Unconditional Love Part 5
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” 1 Corinthians 13:1
Today on Woman to Woman, Janie and Sharon finish up with 1 Corinthians 13 discussing agape love. Giving descriptive words to share what each characteristic would look like in practice so that we can recognize agape love or lack of it in our lives. A person’s attitude (love or lack of) will come out in actions. There are scriptures that help call us into accountability ~ Hebrews 12:14, Colossians 3:5, Proverbs 6:16-17. Psalm 106 is a must read to see the illustration of what it cost Moses due to a provoked spirit. Unforgiveness will become a root of bitterness but there are scriptures that will help us understand the importance of forgiveness ~ Colossians 3:13, Luke 17:3-4, Matthew 6:6-15. And many more characteristics are shared with verses to help us get grounded and you can find a list in the teaching handouts.
Today on The Fireside Bookshelf, Ginger Green takes a look at Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung. This book begins with a root issue of our Beliefs. What we believe to be true can differ from what we KNOW to be true. Life experiences can feed us misinformation about God. If we do not rely on God solely for our every need, we become busy attempting to meet our needs and establish our security through our own efforts. Scripture does not teach responsibility ….it teaches faithfulness.
Today on The Fireside Bookshelf, Ginger Green takes a look at Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas.
The evangelical world of today looks quite different from a few decades ago and appears to have divided into three rather distinct constituencies. These three groups are classic evangelicalism, marketers and emergents. The last two groups are transitional and are stepping-stones toward a more liberalized Christianity. Over time, the capacity to think doctrinally has been lost as new leaders emerge and the older pastor-theologian model to newer entrepreneurial organization builders promotes a new method of ‘selling” the Gospel; attracting the people in need with a more comfortable appeal.
Today on Woman to Woman, Janie and Sharon discuss the struggle to stand in the truth of God’s word. How have we gotten in such a mess? What have we used our tongue to promote? We are living in a day where sin is celebrated. Moral decay is taking over our hearts, spilling over into our families, and we take it to church. It is easier to fall in a roll with the flow because sometimes the current is so strong it is a fight to stand. There is a time to speak and a time to get quiet. It is a caution to weigh the thoughts through a filter of God’s word.
Today on Woman to Woman, Janie and Sharon discuss the way a lie can affect our life. They touch on topics of lies that our society has convinced us are true and on lies that we have believed about ourselves. Each lie affects our life differently but they are all still lies which affect our lives in a negative way. We reject the truth for a lie and Jesus is truth.
Most of the Christian world of today know little or nothing of a biblical world view regarding life. We may know scripture or have a sincere desire to serve the Lord; however, we lack an understanding of how to view life through biblical eyes. For this biblical world view, we need to use the word of God to define our decisions and actions regarding circumstances, situation, relationships, and choices that need to be made each day of our lives. Christians have been slow to see the decay of values. This is mainly due to our dividing between our “spiritual” and the “material” worlds. True reality is the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of life.
Today on Woman to Woman, Janie and Sharon discuss how to build upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. The daily struggles of life can take its toll on our Christian walk in applying the scriptures that will help us stand in our faith in the heat of the battle. Finding truth; which is the person Jesus Christ, will give us the right perspective in thinking to overcome many adversities. Jesus is preparing a home for us in heaven and the home He is preparing has to do with how we are living here and now. What are you sending up; gold, silver, and precious stones or wood, hay, and stubble?
There is a saying “The Truth doesn’t cost anything, but a lie could cost you everything.” 2 Peter 1 lays a foundation on how we may be assured of not falling into the trap of modern psychology lies. Should we decide to favor the foolish wisdom of this world we will sin grievously if we reject and neglect divine truth. Verse 3 declares ‘His divine power has given to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness.” Verse 4 affirms “exceedingly great and precious promises are ours so that we may be divine partakers of the divine nature.” Know and apply the promises so you won’t be caught in the lies.
