November 24, 2024

Crazy Love Week 5/ Chapter 5: Serving Leftovers to a Holy God Weekly Review

February 8, 2013 by

Chapter 5…. WOW!!!

On Monday, you and I talked about leftovers and how we give them to God. It was rough, but we were honest with ourselves and Him and we made it through to Tuesday.  We were challenged with Martha as we asked ourselves some tough questions about which areas in our lives our hearts might be hardening. On Wednesday, Donna journeyed with us as we were challenged to re-think what we are offering God and how much of it is really leftovers. Yesterday, Jennifer worked through with us about being willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants…no longer being complacent with giving Him our leftovers, but instead giving Him our best with a joyful heart!

Thank you for browsing this menu of leftovers with us.  I pray we not be able to continue to give God what’s left any more, but to give Him our very best…of everything!

Please watch this video from Francis Chan:

http://youtu.be/c0dXmWMwSb4

I’m not going to muddy it up by saying any words except to echo those of Chan….

“The solution to living a lukewarm life is not trying harder…it’s falling madly in love with Jesus Christ.”

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we praise You for not letting us finish this chapter the same way we started it. Thank You for working your supernatural power through each of us! Transform us, Lord! Help us be different and more complete in You! We love You, Lord, and we thank You for the boldness you have given us through this study! May what we have through Christ be contagious! If we have any fear or anything holding us back from the fullness of your unfailing love, rid us from it NOW in Jesus’ name! AMEN!!!!!!

Your Assignment:

After reading this chapter, do you have any doubts about your salvation or your relationship with Jesus? Where does this chapter leave you? Please share with us below….

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

________________________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Megan in regards to this blog, please email her at: megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” (pp 95-98)

February 7, 2013 by

We all have a tendency to drift… away from God. It is just part of our sinful nature. Take the Israelites for example. They pleaded for God to rescue them over and over again. God heard them and He did rescue them; but then they grew restless and focused their eyes away from Him. They drifted. They looked only at the needs in front of them and not at the Promised Land to come. They even complained that they would have preferred to go back to slavery in Egypt rather than struggle through the desert period while getting to the coveted Promised Land! Can you imagine?! They witnessed numerous miracles with their own eyes, yet they still begged and asked for more.

(The Holy Spirit is screaming in my ear right now about the correlation between the Israelites and our present day lives.)

We do the same things that the Israelites did, don’t we? Our view is so limited that we can only see our present needs. It is so difficult for us to see beyond our difficulties sometimes, to know that this life is only temporary and we have our own “Promised Land” (Heaven) waiting for us. We just have to walk through these desert periods and fix our eyes on the Author and Perfector of our faith. And He promises we do not have to walk these desert times alone. He is with us through His Spirit. He will guide us and direct us. He will show us the path to take.

Exist-to-Glorify-crazy-love-francis-chan-F

With that said, it is so important to stress what our author talks about in the concluding pages of our chapter. Our faith must be intentional. Without daily, focused effort we will slowly drift away from our Lord. He is the only One who can help us through every trial we face, every fear we encounter, and each obstacle in our path. Chan suggests that spiritual drift is not a conscious choice, but it is happening because nothing else is propelling people toward Christ. If we do not make our faith intentional; if it is not a priority above everything else in our lives, then we should not be surprised when we wake up one morning and wonder, “where is God?”

God never moves. He never changes. He is always there. It is us that move and change and shift.

Does God take priority over everything else in your life? Does any earthly thing matter as much as your relationship with the Lord?

These are some tough questions. Many things in this chapter are convicting my heart and igniting a passion in me to dig deeper. How about you? Write out your thoughts. Journal what the Lord is speaking to you about. Answer these questions as the Holy Spirit moves you. Take the time to truly explore yourself, your time commitments, and your relationship with the Lord. If you want something to change, how can you be proactive and change it? Remember, with GOD all things are possible. Pray and commit your changes to Him and let Him have all the glory!

 

Have a blessed day!

