HANDS TO HOIST THE SAIL

3.–I SO agree with all you said here Dee on children! I cringe when a VBS or similar program “invites” kids to make a commitment. My older seemed to go that path, with a dated card stating she’d become a Christian…and yet we don’t see the fruit or real faith. My younger, I feel we avoided all of that, just shared Scripture daily, and he’s recently started his own devotional time every morning, completely on his own. It IS the Spirit, and I think it can be so dangerous to give a  false sense of faith. There are a ton of good solid material on the subject that’s helped me a lot with this. I think a key for me has been recognizing I am “only” to be my kids’ ambassador (and as Paul Tripp says, not “owner”) My job is to point them to Christ, teach His Word, but leave the rest to Him. Much easier said than done for me! And the “asking into your heart” has bothered me since before kids, simply because for me, it seems to place too much emphasis on US doing something, rather than receiving His gift. 

Did you see any noticeable changes in your life? Any praise reports? If you have a SPECIFIC story TELL IT AS WELL AS YOU CAN!

 
I mentioned above that I rely on this blog to keep me focused on Him. It is SO easy to get side tracked with the issues and life in this world ?. I don’t have a specific praise report; in fact, I really blew it this past weekend with my sister in law. My husband lost a brother in law and we went for the funeral. One of my sisters in law asked about our kids; how they were doing. I said ok, however I know just what challenges they are really going through. She specifically asked about our youngest because she saw an older sibling having a long FB debate with him that concerned her. She is either a non believer or atheist, not real sure. I told her I thought he was ok, and then somehow got roped into talking about the election. I love politics, but I truly tried (SO HARD) to avoid that conversation cause I knew it would lead to no good. We have opposing view points and she (I think) thinks Christians are awful people. I think the FB “discussion” of my kids was about the results of the election (can’t really remember now). I took the bait and then went on a rant about how the evil world (especially the media) has ruined my kids. It is my belief that if they would stop the endless reporting on the protests that they would go away. It may be true (the media bit) but I surely didn’t show her Christ that day. I’ve thought about writing her a letter to apologize and maybe humble myself a bit; not sure if it would help. Luckily, another sister broke us up. So, here’s a reminder that we must remain vigilant at all times. 

4. What thoughts do you have on the above?
 
 I guess I was less deliberate when I taught my kids about God.  We went to church, Sunday school, Mother’s Day out programs through the church,  VBS, and I was involved in different aspects of church life (Choir, dance) when my kids were little. The conversation never really came up about believing in Jesus/God, it was just  assumed.  To this day I’m not really sure where my children stand on their belief.  I think they all, in their hearts believe there is God, but I’m not sure that they know Jesus.  I hope it’s not too late to teach them.  I’ve told the story before of Sarah, when she was six or so, saying that a little boy who had died (Eric Clapton’s son) was so lucky because he got to meet Jesus.  
 
 I’m trying a bit of a different tactic this time with my grandson. I am reading to him the Jesus Storybook Bible.  I don’t really think I ever read Bible stories to my children, although we read all the time.  I like the story of Dee’s friend who uses the heart with the cloth covers too; I think I would like to try that. 

I am sort of skipping over #5, I feel I am still learning as I go and the thoughts I do have are too hard to put in a neat statement! But, one thought I have is that my kids are most shaped by my actions (good and bad)–and that includes my sincere apology to them when I mess up, but also the things I wouldn’t have realized they noticed like when I’m alone having devotional. A few months ago, I woke up, thinking I was the first up. And I found my 9 year old son on the screen porch alone with his Bible and a notebook, in the same spot my husband can be found every morning. That wasn’t “taught” in words, but I think much more powerfully through example. That said, I feel I have a “case study’ in my family to prove there isn’t a formula, and all we can really do is PRAY and get myself out of the way for the Spirit to blow that wind as He wills! But I know I am called to teach the truth, clear and accurate…to plant the seed and be faithful to hope for a harvest. 
* I do like the little New Growth Press booklet called “Leading Your Child to Christ” by Marty Machowski

6. A. What do you learn about Apollos?
He’s a Jew, a native of Alexandria. He’s an eloquent man, with a strong knowledge of the Scriptures. He spoke and taught accurately. He know about Jesus but only in part.  Yet, he was teachable. 
 
    B. What did Priscilla and Aquila do?
They pulled him aside and privately explained to him the things about Jesus that he did not know. 
 
    C. What change took place in Apollos?
Apollos came to know Jesus personally, in full. Reminds me of the J. Edwards quote-“There is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet, and having a sense of its sweetness.”
He went to Achaia and taught through the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, and led many to come to faith.
 
