Encouraging Others - Week Eight

Essential Four

 

(THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: READ CHAPTER EIGHT IN YOUR BOOK,

STUDY IT, & SHARE YOUR GLEANINGS!)

"The aged women likewise, that they be...teachers of good things..." Titus 2:3

"Here are two words of advice for women who desire to be godly. First of all, encouraging younger women is one of God's high callings upon your life. And we need to heed His calling. Each of us should be teaching and encouraging someone who is younger! Second, you should be learning from those who are older. Through all the ages and stages of life, God lovingly surrounds us with those who have gone before us. Someone will be available to help you."

 

Hello dear Friends! How is your time of learning and growing in God's Word? I hope and pray that you are learning much and growing ever closer to our dear Lord and Savior!

This week I thought I would share with you all one of my favorite ways to encourage others. In Colossians 3:16 we are told: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

I recently discovered deeper meaning to this verse when I realized we are to use the Psalms to encourage another in the Lord. I personally love the Psalms, and what a great way to lift up another's spirit and point them to the Lord!

After all ...the word of God is quick, and powerful... (Hebrews 4:12). Sharing portions of Scripture with others is sure to encourage and uplift! You may never know how the Lord might use a simple verse to cheer and inspire someone when they needed it most. :)

Here are some photos of "Verse Cards" (as I like to call them). They are made with decorative cardstock paper and various embellishments, like paper clips, fun yarn, stickers, etc. Then I write a Bible verse on them (or two) and send them on their way to someone's mailbox. :) The cards shown below all have the theme of Prayer. You could make these simply by using index cards and a few stickers. :)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a younger woman, I have always read the passage in Titus 2 thinking of myself as the "younger women". But the Lord has since shown me that there are always girls younger than me, and that I am an "older woman" to them (so to speak :). This has really been an eye opener for me and since I have tried to be sure to encourage girls younger than myself and to set a godly example for them to follow. Can you think of someone younger than you who you could encourage TODAY?

 

Another verse that comes to my mind is 1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." We are to encourage those older than us too. After all, we are all part of the Body of Christ. Let's not forget to cheer on those older and more mature than us as well, in a spirit of humility.

 

"Therefore, my beloved (SISTERS), be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Sending a Smile & Hug,

Nicole

Encouraging Others - Week Seven

Essential Four

(THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: READ CHAPTER SEVEN IN YOUR BOOK,

STUDY IT, & SHARE YOUR GLEANINGS!)

 

 

"The aged women likewise, that they be...teachers of good things..." Titus 2:3

"We tend to think of encouragement as meaning to build up or

cheer up another person so that they feel better. However,

God's word for encouragement means training, disciplining, and

 helping others by helping them to be sober-minded...so that they live better."

 

 

 

Hello dear Friends! I hope your time of study this past week has been inspiring, thought-provoking, and life-changing! :) If you're anything like me, you probably know of a few areas in your life in dire need of some discipline. :) This printable calendar is great for working on establishing discipline in your life and mine. Simply choose three specific things that you would like to form as a habit  and do them every day (for 100 days!). At the end of it, these areas should be firmly rooted in your life. :) 

 

I really liked the point about cultivating a regular quiet time with the Lord. So often in life it can be easy to let this all-important time fall to the back burner. Unfortunately, this is so often true in my life. But if we are desiring to be godly women, this time is so vital to our spiritual life and physical one as well. May each of us MAKE time each day to spend with our Lord Jesus! This is how we will truly grow - not by our own working, or our list of to-dos, but by the powerful working of His Spirit.

 

My definition of Self-Control: "Saying NO to your flesh & YES to the Lord Jesus!"

 

I'm looking forward to this week's new essential - Encouraging Others! I'm hoping to gain some new ideas and helpful hints on how to better carry this out in my life. *Note* At the end of Week Eight and before we start Essential 5, we're going to have a "catch-up" week. This will allow those of you (myself included!) who have either started late or are falling behind, sometime to catch up with the more disciplined who are still right on schedule :)

 

May you make time each day this week to spend with our Lord!

 

Love & Prayers, Nicole

Personal Discipline - Week Six

Essential Three

(THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: READ CHAPTER SIX IN YOUR BOOK,

STUDY IT, & SHARE YOUR GLEANINGS!)

"The aged women likewise, that they be...not given to much wine..." Titus 2:3

"Personal discipline can be as simple as the two-letter word NO!
Christ didn't say, 'Indulge yourself'.
Instead He said, 'Deny yourself (Matthew 16:24). So, just say NO!"

