Friday, August 28, 2009
Fall Bible Study 2009
This fall's bible study is going to be Believing God by Beth Moore. We are very excited about introducing everyone to this study. The Women's Ministry did this study about 5 years and we were all touched, changed and challenged by it and wanted to share it with all you. The study guide books are now available on the table in the back of the auditorium for $20 which does include childcare for the fall as well. We hope that all of you will join us for this study. You will not be disappointed you did. We will be doing small discussion groups this fall so if you feel lead to facilitate or would like to tagteam a small group with someone please let us know asap. Members of the small groups will be randomly drawed out of a box and have approximately 5 to 10 people in each. If anyone has any questions please feel free to email any one of us listed on the right hand side under contacts. And don't forget our 1st Annual Imagine Living Free Lock-In is on September 11th-12th.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The River 102.3 Hosts Britt Nicole for a Free Concert
Here is a link to Britt Nicole's lastest hit called "The Lost Get Found". The video also shows Britt explaining the vision behind the song and how it came to be. Hope you enjoy! The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVzCR_g5-cc. Just copy and paste it into your browser and it will take you directly to this video.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
John 11:25
"I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live."
Any kind of "death" is an invitation to resurrection life for the believer. Nothing is more natural than grief after a devastating loss, but those of us in Christ can experience satisfying life again. Perhaps the most profound miracle of all is living through something we though would kill us. And not just living, but living abundantly and effectively-raised from living death to a new life. Yes, it's a life that is indeed absent of something or someone dear to you, but it is filled with the presence of the Resurrection and the Life. Will you continue to sit in a dark tomb, or will you walk into the light of resurrection life?
Any kind of "death" is an invitation to resurrection life for the believer. Nothing is more natural than grief after a devastating loss, but those of us in Christ can experience satisfying life again. Perhaps the most profound miracle of all is living through something we though would kill us. And not just living, but living abundantly and effectively-raised from living death to a new life. Yes, it's a life that is indeed absent of something or someone dear to you, but it is filled with the presence of the Resurrection and the Life. Will you continue to sit in a dark tomb, or will you walk into the light of resurrection life?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
"He lets it loose beneath the entire sky; His lighting to the ends of the earth." Job 37:3
One night when all I felt like doing was sobbing, I decided to throw on the headphones and go for a walk. The night was pitch black. No one appeared to be out but me. But the more the music rang through my soul, the more the tears of my wounds turned to tears of worship. Finally, I stopped walking, lifted both my hands in praise, and worshipped Him.
Flashes of distant lightning began to burst like fireworks on the Fourth of July. And the more I sang, the more the Spirit of God seemed to dance to each streak of light. I haven't had many experiences like this, but it was like getting a sudden, flashing grasp of God's amazing love.
One night when all I felt like doing was sobbing, I decided to throw on the headphones and go for a walk. The night was pitch black. No one appeared to be out but me. But the more the music rang through my soul, the more the tears of my wounds turned to tears of worship. Finally, I stopped walking, lifted both my hands in praise, and worshipped Him.
Flashes of distant lightning began to burst like fireworks on the Fourth of July. And the more I sang, the more the Spirit of God seemed to dance to each streak of light. I haven't had many experiences like this, but it was like getting a sudden, flashing grasp of God's amazing love.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
"Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again-ever!" John 4:14
Christ's encounter with the woman at the well introduces us to some realities of life we desperately need to remember:
1. Our insatiable need or craving for too much of anything is symptomatic of unmet needs or "empty places."
2. Salvation does not equal satisfaction. You can be genuinely saved and still be unsatisfied.
3. Satisfaction comes only when every empty place is filled with the fullness of Christ.
4. While salvation comes to us as a gift from God, we find satisfaction in Him as we deliberately surrender all parts of our lives to Him.
Christ's encounter with the woman at the well introduces us to some realities of life we desperately need to remember:
1. Our insatiable need or craving for too much of anything is symptomatic of unmet needs or "empty places."
2. Salvation does not equal satisfaction. You can be genuinely saved and still be unsatisfied.
3. Satisfaction comes only when every empty place is filled with the fullness of Christ.
4. While salvation comes to us as a gift from God, we find satisfaction in Him as we deliberately surrender all parts of our lives to Him.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
"Woes to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." Matthew 18:7
Christ healed people in many different ways. Sometimes He did it through touch. Sometimes He did it through speech. In this passage from Matthew 18, Christ offered healing through truth.
I found significant healing in my study of this particular Scripture. I learned how important I was to Jesus as a child. I was also able to accept how much He despised what had happened to me.
And in perhaps the greatest lesson of all, I learned that Scripture is the strongest bandage God uses to bind hearts that were broken in childhood.
Christ healed people in many different ways. Sometimes He did it through touch. Sometimes He did it through speech. In this passage from Matthew 18, Christ offered healing through truth.
I found significant healing in my study of this particular Scripture. I learned how important I was to Jesus as a child. I was also able to accept how much He despised what had happened to me.
