Category: Women’s Ministry

Giving Back to Him

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 26

I remember the first time I heard the song, “Alabaster Box.” It wasn’t Cece Winans’ famous version that I’ve linked below. Rather it was a dear friend who sang it through tears. The words touched my heart in such a profound way that I still think of it now, ten years later, every time I read the story of the very grateful woman in Matthew 26 who was willing to make such a sacrifice for Jesus who had changed her life.

Many people have a hard time understanding why I have wrapped my whole life around Jesus. Why is my every day consumed with thoughts of Him, service to Him? Why can’t I just talk about something else? What’s the big deal?

Well, have you ever read one of those touching stories about an organ donor and a profoundly grateful recipient? Someone is on the verge of death because of a failing heart or kidneys, when they are suddenly given a second lease on life because of someone else’s selfless sacrifice. They are overwhelmed with gratitude. They can’t put into words how much they appreciate this priceless gift. They would do anything to try to pay back that person who saved their loved one’s life – or their own.

My friends, that’s how I feel. Jesus has given me everything. He has given me a new lease not only on this present life, but for all eternity. And now everything in my life is seen through these lenses of profound gratitude.

Alabaster Box

I can’t forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I’d thought I’d found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I’m giving back to Him
All the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven
And that’s why
I love Him so much

And I’ve come to pour my praise on Him
Like oil from Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash His feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren’t there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don’t know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don’t know the cost of my praise
You don’t know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, I am eternally grateful for all You have done for me. It is a joy to pour out my life for You. It is just a tiny offering to give back to You who has given me everything – my very breath and life and joy and peace and hope and purpose and everything I have – it is all Yours. My cup indeed runs over, and it spills out praise for You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. You are worthy of every ounce of my life. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for me. Amen.

Alabaster Box by Cece Winans

Well done, Good and Faithful Servant

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 25

The Lord blessed our family with four children over a span of eleven and a half years. I was a busy homeschooling mom trying my best to manage a very busy household. One way that I did this was with “chore charts” assigning various chores to each child in our household.

My oldest daughter was responsible for so many tasks around the home from cooking and cleaning to helping with her younger siblings. My youngest son had much smaller jobs like feeding the dog or putting away the silverware.

Were their jobs unequal? Definitely! Was it unjust? Absolutely not. They were different people and given correspondingly different jobs. They were equally praised for a job well done, and equally reprimanded for a job poorly done – regardless of whether they were supposed to clean the entire hall bathroom or merely empty the hall bath’s trash can.

Likewise, our perfectly wise Lord gives different people different portions of talents, but equal praise. To the one who invested well his five talents and the one who invested well his two, the Lord says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:20, 22) The one who invested well his five talents did not receive greater praise, nor did the one who invested well his two talents receive lesser praise.

The Lord is angry with the worthless servant, not because he only had one talent, but because he did not invest his one talent well. The one who received only one talent chose to hide it in the ground, saying that he knew that the master was a hard man, “reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed,” (Matthew 25:24) Surely this man doesn’t know the true character of his Master, for if he did he would never utter such words.

Good servants know the true character of their Master, that He is good and generous in giving His servants talents with which to serve Him. I speak from the perspective of someone who was once an atheist, living a life devoid of lasting purpose. As a follower of Jesus Christ, it is a priceless gift to know that your life has meaning and purpose. It is good news to be God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

What talents has the Lord entrusted to you?

Has He blessed you with children, a house, a skill, a passion, a testimony – or all of the above?

How can you put them to good use for your master?

Heavenly Father, You are a good Father who delights in giving good gifts to Your children and You are a good Master in giving us, Your servants, fruitful tasks to accomplish. It is a joy for our lives to have meaning and purpose. It is a joy to serve you here on earth and it is a joy to look forward to that day we will enter into Your kingdom and hear the words we long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In the Name of our Gracious Master Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Seeing yourself as a steward of your time, talents, treasures, and testimony

If Your Brother (or Sister) Sins against You

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 18

So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:14-17 ESV

Yesterday we looked at not causing someone else to stumble or be offended by our actions. Today we will look at what to do when someone else sins against us.

