Summer Thoughts

Mid-August is upon us and the back-to-school supplies {that appeared as soon as the 4th of July was over, what is up with that anyway?} are now reluctantly making their way into our shopping carts.

And as the seasons change, the plans are being set in motion for the start of the next season of Girlfriend's ministry at the River Church.

As the director of Women's Ministry at the River, I have never been more excited than this new adventure the Lord is taking us on.

When the Lord changes directions, He does it for our good!

God's just like that - He loves us way too much to leave us self-absorbed and navel-gazing. He longs for us to be others focused! {And by others, that means - others! Not our families or best buds that are up close and personal, but others!} Can you just imagine what would have happened if God only thought about Himself? Or if He had only loved His son? Whoooa. We would be toast! BUT He didn't. He loves us and spends His time not just occasionally

or half-heartedly loving us, but lavishly loving us!

So fasten your seat belts, beginning this fall, we will be embarking as a team on a God-sized mission that will {for those who are willing} forever change each of our lives as we learn how to become more like HIM!

June's Girlfriends Breakfast - Learning and Unlearning

What a wonderful time with some amazing ladies on Saturday! Thank you all so much for coming. And thank you to Lori Quissenberry and Sharon Neufeld for making yummy breakfast casseroles!

This month we dug a bit deeper into God's Truth and how to know the difference between a truth and a lie.

"Half of all spiritual growth is learning things you didn't know, the other half is unlearning what you do" from In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

From the time we are born we are in a constant state of learning. Unfortunately not everything we learn is Truth. It can be so similar to truth, however, that we have a hard time even knowing that it isn't Truth. I (Jill) asked the Lord why it's so hard to see the difference between truths and lies and here's a word picture he gave me.

{I took pictures to help make it easier to understand}

This pin represents truth-God's Truth. Plain and simple. Easy to see when it's by itself.
This pin represents lies. Very similar to truth but obviously different.

When they're next to each other it's obvious which is which. Truth vs lie. Easy to see.

I believe what the enemy (the father of lies) does is come into our life and sprinkle some more lies near our truth making it harder and harder to see the truth clearly.

Frankly I think he comes in with a whole dump truck full of lies. It buries the truth. Can you see the truth in that pile? I promise I didn't move it. Just added lies to it.

I think that people in general - and then God said me specifically and other Christians - stop there. We just look at the pile and try our best to find the truth but we don't ever sort through the lies or remove them. We just keep looking for that one pin in the midst of all the rest. It's so hard to see!

The Bible says "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9 No where does it say, sit back, relax and the truth will come and smack you on the face! Ask, seek and knock are action verbs. We must actually do something. Like dig through that pile of lies in a desperate search for the truth! Don't just stare at it, sort it. Throw away the lies. Search for the truth. God promises that you will find it! It may take time but it's there. That's the truth!

Some of the lies that we have believed are about God and the Trinity. We've absorbed what we've been told or experienced and we've believed it to be true and we've never really known any different. Our ideas about Who God is and Who the Trinity is is so powerful in affecting our relationship with Him and with others. The enemy has clouded our understanding of God and therefore kept us from Him.

When you think of God the Father, how would you describe Him? Distant? Judgement? Holy?

Some words I have found are: Holy, Just, jealous, patient, loving, Almighty, Provider, Creator, Life-giver, Healer, Righteous, Peace, Master, Shepherd, Our Banner, Fortress, King, Shield, Refuge, Deliverer, Strong Tower, Rock, Seer, Savior, God of the covenant, I Am.

God the Father is Holy and we are to have a holy fear (awe and reverence) for Him. If He came into the room right now what would your posture be? I would be on my face in the presence of His holiness. God hates sin because He loves us so much. Sin is what keeps us from Him. How would we live differently if we understood the hatred for sin? If we hated sin like God does? It would change us!

Who is God the Son and what words would you use to describe Jesus?

A few names: God with us, Anointed One, Shepherd, King of Kings, Deliverer, Advocate, Ancient of Days, Cornerstone, Immanuel, Head of the Body, Great High Priest, Lamb of God, Savior, Healer, Coming King, Sinless, Grace, Mercy, Redeemer and Friend.

He's our friend! He conquered death for us! He's merciful. All true but we tend to end there - sticking with the "feel-goodness" of Jesus. There's so much more!

Who is the Holy Spirit and how would you describe Him?

A few names: Counselor, Comfortor, Baptizer, Advocate, Strengthener, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Grace, Spirit of Mercy, Spirit of God, Spirit of Holiness, Spirit of Life, Breath, Wind, Fire, Water, Oil, Light, Dove, Wisdom, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Gentleness, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness and Self-control.

The Holy Spirit is God IN us! When we ask for patience/love/wisdom etc...God sends us His Holy Spirit. But sometimes that's all we seek. We get stuck there.

The Trinity has 3 parts. There are seasons when we need and rely on each different part but we can't ever leave the others out. They have a purpose.

