchen table to pick up the splattering of crayons, and as I reached for the empty crayon box, I started to cry. And there under the kitchen table, I poured out all my disappointment to God. I picked up that empty box and told the Lord, “This is exactly how motherhood makes me feel…. So empty……”  After my rant, I put the crayons back in the box and began to crawl out from under the table, and a verse I’d memorized as a child in Sunday School rose out of the depths of my heart and ran through my mind. “I”ve come to give you life and give it to the full”-John 10:10. In the days ahead, the Lord began to assure me that I wasn’t created for an empty life--- and the life I was looking for was possible--- but it wasn’t my kids who would fill me or add the color to my days. He would…” In that decade, our family grew from 2 kids to five and God kept His promise to restore the colors of joy and contentment in my life. He showed me how to take hold of life that is really life,  to refuel my heart with His Word; to seize joy that couldn’t be wrecked by a toddler tantrum or a grocery store disaster, and how to thrive in the throes of motherhood instead of merely survive. 

3) When mom’s in any season are feeling discontent and wishing their life looked a little different, where would you send them in God’s Word to not only encourage them but equip them to trust where God has them?

• I love the stories in God’s word that remind me that God can do big things with our small offerings--
• God enabled David to kill Goliath with five small stones; He fed 5,000 people with a little boy’s small lunch, He changed the world forever with a small band of just 12 ordinary men, 
• So often motherhood feels like a mundane exercise in smallness-- and we start dreaming of doing something bigger than reading Dr. Suess over and over again  and washing faces and bottoms and floors a dozen times a day, and soothing silbing spats--- but in Zecharaiah 4:10, God says--- Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
• We have to remember that God’s measuring stick isn’t  like us. He doesn’t major our value by the “size” of our work our the accolades we receive.  God is pleased when we do small things with big love.

4) What are some of the best things God has taught you within motherhood?

• Oh, my! He’s taught me nearly all of my important lessons in the past two decades in the context of motherhood. 
• Significance and success are NOT the same thing.  
• It’s easy to grow blind to the gifts right in front of me--- gratitude opens our eyes.
• What we plant today determines what we will harvest tomorrow.
• Just because it’s small doesn’t mean its insignifcant
• If the enemy can’t defeat me, he’ll simply distract me. 
• Time is a sacred gift; I need to steward it well
• Joy is found in unlikely places
• Comparison is the quickest road to discontentment
• Presence trumps perfection every time.
• The color of motherhood often feels brown--monotonous and mundnane-- but --- ask any artist and she’ll tell you the way to make brown is by mixing RED, BLUE, and YELLOW.  When we learn to celebrate the beauty in the brown, our homes change; our hearts change; our perspectives change.
• Hurry steals joy.

5) What has been the best mothering advice you’ve received and if you remember who it was from can you share who told you!

• Pray for a passion for the present-----Ask God to give you a passion for the life you live right now, not the life you wish you had. --wisdom shared with me by a beautiful pastor’s wife, mom of four.

6) Spending time with The Lord in the midst of motherhood can feel like a challenge, but we’ve also began using that as a crutch. In your experience how would you help a mom who is trying to add this time to her life? Were there or are there any unlikely places you found/find yourself digging into God’s word that? 

• Examples: Laundry, Carpool line, doing dishes, wee hour of the morning. 
• Motherhood has made me desperate for Jesus.  And I’m so thankful for that desperation.I made a pact with God when I was up all night with my fourth baby with colic--- told Him I’d spend the night in His word if He’d keep  His promise and give me energy in the morning. I sat up every night with a fussy baby oin one hand and my Bible in another--- when I was too tired to open my eyes, I just listened to scripture. And God’s word began to be my lifeline. And 13 years later, He still hasn’t broken His promise.
• The simple truth is this-- In the end, we make time for the things that have captured our heart.  When all my kids were little, I asked Jesus to wreck me and to woo me with His love. As He answered that prayer, I would find myself grabbing ANY time I could get with Him-- I hauled out of bed in the dark before dawn to be with him before my kids woke up. I scheduled a coffee date with Jesus when my last one went to preschool and I finally had a few precious hours to myself-- refused to run errands or clean or do laundry-- just met Jesus with a cup of coffee and my Bible and journal once a week for a couple of hours. I would take my kids to a fastfood playland a few times a month and bring my Bible--- just sit there in the crazy chaos and soak up the Word.
• But often my best time with Jesus was with my kids on my lap just reading the Jesus Bible Storybook together. I can’t even count how many times I’d read that precious book aloud and start crying as God spoke to me through its simple words and it’s powerful pointing to Jesus.

7) The Living With Less Podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If a mom or anyone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why? 

• I think we need to eliminate hurry. Slow down. Look up instead of around. Become wonder-chasers---- watch more sunsets, jump in mudpuddles, laugh more. We have such a joyful and amazing God, but so often, we don’t pause to ENJOY Him or pay attention to His presence. Kids are natural wonder-chasers. Let them teach you how. Follow their lead. Kids are rarely in a hurry. We need to leave margin in our day to just savor the present and BE present.

Connect with Alicia here!: 

https://aliciabruxvoort.net

Mother's Day Giveaway Details

• There will be 2 winners selected on Mother's Day (5/10/2020)
• Winners will receive - 2 - 8X10 prints + In The Garden Book
• To enter please like the photo on the @livingwithlesspodcast IG page!

The Psalm 138:8 Story:

• I felt God place this on my heart the morning of the day my uncle would pass. 
• I felt I was to share it with the young man installing our new garage door. Turned out his grandmother had just passed away the evening before in North Canton.
• As I ended the day, I got a call from my dad sharing the news that my uncle had passed away. He was around the same age as the younger mans grandmother AND he lived in North Canton. 
• I then remembered the verse and that I had written the date...I quickly realized while God used that for the young man in the morning, He was using that to prepare my heart for what was ahead. 
• Psalm 138:8 will forever be my Uncle Ralphie verse.

While We Don't Know All - We Know Who Does

• We can't know everything that will happen, which is why we deal with unexpected things every day, BUT we know who DOES and we can trust in that.
• God prepares our hearts are we seek Him. He points us to places in His word, lays verses on our hearts, and sends us gentle reminders of how much He loves us.

We CAN Control Our Obedience

• While we cannot control most of what goes on around us, we can control if we obey God.
• We can control if we turn to Him in the midst of hardship or victory.
• we can control making the time to be in His word.

