W3 (Women Who Worship)

What an incredible night of sharing and worshiping our Lord Wednesday, November 28 at Celebration Wednesday. It was the culmination for our Breaking Free study and it went out with a BANG!

We first describe our “plunder” from being released of our strongholds (comparing us to the Israelites who were set free from Egypt and God let them take their “plunder” from the Egyptians). And we took a look at our previous evaluations of our relationship with Christ and compared it with our current relationship 12 weeks later. Then we wrote what we broke free from on an old wristband and wore it throughout the night. After we watched the video, we had some amazing worship music and a demonstration in which we walked up to the cross and cut off the chains of bondage (the old wristband) and replaced it with a new pink rubber bracelet which said “Gal. 5:1 It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set me free!” We tore down the lies and replaced it with God’s truth!!!

After some incredible worshiping and teary eyes, several ladies shared their testimonies. We heard stories of people replacing fear, unforgiveness, pride, and others. We saw people who did not have the courage to speak in a microphone, but who were praising God with their nods to leading questions like “Have you been betrayed and learned to forgive throughout this study?” and “Who drew closer to God throughout the last 12 weeks?”

What was especially moving is that when it was time to wrap it up, many ladies stayed and many were crying and hugging each other. I could overhear people telling each other their stories that they were too nervous to tell in front of a big group. This study was amazing and moved through many people. Girls, this is another opportunity for you to tell your story. If you already did at the Celebration, that’s ok, add it here again. If you didn’t have the guts, take a deep breath and write it here. This is all about letting God know you love Him and that He is amazing! Let us know that too! Just click the comment button and begin writing.

Can’t wait to see our Lord glorified by your responses!!

Sunshine

We are finishing our last week of study over the next few weeks.  But, Beth has brought us full circle.  How do we display God’s splendor to others?  How do we display God’s glory to others?

We do this by showing the world we have removed the obstacles and experienced God’s benefits for us?  If you were once unbelieving of God, you should now KNOW AND BELIEVE him.  If you were once prideful, you should now GLORIFY GOD.  If you were once satisfied by idols (money, things, people), then you should now FIND SATISFACTION in God.  If you were once someone who didn’t pray, you should now EXPERIENCE GOD’S PEACE through answered prayer.  If you once were legalistic (obeyed laws and rules just because they are in the Bible), you should now ENJOY GOD’S PRESENCE.

If you have taken this study, share here what benefit you most learned to accept.   After giving it some thought, decide that you will share a short story about it at the Celebration Wednesday November 28.

I most learned this time that I now know and believe Him much more than I ever have.  It is amazing to truly be able to say that.  I have come quite a long way in my life to not trusting anyone but myself, to trying daily to trust in Him.

So what about you?  Which did you experience the most?

Sunshine

After a great learning tool with the pictures that Beth Moore uses to describe taking our thoughts captive in week 9 of Breaking Free, we have a few weeks of other things to do before our Celebration Wednesday.

Crossroads Community Church in Adrian, Michigan is hosting an opportunity in the CFC Auditorium to praise God the week before Thanksgiving in preparation for the holiday season.  Next Wednesday, November 14, at 6:30pm, we will gather to meditate, pray, sing praises and have communion while revering our Lord.

I will wait in the grand lobby at 6:15pm in case you would like to sit with someone and you may have to come alone.  It is an awesome experience and I would hate to have you miss it just because you do not want to come by yourself.   Let me know by email if you want me to wait for you.

Sunshine

Thanks for sharing, Sunshine!
I have learned to listen to ‘prompts’ that God gives me…and am more sure of them the more I experience memory issues related to my age, because I know they aren’t just ‘me’. I often am struck with an idea or reminded of someone….in a way that I know it is from God. I can choose whether to follow up on those thoughts, or ignore them. When I choose to follow up I always get an affirmation, either spoken by a human or just in my spirit, that I have been a blessing….and I think.. that is walking with God. Feeling like we are making a difference is one of God’s gifts to us in the middle of a mixed up world!

I also feel strongly that when we make a commitment, like to a job…that we have great opportunity to witness by being dependable and working with excellence. So, when we go to work and help society function, we are walking with God there in that workplace. Remember, anywhere we go, we take the Holy Spirit with us! Sometimes we feel like we are doing nothing, but we are placing God’s Spirit among people and exposing them to His love and grace!

‘Working’ at church is good…but let’s be sure we are serving with the right attitude and it is not just something on our ‘to do’ list for the week. I am in the process of changing some of my serving assigments so I can be more strategic in developing relationships with women who are new to Crossroads…helping them find their next step towards or with Christ.