What is your favorite food? Chocolate? Imagine if you were on an island and your favorite food was all you had to eat...forever. How long would that sustain you?

We do that with God. We find our favorite part of Him and stay there. And then we wonder why we aren't growing, why we are literally starving our spirit. He is a balanced God and we are to know all of Him - not just our favorite parts.

To know all of God we must be knowers of the Word. And again, not just our favorite parts of the Word but all of it. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are throughout the entire Bible. To know the Word better is to know the Trinity better. Don't leave any one part of the God-head out. They all work together to grow us, mold us, save us, love us, change us.

In order to continue to learn and unlearn we must saturate ourselves in truth. Dig out and get rid of the yellow pins. Identify truth and cling to it! We MUST NOT quench the spirit. He is the giver of Truth and Wisdom. He is the reveal-er of lies. He will lead us to a deeper relationship with the Trinity.

Think about what you have learned about God and the Trinity. What was taught to you when you were growing up? What do you need to unlearn? What do you need to learn? How will this affect all of your relationships?

April's Girlfriend's Breakfast - Walking Wounded

This morning I joined with 44 other women to celebrate God and hear from Him and minister to each other. It was wonderful! So thankful for all the ladies who came early this Saturday morning. You are a blessing!

Here are the notes from the message today:

Walking Wounded

We were created in God's image to bring Him glory! Our purpose is to reflect to the world His love and grace and truth and redemption. To reflect Him. Being a Christ follower is not about us, it's about Him in us. And when He does a work in us, it is to bring Him glory. One of these ways is when we are wounded.

When I think of the wounds that we've incurred throughout our lifetime I picture imaginary arrows sticking out of us (kind of like a porcupine!). Each one represents a wound of shame, guilt, feeling unloved, unworthy etc... These arrows ultimately come from Satan but through our friends, our families, our coworkers, our spouses etc...They have the bows that shoot the arrows.

Let me give you an example. If, as a child, a parent said to you that you were ugly, fat or lazy, that was an arrow shot at you. And if it wasn't removed, it is an arrow that has stuck with you your whole life. Fast forward to adulthood. A spouse, a friend, a co-workers says something to you about your appearance or your work ethic and *zing* that arrow has been hit again. That wound is still so tender because it has never completely healed. It's like your parent speaking that over you all over again.

These wounds are painful and the arrows, once they stick in us, may be hit {again and again} at any time by a loved one or a complete stranger. When they are hit, the original wound hurts again and we are reminded of that shame or guilt.

How do we tend to deal with the pain of the arrows? Well, many of us self-medicate with food, by isolating ourselves, using drugs or alcohol, by being involved in unhealthy relationships or by throwing ourselves into a ministry or a cause etc...When an arrow is hit by someone, we run to numb the pain with some form of self-medication. Something that will take the sting out of the hurt.

So now imagine 2 women with arrows everywhere trying to have a friendship with each other. They can only get so close to each other before they start hitting each others arrows. When this happens (when arrows get hit) we tend to back off, put up walls, hurt the other one, or make lots of rules (I'll be your friend but such-n-such a subject is off limits and if you go there we're done) in order to continue with this friendship rather than deal with the arrow itself . Being in a close relationship with another person can be painful because of our wounds. I see this as a huge challenge in getting women to form intimate friendships with each other. We are afraid to show another our wounds, to talk about them, to heal them. Thus the self-medication.

So how do these arrows get removed? How can we begin to be free from the pain of those hurts? 1Peter 2:24 says "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds we are healed." Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross - taking on our sins - we can know the Great Physician and He can remove our arrows and heal our wounds.

Depending on how long the arrow has been there, the removal can be very painful. If it is the arrow from the example from our childhood, skin has grown over and around the wound. It's been there a long time! There may be surgery that is necessary. We tend to run from the surgery because we're afraid of the pain. But God wants to heal us wholly and completely. Yes it will hurt, but it will be real healing, not a temporary fix. The arrow will be removed and the skin can now heal completely.

There is an account in Acts where Peter and John heal a beggar and then turn to address the crowd. Acts 3:16 says "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." It is God who heals! It is faith in Him that heals. And that healing is for all who call upon the name of Jesus by faith.

After the arrow is removed the medicine we need is God's Truth. The prescription is apply daily, sometimes hourly. God's word is medicine to our souls and our spirits. Grab onto His word and apply it everytime a wound is hit. When the arrow of ugliness or laziness is hit, apply God's Truth about who you are. Tell the enemy that you are a child of God. Forgiven. Loved. Cherished.

Is there a way to avoid the arrows? Because there is still sin in this world arrows can't be completely avoided. People will still do and say mean and hurtful things. Many times we can't avoid being hurt. But we can do several things to limit the number that hit us.

We must start with repentance. Peter told that same crowd in verse 19, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." God doesn't say repent just so we can follow laws. True repentance leads to true healing (refreshing!). We are walking away from the things that bring more arrows. We are walking away from the pit that pulls us in, beats us up, spits us out broken and bruised. God finds us, cleans us up, heals us, allows rest and then some of us walk right back into the pit. Repent.