Hebrews 12: 

• 1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
• 10 - They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
• 14 - Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
• 15 - See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

God's discipline vs Hustle Culture:

• God's discipline is out of his goodness and holiness. 
• God didn't design us to be the energizer bunnies.
• He designed us to need rest, he designed us to work within His will.
• Hustle culture is out of self motivation and pride in ones strength.
• Hustle culture is a lie - it tells us YOU CAN DO IT, YOU'RE YOUR OWN HERO.
• Hustle culture sidesteps God's grace and mercy. 

God's Call:

• His race he has set before us is an invitation to share in his holiness.
• Make every effort to be holy and that we don't miss the grace of God.
• Do not cause trouble or defile many.

• I come from a large family in Oklahoma, married to husband Danny and live in OC - love our life group, community, church RHMV, and walks to the beach where our story started. 
• part time for AKB as the Trauma Trainer and Director of Organizational Health
• part time in private practice in Newport Beach serving children and families through counseling

2) Can you share about the mission of AKB?

• Activate Government, Business and Faith leaders to end the crisis for kids in foster care.

3) When did you feel called to start serving in this space and how did that feel when you first began?

• I had a heart for children for forever & the fatherless since about 10 years old
• Family’s foster/adopt journey + family mission trips seeing hurting people led me to study social work
• Masters program - clearly interested in working in foster/adopt world
• Felt difficult, beautiful, energizing, sad, overwhelming, and yet “right” for me

4) Something that I found really incredible about America’s Kid’s Belong is how it talks about the collective impact. I love that the Church is included in this. Can you share how the church can help make a lasting impact in regards to this organization?

• That is something I am pretty passionate about too!
• Church/Bride of Christ is the only thing that will last, most sustainable
• Only body of people with biblical mandate to care for & bring justice for & uphold the rights of the orphan/widow (James 1:27 & Psalm 82:3)
• Churches/Faith communities are everywhere- Over 300,000 churches in US- widespread
• Faith communities built for caring for people, supporting family, advocating for wholeness
• RESEARCH: Identify families in your church who are (or have) already fostering. Listen to them. Organize and recognize them as a key ministry team in the church.
• RETAIN: Support them with a “Wrap Around Ministry”
• RECRUIT: Host a “Belong” Sunday and a “Next Steps Event” to recruit new families.
• provide space (video shoots, visitations, meetings, child welfare events)
• host trainings (trauma, WRAP around, child welfare trainings, documentary showings like Resilience Film or REMOVED films)
• start foster care related ministry
• educate self & surrounding community on felt needs
• care for & love on local child welfare workers
• wrap around foster/adopt families
• provide parents night out
• teach/preach on current foster care related issues & needs

5) Can you share a little bit about the in’s and out’s of adoption here in America? What is the timeline, what ages have the hardest time with placements, and what does the need look like?

• U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau  -- AdoptionandFosterCareAnalysisandReportingSystem
• https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport26.pdf
• 125,422 kids WAITING TO BE ADOPTED (legally free)
• 262,956 kids ENTERED FOSTER CARE
• 437,283 kids IN FOSTER CARE
• 61,901 kids ADOPTED through foster care in 2019 report (25%)
• Home Study approval process anywhere from 3 - 6 months
• Age 12+ high risk for aging out

6) “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. – Frederick Douglass This quote nearly took my breath away. Is there a story that stands out in your memory of a time The Lord placed a child with a family and a miracle happened within their heart?

• Educate about and advocate for ALL three responses
• Upstream: Provide care for at risk families before child welfare is involved
• In the stream: Provide care for kids in care & foster families
• Downstream: Provide care for aged out youth
• We get to hear of teenagers and young adults in their 20’s being adopted
• Go upstream and catch them before 10 social wounds
• People need People! Stuff without people/relationships is a bandaid. 
• First few months of placement honeymoon, then grief/loss hit, then slow adjustment and steps toward healing

7) For someone listening that what’s to get involved with your organization, what can they do to help? Whether financially, prayerfully, or if they are interested in adoption?

• Pray
• Follow social media to stay up to date
• Wrap around families
• Learn/educate watch videos
• GIVE!!

8) The Living With Less Podcast was birthed from John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease.” If someone approached you and asked what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would you tell them and why? 

• What are you carrying that you don’t need to carry anymore?
• Our unresolved pain, loss, & shame prevents us from fully experiencing all that He is and desires for us in relationship with Him
• For Him to increase in our lives, our barriers to him must decrease
• Resolve those things through healthy community, counseling, support groups, reconciliation, and inviting Him to heal wounds.
• Connects to caring for those in pain - How can we lead the hurting to a place of healing if we have never been there ourselves?
• You can’t give a child what you have never received

My family and I relocated from Chicago to Charlotte, NC three years ago when I joined P31 and Lysa T’s team as Director of Theology and Research. My wife and I have been married over 10 years and we have three little boys under the age of 8 (Liam, Levi, and Lucas) and we are expecting our 4th, a baby girl any day now! In addition to serving at P31 I also serve my local church, Transformation Church on the preaching team with my Pastor Derwin L. Gray. 

2) I sat under one of your teachings at She Speaks 2019 and from that, I have so enjoyed following you on social media. I love the way you teach people how to not only read God’s word but you teach the importance of finding what it truly means in the contexts of the time it was written. So, that's where I want to start first with our conversation today. For those just getting their toes wet in the Bible, can you share a good place is to start when reading scripture? 

I think for anyone that just gets into the Bible they approach it like any book. You open the first page and start reading. But this gets real confusing real quick when you start in Genesis then you eventually hit Leviticus! I’d recommend starting in one of the Gospels. Personally, I love the Gospel of John and Acts. In the Old Testament, you can start with Genesis and Exodus or Judges. 

3) Now that we’ve talked about a good place to start what recourses would you point people to use to give a better understanding of what the text is actually saying! I think this is what trips a lot of people up, we think we know what it means because we look at it through the lens of 2020 and not 2,000 years ago.  

 I think the crucial first resource is a good study Bible. I love the ESV Study Bible. I also often turn to the Faithlife Study Bible that is free online via an App because of the many infographics and media images that helps us visualize the text and what is taking place. There are some great websites like BibleHub and BlueLetterBible that can get you access to some good commentaries.  

4) Now that we know where to start and what good recourses to use, I’d love for you to show us how to actually do this! How would you study John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. 

Before I get into the text I want to be aware of the context:  Historical  Social Literary  I try to start by Bible Study process with these four steps:  Observation Interpretation Application Correlation 

5) Now I want to move onto something that stood out to me you spoke on this summer, I wish I could remember your words because they were much more eloquently put, but you shared on why we shouldn’t “cherry-pick” God’s word. At the end of 2019, there was a very controversial circumstance that had Christians feeling at odds with one another. One of the main reasons people felt unsettled was the way the topic was being supported was by one verse in scripture without using any surrounding text around it. Can you share why it’s important for us not to do this as well as why we need to be sure those leading us are looking beyond their views/feelings and actually teach what the word says/means? 

