How to get the Meat out of a Sermon

 All the good people tell us to go to church and get the Word. However, most do not disciple you how to hear from God when you go to church, how to maximize the message that you are hearing and what to do during the week.

If that is you, here are some ideas AND a way to help you to remember them!

First, pray before you go and ask God to open your heart and mind to what He has for you. Many times a Pastor will share the Word and we tend to think of how others could benefit from what is being said instead of concentrating on what the Lord may be trying to tell us. Ask God to give you focus and to really give you what you need in that moment. Thank Him for it in advance like a meal that you love and know it is coming. Set your expectations high.

Next, come prepared to receive God's message to you. One way to do this is to ask God to forgive you of all of your sin (even thoughts that do not please Him) so that, like preparing for a meal, you are "hungry" for the Word. (Psalm 23:5) Then bring utensils - your own Bible and a way to remember (notepad, phone notes or highlighter, etc...). As the Word is preached, some people eat it whole and quickly while others like to take small portions and chew on it. Everyone is different. Pray to be attentive and not distracted. Some things in a message may pertain to you and others may not (leave those on the plate for now). Then, take a drink. This represent the Holy Spirit. He will help you to "take in" what you need and even if it is bitter, or not what you want to hear you can receive it and let it change you for the better. He also bring the Word back to your memory! (John 14:26)

After a message is over what do you do? Well....whenever I have a great meal at a great place, I like to share my experience with others. You reminisce about what challenged you, how to incorporate what you learned into your life and review the moments to solidify them in your memory. Some people do this by reading what they noted or journaled. Some meet with others during the week to share information on the message or what they may have missed.

Finally, pray again asking the Lord to make the message relevant for your life. I find that during this second prayer, the Holy Spirit will give me a message within the message that is tailored for my life or give me clearer direction. That is especially sweet! (Psalm 119:103) He will do the same for you. Let's call it dessert :) 

Like any meal, you cannot eat just on Sundays and expect to be satisfied and full of energy to tackle life's problems during the week. Spend time in the Bible daily (maybe even three times a day) to get the spiritual nourishment that you need to sustain you. God will meet you at the table and His Word will never leave you empty or void (Isaiah 55:11).

Best Marriage Resources!

We are huge proponents of christian marriage resources out there!  When we were married 17 years ago many of these resources were just coming out.  Whether you are a newlywed or a seasoned veteran in marriage, it can still be challenging to discern which ones are truly helpful for your particular marriage needs.

While there is lots of help available now, we still choose to focus on small group Bible study. The Word works! Although we do refer people to marriage counseling (because we are in no way experts ourselves), mentoring has a more profound impact in the marriages that we have had the opportunity to walk alongside.

It is great if a wife wants a woman's conference and if sometimes, the guys want a getaway to work on themselves as husbands. However, we find that there is nothing more effective than when a couple work together in seeking God's Word as an authority towards their marriage.

We have participated in several small group studies for married couples. One of those groups is currenting using the resource, "Building a Marriage that Really Works", a Precept Ministries International - 40 minute Bible study. This study literally allows you to discover the truth about marriage for yourself in the Bible. It could be done alone or in a group setting. We suggest it for any initial marriage bible study.

Precept.org

We have also have the privilege of participating in and facilitating several studies in the Homebuilders couples series by FamilyLife. These are best used in a group setting. It promotes fellowship and accountability among married couples.

FamilyLife.com

Years ago, we were able to attend "The Art of Marriage" conference also by FamilyLife.  The object was to get to the heart of God's design so that your marriage could be a masterpeice. There is a workbook (shown below) as well as a video component which is insightful and put together in a thought-provoking way. Couple's testimonies are included as well as breakout session options. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

FamilyLife.com

We highly recommend Precept and FamilyLife because they are trusted biblical resources for your marriage. We have only listed a few of the many options that are available through these two ministries.

It must be said that the Word of God, the Bible is the BEST resource for marriage. It was written by those inspired by God who is the author and founder of marriage. Read it FIRST and compare all other study to it.


This post is not sponsored and we currently have no affiliation with either ministry, but we want and encourage anyone seeking a biblical relationship to explore what they have to offer.

7 Rings of Our Marriage

Maurice and I are so excited to get into a new resource for married christian couples. It is a book called "The 7 Rings of Marriage" by Jackie Bledsoe. Reading this book was a joy. It is so refreshing that someone actually "gets it". Marriage goes through phases, stages, twists and turns. It is all a normal part of a marriage relationship, not an excuse to bail out.

This book is well-written and Jackie shares from his own experience that is tragic yet triumphant. It is an inspiring, motivating read and I will definitely read again.