And in perhaps the greatest lesson of all, I learned that Scripture is the strongest bandage God uses to bind hearts that were broken in childhood.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
"I will make peace flow to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flood." Isaiah 66:12
God's Word does not say we'll have peace like a pond. If we were honest, we might admit to thinking of peaceful people as boring, like they're a breath from death. We are apt to think, "I'd rather for go peace and have an exciting life!" But when was the last time you saw white-water rapids? Few bodies of water are more exciting than rivers!
When God used the analogy of a river, He described a peace that can be retained while life twists and turns and rolls over boulders. It means to have security and tranquility while meeting many bumps and unexpected turns on life's journey.
God's Word does not say we'll have peace like a pond. If we were honest, we might admit to thinking of peaceful people as boring, like they're a breath from death. We are apt to think, "I'd rather for go peace and have an exciting life!" But when was the last time you saw white-water rapids? Few bodies of water are more exciting than rivers!
When God used the analogy of a river, He described a peace that can be retained while life twists and turns and rolls over boulders. It means to have security and tranquility while meeting many bumps and unexpected turns on life's journey.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
June 4th
"I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind." Romans 7:23
God will not release us from anything that has enslaved us until we've come to the mind of Christ in the matter.
Take the bondage of unforgiveness, for example. When we want to be free from the burden of not forgiving, we want God simple to take that person out of our minds. We want Him to wave a magic wand so we'll never have to think about that person again.
That's not how God works. He wants to transform and renew our minds so we can think the thoughts of Christ about the person we are supposed to forgive.
June 3rd
"Who has known the Lord's mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16
We posses the mind of Christ, but we still have the full capacity to think with the mind of the flesh. We are mentally bilingual, you might say. But in order to experience liberation in Him, we must let His language become our native tongue.
Look at it this way: my older daughter is almost fluent in Spanish, but she still thinks mostly in English. Why? Because she practices it more. Her thoughts follow the language she uses most often.
The same concept is true of you and me. We will think with the mental language we practice most: ours or Christ's.
"I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind." Romans 7:23
God will not release us from anything that has enslaved us until we've come to the mind of Christ in the matter.
Take the bondage of unforgiveness, for example. When we want to be free from the burden of not forgiving, we want God simple to take that person out of our minds. We want Him to wave a magic wand so we'll never have to think about that person again.
That's not how God works. He wants to transform and renew our minds so we can think the thoughts of Christ about the person we are supposed to forgive.
June 3rd
"Who has known the Lord's mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16
We posses the mind of Christ, but we still have the full capacity to think with the mind of the flesh. We are mentally bilingual, you might say. But in order to experience liberation in Him, we must let His language become our native tongue.
Look at it this way: my older daughter is almost fluent in Spanish, but she still thinks mostly in English. Why? Because she practices it more. Her thoughts follow the language she uses most often.
The same concept is true of you and me. We will think with the mental language we practice most: ours or Christ's.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Imagine Me Video
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
June 1st Devotional
"We are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh." Romans 8:12
Not all captivating thoughts come from painful experiences. Our thoughts can be held captive to someone or something that builds up our egos or satisfies our fleshly appetites. Simply put, captivating thoughts are controlling thoughts, things you find yourself meditating on far too often. Taking thoughts captive to Christ does not mean we never have the thought again. It means we learn to "think the thought" as it relates to Christ and who we are in Him. When we relate our thoughts to Christ, they cause us less and less despair. They will not control us. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we will control them.
June 2nd Devotional
"I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them" Jeremiah 33:6
Nothing could be more natural than a mother grieving the loss of a child. If ten years later, however, the mother is still completely consumed with the loss and bitterness that have eclipsed all comfort and healing, she has wedged a stronghold between appropriate grief and gradual restoration. The enemy will capitalize on normal emotions of love or loss to swell them out of healthy proportion. They can consume our lives if we're not aware of his schemes. No, grieving is never sin. But disallowing God to minister comfort and healing to you over the passage of time is.
June 1st Devotional
"We are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh." Romans 8:12
Not all captivating thoughts come from painful experiences. Our thoughts can be held captive to someone or something that builds up our egos or satisfies our fleshly appetites. Simply put, captivating thoughts are controlling thoughts, things you find yourself meditating on far too often. Taking thoughts captive to Christ does not mean we never have the thought again. It means we learn to "think the thought" as it relates to Christ and who we are in Him. When we relate our thoughts to Christ, they cause us less and less despair. They will not control us. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we will control them.
June 2nd Devotional
"I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them" Jeremiah 33:6
Nothing could be more natural than a mother grieving the loss of a child. If ten years later, however, the mother is still completely consumed with the loss and bitterness that have eclipsed all comfort and healing, she has wedged a stronghold between appropriate grief and gradual restoration. The enemy will capitalize on normal emotions of love or loss to swell them out of healthy proportion. They can consume our lives if we're not aware of his schemes. No, grieving is never sin. But disallowing God to minister comfort and healing to you over the passage of time is.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Taken from "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan
"For years I gave God leftovers and felt no shame. I simply took my eyes off Scripture and instead compared myself to others. The bones I threw at God has more meat on them than the bones others threw, so I figured I was doing fine.
