In Pursuit of Wisdom

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We had a tremendous meeting last week. We look forward to being together in August with Thelma Wells. Make your reservations now for Aug 25 at http://www.roaringlambsministries.org.

Devotional:John Bunyan had only a few years of formal education, yet he penned the timeless classic Pilgrim’s Progress in 1666, a book which is still widely read today. Bunyan wrote this masterpiece from his prison cell – imprisoned in England for preaching the gospel without a license. How is it possible that this man of humble beginnings and very sparse education could write such a profound work? My answer in one word would be Wisdom. Wisdom goes beyond what we simply learn it books. It is a profound insight and deeper understanding into matters of life. Discernment, good judgment and prudence are encompassed in wisdom.
The Bible says that wisdom comes from God and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Solomon said “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” I’m not saying we should ever neglect intellectual pursuits and education, but I am saying we begin our pursuit with a humble recognition of our source of wisdom. The foundation of wisdom begins by acknowledging God as our creator and Father. The opposite of wisdom is obviously foolishness. The fool says in his heart there is no God.
God’s word encourages us to pursuit wisdom. We are also told to ask for wisdom. In the book of James we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Isn’t it easy to go about our day, doing things our own way and going our own direction? Yet the voice of wisdom calls out. God is saying, “Draw near my child and listen to my voice. I will lead you. I will guide you. I am the God of all wisdom and I invite you to come to me.”
As a parent, we must seek God’s wisdom in matters of discipline and raising our kids. A business person would do well to seek God’s wisdom and direction as he or she faces decisions at work. As a writer, I recognize my need for God’s help and guidance to lead me along the path I am to go and to encourage others as well.
Let’s take time right now to seek God and ask for His wisdom to direct our lives. Oh Lord, we are open to you. We desire you. We love you. We need you. We ask for wisdom to live our daily lives and honor you in what we say and do.
This week talk with your kids about wisdom and how it goes beyond what we read in books. Wisdom extends into how we live life with discernment and prudence. Start each day by reading several proverbs from the Bible, and then be on the lookout for ways you all can implement the truth that you learn. Memorize Proverbs 2:6 together. This week especially be aware of when your child does something or says something wise. Take the opportunity to notice it and point out their wise actions or words. Each night as you tuck your kids in bed, pray with them thanking God for the wisdom He gives and then pray for wisdom for tomorrow.
Watch my interview with my daughter at http://www.webtv4women.tv

Precious Child

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Hello PWC friends! We are looking forward to a great lesson this week from Elaine Morris. See you at 12 at Chamberlains Steak and Chop House on Tuesday. Call Roaring Lambs office to make reservations (972-380-0123) or email Donna at dskell@roaringlambsministries.org.

Heres a message from God’s word to bring you encouragement for this week:
Thomas Watson (17th century English preacher and author) wrote, “The name Jehovah carries majesty in it; the name Father carries mercy in it.”

It is an amazing thought to me that the Sovereign God, the High King of Heaven calls us His children. As believers in Christ we are His beloved children. John put it this way, “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are!” I John 3:1

The apostle Paul reminded believers, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:14 – 16

What a glorious privilege to call God our Abba Father, which is a tender term like “daddy.” It means we are loved. We are forgiven. We are free to go before His throne and pour out our hearts to Him. Psalm 103 reminds us, “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion toward those who fear him.”

My friend, I don’t know what your life is like right now, but I do know if you are a follower of Christ, you have a Heavenly Father who tenderly and dearly loves you. Enjoy the blessing of being a part of His family and the strength that comes from knowing you are passionately loved by Him. If you have never taken that step of faith in Jesus, I hope you will recognize God’s loving arms open wide ready to welcome all who believe. Out of God’s great love for us, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. He rose again giving promise of eternal life to those who believe.

Just as the father ran and embraced the repentant son in the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son, so our Heavenly Father runs to us with arms open wide. His embrace is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in love.
Don’t forget to visit my show at http://www.webtv4women.tv

Hope in Troubled Times

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I’m so excited about our July meeting for Positive Woman Connection. Our speaker is my friend Elaine Morris. She is an executive coach and will be sharing with us on the topic of Managing our Emotions. You won’t want to miss this tremendous meeting. PWC will be at Chamberlains Restaurant, 5330 Belt Line road in North Dallas. It starts at 12:00. Cost is $15. See you soon!

July 20
Hope is a powerful word, especially in these troubled times. Often we use the word so flippantly: “I hope you have a good day.” “I hope the shoes I want are on sale.” “I hope you feel better.” For the Christian, hope is much more than simply wishful thinking. We know that God is a God of hope. We have Christ within us, the hope of glory. The definition of “Faith” is being sure of what we Hope for and certain of the things we do not see. If we do not have hope we can become consumed with fear, despair and anger.

The weeping prophet Jeremiah spoke often about hope. Hope shines most brightly in times of difficulty and we see this clearly with Jeremiah. Listen to his lamenting:

Lamentations 3
17 “Peace has been stripped away,
and I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 I cry out, ‘My splendor is gone!
Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!’
19 “The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.”
Certainly Jeremiah is down and out. Perhaps you can relate to his words of grief in your own life right now, or perhaps you will. We all go through low points, difficulties and yes sometimes tragedies. But what I love about Jeremiah is that he was honest about his grief, but then he always turned to hope. He continues,

21 “Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
My friend, let us remember the faithful love of the Lord everyday. Because He loves us, He will care for us. He will not leave us. Reflect on His mercies which are new every morning. Maintain hope one day at a time. Dwell on God’s great love for you and remember that He is a God of hope and can redeem any situation. Don’t place your hope in circumstances or people. Hope in the Lord!

You can also hear me share this message on my show Fresh Start at webtv4women.tv

Live a Grateful Life

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You’ve heard it said, “Freedom isn’t free at all.” Certainly freedom is valuable and costly. Our men and women in the military are familiar with this quote, and I do hope all of us recognize the high price of liberty. Without a doubt – freedom is a precious gift. As Christians, we too know that our freedom was bought for a price. God gave His only Son so that we may experience freedom from the power of sin and death.
Now if you were a prisoner in a foreign land and someone bought your freedom, wouldn’t you overflow with gratitude toward that person? When is the last time you thanked God for the price He paid for your freedom? What if we decided that every single day we were going to take time to thank God for the freedom, forgiveness and blessings we so richly enjoy, but so obviously don’t deserve? Honestly – we would be different people.
If we decided to live everyday in gratitude for the price Jesus paid for us – we truly would be different. For one thing we would freely love and forgive other people – of big offenses and small ones. We would forgive because we are grateful for being forgiven. Think about what that would do to the relationships you have right now!
If we truly valued the price Jesus paid for us on the cross, we would also recognize how precious and loved we are in God’s eyes. The apostle Paul put it this way in his letter to the Colossians “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved…” Do you see yourself as holy and dearly loved by God? God paid a high price for you – you are his precious child and a partaker of His grace!
So let us live in gratitude for what God has done and the high price He has paid to set us free! I want to encourage you to start each day thanking God for the wonderful gift of being a part of His family, bought with a price, holy and dearly loved. Never take freedom lightly!
Can you imagine what the world would look like if Christians lived every day in gratitude for the precious and priceless gift we have received through Christ? Let’s allow Christ’s light to shine brightly through us living as grateful people – forgiven people – hope-filled people!

Freedom in Christ

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True Freedom
19th century English novelist and politician, Lord Lytton said “Personal liberty is the paramount essential to human dignity and human happiness.” Certainly freedom is a privilege and a blessing. I hope you enjoyed a wonderful 4th of July celebration this past weekend as we recognize the glorious freedoms we so richly enjoy in this nation.

Jesus spoke about a freedom each one of us can experience no matter where we live. He told of a freedom from the tyranny of the sin which enslaves us. You see each of us has a sin nature. Take it from me – the typical good little girl – I know that I sin and fall short of God’s glory and holiness.

But God loves us so much He sent Jesus to offer his life, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Here’s what Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:34 – 36)

Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sin. Those who believe in Him are set free from the power sin has over our lives. We stand clean and forgiven before God. It doesn’t mean we will never sin again, but it does mean God forgives us and gives us the power to turn from sin in our lives.

I want to encourage to get to know this God who frees you. If the Son has set you free, you are indeed free. God wants us to experience freedom, true freedom, a freedom which can never be taken from you. If you want to talk with someone in person about the freedom only Christ can bring call 1-888-NEED-Him.

Be sure to mark your calendars for July 28. Elaine Morris will be our teacher. 12:00 at Chamberlains.