Earlier this week I had someone ask me how to handle a conflict she was having with a sister serving in her church’s children’s ministry. I’m copying my answer here in hopes that it will help you, too!

When a sister in Christ has hurt you, you should approach her with gentleness, humility, and love. Begin by speaking words of genuine encouragement, such as, “I’m so thankful for your service to our children. I appreciate you teaching the children to sing and worship. I want us to work together in a spirit of unity and love.”

Examine your own heart and motives. Often we see pride in others more easily than we see pride in our own hearts. Love thinks the best of the other person. Don’t assume that her motives are wrong.

Sometimes the women that I’m working with or leading are too eager to speak words of complaints or criticism, but slow to offer help. I love it when people come to me with offers to help!!!

Here are some other passages you can read to prepare for a difficult discussion with a brother or sister.

Leviticus 19:17-18
Proverbs 27:5-6
Colossians 3:12-17
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a
Ephesians 4:29-32

Here’s a link to a bunch of wonderful downloads from Peacemaker Ministries and Relational Wisdom

Not to Give Offense

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Read Through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 17-18

Today I wanted to put chapters 17 and 18 together because in Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus was explaining to Peter that though he was free from giving the tax since He is God’s Son, he would still pay the tax so that he would not give offense to the Jewish leaders. Then in Matthew 18:6, Jesus warns the people about causing others to sin.

“When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Matthew 17:24-27 ESV

That word “offend” in Matthew 17:27 is the same Greek word as”causes to sin” in Matthew 18:6, 8, and 9 — skandalizō.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”

Matthew 18:5-9 ESV
Many thanks to the Blue Letter Bible app 💙

We need to be careful how we ourselves live, because we want to honor God in all we do, but also because we don’t want to cause others to stumble. Let’s keep a careful watch over what we say and what we do, that we may be a help and not a hindrance to our brothers and sisters. This might mean limiting our freedoms.

Remember, Jesus was free from paying that temple tax because He was the Son of God, yet He paid it, so He wouldn’t cause others to stumble. Likewise, God might be calling you to not do something out of love for your weaker brother.

Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 are great passages to read for more on this topic.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all of your mercy and your grace towards me. I pray that I would pay careful attention to how I walk so that I would not cause anyone else to stumble. I pray that I would be a helping hand and not a stumbling block. Thank you for forgiving me through the blood of the lamb. Please give me your strength to do what is right. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray. Amen.

Loving the Lord More Than Anyone or Anything

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 10

 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:34-39 ESV

What do I love more than Jesus? Sleep? Chocolate cake? My phone?

Who do I love more than Jesus? My mom and dad? My friends? My kids? My husband?

Who is on the throne of my heart? Who rules over my thoughts and my actions? Who am I living my life for?

It’s a lot to think about. Let’s pray

Lord, help me to love you more than anything, more than anyone. Make me willing to lose what I love for Your name. Show me today what that looks like. In the name of Jesus Christ, the only worthy One, Amen.

Scripture Memory and Scripture Application

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 7

In God’s incredible providence, Matthew 7 was my scripture memory passage to practice yesterday in my Bible Memory app. My oldest two children and I initially memorized this passage (all 29 verses!) more than 16 years ago – when my oldest two children were about 7 and 10. I love the Bible Memory app because it prompts me to continue to practice passages that I have memorized in the past. I hope you’ll check it out! Here’s a link to learn more or download it. Here’s a link to a video I made about how to use it. And here’s a link to my Teach What Is Good Bible Memory group You can join for free for some encouragement and accountability — don’t we all need that!

There is so much wisdom in all of Matthew 7, but today what I was especially thinking about were verses 21-23 and 24-27. These two passages are deeply interconnected.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27 ESV

Notice that connection word “then” in verse 24. Many people say they’re Christians, listening to God’s Word, even saying “Lord, Lord,” and doing Christian things — yet they are not doing God’s will. They are not putting into practice what it is that they keep hearing about.

