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- Sunday Morning Inspiration- A Worship Song Worth Repeating!
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 Let this song usher you into the presence of God. Speak The Name! Sing along with the Lyrics. This is a song you will want to sing!
- Saturday Stress Buster- Spend some Time Coloring
In coloring, there are no mistakes, just unique creations. Quote from Cleverpedia When was the last time you colored in a coloring book? I don't do it as often as I would like, but I enjoy coloring, and sometimes, when my grandchildren are coloring, I will color with them. Coloring slows down our minds and taps into our creative side. Being creative is a stress buster! So, go to the Dollar store and buy a coloring book and some crayons, or get you a plain piece of paper or maybe even draw a picture in your journal and then color it! It will help you to bust some stress! Print out the page below and color it! Enjoy! You should also check out this creative way to pray called Praying in Color. Share this blog with anyone who needs to bust some stress! Don't forget to check out our RESOURCES.
- Pause and Let His Word Speak
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT) Take a pause to just breathe - set a timer for 10 min. simply breathe Inhale and exhale Notice any tension or pain in your body.. ask the Lord to relax you or to heal that area. Notice your thoughts.... Release all that will distract you by simply saying silently or out loud "Lord, I releaseto you." When the ten min. is up sit silently until you are fully present at this moment. Then........ Read the scripture above 3x out loud or silently. As you enter into the weekend, consider these reflection questions: 1. As you read the scripture, what word or phrase speaks to you in this season of your life? 2. In what area(s) of your life are you seeking the knowledge of his will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding? 3. In what area(s) of your life are you bearing fruit in your attitude and actions? 4. In what area(s) of your life are you struggling to honor and please the Lord? 5. As you have spent time journaling, what is God speaking to you about what is on your heart based on the abovementioned scripture? 6. Write a prayer of response. Share this blog with others. Coming Soon, I will share my insights from the book of Job! Keep Checking back or subscribe today so that you won't miss out!
- Must Read Articles
I am so grateful for the people who are reading my blog posts. Today I am sharing some articles that were sent to me and some that I found while researching this topic to help those following my blog. I pray they are helpful. If you want to send me articles or resources that will be helpful to others, feel free to send them to me @ joycelyn@joycelynlewis.com When Your Pastor Lies To Your Face For Five Yours What Should I Do If I See Moral Failings in My Pastor? How To Recover From Spiritual Abuse Recognizing Warning Signs of Spiritual Abuse in the Church What are Signs of Spiritual Abuse, and How Can We Recognize them in the Church? Six Ways To Heal and Recover from Spiritual Abuse Should a Church or Christian Ministry Cover Up Abuse? Share this blog with others, and don't forget to check out the Resources.
- It Is Finished! Be encouraged today!
Take a pause and remember that it is finished! Share this with someone who needs to be encouraged today. And Don't forget to check out the Resources.
- The Real Deal
On July 4, 2023, one of the sweetest women I have ever known passed away unexpectedly. My friend and I decided to drop by her house so that I could offer my condolences to her daughter and grandson, as well as any other family members and friends. At the conclusion of our visit, I was led to pray with those who were present. Later that evening, my friend shared with me that when I finished praying, one of the gentlemen made a comment about me. He said, "She's the real deal." After the prayer, I heard a few remarks, but I didn't focus on them until after my friend told me about them. I am not sharing the comment to give myself any accolade; I am sharing it because it reminded me of what we as believers need to do whenever we are in one another's presence and the presence of spiritual leaders. On the surface, the gentleman's comment may appear to be an accolade, but that's not what it was; it was an assessment. 1 John 4:1 says, "Don't believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit, but we must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God." (NLT); Scripture also says, "Just as we can identify a tree by its fruit, we can identify people by their actions." (Matthew 7:20). The gentleman was right to test my spirit. He was right to check out my fruit and assess whether or not he discerned that I was the "real deal." My friend also told me that those who knew me confirmed I was "the real deal." This is also an excellent lesson; even when we "test" someone's spirit and inspect their fruit, we should not just go on what we assess. We must receive confirmation from others. We can be deceived and allow many things to get in the way of our assessment, whether good or bad. We all have had times when we thought we were discerning something bad about a person and discovered that we were wrong, and we've also had times when we thought we discerned something good about a person and realized we were wrong. We should always talk with trusted friends when discerning people's spirits to ensure that we are discerning accurately. The enemy can try and deceive us into believing that someone good is bad and that someone bad is good, so ask someone to help you discern rightly. This is what is required of the body of Christ. As believers, we should all pray that when we meet people, pray for people, preach, teach God's Word, encourage people, visit the sick, lead others, and witness to others that when we leave those encounters, someone will have assessed our spirits and inspected our fruit and say that we are the "real deal" because our "realness" is a testimony that our God is real! It's all for His Glory and His glory alone! Get Ready! Over the next few weeks, my blog posts will be related to the book of Job! Journey with me. Don't forget to share this blog with others and check out our RESOURCES.
