To Know and Be Known, REAL-ly

Today, I had lunch with six other women’s ministry directors from the Austin area. This little group gets together about once every two or three months to share ideas, compare calendars, and offer advice.  As usual, we shared a plate of cookies, laughed alot, and vented a little about the frustrations of full-time ministry.  As I looked around the table, I realized that I’m no longer the “new girl” in the group.  While I may be the youngster by age, I’ve actually been in the ministry – with my two whole years – longer than a couple of my colleagues.  And with that came the realization that it feels good to be a part of the group instead of a newbie.  It’s good to be among colleagues and friends instead of in charge or catching up to everyone else.  It’s good to know and be known.

So much of who we are as human beings cries out to be known and accepted.  Not all that surprising, when you consider that we are made in God’s image.  He is relationship by His very nature – in perfect fellowship as Three in One – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  And we were designed for relationship with Him from the very beginning.  So the drive to find others like ourselves, someone to connect with and accept us as we are, is as fundamental as breathing.  That’s why it’s so important to me that we are REAL with each other. REAL, both in the sense of what it stands for (Reaching out, Encouraging each other, Adoring God and Learning together), but also authentic and transparent and safe.  To know each other and REAL-ly be known.

I guess I’m feeling a little introspective at the end of my second full year as the Director of the REAL Women’s Ministry. (Yes, it’s only been two years so far, though I’ve been at FEFC much longer than that)  We’ve just come out of an incredible ministry season.  More women than ever attended the REAL Women’s Bible studies.  The Brave Women’s Conference drew just under 500 women to the campus for an amazing weekend of laughter, worship, and learning. We made some new friends from the apartments on Monterey Oaks through the ESL classes and participating in the “Walk for Jack” this spring.  The Precept study tackled the book of Revelation – something they are continuing this summer – with devotion and intense personal study.  The MOPS ministry doubled this year, reaching out to moms who desperately need to know that they’re not the only ones who struggle with their infants and preschoolers. A few women have been catching glimpses of Christ in one another through the REAL Life Ministry designed to encourage us to share our lives and experiences with one another – after all, if we have Christ, we have something to share!  I could go on and on.

With a 10,000 foot view of all of these things, I see more clearly than ever how badly we need one another. How much healthier we are when we are connected.  How important it is to gather as women in the Body of Christ.  How desperate the church is (both FEFC and the church universal) for what we, as women, have to give in reflecting God’s image.  How important it is to each one of us that we know each other and are truly known.  I’m grateful for all that God has given each of you that you have been willing to share with others through the REAL Women’s ministry this year. I am more convinced than ever that we are a bunch of beautiful, brilliant and blessed women, even as we work through our seasons of brokenness.   And yes, many of us are badly broken, but our Heavenly Father is at work putting the pieces back together to be stronger than ever before. And the more we know each other and allow ourselves to be known, the more beautiful we become as part of His Body.

I realize that many of you can’t see what I see – you’re down in the trees while I’m looking at the whole forest.  So I plan to share my thoughts and observations more often in the upcoming months.  I so want you to see what I see from here!  It’s truly amazing stuff!  And I’d love to know what you see from your perspective.  In what areas of your life do you need to be known? To be accepted? To know you’re not alone?

Thank you for being on this journey with me.  Let’s continue finding out what it means to be REAL together…

Love Has A Name

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 (NIV)

I taught on this verse last week in the REAL Women’s Bible study (you can listen to it online here).  Then God put me in His laboratory – time for the practical part of the lesson! In the days since, I’ve encountered four lives that remind me to walk the talk.  Allow me introduce them to you.

Christopher. I just came from his memorial service this afternoon.  His name means “One who bears Christ” and according to the testimony of his family and friends, he lived up to that name.  I’ve been acquainted with Christopher and his wife, Katherine, for a number of years, but I had no idea the impact he had from here to Japan.  Christopher worked with his hands, building things, lighting things, climbing things, tiling things, fixing things at orphanages, camps, and missionary homes.  He served the middle school youth and their leaders, accompanying them on trips and patiently teaching tweens and teens how to use power tools.  Applauded for his deep knowledge of the Scriptures, he was humble enough to never step in or correct young pastors, even when he knew they were wrong.  His love extended well beyond his knowledge in countless acts, sacrificing time, energy, and money.  Everyone he served had a name, and he knew it. Every service was done to the best of his abilities.  And people traveled thousands of miles to honor his life, now that he’s with his Lord.  He loved “in action and in truth.”

