Failing Yet Pressing On

So often I fail. I fail to be loving towards others. I fail to honor God with my attitude. I fail to represent Christ to those around me. I fail to act in humility.

“Yet one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV84)

Thankfully God has forgiven me through Jesus Christ my Savior. He already paid the penalty for my sins by dying on the cross in my place. And He continues to work in me, growing me and changing me to be more like Christ. He doesn’t give up, even when I fail Him. “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV84) If you want to know more about this life-changing gospel, please go here.

Don’t give up, fellow Christian! Even when we fail, God’s grace is abundant.

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Discipling by Mark Dever

Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book defines discipling as “deliberately doing spiritual good to someone so that he or she will be more like Christ.” Being a disciple is being a follower. As a disciple of Jesus, we are to follow Jesus and part of that is to obey His command to make more disciples (or followers of Jesus). This is a very practical book on what discipling is and how to go about it. Discipleship should grow out of the local church and thus the book emphasizes the need to be part of a local body. “Christianity is not for loners or individualists. It is for a people traveling together down the narrow path that leads to life.” When we disciple we invite others along to join us on the journey of life.
“Discipling involves transmitting the knowledge of God and his Word through every moment of life.” Who we are to disciple will often be determined by where we live, our schedules, and who God brings into our path. At the end of the book is a short section for leaders and developing future leaders. “The goal of discipling is to see lives transformed, which means it involves more than reading a book or even the Bible with another person. Ultimately, discipling involves living out the whole Christian life before others.”
Definitely worth the read to encourage building into others’ lives and helping to make disciples who make disciples. Short, quick read with a powerful punch!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher Crossway in exchange for my review.

The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges

The Blessing of Humility: Walk within Your Calling by Jerry Bridges

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jerry Bridges is one of my favorite authors, so I was glad that another book of his was coming out even though he recently passed away. His book The Pursuit of Holiness was life-changing for me and Respectable Sins hit a few nerves of guilt as well. In The Blessing of Humility Jerry’s usual easy-to-read style takes us through the Beatitudes. These character traits for a believer include mourning over our sin, and not just the “big” ones, but the daily common ones of gossiping, pride or envy. Each chapter takes us through a brief snapshot of another Beatitude. Very practical and down-to-earth, Jerry takes us through applying the traits found in the Beatitudes. The beginning traits deal with heart attitude, while the later traits help us work out our relationships with other people.

For those who have loved Jerry Bridges’ work in the past, this was another great read. For those who haven’t read him yet, this is a good book to start. Humility is a necessary part of a believer’s life. Part of developing humility is growing in our understanding of how much we sin and how much God has forgiven us through Christ.

*I received a copy of this book free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my review.

Not Being a Mother

I am not a mother, which means that I will never be a grandmother. That thought hit me the other day. But it also got me to thinking of all the children that God has brought into my life, especially in the last few years through coaching Bible Quizzing and doing nursery at church. While I may not be a biological mother, I am able to be another adult woman in the lives of these kids. One who cares about them, listens to them, wants what’s best for them, and longs for them to know Christ and grow in Him. Some of these kids are toddlers, just learning to talk, while others are pre-teens getting ready to navigate some rocky years of growing up.

As a result of my developing relationships with various ages of children and teens, I have been trying to collect resources to help these kids grow in their knowledge of the Bible and theology. While I may not have my own kids to build into, God has gifted me with these other children whom I can build into. In many ways, I am able to be a part of their lives because I don’t have my own children to take care of. I have more time that I can invest that I wouldn’t have if I had children of my own.

I don’t know what God has for me with ministry in the future. But He has been working in my life in these last few years and it is amazing to see what He has done!