I’d love to start this conversation by briefly talking about Humble Theology. Its something that I’m really passionate about. I think when we approach the text we need to approach it from a posture of humility and when possible extend grace to others that are trying to work their way through the text the best they can. 

The main challenge and danger of cherry-picking verses is directly connected to a misrepresentation of the Scriptures and coming to conclusions (Interpretation and Application) that are not implicitly or explicitly in the text. When we cherry-pick verses to validate our agenda’s we get into a lot of danger because we are attempting to be masters over the text, and not be mastered by the text. 

6) I remember as a very new Christian I didn’t know how to read God’s word but I read it anyway and I believe God honors that pursuit of our hearts as we’re beginning a relationship with Him, but we can’t stay in that place forever. How can people be encouraged to grow from finding a verse that fits them that day to reading God’s word with a heart open to receive what He’s trying to teach us?  

I think this comes with dedication, repetition, and conviction.

•   Dedication - We need deep devotion when it comes to God’s Word. Without devotion and dedication we will never see progression in our spiritual formation 
• Repetitions - we need to create rhythms of Bible reading that creates routines that lead to spiritual maturity 
• Conviction - We need to approach the text with a conviction that this is the true and authoritative Word of God. 

7) Lukewarm faith, these are scary words for Christians. This is something stirring in my heart, and I think we all have a deep desire to live in a world with less lukewarm Christians. We as His kingdom kid’s have to get serious about what the call of a Christian really is. Most know what it means to accept Christ. But for whatever reason, it seems to stop after the honeymoon season. I think it stems from a few things: lack of community, lack of leadership, they either don’t know the word of God, or they feel intimidated by it.  What would you say to someone who feels intimidated by the Bible and how would you encourage them to step out of the shallow waters of lukewarm faith or keep pursuing Christ after the honeymoon phase?  

It is maybe helpful to understand where the phrase “Lukewarm” comes from. It’s been popularized by the passage in Revelation 3:16 - If you are Lukewarm you will be spit out. This language comes from the water systems that carried hot water through the Roman empire. But, if the water ran on the pipes too long it would become lukewarm and not useful for it’s intended purpose. 

Being Lukewarm seems to indicate a situation where you are stuck. I think you hit it when you talked about community and the lack of corporate engagement amongst the people of God. We are living in a culture that is increasingly pursuing autonomy and individuality. However, the Scriptures point not to individualism but a corporate gathering of believers - the Ekklesia or the church. I really think the local church is the key to this issue. 

 8) The Living With Less Podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this what would it be and why?

When I read this question I really just thought about myself. And I think that I need to live with less expectations of my own personal wants and desires and submit myself to the authority and kingship of Jesus. 

You can find Joel on Instagram at @muddamalle. There you will find so much information that can help you with your walk with The Lord.

I don't know about you but recently my heart has felt weary so I pray you to find yourself listening to this episode feeling like you're one of our friends sitting at the table with us.

1) Tell us about you!

Alysha Miller lives in Southern California where she serves her local church in the 5-6th grade ministry and also is a full-time wedding photographer.

Being around a lot of couples stepping into marriage, in 2015, she felt the Lord move her heart to compassion for marriage as a whole and for those who were stepping into marriage without fully realizing what they were stepping into. She wanted to use the gift of photography the Lord had given her to shine a light on what marriage is, who defines it and answer questions from a biblical perspective pertaining to it. Who better than to ask then married couples who have traversed this path? Learn how ironically God would use a single girl to set out on a journey to get to the heart of His heart for marriage.

The project is a photography project turned podcast in hopes that interviewing couples with Christ at the center of their marriage can answer some of the harder questions yet ultimately, the objective has always been to glorify Christ through marriage as it points to our relationship with Him, Christ, and His church.

And help us realize, He is our first love.  Nothing will satisfy us, apart from Him.  No relationship, no person, no marriage was ever intended to take the place of Him in our hearts.

2) I’ve been so excited to sit down with you and talk all things friendship. Not only because of the one God has gifted in us but because of the way God has grown your faith through the strong friendships he’s given you. How have you seen The Lord use the strong biblically-centered friendships you have to keep you focused on Him? 

It would have been much easier to miss on Sunday or not stay committed to things had it not been for the girl's God has placed in my life.  It’s accountability but it’s more than accountability.  It’s love.  I want to show up, I want to see my friends! Church on Sundays is a place that has been built into a habit and I get to see my friends.

Love what Pastor Ed shared on Sunday, the LOVE of Christ that fills us. 1 John 4 — it’s His love, real love, for one another and when we have this in common and come together and hear what He’s doing in each other’s life, supporting each other in prayer, caring for the other, we’re showing His love for us to each other.

Prayer support is HUGE. They have carried out the ministry things I’ve done bc they’ve prayed over future plans with me, and have listened to my heart and dreams and listened intently. carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

It’s not one-sided, I do the same. One of my best friends, how we met, heart to heart across a couch and went on a prayer walk a few hours after meeting. The deepest friendships are formed there.

There’s just been heart to hearts and safe places to land my heart when it’s needed a place to confess, work through heart things.

Listening and being trustworthy, being someone friends can trust and come to with things they need to talk about. Good listeners, but it takes one to be one. Learning the art of listening, with your heart. That was a season God took me through, no always waiting to talk but just listening to understand.  I didn’t always need to get a word in. 

Cell phones face down on the table don’t count. Heart to heart, over a table, no phone out. Also, no gossiping or slandering.  That’s a hard one! I slip so much when it comes to speech and those are usually the more convicting verses for me reading about the power of the tongue,

James 4:11 “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” 

There are at least 32 verses about gossip according to Google and 27 pertaining to the tongue and maybe there’s an overlap on some, but that’s a lot!

My call as a friend is to be encouraging, building my friends up with my words and pointing THEM back to HIM and pray for them. They don’t need my opinion about other people. I need to repent of that when I mess up, (repenting pretty much daily) and ask the Lord to cleanse me from the hidden sins lurking in my heart and to keep me from the deliberate sins lurking there. Psalm 19:12-14 

The hidden sin is the word or impulsive blurb about somebody that comes out of my heart, the deliberate sin is knowing I don’t need to say that, chewing on it and saying it anyway.  I’ve been working with the Lord on this one, thinking ahead. Where will the conversation turn if I say this?  Then probably don’t need to say it.

3) Biblically speaking friendship is a call, we’re called to be in relationship with other believers.  What would you say to someone who gets caught up "taking back their yes?”