Hello dear sisters-in-Christ! Who has been enjoying studying about 'personal discipline'? *raising my hand!* I'm running a little behind in this week study but will hopefully be caught up by the end of this week. :) How is everyone else doing on staying on track? Are we ready for a catch up week or is everyone doing good? :)

I listened to this GREAT sermon yesterday on the subject of self-control. It was REALLY good and fit this week's essential perfectly! If you can find the time to listen/watch it, I would highly recommend it! :)

Click here to listen: The Prize Fighter: A Study in Self-Control.

Here's some important points from the sermon on how to perform self-control in our lives:

"First, "I" (Self) must be controlled, submitted, subjected to the Lordship

of Jesus Christ, the Rule of the Spirit of God, and the Authority of the Word

of Scripture. Then, it is no longer "I" (Self) who lives (controls the Body)

but Christ who lives within the Body. Thusly, "I" is now in its proper position (crucified yet alive - denied and yet yielded) to behave as it ought. It is now able to exert the authority of Jesus Christ over the body, its impulses,

its weaknesses, and its fleshly longings. Self in now controlled by Jesus

in order to now control the Body as it ought." ~Eric Ludy

I thought that was really good and such an important truth! How many times have "I" tried to bring my own body into submission and discipline and control "myself"? Submitting ourselves to Christ is the ONLY way to have victory in our lives! What does Galatians 5:22-23 say? "...the fruit of the Spirit is...self-control..."ESV. It's through His Spirit working in us and not a working of ourselves, that we can have victory! :)

 

"O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood."
 

Keep pressing heavenward and seeking His face!

Love & Prayers, Nicole

Personal Discipline - Week Five

Essential Three

(THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: READ CHAPTER FIVE IN YOUR BOOK,

STUDY IT, & SHARE YOUR GLEANINGS!)

"The aged women likewise, that they be...not given to much wine..." Titus 2:3

"It has been well said that the future is with the disciplines,
and that quality has been placed first...for without it the other gifts,
however great, will never realize their maximum potential. Only the disciplined person will rise to his highest powers." ~J. Oswald Sanders

Hello dear sisters-in-Christ! Wow, it's hard to believe we're onto our fifth week already. I'm looking forward to studying about our third essential to living a godly lifestyle - personal discipline. I'm sure I'll have lots to work on after this week's study. :)

Here's some quick thoughts from last week's study on godly speech. I enjoyed copying all those scriptures on wisdom & kindness. Thought it was interesting to note that both these things (wisdom & kindness) come from the Lord. I think that's the key to having godly speech. We'll never be able to achieve it on our own strength, only through Christ in us.

I think the only way to gain control over the words we say is to be filled with Christ. Before our words are ever spoken they are first thoughts. This is why it is so important to take every thought captive to Christ. "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2 Corinthians 10:5

Instead of praying for God to give us kind words, we should pray to be filled with Him. In our hearts are focused and filled with God-who is love, kind words will simply be an overflow of His working inside our hearts. Christ has given us the power to live a godly life but this is only possible as we yield up ourselves in exchange for life in Christ.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

All to Jesus I surrender, Lord I give myself to Thee,

Fill me with Thy love & power, Let Thy blessing fall on me.

 

May your week be blessed as you seek Him with all your heart!

 

Love, Nicole

Godly Speech - Week Four

Essential Two

(THIS WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT: READ CHAPTER FOUR IN YOUR BOOK,

STUDY IT, & SHARE YOUR GLEANINGS!)

"The aged women likewise, that they be...not false accusers..." Titus 2:3

Hello dear sisters-in-Christ! Sorry this post is a little later than usual. My family and I are in the process of "deep" cleaning our bedrooms. The last two days my bedroom as been more of a wreck than it clean but after staying up a little later last night things are looking up! :) I love the feeling of having a clean room. Our God is a God of order and cleanliness and the simplicity of no clutter leaves me feeling free to focus more on my Lord and Savior and spending time with Him.

So how did your week of study go? I find I prefer the more positive study than negative but I did learn new and sobering truths. I thought the fact about false accusers being the same Greek word for "devil" quite sobering. Definitely causes me to want to avoid slandering at all cost! I certainly don't want my words to be words of the devil.

I thought this passage in Ephesians quite interesting in light of our study this week. The last verse "neither give place to the devil" is the same word in our study - "diabolos".

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:22-27

 

Praying for you as you seek to put off the conversation of our old man, and that you will be renewed in your mind, focusing on the Lord & filling your heart with things of the Lord! I'm looking forward to this week's study and seeing how to practically apply this to my life.

 

Love in Christ, Nicole

 

Food for thought:

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45