Obstacles to Wisdom

As we run the race set before us, we find that there are many obstacles in our way. Yet, our Heavenly Father has given us the tool (His Word!) to know how to overcome these obstacles. As we seek to attain godly wisdom, there are obstacles. Ecclesiastes 7:7-10 tell us that adversity and prosperity are two of the main obstacles. In addition to that we can see how anger, pride, discontent, bribery, being easily offended are also obstacles. On Monday, we are going to talk about how we can avoid these obstacles as we seek to glorify Him.

Lessons from Suffering

Ecclesiastes may seem like a difficult book to understand at first read. I think it is! I am thankful that as I study, God opens up to me biblical principles to guide my life. Our prayer is that you would take these truths and let them encourage and challenge your heart. Scripture has much to say about suffering in many other places. It's no surprise that here in the book of Ecclesiastes the wisest person deals with this topic. Our question for chapter 7:1-6: "What lessons from suffering can believers learn from these verses?" (If you wish to take notes, there are free notes available for you with the Scripture references we mention. You can download them right off the blog under the "Notes" section.) Listen in and let us know what you think!

Until We Meet Again....

Dear Listeners, Our hearts are thrilled to have had the pleasure of studying with Karen Hime on Women in the Word. Today will be Karen's last day on the program with us. Through a variety of events that God has worked in her life, she has decided that it would be best to devote her time to other areas of ministry that she is involved with. As you think of her, continue to pray for Karen as she uses God's Word in her own personal spiritual growth, and as she counsels with others. Perhaps we may have the privilege of having her on the program as a guest in the future! As we continue or study in Ecclesiastes, we'll be joined by Meredith Henderson and Gloria Ormiston. These women have been guests on the program in the past and we look forward to their time with us in the future. Thank you for praying for us as we strive to study God's Word and apply it to women. Walk with the Lord and be a blessing, Rebecca, Pam, Crystal & Sarah

God's View of Success

There are a lot of ideas in our world today about what achievements make you successful. Achieving your dream job, making a difference in the world, helping those in need, purchasing a home or vehicle are just some examples of success. In the Old Testament, many children and long life were considered blessings (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6). What does the Bible have to say about being successful in God's eyes? We have to be careful that we are not determining our success by the world's standards, rather by God's. This is very difficult to do, but as always, every thought must be based on the truth of God's Word. Here are some things from God's Word that we suggest are successful:

1. Glorifying God by becoming more like Christ (Romans 8:29)
2. Representing God well to others (Ephesians 4:1-2)
3. Encouraging fellow believers to grow and change (Colossians 1:28-29)
4. Rejoicing in trials (James 1:2-4)
5. Developing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24)
6. Success is described in Paul's prayer to the believers in Ephesus (Ephesians 3:14-19)
7. Developing godly character qualities (Colossians 3:12-17)

Continuing in Ecclesiastes

Deb Brammer will join us for another five sessions as we continue on with our study of Ecclesiastes. So, as we go on in chapter 6, we ask, "What role does God have in the satisfaction which wealth, possessions and honor can bring?" God gives us the ability to enjoy His creation and contentment and satisfaction comes from Him alone (Job 1:21-22). Do you take time each day to be thankful and praise God for the things He gives you to enjoy? Are you recognizing that all you have comes from Him alone? What a challenge it is to remember that it is God who gives the ability to enjoy all things!

A Visit With a Missionary

Over the next few broadcasts we will be visiting with missionary Deb Brammer. She currently is ministering with her husband, Art, in the country of New Zealand. We hope you will be able to tune in and listen as she shares her heart for serving the Lord and for the ministry she is in. Here is more about Deb: I was raised in a pastor’s home and I was a compliant child. Compared to other kids my age I was a pretty good kid. But if you compared me to Christ or God’s perfect standard of holiness, of course I fell far short. As a child of five I understood that I was a sinner, was sorry for my sin, and believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior. My life didn’t suddenly make great changes, but that simple decision changed the course of my entire life. I never wandered far away from God or fell into deep sin that could hurt my testimony. I always wanted my life to count for God. Becoming a Christian at an early age saved me from sin and a lifetime of regrets. During my teenage years I gave my life to the Lord and asked Him to lead me. I always had a heart for ministry and a desire to serve Him in a career ministry. While at Bible college I felt God calling me to write for Christian publication. God also led me to my future husband and missionary service. Art and I have served with Baptist Mid Missions for more than thirty years. We served in Taiwan for sixteen years and have been working in New Zealand for more than 13 years so far. We count it a privilege to serve the Lord in whatever place He puts us. You can find more about Deb and her ministry: www.debbrammer.com and www.debbrammerbooks.com .

Honoring God With Our Possessions

How can we enjoy our possessions in a way that honors God? Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, "Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them...this is the gift of God." God gives us the privilege of enjoying what we have. We must enjoy our possessions in a way that pleases and gives honor to the ONE who gave them to us! Here's our thoughts about how we can enjoy our possessions to honor God.

1. Have the right heart attitude (Proverbs 30:7-9)
2. Praise Him for creation
3. Recognize that all we have comes from God
4. Use our skills and strengths to help others
5. Be good stewards of what we have
6. Trust in God and not our riches (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
7. Give God the glory with what you have.

What do you think? What are some ways that you are currently using your gifts, material possessions or money to honor God?

Money Does Not Bring Happiness

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 talk about the theme of the vanity of wealth and possessions. Verse 10 says that "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money..." What a sobering thought to mediate on. So often we are happy (only for a little while) when we have plenty of money in our checkbook. So our question today is: "Why is money unable to bring happiness or contentment?" When money is what we strive after, we are not living in obedience. This holds true for any other material possession or relationship in life. Matthew 22:27 tells us that we need to love God with our whole heart, not money, things or people. Material possessions will eventually break, be lost, stolen or waste away (Matthew 6:19-21). Money does not last, but God's love does. Obedience, resting in God's love and His promises for us bring true happiness and contentment. Are you striving for your happiness in God or are you striving for money or material possessions to bring you contentment?

Fearing God

Ecclesiastes 5:7 says that "God is the one you must fear." What does it mean to fear God? Well, in this context, the word "fear" means "to fear, tremble." It is the idea that we ought to fear God's wrath so much that if we make a promise we will fulfill it and not give excuses as to why we cannot. For when we break a promise given to Him we are at risk of losing what God has allowed us to achieve (vs. 6). We ought not to fear man, our reputation or be prideful, but we must fear God and be obedient to Him.

Approaching God

As we approach God to worship Him, it is important that we come to Him with the right attitude. Have you ever attempted to worship Him when your mind is distracted? Have you ever tried to pray after a fight with someone in your family? It is difficult to come to God if our minds are not prepared to come to Him with reverence. Today we will share our thoughts regarding coming to God with the right attitude. How do you prepare your mind to worship Him?