It is easy to fill overselves up with other things (even ministry) and then give God whatever is left. Hosea 13:6 says, "When I fed them, they were satisfied: when they were satisfied they became proud; then they forgot me." God gets a scrap or two only because we feel guilty for giving Him nothing, a mumbled three-minute prayer at the end of the day, when we are already half asleep. Two crumpled-up dollar bills thrown as an afterthought in to the church's fun for the poor. Fetch God!
"But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it no evil? And when you present the lam and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would be be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly" says the Lord-Malachi 1:8.
The priests of Malachi's day thought their sacrifices were sufficient. They had spotless animals but chose to keep those for themsleves and give their less desirable animals to God. They assumed God was pleased because they had sacrificed something.
God described this practice as evil.
Leftovers are not merely inadequate from God's point of view (and least we forget, His is the only one who matters), they are evil. Let's stop calling it "a busy schedule" or "bills" or "forgetfulness." It's called evil.
God is holy. In heaven exists a Being who decides whether or not I take another breath. This holy God deserves excellence, the very best I have."
It is easy to fill overselves up with other things (even ministry) and then give God whatever is left. Hosea 13:6 says, "When I fed them, they were satisfied: when they were satisfied they became proud; then they forgot me." God gets a scrap or two only because we feel guilty for giving Him nothing, a mumbled three-minute prayer at the end of the day, when we are already half asleep. Two crumpled-up dollar bills thrown as an afterthought in to the church's fun for the poor. Fetch God!
"But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it no evil? And when you present the lam and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would be be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly" says the Lord-Malachi 1:8.
The priests of Malachi's day thought their sacrifices were sufficient. They had spotless animals but chose to keep those for themsleves and give their less desirable animals to God. They assumed God was pleased because they had sacrificed something.
God described this practice as evil.
Leftovers are not merely inadequate from God's point of view (and least we forget, His is the only one who matters), they are evil. Let's stop calling it "a busy schedule" or "bills" or "forgetfulness." It's called evil.
God is holy. In heaven exists a Being who decides whether or not I take another breath. This holy God deserves excellence, the very best I have."
Psalm 119:77
"Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight."
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
May 11th
"Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap, having been captured by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:26
We can think of Satan's subtleties as his camouflage. Generational yokes often go undetected because they blend in so well with our personalities. We excuse some of these yokes as simply being the way we are. We might even say, "My mother was like this, and so was hers!" Or, "My grandfather raised my father not to take a handout from anyone."
Maybe you are beginning to see a well-camouflaged chain you've inherited. You don't have to decide, "Well, I'm stuck with it, so I may as well be proud of it." In Christ we are not stuck with anything but Him. Praise His name!
May 12th
"Please forgive your brothers' transgression and their sin-the wrong they caused you." Genesis 50:17
The enemy specializes in taking advantage of any refusal to forgive. I'll describe an all-too-common scenario. A family has a feud over the family business. The grown siblings cease speaking to one another and do not allow their children to associate. They harbor bad feelings so long that those who refused to forgive become unforgiving people. They have little in common except that most of them are mad at someone all the time.
Perhaps alienation like this has been your family's way of life for so long that it doesn't even seem strange! Let's be brave enough to see if we are perpetuating division and unforgiveness in the family line.
"Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap, having been captured by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:26
We can think of Satan's subtleties as his camouflage. Generational yokes often go undetected because they blend in so well with our personalities. We excuse some of these yokes as simply being the way we are. We might even say, "My mother was like this, and so was hers!" Or, "My grandfather raised my father not to take a handout from anyone."
Maybe you are beginning to see a well-camouflaged chain you've inherited. You don't have to decide, "Well, I'm stuck with it, so I may as well be proud of it." In Christ we are not stuck with anything but Him. Praise His name!
May 12th
"Please forgive your brothers' transgression and their sin-the wrong they caused you." Genesis 50:17
The enemy specializes in taking advantage of any refusal to forgive. I'll describe an all-too-common scenario. A family has a feud over the family business. The grown siblings cease speaking to one another and do not allow their children to associate. They harbor bad feelings so long that those who refused to forgive become unforgiving people. They have little in common except that most of them are mad at someone all the time.
Perhaps alienation like this has been your family's way of life for so long that it doesn't even seem strange! Let's be brave enough to see if we are perpetuating division and unforgiveness in the family line.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Week Five Viewer Guide - God's Voice Reveals His Plan
"We are His creation-created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
Our God doesn't just sit on high and look down low.
Five Principles about God's Plan for Your Life
1. God's plan is often uncovered while you are in the desert season of your life.
2. You are equipped for God's plan while you are in the desert:
Moses was:
A. equipped with dedication
B. equipped with direction
C. equipped with destination
3. Supernatural markers will point you to God's plan.
4. Intimate Fellowship is the purpose of God's plan.
5. God's plan changes the course of your life.
Our God doesn't just sit on high and look down low.
