Music has always been a huge part of my life. From singing along to Veggie Tales songs in the car to being dressed up in my Sunday Best doing a ‘special’ on Sunday Mornings, from an early age I was taught the importance and beauty of song sung in worship.
I still like to sing and dance to ‘I Like Bananas’ around a campfire, but my understanding of worship has expanded and grown. Just singing doesn’t mean that we are worshipping God, and sometimes the most worshipful moments are done in silence. We all know the days where we are going through the motions in a Church service, singing familiar words without it ever truly reaching our hearts.
What should a heart of worship look like?
In today’s reading, we see Psalm after Psalm of praise and worship. Importantly, the Psalms show the heart behind worshipping God.
A heart of worship is:
Based on the character of God, not the quality of our voices. We don’t sing praises because we ‘sound good.’ We sing praises because God is the ultimate thing that is worthy of praise. We sing because he has truly done ‘marvelous things.’
Grounded in the truth of scripture, not the beat of the song. The Psalms repeat the truth again and again: “The Lord reigns.” Why? Because the transformative power of worship is focused on repeating the truths of scripture to ourselves. We can praise God and weather difficult circumstances because God reigns.
Focused on remembrance, not emotions. Our summer camps were always a highlight of the year because we loved the worship. But the truly quality of worship isn’t based on the quality of the band. It’s based on the way we remind ourselves of the goodness and faithfulness of God and praise him for it.
One of my son’s favorite places to go is Dollywood Theme Park in Tennessee. He loves the decorations, the shows, and the food, but his favorite thing to do is ride the rollercoasters. I’ve never been a huge fan – I’m deathly afraid of heights and don’t like the feeling of being slung around. But, you can tell the joy (and a little fear) on his face as he clicks up to the first big drop and then races down through the twists and turns. Of course, at the very end, he always turns to me and says, “Can we ride it again?”
David’s life was definitely a roller coaster ride. He was sent to watch sheep by his father while Samuel came to pick the king, only to be called from the fields and anointed. He was elevated to be a part of King Saul’s court, only to be forced to flee for his life at night. He spent 15 years running from Saul, only to finally be crowned king. And this isn’t to mention Bathsheba, Abasolom, and the census.
So many highs and so many lows.
But, through it all David remained faithful.
We can see the contrast between the highs and lows as we read Psalm 57 and David’s song in 2 Samuel 22.
In Psalm 57:4, David cries out, “My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.” But still, he praises God.
In 2 Samuel 22:17-20, he exclaims, “[God] sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”
In both the highs and lows, David cried out to God. He praises God. He finds refuge in God.
You may be stuck on the roller coaster now. You may be in the lowest of lows, or you may be high on that mountaintop. But, wherever you are, remember God is there with you.
Wait on the Lord. Put your trust in God. He is faithful. He will walk you through it.
Have you experienced a low time in your life? Where did you turn for comfort and support at this time? How did you see God’s faithfulness in this time?
How does remembering God’s past faithfulness help you to navigate your present circumstances?
What are some ways that you can incorporate more worship into your life?
One Sabbath day, Paul came to a synagogue in Antioch (a city in modern-day Turkey) and sat down to listen to the law and scriptures. After the reading was down, Paul got up and gave a sermon. Nestled in the middle of his speech is this interesting passage, “After [God] had removed [Saul], [God] raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” (Acts 13:22)
How amazing it would be to be known as a man (or woman) after God’s own heart! Of all the epitaphs that we could put on our tombstones, this would be the highest praise.
But, we know that there is more to David’s life than just this statement. In fact, it seems a little incongruous to describe the man who sent Uriah to die because of his sin and who sent an Angel of the Lord on his people because of his decision to do a census as a man after God’s own heart.
I think the Psalms we read today – the cries written from David’s own heart – show how he reflected the heart of God.
In the Psalms, we see that:
David understood that God loves righteousness and hates evil. David repeats the truth to himself that God does not delight in wickedness. When he comes to God in prayer, he describes his wickedness as wounds that stink and fester. This bleak picture demonstrates his view of sin: it is evil and something from which you should flee.