I used to be that girl.  I would flake, I would make commitments than decide to cancel last minute. And hey, I probably still do that every now and then. BUT in Christ, He has given me a different perspective.  TO be a good friend is to show up, even when I last minute feel tired or want to be an introvert. 

A loving Creator designed us to exist in a relationship with Him, with each other and with the rest of creation. Friendship is a good thing, a God thing.

Romans 12:10 Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. This is GOD’S HEART.

I have learned and am still learning how to use my yes’ more thoughtfully, not just gleefully excitedly saying YES to every invite and asserting my no’s when I’m being pulled a lot of different ways or no even when I want to say yes because it’s the responsible thing or I know the yes isn’t the thing God wants for me. 

Then I feel more purposeful in fulfilling the “yes’” and knowing there are blessings on the other side of that yes when the day comes around to meet up with said friends and maybe my feelings are telling me to stay home because it’d be more convenient for me.  Whenever I’ve followed through on my yes (and I pretty much will now with any YES unless I’m really sick or there’s rain or something out of my control happening) I am always SO glad I followed through because I would have missed out on SO much with that friend.  And it’s two-sided, I am filled up and so is she!

The devil is in those lying feelings to stay home, he wants to RIP US OFF of anything productive, fun, fruitful, enjoyable, edifying, good for us that’s going to build up the Body.

4) Personally speaking, I know it can be really hard to put myself out there ESPECIALLY with women my age. How have you learned to do this?

It started with bible study.  That’s where most of my friendships in the Lord have blossomed out of.  I’m blessed to be a part of a women’s bible study that is multi-generational, so we get to hear wisdom from someone more seasoned in life yet also been paired with women my age.  Our church is pretty intentional about that.  So within the safe parameters of studying the Word of God together and a group setting, we’ve gotten to know each other through speaking about life’s situations but with prayer and the Word of God around it.  Then it’s branched off from there and we already know some things about each other.

The branching out part though might take some going out of our comfort zones. Being the one to text and invite to coffee or lunch, and I think being the first to share things about me invites this person to share more about herself.  It can be an awkward thing if you make it that, but it also doesn’t have to be. 

But having the Lord in common makes girls I’ve literally just met feel like sisters, we have this immediate bond and it’s awesome!

5) Hardship in deep friendship is inevitable. Knowing your part of your story can you share the difference between allowing the Holy Spirit to work verses hashing it out in the flesh.

Yes! Sharing the iron sharpening iron thing, living together, and having an honest conversation about where we were disagreeing, how we hurt each other alone felt like we had done it in our strength because I walked away shaking and with nothing resolved.  We went in around and round circles and were just not understanding each other.

But we even talked about going our separate ways if it just couldn’t get better because we couldn’t keep living this way and we realized if that happened though it be like a divorce, other friends had connected through the two of us, and we didn’t make other friends have to choose between us the rest of their lives. But God!

I Didn’t text her going to church that Sunday, she came and sat next to me and the message was on the power of forgiveness and we just hugged after and it was gone. Without any words yet a Mediator and He just took it. 

We later realized what held us for that year and a half of bitterness and hurt feelings for each other had felt like a prison sentence….and I kid you not this is literally what I had said a couple years prior.  I had just got done reading a book called Captive in Iran (such a good book!) and the testimonies of these two women in jail together had me saying, “What if we went to jail for our faith together?” And we said, dang we felt like we had.

Mark and Paul (sent Mark away but then called Barnabas to bring Mark back to him as he was helpful in ministry 2 Tim 4:11

6) Living in a world of instant gratification it can feel hard to navigate “lasting” friendships. They seem uncommon and honestly, counter-cultural. What would you say to the person desiring deep relationships in our current fast pace, on the go, busy world?

Pray about it! My mom told that.  You can pray for a friend in the Lord! God will be happy to answer that. He’s answered it a hundredfold and in one on one’s, discussing the Word of God, praying together like I said and just being intentional in investing and listening and being genuinely interested in your friend’s life!

Also, because we live in a fast-paced, busy world, there needs to be much grace… I need to be less and less offendable.  If a friend doesn’t get right back to me through text, grace.  If you see her with another friend on Instagram and you feel left out grace.

Don’t just exit the friendship and start over.  Next time, just say OH ID LOVE TO JOIN YOU GIRLS NEXT TIME if that’s something you really would want.

7) The living with less podcast birthed from John 3:30 is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this, what would you tell them and why?

I’d say, less of isolation, more community.  Do the thing you’re flesh is telling you not to do. Go to the Friday night study, sign up for the women’s bible study, say yes to the book club even if it’s not your favorite book, drive 30 mins out of your way to meet up to study alongside her.

Less shutting down, more opening up.  Be willing to share and be real with that friend.

Fewer friends who only like things you like, more sisters in Christ who may challenge you to do things you’d never do before.

Like run or indoor rock climb, go out on a limb and think less of self and more of others!

8) Can you share a small snippet of what The Marriage Project podcast is all about? 

Yes! The Marriage Project is an extension of my wedding photography business and an extension of God’s heart for marriage.  He’s led me to create a platform for Christian married couples to share their testimonies and to glorify Christ through the messier, harder parts of their stories and hopefully, in doing so, others can learn more about marriage, what it is, what God’s heart is for it and understand the weight of the calling marriage is. Hoping it can equip many!

That is scraping the surface, you can read more at www.themarriageproject.co or on Instagram @themarriageprojectco.

The Lord made it clear to her that while He desires to be near her (He slways it), He desires to be her refuge, and He desires her to share of the amazing things He does...that it's her choice to be obedient in all 3 of these things.

What does Psalm 73:26 Call us to Do?

1. Be near to God! This doesn't change because of  circumstances, this should be a constant in all of our lives.
2. Make The Lord our refuge - we need to stop turning to earthly things to fill this void and create a false safety net. 
3. We are to tell of all His works. The Lord calls us to share the amazing things He does in our life (in His timing, not always right away) but to give examples to the world around us that The Lord is moving even in our days!

How Do we Live This Truth Out?

• Get in His word even when we don't feel like it. His word NEVER returns void (Isaiah 55:11). We grow nearer to The Lord by having a growing relationship with Him. 
• First we need to ask Him to reveal what things we turn to when we should be turning to Him. Repent of not turning to Him, receive His forgiveness and choose Him daily as your refuge!!
• Share what God is doing in your life with someone! It can be family, a neighbor, a friend, your barista at Sbux, just SAHRE HIM and what He's doing in your life with anyone that will listen, it will always bless them! (Remember Isaiah 55:11).