Five Principles about God's Plan for Your Life
1. God's plan is often uncovered while you are in the desert season of your life.
2. You are equipped for God's plan while you are in the desert:
Moses was:
A. equipped with dedication
B. equipped with direction
C. equipped with destination
3. Supernatural markers will point you to God's plan.
4. Intimate Fellowship is the purpose of God's plan.
5. God's plan changes the course of your life.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
To all you Mother's on your Special Day
Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day
with little time to stop and pray.
For life's been anything but calm
since you called on my to be a mom.
Running errands, matching socks,
building dreams with building blocks.
Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes
and other stuff that children lose.
Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
wiping tears and giving hugs.
A stack of last weeks mail to read,
so where's the quiet time I need?
Yet when I steal a minute, Lord
just a the sink or ironing board,
to ask the blessings of Your grace
I see then, in my small one's face
that you have blessed me
all the while
and I stop to kiss
that precious smile.
Happy Mother's Day, daughters of Christ. May you feel His love and support as you walk through this blessed thing called Motherhood. Love to all, The Women's Ministry Team
with little time to stop and pray.
For life's been anything but calm
since you called on my to be a mom.
Running errands, matching socks,
building dreams with building blocks.
Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes
and other stuff that children lose.
Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
wiping tears and giving hugs.
A stack of last weeks mail to read,
so where's the quiet time I need?
Yet when I steal a minute, Lord
just a the sink or ironing board,
to ask the blessings of Your grace
I see then, in my small one's face
that you have blessed me
all the while
and I stop to kiss
that precious smile.
Happy Mother's Day, daughters of Christ. May you feel His love and support as you walk through this blessed thing called Motherhood. Love to all, The Women's Ministry Team
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
May 6th
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." 2 Corinthians 13:13
I used to struggle with God's love for me because I knew my own sins and weaknesses-all the reasons He shouldn't love me. Surely everyone else wasn't the mess deep inside that I was! (Of course, some people can be so full of self-righteousness, they seem convinced God loves them best of all.) But why do we have such difficulty believing God could love with the same unfailing love those we perceive as good and those we perceive as bad? It's because we relentlessly insist on trying to humanize God. We tend to love people according to how they act, and we keep trying to create God in our image.
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." 2 Corinthians 13:13
I used to struggle with God's love for me because I knew my own sins and weaknesses-all the reasons He shouldn't love me. Surely everyone else wasn't the mess deep inside that I was! (Of course, some people can be so full of self-righteousness, they seem convinced God loves them best of all.) But why do we have such difficulty believing God could love with the same unfailing love those we perceive as good and those we perceive as bad? It's because we relentlessly insist on trying to humanize God. We tend to love people according to how they act, and we keep trying to create God in our image.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Week Four Viewer Guide
God's Voice Reveals His Character
"With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. Psalm 119:10, 18
We get to know God through His written word to us.
The better you know God, the more clearly you can hear God.
Focus on God-not merely on hearing God.
You can distinguish God's voice by pressing into Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9-For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.
Don't go voice hunting instead of God hunting.
Correct communion with God in our ears can only emanate from intimate communion with Him in our hearts.
Search the Scripture to get to know God, not just to get from God.
It is God's responsibility to cause you to hear and to recognize His voice.
God leads perfectly because He is love and He is good.
"With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. Psalm 119:10, 18
We get to know God through His written word to us.
The better you know God, the more clearly you can hear God.
Focus on God-not merely on hearing God.
You can distinguish God's voice by pressing into Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9-For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.
Don't go voice hunting instead of God hunting.
Correct communion with God in our ears can only emanate from intimate communion with Him in our hearts.
Search the Scripture to get to know God, not just to get from God.
It is God's responsibility to cause you to hear and to recognize His voice.
God leads perfectly because He is love and He is good.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
April 29th
"Who can come down against us? Who can enter our hiding places?" Jeremiah 21:13
Often when we're oppressed, instead of cooperating with God and going with Him to a place of freedom, we go into isolation and hide. We hide behind our jobs. We hide behind the busy things we do at church. We hide behind activity-the captivity of activity.
But God will sometimes allow things to get bad enough that we will be forced to come out of hiding and look up. He does not allow us to be oppressed so that we will be defeated, but so that we will ultimately be victorious. Victory always begins with a cry for help. When we come to the end of ourselves and do what liberty demands, amazing things start to happen.
"Who can come down against us? Who can enter our hiding places?" Jeremiah 21:13
Often when we're oppressed, instead of cooperating with God and going with Him to a place of freedom, we go into isolation and hide. We hide behind our jobs. We hide behind the busy things we do at church. We hide behind activity-the captivity of activity.