David understood the importance of confession. David’s harsh view of sin did not mean that he was blameless. We know that he slipped and fell multiple times and had to deal with the consequences of his actions. Still, when David veered from the good and right path, he recognized it and he turned back toward God. He didn’t minimize sin, and once he humbled himself, he didn’t stay in his sin. Instead, he confessed and repented.
David longed for God. He longed for God’s temple, God’s favor, and God’s very presence. He longed for it as deer pants for streams of water. He describes his soul as thirsting for God. And we know that God is the author and sustainer of life. As the very best thing, he is the ultimate thing we should long for.
To be a man after God’s own heart didn’t mean that David had to be perfectly sinless. No human is able to do that in this lifetime. Instead, being a man after God’s heart means that we are trying to make our heart – our priorities, desires, and understandings – match the heart of God.
If we want to be people after God’s own heart, we should:
The Kingdom of Israel is in the midst of a terrible civil war. Brother had turned against brother and sons against their fathers. The battle was over. Absalom, the rebellious son, had been killed.
At first glance, it seems like David should be rejoicing. He was king again over Israel. Instead, he was caught up in his grief.
Joab told him in 2 Samuel 19:5-7, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”
Then, David picked himself up out of the sackcloth and ashes and made his way back to Jerusalem to take back the throne.
This passage strikes me in the way that David has to navigate the circumstances that appear. People grovel at his feet while double-crossing their masters. Political turmoil and intrigue roil underneath the surface as another revolt occurs. A famine stretches the land to its breaking point, and difficult decisions have to be made.
David has to live wisely to save not only himself but also the entire nation from more war, brokenness, and suffering.
And through it all, we see this: our choices carry weight.
What does wise living look like?
Wise Living means stepping out of our circumstances to fulfill our God-given role. Grieving is a necessary part of life. It has its place as we mourn those we love. But, we cannot stay in a place of grief forever. We have to move on and step into our calling.
Wise Living means pursuing reconciliation without compromising truth. As David worked to restore peace in Jerusalem, he had to act as judge over the people who supported him and revolted under him. Through it all, David was not led by vengeance.
Wise Living means recognizing the long-term consequences of sin. In a heartbreaking scene, we see how to pay the blood guilt of Saul a mother who had to lose her sons. Our sin can cause brokenness in our lives, our families’ lives, and the lives of future generations.
Wise Living is a radical decision in this world, but ultimately, it leads to righteousness. How are you pursuing wisdom in this broken world today?
Mother Teresa spoke of ‘the dark night of the soul.’ You would think that someone who served in such a ministry would be a titan of faith, impervious to doubt. But still, she wrestled with God.
And, who could blame her? I’m sure that the stresses of her ministry continually bashed against the rock of her faith.
All of our circumstances have a way of doing that. They are the waves of doubt, of shame, of sin, and of fear. They hit us throughout life in the jeers of our friends in middle school to the first heartbreak that comes with young love to the frustration of parenthood to the inevitable pain that comes with the final breaths our loved ones take.
James says that someone who doubts is like a wave blown and tossed by the wind. The antidote to that doubt is faith. But, what can be said of us then? For who can say that they haven’t wrestled with God?
As we turn through the pages of scripture, we find that we are in good company. Abraham, Moses, and of course, Jacob wrestled with God in their own way. And, we see David struggling through the pain of his circumstances in the Psalms we read today.
David cries out to God. He begs him to turn and listen. For someone who had slept on the floors of caves and pretended to be a madman in an enemy’s court, these words are more than just cliché.
David always goes back to the same statement, ‘In God alone I trust. I will wait patiently for the Lord.’
How powerful that statement is. And, oh how hard it is.
In the seasons of my life, I have prayed. When I woke up, when I lay my head down, and all the footsteps in between were filled with the same cry. And yet, my prayers were unanswered. What could I do?
In those times – even now – I could make a choice to turn my face from God. But, the question “Oh Lord, who could I turn to? Where could I go from your presence? Who have I but you?” rings out.