Ecclesiastes 5 - Worship

As we begin Ecclesiastes 5 we find that Solomon is now visiting the temple. As we read through these first three verses, we see that there are many truths which we can apply to our lives today! Solomon tells us to Guard your steps and to Draw near to listen. Wow! These are big truths to apply as we seek to worship God. For many, worship can become a meaningless exercise, something we do because we have always done it. For others, it takes mental work to get to church with a heart prepared for worship. Solomon is telling us to "proceed with reverence" and acknowledge the authority of God. Are you coming to worship God each week with a heart of reverence and prepared to listen to God's Word?

Godly Friendships

Solomon talks about friendship in verses 9-12 of Ecclesiastes 4. Here we are reminded of the importance of friendships. Today, we talk about godly friendships and why they are important. We talk about the friendship of David and Jonathan from 1 Samuel 18-20. Here is an example of a friendship where they truly showed love for one another as Matthew 22:39 would instruct believers to show love. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a godly friend loves at all times and in 27:6 we see that a godly friend will be faithful to tell you the truth - even if it hurts. So what about you....are you this godly friend? Do you seek to develop godly friendships?

Envy vs. Contentment

In Ecclesiastes 4:4, we read about man's envy. Solomon notes that envy is a part of what motivates man to work. Today, we talk about what believers can do to be content rather than envious. Learning contentment is a heart attitude. It is not something that we will naturally be good at. Paul says in Philippians 4:11 that he learned to be content. As believers, we need to understand that:

1. Envy is sin.
2. The outcome of envy is not God-honoring.
3. Believers cannot show true love if they are envious.
4. We need to put on thankfulness and contentment in place of envy.

We share many practical things from Scripture today about how we can choose contentment rather than envy. We challenge you today to reflect on your life. Are you choosing to be thankful for all things, or are you envious about what others have? How does the truth of this passage encourage you?

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 4

Warren Wiersbe in his book, Be Satisfied, helps us to understand an outline of this chapter. We will reference Wiersbe as we discuss this chapter over the coming week. Solomon will record his observations from visiting four different places:

1. The Courtroom (vs. 1-3)
2. The Marketplace (vs. 4-8)
3. The Highway (vs. 9-12)
4. The Palace (vs. 13-16)

As we begin this chapter today, we find Solomon visiting the courtroom, observing the oppressed. There are many people who find themselves under the rule of an unjust authority even in our day and age. Solomon acknowledges that oppression is real, and yet in these first three verses does not seem to have to a desire to do anything about it. Rather, he woefully says that it would be better for the oppressed to be dead. As we seek to apply this section of Scripture to our lives, may we challenge you to be hopeful and give hope to others who are going through difficult circumstances? Maybe you are working for an unjust boss who treats you unfairly, maybe your child is facing a bully at school. In each of these situations we have the hope of Scripture to remember and offer. We can be encouraged that God knows all things and that for those who believe, God is using our trials for good (Romans 8:28).

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3:16-22

As we finish out chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes we spend some time discussion how the fact that God's judgment on both the righteous and wicked should affect our daily lives. We know from the Bible that God will call both the righteous and wicked into judgement. The righteous have been washed by the Blood of Christ and are pardoned from sin. The wicked are doomed to eternal separation from God. Because of these facts, we ought to be striving to share Christ ever more with those who are unsaved! Knowing that your unsaved neighbor will one day spend eternity in hell ought to cause you to break through your uncomfortableness and share the Truth! Is there someone in your life whom you need to share Christ with today? If so, don't delay!

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3:9-15

God sets eternity in each man's heart - meaning we all have a natural curiosity towards finding out our purpose of life, what time is all about, when life began and what is to come when we die. Thankfully, we have God's word to instruct us and give us a portion of God's plan! Many people strive to find peace with what they are doing in their life by volunteering in their community, being in the Red Cross, taking missions trips and doing things to make them feel like they are "making a difference." When we have God's perspective in mind for all of life, we come to realize that the job that God gives to us (whether it is a wife, stay at home mom, or a woman working outside her home) is "making a difference" when performed according to the truth of God's word. We pray you'll be encouraged by the discussions of this section of the Bible. As always, we'd love to hear from you if you have anything to ask or share! Oh, we also mentioned a book today on the program: Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper. We've posted a link for this book under "favorite books" on the right of our blog.

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3 "There is a time"

As we move on today in our study of Ecclesiastes, Warren Wiersbe in Be Satisfied gives this outline for chapter 3.

• Look up: God orders time (vs. 1-8)
• Look within: Eternity in your heart (9-15)
• Look ahead: Death is coming to all (16-22)

We begin in verses 1-8 which is a more familiar section of this book. Solomon now turns his attention to sharing some facts about God's sovereignty as it relates to time, events and emotions. Over the next few days we'll be talking about the things Solomon is contrasting and what spiritual truths these contrasts can have on us. Please share with us any thoughts you have as you study with us.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-26

In this next section of Scripture we find that Solomon now turns his attention to the vanity of toil. In Solomon's eyes, he hated all he had toiled for as it would now be left to someone who did not work for it. He was concerned for his possessions and gave his "heart up to despair" over this (vs. 20). His conclusion in verse 24 is that a person should find enjoyment in his toil rather than despair because of it. Here we begin to see a shift in Solomon's thinking. He now begins to give credit to God for the ability to enjoy toil and gifts. Please join us as we spend the next few days talking through our questions and seeking to practically apply truths from this book to our lives.

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 2:1-11

Solomon now moves on to a test. He writes in chapter 2:1 that he will now test himself with pleasure. In verses 4-8 we see exactly what he did and what he had that brought him pleasure. he indulged himself in any way he desired and nothing was withheld from him (vs. 10). At the end of this "test" he reaches this conclusion in vs. 11 - "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold all was vanity and a striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." Please join us as we take the next several days to talk through this section of Scripture. We will also strive to practically apply these truths to our lives as women. As always, please feel free to share any thoughts you have as we study!

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 1

Today we begin discussing our questions for chapter 1. Again, we have provided study notes for you to follow along with us. You can study along with us or even ahead as you have the ability. It is also our desire that you use these study notes to have a personal study with other women as you can. As we begin our study today we see that Solomon makes a broad sweeping statement about life in chapter 1:2, "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Solomon is going to now lay the foundation for why he believes all is vanity over the next several chapters. Over the next several days we will take some time to answer the questions we've posed concerning chapter 1. Please let us know what you are learning as you study!

Ecclesiastes - the beginning

As we begin the study of Ecclesiastes today, our desire is talk a bit about who the author was and the significance of this book. I appreciate what the Holman Concise Bible Commentary by D.A. Garrett has to say: "Many Christian readers are troubled by Ecclesiastes. From the very beginning, where it declares that everything is meaningless (1:2), it seems unashamedly pessimistic and negative on life. Some wonder why this book is in the Bible. But if we carefully examine its background and message, we discover that Ecclesiastes confronts us and drives us to God in a way that few books do. Ecclesiastes tells us it was written by a son of David who was king in Jerusalem over Israel (1:1, 12). This points to Solomon since he alone, after David, ruled both Judah and Israel." The commentary goes on to say: "Christian readers, after they have shaken off the initial shock of reading Ecclesiastes, have often described it as a defense of the faith or even an evangelistic work. Ecclesiastes shows that many of the pursuits of life, including wealth, education, and power, do not really fulfill. In that way Ecclesiastes shows that life without God is meaningless and drives the reader to faith." It is our desire to study this book with the intent of applying many spiritual truths to our lives. We are going to see that as Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." We pray that you will join us as we study through this book. Please ask questions and comment about how God is using His word to help you in your daily walk with God.

