This is a podcast for Christian women like you to come take a breather from all the things they need to be doing for their families. Let’s hit the pause button, clear the noise, and shift our focus back on God so that you can find the grace & truth you need to do the work He has for you today.
How to Build Intentional Friendships as Sisters in Christ
May 15, 2017
Show notes
Do you have sisters in Christ in your life that ask you the hard questions? That go beyond the small talk level to see how you're REALLY doing?!
I'm so blessed to have a few women in my life that do that for me. Over the years, we have grown deeper friendships because we aren't afraid to ask each other the hard questions, we aren't afraid to be vulnerable with each other.
I wanna encourage you today to seek out those women in your life that you wanna have deeper friendships with. Initiate the friendship, be intentional and ask the meaningful questions. I pray that as time passes, you'll also have such a bond that is strong because of the Lord.
The Hard Questions
Intentionally seek to really know your sisters in Christ through these questions:
1) What has God been teaching you lately? - We don't always take the time to reflect, we just go go go. But taking a moment and putting our focus back on God, it helps us take a step back and look at the big picture - look at what God is doing in our lives. It changes our perspectives from self-focused to God-focused.
2) How are you and (their spouse's name) doing? - Marriage is the most important earthly relationship. But we don't always keep our friends accountable in this area, perhaps we just assume things are going fine or we don't wanna appear 'nosy'. But here's the thing: if marriage is so important but so hard at the same time, why are we not making sure our friends' marriages are on the right track? By taking an honest look into each other's marriages, we can pray for each other, we can speak the truth to each other. Think about how powerful and helpful that can be for marriages!
3) How are you doing as a mom? - Same concept with the last question. This simple question could invite our mama friends to open up how the hardships of being a mom, especially if you're a new mom. Ask in a genuine caring way and I'm sure she will open up :)
4) Is there anything you've been struggling with lately? - Sometimes I might be struggling with something but I don't even know where to begin to vocalize it. So if someone asks me this question, I feel like I can just go right into the issue. It'll help me open up.
5) How can I be praying for you? This is another good way to see what's going on in your friend's heart. It'll also give you a chance to speak truth to her life if that's what she needs.
Do you have strong friendships with other women? How did you get there? I'd love to hear your stories!
If I See My Husband Through God's Eyes
May 08, 2017
Show notes
If we were to adopt an eternal perspective, how different would our marriages be like? If I see marriage with God's eyes, I would see...
... a beautiful union of two children of God that reflects the intimacy among God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.
... Christ's faithfulness to the church as I commit to my spouse till death do us part.
... God's forgiveness as I forgive my spouse's sins.
... God's grace as I give and extend grace when we mess up.
... God's redemptive power as He restores the hurs and brokenness in our marriage.
... a lifetime of opportunities to be sanctified in Jesus because we will magnify each other's sins.
... God's sovereignty in orchestrating two people's lives and weaving us together.
... God's goodness for blessing such a wonderful man to me.
... God's unconditional love as my spouse loves me in spite of my imperfections.
... that my joy does not come from how happy my husband makes me but in how I delight in God.
If you were to see your marriage with God's eyes, what would you see?
Introducing Zealous + Giveaway
May 01, 2017
Show notes
Annnnnnd it's here.
Our 2nd addition to the Indwelt Bible Study Guide series - Zealous: Ready for Good Works as a Wife and Mom is officially released today!! Wooohooooooo!!
I'm super super pumped about this one, you guys. It's got loads of word studies to help you dig deeper; it's got tons of questions that prompt you to go beyond surface level and learn more about God and learn more about how you can apply the Truth into your life as a wife and/or a mom. It's super practical and I can't wait for you to get your hands in these!! Get a copy sent to your door today!
