Blue Ridge Mountain Writer's Conference

I had a wonderful time at the Blue Ridge Writer's Conference this past week. I was able to meet Jerry Jenkins of "The Left Behind" Series and Todd Starnes of Fox News.
One of the best classes that I took was with Vonda Skelton. She is a fabulous speaker and taught us all the tricks of the trade. The most exciting part of the conference was that my Bible study, "The Waiting Womb", won 3rd prize in the Bible study category. God is so good to me and this week was a wonderful time of encouragment.

The Rocky Soil

Title: “The Rocky Soil”

Theme: The second soil is the rocky soil where the seed is planted and develops shallow roots. The plant is easily burned up or blown away by the elements. This seed represents a shallow faith based on the circumstances of life. When circumstances are good in the person’s life they are willing to say they believe in God. God is providing what they want so they believe. When circumstances change and life is challenging or their faith is tested they quickly walk away from faith because they believe the lie that God should demonstrate his love by giving them an easy comfortable life. This faith will not stand the test of time and this seed represents the person who walks away from faith because they don’t get what they want in life. However true belief in Christ always points to hope. What may appear hopeless and helpless can be God’s greatest work in our lives. The cross is not the end! After the cross there is the resurrection!


Scripture: Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21
“Others fell on the rocky places where they did not have much soil and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen they were scorched and because they had no root they withered away.”

“The one on whom seed was son on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives I with joy, yet he has no firm root in himself but is only temporary and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word , immediate he falls away.


1. What did the seeds that fell on rocky places do immediately?



2. What did the sun do to the seeds?



3. Why were the seeds scorched?



4. What do the seeds that fell on the rocky places represent?



5. How are the roots of these seeds described?



6. What happened to the man who face persecution because of his faith?


This second group of seeds is like those that people who hear the gospel, they quickly have a major life change, but the "high" of their new found salvation quickly goes away and they are back to their old life. This is why it is so important that the church provides opportunities for new Christians to deepen their roots of faith. Adults and Youth can benefit from classes that teach them how to study the Bible in an in-depth manner. Children could benefit from discipleship classs and programs such as AWANA.


7. What are some ways that you deepen your faith?


8. Who helped you strengthen your faith?


9. How would you be willing to serve the local church in order to deepen the
faith of new Christians?


Other Texts: Romans 8:38, James 1:2-4, John 19:30

Romans 8:38
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

10. List the things that can not separate your from the love of God?


11. Can we ever be separated from the Love of Christ?


This verse should be encouraging to new and old believers, that no matter what they have done or may do, once they believe in Christ…NOTHING…can separate them. There are many sects of Christianity that believe that you can loose your salvation. But this verse clearly shows that once you are saved, your are always saved.


James 1:2-4
“Consider it all joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”


12. When you face a trial how should you look at it?


13. What does the testing of your faith produce?


14. Why is it important to strengthen your faith?


John 19:30
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said IT IS FINISHED! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

15. What did Jesus say on the Cross?


16. How does this give you hope?

When Jesus was on the cross, dying for your sins and the sins of the whole World, his final words were IT IS FINISHED. This is encouraging to Christians, in knowing that once we have believed in Christ and accept Him in our lives…IT IS FINISHED. Our salvation is based on what Christ did on the cross not on what we have or have not done.

Spontaneous Baptism

Responding to Redemption
Spontaneous Baptism

Read text: Acts 9:10-18

1. In Damascus, what was the name of the disciple that received the vision
about Saul’s conversion?


2. Where did God tell Ananias to go in his vision?


3. What was Ananias’s initial response to the vision?


4. Why was Ananias afraid of Saul (now Paul)


5. What mission did God have planned for Saul?


6. Did Ananias follow God’s instructions that were given to him in the vision?


7. What happen to Saul’s eyes when Ananias touched him?


8. Once Saul could see again, what was the first think that he did?


In one of the greatest stories of redemption in scripture we see Saul, the persecutor of the church, saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. No one is beyond the reach of God=s redemptive power. It does not matter who we are or what we have done, redemption is available to all! Saul=s immediate response to being redeemed and set free was to step out on faith and be baptized. Baptism shows
the world that we have been redeemed!


9. Would you have had the guts to go talk with Saul, if you were fully aware
of all the “sinful acts” he had done?


10. Is there someone in your life right now that you feel is “too sinful” to
be saved?


Why is Baptism so important to a Christian?

Baptism is one of the two sacraments of Christ that we as New Testament Christian practice. What is a sacrament? A sacrament is a tradition, practice or visual that represents the grace of Jesus Christ. The two sacraments that are practiced in the Christian faith are Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper represents to us the death of Jesus. The bread stands for Jesus’ flesh that was pierced and the wine/grape juice represents the blood that Jesus spilt while he was on the cross. Baptism represents the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. During baptism, when a person is standing in the water, this represents his live before Christ. The person is dirty and unclean. As the person is dunked under the water this represents the person dying to his old life of sin and death. Then as the person is raised up out of the water, it represents the person’s new life in Christ, cleansed from his sin.