Jack.  A few days ago, I saw a sign posted outside one of the apartment complexes on our street – The Park at Monterey Oaks.  They’re holding a “Walk for Jack” on April 14th at 11:00 am.  Jack steam cleans carpets at the complex.  His wife, Tanya, is in hospice care, dying of breast cancer.  The apartment staff is taking up donations, selling popcorn on Fridays, and organizing a walk on the Park’s greenbelt to help the family meet medical expenses. Loving “in action and in truth” for this family can be as easy as buying a bag of popcorn, taking a 1/4 mile walk, or making an online donation (www.WalkforJack.org).

Riley Jane.  I remember when Riley Jane was born ten years ago.  She was physically weak and challenged from the start.  Wheelchair-bound her entire life and never able to speak a complete sentence, but she had a smile that lit up the room, and she loved to laugh and bounce and wear bows in her hair. Flu and pneumonia overwhelmed her fragile body last week, and we said good-bye to her on Monday, knowing that she’s dancing for the first time in her brand new fully-functioning form.  Her mother, Gayle, says that all of the hospital visits (probably around 100 in Riley Jane’s short lifetime) and all of the heartache was worth it – the love Riley Jane’s family gave her was returned to them seven times over.  She loved – and was loved – “in action and in truth.”

Dave.  A close friend of mine has been ministering to Dave for the last couple of years.  He is homeless, struggling with addiction, and physically very ill.  Last week, the doctors told him that he has a serious liver condition – likely brought on by years of alcohol abuse – and has only months to live.   They will perform surgery in a couple of weeks to try to make things better, but the diagnosis is grim.  Even more grim is the fact that Dave has no home, no place to go for a safe recovery, no food to sustain him after he is released from the hospital.  What little money he has coming in will help pay for a cheap motel room down the street from our church after the procedure.  He will need someone to bring him food until he is strong enough to be out on his own again. It’s more than my friend can manage on her own.  Who will show him love “in action and in truth?”

Christopher. Jack. Riley Jane. Dave.  Love has names like these.  In my limited capacity as a human being, I can’t love the entire world all at once. My brain can’t even wrap around the concept, let alone my heart.  But I can love them one at a time, if I take the time to get to know them.  Know their story.  Know their name. And then put action and truth in the love I’m called to give.

Because that’s what God did for me.  He didn’t keep me at a distance and love me with just words.  He entered my world, lived like I live.  He hurt and wept and laughed and joked and worked. And then He gave Himself up – body, soul and spirit – so that I could be saved, only to rise again and prove that Love is greater than the worst this world can dish out. Love is greater than addiction, cancer, birth defects and death.  And Love walks with me through all these things and more, promising to one day carry me to a place where I am beyond their reach.  Until then, He asks me to love others as I am loved.

All because Love knows my name.

If you want to help Dave out or participate in the “Walk for Jack” in the coming weeks, let me know.

Abiding in Christ

This week in the REAL Women’s Bible Study, we talked about abiding in Christ. 1 John 2:27 says “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you…..just as it has taught you, remain in Him.”  Remain.  Abide. Nothing fancy.  Nothing complicated.  Nothing easy.

Abiding in Christ isn’t the kind of thing we can check off of a to-do list, which usually makes women like me crazy.  I’m a “get out there and accomplish something” kind of gal.  I like my deadlines and I like the kudos that come with meeting them.  I like the sense of satisfaction I get when I cross a line out on my task-oriented agenda.  How does “remain in Christ” fit into that kind of mentality?

It doesn’t.  Which is the point.  That’s not to say that the Apostle John doesn’t help me out with this little quandry.  In the first chapter and a half, he’s pointed out several things that help me remain in Christ:

• Remember the gospel of Christ, the beginning (1 John 1:1)
• Stay in fellowship with God and His children (1 John 1:3)
• Walk in the light of truth (1 John 1:7)
• Confess sin and accept God’s forgiveness and purification (1 John 1:9)
• Obey His commands (1 John 2:4)
• Love one another (1 John 2:10)
• Don’t love the world’s way of life (1 John 2:15)

Good practical stuff.  And by remaining in Christ in these ways, I experience the power of the Holy Spirit, the anointing, in my life.  Gimme some of that!