Our New Study....

Have you been wondering what we are going to study next? We are excited to share with you that beginning on Monday, April 18th, we will begin to talk through the book of Ecclesiastes. I don't know about you, but Ecclesiastes is not a book that I spend a lot of time in. This will be a fascinating time to discover truths from this selection of Scripture. As usual, study notes will be available as we work through this book. If you miss a session, archives are available by following the link to the right of the blog. Thanks for listening, and please let us know how you are impacted as we study through the book of Ecclesiastes together.

An Interview

For the next three days, we will spend some time talking with Meredith Henderson. Here's a bit of information about her in her own words: "I was raised in a Christian home where attending and serving in church was what my whole family did. At the age of 17 during a Sunday morning service I finally acknowledged my sin and need of a Savior and thanked the Lord for His death in my place and gift of salvation. (Ephesians 2:8,9) Several years later in college a friend, Doreen Maxfield, discipled me for over a year and provided a strong foundation for my growing faith. I met Keith, my husband, at the end of our senior year of college and by God's grace we have been married for over 30 years. We have three grown children; two of whom are married, and one grandson. Time and again, we have faced challenges in our life and God has shown us His desire to be glorified in the solutions. We love to tell "God Stories" about what He has done! (Psalm 34:3)" We look forward to hearing more of her testimony and hearing from her how she is a woman of God's Word!

Ruth in Review

As we close our study in this book, we now ask you to tell us what you learned as you studied along with us? What was the most challenging to you? What was the most encouraging? How can you take these truths learned and practically apply them to your life. We strive to know God's word more so that we can reflect Christ more in our daily life. Knowledge is incomplete without action. Take some time to write down ways you can do the truths you have learned and then pray that God would help you as you seek to glorify Him! Thank you for studying along with us, and thank you to those who have shared their thoughts and questions along the way.

Determining God's Will

As we continue on in Ruth chapter 4, we find that Boaz is now at the town gate, seeking to make his redeeming of Naomi's land (and Ruth) a completed transaction. However, he realizes that there is another kinsman that has the legal right to redeem it. Because Boaz was a honorable man, he chose to do what was right and allow the opportunity for this other kinsman to redeem the land and even possibly to lose Ruth in the process. After some discussion, the closer kinsman decides to give his rights of redemption to Boaz. Boaz legally transacts this agreement. As we consider some practical application to this section of Ruth, we ask, "How can Christians differentiate between God's will and simply fleshly desires in the midst of making decisions?" As we consider how much Boaz in his flesh desired to marry Ruth and be the redeemer for Naomi's family, we can understand how difficult it might have been to do things the right way in the sight of God. But Boaz was a godly man who chose to do right, even if it meant that he would not benefit from that decision. God honored him in this situation and allowed Boaz to have the desire of his heart. As we make decisions on a daily basis, we must remember that we are to submit to God's will and not just our own desires. We have to remember that our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and that we must trust God to know what is best for us. Ephesians 4:17-24 is a wonderful passage to look up and mediate as we consider God's will. We pray that this session has been helpful and encouraging to you as you seek to reflect Christ in your daily walk.

Ruth's reputation

As we continue to talk about Ruth, we see that her reputation is widely known throughout the town. Her kindness and good deeds towards her mother in law was known by everyone. Her hard work was evident to Boaz and other workers in the field. Her obedience to Naomi regarding her relationship to Boaz is a reflection of her character. Ruth was a noble woman. What does "noble" mean? As we discuss this principle today, we hope that you are evaluating your own life. Are you striving after a noble reputation that is honoring to God and a reflection of Christ to others?

Biblical Advice About Marriage

In Ruth chapter 3, we see that Naomi gives instruction to Ruth about what to do in her relationship with Boaz. Ruth obediently listens and does what Naomi asks of her. This scenario in Scripture causes us to ask how as women today we can give wise, biblical advice to a young woman who wants to be sure that she is marrying the right person? Listen in as we discuss this question today. We would love to hear from you too! What biblical principles have you shared with your daughter or other young women regarding marriage?

Ruth's obedience

In Ruth 3:1-5, we find that Naomi is now giving Ruth instructions concerning her relationship with Boaz. Ruth responds with a heart of obedience to her mother-in-law. She humbly submitted to Naomi to do what she asked her to. This obedience reveals much about Ruth's character. She not only trusted God to lead her, but she trusted Naomi to give her instruction about her own future! Wow! How many of us today would be so quick to be obedience to our parents or in-laws when given instruction. Sometimes we are so quick to think that we have it all together and that we are old enough to make our own decisions. We must remember that God places people in our lives to help reveal His will for us. It is wise for a daughter to ask her mother for advice in wedding plans or parenting struggles. While decisions are ultimately up to us and we are responsible to the Lord for our decisions, let us also remember that when we pray and seek the council of others who are older in their walk with the Lord that we can gain insights that we hadn't thought of. Perhaps the Lord will use a parent, grandparent or older woman in your church to help you think more biblically about a situation. We pray that this study of Ruth will encourage you as you seek to grow more godly in your character.

Character qualities of a godly woman

We've been talking a lot about character qualities that should be found in women who are striving to serve the Lord. In Ruth chapter 2, we learn more about these qualities. Judging from the events of this story what character traits does God honor in His people? These are what we found as we studied:

• Confidence
• Diligence
• Faithfulness
• Good stewardship
• Contentment
• Compassion
• Loyalty
• Patience

Think through this list in your own life. In what areas do you find yourself needing to grow? What areas are your strength that you can teach others?

Ruth - Her sacrifice and kindness

In 2:8-23, we find that Ruth is now having a conversation with Boaz, the owner of the field where she is gleaning. Here we can see again how much God is providentially caring for her (see post entry 3/8/11). Ruth had sacrificed to stay with Naomi. She left her family, her country and all that was familiar and comfortable to her. Ruth then chose to sacrifice for the good of her mother-in-law. She went to work in the fields to provide food for her and much more. The passage reveals that Ruth did much more to show kindness to Naomi and was full of good works (see verse 11). There is much we can learn from Ruth of her sacrifice and kindness. Is your life a testimony of God's love? Are you showing kindness and sacrifice to those who are closest to you?

