Accepting the Holy Spirit’s Help: What Pentecost Teaches Us About Self-Sufficiency
“The stubborn strain of self-sufficiency is found throughout Scripture, and we’re no different in our modern context. Our culture praises those who do it all, do it perfectly, and do it themselves. Even within the church, we can use our obedience to God’s good commands to prove our own self-sufficiency. But when we refuse the help Jesus promised us, we become exhausted by our feeble attempts to prove ourselves or ashamed because we could never do enough. However, Jesus hasn’t asked us to strive in our own efforts; he’s invited us to be empowered by his Spirit.” Accepting the Holy Spirit’s Help: What Pentecost Teaches Us About Self-Sufficiency by Bethany Broderick
In the Wake of Church Hurt…You Need the Church
“I hope our church will be a place where you guys can heal.” The gentle words of our new pastor fell upon my heart like a soft blanket, adding a little comfort to a time of suffering. For the first time in months, I began to hope for a future with a new church. An inkling of belief that we might find community again lit up in my heart. But my fear of getting hurt—no, more than that, trampled—by those called to shepherd me remained a close companion. Spiritual abuse is destructive, its scars long-lasting.” In the Wake of Church Hurt…You Need the Church by Brittany Allen
How to Bear Burdens Without Being Crushed
“Galatians 6:2 commands believers to “bear one another’s burdens.” But how, practically, can we bear the burdens of others without being crushed by them? Over the years, I’ve had to learn to distinguish between what is my responsibility and what is the responsibility of another person. While I am responsible to others as a sister in Christ, I am not responsible for them. I am not someone’s Savior, Holy Spirit, or parent, and I do not need to function as though these are my roles. As you consider how to bear burdens without being buried by them, here are three lessons I’ve learned the hard way.” How to Bear Burdens Without Being Crushed by Ashley Chesnut
How Can You Comfort Others Amidst Your Own Pain?
“Comfort is meant to be transactional. Just like the gospel isn’t meant to stop with us, the comfort of Christ is meant to be poured into us and then through us. The problem, however, is that it’s awfully tempting to sit and wait until we feel better before we’re willing to step into the mess of other people’s lives. And when we do, we miss out on the beautiful reality that the comfort of Christ often comes as we speak the truth of God’s comfort out loud to others and spur one another on.” How Can You Comfort Others Amidst Your Own Pain? by Sarah Walton
Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength
““Shame on you!” I heard this phrase many times growing up in the 80s. It became a common way for adults to address children’s misbehavior. But what weight do these words actually carry? Shame. On you. Despite hearing the word “shame” frequently, I lived many years without understanding what it really was and how it impacted me. Now as a mom and a pastor’s wife, I want to be able to spot shame and its harmful effects in and around me. I want to link arms with other women as we “put off” shame as part of the old self and instead “put on” the freedom, joy, and security that Jesus has for us (Eph. 4:22–24)! ” Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength by Myra Dempsey
God's Sufficient Grace in Our Weakness
“The Apostle Paul’s life provides a captivating example of how to serve through weakness in ministry. Throughout his service to the Lord, Paul was imprisoned, stoned, beaten with rods three times, given 39 lashes five times, shipwrecked three times, adrift at sea, in danger from rivers, robbers, the city, the wilderness, his own people, the Gentiles, and false brothers, suffered through physical hunger and thirst, was left exposed in cold weather, experienced insomnia, and dealt with regular anxiety about his ministry (2 Cor. 11:23-28). This man knew suffering. He knew pain. He knew injustice. And still, by the grace of God, he endured ‘till the end. How did he do it?” God's Sufficient Grace in Our Weakness by Ashley Setterlind
When You Feel Like a Broken Record
“I’m so tired of my own voice saying the same words over and over” I recently lamented to an older mom, “I feel like a broken record. What am I doing wrong?! When will it click?!” “If you feel like a broken record,” she said smirking, “you’re probably actually doing it right.” She went on to highlight the need for consistency in training, as well as the fact that change and learning are a process—often a slow one. Often, I have the same attitude toward myself that I do toward my kids. Why do I keep failing at the same things over and over?! What am I doing wrong?” When You Feel Like a Broken Record by Abbey Wedgeworth
Hormones & the God Who Holds Us Together
“As women, our hormones can end up directing the traffic of our hearts. And they’re really not very good at it. A dip in one chemical messenger or an increase in another leaves us going along just fine one moment—and wrecked the next. Hormonal changes and imbalances leave us more prone than we might otherwise be to irritability, anger, depression, and unpredictable crying spells. But here’s the truth that we need to grapple with: While hormones can help us explain our shifting emotions, they are not an excuse for the sinful behaviors that can often follow.” Hormones & the God Who Holds Us Together by Whitney K. Pipkin