This reminded me of some other passages I’ve memorized – James 1:22 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV

Let’s be faithful to store up God’s word in our heart (like Psalm 119:11 says), but let’s be just as faithful to put it into practice!

This is what differentiates students from disciples: Students learn and study and listen … but disciples put into practice the words of their teacher, modeling their own lives after their master’s.

Heavenly Father, we don’t want to merely listen to your Word, thus deceiving ourselves. We want to do what it says. Help us to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, modeling our lives after His, loving and serving others, doing good to them and forgiving them, as Jesus Christ perfectly modeled for us. And help us to be faithful disciple-makers, telling others the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, and teaching them all that You have commanded us, remembering that You are always with us even to the end of the age! In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Bible Memory App – 1 Corinthians 13
How to use the Bible Memory app

Christ is Enough

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Matthew 5-6

Bear with me, please, as I silently ponder aloud some thoughts from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

  • Is Jesus enough for me?
  • Can I be satisfied in Him? Or do I have to manipulate others with anger or bitterness or unforgiveness?
  • Can I be satisfied in Him? Or do I need to lust after that person or that thing or that circumstance, thinking that is the key to my joy?
  • Can I be satisfied in Him? Or do I need the praise and accolades of man? Do I need good health and good food, nice clothes and nice friends to be happy?

I can just hear the Father whispering to me, “O, Kim, you of little faith. I am enough for you. Trust Me. Look at those birds making their little nests and pulling worms from the ground. Look at those flowers poking out from the dirt. I am taking care of them and I’m taking care of you. Fear not for I am with you. I am enough. You, seek Me. You, trust Me. You, pursue Me. I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll take care of you.”

Please pray for me to cast all my cares on Him and to trust that He cares for me – that He takes care of me and He cares for me. Truly Our Father is a good, good Father. He is Enough.

Enough – Elias Dummer

Temptation

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 4

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil.

Matthew 4:1

It struck me that it was the Spirit that led Jesus to go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Why? Why would God want Jesus to be tempted? I found the answer in the Word, in Hebrews.

"Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:17-18 ESV
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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." Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV

Jesus experienced the very human experience of temptation, yet He resisted the devil by His will and by the Word, and so can we. Like 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 1:13-15 ESV

So … What should we do when we face temptation?

  • Take every thought captive to obey Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 10:5) The battle against temptation is won and lost in your thoughts. If you want to resist temptation, you need to “think about what you’re thinking about!” As soon as you’re tempted, capture that thought and get rid of it. Then, replace it with the truth of God’s Word. After 40 days of fasting, I’m sure Jesus was so so so hungry! I know how I feel after fasting for 12 hours. Jesus overcame temptation with God’s Word, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes in the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 – Look at Deuteronomy 8:3 for it’s original use) The more of God’s Word you have stored in your heart, the more equipped you’ll be to replace those wrong thoughts with the right ones!
  • Resist the devil. Ask yourself this question, “Who am I resisting, God or the devil?” All too often we are resisting God and submitting to the devil. 😩 We’ve got it all wrong! And if we want to resist the devil, we have to keep our eyes open to his temptations and schemes. If you knew you were in the lion’s den, you’d keep alert for a lion, wouldn’t you? Listen carefully to the words of 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
  • Submit to God. In those tough moments, remember that God is your commanding officer. He has every right to give you your matching orders, and He expects you to obey them. Read what James has to say about this. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8a ESV) When you’re struggling with temptation, no matter what it is, turn to God and obey Him in faith. Trust that He is good and that His plans are for your good.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, Each and every day the temptations that come our way are many. Some temptations are stronger than others, but all of them can be overcome by Your Spirit and Your Word. He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. Your Word is my sword by which I can resist the devil’s schemes. Please help me to resist the devil and submit to you. You are my commanding officer. I am no longer a slave to sin. I am no longer a slave to my flash. I am no longer a child of Satan and the world. I am a child of God, by the blood of Jesus. I am a soldier in the army of the Lord. I have been bought with a price and now I want to serve You with my body. I am a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You, my Lord and Captain and King. In the holy and almighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

A Pinched Off Piece of Clay

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Job 33

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life…. Behold, I am toward God as you are;
I too was pinched off from
a piece of clay.