- Are You All Churched Out?
I was having a conversation with a Pastor recently, and I was sharing with him about my recent resignation, and he said, "You know, I'm all churched out." Those words resonated with me because I had been speaking those words in my head twenty-four hours before our conversation, so I've been pondering what these words mean for my soul. I decided to go to Tamela Mann's song, Take Me To the King, because that song has resonated with many believers worldwide. In the song, she says she is "all churched out, hurt, and abused." This is how many of us have felt and feel after experiencing toxic church environments. We've gone to church, attended all of the weekly activities, served in various capacities, and tried to encourage and lift those we come in contact with; we've been committed to our church. We show up with a purpose, "to love God with all of our hearts, with all of our minds, with all of our strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves" (Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31). We don't do it perfectly but we try to serve and show up sincerely. Others seem to show up for a different purpose; to control, disempower and devalue our gifts and even sometimes our very personhood. Getting involved in the church seems more like being a part of a game that is being played instead of being about a gospel that needs to be proclaimed and reflected in our actions and our attitudes. So we become "all churched out," ready to tap out of the game called church. We long for some church communities to be about the gospel, evangelizing to unbelievers, offering hope and healing for our pain, and encouraging and inspiring us to be an expression of God's image in the world thru our gifts, calling, and talents. It seems there are hidden agendas, resulting in hurt and abuse instead of edification and encouragement. We become "all churched out." Our heart's are "torn in pieces, we feel far from God, and it seems our prayers are going unanswered. We don't want to show up and be fake or appear to be "going along to get along," so we become desperate for a Word from the King Himself. This is where the chorus fulfills Romans 8:28; All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. Being "all churched out" results in us running to the King instead of into the doors of a church. The church (the four-walled church) is a community that is filled with broken people, the spiritually mature and the spiritually immature, and those in positions who show up with their woundedness; the sharp edges of their brokenness sometimes cut us and make us bleed, but even when that happens, we can return to the King to ask Him to heal our wounds, to bind up our broken hearts, to set us free from harmful religiosity, the abuse of power and legalism. We must also ask that He heal the woundedness in others and those we consider our enemies (Matthew 5:43). We need to take our broken hearts before the throne of the King, gaze upon His glory, and reappraise our situation as an act of complete surrender. It is in the throne room that we receive a Word from our King; "..they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as an eagle, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint!" (Isaiah 40:31), Romans 5:3-5 says that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Therefore we can glory in our sufferings because our suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope! Our hope in our King does not disappoint us because Christ died for us at the right time when we were powerless! He saved us! And He can save us from the games being played, the hidden agendas, the hurt, and the abuse of power in the four-walled church! Ephesians 5:27 says Christ loves the church (the people of God) so much that "he will present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless." One day, the church (the people of God) will be pain-free because the people will be saved completely from the power of sin! Until that happens, we need to allow God to work in our hearts so that we can bear the fruit that will produce a radiant church. We need to stay in the King's presence where He can heal the hurt and the abuse; then, we will no longer feel "all churched out,"; we will be able to continue to be the church while we are attending a church. Pause and listen to Tamela Mann sing Take Me To The King. Don't forget to check out our Resources Please share this blog and website with others.