As we ladies in the Bible study considered these things this week, we sang a song called “At Your Feet.”  It’s an older worship song by the band Switchfoot along with a tag from another song from the group Iona, and we used to sing it here at FEFC some years ago.  I’ve put the lyrics to the song below.  Would you pray them back to the Father?  Would you consider adding “remain” not to your “to-do” list, but to your “to-be” list?

At Your Feet (Switchfoot/Iona)

At Your side, I find joy.

At Your side I find my peace

At Your side, I find a purpose.

At Your side You meet my needs.

I have run so far ahead and fallen way too far behind

But I belong at Your side

 

At Your feet, I find rest.

At Your feet, I find my peace.

At Your feet, I find forgiveness.

At Your feet, You meet my needs.

I’ve wandered every crooked path, a bitter road I thought was sweet

But I belong at Your feet.

 

In Your arms, I find comfort.

In Your arms, I find my peace.

In Your arms, I find Your tender holy love to meet my needs.

I have sought a stranger’s care and a liar’s fading charms

But I belong in Your arms.

Oh, I belong in Your arms.

 

Here we can bathe in a love that’s divine.

Here we can know I am Yours, You are mine.

Here, in Your arms that are faithful and strong,

Here with You, this is where I belong.

Making Contact

I love it when God makes contact with me. Now, I know, technically, He’s in contact with me all of the time.  But I crave those moments when God’s touch is palpable, mind-blowing, and undeniable. That happened earlier this week.  I’m praying through some tricky personal situations and God chose to answer me with Mark 5:25-34, a passage about a woman making contact with Jesus.

So Jesus went with him (the man whose daughter was sick). A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, “Who touched me?’” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:24-34)

It’s a familiar passage to me, one I’ve probably read a hundred times, so I was surprised when it all but levitated off of the pages of my Bible the other day. I couldn’t ignore it or move past it – like the Holy Spirit took my face in His hands, pointed at it and said “There! Read there!” Maybe you’ve had that happen to you, too. It’s not immediately obvious to me how it applies to my specific situations.  But as I’ve been praying it through, I learned some new things along the way that I’d love to share.  Allow me to make some observations.

The woman in this passage suffered for a long time and all of the world’s solutions failed her.  In her culture, her bleeding made her “unclean” and unable to worship at the Temple.  And since her society was largely centered around religion, her unclean status would have made her entire life very hard.  That’s why she was willing to go through so much to try to get better.  She spent all her money on doctors, looking for solutions to her problems.  She had probably tried all of the crazy – even painful – things anyone suggested, anything that held out a small hope of working.

I know that kind of desperation.  Many of you know that I struggle with my weight.  I’ve been tempted by all kinds of diets, pills, exercise plans, and fasts – some of them expensive.  Maybe you’ve been struggling with a job, marriage troubles, health issues, kids or whatever. If you’ve been wrestling with it long enough, I bet you’ve been tempted the same way with self-help books and all kinds of solutions that the world has to offer.  Some of them may have been extreme and maybe even painful. All of them have failed us.  Which is where Jesus comes along.

The woman pressed through the crowd to get to Jesus.  Oh yeah.  I get that.  My life is incredibly crowded most of the time. Obligations and demands on my time try to crowd me away from Jesus all of the time.  Your list is probably not that different from mine.  Family, work, friends, the occasional crisis, the constant laundry, the long to-do list, maybe even eating and sleeping.  Some days it feels like getting to Jesus is as hard as braving the Wal-Mart crowd on tax-free Saturday.  And yet, if I could just get close enough to touch Him….maybe, just maybe….

The woman just wanted to touch Jesus and then sneak away, but Jesus had another plan.  That’s me a lot of the time, too.  Just give me a little touch of Jesus, just enough to fix whatever is wrong with me and let me slip back into my life. No need for a fuss.  No need to make a big deal out of it.  Just a touch of His cloak and He and I can go back to whatever we were doing.

Don’t get me wrong.  I admire this woman’s faith.  She knew where to go to finally get the help she needed.  She had the tenacity to press through the crowd.  And she had enough faith to know that just touching the corner of His robe was more than enough to give her the healing she needed.  Maybe she was so embarrassed and humiliated by her condition that she didn’t think He would stop to give her more attention. Maybe she didn’t think she was important enough to warrant a proper appointment with Him. But maybe she was hoping to keep the whole thing a secret.