I recently learned that we actually do have ‘time’ to do Everything that God has on our calendar. You know how we are always so short on time? It might be because we are trying to do things that He doesn’t intend for us to do! I have to tell myself, just because I CAN do something, doesn’t mean I SHOULD. That’s why we need to pray about our walk…and just ask God to make it CLEAR to us what we are to do.

Still learning!
Martha

As I was doing my 5th day of study for Beth Moore’s Breaking Free, Week 7, I came across a challenge Beth gave us.  At the bottom of page 154, Beth challenges us to “review the calendar of our last week”  and find out which days “reflect that you walked with God”.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t recall a time where I audibly, out loud heard God’s voice telling me to “go forth” anywhere.  And even when people tell me that they knew God was telling them something, I am skeptical that actually happened.  It seems to me that I only know if it was God’s plan AFTER things happen when it appears that God worked it for our good.  So for me, this challenge to look at my week and see where I walked with God was difficult.

I worked many of the days and volunteered at church on Wednesday and Sunday.  I also attended a ministry open house on Sunday for Tiny Purpose.  So does this mean, I only walked with God on these days or did I walk with Him those days at all?

How did you tell if a day in your last week “reflected you walking with God”?  Are you able to hear God’s voice, and if so, how do you know?

Please write your thoughts here.  Anyone else struggle with this as well?

Sunshine

We partook of communion tonight at Breaking Free’s Bible Study. And as we are in the Beauty for Ashes chapter, it was fitting that we found several songs that talked about this. It is based on the key Bible verse in Isaiah 61:1-4. And if you haven’t yet memorized it, now is as good a time as any.

“1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. 4They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated. The will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”

I have to admit that it takes me a few times to look it up in the Bible to be sure I am right, but I am getting it. Practice it in the shower, place it on your mirror as you are getting ready every morning, write it over and over again in your journals after each daily reading. Commit it to memory. God will bless you through it.

Anyway, the communion was emotional as we agreed to become Christ’s bride by accepting the bread and juice. Awesome illustration as always. Our God is soooo creative!!! HA! He IS the CREATOR, afterall!!

Sunshine

This week in the Breaking Free Bible Study, we are focusing around Isaiah 61:3 which says, “and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

This verse is imperative for me. I repeat it often. I choose to thank God for sending Jesus to bestow on me a crown of beauty instead of ashes!! Seems to me that I had more losses than I care to remember in only my short 27 years. So, as the ashes represent the outward sign of mourning, I am glad to trade my ashes for beauty. I hope that I do not have very many more losses in this lifetime, but I am realistic and know I will endure more as long I out live others, so I will continue to praise God through the mourning, as he continues to bring beauty for the ashes.

Please share here how you are being blessed or convicted this week in Bible Study. Do you have a gladness for mourning story? Do you have a praise for despair story? Write it here and help us in seeing the victory of God because of this study.

With Love,

Sunshine

This week centers around being brokenhearted. One of the first questions in this week is about what was your very first, cry for days, audible sobbing, heartbreak?

I remember my parents got divorced when I was 7. My mother told me that my father’s alcoholism was the primary reason for their split. My little brother and I visited dad every weekend and we often went to the lake or park in the summertime. One summer day when I was 11, after I had learned in school that drinking and driving was not safe, I confronted my dad. When my mom dropped me off to his house, I asked her to come inside with me for a minute. She did. Then I looked my dad in the face and told him about what I had learned in school and “please, daddy, don’t drink and drive when we go to the lake this weekend, because I am scared that we might die in a car accident.” He glared back at me and posed, “are you going to divorce me too?”

Heart piercing were his words. I told him no, but I decided not to stay with him that weekend. And I cried and cried and cried because I just felt so rejected by him. I never would have thought about “divorcing” my dad. I loved him and just wanted to be safe. I spend many years heartbroken over that one comment. I made a lot of excuses each weekend not to go visit him because I felt so broken by him. It wasn’t until my 18th birthday that I decided that I could forgive him. I went to his home and loved on him.

You see, sometimes we get a broken heart by something inadvertent. I believe that my dad did not purposely say that to be hurtful to me; he may have been brokenhearted himself. But, we are definitely wounded. It seems like the wound from that never really goes away.

The point of this week’s Bible Study is to know that Jesus came to “bind up the brokenhearted” as Isaiah 61:1 says. Sister, tell Jesus your brokenhearted story. This one is the first of many for me. I believe Jesus came to bind my broken heart and take all the remnants of the scar away! He came to do the same for you!

Please share your story of your first broken heart. We would love to see them here and especially see how Jesus has bound up your broken heart. Share it with us and glorify God!