Q & A 

1. How do you handle being friends with non-believers? 
   • Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times. - The Lord will call me into relationship with people who love Him and those who don't know Him. He calls me to love them and how them the hands and feet of Jesus. There are friendships I've had for years where they are not walking with Jesus but they fully respect my faith and what's important to me. 
   • Proverbs 11:14 - Where there is no guidance a peoples fall. - God calls us to walk in wisdom so if you're finding yourself feeling tempted within friendships who don't respect you, your faith, cause you to stumble due to their lack of guidance this is where we have to lean into the Holy Spirit and ask The Lord what to do with these friendships.
2. What are you favorite stories in the Bible?
   • I love 2 Chronicles 20 - King Jehoshaphat's pleas with The Lord when He is facing something he doesn't know what to do with is such a testament to how we feel when we cry out to God in the same way. His words in vs. 12 are, "For we are powerless against this great horde coming against us, for we don't know what to do but our eyes are fixed on you. 
   • Habakkuk - this short book is a powerful one. It gives great perspective on God working in the midst of things we don't understand as well as us seeing we are able to go to God with all of our feelings and trust that He hears us. 
   • John 4 - The Woman at The Well - This was the first story in the Bible that opened my heart to fully accepting the truth that Jesus loves me regardless of what my past sin was. I am redeemed in Him and I'm filled with joy to speak of the redemption He's worked out in my life.  
3. Do you think social media is a distraction or blessing? How do you balance screen time when you find yourself with lots of time on your hands?
   • I think it can be both a blessing and distraction. The Lord gave me Matthew 6:19-25 last year when working through discontentment. This is what I use to keep my social media time as a blessing. When it begins to cause me to feel tripped up by my emotions or falling into feeling of discontentment I know I need to take a break and get my heart back aligned in what God wants to use this for. 
   • For balancing screen time, I don't get this perfect but one thing that has worked is all apps on my phone are locked until 9AM. I also set a time limit for the day on IG at 40min a day. (this is the only form of SM I have). So setting limits and alarms are helpful! The Lord gave us boundaries for a reason so we certainly need them in all areas of our life.  

• 2 Chron 20:17 - You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
• Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
• Isaiah 41: 13-14 - For I, the Lord your God,  hold your right hand;
  it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;  your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 41:17-18 - and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
  and the dry land springs of water.
• Isaiah 41:20 - that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.
• Jeremiah 1:10 - See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
• Romans 17:15-25 - For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• 2 Corin 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• Galatians 5:17-18 - For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
• Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• Ephesians 5: 15-17 - Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
• Ephesians 6:11-18 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
• 1 Thess 5:5-28 - For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.  Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

I pray you find 1 of these 13 scriptures as encouragement and an equipping in your heart to hold fast to the goodness and the truth of God. 

It’s hard to put words together in times like these and because of that I’m so thankful you know our hearts. (Ps. 139:2) Lord, I pray that you quiet the anxious thoughts that take our eyes off of you, I pray that the heaviness that seems to be looming in our hearts all over the world and our country would turn to hopefulness in knowing these events did not blindside you. You know all, permit all, and have all authority. You make beauty from ashes. 

Jesus, I pray that you would cover the families who’ve been tragically affected by the pandemic of the Coronavirus, the flu strands that have hit hard this season, and tornados that devastated Nashville. May these people feel your all-consuming love wrap around them from head to toe and may they experience the love of Christ in a mighty way. 

We ask a covering of protection for all of those who are at high risk of this virus. I’m sure their hearts are filled with worry and uncertainty and I pray they sense your peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). 

Lord, may you cover all our homes with hedges of angels and may no plagues enter our dwelling places (Ps. 91:10). Give us hearts that willingly love like you and help us to serve our families from a cup overflowed by you while we all begin experiencing the call to stay at home.  

Lord, lastly I pray that your word would be the first thing we turn to when we begin to feel fearful about this situation and all the situations to follow. Help us to state the facts in these moments about who you are; Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End, Holy, Perfect, Just, and Kind. Then help us to state the facts about who you say we are; chosen, secure, precious, seen and handmade by You. May we all rest our weary hearts in your hands and always trust in what you are doing. 

In Jesus's name, amen. 

Verses from A Prayer for Protection in The Midst of Uncertainty:

Psalm 139:2 - You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.

Psalm 91:10-11 - no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

My name is Emily Lauren Cardel, but I go by Elle! I am 26-years-old and live with my husband, Michael,  and our sweet lab-mix, Tucker, in a historic fixer-upper home in Shelbyville TN- which is about an hour outside of Nashville if you’re familiar. 

I graduated from Lipscomb University in May 2015 with a degree in theology. I spent several years in children’s ministry during college and actually graduated with a job as a children’s minister for a church in Birmingham, AL, where I worked for almost two years before my husband proposed and brought me back to sweet Tennessee. 

Now, I own my own business and am a certified wedding planner. I do this part time while I focus on pursuing the call to women’s ministry God has laid on my heart through my online women’s ministry, Daughter of Delight. 

2) Daughter of Delight is your ministry that is used to speak to the everyday woman, when did you feel God birth this in you and how did you begin walking out that calling? 

I really love this question because I honestly don’t share this story enough, so thank you for asking! God planted the idea of an online women’s ministry in my heart during my junior year of college. What’s funny is that I pulled a total Moses on Him. I literally thanked Him for considering me, but assured Him I was not the girl for the job...that there was someone else out there who was more qualified and less sin-filled than I. 

Thankfully, the Lord was patient and persistent with me. Over the course of the next month, the see He had planted continued to grow and the conviction to pursue an online women’s ministry continued to sit heavier and heavier in my heart. It honestly got to the point where it was all I could think about. 

But I was scared about what people would think and that I was only going to embarrass myself in sharing my voice.

However, one day  I found myself in a conversation with a friend and she asked me what my God-sized dreams were. It was in that moment that I connected the dots and realized there was no way I was going to be able to run an online women’s ministry on my own, but that was never God’s intent. He was inviting me to partner with Him in something beautiful. He would see His plan through, all He needed was my trust and obedience. 

It was in this conversation that I spoke the God-sized dream of running an online women’s ministry into existence. Up until this point, it had been back and forth battles in my head. It felt so good to let it out and I loved my friend’s response! When I told her, she said, “Well, what are you waiting for? You’ve got nothing to lose!”

And she was right. I had nothing to lose, but so much to gain! So I went back to my apartment on campus and was up until 2 AM writing down the logistics and brainstorming the name for this ministry. I even created the Instagram account for it. 

For the first 87  days, it was just me and God. As a full-time, 18 hours a semester college gal, I was showing up and writing devotionals- every single day- as the pen in His hands. It was AWESOME and I know I only pulled it off by the strength and power of His Spirit in me! 

