November 21, 2024

CHRISTLife — By Prayer and Petition

February 1, 2014 by

saturdayprayersandpraiseslongDo not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6 and 7

Great and precious are the promises we have been given! They bring such comfort to our hearts!

“Do not be anxious about anything….”  This always reminds me of our Lord’s words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6).  As He ministered to the vast crowd, He said to them:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the flowers of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Talk about being comforted and encouraged! But, y’know, Jesus’ words to them still apply to us…He is still encouraging us to ‘not worry about your life’ and asking the question of us ‘Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?’  His heart is still to guide us along to seeking first the Father’s Kingdom and His righteousness…and the ‘all these things’ that we need, and desire, and pray for…’will be given to YOU as well.’

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2

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Life’s Healing Choices: God Holds The Power

January 13, 2013 by

We made it through Week 1 of our study of Life’s Healing Choices by John Baker.  For those who stayed with us, and those who may have just joined … WELCOME!

Remember from last week, our key word is RECOVERY.  We will touch upon eight basic principles during our study together.  We learned about letting go and admitting “I am not God.”

This week we will focus on “Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me.”

Do you believe this truth?  The whole truth?  Sure, many of us believe that God exists.  Some may even believe that He has the power to help me.  But do you struggle (as I do) with the concept that you matter to Him?  I find myself thinking at time, “how can the big God of the universe really think about my life?”  Well, as my Creator, He cares for me intensely and immensely!

I am a crocheter.  While I learned the art at a young age by watching an aunt and my grandmother, I’m primarily self-taught.  I carry yarn & hooks with me to most places, and have been known to write patterns, instructions, or diagrams on restaurant napkins for friends.  When I create a baby sweater, a hat for a cancer patient, or even just something silly for my kids, there’s a tremendous sense of pride in what I’ve accomplished.  If I can find this from a skein of yarn, just imagine how God feels about us!  So of course He is behind us as our greatest cheerleader, coach, and encourager.  As Ephesians 2:10 tells us, we are His masterpiece!

In the days ahead, we’ll discover how beneficial grief and pain can be in our lives.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I said grief and pain can be beneficial to our lives.  It’s through grieving our choices, mistakes, and short-comings that we gain insight to make the necessary changes in our lives.  It’s through the pain of our experiences that God strengthens our character, and teaches us more about His character.  James tells us, “when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy!”

I can see you shaking your head and saying, “He’s got to be kidding!  Troubles are time for great joy?” On page 39, Baker tells us “Just as grief is God’s pathway to comfort, pain is God’s antidote for denial.”  We cannot deny our pain when we actually feel it.  And we cannot find healing unless we recognize there is a problem in the first place.

It’s how we manage our pain, grief and brokenness that often gets us in to trouble.  We choose to numb through drugs, alcohol, food or relationships, but the numbness makes us unable to process the emotions, learn from the experience, and see the joys God has for our lives.  The numbness makes it possible to deny there’s even a problem.  But the numbness also makes it impossible to find the joy that comes through the difficulties.  The joy of drawing closer to God.  The joy of strengthening relationships.  The joy of overcoming with grace.  The joy of helping others through their troubles.

I once heard Joni Eareckson Tada speak about her life after a tragic accident at 17 left her paralyzed.  She didn’t feel sorry for herself, but rather saw the opportunities to work for God in ways she wouldn’t have been able to without the accident.  If you want to hear more from Joni on turning brokenness into blessing, http://www.xenos.org/teachings/?teaching=1533

Baker also points out in Chapter 2 that there are three “denial busters”: crisis, confrontation, and catastrophe.  Reading this chapter, I could immediate see how crisis came to my life in 1996, but it wasn’t enough to fully bust my denial on choices I had been making in my life that took me away from Him  It was when the catastrophe fell in 2001 that my eyes were finally opened.  Are you able to pinpoint specific events in your life that were meant to serve as denial busters?

In Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Oswald Chambers says, “The teaching of Jesus Christ comes with astonishing discomfort to begin with, because it is out of all proportion to our natural way of looking at things, but Jesus puts in a new sense of proportion, and slowly we form our way of walking and our conversation on the line of his precepts.” (p 16).

So let’s shake off the denial, let’s open up to His lessons … go against the grain and let the bristling begin.  At the end of this journey, the discomfort will yield tremendous freedom & joy … beyond anything you ever thought possible before.

 

Reading Assignment for Week 2:

Chapter 2 — The Hope Choice

Monday: Laurie will discuss Principle 2: The Hope Choice
Tuesday: Leslie will discuss Truth about God
Wednesday: Kim will discuss Plugging in to God’s Power
Thursday: Amy will discuss Make The Choice, Action Steps to make it real in your life
Friday: Laurie will bring it all back home with a recap of our week

 

Power Verses for Chapter 2:
Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 11:6, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 1:6, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Matthew 6:34, Psalm 34:18, 2 Timothy 1:7, Ephesians 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 4:7-8

Colossians 1:27, Romans 12:2, Isaiah 42:3

 

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If you are interested in joining this online Bible study, please click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send Amy a private message in regards to this blog, you may send it to her at: Amy@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

 

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Life’s Healing Choices – Week 1 – Admitting Need

January 6, 2013 by

“Each of our lives is tangled up with hurts that haunt our hearts, hang-ups that cause us pain, and habits that mess up our lives.” (Baker, page 1)

Ouch! What a sting those simple words can bring. And immediately I begin the defense – I’m only hurt because of what other people did to me. I don’t have hang-ups, that’s just the way I am. Habits? They’re coping skills necessary to deal with life & the people around me. We’ve all done it, allowing the behaviors and attitudes to continue.