As I pondered on the message in the 7 Rings of Marriage, I was inspired to share a bit about our 7 rings. So here goes:

1. Engagement RING

We were engaged on the 28th of May. It was Memorial Day weekend and how memorable it was! You can now see why that holiday is special to us. All sunshine, roses and a RING! I was the first daughter to marry and the planning in my head had begun.

2. Wedding RING

Now this is a funny story. I did not see the wedding band that went with my engagement ring until it was placed on my finger on my wedding day. Little did I know that Maurice had it custom-made and it did not have diamonds as I expected, they were emeralds! As he slid it on my finger, I was thinking "What is this green thing?". It was absolutely beautiful and stunningly unique. I was in love!

3. DiscoveRING

We made several discoveries about each other as the months and years passed both good and well....honestly.....troubling! We did not have the same taste in music, movies or games. We discovered that our first baby would never be born. We also discovered that we had a mutual desire for marriage ministry to other couples. These things fueled a couple's study that we led for many years. We still do!

4. PerseveRING

When hard times come in marriage (and they will!) you have to have a solid foundation. The theme for our wedding was...Walking Together Towards God. I had never heard of a marriage theme until Maurice gave us one, and I loved it! Every time we have had disagreements or "intense fellowship" moments, we have fallen back onto this thought. I believe that it is a foundation for us. If we are walking together both towards God He is drawing and keeping us together. It is not so much our efferts, but our love for Jesus that holds us close.

5. RestoRING

When one spouse hurts another intentionally or not, there must be a time of restoration and reconciliation. We have a weekly time set aside just for this. Without this "grace space" in our marriage, I do think that bitterness would truly have a root. Forgiveness, love and grace are needed in every marriage without exception.

6. ProspeRING

Nothing shows the fruit of a marriage more than children. We have two boys and they are our joy. It is quite funny to overhear them talking about how they will marry someone beautiful one day and have 10 kids...lol! Hilarious really! They are young and naive to the rigors of marriage, but we hope to give them the gift of an example of a Godly marriage.

7. MentoRING

We have had some really fun times in church couples groups and in facilitating bible studies with other married couples. That has truly been a great highlight in our marriage so far. The memories are amazing! There is nothing like sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of your marriage with others who will do the same for you. The church is one body and marriage is representative of that. To mentor others is to lift up their arms and strengthen their legs. You never know....they may need to carry you one day!

Blog hops for this book from other launch team members:

http://www.robertmacy.me/blog/superbowl-rings-vs-marriage-rings
http://www.mamarevivalseries.com/2016/02/the-7-rings-of-marriage-review.html?m=1
http://thethrivingself.com/2016/02/16/a-book-that-applies-to-all-marriages/
http://parkerwaldrop.com/7-rings-of-marriage/

Pick up a copy of The 7 Rings of Marriage wherever books are sold (including online). There is also an accompanying Bible study for groups and a bible plan on Youversion! You can also follow author Jackie Bledsoe on his website here.

Women carrying the Seed (Tamar/Potiphar's Wife)

In this video, I discuss Genesis 38 & 39 which tell the stories of Tamar (Judah ' s daughter-in-law) and Potiphar's wife.




Here are some other things to think about:

What all does this seed represent?

What things in your life are acting to prevent the seed from growing or developing?

There are seasons of seed-bearing and harvest. Where do you find yourself now? How do you know?

I would love to hear your feedback on this study as well as questions and/or comments!

Leah's Baby Mama Drama

This week we are taking a closer look at Leah. She was the tender-eyed sister of Rachel who Jacob loved even though they were both married to him by trickery of her father. If that was not enough family drama, we see a constant rivalry between these two sisters over who can have the most children by Jacob.

As I read and studied, the Lord began to reveal to me how women often respond when they are hated by the men who are supposed to love them. What happens when you are the unloved wife. In the world's gospel, everyone deserves to be loved and if you are not, you need to ditch that zero and find a hero! However, in bible times, it was not that simplistic at all, and what was even MORE important than a healthy marriage was a healthy baby.

Now He Will Love Me

Once married to Jacob, Leah had several sons and with each birth, she thought that surely she would know her husband's love. Notice that sex was not love to her. She desired his heart. No all of us wives have the heart of our husbands, especially if another woman has children by him. It can be a trying situation to say the least. Will we ever be The One? The bible never says that Leah was truly loved by Jacob.

Earning His Love

She even gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob when it seemed that she could no longer earn his love through having children of her own. How many times have women pushed their husbands into the hands of another man through their unrestrained emotions? By taking matters into our own hands, we complicate God's gift of marriage. When we make a covenant with more than one person (sexually speaking), it drives them further away, not closer to us.

Hiring His Love

When Leah's firstborn son finds mandrakes in the field and gives them to her, she uses this blessing as a manipulative tool to get pregnant once again. She literally prostitutes her husband to her sister! Many women do the same - using their children as pawns to get a man in bed!