Jesus is not satisfied with being used for His power.  He wants to give us way more of Himself than that.  After the woman touches Jesus and tries to sneak away, Jesus stops and insists on knowing who touched Him  got healed.  Think about that for a second.  Jesus stops in His tracks, looks around and asks who touched Him – AS IF HE DIDN’T KNOW!  He is God after all. It reminds me a little bit of God walking in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve where hiding from Him.  ”Where are you?” He called out.  Like a parent playing hide and seek with the child “hiding” behind the curtains.

The woman is forced to make a choice.  Come forward into God’s presence, or run as fast as she can the other way.  No more sneaking around. No half-hearted measures. No sitting on the fence.  She’s either in all the way with Jesus, or she’s out.

The woman chooses to be in. She falls at His feet and lays the whole story out for everyone to see. I’m sure she was terrified, embarrassed, and miserable in that moment.  But at least three wonderful things happened.  First, the woman was acknowledged by Jesus as worthy of His attention, even though the rest of the world considered her “unclean.” Second, everyone knew that Jesus’ power healed where all of men’s efforts had failed. And third, Jesus declared that the woman’s faith had made her a “daughter” of God.

I could go on for days about any one of these three things.  But I hope you see the point.  Making contact with God isn’t a sneak-around kind of thing.  It’s not supposed to be, anyway.  God doesn’t intend to have us creeping in from the edges, getting whatever we need from Him and then crawling back to our everyday lives. When we go public with our interactions with the divine, amazing and wonderful things happen.

So as I continue to press through and reach for Him, I’m banking on a belief that one touch from Him will bring healing to all of the situations I’ve been wrestling with – my own bleeding wounds, if you will.  And when He chooses to heal me, I hope I’m prepared to go public with the moment that God made contact with me.  I’m all in, or at least I want to be. We’ll have to wait and see if I’m brave enough in the moment to actually spill my guts at the feet of my Savior.

All this to say that making contact with God is no trifling matter.  It’s a powerful, amazing thing, when you think about it.  We believers may take it for granted, but God doesn’t intend us to.  Instead, at least in this case, He intends for us to go public.  Yes, He has power to heal all of our deep bleeding wounds.  But then He wants us to share that power and give Him the credit – the glory – for what He has done in our lives.  Oh, and He loves to call us “daughter” or “son,” too.  He doesn’t give us the option of being secret believers.  He wants us to be brave enough to go public, even if it’s embarrassing and uncomfortable.

Are you willing to be brave?

Shall we gather?

Imagine hundreds and thousands of Austin’s women all praising God with one voice.  What could our city become if we women fall in love with Christ and change our culture from the inside out?  How would the church be stronger if we learned to support one another in prayer and link hands as we reach out to our city? Just imagine…

God is up to something incredible with the women of Austin.  I’ve never seen or heard of anything like it before, and I’m so excited to get to be a part of it.  God is gathering His daughters together and tearing down the walls that have kept us apart for so long.  Denominational walls.  Social walls.  Language barriers.  All of them are coming down.  And God is the One behind it all.  Women’s ministry leaders across the city sense it and are responding to the call.  Me and several of my colleagues at other large churches have taken on initiatives to gather Austin’s women together for worship and celebration of the gospel.  It’s taken shape in leadership development, coordination of major events, sharing ideas and supporting one another in prayer.  Now, it’s beginning to take shape in a series of three events this spring and summer.

Immerse Austin 2012 kicks it off this Friday, February 3 at the Riverbend Center on Highway 360.  Mandisa, Lysa Terkeurst (author of “Made to Crave”) and commedienne Anita Renfroe make the line up for this one-of-a-kind gathering of Austin’s gals.  It will be a night of fabulous worship and teaching.  Tickets are $25 if you buy them in advance or $30 at the door.  I have tickets in my office if you want to come by and purchase them here, or you can go online and reserve your seats.

The Brave Women’s Conference follows on May 4-5, 2012 here at FEFC.  Angela Thomas, author of “Do You Know Who I Am? and other brave questions honest women ask” will be our keynote speaker.  Women’s leaders from all over the city will be sharing their hearts in breakout sessions so we’ll get to hear how God has equipped all of us in the city to reach our city.  It will be an unforgettable two days of finding out who we are as women in Christ.  Early registration ticket sales are already underway, and there are discounts for groups.  Everyone is invited, so bring all of the women you know!  You can get details on the Brave Women’s Conference website.

