Don't know what to say?

Don't know how to bring Christ into your conversation? I know that personally it's difficult for me to think of a way to share my faith with someone who is lost in an everyday conversation. Here are some great questions to ask someone to get that conversation rolling! (: As you ask people these questions, just kind of nod and "uhuh" all of their responses.

- Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs?
- To you, who is Jesus?
- Do you think there is a Heaven and a Hell?
- If you died tonight, where do you think you would go?
- If what you are believing is wrong, would you want me to tell you the truth?

Some people may say "no" to the last question. If so, just say "okay." Trust me, they won't want to be kept in suspense if you know something they don't. Usually they will change their mind! (:
So there are just a few easy pointers to help you step out and share your faith. Don't be afraid, you have Christ on your side! (:

1 Peter 3:15-17
But in your hearts set apart 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.


In His Love,
Jessica

Homeless

As I am writing this post I'm sitting in the car on a road trip. I just walked out of a gas station; there was a homeless man needing help outside. My heart immediately stopped and I was instantly overcome with a feeling of sadness. "How did this beautiful old man end up like this?" I wondered. God touched me about him in a way I can't explain. When I looked at his face I couldn't help but sadly smile. While we were in the gas station I didn't leave the window, staring at him. I stretched out my arm and started just praying for him. I didn't really know what to pray other than, "bless this man, O God. " However, I just felt a strong urge to pray for him. Honestly? I haven't stopped praying for that man. I was trying to think what I could to to help him. My mom had the idea to give him a sandwich. I was so happy she had thought of that. As we gave him the sandwich he smiled and thanked my mom and eagerly bit into his new meal. That broke my heart. He was overjoyed and SO eager just for food!

We take stuff for granted so often. We selfishly think of our own needs instead of thinking about the millions of others in the world just waiting for their next meal. Why do we think all about ourselves? Worrying about selfish purposes is just so selfish!! Did you know that selfishness/worrying REEKS of arrogance?
My mind is so opened and grateful for all the little things God has given me. I challenge y'all to reach out to someone today. Someone who is fighting to find just the little things in life.
Sure it's hard and out of our comfort zone, but that's what life is about right?

I am praying for y'all! :)
Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

{a quick word}

I just wanted to give you a word of encouragement for today. I am praying for you! I hope you have a wonderful day. Remember that you have a Savior who really, truly loves you. You can turn to Him any time. If you are feeling down and need a friend, please shoot one of us an email. We would love to talk to you. You can do it. Christ is with you!

In Him,
Becky

Surpassing Love

Ephesians 3:17-19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Future Glory: Romans 8:18

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

--Romans 8:18-19

Every suffering gives a glimpse of how great our joy and glory will be in Heaven. The glory revealed in Heaven will be more awesome than our current sufferings are hard. For each suffering we face we can know that Heaven will be more beautiful than that situation is ugly.

Free

Psalm 119:32

I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.

I once was lost and now I'm found. My heart was once a heart of stone, but Christ has transformed it into a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) We all had filthy, undeserving, selfish hearts before Jesus cleansed us. Sometimes it's good to think back to where we have come from; what we have been saved from. Christ has set our hearts free!
People may wonder why we would devote our whole life to Christ Jesus. But the answer is quite simple. We strive to please the Lord, we wholeheartedly serve Him, because He has free us from death! Take a few moments today to thank God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, for setting your heart FREE!

In His Love,
Jessica

Your Future Marriage

Recently, my dad and I have had some intense "discussions". I personally struggle with the self-control to be able to say my thoughts,but then back off and let my dad be the ultimate authority. Too often I won't be able to just say my thoughts and then leave it because golly gee I just HAVE to be right!! My mom pointed out to me that I need to learn to be submissive because later on when I'm married it will sure come in handy! Have your ever thought about how your relationship with your dad is going to deeply effect your relationship with your future husband? I sure hadn't! Your husband isn't going to be perfect, he is a human being just like you and me. Our dads aren't perfect are they? No. Just like our dad our husband isn't going to be perfect and will make mistakes. He may make decisions you don't strongly agree with, but he is the one in charge. God has specifically placed him in charge of you and your future family. Ultimately, it's up to him to decide what is best.

It's the same way with our dads. I don't always agree with my dad, but I trust him even through his decisions. I may not agree with what he is doing,but I know he is my authority placed in my life by God and I need to follow him.

Plus:

Colossians 3:20 (New International Version)

20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

If you obey and trust your dad it will have a deep effect on your future marriage.

God has called us to love our authority no matter their character flaws.

Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison

Is your Jesus plastic?

Honesty

Proverbs 24:26
An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.

Proverbs 16:13
Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth.