But God will sometimes allow things to get bad enough that we will be forced to come out of hiding and look up. He does not allow us to be oppressed so that we will be defeated, but so that we will ultimately be victorious. Victory always begins with a cry for help. When we come to the end of ourselves and do what liberty demands, amazing things start to happen.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
April 28th
"God said to me, "You are not to build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood." 1 Chronicles 28:3
I believe God willingly tells His children why they are being oppressed if they are willing to listen. Of course, we would rather God just fix our messes. We don't want to get into the reasons why. "Lord, just set me free! I don't want to know why I god into this shape. Let's not dip up all of those old bones from the past. Just set me free and let's get on with life."
But God says, "I want you to know what went wrong so that the next time you're in this same situation, you'll make different choices; you'll seek ME instead."
April 27th
"So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord."
The people of God have little defense against the destructive nature of the enemy without the power of God working in their favor. In this scene from the Book of Judges, the Israelites had prepared shelters for themselves for protection against their enemy. But the Midianites came in like a swarm of locusts, impossible to count. They invaded the land and ravaged it.
We can be saved and yet continually live in defeat because the enemy can outwit us if we do not depend on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We've got to know that we're being swarmed, wise up to the Word, learn what our rights are, and use the equipment God has given us.
"God said to me, "You are not to build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood." 1 Chronicles 28:3
I believe God willingly tells His children why they are being oppressed if they are willing to listen. Of course, we would rather God just fix our messes. We don't want to get into the reasons why. "Lord, just set me free! I don't want to know why I god into this shape. Let's not dip up all of those old bones from the past. Just set me free and let's get on with life."
But God says, "I want you to know what went wrong so that the next time you're in this same situation, you'll make different choices; you'll seek ME instead."
April 27th
"So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord."
The people of God have little defense against the destructive nature of the enemy without the power of God working in their favor. In this scene from the Book of Judges, the Israelites had prepared shelters for themselves for protection against their enemy. But the Midianites came in like a swarm of locusts, impossible to count. They invaded the land and ravaged it.
We can be saved and yet continually live in defeat because the enemy can outwit us if we do not depend on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We've got to know that we're being swarmed, wise up to the Word, learn what our rights are, and use the equipment God has given us.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
2009 Summer Book Club Voting
As we discussed this summer's activities for LifePointe's Women's Ministry, we felt like doing a book club again after our 6 six week study of Anticipating the Voice of God would be a fun and relaxing way to stay in His word and continue fellowship. We also thought it might be fun to allow all of you to decide what book we would do for our book club. Below are the three books we narrowed it down to for choices. Please take the time to cast your vote on this blog up in the right hand corner. And stay tuned to see just what happens. The voting will close on May 16th. Someone from the Women's Ministry team will annouce the winning book during the services on that Sunday the 17th. We hope this is something you will enjoy and something different. As a side note, the book club will be done just like we did last summer which were small groups at several different women's homes or somewhere like Starbucks. If you feel God leading you to host a small group, please email Monica. Thank you for your help with the planning of our Summer Book Club 2009. God bless you and yours!
Product Description
Winning the Battle in your Mind. There's a War Going On And Your Mind Is The Battlefield. If you're one of millions who suffer from worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger or condemnation, you are experiencing an attack in your mind. Overcoming negative thoughts that come against your mind brings freedom and peace. Find out how to recognize damaging thought patterns and stop them from influencing your life. In this powerful book, best-selling author and conference host, Joyce Meyer, guides you through an honest self-appraisal by sharing the trials, tragedies and ultimate victories of her own marriage, family and ministry- including the truth she learned about what she was thinking and feeling every step of the way. You'll gain insight into how Joyce won the battle in her own mind- and how you can as well. You'll also discover how to: -Find peace and stop brain-storm of mental activity. -See the truth by thinking correctly. -Use spiritual weapons effectively. -Overcome the 10 wilderness mentalities that hold you in harmful circumstances. Don't surrender to misery another day. Find out today what you can do to ensure your victory in the Battlefield of the Mind!
Product Description
Product Description
Burdened. The word alone makes shoulders sink. It slows down our lives. It clouds our vision. It is the result of so many memories, grudges, fears, uncertainty, and stress. It is heavy. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28)
Overworked? Over committed? Overtired? Under appreciated?
Let go and live free.
Sound impossible? Sheila Walsh thought so - until God proved himself again and again through his Word, his people, and her life. In Let Go, the bestselling author and speaker walks readers through the journey to freedom in Christ. Along the way, she tackles some of the toughest struggles that weigh women down, answering them with overwhelming truth, promise, and hope. You can lay down your burdens. You can rest. You can find peace. You can live free. Start here. Let Go. And see what God can do.