Jennifer

——————————————–

Let’s Pray:

Father, this book is opening up deep cuts and wounds that we have only covered with flimsy band aids. Help us to fully heal those wounds and to come to You in repentance for anything that we are discovering that is not pleasing to You. We all desire a full, rich, deep, abiding love relationship with You, Lord. Please reveal to each one of us the next step of faith we can take in pursuit of that relationship. We love You so much, Lord, and our heart’s desire is to please You always. Rid us of anything that is interfering with our time with You. Invigorate our quiet times with You. Renew a passion in us for Your Word and for living the full Christian life that Jesus speaks of in the Gospels. It is in HIS Holy, Precious, Matchless Name that we pray, AMEN!

Your Assignment:

What earthly things are currently taking precedence over God in your life?

 

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Jennifer in regards to this blog, please email her at Jennifer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – Serving Leftovers to a Holy God (pgs. 90-94)

February 6, 2013 by

In this part of the chapter Mr. Chan really challenges us to re-think what we are offering to God. Are they leftovers? Or are what we offer truly given out of a heart solely wanting to give the best of everything we have to God, our first fruits? Is it the best we can give? I know I was really convicted when I read this! I am examining everything.  I was thinking about when I get up in the morning,  Do I quickly pull out my Bible and give God the first minutes of my day before everything comes crashing in? Or I do I think about what’s on my plate today and put it off ’til later when I think I might get a minute? (Honestly, I never find that minute!)

I grew up in a family of seven people. Because my dad grew up on a farm, dinner was always a big meal. Lots of meat, boiled potatoes and veggies. Most of the time both parents had to  work and we had five growing kids. There was always a little something left over to put in the refrigerator for another day. Once a week at our house was “leftovers night.” YUK!  I hated leftovers! Not all things you warmed up the second time tasted good. In fact, I didn’t like most of them. It was always a race with my brothers to get the best of them. Dry meat, soggy vegetables and fried potatoes were not my favorites. Sometimes I just skipped dinner because I didn’t really care for anything on the table. To this day I try to cook just the right amount of food, so there won’t be any leftovers. Can you tell I’m not a fan??

If I am giving to God the kinds of things I don’t like or skip because I don’t even like them, what does that say about how God feels about them? What does it say about me? I think it says that I’m serving Him things that are sub-standard. OUCH!!! It calls into question my commitment and love for Him. Do I really love God and put Him first in all I do and say? Or do I feel like a liar, as Mr. Chan says? If I am to represent what love is to other people, how can I truly do that when I haven’t first given the best to the Author of love?  It’s very humbling when you think that God has already given us His sacrificial best in Jesus, doesn’t it?

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 we read the example of what God means by real love. Francis Chan challenges us to put our names in place of the word “love.”  How do we measure up against these words? I’m afraid I fail miserably at times in this. I am committed, though, to work at this more and more. I want to love like God loves me. With an abandon and an unreserved feeling!  I want “Perfect Love” to reflect out of me…so people know it’s God.

Mr. Chan also shares a line from Mark Buchanan’s writings. He says, “Physical sickness we usually defy. Soul sickness we often resign ourselves to.”  Did any of you get the flu this winter? How many of you got a flu shot? There is no vaccine for soul sickness. I had the stomach flu for a week and a half. By the time I was done I was weak, tired, and just wanted to be done with it. I fought it every step of the way. I didn’t want to be sick! Why don’t I fight “soul sickness” with the same resolve? Why don’t I come out with my spiritual dukes up and fight it with all my might? I don’t want to be like the church in Laodicea, I need to acknowledge that I desperately need what Christ has offered. And what Christ has offered is a real commitment, real love—no leftovers! It’s the “shot” for soul sickness that is there for the asking. Can we ask Him for it? Who knows what could actually happen when we are giving God all the first fruits of our life without holding anything back? It gives me “Holy Ghost Shivers” just thinking about it! Now to put it into practice….

In Christ, Donna

—————————————————-

Let’s Pray:

Father God, today we pray for our hearts to be willing to give You our first fruits not our leftovers. We pray for Your cure for our Soul Sickness. We dedicate ourselves to truly love and show love to others the way You have authored it. Touch every woman reading this today and help us all to renew our commitment to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

Substitute your name in the verses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  Pray over it and have God reveal to you how you can change the way you measure yourselves in these verses. Ask Him to show you how it can be done. It could be life changing. Share with us, if you wish, how God is leading you.