But I also felt like there was something more for Daughter of Delight. I knew it wasn’t intended to be just me, so I prayed and prayed for God to share more of His vision and heart for this ministry with me. And on day 87, He did. He opened my eyes to the fact that Daughter of Delight would be a ministry that encourages and empowers women through sharing their voice through their gift of writing with the women who make up the Daughter ofDelight community in order to encourage, challenge and help women grow in their relationship with our Creator. 

And that’s where Daughter of Delight stands today. Every three months, I look for a team of women to write one devotional a day for 12-13 weeks (depending on how many weeks are in the quarter). It’s amazing to see what some of these women have gone on to do- some have published books, launched a successful blog of their own, or just walked away with a greater understanding of their purpose. And it’s also amazing to see the impact God is using these women to have on the thousands of women that make up our online community! He has been faithful from the get-go, and I’m just so grateful He used me to birth something so beautiful and special AND that I am still on this journey, five years later! 

3) When you find yourself in a season of hardship is there a particular verse you find yourself going back to that reminds you God delights in you!

Yes, absolutely! Zephaniah 3:17 is what inspired the name, Daughter of Delight, actually, and one I take great joy and comfort in. 

It says, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

This verse gives me a wonderful taste of the joy of the Lord. It reminds me of the bigger picture at hand and the eternal joys that await His children. God is glad because we are glad in Him, and when we sing for joy, He delights in us with singing. And it is only in Him we can experience this type of joy and gladness, hence the name, Daughter of Delight! 

4) Speaking of delight. This one small word holds so much meaning. Can you share with us what it means to you in reference to how God sees you.

Ah, yes. This small word is jam-packed with truth! This is how I see it:

What God delights in about us is that we delight in him. His Word not only tells us that He delights in us, but commands us to take delight in Him. Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord. So this tiny word of “delight” has a beautiful, life-giving two-fold meaning. When we truly take delight in God, He rejoices because our sight is more set on Him. Therefore, our joy is more complete in Him. So, when I choose to take delight in His ways over the selfish, sin-prone ways of my flesh, I become more complete in Him and in my identity as a daughter of the Most High King. I become His daughter of delight. 

5) I know you have lots of younger women who follow along with your devotions, what is it that you want them to walk away with more than anything. 

You know, it’s always been my prayer that God would use this ministry to  meet women where they’re at & to help fuel their fire to keep going- despite their circumstances.  I pray that women would be encouraged and challenged to step into God’s Word and pursue His heart all the more. 

There are a lot of people who think they are too ill-equipped to understand the Bible, but I want to push against this mindset and challenge women to step out of it. The Bible was not just made for preachers and teachers to share its truth. The Bible proves this! Look at all the people that couldn’t keep quiet about all the things Jesus did. AND, God used His Spirit to inspire and speak through everyday people like us to write His Word.

Rooting ourselves in God’s Word will help us understand why we believe what we believe and propel us all the more into the identity He has gifted us with as we continue to draw near to Him. 

6) Something that struck me about your ministry that inspired me is your sharing your space with other women who love God’s word. What made you desire to create room at the table God gave you too bless these other women. 

Oh, yes! I am a strong advocate for making sure people know there is room for them at the table to offer the gifts God has given them. I’m going to be completely honest with you...one of the reasons I was afraid to start an online women’s ministry was because I already knew of some out there and they were doing it what I thought as ten thousand times better than I could. The Lord really had to work on my heart and open my eyes to the truth that there really is room for everyone at the table- which is another reason why I love the vision He had for the heart of this ministry to make way for other women and their voices. 

There are over 8 billion people in the world. We need as many ministries and advocates for Christ as we can get- online and offline! 

7) I just really feel like the Lord wants me to ask you about waiting. How do you cling to Jesus in the midst of a wait and what truths would you point women to in these seasons?

Oof, what a great question! God has taught me so much about it throughout my Daughter of Delight journey. Truth be told, my desire is to be able to give Daughter of Delight my undivided attention. I really believe the Lord is calling me to do this full-time, but even after 5 years I’m just not there yet. So, there’s been a lot of waiting and frustration over the course of my Daughter of Delight journey. It really is a full-time job and I’m so ready to financially be able to let go of everything else so that I can be ALL IN. 

That being said, what I have learned about waiting is ultimately rooted in my being content in Christ. Christian contentment is completely contingent on the all-sufficient resources of Christ.

It’s not found in getting, doing or having. It's found in knowing Jesus. Read what Paul shares with us about it in Philippians 4:10-20.

God knows what He is doing. Even if we don’t, He does. The Creator of the Universe knows me more than I know myself. Because of this, I can rest assured my life is in not just good hands, but the BEST hands- even if I’m impatient with His timeline at times. And you know, when I take the time to look past my impatience and instead focus on the ways in which His sovereign hands are at work in my life, I see the blessings I am surrounded by. 

Even in the waiting, God is at work in us. It is not our place to doubt Him, but to trust Him. Trusting Him is the only way. 

8) The Living With Less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to this, what would you tell them and why!

I would ask them to make a list of the things they value and prioritize. Then, I would have them reflect and evaluate their list and ask them to decide what needs to be modified or completely removed in order to make room for Christ to reign in their heart.

For example, maybe some of us misplace our worth in people pleasing and therefore lose sight of who we truly are in Christ. Or, maybe we are so consumed with the speed of  this fast-paced life that we have come to the conclusion that we are too busy for God, but He knows our hearts. Maybe, we spend ridiculous amounts of time on our phone instead of showing up in God’s Word. 

Whatever it is, we have to make ourselves aware of the worldly treasures that have stolen our attention so that we can make room for God and allow Him to be our true treasure. He is the most invaluable treasure and the only treasure that will every satisfy!  

9) I know you’re also an event planner! What is your favorite part about being in the details of these days! 

This question just made me love my job all the more! The details are definitely my favorite part. Particularly with weddings, I love piecing the details together and then getting to take a step back when I’m done and watch how each detail tells a part of the wonderful love story God has written in the hearts of the couples I have the pleasure of working with. It is such a rewarding feeling! 

Love One's Mission:

In 2007, Mike and Suzanne Mayernick flew to Uganda to bring their little girl, JosieLove, home from Uganda. When they arrived, the 15-pound shell of a 3 1/2-year-old who they came to adopt was raging with a 105 degree fever and at a routine medical exam, they found out that that she had malaria, tuberculosis, and was HIV positive.

After just a few months at home receiving the love, attention, and the medical care she needed, this once dying little girl blossomed into a healthy, thriving child. Watching JosieLove's transformation sparked a fire inside of Suzanne and she knew that she was called to help more children like her daughter...so she started Love+One.