Product Description
Winning the Battle in your Mind. There's a War Going On And Your Mind Is The Battlefield. If you're one of millions who suffer from worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger or condemnation, you are experiencing an attack in your mind. Overcoming negative thoughts that come against your mind brings freedom and peace. Find out how to recognize damaging thought patterns and stop them from influencing your life. In this powerful book, best-selling author and conference host, Joyce Meyer, guides you through an honest self-appraisal by sharing the trials, tragedies and ultimate victories of her own marriage, family and ministry- including the truth she learned about what she was thinking and feeling every step of the way. You'll gain insight into how Joyce won the battle in her own mind- and how you can as well. You'll also discover how to: -Find peace and stop brain-storm of mental activity. -See the truth by thinking correctly. -Use spiritual weapons effectively. -Overcome the 10 wilderness mentalities that hold you in harmful circumstances. Don't surrender to misery another day. Find out today what you can do to ensure your victory in the Battlefield of the Mind!
Product DescriptionMackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!
Product DescriptionBurdened. The word alone makes shoulders sink. It slows down our lives. It clouds our vision. It is the result of so many memories, grudges, fears, uncertainty, and stress. It is heavy. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28)
Overworked? Over committed? Overtired? Under appreciated?
Let go and live free.
Sound impossible? Sheila Walsh thought so - until God proved himself again and again through his Word, his people, and her life. In Let Go, the bestselling author and speaker walks readers through the journey to freedom in Christ. Along the way, she tackles some of the toughest struggles that weigh women down, answering them with overwhelming truth, promise, and hope. You can lay down your burdens. You can rest. You can find peace. You can live free. Start here. Let Go. And see what God can do.
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
April 23rd
"In all their suffering, He suffered, and the Angel of His Presence saved them." Isaiah 63:9
I believe Christ still grieves when He sees heart in unnecessary turmoil. He desperately wants His people to experience His peace. When we allow the Prince of Peace to govern our lives, peace either immediately or ultimately results. Peace accompanies authority.
You may not ever feel like giving your circumstances, loss or hurt over to Him, but you can choose to submit to His authority out of belief and obedience rather than emotion. Obedience is always the mark of authentic surrender to God's authority.
"In all their suffering, He suffered, and the Angel of His Presence saved them." Isaiah 63:9
I believe Christ still grieves when He sees heart in unnecessary turmoil. He desperately wants His people to experience His peace. When we allow the Prince of Peace to govern our lives, peace either immediately or ultimately results. Peace accompanies authority.
You may not ever feel like giving your circumstances, loss or hurt over to Him, but you can choose to submit to His authority out of belief and obedience rather than emotion. Obedience is always the mark of authentic surrender to God's authority.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
April 22nd
"If you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well." Matthew 6:14
When I finally bent the knee to the Prince of Peace over hurts in my childhood, I realized He was directing me to forgive the person who hurt me. God did not insist on my forgiving for the sake of that person but for peace in my life. When at last I allowed Him to govern everything concerning my past, not only did the Prince give me His peace, He actually brought good from something horrible and unfair.
He will do the same for you, as well. Once you begin to surrender to Him, even in your most painful area, He will give you a supernatural ability to forgive.
"If you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well." Matthew 6:14
When I finally bent the knee to the Prince of Peace over hurts in my childhood, I realized He was directing me to forgive the person who hurt me. God did not insist on my forgiving for the sake of that person but for peace in my life. When at last I allowed Him to govern everything concerning my past, not only did the Prince give me His peace, He actually brought good from something horrible and unfair.
He will do the same for you, as well. Once you begin to surrender to Him, even in your most painful area, He will give you a supernatural ability to forgive.
Week Three: The Voice of the Holy Spirit
"When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come." John 16:13
When we go through life, we need a guide we can trust.
The Holy Spirit asks us to listen to Him, to follow Him, and to trust Him.
John 16:13 - When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.
"To guide" means to lead while one is on the way.
The Holy Spirit offers you freely given truth.
The Holy Spirit guides you with personal truth.
The Holy Spirit guides you into an inner depth truth.
Strongholds prevent you from hearing the voice of God.
Combat strongholds by destroying them with divine weapons.
When we go through life, we need a guide we can trust.
The Holy Spirit asks us to listen to Him, to follow Him, and to trust Him.
John 16:13 - When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.
"To guide" means to lead while one is on the way.
The Holy Spirit offers you freely given truth.
The Holy Spirit guides you with personal truth.
The Holy Spirit guides you into an inner depth truth.
Strongholds prevent you from hearing the voice of God.
Combat strongholds by destroying them with divine weapons.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
April 17th
"The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10:4
The word demolish implies a kind of destruction requiring tremendous power-divine power, to be exact. I believe much of the reason why believers have remained in a yoke of slavery is because we swat at our strongholds like they are mosquitoes.
Strongholds, however, are like concrete fortresses we've constructed around our lives block by block, ordinarily over the course of years. We created them (whether or not we are aware) for protection and comfort. But these fortresses inevitably become prisons. At some point we realize we no longer control them. Rather, they control us.
"The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10:4
The word demolish implies a kind of destruction requiring tremendous power-divine power, to be exact. I believe much of the reason why believers have remained in a yoke of slavery is because we swat at our strongholds like they are mosquitoes.
