New Braunfels Bible Church Women's Ministry

Last week I wrote about the importance of input. We cannot input immoral garbage into our hearts and minds, and still enjoy the blessings of fellowship with our holy God. One of the tips said, “Guard your children’s input, but also start teaching them to discern and choose good instead of evil.”

How do we do this? Well, we need to start by being a good example, by consistently choosing good input for ourselves. This is powerful. Of course, at the same time we need to teach them about the Lord, His ways, and the connection between our obedience and His blessing. If we also are faithful in disciplining our children, they will be learning what is good and what is not.

Unfortunately there is a tendency among children, as among adults, to believe that boundaries keep them from something good. This was Satan’s first lie to us. If we nix something for our children that their friends are enthusiastically enjoying, they are not likely to appreciate our loving protection. There are many times when we just...

This term was originally coined to apply to computer data input and the resulting output, but I have always thought of it in regard to my mind. If I input garbage in a moral sense, it will come back out in my thoughts, my dreams, my words and my actions. That’s plenty of reason to be careful about input, but there’s more.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians, chapter 4 that we should meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and worthy of praise. That’s quite a list. The promise is that when we think on these things, “the God of peace will be with us.”

When we aren’t careful about input, our fellowship with the Lord is impaired. Our pastor is currently preaching on the pursuit of holiness. If we want the joy and peace of abiding close to our Lord, we must pursue holiness. We need to focus on Him and on the good things listed above.

Even if we are careful, many things that do not make the list grab our attention. Think about the daily news. Most...

The Apostle Paul wrote from prison, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:12-13)

Many in this country are currently facing serious financial need for the first time.  Some are angry.  They want to blame someone.  They haven’t learned Paul’s secret.  Have we?  It’s definitely a challenge.

We’re rather spoiled.  At least some of us are.  My husband and I have faced some lean times, but we have never experienced the kind of poverty that much of the world knows.  We’re now living in the realm of plenty rather than need.  God’s Word warns us that spiritually this is a more dangerous place. 

It’s good for us to remember that in those lean times the Lord faithfully provided.  Friends prayed and gave.  One couple told us when they gave us very large financial...

A friend used this expression when it was time to get ready to go to a corporate event with her husband.  What did she mean?  I knew her well enough to be sure she wasn’t talking about putting on a mask.  No, she was talking about her heart.

Some verses from Colossians come to mind: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”  (Col 3:12-14, NIV)

In the context of a corporate party this made sense.  My friend would need these attributes as she interacted with some of the difficult people she knew she was likely to encounter.

That we, as God’s people, can put on patience, humility, and love for difficult people is pretty amazing.  Sometimes, before we can appropriate these qualities which...

Mary Poppins gave us this bit of wisdom.  The following quote from Miss Piggy seems to contradict it, but actually both are true: “Too much is never enough.” 

Any time we have enough we should consider ourselves blessed as if by a feast, and we should thank the Lord.  As Americans we often slip into the realm of “too much,” and this is not a good place to be.  It is never satisfying.  Thus Miss Piggy is right, too.

Have you ever not asked yourself after overindulging, “Why didn’t I stop?”  This can apply to more than eating.  We can get carried away with the number of items on the Thanksgiving menu or the number of gifts we put under the Christmas tree for our children.  The holidays seem to have this effect on us.  The result is not good.  Troubling words like overspending, fatigue, stress, unrealistic expectations, grumbling and discontent come to mind.  It’s not a pretty list, definitely not what we want as we welcome family and friends into our home. 

In Luke 10, Martha is trying to...

It’s very interesting to me that in God’s word, there are no perfect families.  There are a few men  that have nothing recorded to their discredit.  That’s not to say they were without sin.  That is only true of Jesus.  But some, like Joseph and Daniel, trusted the Lord and honored Him through thick and thin.

But families, no way.  Every family has a skeleton or two.  So does ours.  In fact when our younger daughter had an assignment to make a family tree for a sociology class in college, she used a double layer of poster-board and made doors that opened, some revealing a skeleton.  She got an “A.”  She and her sister both used to play my-family-is-weirder-than-your-family with college friends, and they usually won.

But both our girls called home as college freshmen to tell us how thankful they were for us, for our immediate family.  With the Lord’s help, we have been able to break the mold.  We have a great marriage and a close relationship with our girls.  They are very close also.

Some...

I really like this expression.  We tend to say, “God is good” when He answers our prayers, but in truth, He is good all the time.  He may not answer our prayers the way we want, but He always hears, and answers with our good in mind.  Sometimes He seems to be telling me, “This is not about you.  There is something else I need to deal with here.  Just trust me.”

Some are quick to say there is no God or certainly not a good and powerful one, or He would not have let some tragedy occur.  I would say that they have missed a few basics. 

First of all, from the beginning God gave man and woman free will.  This was a very courageous gift.  Man could either choose to obey, love and trust God or he could go his own way.  If he chose his own way, he would forfeit the blessing of God. 

Of course God could have created us without free will, but then we would have been puppets.  There is a huge dynamic missing from any relationship that lacks choice. 

God chose to graciously extend His love...