I know personally, I feel like it's very difficult to tell the absolute truth. Not in all aspects of life, but there are times when it's easier to evade a question and just tell part of the story, than to be completely honest. Have you ever felt that way before? As humans, we are sinful, prideful people and we tend to want to make things look good for ourselves. We never want to look bad and we don't want anyone to think negatively about us.
The Bible is very clear about where God stands when it comes to telling the truth. If you read through the book of Proverbs, there are numerous verses talking about our tongue and the wrong and right ways to use it. (See Proverbs 4:24; Proverbs 10:19; Proverbs 11:9; Proverbs 122:18-19, 22; Proverbs 15:1-2)

Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Have you ever heard the phrase "you reap what you sow"? That same principle applies to our tongue as well. People do notice whether you are truthful and encouraging with your words, or if you are deceiving and degrading. Keep in mind what God says about being honest! Are you known for your truthful, honest words? for your kisses?

In His Love,
Jessica

Step Up

She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor....' "...Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman."

-Judges 4:6-9

I wonder what would have happened if Barak would have been ready and willing to take a position of leadership himself. Perhaps he would be recorded in the Bible as one of the greatest leaders of all time. There are times when God calls you to step up. It can be scary and hard to do, but even if you seem to be all alone, Someone is with you.

"The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still."

-Exodus 14: 15

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

-Deuteronomy 31:6

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

-Joshua 1:9

"And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:20 b

Be encouraged to step up and be a leader today! The Lord is with you!

In His name,

Becky

Together As...

Galations 3:26-28
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are the body of Christ. In Christ Jesus we are a family; ready to make a difference and united against evil. We are here to share burdens, to encourage, to love, to pray with each other, and to keep each other accountable. Each of us may be from difference churches, countries, or denominations, but nothing can separate that bond we have in Christ. Think about what a huge impact we can have on others together. If you feel discouraged because you think you are the only girl that is sold-out for God, don't be! You have a whole family of people who feel the same way as you! (:
If you girls ever need a friend to talk to or someone to share a prayer request with, shoot us an email at iheartministry@yahoo.com. We would love to talk and pray with you!
Have a blessed day!

In His Love,
Jessica

Matthew 5:41-48

41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. ⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor^]"> and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

No Excuse

Romans 1:20
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 men are without excuse.

The magnificence of God's creation; when you look at the clear blue sky, or watch the leaves change colors in fall, it's all proof of God. People try to make excuses saying that God isn't real or that He just "isn't for me". But the truth of the matter is that they are all without excuse. Because you cannot step outside without seeing the greatness of our Lord and acknowledging that He is real! Be encouraged this morning by the fact that you can know that your God is the One true God.

In His Love,
Jessica

Like the Boy Scouts- Be Prepared.

Luke 12:45-47
But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.

Jesus says, "Yes, I am coming soon."(Revelation 22:20) Would you be prepared if he came and found you as you are right now? It's easy to blow that off and live in the present. I mean really, life is pretty good now, isn't it? However, we are called to be ready, and working. What can you do?

• Make a commitment. Decide that living sold out for God is worth your time. If you do not think it is, then do not try. Although you will never be perfect, you will never succeed if you don't believe in what you are doing.
• Seek God's will for you. This means spending time with Him and seeking. Really, really seeking. Pray.

When Christ returns, I want to make Him proud. Do you?

Creative Best

Galations 6:4-5 (The Message)
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Think about the kind of responsibilities and obligations you have in relationships, school, work, sports and just life in general. We all have a chance to give those things our best. Sometimes it's hard not to compare and evaluate who we are and what we do by the world's standard or the standards of our peers. In the end, God's opinion is the only one that matters. He wants you to push yourself, to dive into whatever challenge has been given to you, and to not just give your best, but your creative best. He wants you to be you. To use your unique gifts and talents to bring Him glory. Next time you are faced with something that may not seem too exciting or worthwhile, remind yourself that God wants you to do your creative, unique best in everything. Take up that responsibility and that challenge and run with it!

In His Love,
Jessica

Weary?

With school and activities back in full swing, it is easy for us to feel some days like we just can't handle it. The truth is, we can't. But Someone else can.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Psalm 61:2

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

In Him,

Becky :)

Hit List

2 Timothy 1:8a
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.

2 Timothy 4:2-3a
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word;

When we become a disciple of Christ, God asks us to carry out a simply duty for Him: to share with the world the great news of His salvation. As I talked about in my last post, I really do believe that we don't put enough emphasis on actually stepping out and sharing our faith. It doesn't happen very often. We have such awesome news to share with people, yet we still don't tell them. All of us have various reasons for why Christ isn't apart of our daily conversations and interactions with others. From not wanting to "offend" anyone, to just being down right afraid, we neglect our primary job as believers to share our faith. Either way, the fact of the matter is that people are not getting saved. I desire a multitude of people to know Christ, but I don't see that happening in this world, because you and I aren't standing up and proclaiming Christ as we should. Although us alone as human beings cannot "save" anyone, we can tell people about God, giving the Holy Spirit to opportunity to convict and work on their hearts.