—————————————————-

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – “Serving Leftovers To A Holy God” (pgs. 88-90)

February 5, 2013 by

Poor Rich People is what Francis Chan is talking about on pages 88-90.  He begins this section with a story about a young man name Ronnie from Uganda who is poor, as well as blind.  Ronnie’s closest friend is a girl who is deaf.  But, what stands out about these two isn’t that they are handicapped or very poor, but that they are totally content and in love with Jesus.

In the following paragraphs, I agree with Chan’s thoughts in regards to our society being filthy rich in comparison to poverty-stricken countries.  Chan goes on to say that, in reality, being rich is a serious disadvantage spiritually.  He then points out that WilliamWilberforce, an English politician and philanthropist in the 1700-1800’s said, “Prosperity hardens the heart.”

With all due respect to Mr. Chan and Mr. Wilberforce, their statements disturbed me. And yet, the scriptures in Luke 18:22-24 clearly point to the words of Jesus when He told the wealthy person to sell all he had and give to the poor, and he would have treasure in heaven, then “come, follow me.”  But, the man chose not to do so, and walked away.  Jesus responded:  “How hard it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!”  He said (verse 25) it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.

I wanted to get a handle on the statement Mr. Chan, and Mr. Wilberforce made, as well as what the above Scripture was saying.  So, hang with me while I talk this out with you and, above all, ask God to clarify it for you.

First of all, I believe that an entire doctrine cannot be based on one scripture, such as Luke 18:22-25.  Jesus did say that, but the Bible also says in 3 John 1:2:  “I wish above all that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.”  So, it appears as though God does want us to prosper in our soul, as well as in health and financially.

Now let’s take a look at another scripture in regard to wealth in 1 Timothy 6:10.  “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”  Now, didn’t that say the love of money?

Think about this:  Could it be that the rich man’s (Luke 18) soul was not prospering, not because he had wealth, but because of his love of money?  Could it be that his soul was not prospering, not because he had wealth, but that his wealth had him?

The old saying:  “You can’t come back from where you ain’t been,” is why I felt so compelled to look at the topic Poor Rich People from another angle by sharing a personal experience.

You see, I was put through the test about 20 years ago with those very words from Jesus:  “Come, follow me.”  Without going into all the specifics and details, to follow Him meant leaving the teaching profession I had been in for years…a job I dearly loved.  I was okay with that but, to follow Him meant facing other issues also.  So, I made my excuse list to God.  For example:

  1. Your timing is all wrong; ask me again in 10 years, and I will follow You.
  2. What You are asking is way out of my comfort zone.
  3. It will bring opposition, and I don’t like facing conflict. 
  4. I went to college for four years to be a teacher.  Sounds like such a waste to give all that up.
  5. Public schools need Christian teachers like me.
  6. My identity will be gone; I will not be able to call myself a teacher.
  7. And besides, and besides, and besides—the list went on and on.

These things were hardening my heart.

The beauty of all of this was that God kept pursuing me to follow Him, even in the midst of all my excuses.  I have to believe it was that Crazy Love for me that Mr. Chan talks about.

One of the scriptures that finally helped me make my decision was:  Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  Now, I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!  (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)

May I quickly point out that we are no longer under the curse, so I knew that God was not going to cause a great calamity to come upon me if I chose not to follow Him. So, I began to see that He had a plan for my life, and He had a path He wanted me to go down in order to fulfill that plan.  But, it was up to me to make the choice.

And, yes, I answered His call to “Come, follow me,” and turned in my resignation and started my journey.  My journals are filled with that time period in my life.  If I may borrow a phrase from Mr. Chan:  “It was CRAZY!!!”

In conclusion, I’d like to offer my own personal opinion about what Poor Rich People means: 

Our heart can be hardened by things other than wealth.  Mine was.  Only as I humbled myself before the Almighty God to trust where He was leading me, did I become Rich in Spirit. And may I add:  He is still working on me in other areas to become ‘more rich’ in Him.   