Ruth- God's Providential Care

In 2:1-7 we find that Ruth asks for permission from Naomi to glean in the fields. Gleaning was a provision of God for the poor according to the Old Testament law. As readers of this story we can see that God providentially had Ruth "happen" to go to Boaz's field. This is not chance, rather the perfect plan of God! God saw fit to not only make a way for Naomi and Ruth to receive food by gleaning, but He also planned the exact field for Ruth to go to. This field belonged to Boaz, a relative of the family and as we know would become the kinsman redeemer. How marvelous! As we reflect on God's perfect plan in Ruth and Naomi's lives, we can be challenged that God has a perfect plan for us. Nothing happens by chance; rather, all things happen according to His will. God is not surprised when a family crisis comes your way, nor is he surprised when you find yourself pregnant when you weren't planning on it! God sovereignly is in control of the people you meet, the job you have, the church you attend. He knows the path of your life regarding health, finances, and your home. He has it planned! Not only does He have it planned, but He also has made a way to provide for all that you need. How wonderful the peace that comes when we truly accept His plan and give up our wishes and our desires and strive to please Him in every area of life. How about you? Do you understand that God is in control of your life? Or, do you somehow think that you are in control? Do you go to God in prayer when you have a decision to make? We pray that you will grab hold of this truth and let it sink into your heart and find perfect peace.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24 ESV)

Ruth - Chapter 2:1-7

Haven't you been encouraged by our study so far? No matter how many times I read this book, I still learn to apply truths every time. So never tire of reading familiar stories....rather ask God to help you understand how to apply the truth to your life. Today we begin studying in Ruth chapter 2. We will spend some time asking some basic questions about the story and then will get into discussion application. In chapter 2, we are introduced now to a man by the name of Boaz. We learn much about his character and the kind of man that he was: a Godly man who had integrity and self-control. He was kind and generous. Wow! Seeking to be obedient in just these characteristics is a life-time of work! Yet we know that becoming the woman God wants you to be is possible through God's grace....never give up trying even if you fail. In our study of Ruth, we find that Naomi and Ruth were poor, widowed and destitute. These women were vulnerable and yet God led them back to Bethlehem where they would be able find food, housing and where Ruth would eventually meet her future husband who would generously give to her needs. Wow! I don't know about you, but this gives me more confidence as I seek to be faithful to my Savior.

Godly Relationships

The relationship that Naomi and Ruth had was God-ordained, God-honoring, and an example to us as women. God sovereignly brought them together and allowed them to give glory to Him through their example. As we have learned, Naomi must have had some incredible character qualities for Ruth to have been so adamant about following her to her hometown. How does their relationship inspire you to relate to loved ones in your own life?

God's Loving Concern

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem during the barley harvest. This was the first harvest of the year, but Scripture tells us that God was blessing! We can see several ways that God showed his loving concern for Naomi, even though she claimed that His hand was against her (1:13). Here's what we came up with:

1. God allowed Ruth to return along with Naomi. This made the trip home not so lonely!
2. They returned at a time when they could store up food for themselves.
3. Naomi had the ability to return home, even at her older age.
4. Ruth was younger and was able to work to help Naomi.

Even when situations don't look that wonderful, if we look close enough, we can see where God still shows His love and concern for us. Maybe it's in an unexpected financial gift, or a neighbor stops by to help with a project. Maybe it's just the peace that God gives us as we stay faithful to Him in a difficult trial. In any case, God loves us and is always watching over us to give us exactly what we need.

Ruth 1:19-22

Today, we begin studying the last section of chapter 1 of Ruth. Naomi and Ruth return home to Naomi's native land. The people notice! No doubt, these people would have heard of Naomi's loss of her husband and sons. The women even ask, "Is this Naomi?" and Naomi responds by telling them to call her Mara instead of Naomi. Why would she do this? Naomi means, "pleasant one." If Naomi had lived up to the meaning of her name, the people would have remembered her as such. Mara means, "bitter." This word is first used in Exodus 15:23 when Israelites came upon bitter water. The place was called, "Marah," because of it's bitterness. Naomi's response to the women indicate the place of her heart. She was no longer pleasant, but rather was now bitter because of her current circumstances. Although she recognizes that it is God which has caused these things to happen to her, she is not willing to submit to His plan. Rather, she is relaying her bitterness in what God is doing in her life. How about you? How do you respond towards what God is doing in your life? Do you recognize his sovereignty and yet still have a bitter heart? Or do you recognize his sovereignty and have a pleasant heart?

Hope from Ruth

It is evident that Ruth had faith and confidence in the God of Israel. She would not have been so willing to leave her family, culture, false gods and everything else she had known for all of her life. It is also interesting to note that all Ruth would have learned about God through Naomi and her family for the previous 10 years. She did not have Scripture as we do today! How does her commitment to God offer hope and encouragement to you? We share our thoughts today on the program and would love to hear from you. Please share!

Ruth's commitment

In chapter 1:17, Ruth tells of her commitment to Naomi. The Bible says in verse 14 that Ruth clung to her. This word "clung" is used in the same way as in Genesis 2:24 when God commands to man to "cleave" to his wife. Ruth's mind was made up. She was going home with Naomi and once Naomi saw her determination she said no more. How did Ruth reveal her commitment to Naomi?

• Where you go, I will go. She commits to leaving her home.
• Where you lodge, I will lodge. She commits to settling in a foreign land.
• Your people shall be my people. She commits to embracing a new culture.
• Your God shall be my God. She commits to denying her false gods and chooses faith in the one true God.
• Where you die, I will die and there be buried. She gives up her right to be buried with her family in her home country.
• May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you. A seal of her comittment to Naomi.

Losing Hope

Ruth 1:10-14 reveal to the reader that Orpah and Ruth desired to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. This reveals that they were willing to give up their family, their gods and their culture to follow their mother-in-law. As we discuss today, this shows they loved Naomi. She must have been a mother-in-law worth following in order for them to give up everything they knew. Then we find out that Naomi desires for them to stay home. She gave several reasons to them that they should return home: she no longer would bear any more children, she was too old to have another husband, she had lost hope and said the hand of the Lord was against her. Naomi felt that God was against her and that if these ladies followed her, they would suffer because of her. But why did Naomi feel God was against her? As we discuss today, we see from these verses that she loses hope. She acknowledges God's hand in her situation, but feels hopeless for any joy in her life. As you study these verses, do you see yourself like Naomi - losing hope in your time of trial? Never forget that the God who created you and loves you has His hand on all things in your life. He is good and as His child will cause all things to work for your good to conform you more to be like Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Character qualities of a godly woman

We learn more about Naomi and Ruth as we continue on in our study. We are learn that while in Moab, Ruth's husband dies. Her two sons marry Moabite women and then her sons die. Naomi now finds herself in a foreign country with just two daughter-in-laws as her family. She had no grandchildren. At some point while Naomi was in the fields, she finds out that the Lord was blessing her people with food (vs. 6). Naomi desires to return to her people, her home and gives Orpah and Ruth a blessing. Her blessing was that the Lord would be kind to them as they had been to her and the dead and that they would find rest in the house of their husbands (most likely a desire for them to marry again). This relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-laws cause us to ask about the character of these women. What kind of mother-in-law was Naomi to Orpah and Ruth to give them such a blessing? What kind of daughter-in-laws were Orpah and Ruth for Naomi to be so kind to them? What does this indicate about their relationship?