To celebrate the release, we're gonna have a giveaway! One lucky winner will be chosen randomly and take home a PERSONAL SIGNED COPY to Zealous: Ready for Good Works as a Wife + Mom. Please enter the giveaway below:
Are You Kind to Yourself? Replacing self-talk with God-talk
Apr 28, 2017
Show notes
This article is partially excerpted from our all-new Indwelt Bible Study Guide: Zealous. To learn more about the Study Guide, please visit here.
A couple days ago, I talked about being a kind mom. Today I wanna focus on you.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest, how kind are you to yourself in your thought life? Do you self-sabotage with criticisms and judgments? Do you focus on the bad more than the good?
For me, I'm not kind to myself at all. I'm hyper-critical. And the dangerous thing is: it's really subtle. Whenever things would go bad or whenever I do something "dumb", my mind immediately jumps to thoughts like these:
"Wow, that was dumb. Really? How could you be so stupid?" "What were you thinking? That was dumb!" "That was the stupidest thing ever."
Often times, I catch myself dwelling on these thoughts and falling into this bottomless pit of believing maybe I AM that dumb. If you find yourself having self-sabotaging thoughts, you need to replace them with the Truth immediately... and over and over again.
How Sabotaging Self Talk Ruins You
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
— Mark 7:20-23
According to Strong's Definitions, "defile" can also be translated into "pollute". What a strong imagery that is! What we think of ourselves pollute us. Period. We need to assess closely what enters our minds so we can take every thought captive and replace each one with the Truth. But how do we do that?
Take Every Thought Captive & Replace Lies with Truths
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
— Philippians 4:8
take every thought captive to obey Christ.
— 2 Corinthians 10:5
We are commanded to think what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Whenever you catch yourself thinking of things that don't go under any of these categories, say a quick prayer and surrender it to God. And then replace or rephrase the thought with one that IS true/honorable/just, etc.
To put this into practice, let's spend a few minutes checking your heart: - Grab a piece of paper and draw a vertical line in the middle. - On the left side, write down what you think of yourself negatively. - On the other side, write down the Truths that prove you wrong. Write down what God thinks of you according to Scripture.
Let the truths sink in. Immerse yourself in it. Repeat it to yourself day in and day out. Let your mind be renewed so you'll see yourself as God sees you.
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
— Ephesians 4:22-24
be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
— Romans 12:2
Matching our thoughts to God's will take time. But by doing so consistently, you will slowly see a renewal of your mind in thought patterns and also in your actions and speech.
Is this something you struggle with? What verses help renew your mind?
Additional resource:
1) Jennifer Rothschild has a message on Revive Our Hearts about our thought closet. I have benefited from her teaching greatly. Check it out here. 2) I have some journal pages you are welcomed to download and print off as many as you want for your own personal prayer journaling use. Download it here.
This article is partially excerpted from our all-new Indwelt Bible Study Guide: Zealous. To learn more about the Study Guide, please visit here.
When Your Husband Doesn't Lead
Apr 24, 2017
Show notes
As Christian women, we long for our husbands to take the lead in our homes. We want them to lead our families spiritually - praying with us and for us, opening up the Bible with the kids and initiating spiritual conversations.
But what if he doesn't?
A Wife's Role When Her Husband Doesn't Lead
Pray for him - One of the most powerful things you can do for your husband right now is to pray for him. Pray for his leadership, pray for his heart to desire God. The Scripture talks about leadership qualities in Titus 1:7-9.
For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
— Titus 1:7-9
I encourage you to pray these qualities over your husband consistently. While you're at it, also pray for guidance on how God can use you to encourage you husband specifically.
To help you pray for your husband, I have these prayer prompts excerpted from our all-new Indwelt Bible Study Guide (Zealous: Ready for Good Works as a Wife + Mom). Download them right here.
Check your own actions/speech - I want you to take a moment and humbly examine your own actions and speech towards your husband. Ask God to reveal to you if you've been demeaning, nagging, disrespectful towards your husband. Sometimes the reason why a man doesn't lead is because whenever he attempts to lead, he's met with criticism and discouragement from his wife, and so he quits trying. So I encourage you to seek God humbly and see if you've been discouraging your husband from leading. If God does reveal to you your sin in this area, I pray that you will find the boldness and the humility to confess to your husband and seek forgiveness.