D. How might you apply this in evangelism?
 
To recognize that someone may know much of the Scriptures, and yet still not know the sweetness of the Lord. It’s a reminder to be ready to ask good questions and speak the Gospel clearly, to be sure that they have heard the truth. It’s easy in our culture to have grown up in or around Church and think you’ve heard it all…but not really know the true Jesus. 
 
 

1. What do you think you will remember from this series on evangelism?
 
How important it is to listen, really listen to others. To listen instead of worrying about what I am going to say next. The exercise on viewing my testimony in light of am I a “Timothy” or a “Paul” was helpful to me, too. I used to feel ashamed that I wasn’t a Timothy, that I didn’t have a good beginning in life. But I am seeing that, like Paul, I can boast all the more about how great God is. To focus more on His story, not mine. I don’t have to go into all the details of my former life.

10&11.  Like others, I have definitely enjoyed and benefitted from this blog.  I think I started participating about 3 years ago.  Over this time there have been seasons where I have not visibly participated, but I often still got on and followed along silently.  It is very clear that a large amount of time and effort goes into putting this together.  I feel like you (Dee) are essentially writing an entire Bible study every week!  I can’t even imagine how you do all that you do.  As for any suggestions for how it could be changed?  I have often drawn comparisons of this venue (online study) with an in-person study.  The two studies I, personally have lead (both of them yours, Dee!  The Friendships of Women and Idol Lies) were with a group of maybe 5-7 women and, of course, all 5-7 women do not share their answers to every question.  In person studies tend to be: “Who wants to share what she put for #1?  #2?  etc…  So out of 7 women, you might get 2 or 3 (or less!) who share their answers to each question.  In that regard, it tends to be a little less bulky than in this venue.  That said, I do love seeing what other’s thoughts are on each question!  The nature this is just different, there’s no way around it.  So, if you are looking to alter it in some way, my thought would be that you could take one lesson and make it cover 2 weeks, or even a month (with the same number of questions as when it’s one week.)  Since we inevitably get more answers to questions (and responses to answers) in this venue, maybe just have 4 or 5 questions a week?  That would be my only thought on how to alter it, and hopefully make it a lighter load for you in the process.  If you did it monthly, the entire first week could be intro and “what stands out?” and maybe one other question, the entire last week could be listening to a sermon and writing up thoughts on that and then closing remarks (takeaway) the two weeks in between could be Scripture reading with maybe 3-5 questions each week.  Maybe start the study the first Sunday of a month and end on the last Saturday of a month? 
As far as does this meet a need, I think it does.  I’m guessing a certain type of woman is more drawn to this than others.  Many of us may not be as vocal as others in the in-person studies.  I tend to think that most of us arrived here because we were searching for something, sensing a void that was going unfilled by traditional church programs.  
I would hate to see the group dissolve all together, as I do consider you all be be dear friends.  I will pray for the Lord’s leading for you, Dee.  I know this has to be very labor- intensive for you and you are involved in so many other ministries.

5. What has been your experience and thus wisdom about hoisting the sail with children? Do you have advice?
 
I think I sort of answered this above….experience with my own children. I often feel much guilt about my boys because, I had converted to Catholicism after I married their dad, and we had them go to a Catholic school starting in 1st grade. After my second son was born, that’s when I was feeling like I was missing something, and when he was around the age of four, I started to attend a nondenominational church, and eventually stopped going to the Catholic church. That’s when my husband stopped going to church, but the boys remained in Catholic school. So they were exposed to both. I realize there was the gospel in both, but of course there are differences. I blame myself for what must have been a confusing situation to them. They didn’t seem to mind going to my church….I can remember the first time I took my oldest son with me and he thanked me for taking him to church. I know they got good, solid teaching there. But, it divided our family. I knew one Christian woman who told me that I should not have done what I did; that I should have kept attending the Catholic church because my husband is the head of the home and I was to submit to his authority. She said I could teach my children from the Bible but that I should have stayed. I’ve always felt a little like Sarah in the Bible who took matters into her own hands when she gave Hagar to Abraham to have that child. It created a real mess.
My middle son told me that when he was in 8th grade, and he happened to have a nun for one of his teachers, that she said Protestants are going to hell. He actually told her once that he wasn’t Catholic and he said she was rather stunned, to put it mildly. I do not want, however, to be scathing towards the Catholic church. Lizzy has shared here of her own Catholic upbringing, and how the Lord grabbed her heart as she reflected on a booklet with the Stations of the Cross in it.
Without having my husband as a spiritual leader and it being up to me, I feel I made many mistakes. Looking back, I can see how I relied more on my own wisdom, on what I was doing, than on God.