The Setting

As we dig further into the background of the book of Ruth, we find in 1:1-2, some interesting facts about Ruth's family....before we even meet Ruth. It is helpful to know what is going on at the time of the writing. It helps to know how Ruth (a Moabite) would have found herself going to Bethlehem and serving the One True God. We find out from the first two verses that because of a famine in the land of Judah, Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, and two sons chose to move to the country of Moab. We're not told if they thought this was a temporary move or if their reasons for moving were prompted by God. All we know is that they moved. So here's a question for thought....Do you think that Elimelech's decision to move his family to Moab was wise? Why or why not?

Studying Ruth

Today we will begin studying the book of Ruth. We encourage you to take about 15 minutes and sit and read through the entire book. It's just 4 chapters long and will help you to refresh your memory about the story as we begin studying in detail. Notes for our study are posted on the right side of our blog. If you wish, you may print these notes and study ahead on your own or follow along with us as we study. As we begin today, we will discuss the purpose of the book of Ruth. Please share any thoughts or questions you might have here. We would love to hear from you!

An Interview with a Missionary

We are blessed to have the opportunity to have Hannah Scott with us on the program. She'll be sharing her testimony and ministry with her husband in Thailand. Hannah is the daughter of our own Pam Ormiston and we are delighted for this opportunity for Hannah to share her heart with us. She'll be with us from February 4-10, 2011. We hope you will enjoy listening! Hannah, a member of Family Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, was born into a godly family on January 27, 1980 in Illinois. At the young age of four, Hannah placed her faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the testimony of her mother. Through the ministry of camp, Hannah surrendered her life to the Lord’s service around the age of 10. God continued to prepare her by providing ministry opportunities with children, youth, ladies, and counseling. Amidst the ministry at Family Baptist Church, Hannah and Duane realized the mutual desire and passion for missions that they shared. August 3, 2002 they were married. 2003 they began the application process with Baptist Mid Missions where they saw a presentation on Southeast Asian. After a brief survey trip to that area they began deputation for Thailand. Hannah and Duane have been serving in Thailand since June of 2006. You can follow their ministry here: http://www.scottsinthailand.org

Imitating Good

As we close our study in 3 John, we want to spend the time talking about how we can encourage children and teens to imitate good in the midst of peer pressure. We can't ignore the fact that children and teens are bombarded with false philosophies on a daily basis. Every day that your child goes to school they must make a decision about whether they will choose to follow God or do what their friends do. Every day is an opportunity to talk with your children (or those whom you have influence over) and discuss how their walk with Christ is going. It is VITAL that we are being godly role models and mentors to those who are younger than us. Well, we share a lot of our thoughts today on the program. If you missed the broadcast you can look for the audio archives (link is located on the right of this blog) and listen. What do you think? How can Christian women encourage children and teens to imitate good?

A Negative Example

In 3 John 9, we have a negative example of a man named Diotrephes. He was a man who put himself first in the church and rejected authority. As we study this man and his characteristics, they certainly do not glorify Christ! John calls this man out and we have a written record of his negative example. What can we learn from this man? What situations might believers be tempted to be first? As you study this section of Scripture, do you find yourself like Diotrephes in any way? We encourage you to ask these hard questions of yourself. Evaluate your life - are you a negative example like Diotrephes or are you a godly example like Gaius?

Hospitality

As we have studied 2 John and are now studying 3 John, we can see that hospitality was an important part of the believers in John's day. We also know from Scripture that we ought to be showing hospitality to others (Romans 12:13). Our topic of discussion today then is, "how can we show hospitality to other Christians?" We hope this is an encouragement to you as you seek to be obedient to God. How do you show hospitality to others?

Praying for the Believers

Today we want to talk specifically about praying for other believers. We know that prayer is an important characteristic in the life of the believer. We've talked about how it is an encouragement to others when we pray for them. But today, our conversation is more about How you can pray for other believers. We can see from 3 John that John prays for his fellow believers and we see how he prays for them. So we will take thoughts from this text and seek to apply it directly to how we pray for others. What about you? How doe you specifically pray for other believers?

Encouraging the Believers

Today we talk about why it is important to tell other believers that you are praying for them. First of all, it's so encouraging! It also is biblical. We see in this letter that John not only prays for Gaius, but he also tells Gaius of his prayers. What an example of love. When we not only show love by praying, we love even more by telling the believer we've prayed. Is there someone who you have been praying for that you could encourage by telling them so? Or, is there someone you should begin to pray for? Let's pray and tell.....it's such an encouragement!

3 John

We begin a 2 week study of 3 John today. As you read through this book, you will find many similarities between 2 and 3 John. 3 John addresses hospitality and false teachers as 2 John does. This letter was written to Gaius, a very faithful Christian. This is the only book in the Bible that is address to one specific person. John prayed that Gaius' health would be as strong as his spiritual health. Doesn't this tell you something about this faithful Christian? John was very enthusiastic about the positive reports he received regarding Gaius. I hope that as we have discussed qualities of Gaius today, that you will be encouraged reflect on which qualities you need to develop in your own life.

Showing Love

Today we talk about how we can be loving and kind AND still refuse to accept false teachers. That is a hard thought! I don't know about you, but when one is trying to get me to accept a false belief, I am tempted to get pretty huffy quick! Yes, it is good to stand up for God's truth and turn from any false belief. However, it is so important that as we refuse to accept a false way, that we do show love. Here's a few thoughts we share today:

1. Remember Ephesians 4:32 - be kind to others.
2. Use Scripture to defend your belief. Don't just say, "I think," but rather say, "God says."
3. Look at them as Christ does...an unbeliever who needs the Savior. You may be the first person they have met who is a Christian.
4. Don't take it personal. They will answer to God someday for their rejection of the Truth!

Let us know your experience(s) with dealing those who believed falsely. What did you say? Was it hard to show love and kindess? How can we better prepare ourselves for future interaction with people such as these?

Believing a lie?

Today we ask why believers so often tempted to take false teaching lightly? Do we think we would never stray from our faith? Do we not realize the seriousness of their unbiblical belief? Do we think it's OK for them to believe what they want to keep the relationship peaceful? Are we afraid of speaking up for our faith? These are serious questions that you ought take the time to answer in your own life. We share our thoughts today regarding this....what do you think?

False Teachers

As we move into verses 7-13 of 2 John, we encounter those pesky false teachers again! What did they deny? They denied the deity of Jesus Christ. John spent a lot of time in his 1st letter to warn the believers of these false teachers. Here in 2 John, he is warning them again! John encouraged the believers to watch out for them so as to guard the faith. The reader of this letter was warned to not even let these false teachers into his or her house! In doing this, they would be vulnerable to the false teacher's lies. Christians often invited strangers into their home because they were following the command to show hospitality and love to others. Yet, in this case, John said to not allow the false teachers in their home. We hope this discussion of these verses help you to understand this context of Scripture. In two days, we'll get into the more practical application of the truth John wrote about.