This summer, Beth Moore brings her Living Proof Live conference to the Cedar Park Center, just north of Austin.  I’m reserving a block of tickets for FEFC women, and I’m planning on chartering a bus or two to help us make the trek north.  Beth’s teaching is so powerful, and the opportunity to hear her live and in person is one you won’t want to miss.  She’ll be here July 13-14, 2012, so mark your calendars now!  Tickets will be about $60 plus the cost of transportation.

Gracious!  Can you even imagine how amazing all of this is?  What an opportunity for women of faith to gather under one roof and serve the One True God, and not just once but three times this year!  You don’t want to miss thing.

Unveiling the Book of Revelation

A Precept Upon Precept study of “Unveiling the Book of Revelation” (Chapters 4-22) will be held this winter at First Evangelical Free Church.  You may register now.

Description of Study: This is the second of a 4 part study of the book of Revelation.

Class Information:

The focus of chapters 4-22 is the end times.  Through careful observation of the text, discover exactly what God says will take place.  Katie Phillips leads the study and a video by Kay Arthur concludes the class time.

The coed classes meet on Mondays, from January 9-April 23, 2012 (twelve lessons) .  Class does not meet on February 20, March 12, April 2 and 9. Both morning and evening classes will meet in the triple room, CLC 105, 106, 107.   The cost of the class is $29.00 which you may pay when you pick up your workbook. Child care is available in the morning at an additional cost.  The morning class meets from 9 am-noon and the evening class meets from 6:30-9:30 p.m. (The last hour is the video).

Books:

Books will be available in class on January 9^th or, if you are currently enrolled, in class on November 14^th.

 To register : Please contact Lois Akins at 921-2793 or Lois98@gmail.com.  To register , please provide the following information:  name, email address, home address, telephone, and whether you wish to attend the morning or evening class.  If you need child care, (through age 5), please let me know as soon as possible so a reservation can be made.

Blessings,

Lois Akins, Class Administrator

921-2793

God’s Voice vs. The Enemy’s Voice

I love Bible study, and I love studying with women – especially R.E.A.L. Women!  On Wednesdays, we are in the midst of two great Bible studies and a season of learning how to hear God’s voice and how to offer our lives to the God who loves us so much.  As His daughters, we are expectantly listening for His voice as He invites us to join Him in His beautiful dance.  He calls us, longs for us to obey Him, and invites us to give Him our lives as a beautiful offering.  Can you tell I’m having fun?

All the more when God speaks to me through one of His girls.  Sarah C. Smith attended the morning session of “Discerning the Voice of God” this fall.  After soaking in God’s word for seven weeks, she put together this chart characterizing God’s voice vs. the voice of our enemy.  I hope you’ll value it as much as I do.

Whose voice do you listen to?

Kat Cannon, Director of Women’s Ministry (with thanks to Sarah C. Smith)

God’s Voice

The Enemy’s Voice

Love Truth Tells great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3) Peace – within you Peace to others Freedom Gentle Not partial Not slow (2 Peter 3:9) Never fails (Habakuk 2:3) Doesn’t delay (Habakuk 2:3) Verifiable Joy Speaks to us, then speaks more when we listen (Luke 8:18) Holy Spirit speaks only what Father God says (John 16:13) Persistent Directs us Calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3) Gives you hidden treasures   (Isaiah 45:3) Pierces thru the intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12) Encouraging Restorative Glorifies God Convicting A New Thing / future hope Reveals God’s Nature Allows experiencing God Gentle Assured by His promises Hopeful Draws us near Power, Authority Brings God to mind Gives power from God to do impossible Focuses on Now, not what if Leads us along Woo’s us, alluring Doesn’t drive / pressure us Requires supernatural resources Says, “You have enough; I AM all you need.” Builds faith and trust Supported by church community Gives grace Requires obedience Rewards obedience with power, presence, and supernatural blessing Requires adjusting your plan to God’s plan Deserves immediate obedience since God speaks at the perfect time. (Genesis 22: 2-3)

Guilt Condemnation Chaos Impedes spiritual growth of another person Causes conflict between people Stumbling block Fear Lies Sin Shame Hide Adds to / distorts God’s Word Crushes Believe you can do it in your own power – pride Dredges up the past Worries about the future Asks “what if, only if…” Threatens, pressures, intimidates Rushes decision Provides an easy, lazy option “You can’t do it!” Alone Wants us to … miss God’s blessing, experience God’s judgment, break intimacy with God Discourages your dreams for your life Adds emotional “baggage” Wants to delay your obedience to God, if not stop it altogether