************

Let’s Pray: 

Father God, first of all, we open our hearts to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to show us where our hearts might be hardening.  We ask Your forgiveness, and help us to turn from those things and follow You.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:   

Do you see anything that has hardened your heart?

Be blessed,

Martha

If you would like more information about Crazy Love Bible study click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details..

If you would like to send Martha a personal message in regards to this blog, you may email her at: Martha@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

 

 

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” (pgs. 83-88)

February 4, 2013 by

Something-is-Wrong-crazy-love-francis-chan-F

Ok ok…so chapter 4 was pretty convicting and, if you have made it this far with us, that means that you have made the boldly intentional decision to be moved to ACTION, repent, and move forward full speed ahead to live as a Christ-follower the way that God has ordained you to! I applaud you and know that you are not alone in this! God is with you every step of the way…and we are, too!

Now,  for chapter 5….

A few Thanksgivings ago, this story was relayed to me (and I don’t even remember where I heard it…) and it was the first thing that popped into my mind when I read the title for Chapter 5.

At one point, the Butterball Turkey Company set up a telephone hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys.  One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in her freezer for 23 years.  Can you imagine!??!??! Turkey and stuffing is Craig’s favorite meal and that would NEVER happen in my house. Anyway, the representative told her the turkey would be safe to eat, but did not recommend eating it because the flavor would have deteriorated over this much time.  The woman caller replied, “That’s what I thought.  Okay then, we’ll just give it to our church.”

Um…. uh…. er…. (yes, pick your jaw up off the ground and let’s continue….) 🙂

Serving leftovers to family and friends can be one of the best things we can do.  In my family, when I make dishes like lasagna or spaghetti, they always seem to taste a little better served as a leftover.  Mmmmm…and  homemade soup served again on the second day: YUM!  However, there is nothing good about serving leftovers to God, which has become the norm for far too many of us Christians.

It is nothing less than idolatry.

Need some examples of how we serve leftovers to God???

  • In our worship when we consistently show up late and pray for the preacher to finish up quickly so that we can beat the Presbyterians to Cracker Barrel.
  • In our careers when we give less than our best effort, thinking, “Well, I haven’t had a raise in 3 years, what do they expect about my performance?”
  • In our relationships when we find more satisfaction in our earthly relationships with others than we do in our relationship to God.

The menu of leftovers is endless.  When we consistently remove God from first place in our lives, it is not long before He has virtually no place there.

We are designed by God for God, and we are to make Him our first priority.

His purposes are to be our purposes.

His plans are to be our plans.

His passions are to be our passions.

1 John 2:3, 4 (NIV)
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.

I don’t know about you, but I read there that if I profess to know the Lord but my actions are in contradiction to His Word, then I am a liar and I do not have the Holy Spirit living in me. God deserves our best. Is that what you are giving Him…with intent, or are you just haphazardly going about your day each day giving Him whatever is left over? If the latter is more of a valid statement, repent TODAY and begin to truly follow God and give Him the best of everything you have and are…after all, it’s all His anyway. <3

THIS is how we make sure we are giving God our best…and not just our leftovers.  God demands exclusivity, and that is exactly what He deserves—not so much for what He does for us, but simply for who He is.  He is God, our Abba Father, and He is worthy of our absolute best.

Let’s Pray: 

God, show us clearly today how we have been giving You leftovers instead of our very best, fresh self. Convict us of this, Lord, and make today a new day for us in every way! A brand new beginning where we see our relationship with You and our life as a Christ-follower in the light You intended for us to see it in. This is not a right but a privilege, and it takes intentional work and devotion on our part. Help us, Lord, as we cannot do this on our own. In Your Son’s amazing name we pray, Amen. <3 

Your Assignment: 

So . . . where in your life have you been serving leftovers to God? Share with us here today; let us lift you to the Lord and encourage you to GIVE YOUR BEST for His glory!!!

