Women in the Word

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9/10/2015 11:56 am  #21


Re: Acts

Theresnoplacelike Home wrote:

I am not the person I was ten years ago, a week ago, or even a day. But I strive to be a good person who can turn, repent, and receive the filling and empowering of the Holy Ghost. I know when I am weak He is strong. It is a process but I am willing to begin again. Praying that “he who began a good work in me would be faithful to complete it.”   Have  a blessed day,
 

Amen. Powerful post. God is working in us if we just turn and repent and He is strong in the midst of our weaknesses and failures and His Spirit will work in us.

We need to be patient with ourselves because it is a process. And no matter how many times we fail, God is faithful to complete His work in us, even when we are not faithful. And I love how you say we need to be willing just to begin somewhere.

 

9/10/2015 12:11 pm  #22


Re: Acts

Acts 4 

S: 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, … 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
 
O: They asked for boldness.  We sometimes just think they were so brave and strong. And, it is not to minimize their bravery and strength. But, ultimately, they were men. But, they asked God to give them boldness and He responded by filling them with the Spirit.
 
A: Do you allow fear to consume your choices to speak out about God or do you allow faith to continue to show through?
 
I don’t know if I would say fear prevents me. I think I am curbed more by the U.S. idea of individuality, respecting individual choice, and personal space.
 
So, I do speak boldly and comfortably if the situation allows or with people I have relationships with. As we talk about life issues, I talk about faith, the Bible, my belief, what God has done with me, etc. But, I don’t think I go that extra mile to say, “hey, I want to talk to you about what you believe.” And, just really open up that evangelic conversation. I guess I feel it is insulting and pushy. I realize it is more important to be urgent because time seems to be getting so very short and it is a far greater risk for them to die without Christ.
 
I think maybe I, like the apostles prayed, need to pray for God to make me bolder and to show me when and how to be more explicit and more passionate and more intentional. Sadly, I don’t think I pray for opportunities or the empowering to share the gospel.
 

     Thread Starter
 

9/11/2015 5:33 am  #23


Re: Acts

Acts 5
Vs. 20 was my vs. this morning. Thinking about the "prison" that God released me from and if there is someone or somewhere that He has called me to teach. Where are those temple steps? Who is waiting there to hear God's truth?

Like TBG wrote yesterday, I fear being pushy. I also fear rejection. I also fear not having enough knowledge or not being able to speak in a way that even makes sense. I too need to pray for God to make me bolder and confident and knowledgable.

Also praying this morning for my unsaved family...only one of my sisters knows The Lord.

 

9/11/2015 12:19 pm  #24


Re: Acts

Acts 5
 
Ananias and Sapphira
11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.
 
Don’t see sincerity, buy hypocrisy. They were not required to give this, but they tries to lie and represent themselves as something they were not.
 
The Holy Spirit was working to try to bring glory to Christ and yet these two were working to bring glory to themselves. This impurity could have infected the church. They were trying to see how much they could get away with, they were not trying to do good or trying to honor God.
 
Vs 9: Test – to try to get away with something, to try to pull something over on someone, to try whether a thing can be done
 
God does not change. He still demands this level of purity in our motives for service. This is still His standard and how seriously He takes infecting His church with hypocrisy. It is just that He is giving us grace right now. But we should not take advantage of His grace by not caring if we act in hypocrisy or with impure motives.
 
The arrest of the apostles
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
 
Interesting verse 17 says they were jealous. So they were worried about keeping their own power and position and worried that someone else was becoming more important or respected than themselves. They allowed this jealousy to blind them to the work and person of God
 
Am I doing enough for God’s kingdom to be considered a threat to the order of this world? Sometimes when we are making a difference for God, it will create friction against the world’s system.

     Thread Starter
 

9/12/2015 2:51 am  #25


Re: Acts

Acts 4

Scripture
“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/act.4.11.nlt

This scripture really spoke to me as sometimes you can feel very rejected in multiple areas of your life, but by faith and grace,  we must believe we will reap harvests and have redemption  in our due time.

Last edited by itsjenniferrose (9/12/2015 2:52 am)

 

9/12/2015 2:59 am  #26


Re: Acts

This is such on point. I've started giving back through #Hashtaglunchbag. It's a great organization/movement that started in LA but had expanded to different cities. You pack lunches, then pass them out on skid row.  Truly rewarding.

TBG wrote:

Welcome back itsjenniferrose and Theresnoplacelike Home. I always appreciate both of your input and glad to see you back on the boards.