Strongholds, however, are like concrete fortresses we've constructed around our lives block by block, ordinarily over the course of years. We created them (whether or not we are aware) for protection and comfort. But these fortresses inevitably become prisons. At some point we realize we no longer control them. Rather, they control us.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Breaking Free Day by Day - Beth Moore
"I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3
Few biblical subjects are more controversial and debated than spiritual warfare and the battlefield of the mind. But many events and passages of Scripture demonstrate that Satan deals directly with the human mind.
In the parable of the soils, Jesus said Satan comes and takes away the Word sown in some people (Mark 4:15). In the story of Ananias and Sapphira, Peter said Satan had filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). In today's verse, Paul warned that Satan indeed seeks to lead believers' minds astray. Clearly, Satan engages us in our thought lives.
Few biblical subjects are more controversial and debated than spiritual warfare and the battlefield of the mind. But many events and passages of Scripture demonstrate that Satan deals directly with the human mind.
In the parable of the soils, Jesus said Satan comes and takes away the Word sown in some people (Mark 4:15). In the story of Ananias and Sapphira, Peter said Satan had filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). In today's verse, Paul warned that Satan indeed seeks to lead believers' minds astray. Clearly, Satan engages us in our thought lives.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Week Two Viewer Guide: The Holy Spirit
"When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation-in Him when you believed-were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
The Holy Spirit is the primary way God guides His believers today.
The Holy Spirit, all of the Holy Spirit, indwells every believer.
Every person, whether believer or nonbeliever, is made up of body, soul and spirit.
When you become a believer, the holy spirit takes up residence in you.
Every person, whether believer or nonbeliever, has a conscience that is part of the soul.
The conscience is not the voice of God.
When you think the Holy Spirit is leading you, look for
1. the witness of the Holy Spirit
2. the illumination of the Scripture
3. the confirmation of God's hand in circumstances
The Five Ms of Correctly Hearing God
1. Look for the message of the Spirit
2. Live in the mode of prayer
3. Search out the model of scripture
4. Submit to the ministry of Eli
5. Expect the mercy of confirmation
The Holy Spirit is the primary way God guides His believers today.
The Holy Spirit, all of the Holy Spirit, indwells every believer.
Every person, whether believer or nonbeliever, is made up of body, soul and spirit.
When you become a believer, the holy spirit takes up residence in you.
Every person, whether believer or nonbeliever, has a conscience that is part of the soul.
The conscience is not the voice of God.
When you think the Holy Spirit is leading you, look for
1. the witness of the Holy Spirit
2. the illumination of the Scripture
3. the confirmation of God's hand in circumstances
The Five Ms of Correctly Hearing God
1. Look for the message of the Spirit
2. Live in the mode of prayer
3. Search out the model of scripture
4. Submit to the ministry of Eli
5. Expect the mercy of confirmation
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Anticipating the Voice of God
Last night we kicked off our Spring 2009 study and it was great. We had a great turn out and wonderful discussion after the DVD segment by Priscilla Shirer. If you didn't make it last night, PLEASE join us next Tuesday at 7p.m. up at the building. You won't regret it!!! If you were signed up for the study and weren't able to make it last night, we still have your book which can be picked up Sunday or next Tuesday. I'm going to post the answers to the DVD segment below so anyone can get them. I will be doing this every Wednesday. Please feel free to post comments about the study or anything God is showing you through this study.
Week One - Viewer Guide
Anticpating the Voice of God
"My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
1. Jesus was clear to point out a relationship, naming us His sheep. "My sheep..."
Romans 8:16 - The spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's Children.
2. Jesus points out not only a relationship but a result of being His sheep: "...hear my voice."
John 8:47 - The one who is from God hears God's words.
3. Jesus points out a relationship, a result and also a reason for being His sheep: "I know My sheep."
Intimacy is the foundation for getting to know God.
4. Jesus points out a relationship, a result, a reason and also a response from His sheep: "They follow me."
John 10:11 - I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace...the great Shepherd of the sheep-with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will.
Week One - Viewer Guide
Anticpating the Voice of God
"My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
1. Jesus was clear to point out a relationship, naming us His sheep. "My sheep..."
Romans 8:16 - The spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's Children.
2. Jesus points out not only a relationship but a result of being His sheep: "...hear my voice."
John 8:47 - The one who is from God hears God's words.
3. Jesus points out a relationship, a result and also a reason for being His sheep: "I know My sheep."
Intimacy is the foundation for getting to know God.