Read Text: Acts 8:26-40

1. Where did God tell Philip to go?


2. Who did Philip meet on the road?


3. What was the Ethiopian reading?


4. What did Philip tell the Ethiopian?


5. What was the Ethiopian’s response?


One important piece of information about salvation and spontaneous baptism is seen here in the passage about Philip and the Ethiopian. Even though the Ethiopian was immediately baptized after his salvation, Philip had already thoroughly explained the meaning of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to the Ethiopian. The Ethiopian understood what salvation meant and it was not a rushed into decision. The Ethiopian heard the truth of Jesus and His free gift of salvation. The truth was explained to him by someone who was already walking in the truth. Finally the Ethiopian responded to the truth and the explanation, and was baptized.

6. If you have accepted Christ’s salvation, have you been baptized?

7. Tell about your baptism

Tea Party

Luke 10:38-42

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving along? Then tell her to help me.!"


This morning Ava and I ran some errands and then got home. Ava was playing in her little play area in the kitchen and I was putting up dishes and wiping down the cabinets and countertop. I had just poured myself a cup of coffee and I look over and Ava was pulling out her tea party set. She looked at me and smiled. At first I thought about all the housework I needed to be working on while she was entertaining herself. But then I thought about how fast she is growing up and I did not want to miss out on a "mommy and daughter moment". So I set aside my cup of coffee and my "to-do" list and I sat down and had a tea party. Ava and I were joined in our tea party by her Cabbage Patch dolls and Curious George.

This scripture above and the real life experience that I had this morning just reminded me to put everything in my life into the correct perspective. In less then 18 years Ava will be graduating from high school and moving on into the exciting future that God has for her. She may be going on the mission field, entering college or starting a career. I don't want to miss a moment or take for granted the time that God has given me with my precious daughter. My calling as a mother is to invest in the spiritual, emotional, educational and physical life of my child. When Ava is grown up and she looks back at her childhood will she remember the perfect house that I kept or will she remember that I took the time to have a tea party?

Where do the seeds go?

The Story of the Sower: Matthew 13:1-23

Today at church we had "testimony day". It was a time when several of the church member were asked to share about their lives before Christ, how Christ changed their lives and how thier life is different today. As I sat in the service I could not help but think about the parable of the sower. The basic story line is this. A farmer goes out to his field to pant some seeds. The seed represent the gospel. Some of the seeds land on the path and the birds quickly come and eat them up. Some seeds fall on the rocky land, where there is little soil. They spring up quickly and then because they do not have any roots that die. Then there are others that grow amongst the thorns. But as they grow, so do the thorns and they are choked out. Finally there is a group of seeds that is sown into the good soil and they grow and produce many, many healthy plants.

How can this parable be applied to our present day church life in regards to evangilism and discipleship. The first group of seeds that are thrown on the path and quickly eaten up by the birds, can represent when witnessing to a group of people that are hard to the gospel or just do not understand the point of salvation and life-change and they simpley walk away. The second group of seeds are like those that people who hear the gospel, they quickly have a major life change, but the "high" of their new found salvation quickly goes away and they are back to their old life. The third group of seeds that fall amongst the thorns represent those who find salvation but continue to surround themselves with people that bring them down in their faith and do not encourage them to grow in their walk with the Lord. They never make any kind of major life decisions in order to grow thier faith or improve their lives, they simpley let life just happen and eventually their faith dwindles. The last group of seeds are those seeds that fall on the good ground and grow and flourish. These are the people that accept the gospel, have a life- changing experience in Christ and then and this is important, grow in their faith. They attend church, get invovlved in a small group or Sunday School and deepen their faith each day with a quiet time. Day by day, week by week, year by year their knowledge and faith grows and their roots of salvation deepen and strengthen.

So the question is what type of seed are you? What type of seed do you want to be? Unlike literal seeds that do not have the means to move or change, you have that opportunity. One of my favoirite quote is, "God accepts you just the way you are, but loves you too much to keep you that way." GROW, FLOURISH, NURTURE OTHERS!

Walking in your truth!

Ephesians 2:10. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Psalms 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Isaiah 26:8, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your Truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls."

Growing up all I wanted to do was to be a wife and a mother. As a child I would spend hours playing make-believe with my dolls and Barbies. In kindergarten my favorite center was the family life center, because I loved being the mommy. Even in college, when others would be discussing the successful careers they wanted in their future, all I was thinking about was getting married and having babies. Yet, college came and went and still not knight in shining armor. I then went onto seminary and again still no prospects of being a wife and a mother. After recieving my masters degree I went on to work at an incredible mega-church! While on staff I poured myself into the ministry and God granted me such great peace as I served Him with my life. Shortly after coming on staff the church began a large building program and the creation of a community playground on the church grounds. I had the great privilege of helping plan some details of the playground and was even there for the ground breaking. During the ground breaking ceremony, I walked along the land and prayed over it.