Love for the Church Family

How do we show love for our church family? We have talked so much about loving others in the past, and today we want to ask specifically regarding those in our church family. What do you do weekly, monthly or randomly to show love to your church family. Again, we shared many things from our hearts today, and we want to hear from you too! What steps can you take today to show love?

Love for the Church Leadership

Today we are asking a very practical question for every one of us: "How can we show our love for our church leadership?" Specifically this applies to your pastor(s), elder(s) and/or deacon(s). We have a lot of thoughts about this, and would love to hear from you. How have you shown love for them? Or, how have you seen others show their love?

Joy

John had great joy when he hear that children were walking in the truth! (verse 4) Isn't it so encouraging to see others thrive in their Christian walk with God? We talk some today about when we have had joy seeing others walk in the truth. Will you share your joy with us?

The Truth

2 John 2 tells us that the truth "will be with us forever." How is that so? Today we discuss how important this fact is in the believer's life. How do you cultivate the truth in your life and how are you doing encouraging others to walk in the truth?

Beginning 2 John

Today, we begin our study in the book of 2 John! We are excited as we begin this study as we have much more to learn from John's writings. We hope that you will notice that we have made some changes to our study format. We desire to discuss Scripture in a way that will help you understand what is going on as well as how to apply truths to your life. You will still find study notes to help you as we go along (available on the right of our blog) and we will be referring to the questions quite frequently to help keep us all on track! Our discussion today focuses on some general questions about the book.

Overall, John wants his readers to:

1. Walk in the truth
2. Obey the commandments
3. Love one another
4. Guard the teachings of Christ to not be deceived by the antichrist

As you read through this book, what are some initial thoughts you have about it? What is different about this writing than 1 John? What things are similar? We hope you'll join us as we study!

Idolatry, part 2

Today and tomorrow, we will each share personal examples of what modern "idols" we are tempted by. We pray that by sharing our struggles, that it will encourage you to identify any idols you may have and be honest in dealing with them biblically. Would you share what you are tempted with? How do you use Scripture to overcome the temptation? How have you grown spiritually because of this struggle? Please share!

Idolatry

As we end our study of 1 John, we read John's words, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." What is an idol? It is anything that draws our attention away from God. What occupies my heart's desires - is it God? Or do I desire something else? So think through this with us for the next few days. What consumes you? What are you willing to sin to get? Hopefully you can use these questions to determine if you desire something other than our loving God.

How Can You Pray?

What are specific ways you can pray for a sinning brother? We encourage you to pray Scripture for the sinning brother in Christ. Here's some of the verses that we mention today.

• Psalm 32:1-5
• 1 John 1:9
• Romans 2:4
• Psalm 51:2
• Romans 6:1-2, 12-13

As you pray Scripture for this person, it will help you to think biblically about the situation. And when you do go to them to confront the sin, you can tell them how you have been praying for them. So do you have any other thoughts? More verses to share?

What to do?

We ask the question today, "If I see a brother sinning, what do I do?" Here's how we answer:

1. Ask questions! Maybe you need to find out some more facts of the situation before you determine if they are sinning.
2. Pray! The text of 1 John 5:16-17 tells believers to pray....enough said!
3. Follow Matthew 18 - but check your life first (Matthew 7:1-5)
4. Remember the goal of confrontation is to see the sinning brother restored (Galatians 6:1), so be sure to go with a spirit of gentleness.

Prayer for the Sinning Brother

As we look at 1 John 5:16-17, we want to encourage you to pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are in sin. These two verses talk about a sin not leading to death, which we will not take time to study. Rather, if you are curious as to what this might mean, please study on your own and then share with us what you found out! We know that sin is any wrongdoing. Anything that violates God's will is sin and so when a believer is in sin, these verses tell us to pray for them! Is there someone you can pray for today?

Confidence of Eternal Life

As we work through 1 John 5: 13-15, we ask, "How can we be confident that we have eternal life?" Have you ever doubted your salvation? Have you ever wondered if you truly confessed Christ as your Savior? As we answer this question today, we hope that you have been encouraged by the truth of God's Word! Our confidence in eternal life is shown throughout the entire book of 1 John. How many times does John write, "so you may know"? Evaluate your life...are you confident in your salvation?

Eternal Life

As we move through our discussion of 1 John 5, we want to take some time to reflect on the Gospel. How can a person receive eternal life? We know that many of us are familiar with the gospel and eternal life, but we want to share some more detailed thoughts as we answer this question. We'll be also sharing some thoughts from the "God's Bridge to Eternal Life" tract. You can find a link to this tract on the right side of our blog under "Bible Study Tools." We want to encourage you to pray about someone who you can share this truth with. Share any thoughts you might have - we'd love to hear from you!

Water, Blood & the Spirit

Have you ever read this section of 1 John and wondered, "what do these terms mean?" We have! We enjoyed digging into verses 5: 6-8 to discover what each of these terms mean. Here's what we found out: Water - refers to Christ's baptism. Blood - refers to Christ's death. These are two external witnesses to validate Christ's life here on earth. The Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit which lives within the believer. The Spirit gives testimony to the believer of the truth of Jesus Christ. These 3, the water, blood and the Spirit agree to the truthfulness of the person Jesus as the Christ. What a blessing it has been study this passage! And as we seek to apply this section, we ask "How are you doing listening to the Spirit today?"

1 John 5:6-12

As we move into this next section of 1 John 5, we wanted to take some time talk about the words, "testify" and "testimony." Did you notice how often John uses these words in these verses? The word "testify" means to "bear witness," "to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something." John uses this word in other parts of 1 John to show the importance of his testimony of Christ to the believers. Now, he will use these terms to help the believers understand external testimony (vs. 6-9) and internal testimony (vs. 10-12). So join us as we study this section!

Victory!

"You Christians do not have to walk around defeated, because Jesus Christ has made you victors! He has defeated every enemy and you share in His victory. Now, by faith, claim His victory." (Warren W. Wiersbe) Isn't that powerful??? Because of the faith we have in Christ, we are victors over every enemy, every trial, every sin. John 16:33, "Take heart! I have overcome the world." Because believers are in Christ, we can have hope! But it is only through Christ. It is not through me, it is not through worldly philosophy, but it is only through Christ. Claim the victory over sin and do not walk defeated. I know we all go through difficult times, where God stretches us and uses circumstances to "be conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:29) Yet, we do not have to frown or worry through these times....we are victors! What hope and testimony that can give to unbelieving family, friends, co-workers or neighbors when they see the faith and confidence you have in your Savior. Claim that victory today!

Loving God and His Word

Oh, ladies, if you haven't caught our heart's desire yet for you it is that we pray that you will grow to love God and His Word so much that it is your treasure. Today we start talking about the importance of cultivating an attitude of loving God and His Word. Read Psalm 119 and you will catch David's heart as you read about his love for God and His Word. Does your heart mirror David's? Do you love His law (Ps. 119:97)? Do you rejoice in the Law (Ps. 119:14)? Do you delight in it (Ps. 119:16)? Do you find it sweeter than honey (Ps. 119:103)? Do you turn God's statues into songs (Ps. 119:24)? My friend, God's Word is our strength, it is where we can find help in time of need. Regardless of your circumstance, trial or test, go to His Word. Delight in it, love it, pray for understanding and God will give you the strength to obey His commands joyfully.