4. Jesus points out a relationship, a result, a reason and also a response from His sheep: "They follow me."
John 10:11 - I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace...the great Shepherd of the sheep-with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Introduction our Spring Bible Study 2009
On Tuesday April 7th, LifePointe's Women's Ministry will kick off it's spring bible. We will be doing a 6 week study by Priscilla Shirer called "Discerning the Voice of God". Are you having a hard time knowing what God is saying versus what others are saying? This Bible study from author and speaker Priscilla Shirer is designed to help participants know the voice of God: His language, character, and tone of voice. By growing closer to God through His Word, participants will be able to discern God's voice from the voice of strangers. Priscilla Shirer is a part of Lifeway's Women's events and has been traveling and teaching along side Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. We hope you will join us starting March 31st to begin the journey of learning more about how and when God speaks directly to us. If you would like to sign up today, please email Monica Hamby or Barb Welch. Their contact information are located on the right side of this blog. And please stay tuned to this blog for all things associated with LifePointe's Women's Ministry. We will be using this as well as bulletin inserts and announcements as a means to communicate everything for this ministry. Please feel free to bookmark this address into your computer so you can stay up to date.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Are you a workaholic?
"Put God first, and he will...crown your efforts with success." Proverbs 3:6
When you experience rejection early in life, you feel like you constantly have to "prove" yourself, so you become a workaholic in order to gain people's acceptance. One woman writes, "I can still hear my father yelling, telling me I'd never be any good, never amount to anything. The more he yelled, the more determined I became to prove him wrong." Do you have voices like that in your head? It's true that you'll succeed by working hard, but to experience lasting satisfaction you must know that you're fulfilling God's will for your life. When all is said and done, what matters most is knowing you're loved and accepted by God. What can top that?
God measures with a different yardstick. He won't ask what kind of car you drove, but how many people you have rides to. He won't ask the square footage of your home, but how you raised your children and treated your family. He won't ask about the brand names in your closet, but who you helped to clothe. He won't ask about your salary, but how much you invested into the building of His kingdom. He won't ask about your job title, bit if you tried to perform with excellence and integrity. He won't ask how many friends you had, but how many people you were a friend to. He won't ask what neighborhood you lived in, but if you loved your neighbor. He won't ask about your politics or the color of your skin, but about the quality of your character. So don't just work hard, work hard for the right reasons!
When you experience rejection early in life, you feel like you constantly have to "prove" yourself, so you become a workaholic in order to gain people's acceptance. One woman writes, "I can still hear my father yelling, telling me I'd never be any good, never amount to anything. The more he yelled, the more determined I became to prove him wrong." Do you have voices like that in your head? It's true that you'll succeed by working hard, but to experience lasting satisfaction you must know that you're fulfilling God's will for your life. When all is said and done, what matters most is knowing you're loved and accepted by God. What can top that?
God measures with a different yardstick. He won't ask what kind of car you drove, but how many people you have rides to. He won't ask the square footage of your home, but how you raised your children and treated your family. He won't ask about the brand names in your closet, but who you helped to clothe. He won't ask about your salary, but how much you invested into the building of His kingdom. He won't ask about your job title, bit if you tried to perform with excellence and integrity. He won't ask how many friends you had, but how many people you were a friend to. He won't ask what neighborhood you lived in, but if you loved your neighbor. He won't ask about your politics or the color of your skin, but about the quality of your character. So don't just work hard, work hard for the right reasons!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Be prepared
"Hold on to instruction...guard it well, for it is your life." Proverbs 4:13
It's not enough to get prepared, you must stay prepared. We're being told that knowledge is doubling every five years. So if you don't keep growing, you'll end up with coping skills that no longer match the challenge you face in the world you live in. It's estimated that many doctos are so busy taking care of patients, they're years behind the latest developments in their field. If you or a loved one gets ill, that could become a real concern for you.
Preparation doesn't begin with what you do, it begins with what you believe. If you believe that success tomorrow depends on what you do today, you'll treat today differently. A wise sailor studies the weather before he goes to sea, because he knows that avoiding a storm is easier than getting out of one. Howard Coonley of the American National Standards Institute stated, "The leader of the future will be rated by his ability to anticipate problems, rather than to meet them as they come."
Preparation is not merely an event, it's a perspective. Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." As a young man Lincoln had split rails with an axe, so he knew the value of staying sharp. Wisdom always prompted him to prepare-whether he was getting ready to cut wood, study law on his own to pass the bar, or lead the nation. This is why your Bible says, "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your life."
It's not enough to get prepared, you must stay prepared. We're being told that knowledge is doubling every five years. So if you don't keep growing, you'll end up with coping skills that no longer match the challenge you face in the world you live in. It's estimated that many doctos are so busy taking care of patients, they're years behind the latest developments in their field. If you or a loved one gets ill, that could become a real concern for you.
Preparation doesn't begin with what you do, it begins with what you believe. If you believe that success tomorrow depends on what you do today, you'll treat today differently. A wise sailor studies the weather before he goes to sea, because he knows that avoiding a storm is easier than getting out of one. Howard Coonley of the American National Standards Institute stated, "The leader of the future will be rated by his ability to anticipate problems, rather than to meet them as they come."
Preparation is not merely an event, it's a perspective. Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." As a young man Lincoln had split rails with an axe, so he knew the value of staying sharp. Wisdom always prompted him to prepare-whether he was getting ready to cut wood, study law on his own to pass the bar, or lead the nation. This is why your Bible says, "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your life."
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