A few weeks before the openning of the new building and new playground every member of the church had an oppurtunity to sign, write a verse or a prayer on the steeple that would shortly be put up on top of the church. I wrote down that I desired to one day be a wife and a mother and wrote down Ephesians 2:10 and Psalms 37:4. I knew God had a great plan for my life and I knew that God knew the deep desires of my heart.

Then the prayer that I had placed on the steeple, were answered in a wonderful way! I met my Godly, handsome, amazing husband. Then a few year later, after a heartwrenching journey to become pregnant, we had our precious daughter. Then today, God revealed to me and reminded me, that His timing and His plan is perfect. I walked onto the community playground, that years earlier I had planned and prayed over, with my precious daughter in my arms! We played, had a picnic, enjoyed the swings and climbed through the tunnels. My heart was full and my eyes blinked away tears of joy and thankfulness!

What is love?

Last month was the "love" month! Many of us celebrated the "Hallmark" holiday of Valentine's Day! The following three lessons are on the true meaning of love. I pray that these lessons will encourage as you realize that you can find true and unconditional love in God.


Lesson One
Title: Where is the Love?


Theme: The mark of a Christian life is to be love! We are called to love because Christ first loved us.

Scripture: 1 John 4:11-14
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and His in us, because He has given us His spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the son to be the Savior of the world.”

1. If we know and love God how should we act?


2. What has God given us to abide (live in) us?


3. God sent Who into the world to be the Savior?


4. Does your life reflect your walk with Christ?


According to verse 12 the only way the world will see the love of God is if the people of God are a picture of love. If Christ is the center of our life than love will be the fruit that is seen by the world. A life led by the Spirit of God will show the love of God to the world.

Galatians 5:22 states, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

5. List all the words that describe the Spirit

6. Do you have these qualities in your life?

7. Which ones do you need to work on?


John 15:5 states, “I (Christ) am the vine, you (Christians) are the branches, he who abides in Me and I in him he bears much fruit for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

8. Who is the vine?

9. Who are the branches?

10. How can we as Christians “bear fruit”?


Read John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have love you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12-13, “This is my commandment that you love one, another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”


11. How have you shown love to those around you?


12. What may you need to “lay down” in order for those around you to see Christ in your life?


Read the words of the lyrics to,

“If We are the Body”
It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls teasing laughter is
carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know
Chorus:
But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road
Chorus
Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ
Chorus
Jesus is the way



Lesson Two
Title: Fearless Love

Scripture: 1 John 4:15-18
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment. Because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

1. How can you have God in your life?

2. God is what?

3. How can you have confidence on the day of judgment?

4. Is there fear in love?

5. What does perfect love cast out?


God is love. As Christians we have God living in and through our lives. We should have love in our hearts and demonstrate it with our actions and lives.
First Corinthians 13:4-7 states, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not arrogant. Love does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, is not easily provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.

6. What traits of love do you need to work on?

7. Do you demonstrate these “love traits” to those around you?


There is no fear in love because there is no judgment in love. For all who abide in God’s love there is no reason to fear. Through Christ we have the power to love the unlovable because His love is our power. When we truly experience the love of God there is no reason to fear.

Read John 15:8-11

“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you, abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I have kept My father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.”

8. How is God glorified?

9. How can we be full of joy?


In His earthly ministry when Christ was asked, “What is the greatest commandment,” Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Everyone around is our neighbor. It does not matter whether they are just like us or very different. God has called us to love those around us, not because it is easy to do but because we need to demonstrate God’s love in our lives.





Lesson Three
Title: Lover or Liar

“Share the Gospel always, use words only if necessary.”

Scripture: 1 John 4:19-21
“We love because He first loved us. If someone says, “ I love God,” and hate his brother, he is a liar, for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.?

1. Why do we love God?

2. If someone says he loves God but does not love those around him, what is he called in this scripture passage?


3. Give an example of a time when you DID NOT show love to those around you.

4. Give an example of time when you DID show love to those around you.

Actions speak louder than words. We cannot love God without loving people. The way that we demonstrate God’s love is to show that we love people regardless of who they are or what they have done.

Read 1 John 2:4-6
“The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought to himself walk in the same manner as He (Jesus walked).

“If you are going to talk the talk, then you better walk the walk”

5. Give an example of how you can “walk the walk” when it comes to your faith and love in Christ.


Read: Matthew 5:43-44
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

6. Who does God command us to love?

7. Give an example of when you had to “love your enemy/enemies”?


Read: Leviticus 19:18
“You shall not take vengeance, not bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself, I am the Lord.”

8. What does God command us NOT to do?

9. What does God command us to do in this passage?


10. Why is it hard not to hold a grudge or take vengeance on those who have hurt us or someone we love?

11. Give an example of a time when you had to love your neighbor and not take vengeance.


Read: Matthew 22:37-40
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the prophets.”

12. How can you love the Lord with all your heart?

13. How can you love the Lord with all your soul?

14. How can you love the Lord with all your mind?

15. Give an example of how you can you love your neighbor as yourself?

16. Are we showing that we are a lover of God because we love people or are we showing that we are a liar because our actions do not line up with our words?