Love+One International got its name from JosieLove and the plus sign represents the mission to support the HIV positive population.

A few of my favorite things Suzanne said in our conversation that I felt needed to be out there in written form: 

• "It’s been really cool to watch the lord move the way he does and I’ve been holding onto the kite string as it took off into the air."
• We saw what love and medical treatment could do for a child like her who could’ve died. My heart just continued to be broken for kids like her.
• I have no idea how it’s happened. It’s just God. The doors have just continued to open and I’ll obediently walk through them.
• When I look in these children’s eyes I see Jesus. It’s the only way on this earth I feel like I’m looking dead in the eyes of Jesus. I feel his presents more than ever before through these children.
• When we resettle these children it’s not love one, it’s the love of Jesus that is why we do what we do. We get to share the love of Christ through this sick kids.
• In the heartache and the hard He brought JOY everyday through these little children he’d given me to care for.
• The goal is to build a bigger facility so we can hold 50-100 children.
• “Submit to His will and I love living in that freedom.”

How to get involved!

• Follow on social media
• Pray for the children by name! 
• Pray for our goal: love one - to love that one child that is in our arms or in front of us at that moment. 
• Prayer for our staff.
• Donate - loveoneinternational.org

Attributes of An Unwilling Heart:

• Unfruitfulness
• Ungodliness
• Sinful, fleshly desires
• Not seeking the truth

His Commands To Us:

• Willing hearts (1 Corinthians 2:14)
• Make disciples (Matthew 28:19)
• Send the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19) 

This week's scriptures:

• Romans 1:18-23 - 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
• Ephesians 5:11 - 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
• Ephesians 5:15-17 - 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
• 2 Timothy 2:16 - 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
• Titus 2:12-15 - 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

3 Verses in  the ESV: 

• Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
• Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• Hebrews 5:14 - But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

3 Questions That Are Changing My Faith:

• Is my life pleasing to The Lord?
• Do I discern the intentions of my thoughts and heart?
• Do I know good from evil? Wise from unwise?

Winner of Phylicia Masonheimer's Book:

• @alyssamtee

I pray take some time this week to sit with these verses and questions, my prayer is they help to steward your heart to a deeper relationship with Him. 

What is discernment?

• Wisdom in action
• The Holy Spirit will give them the discernment they need as they expose themselves to The Word.
• 1 Corinthians 1:19
• Hebrews 5:14
• Hebrews 4:12
• Romans 12:2

Why we need to study God's word to grow in discernment:

• We cannot live the Christian life apart from Christ. You can only know Christ through His word and His spirit.
• You'll know if you're hearing from His spirit if you're in His word.
• We learn that just because things may resonate with us in the world it doesn't mean it's biblically true.
• If we say we're Christians we're saying we align with the teaching's of Jesus Christ and to be in alignment with them we have to know them.

How to make time for God's Word:

• We first need to realize that we've Americanized "quiet time" with The Lord. It will never be the "perfect setting" especially as seasons change in our lives.
• Try doing 3x a week deep study. On the other days read through the Psalms and read it back to The Lord.
• Just show up.
• We make time for what we care about.

Holy Spirit:

• In scripture is always accompanied by He when talked about.
• Power to dwell in us for a specific task - dwells in us for a specific task.
• Does NOT lead to disorders and disarray.
• It leads, teaches, and equips.
• It will NEVER lead you to sin and will NEVER contradict His word.

Conformation in His word and questions to ask when you're in prayer:

• If you're in His word and you know what The Word says you can trust Him to lead you.
• Does the principle match who God says He is?
• Would this action glorify God and bless others?
• Does this sanctify, grow, and mature me?

What would you tell someone who asked what they needed to begin living with less of in regards to becoming more like Christ?

• Living with less shallow distractions. They keep us from depth with God.
• We will stay in the shallow, confused, un-discerning state if we don't choose to lay down our Cross.

Connect with Phylicia:

• Website: phyliciamasonheimer.com 
• Instagram: @phyliciamasonheimer

Car Key Story:

• God gives us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus for others. 
• This is how we as a church need to lead by example for others.

Fear & Rejection:

• These two words are what keep us away from going deeper with our relationships.
• These two words lie to our hearts and allow the enemy the take a mile.

"Come To Me":

• Jesus calls us to come to Him for rest - rest comes with having a community to love on you.
• It's an invitation to be able to walk alongside people who we can help and they can help us. It's a gift from Christ. 

Community:

• There is heartache and heartbreak within community but the beauty and blessings that come from it far outweigh the hard. 
• If you're in a church that continues to make getting into community difficult it may be time to ask The Lord is this where He wants you.
• The Lord may to calling you to be the one who speaks up in your congregation to share with leaders about that issues.

What Happens When We Live The Truth

• Our hearts grow deeper in Christ.
• Peoples hearts begin to change around us.
• We steward people to The Lord and His word.
• It changes everything. 

Scripture References 

• Matthew 13:24-30 The Parable of the Weeds - 24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.
• Matthew 15:13 - 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
• Luke 17:6 - 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
• Jude 1:12 - 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;
• James 1:5 - 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Find People To Pray For You 

• Find a few women/men who can come alongside you in prayer when you're struggling. 
• Be in a community of believers who don't just encourage you but equip you to have a deeper faith and pursue a life that bears much fruit. 

2 Chron. 20:12,15,17

• 12- For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
• 15- Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
• 17- You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.
• The Lord calls us to be obedient even when He's fighting the battle for us. 

Matthew 15:13

• 13- He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
• The Lord wants to eradicate everything in our lives that is not meant to be there. 

2 Corinthians 10:5

• We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
• The Lord gives us the opportunity to hand over the thoughts that are not from Him and we then allow Him to remove it from our lives. 
• This has to become a habit, not a one time thing. (This is a HUGE work in progress for me).

**Trigger Warning: Wendy's story involves sexual assault happening to her. If you'd like to skip that part it is at the end of the ninth minute, 9:49-9:57.**

1)Tell us about the wonderful you! (Family, where you live, ministry, church, etc.)

• I’m married to Monty and have two children, Lauren and Bo. Monty and I have been married 32 years!! We were college sweethearts, and he was my first, and only, boyfriend. Lauren was born 6 years after we got married, and she is now married (age 26) and living in Atlanta with her husband, Morgan, who is the best ever answer to prayer for her. Bo was born 4 ½ years after Lauren, and he is 21 years old, a senior in college academically and a redshirt junior for basketball. He plays college basketball at UNC Charlotte and is also actively involved with FCA.
• We attend a newly formed church called Moments of Hope. I teach weekly Bible study for our women with our pastor’s wife. I love our community. Though less than a year old, we already have over 1500 attending and have 300 women participating in our Bible study. So exciting!
• I work part time for Proverbs 31 Ministries as the Biblical Content Coordinator for P31 Online Bible Studies, and I absolutely LOVE my job. And, I work with the best people, one you know … Kendra … she has been your guest a few times.