How can I joyfully obey?

To obey is one thing....but to obey joyfully is another! We have seen in children how they might obey their parents, but have a grumpy heart doing it! Christian adults are the same way! Do we obey our Heavenly Father with a grumpy heart or do we joyfully obey His commands? Over the next several sessions we are going to share with you some ideas that we think will help you joyfully obey God's commands. Tell us what you think or if you have other ideas to share, let us know! The full list with verses can be found on our study notes. For reference, I have a simple list here as well. 1) Check your heart! 2) Recognize that obedience is a family matter. 3) Cultivate an attitude of loving God and His Word 4) Choose to be joyful 5) Don't live based on your feelings 6) Focus on the future

Examples of Obedience

The next couple of days we are going to share with you some Biblical examples as well as recent examples of people who have obeyed in difficult circumstances. We hope you are encouraged by these examples and that they will give YOU encouragement to obey! Can you share with us an example?

Easy or Difficult?

Many Christians think obeying God is difficult. Why is that a misconception? Remember Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"? The Christian whose will is united with the will of God, will not find obedience to God's will a task. Rather, the Christian will find obedience a joy because he loves to serve and please his Savior. We need to recognize that attitudes of defeat and sorrow over what God has called you to do is sinful thinking. We must take our thoughts captive and chose to believe God's Word - that what He has called us to do, He will give us grace to do. So, how are you doing? Do you think that obeying God is difficult? How have you see God's grace working in your life as you seek to obey God?

Obeyable Commands

Verse 3 in 1 John 5 tells us, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." What an amazing and encouraging truth this can bring us as we seek to obey God's commands. We can be confident that His commands are obeyable because He promises that they are not burdensome! We spent some time today defining the word "burdensome." The thought behind it is that a burden is "heavy," "oppressive," or "grievous." These are not characteristic of God's commands. We read in Matthew 11:30 that Christ says "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Praise God that what God has called us to is bearable, obeyable and can be done using His strength! So, how are you doing with YOUR calling? Are you trusting in this fact that His commands are not burdensome? Or, are you allowing your mind to be overwhelmed with the worries and cares of this life? We pray that this time of study would be an encouragement to you as you seek to fulfill God's calling for your life.

1 John 5:1-5 - Introduction

We begin studying 1 John 5 today and want to introduce the first 5 verses to you. As you read these verses, do any of these verses sound familiar to you? We have talked about many of these things already and again John is weaving these truths in this passage as well. Here are some 3 important themes John mentions again in this section: 1) Faith 2) Loving & Obeying God 3) The Victorious Christian Life We pray that you will find encouragement again from John's words as you study along with us.

Overview of 1 John 4:19-21

As we wrap up chapter 4 of 1 John, we will take the next three days to talk about verses 19-21. What truths from these verses do you use to encourage others? How are these verses encouraging to you?

Overcoming Fear

How can we overcome our fears? Well, surprise, surprise....we made a list! We explain this list today and tomorrow. This list can also be found on our study notes, along with the verses we give for each. 1) Spiritual growth 2) Love God & others because He loves me 3) Trust in His word 4) Prayer 5) Admonition from other believers 6) Hearing God's word (church, Bible studies, radio) Can you think of anything else to add to this list?

Fear, cont...

As we continue to talk about fear from 1 John, we ask "what is the problem with fear?" Is it wrong to be afraid? As we talk about this, I hope you will see that when we fear, we are not trusting in God. We are choosing to not believe the promise that we read in Scripture, that we do not need to be afraid. Psalm 56:3 - "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." At the moment you recognize your fear, you must trust in God! To continue along in your fear is sin. Again, the fear we are talking about in this context, is fear of God's judgment & guilt of sin. Are you choosing to meditate on God's truth or ignore His promises?

Fear

1 John 4:18 talks about fear. This fear has to do with "punishment" or the coming judgment on the world. Fear is "dread, terror, state of severe distress, concern for impending pain, danger or evil." As we talk about fear in this context, it is important to remember that John is telling his readers that we do not have to fear the coming judgment. Believers have been redeemed and because of God's perfect love, we do not need to be afraid of God's wrath on the unsaved. Praise the Lord! Believers can be fearful of judgment or punishment of sin, but we can remember that God is faithful and will forgive (1 Jn. 1:9). Because of his perfect love, He has forigven us completely and will not hold us accountable for our sins. However, this does NOT mean that we won't suffer present physical consequences - say, a speeding ticket for driving over the speed limit. There are consequences for our sin, but God does not hold us eternally accountable for them as through Christ, they have been forgiven. Some Christians fear death....this ought not to be. For we know that if we are absent from our body, we are present with the Lord.

1 John 4:15-21

We begin today digging into chapter 4:15-21 today. We chose to skip verses 15 and 16, only because we have discussed these verses in the past with other sections of our study. They are much a repeat of what John has already said, so to move on with our study, we are going to skip right ahead to verses 17 & 18. Over the next several days we are asking ourselves how these 2 verses fit together. We want to gain a proper understanding and so we hope you'll join us as we discuss the importance of these verses!

New link

We have posted a new link under the "Favorite Websites" section on the right side of our blog. The link is: Matthew Henry's Method for Prayer. On the right side of this website there is a link to join the daily email list of praying Scripture. We hope you look to see if this tool would be useful for you!

1 John - a Review

We are going to take the next couple of days to review what we have studied so far in 1 John. We have been studying intensely the last several weeks and so we thought it would be helpful to take a step back and look at the book of 1 John again as a whole. If you are following our online outline, we start today with question #1 of chapter 4, verses 15-21. What has been the emphasis in John's communications so far? Main ideas of chapters 1-4: Chapter 1) Jesus is a real man whom we have fellowship, 2) Those who claim to know Him must love the brothers, 3) God's children must not live in sin, 4) Learn to discern the spirit of truth and falsehood.

A short break in our study....

We'd like to take a short break in our 1 John study today to just talk about how we are currently studying God's Word. You know, studying God's Word is just so important. Getting to know God better helps us as we seek to glorify Him. Our program seeks to study God's Word and then apply it to women in various seasons of life. Whether you are a teenage girl still learning about all the truths God wants you to know or are a mature older woman, there is much to share! We hope that today is an encouragement to you as you hear how we study. Will you share with us and others what you are doing to study God's Word?

Personal application

How can you personally apply 1 John 4:13-14 to your life? We will be sharing our testimony concerning these verses in the next two days and would love to hear from you! We start off by talking about the work of the Holy Spirit. Check our online notes for the specific things we mention.

Testifying

We've been talking the last several days about how John testified the fact that God the Father sent God the Son to be the Savior of the world. As believer's we are also to testify of this fact. The question we are asking today is, "How can we as believers testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world"? We shared our thoughts on this matter....please share how you testify.