So where do you start? Where do you even begin sharing your faith?
I don't think that the best tactic would be to come outright and say, "you're going to Hell someday if you don't believe in Jesus!" Although true, it doesn't really appeal to people, and I don't believe that God wants us to scare people into trusting Him as their Savior.
The first thing you can do is intentionally think of people who don't know Christ then make a list with all of their names on it. I guess you could call it a hit list. (:
After you have made your hit list, you need to spend some time in prayer daily for each individual person on your list. Ask God to provide opportunities to talk with those people and to soften their hearts to His truth. That is going to be the most effective thing you can do.
Then, be aware of the time you spend with those people and make the most out of your conversations. Ask them if they know where they will go if they die, or if they have ever wondered if there was something more out there. People really are interested in the kind of stuff. Because, honestly, life is pretty down right scary without Christ. He gives us hope and promises of a great life to come! We have something to work towards, to look forward to. Remember, we are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we have the most amazing, spectacular news to share with people. Please don't keep it to yourself! Consider the mission Christ has given you, consider how important it really is. This is life-changing. And it's up to you to get the Word out. We can do this. We can stand up and share Christ and make a huge difference. At the end of my life, I want to be able to say that thousands of people came to Christ just because a couple of us girls decided to share our faith.
So now, with the expectation and hope that we can and will do great thing for Christ, I just have one more thing to say: "It's going to be epic!"

Acts 18:9
"Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent."


In His Love,
Jessica

Loving the Unlovable

Last night I had a dream about an authority in my life. My "authority" and I have been really clashing lately and I just find it hard to love her when she mistreats me.

In this dream I realized that even though she claims she is emotionless, she isn't and she needs me to be a light for Christ.

I generally keep to myself when I'm around her and am pretty quiet. I always thought that was okay and not a big deal, but God has been showing me otherwise. It's my job to be a witness to her.

I've had a hard time loving her because of the way she treats me. However, I realize this is wrong and am changing that!! :) Jesus teaches us to love the unlovable. Through my search of loving the unlovable I found these verses:

Luke 6:27-28 (New International Version)

Love for Enemies
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Matthew 5:43-46 (New International Version)

Love for Enemies
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

Wow. Isn't that such a eye opener? We are to love and pray for our enemies. That is so profound. It is hard to pray for your enemies. Trust me, I know. But, that's what Jesus calls me to do so I don't really have a choice. As hard as it is, I am saving up treasure in heaven. I don't understand it all but I know that God has a purpose for every person that comes into my life. He is making me stronger and stronger spiritually through the people that persecute me. What about you? Who in your life comes to mind? Make it a point to pray for them today. I'm not talking a quick 30 second prayer either, I'm talking a 30 minute deep prayer for them. You can do it! I will! :)

I hope y'all are having a great weekend and happy Labor Day!!
Your sister in Christ,
Madison

You ARE who you are NOW and will never again be who you once WERE.

Read Ezekiel 33:10-20

"Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.'..."
Ezekiel 33:12

Jesus' blood has redeemed us from all our sins. What is in the past has been forgiven. Allowing past sins to define you is not living the life of Christ.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17

In the same way, all the good things you have done before mean nothing.

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..."
Isaiah 64:6a

So not only is wickedness put in the past, righteousness is as well. Kind of depressing, huh? The good news is that there is one thing that means the same for all days. Jesus Christ. Run to Him, cling to Him, and follow Him with your life.

Your sister in Christ,
Becky :)

Right Now

"If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got."

Think of that quote in terms of winning souls for Christ. When was the last time you led someone to the Lord? It's not really a consistent thing in many of our lives. But just think, if five of us shared our faith with one person a month for one year, we would reach sixty people. Those people would all have the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Savior. They may not accept Christ right then and there, but you will know that you planted a seed in their life and completed the task God has given you. This month, I want to challenge you to share your faith with one person. It could be a close friend, an acquaintance, a random stranger; it doesn't matter. I just want you to take a step of faith and do something. I will be challenging myself to do the same. If we don't start making a concerted effort to lead people to Christ, then what is our point of living on this earth? Matthew 28:19 says to "Therefore go and make disciples," that is why we are here. But if we don't actually do it, then nothing is going to happen. If you continue in your mundane life, not really caring enough to proclaim Christ, then you will never reach people for the Lord. And what better time to start then right now?

Matthew 9:37-38
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

In His Love,
Jessica