We can learn some valuable things from Leah:

1. It is God who brings any good thing into your marriage. Realize that He is the source of every good blessing!

2. God can bring fruit out of an unfruitful situation. When her sister Rachel (although loved by her husband) was barren, God gave Leah children. She was fruitful. She contributed half the tribe of Israel including Jacob's firstborn. Not only that, but her son Judah continued the lineage all the way to Jesus Christ Himself!

3. The last shall be first and the first shall be last. We may be hated, despised, rejected and unloved, but so was Christ. We must continue to praise God in the middle of our storms. Leah was Jacob's first wife and the last of his wives to die. She was buried in the cave of the other matriarchs and left a legacy that is incomparable.

No matter if you are loved or hated by a man, God's love for you is what matter most.

Communion, Sex and the Church of Jesus Christ

Questions for Discussion & Reflection

1. Have you taken of communion unworthily? How can you change that?

2. Fasting is essential. Are you holding fast or taking communion? Is this what you should be doing at this time?

3. If you are married, communion should be part of your lifestyle. How can you improve your sex life to the glory of God?

4. Unity in the body was the prayer of Jesus in the book of John chapter 17. Read this prayer and pray with Christ!

Be Confident of this!

Phillippians1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ".

This morning I read first king chapter 1 and it was about King David who had become lax in preparing his successor to reign. How many times have we known of the promises of God to us, but fail to act on them? 

God has promised David an everlasting kingdom. While he was cuddled up with a cute young thing in his old age, another person had begun to steal his legacy. Imagine how Bathsheba feels. King David had her previous husband killed and now she had to come and humbly ask him while he was snuggled up with someone who could have been her granddaughter about her son being the king after him. Could she at least get that justice? If this were in the 21st century, after that lawsuit, she would be Queen! But God did something better. He continued the royal legacy through her all the way to Jesus Christ Himself!!

Solomon was Bathsheba's son by David. He was the rightful heir that David had failed to promote. Maybe cuz his new little girlfriend has his old self in a coma. In any case, God's plan to 1. Keep His Word and 2. Continue the legacy, would be fulfilled in spite of this disfunctional family mess.

Even though life does not appear to be happening in your favor, God will complete what he has started in us. If you are like David - too old, tired or have a past; or whether you are like Bathsheba - a one-night stand ruined your life, you have a broken heart or feel like injustice follows you around, God is faithful. On that you can depend!

Be confident of that. I am.

Inspiration

The Word of God describes itself as many things in the Bible. Jesus is the Word (John 1), the Word is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is also forever.

In my quiet time the other morning, I was reading this:

II Timothy 3:16
16 xAll scripture is given by inspiration of God, and yisprofitable for ydoctrine, for zreproof, for acorrection, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That bthe man of God may be perfect, * throughly furnished cunto all dgood works.

The part that I was meditating on was that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God". ALL scripture is given by INSPIRATION of God. So even the "boring" parts, geneologies and the like are what the greek word defines as "God-Breathed". The actual word is theopneustos. Usually when I use the word inspired, I am referring to something influencing something else. Like...she inspires me to lose weight, or that poem is an inspiration to me. However, in this case, the nurse in me causes me to explore the word inspire in a medical sense.

When one inspires, they take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. It is this gas exchange that we can breathing. No breathing, no life. Somebody should start CPR because soon following, the heart stops beating and the person is truly dead. Likewise, the Word of God came about through the people who got to know God. One must come to God to get His Word. If you are not in Christ it is no wonder the Word of His Father is not understood by you! In the beginning when man was created, He breathed into Adam the breath of life. That is what draws us back to him - how we know that there is someone greater than we are. When we come to Him we will find His Word. It is how He has spoken to us. The Word is revealed by Christ Jesus Himself.

People would speculate that the Bible is too old to be relevant. I strongly disagree. If the Word of God proceeds from His inspiration and so we must come to Him to receive it, one thing that the Word says about itself is that it does not return void. God's inspiration has NO EXPIRATION! It will never be too old, irrelevant, outdated or relinquished. With all the versions of the Bible, some fear that the Word of God is being watered down. Really? I don't think so. The Bible says that whoever adds to it or takes from it will have punishment but it will NEVER be diluted and made ineffective. God is eternal. His Word is eternal. When we use God's Word, we speak the words of eternal life. That is why there is power in the tongues of those who pray it, speak it and claim it. Even the devil knows this. Many unbelievers have used the principles of the Bible and it works! Why? It is the sword of the Spirit. You have no greater offense against the things of this world. When you operate in the realm of biblical spirituality you get results. Every time. 

God did not mean for the Bible to be used as a gimmick for personal gain but as a way to communicate His will to all of us. He has something to say to each of us every day. God still speaks. Are we listening?