Let go of your expectations - Sometimes we may not recognize our husbands' leadership when we're so focused on how we think they should lead. Take a step back, surrender your expectations to God and become a student of your husband's. Find out what his leadership style is and encourage him as he leads.
How to Get More Out of Your Time in the Word
Apr 21, 2017
Show notes
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:16-17
God's Word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us. But we don't always feel like we've gotten something out of our quiet time. Sometimes we seem to desire more and want more than what we understand on the surface level. Does this sound familiar to you?
If it does, I have something perfect for you!
I'm so excited to announce the Bible Basics Workshop: Get More Out of Your Time in the Word is now open for enrollment!
In this self-paced, short and sweet workshop, you will: - get a beautifully designed workbook - learn several Bible-reading techniques that help you go beyond surface level - get to practice the techniques right away with exercises - bonus tips
The doors are open now. Get your workbook here:
A Life Ready for Good Works + Accepting Pre-Orders
Apr 14, 2017
Show notes
What does a life of "good works" look like for a wife and/or a mom? How does a wife pray for her husband? What should a mom teach her children? How can a wife and/or a mom live life in a way that makes the Gospel attractive to others? These are some of the questions we'll explore as we unpack the book of Titus in our all-new Indwelt Bible Study Guide, Zealous: Ready for Good Works as a Wife + Mom, releasing on May 1st.
As I was preparing to write this Study Guide, it jumped out at me how powerful our roles as wives and moms can be. As wives, we can encourage our husbands to be the godly men they ought to be. As moms, we can lead our children and teach them the way they should go according to the Word. More importantly, the way we live our lives can make great testimonies about God to others who don't know Him yet. These are tremendous roles that will make huge impacts. I'm so excited for wives + moms to dive right into this book with me.
If this is your first time hearing about the Indwelt Bible Study Guide series. Here's a quick summary. It is a series of Bible Study Guides that are: - in bite-sized, manageable and easy-to-digest chunks, making it great for busy moms who struggles with finding time to read the Word - great for digging deep. Because you're only dwelling on one (or two) verse at a time, you're really dwelling on that verse. You're digging deep, discovering more about God, about yourself and how you can apply the verse into your life right now. - not your typical Christian devotionals. With each verse, you will be prompted to ask the Holy Spirit "what is God trying to teach ME through this verse?"
I've received great testimonies about our first ever Study Guide that we released back in January. Whitney says, "The questions really help you dig deep even with a short amount of time. I’m so thankful for this resource." Lori, a mom of 2 little ones, says, "My time in the Word has felt more refreshing than it has in a long time. The reflection questions have really helped my heart connect with the word and I found myself coming back to the concepts again throughout my day/week." I'm super excited to see how Zealous, our 2nd Study Guide, will impact wives + moms who long to connect with God.
Now Accepting Pre-Orders
Zealous: Ready for Good Works as a Wife + Mom will be released on May 1st. But I'm happy to announce that we are now accepting pre-oders. All pre-orders receive a personal signed copy. Secure yours right now.
How to Grow in Sound Doctrine
Apr 07, 2017
Show notes
Sound doctrine takes time and discipline to grow. But with the right tools/resources, you will certainly grow in this area. Slow and steady wins the game ;)
Read the Bible for What It's Worth - The Bible includes everything essential God wants us to know for this life. It's our life-book. We should not take it lightly and read it like a magazine. I believe in taking our time to ponder and dwell on the passage verse by verse (ahem, hence the bite-sized Indwelt Bible Study Guide. Wink wink.) In addition, asking deeper questions will allow you to dig deeper and learn more about God. If you want to learn how to read the Bible for what it's worth - how to have more fruitful quiet time - be sure to sign up for our Bible Basics workshop. It's a free training that teaches you Bible-reading techniques so you can find out what God really wants to teach you through the text.