As we dig into the meat of this episode I think we need to set the stage a bit for what Spiritual Warfare looks like. For some this part of scripture seems so foreign or uncomfortable. Can you give a breakdown about what it is and where people can read about it in the Bible.

• Spiritual warfare is REAL. It began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and it will continue until Jesus comes back as our Ruling and Reigning King. Satan slithered into this world, entered the serpent, tempted Eve and has been around ever since. And, he is not alone. Simple summary of the beginning of this war … At one time, Satan was one of God’s good angels. But, he decided he wanted what God had and rebelled against God. God threw him out of heaven along with 1/3 of the angels who sided with him. He has been battling God’s people ever since. The first chapter of Job gives us a great vision of what this warfare looks like!
• We hear most about spiritual warfare in Ephesians Chapter 6. Paul tells us in this chapter that we do not fight against flesh and blood enemies (though it often feels like it). We really fight against Satan and those fallen angels. But, we need not fear spiritual warfare because of so many truths in Scripture. First, when we are children of God, we have God’s Holy Spirit living in us. John tells us in 1 John 4:4 the truth about this situation … GREATER is the ONE who lives in us (Holy Spirit) than the one (Satan) who lives in this world. Paul tells us in Romans 8:37 that we are MORE than conquerors in these battles through Christ who lives in us. And, Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 God doesn’t leave us to fight alone. We have weapons of warfare … The Armor of God … Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit and the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. That Sword is the Word of God. It is our OFFENSIVE weapon with which we can fight.

3) Many people live their lives taking others word for who God is and what His truths say. You and I both know the importance of knowing His word for ourselves and having that deep relational connection with who He is. Can you give an example when you were so thankful you knew God’s word for yourself in a season that was hard and filled with attacks from the enemy.

• The very worst, most horrific event in my life brought me closer to God and into a deeper understanding of God’s Word than anything else I’ve walked through. I had nothing else. In wrestling with God … in being so very angry with God … I came to know, trust and love Him by exposing my heart and mind to the Bible. I learned it was living, active and penetrating (Hebrews 4:12) meant to speak to us today and bring healing and life transformation. I learned that when His Word goes out … spoken or prayed or written … it will not return void but will accomplish His desires and achieve the purposes for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

We also know there are many people who know God’s word but don’t know the weapon that it can be against the evil one! Can you explain how to stand firm in faith or stand firm from our knees in prayer when things get hard/painful/questionable.

• Share the power of praying God’s Word and how it came to fruition when I saw a wall of the angels surrounding my house as I was faithful to pray Scripture to free me from fear.

Since we know the enemy can’t create, but can twist and manipulate is there a tactic you feel the enemy uses with you over and over? How can someone begin identifying when he is attacking them instead of chalking it up to bad luck/bad day/ etc.

• My latest battle has been with anxiety. Our enemy knows our weaknesses. Peter tells us to be alert for the work of the enemy in our midst because He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to desire. So, Satan observes us and sees those places where we have no confidence, we struggle with trusting God and he attacks, pounces, lies and deceives. The enemy knows what things make me anxious. So, the more I began to pay attention to my anxious times and what was causing them, the less he could claim victory over me. I found Scriptures on peace and I memorized them (Isaiah 26:3 the biggest one) and I prayed them. I stopped allowing the anxiety to paralyze me. Baby steps. Riding the wave.

One of my favorite verses I turn when under attack to other than Eph 6:16 is John 10:28, “I will give them eternal life, they shall never perish, no one will snatch them out of my hand.” What are some of the truths of God you point people to when they feel the enemy is coming against them?

• 1 John 4:4, “Greater is the One who lives in us than the one who lives in the world.”
• Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

My favorite question of the episodes are this - the living with less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in regard to this what would you tell them and why!

• Worry less about what you fear and what causes you anxiety. It truly sucks the joy and life out of us. I did me. When I look back, I think it’s where I lived for my late childhood and young adult life. Once I experienced the power of God’s Word and truly lived loved by God, I found myself living with more hope, more confidence, more faith. Faith and belief that God is BIGGER than my fears and anxieties. He is ABLE … MORE THAN ABLE … to equip us to overcome whatever challenges us right now. And will will only be able to live with more hope, confidence and faith when we KNOW God intimately and KNOW His Word so deeply that we’re familiar with it as we would be a favorite song or book. Know God’s names. Know the stories. These are what you can recall in those hard moments so speak truth and God’s promises over your heart and mind.

FUN question - I know you’re a huge college football girl, who is your team and how do you root them on? From the stands or the comforts of home!

• Great question! I went to Baylor and my husband was on the football team for a few years while we dated. So, we are Baylor fans first. And, they are undefeated as I write this. But, our daughter went to UGA, so we have also adopted the Dawgs and love to cheer them on. When we lived in Texas, we did go back for games. When my daughter was still at UGA, we would drive to Athens for some of the games. But, now we mostly watch both from TV. I also love college basketball!! My son plays for UNC Charlotte, so we go to all their home games and some away.

To learn more about Wendy and see her resources head to her website wendyblight.com and follow her on Instagram @wblight. 

Does This Honor God or Me:

• Does my word or theme for the year honor God or does it honor me and what I want? 
• When when sit with our word/theme does it point people to Jesus or does it point people back to me?
• Does it challenge me, change me, and shape me to look more like Christ or does it keep me in a place of comfort?
• Does it stand up to God's word? His word's and truth never change. 
• Proverbs 21:21 - Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Why We Need To Get Rid Of Stuff

• We don’t want to be triggered emotionally by "stuff" that has no reason being in our lives.
• "Stuff" takes up room in our minds and hearts that belong to Christ.
   

God's Word Is For You and Me

• The words in the Bible are for you and me, not just the person who wrote them. People always say, "well I’m not like ___ who wrote that book of the Bible" and while they are right to some degree, all of us are different. God put these words in this book for you and me to learn from.

The Eternal Perspective

• We get so hyper focused on the “year” that we forget about wanting our changes to be lasting over our lifetime.
• The words God Miss Joyce year after year are still working in her life now.
• Just because 2019 is over doesn’t mean things He did in my life this year aren’t going to carry into my life next year.
• God what do you want for my life this year that is going to impact people around me for generations to come.