________________________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Megan in regards to this blog, please email her at: megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – Serving Leftovers to a Holy God (Reading Assignment)

February 3, 2013 by

Welcome to Chapter 5 of Crazy Love, by Francis Chan.  What an amazing book, right?  If your relationship with God isn’t changing, or hasn’t begun to change, because of this book, Wow; something must be wrong!  I can’t even tell you how much this book has impacted my life, so far, and we’ve only covered FOUR chapters!  Praising God for this amazing book and how it’s changing so many lives…for the better!!

I have the honor of giving you your Reading Assignment for this week.  If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please be sure to email the Leaders:  Jennifer Mleczynski or Megan Smidt (email addresses below).  They are both available to answer any questions that you may have.

Here we go:

Monday:

Chapter 5 “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” pgs. 83-88/ Kindle LOC 1018-1088 (Megan)

Tuesday:

Chapter 5 “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” pgs. 88-90/ Kindle LOC 1088-1121 (Poor Rich People) (Martha)

Wednesday:

Chapter 5 “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” pgs. 90-94/ Kindle LOC 1121-1193 (Donna)

Thursday:

Chapter 5 “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” pgs. 95-98/ Kindle LOC 1193-1247 (Jennifer)

Friday:

Chapter 5 “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” Weekly Review and Chapter 5 Study Video from YouTube (Megan)

Have a BLESSED week everyone!

______________________

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study, and joining our private Facebook discussion group, click HERE.

Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

Jennifer Mleczynski: Jennifer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

Megan Smidt: Megan@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , ,

Crazy Love- Chapter 4 “Profile of the Lukewarm” Weekly Review

February 1, 2013 by

Francis Chan has this video for us this week… Please take some time right now to watch it:

http://youtu.be/xufREJzzuxo

Yes, this was a heavy video…and chapter. But I believe it is a wake up call that we ALL need as Christ followers. If you felt any condemnation over the last 5 days…GOOD…but let that be a catalyst for change, not to give up! God needs us all to get HOT HOT HOT in our faith from this moment on…and He needs us to be contagious in order for His will to be done on this earth.

luke 14 33

God has been speaking loud and clear to me my 4th time through this book. I think He said similar things to me when I read it before…but my eyes and ears are wide open…and I am willing to be obedient. One of the things Chan talked about in the video was how in other countries, baptism has a much different meaning than it does here in the USA.  We see it as a “sanctification” and that we grow in our faith when we let God take over more and more aspects of our life. In other countries, it is a “prerequisite”…they have made the choice to be willing to lose it all for Christ and literally die to themselves in making this decision to follow God.

There is nothing lukewarm about that.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, please leave us forever changed after reading this chapter and give us a hunger and thirst to be more like Jesus through turning up the heat on our faith. Lord, we want to go from a 5 to a 10 in being on fire for You! Help rid us of ourselves and be willing vessels to be obedient to Your call like never before. We love You and thank You for this provision, Father. In Your Son’s mighty name we pray, amen <3

Your Assignment:

I think it is important to take time to reflect on this chapter…. Then it’s time we put feet to the pavement and start walking it out! How has God changed you through this book so far? For real…I want to hear all about it and know how I can best be praying alongside you as you are taking this BOLD stance for God’s Kingdom! If God has spoken to you but you are afraid to move forward, please, please, please reach out…even if you would be more comfortable doing so in private. My email address is listed below and I would love to encourage you and help guide you through this. This is too important to stop now, ladies <3

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

_____________________________________________

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Megan in regards to this blog, please email her at: megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love – Chapter 4 “Profile of the Lukewarm” pgs. 77-81

January 31, 2013 by

Over the last two days, Martha and Donna have taken us through the profiles of a Lukewarm Christian. I’m going to finish up the last three mentioned in the chapter and then end the post with some closing thoughts.

“Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.”

I often come back to the Book of Acts when I think of the label of “Christian.” Jesus’ disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). They did not name themselves. Scripture tells us they were called Christians or “Christ-ones.”  Something they were doing made them stand out. We see a glimpse of this in Acts 2:42-47:

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer…And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity–all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.”

Chan says that “We are not safe just because we wear the label Christian.” Indeed. We must continue to strive toward the Acts 2 model of what a “Christian” is. Our lives should demonstrate that we are followers of Christ rather than any vocal expression of naming ourselves a “Christian.”

“Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured; so they never have to.”

Did this one hit you where it hurts? I know it did for me. I have control-freak tendencies. I like to plan for things and do not like it when things do not go according to MY plan. Boy, did the Holy Spirit do some convicting when I read this section! Living by faith is TRUSTING God even when you do not know what is going to happen. I did not expect my infertility diagnosis and it took me a very long eight years to realize that God was not punishing me; rather He loves me and has a plan and a purpose for my life. I just had to put my TRUST in His ultimate plan. I had to have FAITH. It is a continual, daily process of laying down my need to control and letting God do His work. He cannot work if we do not let Him.

“Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever.”

Have you ever worn a mask to hide your true self from others? Have you ever tried to hide your true self from the One who knows you the best–your Mighty Savior? As much as we try to pretty ourselves up on the outside, God wants what is on the inside. He wants to change us from the inside out; He wants our hearts. Will you let Him in to help cleanse and rid you of anything that is holding you back from a full, rich relationship with Jesus Christ?

***

Now that we have investigated the profiles of a lukewarm person, Chan points us to 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” This is not an easy task. I know it is hard. You may be feeling anger or hurt or conviction. Accept the feeling and let it inspire you to action. Whatever feeling comes over you regarding any of the profiles mentioned, journal through your reaction–why did it make you feel that way? Pray through it. Let God into those hurtful places. Remember, He cannot do His best work if we do not let Him in.

 

All or Nothing_Crazy Love

As Chan notes, we are all growing. Not one of us is perfect except Christ alone. But, it is important to remember what Christ has called us to do as His believers; as those who claim His name. We should not be content with our “just good enough” status to get into Heaven. Read through the Gospels. Let Jesus’ words soak into your being. His commands are not easy, but they should inspire us to act in accordance with the faith we believe in with our whole hearts.

***

Let’s Pray:

Lord God, we do not want to be lukewarm in our faith. Reveal to us how we can better ourselves to serve You in the Kingdom. Strengthen us and give us courage to face the tough questions and work through them. With You, all things are possible. We want to be on fire for You, Lord. Renew a passion in each of us for Your Word and our faith, Lord. Help us to grow daily and not to become stagnant believers. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Your Assignment:

Of all the lukewarm profiles we discussed, which one spoke to/convicted you the most? What is one action step you can take today to move forward in that area?

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Jennifer in regards to this blog, please email her at Jennifer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love: Chapter 4 – Lukewarm People

January 30, 2013 by

This chapter in the book is hard to read because it’s making me examine every part of my walk with God. It’s also very good because it’s making me examine every part of my walk with God! If that sounds like a contradiction, I guess that’s okay. I believe God gives us these study books, times, and people in our lives to re-examine our walk and commitment to Him. We shouldn’t take it lightly. Everything is done for a reason and  for His purposes.  Some of the things presented do not line up with our world today and that is a good thing. We don’t want our lives to measure up with the world and what it thinks we should tolerate and be today.

So, in reading this part of the book, I have compiled a few questions for myself:

1. Do I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind?

2. Am I one of those people who think that this kind of love is radical?

3. Do I love others more than myself, or just those that love me back?

4.  Am I willing to serve God without limits?

5. Do I think about my life here on earth more than I do eternity in Heaven?

6. Do I give out of a heart that is willing to sacrifice even if it makes me uncomfortable?

7. Am I content with being just good enough?

8. Do I just play it safe or do I sacrifice and takes risks for God?

I find myself really lacking  in some of these questions. I love God and am so grateful for my salvation. I need to let go of things that hold me back from experiencing all God has for me. I know there are some things I could change to help my walk be closer to His ideal. First and foremost, I could spend more time with God, learning more about Him and His plan for my life.  Then put into practice more of what these questions are implying, a more Godly approach to life and others, a right perspective.

Perhaps I need to examine how many  worldly things I participate in that can be curtailed or even taken out of my life. Like how much time DO I spend in front of the TV watching things that  I shouldn’t be watching?  Have you seen some of the shows on TV? I mean I try to be selective in what I watch but even the commercials are ungodly! Do I realize that Jesus is right there watching along with me?  WOAH!  And how about the music I’m listening to, does it glorify God? What about the book I’m reading?