- Sometimes It's the Small Things That Protect Us from the Big Things
On Wednesday, June 28th, I was driving to my hometown with my two grandchildren. About two and a half hours into my trip, something hit my windshield and put a small chip in the glass. This caused me to slow down and find an exit to check out the chip. As I was getting over into the far-right lane to take an exit, my “check tire pressure” notification came on, and I determined that one of my tires was going flat. Just as I pulled off onto the shoulder of the highway, just in front of the exit, I heard a pop. The blessing was that I was right in front of the exit sign, Exit 30, Bowling Green. I didn’t have to determine where I was, and no one had to try and find my location; I was praising God. I also contacted a towing company, and the tow truck arrived within 30 minutes. When we arrived at the Tire Discount store, a gentleman named Isaiah waited on me, and I immediately looked up what Isaiah meant, and it means “salvation of the Lord.” One of the other employees asked me, “Have you had a bad day?” I said, “Oh no, sir, this isn’t a bad day; this is a great day. I’m grateful that this happened in the daylight, I’m grateful that my grandchildren and I are safe, and I’m grateful that I was able to get a tow truck within 30 minutes; no, sir, this isn’t a bad day; it’s a great day.” He responded with a smile, “I like your attitude.” After the tow truck driver put my SUV in a parking space and handed me my receipt, I asked him what his name was, and he said, “Steve,” which means “victorious, garland, or crown” because a crown was given to competitors for victors to reward them for their success in a competition. We had to wait about an hour and a half for the tire to be repaired, but God had provided a Cici’s Pizza within a short walking distance with a game room to keep my grandchildren occupied while we were waiting. As I took some time to reflect on that day, what was brought to my remembrance was that the night before, when my grandson was saying his prayers, he asked God to “protect us” while we were traveling and about thirty minutes before we had our blow out, the words, “flat tire” came to my mind, so I prayed for protection over us and over the other cars. The small chip caused me to slow down, which ultimately protected us when the tire blew. Sometimes God will show you something small to protect you from something big, so we must pay attention. I also assumed that it was a rock that hit my windshield, and in the words of one of the deacons from my church, “I am thankful for the rock!” The rock who is my salvation and the rock who not only gives me victory over the adversary but He rewards me with the crown of life! I thank God for the rock! In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. 2 Corinthians 2:14 As you go throughout this day, do not discount the small things and the small nudges from the Spirit, they just might save you from being harmed. To God Be The Glory! Share this blog with someone and don't forget to check out our Resources
- Sunday Morning Inspiration- Take two minutes to watch this!
Watch this inspirational video by Motion Worship. And on that day, you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD; call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted." Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth. Isaiah 12:4-5 Don't forget to share this Sunday Morning inspiration with someone and check out our Resources.
- Saturday Stress Buster- Soak Your Feet
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Take some time today to soak your feet in warm or hot water. Pour in some Epsom salt and essential oils that can soothe your tired feet! Help your feet to bust some stress today! .......Just as it is written and forever remains written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” Romans 10:15b (AMP) Share this blog with anyone who needs to bust some stress! Don't forget to check out our RESOURCES.
- A Fresh Word
One of the things that get me excited the most is getting a brand NEW Bible! I know that we live in the age of technology, and many people enjoy their electronic Bibles, but I LOVE the feel of the pages of God's Word and the sound of the pages turning. What I love about getting a brand new Bible is that it does not have all of the highlights and the notes in the margins that indicate that I have read a particular passage before; it allows me to read a passage as though I am reading it for the first time. So, I am currently waiting for my brand new Bible to arrive in the mail, and if you have never heard of this one, it's a must-have! It's the Thompson Chain Study Bible. You can look it up and see what it has, but it is my absolute favorite study Bible because it has over 100 000 references related to various topics in the Bible. Whenever I am perusing thru the pages of scripture, it takes me back to when I first discovered that the Bible has ALL the answers. I was just eleven years old, and I was being bullied at school. Every day someone was threatening to beat me up after school. One day while I was feeling discouraged by the bullying, I decided to pick up the oversized coffee table Bible my brother had sent my mom; he was away in the army. When I opened it up, I noticed a section with various topics, like sadness, loneliness, enemies, and joy; I remember sitting for hours thumbing through the pages of that Bible, thinking of various situations and topics that my eleven-year-old mind could come up with, and nothing I thought of was not in the pages of that Bible. That's when I fell in love with the Word! But at the time, I didn't even know or fully understand the Word's power. I didn't fully comprehend that the scriptures were love letters from God's heart to mine. I didn't know that God's voice was spoken from his mouth to my ears. I didn't know that the scriptures were alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword penetrating to dividing soul, spirit, joint, and marrow (Hebrews 4:12). I was too young to fully comprehend that All scriptures are God-breathed profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16). I didn't know that the Word was a person, not a book's pages. But, I learned at the age of eleven about the Word of God that when I did what it said, there was a strength and a fearlessness that formed in me. So, as I was dealing with the bullies in my school, I was doing what the scripture said: praying for them and asking God to bless them (Matthew 5:43-45). Even though the bullying didn't stop, whenever there was something that gave me strength in knowing that my bullies were treating me poorly, I was asking God to bless them with good things; and so; that was the beginning of me discovering that whenever I had a problem, I could go to the Bible and find out how I should deal with it. As an eleven-year-old, the Bible became the authority for how I dealt with the situations in my life. As I conclude this blog, I want to ask you, when did you enter into your relationship with the Word of God? In what form do you enjoy reading scripture? Electronic, or do you enjoy turning the pages in your Bible? What is one of your favorite books of the Bible? One of my favorites is Colossians, and I am currently reading Job. What does your Bible look like? There is a quote whose author is unknown that says, "A person who carries a Bible that is falling apart isn't falling apart." I love that, don't you? I've put my overused Bibles on my shelf and use them as reference Bibles. Did I tell you I am excited about getting my new Bible? Yep, I know I did, and I believe that what lies within its pages is a fresh Word, just for me. Take some time today to reorient yourself with the pages of scripture as though you are experiencing it for the first time and receive your fresh Word. Please share this blog with others, and don't forget to check out our RESOURCES.