David understood this truth. God is our strong refuge in both the good times and bad. In health and sickness. Riches and poverty. Joy and sorrow. We turn to him in every season, and we wait patiently for him to act.
And when we do, we understand the truth of Psalm 40:4-8:
“4 Blessed is the man who makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
In today’s John 4 reading, one of our main characters is a woman from Samaria. When I hear the term Samaria, two phrases jump into my mind. The “Good Samaritan” and the “Samaritan Woman”. Those who label Sunday school lessons or chapter headings don’t seem to toss in the adjective “good” for this one. Just woman. She’s not a man. She’s not a Jew. She’s not married. And she’s out fetching water at the old Jacob’s well (which was in Samaria at that time in history) when she runs across a weary Jesus.
We don’t know the exact reasons Jesus chose to travel through Samaria on his way from Judea to Galilee since he could have easily avoided the area the way “Samaritan-avoiding-Jews” were often known to do. We just know he did travel right through it, and when he asked a woman for a drink at the well, he was recognized as a Jew who would not be expected to interact with her socially. There seems to be some differing opinions among historians and commentators regarding the time of day for this drink, but that detail is not what matters. Whether on Roman time (around 6pm) or Jewish time (noon), we know that Jesus was intentionally interacting with a Samarian woman with a bit of a reputation in a public area, and we are given an account of that meaningful conversation. His words are what sparked the things she learned, what she said of him in the moment, and what she told Samaria about after he was gone. Not what time the old sun dial said when she was at the well.
Jesus allowed himself to be served by this woman, and in turn, by telling her about living water, by showing her he was willing to minister to her even with awareness of the past and present sins in her life, and by revealing himself as the Messiah to her, “many more believed (verse 41).”
This woman (I wish I knew her name just because I’m tired of typing woman, but that detail doesn’t matter either I guess, and Jesus himself calls her “woman”!) uses a number of terms for Jesus which evidence who he is and seem to increase a bit in honor:
Verse 11: Sir
Verse 19: Prophet
Verse 25: Messiah, Christ
And in verse 32 we see that the people she told about him call him “the Savior of the world.”
Jesus acknowledges being the Messiah, the one prophesied about for generations. When he answers in John 4:26 he said “I am he.” In Greek, the words “ego eimi”. The same words the blind man uses of himself a few chapters later in John 9. Jesus essentially said, “Yup, I’m that guy.” Not I am…..anything else. Not I AM YHWH. Not the Creator. Not …I am a coequal part of this mysterious triune deity thing. He said “I am he” referencing being: the Messiah. If Jesus speaks, I think his words deserve our critical attention in a world, even a Christian world, that is often careless with them.
The Samaritan woman knew he was the Messiah and proclaimed him to be who he was. In addition to the personal level of interaction and forgiveness we see in this story giving a beautiful taste of the personal aspect of salvation, our Messiah also referenced the gospel he came to teach, “. . .fruit for eternal life (v. 36)” . . .our inheritance in the coming kingdom of God! The hope for an imperfect Samaritan woman remains my hope as an imperfect American woman.
-Jennifer Hall
Reflection Questions:
Consider if there are any people or groups of people you could treat more like Jesus treated the Samaritan woman even if it goes against norms in your social group.
How can you better draw from Jesus’ living water in your life when you find yourself spiritually and emotionally “thirsty”?
Is there anything you need to share with God or others about what Jesus has done in your life the same way the Samaritan woman did?
Have you ever been the bearer of bad news? Or had to confront someone for a wrong that they did – either to you or to someone else?
It never feels good to deal with confrontation, though some of us handle it better than others. Your hands may get clammy, your stomach may be tied up in knots, and your heart may be racing. The worst is when you’ve said what you’ve wanted to say, but instead of the other person accepting it, they try to respond with a retort or an argument telling you why you’re wrong.
At that point, what do you do? Turn your tail and run? Forget about it? Give up on the conversation?