Acts 3
 
Acts 3:6 But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"
 
Interesting for me because of work I did years ago many of the homeless we worked with (not all) did not want help getting a job or did not even want to enter treatment to kick alcohol and drug addiction. So, I had an attitude of why bother because if they don’t want help I won’t waste my help.
 
However, our church has been doing a big push about really making a difference in our communities, challenging us to spend less on all the consumer goods and luxuries to work less for high-end lifestyles and to prioritize using our time and money to serve others.
 
Specifically we have a ministry focused on the homeless. It made me realize that if we reached just one, just one, would not the effort be worth it? And, even if all of them refuse to make changes and refuse long-term help, it is still a witness to the world and to them for Christ.
 
We are called to witness even when people will not accept it. So, by continuing to be passionate about the homeless (even those who by there own actions and choices will not get better), it is a chance for them to see God’s love and maybe motivate them to change. It is a chance to be a witness to the world, and it is a witness to the homeless person regardless of if they accept it.
 
So, I am starting every third Sunday to help a group of folks from my church prepare and serve meals.

19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord
 
God is not a kill joy. He says to repent not so He can control us or punish us and prevent us from having fun. He says to repent to (1) remove our sins permanently, (2) refresh us (3) allow us to be in His presence and for His presence to restore us and bring us freshness, vitality, and energy.
 
He longs to give us good gifts, but we would rather hold onto our worldly behaviors and pleasures.

 

 

9/12/2015 1:39 pm  #27


Re: Acts

itsjenniferrose wrote:

This is such on point. I've started giving back through #Hashtaglunchbag. It's a great organization/movement that started in LA but had expanded to different cities. You pack lunches, then pass them out on skid row. Truly rewarding.
 

wow, that is cool. So, you go to skid row and pass out the bags or do you mean you are giving money to the ministy?

     Thread Starter
 

9/12/2015 11:52 pm  #28


Re: Acts

We actually pass out the bags!

TBG wrote:

itsjenniferrose wrote:

This is such on point. I've started giving back through #Hashtaglunchbag. It's a great organization/movement that started in LA but had expanded to different cities. You pack lunches, then pass them out on skid row. Truly rewarding.
 

wow, that is cool. So, you go to skid row and pass out the bags or do you mean you are giving money to the ministy?

 

 

9/13/2015 8:27 pm  #29


Re: Acts

Week of September 14, 2015
This Week’s Reading Assignment


S.O.A.K. any verse of your choosing.

Click "Post Reply" at the bottom of this post to add your thoughts and what you are learning.

Don't forget to check the introduction on Mondays, going deeper links on Wednesday and the devotional on Friday at Good Morning Girls.

Monday
Good Morning Girls: Introduction to weekly reading
Reading: Acts 6
Verse of the Day: Acts 6:7
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Optional GMG Discussion Question:
The Apostles knew they had limits. They could not be effective in all the areas that needed to be filled in the ministry that God had entrusted to them. Are there areas in your life that you need to delegate or step away from so you can be effective in the areas God is calling you to lead?

Tuesday
Reading: Acts 7
Verse of the Day: Acts 7:55
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Optional GMG Discussion Question:
Stephen was persecuted for his beliefs. Yet he stood firm, even though he was to face death. How has your walk with God caused you to be persecuted?

Wednesday
Good Morning Girls: Links and thoughts to go deeper
Reading: Acts 8
Verse of the Day: Acts 8:4
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

Optional GMG Discussion Question:
God put Philip in the position to minister to the Eunuch. Name a time when God has caused your paths to cross with someone who needed you to minister to them.

Thursday
Reading: Acts 9
Verse of the Day: Acts 9:5
And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Optional GMG Discussion Question:
Saul is a great reminder that God can use our pasts as a great testimony to reach others. In what ways has God used your testimony to reach and touch others?

Friday
Good Morning Girls: Devotional
Reading: Acts 10
Verse of the Day: Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

Optional GMG Discussion Question:
Peter had been focusing on the Jewish community. Yet God laid it on Peter's heart that salvation was for all people. Name a time when you wrestled with the fact that someone was possibly undeserving of God's gift of salvation. How did you overcome it?

Last edited by TBG (9/14/2015 6:46 am)

     Thread Starter
 

9/14/2015 1:44 am  #30


Re: Acts

Acts 5

““So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭5:38-39‬ ‭MSG‬‬
http://bible.com/97/act.5.38-39.msg


It's important when we decide to follow these religious leaders that we are awake and mindful if their work is truly "of God".  This goes for advice too. Take it to God first.

 

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