Small Groups

Sunday nights, we have started small groups for our students. I am blessed to a be a part of the High School Girls small group. Each group is studying Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan. It is all about how this amazing God loves us and our response to that love. We have 30+ girls each night for hanging out, eating, and most of all good discussion and Bible study.

How awesome to hear girls talk about their stuggles and how they have been they have been praying for their friends. Even how they can talk to the classmates about the gospel



Can you say amazing?

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This Melts My Heart

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One of My Favorite Hymns

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me

To look on Him and pardon me
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!
Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God

With Christ, my Savior and my God




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Blog Challenge Day 2

Day's 2 Challenge is to describe the meaning behind your blog name.

 

Living Joyfully really is pretty simple. I know that God has created people to find their true joy in him. I know that I have a personal relationship with the King of the Universe who invites me to communicate with him at all times. How can we not be joyful? Living Joyfully, I think, is a choice we have to make to find joy in our lives.

 

Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord.

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How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measureThat He should give His only SonTo make a wretch His treasureHow great the pain of searing loss,The Father turns His face awayAs wounds which mar the chosen One,Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,My sin upon His shouldersAshamed I hear my mocking voice,Call out among the scoffersIt was my sin that held Him thereUntil it was accomplishedHis dying breath has brought me lifeI know that it is finished

I will not boast in anythingNo gifts, no power, no wisdomBut I will boast in Jesus ChristHis death and resurrectionWhy should I gain from His reward?I cannot give an answerBut this I know with all my heartHis wounds have paid my ransom




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Studying Ephesians

On Monday nights, I host a Bible Study at my house for about 7-8 girls in the youth group. We meet for food, fellowship, and of course diving in the Word. I chose Ephesians to study because it is one of my favorite books of the Bible.

We have spent the last three weeks studying the first chapter. I used many resources to study this book but my favorite has been John MacArthur's commentary on Ephesians. It's been a great time in my spiritual life to look closely at Paul's letter. I feel it is important to look closely at scripture in it's context to really discern how to practically apply it to our lives. I think the girls are getting truths out of the lessons also.

The most important thing is that you read the Word of God. What encourages me about scripture is that God reveals truths in scriptures even if we have read them hundreds of times. That's why God describes His Word as living and breathing.

What are you studying in the Bible?

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2009

It is officially 2009 (which I am sure that you already knew that)! This year I want to go through Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. It is 730 devotionals for (get this) the Morning and Evening!

This evening's reading had a great quote. "We will be glad and rejoice in You. We will not open the gates of the year to the sorrowful notes of the organ, but to the sweet strains of the harp of joy and the high-sounding cymbals of gladness."

I hope that you all are excited to start this new year. Last Sunday the Pastor (who happens to be my hubbie) spoke on how easily we break New Year's Resolutions. But when we make commitments to God we are more likely to do them because we rely on God. What are you going to commit to? I am still working on my commitments and maybe I will share those later.

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Where is Your Joy?

On Monday nights, I have about 8 girls that come to hang out and spend time in the word at our house. We are learning about joy in the Christian life. We are going through John Piper's The Blazing Center . Each night we talk about the homework we had during the week which was answering 10 questions that will get us thinking about the lesson. We then watch the DVD session. And then we discuss the topic more.

Our main topic is where is our joy. I think in many people think that Christian life is a life without happiness, pleasure, joyfulness. But God wants us to be happy and find joy in life, when we find joy in Him. This study is based on John Piper's book Desiring God. It's been a refreshing time in my life preparing for this study because I know that God wants me to be happy, joyful, satisfied, in HIM, the only thing that can eternally satisfy me! Where do you find your joy?

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Contentment

I am going through Lydia Brownback's book Contentment: A Godly Woman's Adornment (On-the-Go Devotionals). It is all about where you find your contentment. This book has 2-3 page devotion and deals with struggles that are relevant to women today. You can read a review of the book on Discerning Reader. I definitely think you should get it!

Being content is something that I have struggled with probably since I was sixteen, being content with what God has given me. I have always felt that if I did this, or had that then I would be happier. Right now, I want to be a great wife, cook, keep the house clean, make sure I am spending time in the word, getting my homework for class done, being a Pastor's wife, being involved in church, being a new nurse, etc. I want so much to be good at all of those things!

But I can say that God has been faithfully teaching me to know that God has me where He wants, in HIS time. Do you struggle with being content?

"Now there is a great gain in godliness with contentment."

1 Timothy 6:6

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Getting More Out of Sermons

I have been convicted about the application of sermons I hear on a weekly basis. It is so easy to get convicted from a sermon and then forget it the next day. I was reading through Thabiti Anyabwile's book What Is a Healthy Church Member? about what it means to really listen to preaching and apply it in our lives. My new resolution is to apply what I hear on Sundays. My wonderful husband is going to preach through 1 Corinthians in the morning services and Exodus through the evening services. My goal is to take notes during the service and throughout the week I will look at the notes and study them. I also can prepare for next week by looking ahead. Thabiti mentions that you can even ask your pastor what text he will be using next week. I am sure Joe would be thrilled if someone did that! I wholly suggest getting his book if you want to know more.

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