Isaiah had his fair share of confrontations over the years he spent prophesying to Judah. Already we’ve read some pretty harsh words that he had for the people. Today, we got a glimpse of the Lord’s calling of Isaiah.
Some people you should know:
Isaiah: Prophet to Judah for 40 years, who may have also been a priest.
King Uzziah (also called Azariah): A good king of Judah who was prideful in his final years. After attempting to offer incense in the temple, he got leprosy and died in disgrace.
King Jotham: The son of Uzziah. Another good king who led battles and won with the help of God. However, during his reign, the people acted corruptly.
King Ahaz: The son of Jotham. A wicked king of Judah. He destroyed the temple bit by bit and acted sacrilegiously.
After King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord while he was working in the temple. God calls him to go and tell the people this message in Isaiah 6:9-10: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Talk about a message of confrontation! Isaiah has the response that most of us would have: “But, how long do I need to keep saying this?” To which, God responds, ‘Until destruction is brought upon Judah.’
Isaiah had a hard mission. Not only did he have to communicate a difficult message, but he was also often called to a difficult lifestyle (at one point he had to walk around naked and barefoot as a sign to the people). He had to bear the weight of the message of destruction that he was called to. Still, Isaiah walked ready and willing to the calling that he had received.
We also have been commanded to live on mission. Ephesians 4:1 says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Our calling may not have not been through visions of grandeur like Isaiah, but we have been called to Christ for a purpose.
Sometimes, living on mission will require us to get a little uncomfortable. We may have to live differently than those around us. We may have to speak about the truth that we have received. We may also have to fight against temptations and stumbling blocks that appear in our paths.
Our goal should be to walk worthy. What does a worthy life look like? It is a life that is committed. A life that is holy and set apart. A life that is bold and confident. A life that recognizes the great gift we have been given.
The next time you face some confrontation because of your faith just remember, God is with you. We can stand firm in the calling that we have received.
-Cayce Fletcher
Cayce Fletcher is a teacher-turned-SAHM mom of two. She blogs and podcasts at A More Beautiful Life Collective where she focuses on how you can create a life you love and cultivate your heart for God. Currently, she is working through a systematic theology series on her podcast. You can find her latest post on Bibliology here.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How is God described in Isaiah 6? This is one of the most descriptive pictures of him sitting on his throne. How does this picture change the way you view God?
How would you describe your calling? What is your purpose or mission?
How would you describe ‘walking in a manner worthy of the calling you received?’ Do you walk worthy now? What might you need to change about your life to make it more worthy?
How many of you feel like we are living in a backward world today? What we think should be happening doesn’t happen. We see injustices abound. Regardless of your political party or worldview, there is something clearly not right about our current world, something broken.
Think in your mind of one instance that shows this backwardness, this brokenness. It may have to do with the upcoming presidential election, health scares, social problems, or wars and rumors of wars. But, the thing in your mind is indicative to you that the world isn’t as it should be. And, it’s a reason why we wait for the kingdom when everything that is wrong will be made right.
Isaiah is doing something similar in this section of his prophecy. Isaiah 3 details several instances where someone who should be paying honor to someone more deserving instead is receiving honor. This happens in three different ways:
Isaiah 3:4-5 – “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them. The young will rise up against the old”
Isaiah 3:6 – “The nobody against the honored.”
Isaiah 3:12 – “ Women rule over them.”
Now, before these verses start to offend anyone, let’s just think about what they are saying (and be sure to read the full chapter for context). In this time of destruction, there is a genuine lack of leadership. It gets so bad that anyone with a cloak is being grabbed and made the leader of the people (an honor to which that cloak-wearing brother says ‘No thanks’).
As the people bicker and fight with one another and inept leaders try to make something out of the ‘heap of ruins,’ God sits on his throne. The true sovereign leader of the people still reigns, and the destruction is coming because he is issuing judgments from his throne.
He says in Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
God makes proclamations against the people who oppress his people, those who harm the poor, and the proud. After his judgments are passed, he gives a hopeful picture of the ‘branch that will be beautiful and glorious’ that will be left for those who are still faithful to him. The sins are washed away and fortunes are restored. Israel is brought back to life.
