(Photo Credit)
Let me say that listening in live and participating in the chat of today's episode of "CFYC Espresso!" was not only encouraging and uplifting, it was also a ton of fun! Erynn Sprouse interviewed Mrs. Cindy Colley about the Bible study method that inspired the Facebook group "Digging Deep in God's Word." Cindy talked about the Bible study method, the Facebook group and answered questions from the chat room. I feel like I'm rambling here, but I'm just so excited about the Bible study method she's come up with, how fast the Facebook group has grown, being able to listen live and participate in the podcast! I love it!
The actual podcast was very encouraging, but so was the chat that was going on while the podcast was being recorded! One of the questions I asked was how would Cindy suggest one to get started writing and speaking. Some of the ladies in the chat room were like "Great question!" I mentioned that writing/speaking is a goal of mine, and then BAM! some of the ladies were encouraging me, saying that they could see me speaking and suggesting ways to get your writing out. It was great! A little bit of encouragement goes a LONG way! Thank you so much ladies!
I want to share a quote from Cindy today:
"Okay, it's just a promise from me. If you do this study for a whole year, you will never again say, 'I don't know how to study the Bible. I just don't know where to start,' because you will have so many unanswered questions; and God has the answers. He has all of the answers for all the issues of life in His book."
If you aren't reading Come Fill Your Cup or Bless Your Heart you are missing out on much encouragement and blessings, so go read them :-)
My friend Amy asked for feedback about PTP on her blog. My comment was long enough for a blog post so I decided to post it here! For Amy's blog go here :-)
Oh wow! There are sooooo many wonderful things about PTP!
1) Ok, so I might be playing favorites here, but I really loved the Modesty Fashion Show! Show girls and ladies that you can be modest without wearing a burlap sack is needed! On top of it all, every item (minus the wedding dress) featured was originally immodest but was made modest by adding another piece(s) of clothing! You can buy things in the store that are cute and still be modest! Ok, enough ranting on that
2) The variety of lessons/topics to choose from! Cindy Colley is one of my favorite speakers and I was able to hear her multiple times! There are just so many great lessons! The one that had the most impact on me this week was “Prayer: What to Do When God Says No” presented by Gary Hampton. Let’s just say that lesson had PERFECT timing for me personally.
3) The singing! Like you said, Mrs. Amy, when 1000 plus brothers and sisters sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” that Sunday morning, I was moved to tears! A little glimpse of what Heaven will be like.
4) The fellowship! My family wasn’t able to go this year, so I roomed with friends I met last year at PTP (it was me and 2 other families in a room)! I was able to see both families at Roundhouse last year and one of the families only lives about 2 hours away so I see them every once in a while. But I couldn’t help think throughout the week, “A year ago I didn’t know these people. Now they’re some of my closest friends!” I also couldn’t help thinking how thankful I am for Facebook because it makes it easy to keep up with all the friends I’ve made at PTP!
I agree with Kathy, PTP is like church camp! Late nights, laughter, friends, and all! You just dress a bit nicer and have the luxury of a hotel staff
PS. Could ya'll keep my brother, Rodge, in yall's prayers? He's been sick off and on all summer and tonight we found out that he has mono. He's also in his first few weeks of preaching school. The people there are very understanding of this kind of thing. We're so thankful for that and the fact that we finally know why he's been sick so much.
Tonight, my family and I were watching "The Biggest Loser" together on NBC. We were all kinda doing our own thing while watching it. I was playing with my puppy, Rodge was on his laptop, my mom and dad had gone to tuck Grayson and Gavin into bed, and this commercial came on...
I was astounded. I know that NBC is friendly to the pro-homosexual agenda, but I have NEVER seen it so blatantly displayed on a commercial. On a television show, it's a little different. You're choosing to watch that show, know the contents. It doesn't make it any more "right." I'm not saying that at all. But a commercial? The show we were watching is generally a good show (in seasons in the past we have had to flip the channel, but I don't remember having that problem this season) and wasn't pushing that "agenda."
Should we treat homosexual people badly? No! Honestly, Christians should be treating them kindly, because we are Christians! What kind of picture of Christ would we be presenting if we acted harshly towards homosexual people? Am I saying that we should condone their lifestyle? No! But think about it for a second. When a parent disciplines a child, is that parent being loving or hateful? The parent is being loving! Even though it might not seem loving on the "outside" the parent is doing the best thing for that child.
But what I think doesn't really matter. What really matters is what God says in the Bible...
Romans 1:18-31
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in thesinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
I Corinthians 6: 9-11
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sexwith men[a]10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
John 8:1-11
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.Now what do you say?”6 They were using this question as a trap,in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stoneat her.”8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Notice the last verse of this passage. Read it again and think about it for a moment. First Jesus did the loving thing; He didn't condemn her. He didn't say, "Woman, you're not even fit to be called a woman! You're a filthy pig! They caught you in the act of your sin! You aren't fit to be in My presence! I am sinless and don't want to be tainted by you. Leave now!!!!" No! He was loving, and kind. Like a loving father would be to a child who has disobeyed. He hated the sin but loved the sinner.
I Peter 3:15
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
It's obvious from these verses that God views sexual immorality as sin. It is also obvious that no one is without sin. Does that mean that we should let sin slide right in front of us, without saying anything to the friend who is sinning? No! That would be the most unloving thing that we could do! Because, if the sin isn't repented of, that person will not inherit the kingdom of God. It's that simple. And honestly, that's the most unloving thing that we could do for that person.
One more thing to think about. We are all sinners. Christ died for all of us. No sin is too big for Him to erase. We as Christians, need to examine ourselves. Is there an on going sin that we need to get rid of? If someone comes to you and points out an area of sin, or an area where we could use growth, are we thankful for that being pointed out?
I am not a perfect person. I need to work on being kind and having a kind attitude towards people who are "open" about sexual sin. Just wanted to share what I was thinking about tonight...
From what I know from scripture, I'm convinced that if we live a life of continual sin (no matter what the sin is), it doesn't get better.
PS. Here are a few more verses pertaining to sexual immorality
Leviticus 20:10
Matthew 5:32
Matthew 15:19
Matthew 19:9
Mark 7:21
John 8:41
Acts 15:20
Acts 21:25
Romans 13:3
I Corinthians 5
I Corinthians 6:9-20
I Corinthians 7:1-3
I Corinthians 10:8
I Corinthians 5:19-21
Ephesians 5:3
Colossians 3:5