10. Is it meeting a need in your life?
 
I usually don’t skip ahead in the lesson, but I do read everyone’s comments, so I “knew something was up”. For those who may not know how I came to the blog, I want to tell you, because it met a huge need in my life during a time of real crisis. In July 2009, my nephew, with whom I had always been very close, died from a heroin overdose. It shattered our family. I had never experienced such deep loss or grief before. I tried to pray, but honestly, I had been coasting in my faith and God felt more like a stranger to me than someone I could turn to for help. I became angry at God, especially when I would hear testimonies of those who had been alcoholics or on drugs and then God saved them and now they were Christians and free from addiction. I thought that He must not have really cared about my nephew like He cared about these people with the success stories.
 
I happened to hear Dee on the radio, and I visited her site and signed up to be on her email list. I got an email in which Dee asked if anyone would be interested in doing an online study going through her book, The God of All Comfort. I believe that was God throwing out the lifeline to me. I signed up, and in January of 2010, we began, and I’ve been here ever since. That first study helped me so much in working through my pain and grief, and I got support from those who were on the blog at that time. I read Dee’s book, we read through portions of Job, and certain Psalms, and God met me. I am very grateful and thankful for God leading Dee to do that study. He knew I needed help!
 
I am working through a study on The Songs by Nancy Wolgemuth, and this verse has taken on perhaps a different meaning for me (maybe not theologically correct). It is SOS 1:7-8:
 
Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed (your flock)
Where you (make it) rest at noon.
For why should I be as one who veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW, O FAIREST AMONG WOMEN,
FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FLOCK…
 
It’s the “Follow in the footsteps of the flock”….that strikes me. I need to know where He (Jesus) feeds, where He rests….how to find Him, how to seek Him, how to experience those green pastures and still waters that He promises. I am a slow learner, and I need help to live the Christian life. To me, this says, as if He is saying this to me, “If you do not know, Susan, then follow in the footsteps of the flock….” Each and every woman here, in her own unique way, gives an example of how to live this life walking with Jesus. I am helped here often just to follow in your footsteps. This one verse speaks to me of the communion of the saints and why we need each other and fellowship with one another because we can’t do it alone, and were not meant to. Often I experience things that leave me feeling like I don’t know what to do! “Follow in the footsteps of the flock”.
 
Dee, I am so thankful that you have created this place where this little flock can gather, learn and grow together, and real friendships can develop. I do realize, though, as someone already said, that you are writing a fresh Bible study each and every week, and I can take that for granted, but it must take a lot of your time in prayer and preparation. I would very much miss this place….can’t really imagine it not being here, but know that you need to do what God is leading you to do, so I will pray for you!

This week has been very busy at the hospital that I work at, we can’t get caught up because of all of the end of the year surgeries that people are having so there is lots of overtime. I also had a death in the family which has required out of state traveling. I said all of that to say that I’m sitting in a hotel room trying to do this week’s study and realizing that you want some thoughtful input about the blog, I might have to add it to next week’s study if that’s OK since writing all of this on my tiny phone is grueling.
As far as the evangelism series it really has opened my eyes to opportunities. A co-worker of mine has been going to a yearly sermon given at the 4H fair (it’s the only time she goes to church) and it turns out that it is preached by my dad’s old drinking buddy-turned-pastor and his son. I knew as we were talking that this is an opening door. My co worker even brought it up again the next day. I am looking forward to the opportunity to speak with her more on this.

 On Keller sermon… I think this is one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard him preach! Especially with regard to the evidence of  which he speaks. I am a scientist, and scientific evidence is important to me; in other words to state your conclusion about an experiment you have to cite your evidence  or no one takes you seriously.
 
 The Scripture speaks of people doubting who Jesus really was.  Keller cites a commentator who says that the disciples would never have written that into the scripture and less it was truly observed.  The commentator believes that everybody saw him repeatedly perform miracles, so how could anyone be a doubter? And yet they were there.  Keller gives an example of a horrific car accident where someone gets their hand cut off, and a miracle occurs where the hand is reformed and no blood or cuts exist anymore. If you saw that happen, you would believe; there would be no doubt.  Jesus performed miracles over and over again, so everyone should have believed. Some did not according to scripture. The commentator believes that this was written in the scripture because it was absolutely true.  I’m still mulling over this, I’m not sure I totally understand it.