We often look to our earthly leaders to make this current world right. We know that there is brokenness in the world, so we are quick to grab anyone who seems like a remotely good fit for a leader and put them in power. Meanwhile, there are plenty of power-hungry leaders around, who pass laws and oppress people. Who perpetuates injustice. People who should not be in charge and yet they are.
What should we do in this backward world?
Well, we can rest in the truth that the true leader of the world is not one that we elect or put in charge. The true leader of the world is God. He is reigning now, and he will also put everything that is wrong to right in the future age when the kingdom is brought to Earth.
So the next time you feel afraid or lost, you can trust in God. He is the one who is really in charge, and he is the perfect leader.
-Cayce Fletcher
Cayce Fletcher is a teacher-turned-SAHM mom of two. She blogs and podcasts at A More Beautiful Life Collective where she focuses on how you can create a life you love and cultivate your heart for God. Currently, she is working through a systematic theology series on her podcast. You can find her latest post on Bibliology here.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What is the significance of the child being the leader? Do you think the child is the leader of our current society?
What is the danger of being haughty or prideful? Why would this be something God would punish?
Reread Isaiah 5:20. How have you seen people call evil good and good evil? How can you guard against doing this yourself?
I absolutely love to read. When I get a night alone – which doesn’t happen often with two littles running around, my favorite way to spend it is reading snuggled up on my couch under a blanket with a nice cup of coffee by my side. As an English major, I had to read pretty voraciously in college and that habit didn’t stop when I graduated.
Though I love a good mystery novel and there is no better book for the beach than a sappy chick-lit romance, I also love to learn about the history of things. Currently, I’m on a Classical Education kick. I’m reading everything that I can get my hands on about what classical education is. Before that, I read about the history of the doctrine of the Trinity, homesteading, and Irish history. It’s really just whatever hits my fancy at the moment (which is probably why I have a pile of unfinished books towering by my bedside).
As I read about all of these topics, the authors do similar things. Before they ever jump to any conclusions, they always begin with the history of a topic. Starting wherever it makes sense, they detail step-by-step why something is the way it is based on how it was formed over the slow marching of years.
As a writer myself, I can sense why someone feels the need to do this. You don’t really understand something unless you know and understand its past.
Reading through Psalm 106, we get a clear picture of Israel’s story. It begins with how Israel was rescued out of Egypt and brought through the wilderness. They faced their fair share of trials, but still, some Israelites remained faithful and made the right decisions.
After entering Canaan, the Israelites ‘mingled with the nations and adopted their customs’ (Ps. 106:35). God had commanded them to be a set-apart people, but they refused to follow his instructions. The ending of Psalm 106 describes how the Israelites were exiled to the nations (whether during David’s wandering as he fled from Saul as some commentators think or during the Babylonian captivity). The author pleads with God to save them.
Knowing Israel’s history helps us to make sense of the context of Isaiah 1-2. God had shown his everlasting faithfulness to Israel, making them into a mighty nation. Still, the people chose something else. They always followed after idols and rejected God in the process.
Isaiah 1 describes this bleak picture: “7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. 9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”
The Israelites always had a choice about how they were going to live. They could follow God, or they could follow their sinful hearts. When they rejected God, they ended up destroying their lives.
We have the same choice today. We can choose to follow God or choose to follow the world. I believe the best way to remind ourselves that following God is the best option is to look at God’s past episodes of faithfulness in our lives. We tell the story of his ‘mighty acts’ (Ps. 106:1), and in doing so, we remind ourselves why God is just so good.
What has God done in your past that helps inspire you to faithfulness to him today? Write your own Psalm of praise, and recommit to your love, praise, and loyalty to God today.
-Cayce Fletcher
Cayce Fletcher is a teacher-turned-SAHM mom of two. She blogs and podcasts at A More Beautiful Life Collective where she focuses on how you can create a life you love and cultivate your heart for God. Currently, she is working through a systematic theology series on her podcast. You can find her latest post on Bibliology here.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Read through Psalm 106 today and count the different historical stories referenced throughout the psalm. If you have the time, find the reference for each of the stories, and write those references down beside the Psalm in your Bible.