Job 33:4, 6 ESV

Have you ever tried making a “pinch pot” out of a little lump of sticky brown clay or have you ever attempted to mold a little clay pot on a potter’s wheel?

I actually grew up with two aunts and one uncle who are professional potters. I spent many hours admiring their work and attempting to make my own. Then a few years ago my oldest daughter and I went to a local pottery shop to try our hand at throwing coffee mugs on a wheel. Let me just say that these experiences have taught me to appreciate the skill involved with making incredible beauty out of a few handfuls of wet dirt.

In this passage of Job, two things jumped out at me.

1. God is the potter. God is who made us and He is who gives us life. He creates and shapes and molds us into what He desires. Friends, none of us are mere accidents. We didn’t just evolve from apes through a random series of accidents. Our lives have purpose. As Ephesians 2:10 explains, “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

2. All mankind is level before God. Though you and I each have a unique, intentional purpose, we are all equally pinched off from a piece of clay. (Job 33:6) God has fashioned us each to look different so that we might each accomplish the works which He has designed for us, but may we never boast as though we’re better than anyone else for we’re all just jars of clay made by the perfect potter. May this truth keep us humble before God and before our fellow man.

Let’s pray.

Oh, Heavenly Father, what is man that You are mindful of us? You know that we are dust. We are but clay in our potter’s hands. You have a divine purpose for each of us. May that truth empower us to go and do the works that You have designed us for. Keep us humble as we remember that we are equally Your creation, and give us courage as we remember that You have works prepared for us to do. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.



Praise to the One who Gave Me Breath

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Job 26-27, Psalm 150

With whose help have you
uttered words, and whose breath has come out from you?

Job 26:4 ESV

Let’s just ponder this one verse from today’s reading.

On the sixth day of creation, the Lord breathed into the first man, Adam, the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) and He’s been doing it ever since. Why are we so prideful, so self-sufficient, thinking that we are independent creatures who don’t need God? Truly, what do I have that I haven’t been given? Even the very breath in my lungs is a gift from God.

And to think of the gift of language, of thinking and speaking and communicating – with God and with others – oh, what a gift! As an educator for the deaf, I witnessed first-hand how desperately children and parents desire to communicate, whether using gestures or sounds or facial expressions. My 100-lb Aussie-Labradoodle is about as smart as animals come, but he can’t communicate nearly so well as my 20-month old granddaughter. God has given mankind a unique gift in the gift of language, so that we can hear from Him and speak to Him like none of the other creatures He has made on earth.

The final psalm, Psalm 150, is a psalm of praise, praising God with trumpets and harps and strings and pipes, praising Him with dancing and loud crashing cymbals, but oh the gift of singing words of praise and making declarations of spoken praise, telling of His mighty deeds! The Lord has put breath in my lungs and with it I will praise Him! As the final verse of the final psalm says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6) Will you join me in declaring aloud His greatness?!

Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, giver of life and breath, You are worthy of all our praise! You created the sun and moon and stars by Your will and by Your word. You hung the earth on nothing. You created the seas and everything in them. You created the earth and the sky and everything that fills them. What is man that you are mindful of us?

You are worthy of every word of worship, every song of praise, every beat of the drum, every blast of the trumpet, every clang of the cymbal. You are worthy! You are holy and mighty and good. All your ways are right and all Your ways are just.

We worship You in the glory of Your presence. We ask that You would make us vessels of Your glory and grace. We ask that You would make us declarers of Your praise! Use us, Lord! By the sacrifice of Your Son, we have been made temples of Your Holy Spirit. Make us pure and holy vessels for You.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord, we pray. Amen.

Great are You Lord