Sunshine

What a topic?! I hate to actually think about this. In our Bible Study, Breaking Free, that has 70+ participants that are in and around the Adrian, Michigan area, who are connected with Crossroads Community Church, we are on Week 4, Rebuilding the ancient ruins.

I have to say that I am again behind a little in my homework, but I promise that I will finish by our next meeting time.  So, anyway, I have done day 1 and cannot tell you how bummed I am by how many issues I have from the last couple generations.

First, my parents, were the only ones to have accepted Christ as far as I know from the last 3 generations.  It is sooo sad.  And, I knew that my mom had believed in Christ, but when she died at 44 years old, she still had not allowed God to set her free from the bondage of smoking, or addiction, or fear and many other things.  I learned from her to rely on the Lord, but not to find satisfaction in Him.  She did not trust many things of this world and let me tell you that has traveled well onto me.  I seriously have TRUST issues.  I do not remember a lot of positive things from growing up.  I remember fear, dread, worry, illness, etc.  It seems my family was always trying to overcome something else that affected us.  I had a hard time struggling when the chart on page 76 asked us to come up with positive influences from our parents and grandparents.  I still have not come up with any for my paternal grandparents.  I hope that has more to do with the fact that I did not spend a lot of time with them than it does that they were not positive influences.

Anyway, the point in my sharing all this negativity with you is that I know how much generational stuff that I had from the last time I took this study, four years ago.  And in that I wrote, “wow, so many generational curses surfaced, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me!” and then I worte, “wait, I’ve got a lot of FAITH  ahead of me!”  And I was right, all it takes is faith that God will deliver me from these issues.  And, Sister, He has!!!!

I no longer struggle with smoking.  I quit 4 years ago this month, and all of my parents and grandparents were smokers!  My dad who is the only one still living still smokes!  I no longer struggle with feelings of abuse that I was struggling with daily 4 years ago.  It is gone!!!!

I have some majors issues still, but that will be my focus for this study.  Father, help me overcome my trust issues!!!  I believe he will.

Girls, share what  generational issues you have come to realize.  Write a prayer here to see that God delivers you from it.  Maybe someone else struggles with the same generational thing and you can meet and hold each other accountable for it.  Beth says on Page 75, “…the issues left in shrouds of secrecy never get exposed to the healing light of God.”  Don’t let the enemy fool you into thinking that your issue is too whatever to tell someone.  He just wants it to stay a secret so that you stay in bondage.  Remember, Galatians 5:1 says, “it is for freedom that Christ has set you free.”  Come out into the light and share what your generational issues are.

With Love,

Sunshine

Howdy!

I can say that because I am presently a ‘resident’ at Fort Wilderness Campground in Orlando Florida and they all talk like that here…:)   I am enjoying my vacation and at the same time keeping up with my homework!  I AM looking forward to returning to study next week! As I walked back to our cabin this afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, the sky deep blue with fluffy white clouds above me, little drops of rain gently fell on my head –in Michigan it rarely does that-if it is raining it is raining. Here it can be raining on one side of the road and not raining on the other!  Another example of God’s variety in His creation!  Not long after I came in to the cabin, dark clouds came from nowhere and we got a brief little shower.  Enough time for me to finish my lesson! Now the sun is shining again, with no signs of rain! 

 But have really been thinking about the obstacles to enjoying the Peace of God.  This really spoke to me.  Is your life like a river?  Are you traveling through rough rapids, narrow rocky passages or have you just come thru into a wide open space?  In order to keep our hearts in perfect peace, they must be submitted to a Trustworthy Authority–The One Who IS our Peace.  the ‘upland source’ of ”Peace like a River”   

 An obstacle to that Peace is prayerlessness.  “Prayer matters.  The Spirit  of God released through our prayers and the prayers of others turn cowards into conquerors, chaos into calm, cries into comfort.”  Prayer is spilling your heart to God–but it is more than that!  It’s not about thees and thou’s and stiff, huge words you aren’t comfortable with.  Prayer is about drawing close to God with your heart, and life–it is a relationship! It is being blessed in return as He reveals to us His Wisdom, His Power, the very essence of Who He is !  Unchanging, all powerful, compassionate, merciful….Were you challenged as I was ? 

Do I really KNOW God for Who He is?  Do I KNOW the heart of God? 

Do I have a ‘praying life’???  (Not just a prayer life)

Am I in consistant communication with God on every level?  (Ephesians 1:15-23)

Does my knowledge of the Heart of God lead my requests from the hand of God?

  Do I know His Personality His Practices, His Promises?

         Or Do I base my belief in God on Who He is or by what I think I see Him doing? 

Lord, Give us a heart for You that comes through prayer!

Do You have a scripture that speaks to Who God is that you would share with others?  Post it here!

See you next week!   Deb D