Take some time today to answer the last question in this post. What is your testimony of God’s faithfulness in your life? Writing it down can clarify it in your mind.
Isaiah 1:16-17 are popular verses for good reason. The people of Judah had begun to go through the motions of sacrifices and traditions, but their hearts were far from God. Read through these verses, and journal about how you can learn to ‘stop doing wrong and learn to do’ the right that God loves.
The 2024 Summer Olympics has just been completed in Paris. During the two weeks of competition, there were 32 sports and 329 events across 48 disciplines. Around 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees competed. Among those athletes, several shared their Christian witness with the media.
Hezley Rivera, Women’s Gymnastics, was asked how she made the 2024 team. Her first response was to give God credit for her success. Later she posted Philippians 4:13 on her Instagram account under pictures of her with the Olympian team. In a recent interview, she said, “I’m just enjoying the journey and the process, and I’m so blessed, and I thank God every day.” Hezley won a team Olympic gold medal on July 30th in Paris.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who competes in the Women’s 400 Hurdles, shared her personal testimony in her memoir, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith. Her perspective changed from gaging her worth by a perfect run, to being balanced spiritually in her personal life as well as her sport. In January, Sydney told “Women’s Running” this– “My life wasn’t about me. It was about showing the world God’s power, wisdom, kindness, love, and forgiveness.”
McLaughlin-Levrone won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles on Aug. 8th, posting another world record time at 50.37. As the only woman to win the event in two consecutive Olympic Games, she said, “Just grateful for all that has been taking place. God has been good to me.”
In our reading of I Timothy 1 today, Paul begins his letter to Timothy, his son in the faith, by urging him to stay in Ephesus, even though the work might be difficult. The Ephesians needed to hear God’s truth, and Timothy had been called by God to deliver that truth to them. Then, in a way to encourage Timothy to stay strong, Paul shared HIS PERSONAL TESTIMONY.
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:12-17
What a plain, powerful testimony Paul shared with Timothy. Paul’s past persecution of Christians didn’t make him ineligible to serve God. Mercy and grace were given to him on the road to Damascus. He claims to be the worst of sinners, but Jesus saw the potential in Paul to be a mighty missionary for him. And in verse 17, his one sentence prayer expresses his highest allegiance and worship to Almighty God.
These heartfelt words were meant to encourage Timothy, who might have felt unworthy to deal with the challenges at Ephesus.
Paul had a moving testimony, the Olympians above have shared their testimonies. What is your testimony?
Amy Blanchard, the Christian Education Director for the Pine Grove Bible Church, Brooklyn Park, MN developed a plan for willing adults in the church to share their testimonies with the high school and young adult Sunday School classes. The testimony sharing time takes place every few years over a period of several months—that way each young person growing up in the church eventually hears the Pine Grove members’ stories of their personal calls to follow Jesus.
Her goals, (in her own words) are as follows;
“To allow kids to meet/get to know others in our church and hear their stories and see how they can relate to them (and for you to see how you can relate to our kids)
To open the door for the kids to hear that there are many times and ways one can come to the Lord
So our kids can hear how others influence us and see that we, in turn, influence others
To allow us to share our testimonies – we all have a story. Sharing our personal story helps us to, ‘…have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.’ “
What a tremendous way to hear conversion experiences, and to show by example that everyone has a story that needs to be told –not only to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but with those we interact with each day.
Paul shared his personal testimony with Timothy to strengthen and embolden him. But it also encourages us to think about our “call to Christ” and how our lives can impact those around us.
I Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Do this with gentleness and respect.”
What is your personal testimony? Pray for opportunities to share it, and you will be blessed in ways you never could have imagined.
-Paula Kirkpatrick
Reflection Questions
Do you have a personal testimony? If the answer is no, why not?
Has someone ever encouraged you with their personal testimony? Have you later told them how it impacted your life?
Seek Grow Love 