Home

"What is your home communicating? What message does it send out about what God is like? Does it manifest His love, His grace, His beauty, and His order? Does it point people to the gospel? Does it help them see their need for a Savior and make them thirsty for Christ?...we can make homes out of wherever God has placed us, that minister grace and the gospel and the likeness of Christ to those around us...That climate is affected by our attitudes, by the activities that take place in our homes and by the general atmosphere of our homes. A climate conducive to nurturing life would be a climate of order, peace, grace, unconditional love, kindness, truth, a home where we experience the reality and the presence of Christ. Where we talk about Christ. Where we talk about His Word...What stifles life? What kills life in our homes? It’s a climate of:

• criticism
• perfectionism
• anger
• selfishness
• pride
• contention,
• performance-based love

If that kind of climate is in your home, ask yourself, how am I contributing to that environment? Am I doing something to make the climate of our home that way with my behavior, my spirit, my actions, or my reactions?"

I read this in one of Nancy Leigh DeMoss' radio programs, and I thought it was such a great reminder. No matter where we are in life, what season or the size of our home, we are called to be hospitable to others, not only sharing food but also sharing Christ!

I Peter 4:9-10

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. (ESV)

Getting practical - The difficulty to love

What makes it difficult for you to love others? The next 2 days we will seek to answer this question very practically. Do you struggle to love others because of pride? Selfishness? Do you see the response of "I need ME time" as selfish? God calls us to love others and that takes sacrifice; it takes giving up something we want for the good of another. What excuses do you give to NOT show love? Evaluate those excuses and determine if you have a biblical reason for withholding love. If you do not, take time to repent and ask God to help you practice love in a biblical way. We know this is hard work, yet it honors our Savior and is so worth it!

"One anothers" in the Bible

Today we talk about question #7 on our outline - "What is the result of loving one another?" Today and tomorrow we'll talk about other "one another's" in Scripture. See the online notes for the verses. Then on Monday, October 11th, we'll answer question #7 in more detail. What are your thoughts?

What loving others looks like, part 4

Our final topic of discussion on loving others is loving others who are in your sphere of influence. This might be your co-worker, neighbor, friend who lives in another state, or extended family members. How do you show them love?

What loving others looks like, part 3

Third in our categories of loving others is our church family. What does it look like to love others in your church? How have you loved others and what have others in your church done to show you love?

What loving others looks like, part 2

Today we move on in our discussion about love and will talk about what it looks like to love our children? Again, we will share personal examples in our situations. What does it look like in your home?

What loving others looks like, part 1

We are going to spend some time now discussing what loving others looks like. What are some practical every day things that we as women can do to love others. Today and tomorrow we are going to talk about what it looks like to love your husband? We will share our answers as it applies to our situations. If you are married, what does this look like in your life?

Candles among gunpowder

I just read this quote on an email this morning sent out by Nancy Leigh DeMoss speaking about the importance of our modesty as women:

"Richard Baxter was a 17th century pastor who realized how a woman's clothing could snare a man's mind. He gave women this counsel: "You must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder.""

Are we being that cautious in our lives in order to guard the hearts of men around us?

Sharathon 2010

AM-1030/WCTS is the radio station that produces and broadcasts our program "Women in the Word." We are asking those who listen to our program and WCTS to prayerfully consider making a financial donation to the radio station to help their operating costs in this coming year. We appreciate the ministry of WCTS and know that God is using it to encourage believers as well as reaching souls for Christ. The week of September 20-25 is the annual Sharathon during which the station seeks support. If you can help, you can do so by calling: 1-866-766-8556 (toll free) or 763-417-8270 (Metro). You can also donate online through www.wctsradio.com. Note that our program will not air the week of Sharathon. Please ask what the Lord would have you do to help this ministry. Thank you! Rebecca, Pam, Sarah, Crystal & Karen

Please give us some feedback!

We would love to hear from you! Please use this post to comment on our program. As a listener, do you have any suggestions for our program? Do we speak clearly? Give enough biblical references? Are the questions we pose on the program practical? Please let us know how we can improve and how we can encourage you better. Do you have suggestions for a future study? Thank you!

But why love?

Why should Christians love one another? Besides the clear fact that it is a command in Scripture, what other points can we make regarding the importance of love? We will spend September 16th talking about other "oughts" in Scripture. These can be found on our study notes for chapter 4. From then we'll seek to answer this question....what are your thoughts?

What is love?

The next 4 days we will be answering the question, "What is love?". We are going to take quite a bit of time giving as many examples from Scripture of what love looks like. Buckle up and join us as we talk about how to give flesh to the word love! Then share any additional thoughts that you may have here! The study notes also have a listing of verses we share. Check out the notes for chapter 4, question 4 on this section of Scripture.

God's Love

How did God show His love? From 1 John 4:9 we see that God showed His love because He sent His only Son to take the punishment for our sins. Because of this gift, we can "live through Him." What a blessing to know that God loved us this way! We see the Jesus Christ died that we might live "through Him" (1 Jn. 4:9), "for Him" (2 Cor. 5:15) and "with Him" (1 Thess. 5:9-10). We hope today and tomorrow will be an encouragement to you as you reflect on God's love for you. A challenge: take this love and share it with someone who needs to know God's love.

Worldly vs. Godly

Today we ask the question, "What are the differences between the world's idea of love and God's love?" We will spend a few sessions talking about these differences and want to help you think through some of the ways that people think about love. We also want to help you evaluate your own love life. Are you loving others with a godly love or with a false, worldly love? Think through the "why" of why you show love to others. Does it point others Christ? Is your motivation pure? Is it a godly love?

Loving and Knowing God

As we move into our study of 1 John 4:7-12, we find that we will be doing a lot of talking about love! Some of what we say will be a repeat of what we've shared before about love. But it's so important to grasp and understand, so we hope you will welcome the reminders! What is the relationship between loving and knowing God? We will discuss this question today and in the days to come. Please join us in our study and share any thoughts or questions that you may have.

Back to our study!

We took a break the last several sessions to talk with Heather Ormiston about her ministry. We hope you enjoyed and were encouraged through those sessions. Today we get back on track with our study and will continue on in 1 John 4:1-6. Over the next 4 days, we will talk about "false prophets" that are in our lives. What are they? How can I protect myself against them? We will share 3 principles to help you in this: 1) Choose your teachers carefully, 2) Listen with discernment, 3) Take responsibility for what you believe. How are you doing being "on guard"?

Conversations with Heather

Beginning today, we will be talking with Heather Ormiston, daughter-in-law of Pam. She will be with us for a few weeks and will share with us her ministry, how she is a woman of the Word and the blessings and challenges of being a pastor's wife. We hope you enjoy listening!

Overcoming the world

Overcoming the world....seems like such a difficult thing some days. Yet God has promised that we can overcome the world. We do not have to live under control of it's false philosophies. Rather, we can live a life that is glorifying to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today we will begin talking about what ways we have overcome the world. We'll give some personal examples as well as try to help you see the confidence you can have to overcome the devil through Christ.