But hope is here! January 2013 marks not only a new year, but a new journey in your life. It’s a time for change … to shed the habits, hurts & hang-ups that affect your relationships, your life, and your walk with Christ. Using the book “Life’s Healing Choices” by John Baker as our discussion tool, the GCH: Victorious Healing ministry will lead you on this journey to joyful change, freedom, and blessings only He can provide to us.

RECOVERY. What comes to your mind when you see or hear this word? Do you brush it off as something only addicts or alcoholics deal with? Or do you think only of illness, surgery or other physical ailments? The truth is very simple. We all have hurts in our life that require healing. Some of us choose to symptomatically treat our hurts with food, chemical substances, spending sprees, toxic relationships, and more. But true healing, not just masking of symptoms, is possible only through the power of Christ in our lives. RECOVERY.

There are eight basic principles we will uncover during our study together:

  • Realize I am not God.
  • Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me. Consciously choose to commit my life and will to Christ’s care & control.
  • Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God and to someone I trust.
  • Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life.
  • Evaluate all my relationships.
  • Reserve a daily time with God.
  • Yield myself to God to be used to bring His love & Good News to others.

What areas of your life do you have power (control) over? What areas of your life are spinning out of control? What coping skills do you use to get attention, or protect yourself? How do you handle pain & disappointment? What hinders our ability to admit our need for change, or help?

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” (Invictus by Henley). What comes to mind when you read those words? For me, it’s a sad commentary on how many of us live our lives. So often we believe we can handle our lives on our own. We determine our futures and no one will keep us from doing what we want, dream, or desire. Our decisions will only affect us. No one can tell us what to do.  But this idea is what causes so much of our pain. Until we realize that we are not in control of our lives, and allow God to do what He intended for us, our pains, hurts, habits, and hang-ups will continue.

Are you ready to “let go, and let God”?

In “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount” by Oswald Chambers “There must be a dominant, personal, passionate devotion to Him, and only then are all other relationships right.”

God tells us “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there” (Jeremiah 6:14 TLB). How many times do we try to ignore our hurts by saying we’re fine, or nothing’s wrong? How often do we try to tend to issues by our own power because we don’t want to burden others, or appear weak or “out of control?”Denial only hinders our growth more, freezing us in our pain, insecurities, and worry even more. Denial encourages us to keep secrets as we continue to pretend that our lives are going well. Denial brings shame, anxiety, and a false sense of protection from our pain.

The admission of our powerlessness is the first step on our journey. From here, we need to leave to stop denying our pain. There’s only one God, and you ain’t Him, so stop trying to control your life as if you are.

God promises so much more.

  • Light in our darkness (1 John 1:5-7).
  • Rescue from the darkness (Ps 107:13-14).
  • Healing from our pain (Jeremiah 30:17).

So, join us this week as we explore this principle deeper. Instead of packing for a journey, get ready to unpack all that baggage you’ve been carrying around! But I warn you, this journey won’t be an easy one. However, I promise that we have the best Guide with us because He promises to never leave us, nor forsake us. Ever!

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Reading Assignment for Week 1:

Chapter 1 of Life’s Healing Choices
Monday: Laurie will discuss Principle 1
Tuesday: Leslie will discuss The Cause of our Problems
Wednesday: Kim will discuss The Cure for our Problems
Thursday: Amy will discuss Make The Choice, Action Steps to make it real in your life
Friday: Laurie will bring it all back home with a recap of our week

Ps6_2-3

Restoration is possible. Will you move towards this for your life … today?

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Principle 1 Power Verses:
Jeremiah 6:14
Ecclesiastes 11:4
Job 30:27
Romans 7:15-17
Proverbs 14:12
Job 17:11
Psalm 6:6-7
2 Corinthians 1:9

If you would like to join this amazing online Bible study, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, we will email you further details.

If you would like to send Amy a personal message in regards to today’s blog, please email her at: Amy@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

 

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Announcing our Brand New GCH: Victorious Healing Online Bible Study

December 2, 2012 by

Through life, we often think recovery is only for alcoholics or drug addicts. Regardless of what issue you may be struggling with in life, whether it is financially, emotionally, through chemical dependency, sexual addictions, food issues, lying, depression, anxiety (just to name a few), we all have a hurt or a struggle that causes us pain and hinders our walk with God.

‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’  

Romans 3:23  

There is not a struggle or hurt that is greater or lesser than the other; just as there is no one sinner worse than the other. We all need God’s hope, healing and recovery through these hurts.

So many times we try to fix our problems ourselves, finding that we turn right back to the comfort of our faulty coping skills. This blog will help you realize that no matter what your hurt or struggle may be, God wants to give you hope and healing if you will trust and allow Him to. With the blogs, studies and fellowship of this group, you will have the opportunity to begin to feel the freedom and peace of healing from your hurts and struggles.

We are excited you have decided to join us on this journey- so grab your cup of coffee and get ready for the ride!

Our first GCH: Victorious Healing

Online Bible Study

begins January 6, 2013!

Life's Healing Choicesby John Baker

Life’s Healing Choices
by John Baker

This 8 week study takes the 8 Beatitudes from one of Jesus’ most famous sermons, the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5: 3-10. Through the principles outlined in the beatitudes, you will find the hope, healing and happiness God has intended for you. The book outlines how you can leave your past hurts and struggles behind and begin to rely on God to help you focus on the amazing future He has planned for you.   

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To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions.  You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study.  We’re looking forward to studying “Life’s Healing Choices” with you!!  

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