Put on the armor of God! The belt of truth! The shield of faith to fight off the flaming arrows - I refuse to believe the lies! The sword of the spirit - I know what God's word says and I can believe that and live knowing the Truth! Read Eph. 6:13-18 for the complete description of the armor.

We need to evaluate ourselves daily. When you feel an arrow get twanged or an arrow get shot, immediately go to God for removal and healing. He puts the pressure on the areas He wants to heal. The less arrows we have, the closer we can stand together in relationship. It's a lifelong process but the Healer walks with us the whole way.

Do not wait until your arrows are gone to begin to make friends, however. Look for friends who will help you walk away from the pit. Who will encourage you. Who will speak truth and grace to you about arrows that are in your back that you may not see. God designed us for relationship. With Him and with others. Embrace that Truth!

Think of someone you may know who has had some major arrows removed (arrows of pain, suffering, unforgiveness etc.). God's glory is revealed in their healing! He has removed the arrow and poured out His Word into them to heal their wound. That's what it's about. His glory! May we all be reflections and testimonies of His healing power in our lives.

Can you identify your arrows?
Do you know how they got there?
Will you go to the Healer for healing?
Will you live your life to reflect God's hugeness?
Will you reflect His glory? His glory is revealed in the lives of those He has changed/healed/saved.

Be a part!

Don't Stay Away!

At Girlfriends we believe that God has special plans for women's friendships. He has given us each other as His gift to us, yet we're afraid of what that means. Come join us as we try and navigate what it means to be in relationship with other women. This week, specifically, we'll be discussing relationships as wounded people.

Come and be a part of the Girlfriends ministry next Saturday, April 9th @ 7:30am in the Underground. Join us for breakfast, ministry and fellowship. There is a place for you!

Don't stay away!

February Girlfriend's breakfast

Thank you to everyone who came to the first Girlfriend's breakfast of the year. We had roughly 25 women and we're looking forward to April 9th when we have our next one.

If you missed the last one here are the notes from the message shared by Jill Palmer.

****************

I started off by sharing an experience I've had in the past couple years where I was in a situation with someone and I was really frustrated with it and wanted to see change. I felt compelled to speak truth with this person even though it was stinkin' scary! What happened as a result was better than I could've thought. So many times we don't speak truth because we're afraid of the outcome.

What is a lie?
*It's an exaggeration of the truth, an embellishment, an over-dramatization to make the truth seem better or worse than it actually is.
*It's a half-truth, an omission of part of the story.
*It's a full out untruth.

Why do we lie?
*We're afraid of the outcome.
*We don't want to show a yucky part of ourselves.
*We want people to like us.
*etc........

We live in a society saturated with lies. Saturated with exaggerations, half-truths and total deception. We even categorize lies to make us believe that it's OK to lie {ie. white lies}.

Who is truth? Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life...The name of Jesus is synonymous with Truth. Jesus=Truth.

How did Jesus speak truth to people? It was a combination of grace and truth. He never spoke one without the other. Ever.

Truth+Grace over time = change

Speaking Truth brings Jesus into our conversations and into our relationships. It brings change.

The enemy's only weapon against us is lies. All our issues can be rooted in belief in a lie.

Are you sad, lonely, bitter, feeling isolated or worthless etc....? What lies are you believing about yourself or others?

How do we stop it?
*We meditate on truth/God's Word to us. Philippians 4:8 says "Whatever is true.......think on such things"
*We study it so we can know what is truth.
*We speak it. Even when it's tough. Because we want to see change.
*We receive it when it's spoken to us.

I crave hearing Truth and I crave relationships with people who will tell me the truth and not what they think I want to hear. I can't change if I don't see the truth about myself or others. Good friends love you enough to speak grace and truth into your life and I am very blessed to have friends like this.

Speaking Truth:
*shines light and God into our darkness
*it removes Satan's foothold
*builds trust and healthy relationships
*challenges us to say what we mean and mean what we say
*proclaims Christ
*it heals and changes us
*it sets us free!

Proverbs 12:22 says "The Lord detests lying lips but He delights in those who are truthful"

I want the Lord to delight in me and in my relationships with others! I want to be set free by His Truth in my life. I want to experience all He has for me and not settle for anything less.

Will you speak Truth today?

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Does the men's ministry, Band of Brothers, really have to have all the fun? Nope!!


It's OUR turn!


Come on ladies ages 14 and up, grab a friend and come to breakfast this Saturday, June 12th, with your Girlfriends in the Underground! Breakfast will be simple: bagels, fruit and coffee.


Our worship pastor, Mark Palmer's wife, Jill, will be sharing her testimony and Pastor Linn will be also sharing a brief word. It will begin at 7:30am and end promptly at 9am...so you can hit the yard sales on the way home. =)


If there are any questions, please contact: office@iriverchurch.com or post a comment!


Childcare will not be provided.