- Simon Says
Simon Sinek has written multiple books on leadership. Although his books target the corporate structure, what he shares about leadership can be helpful to the body of Christ. Simon Sinek’s book, Leaders Eat Last, shares a story that was told to him by a Marine Colonel who was in charge of the Officer Candidate School (OCS). The Colonel considered throwing an officer out of OCS because he had “fallen asleep on watch.” Simon was perplexed that falling asleep “in the woods of Virginia” could end the officer’s career. The Colonel explained that trust and Integrity are a matter of life and death in the Marine Corps, and the problem wasn’t that the candidate fell asleep; the problem was that when he was asked about it, he didn’t take responsibility for his actions; he denied it. They asked about it a second time, and he denied it. After showing the candidate proof that could not be refuted, the candidate took responsibility for his actions. He also said that not taking responsibility for his actions immediately diminished trust. If the “would be” candidate were to get a platoon of Marines, they would not be able to trust the information he gave them; it may cause them to hesitate, question his decision-making and hinder his team from coming together. …..in every organization, even in ones where the decisions are not a matter of life and death. When we suspect the leaders of a company are saying things to make themselves or the company look better than they are or to avoid humiliation or accountability, our trust in them falters. It is a natural response. Our brain interprets the information we receive with our survival in mind. If we suspect our leaders are bending the truth to favor their own interests, then our subconscious mind prefers we don’t climb into a foxhole with him. (Sinek p.187)* Integrity is telling the truth and taking immediate responsibility for our actions and even inactions. The Colonel also told the story of another Marine who fell asleep, and when questioned, he was honest and took responsibility immediately. Simon says that the components of trust are honesty, Integrity, and accountability. These are all character traits necessary for trustworthy leaders; to be a true leader and to engender deep trust, a person must start by telling the truth. Although Simon has not claimed himself to be a Christian leader, his name is biblical and in Hebrew means “to hear or to be heard.” This is one of those times when I believe we need to hear and do what Simon says, because he offers us principles that align with the Word of God. There are numerous scriptures that give us wisdom in being a person of Integrity and truthfulness below are a few: ·The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3 ·Truthfulness endures forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Proverbs 12:19 Righteous lips are the delight of the king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. Proverbs 16:13 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:14-15. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart. 1 Peter 1:22 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth. 3 John 1:4 As Christian leaders being a person of Integrity and truthfulness is imperative. It’s foundational to our Christian character. We can’t be healthy leaders if we dibble and dabble in deception. Deception destroys trust, relationships, people, organizations, and churches. We must also be mindful that believers are indwelt with the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives us discernment, the ability to know right from wrong and the ability to tell the Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and his role is to guide us into all truth. When we tell the truth, people can discern that it is the truth, and this builds trust. This is why it is essential to practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading scripture, silence, solitude, and being in a community with other believers because they help us to become more sensitive to the leading, the warnings, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit; they help us to become more discerning in what’s true and what is deception. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:4 to “Watch out that no one deceives you.” I believe this doesn’t just include other people; as Christian leaders, we must be careful not to deceive ourselves. This is also why as leaders, we need Nathans (2 Samuel 7:2, 1 Chronicles 17:1. in our lives who are wise advisors (Prov. 11:14) and mental health professionals to help us see our blind spots. Simon says that the Colonel shared with him that Integrity and truthfulness are a matter of life and death as a Marine because when a leader gives information, we need to know that when they say something, good or bad, it is the truth. If another Marine can’t trust what is said, then they can’t trust them with their lives when they are out in the field. As Christian leaders, we, too, are in a battle. We are on a battlefield fighting for the souls of the unsaved and for the spiritual maturity of the saved. When we make Integrity and truthfulness the bedrock of our character, we are used by the power of the Holy Spirit to save lives. Leadership requires that we are purveyors of information. We are proclaiming the Good News that leads to life! There is no greater salvation than eternal life. If we practice deception, we could cause our faith to become unattractive, and then we become the justification for why someone says, “I do not believe in Christ because that faith doesn’t work.” Or we could cause people to leave the institutional church, which disconnects them from a community that helps them to grow into spiritually mature believers or worse, they could walk away from God. As leaders, we must take being leaders of Integrity and truthfulness seriously because it is a matter of life and death for ourselves and for those we lead. Choose life! Choose Integrity; choose honesty! Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3 Don't forget to share this blog with others and our Resources - Video and Books Page