Today on Woman to Woman, Janie and Sharon discuss God in Creation. It is of the greatest importance for the Lord’s children to recognize fully that, above all other things, His object is that we KNOW HIM. Through the Word, trials and testing, we learn of Him. We also need to be aware that He speaks to us through His creation. The stars, clouds, trees, moon, sky, plants, weather, mountains, the sea, the animals that He give us all tell of His care, concern of us; His sovereignty over all of life. If you are going through a time of difficulty, then stop, look, and listen to the sights and sounds of His creation all around us. He can comfort, teach, give and guide as we still our minds and hearts in seeing Him through His creation. Our five senses can help OR hinder knowing Him. Learn the difference in today’s discussion.
‘Everyone picks up a book for a reason.
It could be to learn, laugh, engage, or escape. But behind any of the reasons is a desire to change. We want something about ourselves to be different when we put the book down. So when we pick up a book, we say to the writers, “teach me something I don’t know or take me somewhere I’ve never been.” Those are certainly our goals with The Truth About Money Lies.‘ By Russ Crosson
This week on Woman to Woman, Janie and Sharon dive into the three areas of hinderences that can keep us from allowing the Riches of God’s Grace to flow in our lives; law, legalism, and standards. We find out how to use Jesus as the “plum line” rather than the law as the “plum line” even though the law reveals our sin.
This tiny literary work is filled with timeless truth. Ginger Green explores this treasure as Munger shares his depiction of how to apply scripture to our lives.
An intriguing book by a Christian doctor describing how God formed us to function in easy to read format. . Many drawings and illustrations to further simplify each chapter. Science with applicational simplicity. Many people who do not understand the battles they fight, found with clarity and a new confidence, a smooth path in thinking that is available to those who want to understand how to keep a healthy brain, resulting in a healthy body. When the body is functioning the way God designed it to be life takes on new luster and the Spirit can be at ease within us for His leading. A beautiful combination of spiritual foundation with science agreeing.
This week on Woman to Woman Sharon and Janie continue to look at Ephesians Chapter One verse by verse and discuss the “Riches of His Grace.” Some words in these scriptures are difficult to understand, so Janie and Sharon spend a little time talking about the meaning of these words. Starting in verse 11 this week, they complete the chapter with the ultimate riches, “He has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all” Ephesians 1:22-23.
Ginger Green takes a journey with us through the pages of “With Christ in the School of Prayer” by Rev. Andrew Murray. As long as we look at prayer, chiefly as a means of maintaining our own Christian life, we shall not know fully what it is meant to be. But, when we learn to regard it as the highest part of the work entrusted to us, the root and strength of all other work, we shall see that there is nothing that we need to so study and practice as the art of praying aright. This classic is clearly written and arranged in such a way, as to break it down into perfectly proportioned bites.
This week on Woman to Woman Sharon and Janie take a look at Ephesians 1 as the focus this month in awakening us to the “Riches of His Grace.” We move from the foundation of salvation which is of Grace to the wonders that we discover when deepening our understanding of the spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Join us as we look at one of the most uplifting chapters in the whole of Scripture.
Today on Woman to Woman Janie and Sharon discuss the importance of understanding God’s grace. The first three chapters of Ephesians give the position of who we are; the last three chapters give instruction on how to walk in who we are. Looking at the first six verses of Ephesians chapter one, Janie gives us much to think about as we hear how God chose us before the foundations of the world. In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Proverbs 3:5-7 gives us sound advise to Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding; but in ALL our ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
The chief concern of our Lord is not to instruct us about a multitude of details , not to explain to us the reason for the trials which we are called to pass through. He is working out everything to serve His supreme purpose in displaying the character of His Son in His children He has purchased through the Cross and the shedding of Blood for man kind. If that is where His heart is, then how shall we live to fulfill His plan?
One of our main problems is that we focus our prayers on ourselves instead of on God. The purpose of prayer is not to get healed, get a job, get our house sold or whatever else we want. It is to get “the life of God in us;” to be transformed into Himself, knowing Him as the Giver, not just receiving good gifts from Him.