These things are hard!!  These things are so accepted in the world today and, yes, even in the Christian realm! We tolerate so many things in our lives because the world doesn’t think it is wrong. But we need to ask God if it’s wrong instead.

When I’m in church do I seek out the unlovely and pour out God’s genuine love on them?

I have a dear friend who often asks me to go a little past comfortable…go a little further in the things of God. She says she is stretching me! Sometimes that make me uncomfortable, but I do it. You know what? It usually turns out to be exactly what I needed! She’s not afraid to take risks and she helps me see the good in that.

shallowchristian

I want to be able to answer all of these questions, and more, in the positive, but unfortunately I can’t do that at all times. There are areas in my life that I need to work on. I believe we all do. I don’t want to be a shallow Christian. I want my roots to go deep into God. I believe our walk with God is a continual growing process. We should never be at a stand still, but moving forward with our eyes fixed on the upward call of God. The minute we take our eyes off Him, they go to self. And then we get caught up in ourselves, our circumstances, and the world. Our priority is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it with others; that’s why we’re here. It’s not about us.  It’s all about Him.

 

 

In Christ,

Donna

_________________________________

Let’s Pray:

Lord, I am praying for a right perspective on our world and how we live in  it. May You be our one and only priority when living out our faith. Bring to mind in our daily lives these questions and help us to answer them in the positive at the end of the day. And that we have our faith and walk on track with Your purposes in mind. Thank You that You love us with such unending love.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Your Assignment:

Did you ask yourself some questions when reading this part of the book today? What are some of those questions? Let’s get our heads together and ponder them and maybe they will help us to change some things in our lives that God would have us change in order to serve Him with a right perspective.

_________________________________

 

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study, click HERE to sign up.

Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

 

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Crazy Love- Chapter 4: “Profile of the Lukewarm” pgs. 65-68

January 28, 2013 by

matthew 13 44

Definition of LUKEWARM

1: moderately warm : tepid
2: lacking conviction : halfhearted <gave them only lukewarm support>
(thank you, merriam-webster.com)
I think that definition will be helpful as we begin to look at the profile of the lukewarm….
In today’s lesson, Francis Chan gives us several questions to ask ourselves as we take a look at how we {might} fit the profile of a lukewarm Christian. Have you ever heard this term before? Well, based on the definition of “lukewarm” shown above, A Lukewarm Christian would be one who is not living an “all in” type of life following Christ. What does that look like in real life? Well…let’s take a look at some of these questions Chan asks and see how that helps us put together this profile:
  1. Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live?
  2. Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? (Or are you choking it out slowly by spending too much time, energy, money, and thought on the things of this world?
  3. Are you satisfied being “godly enough” to get yourself to heaven, or to look good in comparison to others? (Or can you say with Paul that you “…want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death” (Phillippians 3:10)?
  4. Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? (Or do the words half-hearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?)
The rest of the week’s lessons are going to go into further detail about these descriptions…today is just to start preparing our hearts for the convicting ideas that Chan will be throwing our way. This is certainly not an easy chapter (have we had one yet?) but I believe it is necessary to our Christian walk to be REAL with ourselves and start taking every necessary step to walk the walk God calls us to in order to live out our faith in this world.
Here is a short interview with Chan I found where he discussed this. Please, please, please…watch <3
Let’s Pray:
Lord, this week we are getting super real and we need your help. Father, we want to be changed…from the inside out. We know this won’t be easy or fun, but we understand that it is necessary. We can only do this with You. Help to prepare our hearts today for what You will through Chan’s lessons this week and change us, Lord! We no longer want to be lukewarm, but be burning HOT, on fire, in crazy love with you! Help us, Father. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, amen. <3
Your assignment:
I simply want to hear what some of the thoughts are that are swirling around in your spirit after reading this post and watching the video. We get way more in-depth tomorrow, so for today…as we scratch the surface…what’s on your mind about being “lukewarm” in your faith? How can we best be lifting you in prayer?
Blessings,
Megan 🙂

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Megan in regards to this blog, please email her at: megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »