By: Julianna I was leaning back in a booth at Panera the other day, waiting to have dinner with a friend at church. I had my Bible out on the table and was pouring over 1 Peter when I saw them: three girls chatting happily, indistinguishable from any other college-age girls besides their black and silver hijabs, draped gracefully around their faces. I watched out of the corner of my eye as they ordered their food, met up with another friend, and settled down at another booth around the corner. I should go talk to them, I thought. Or was it the Spirit urging? It was one of those moments when every obstacle real or imagined comes flooding into your mind. I’m too tired. I’m reading my Bible. My friend is about to come. Whatever am I supposed to say? After a few moments of arguing with myself, I got up, put on my mask, and walked over. Of course, half of the challenge of meeting new people is overcome by simply smiling at them. But I couldn’t because I had a mask. But not wanting to offend them either, I pulled off my mask from one ear and left it dangling … I suppose to be able to smile at them while also showing them that I didn’t want to get them sick! We chatted about life. They were native Coloradans, as am I. Two of them were going to school for biology. I never had a chance to mention the Lord, which I regret, although they did later come up to me and thank me for starting up a conversation. Though I’m still not sure why the Lord wanted me to talk to those Muslim girls that day, the experience reminded me how crucial it is that I remain constantly available to the Lord. While I’m thankful I listened to his prompting, how many times have I missed opportunities because either my busyness or fear kept me from being truly available? You know God is trying to teach you a lesson when it shows up everywhere. My little devotional from MacArthur I read each morning asked me that very question: Are you available to the Lord? A sermon my sisters and I listened to while making breakfast challenged me: Am I willing to leave anything to serve Him, to be available whenever, wherever He sends? Then, a friend shared with me how ministry often means your job description is simply “Available to the Lord.” All when the world clamors for important-sounding titles and life ambitions. But often, the work to which God calls us does not fit into their neat little box. How can a stay-at-home mom describe the hundred ways she daily ministers to her husband and children simply by making herself available? Nor is that same kind of availability limited to moms. Local churches need servants willing to pick up and help a single mom move, meet with a troubled teenage girl, or bring a meal to a family with a new baby. As Rosaria Butterfield puts it in The Gospel Comes with a House Key, serving (particularly in the context of hospitality) requires the beautiful balance of both organization and availability, planning and flexibility: “The list making and grocery shopping make me small, meager, messy. It ties me to home and hearth and budget keeping. This busy preparation for table fellowship that comes daily, and where Jesus lays his head, requires 50 percent prayer, 40 percent organization, and 10 percent hutzpah.” In other words, being available to the Lord—whether it be through the ministry of hospitality or anything else—isn’t merely a mystical, spiritual heart-thing. Yes, the key to remaining available with the Lord is to nurture a sensitive heart for his leading–and then obey when he does lead! But more practically, availability requires me to both hold my schedule with an open hand and be willing to schedule in serving others. There are days I need to surrender my untouched to-do-lists when I simply need to be available to serve. And there are days when I need to make a to-do-list to ensure that service actually happens. But in the end, the heart must be obedience flowing out of a gospel-saturated life ready to serve whoever God brings my way—my family, my church body, my neighbors, or even random girls wearing hijabs sitting in a Panera! This post originally appeared on Julianna's blog, Whole Hearted (which you can find here). You can find this specific post by going to https://juliannawrites.blog/2021/03/23/hijabs-in-panera-a-journey-of-learning-to-be-available-to-the-lord/. I'd love to hear from you! What are some ways you can be available to help serve others in your life for Christ? Tell me in the comments below!
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By: Guest blogger ~ Hilary Osborne Hey y'all! I'm so excited to have a guest blog by Hilary Osborne today! Last Sunday, I heard her give this testimony at the church I go to, and the truths God shared through this testimony got me thinking about my own doubts about my salvation and the truth He has showed me in His Word. (If you're struggling with this, check out Romans 5!) Below are the notes from Mrs. Osborne's testimony, and at the bottom of the post, you can listen to/watch her share it during the service! Thanks so much! - Chris V P.S.- For legal reasons, the lyrics to "Magnificent Obsession" by Steven Curtis Chapman couldn't be posted, however, the post has a link to a site that has the lyrics on it. Check out the first, second, fifth, and sixth paragraph in the song to read some of the words! This is not a testimony about my salvation, but you could term it as a renewal of sorts. Here’s why:
If you want the easy route, don’t pray this.
I. Was. Terrified. that God would cut me off at any time.
I felt so betrayed by my heavenly Father and thought I was losing my mind.
For the next 15 years, I questioned my salvation. I wondered if I would make it to Glory. And I couldn’t stop wondering if God even loved me.
What did I learn from all this?
One final note:
I want to finish with Psalm 34:1-10: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Check out the video below to hear/watch Hilary Osborne's testimony! [Start time: 27:52; End time: 38:56]. (Also, feel free to watch the whole service, which was about the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4!) I'd love to hear from you! What aresome questions that you have struggled with about your faith and salvation? What has God taught you about it? (If you are still struggling with those questions, ask a saved parent, grandparent, pastor, or youth leader about it!) Tell me in the comments below!
By: chris V One relevant and difficult topic seen all over the world and media today is the topic of submission. There's so many voices telling us whether to obey or to rebel against the authorities God has placed over our lives: our parents, guardians, government, pastors, and even our own God! Thankfully, the Bible is clear on the topic of submission and is full of verses about submission as Christians. Check out five of them below! (Also, be sure to check out the sermon linked at the bottom of the blog post! My pastor preached on Romans 12-14 on submission, and I'd love for you guys to get a chance to listen to what God put on his heart to share!) 1. James 4:7"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you". 2. 1 Peter 5:5"In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble”. 3. Ephesians 5: 20-21"...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ". 4. Hebrews 13:17"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you". 5. Romans 13:1-2"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment". To Submit or Not To Submit? I'm going to be honest here: Submission sometimes isn't the easiest thing! Denying what YOU want and obeying what someone else says definitely is a struggle. But, like seen in Romans 13:1- "...For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God". Whoever that authority is, whether it be a parent, teacher, or government leader, God put them there in that position of authority. When you obey that person in authority, you're ultimately obeying God. However, there are also some times to disobey authorities and instead to chose to obey God. Usually, these situations are when an authority asks you to do something that goes against God's Word, resulting in either choosing to follow the authority or what God says. A few examples of this in the Bible are found in Daniel 3, Daniel 6, and Acts 5. I highly encourage you to check these stories out! Ultimately, as Christians, we should strive to obey God and His Will in our everyday lives (Luke 11:28, John 14:15, Acts 5:29). What are ways you can obey and submit to God today?
Check out a recent sermon on submission in today's context here: youtu.be/II2vbPeHMxc. I'd love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite Bible verses on submission? Share them in the comments section below! |
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