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Footnotes & Cross References - Take advantage of the footnotes, cross references and summary sections in your Bible. They can be very helpful in giving you more understanding of the text. In addition, it's a good idea to invest in a Study Bible that gives even more information on the cultural and historical background of the passage. We've used The ESV Study Bible, The NIV Archaeology Study Bible, and The Apologetics Study Bible.
Read Commentaries - Commentaries have given me an in-depth look into the Word. They give me new insights and sheds new light on God and myself. A lot of commentaries are long and meaty so, as a busy mama, don't be afraid to pace yourself. Commentator Matthew Henry is my go-to (I read them on Blue Letter Bible), but I've also benefited from John MacArthur's commentaries.
Read Books Supported with Sound Doctrine - In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes it easy for readers to understand basic doctrines. Mark Driscoll also digs into the topic in his book Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. These are great supplements to help us understand sound truth. (If you prefer listening to a book rather than reading it, I recommend Audible. My husband has been listening to audio books through Audible for years. Based on your membership status, you get credits each month that can be used towards audio books. Here's the link if you wanna give it a try.)
Ask Questions - No questions are stupid questions. Chances are what you want to ask someone has asked before. So don't be afraid to seek answers for questions that will strengthen your biblical knowledge. If you haven't already, I invite you to join our Facebook group Indwelt Women where you are welcomed to ask questions about the Bible, your walk with Jesus, marriage, motherhood... basically anything. It's also a safe space where you can share your joy and burden with sisters in Christ. Get inside the group for some daily encouragement now!
Motherhood & Sound Doctrine: Why Is It Important for Moms to Know Sound Truth
Apr 05, 2017
Show notes
The last couple weeks, as I've been writing the next Indwelt Bible Study Guide on the book of Titus, it strikes me how many times "sound truth", "sound doctrine" or "self-control" appear in the text. God repeats words that are important - so how does sound truth apply in our lives as moms? Why is it important for us moms to know sound truth?
Why Should Moms Learn Sound Doctrine?
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
— Psalm 119:105
The Word is Our Lamp - Whether we know it or not, we are always searching for answers and guidance. For nonbelievers, some turn to horoscope, some turn to Tarot cards. But as Christ followers, we know that God's Word is truth (John 17:17). The Bible is our manual of life; it teaches us everything we ought to know about living life on Earth. If we want to know how to mother well, the Bible is our source of guidance.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
— Proverbs 2:6
Our Wisdom Comes From God - Our wisdom comes from the Lord. Period. It is through His wisdom we know how to apply His word into our lives. In 2 Chronicles chapter 1, it is recorded that Solomon, the son of David, sought God in prayers and asked for wisdom so that he could govern his people. (2 Chronicles 1:1-17) We as moms have also been blessed with people that we have authority over - our children. To know how to practically teach our children according to the Truth, we first need to know the Truth. And along with God's wisdom, we can lead our children in the Truth.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
— Deuteronomy 6:6-7
We are to diligently teach our kids about God - One of the most important task we have as moms is to teach our children diligently about God's Word. How are we supposed to teach if we don't know God's Word in the first place? I'm not saying we need to have perfect knowledge of the Word before we can teach. That's absolutely not what I'm saying. But we should seek to grow in our knowledge of the Word and teach our children what we know.
Next Steps: Free Training on Bible Reading Basics
How are you feeling, mama friend? Are you ready to grow in your knowledge of sound doctrine so you can teach them to you children? What challenges do you face in this area?
In the next couple weeks, we will explore deeper into the topic of motherhood and sound doctrine. We will also offer a free training on Bible-reading techniques so you can be better equipped in reading and teaching the Word. Don't wanna miss the free training? Sign up below to get notified when it's live!
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