CDG Recap: My Top Ten

The Children Desiring God conference exceeded all of my expectations. And though it would be quite difficult to capture all that went on in one post (since I am not, nor am I equipped to be, a live blogger), I have decided to post my top ten. Some pertain directly to the conference sessions, and some pertain to other things surrounding the event. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Talking with people and making friends, especially my dear, new found friend from Hong Kong. I pray that God blesses her ministry to children richly.
2. Fellowship, upon fellowship, upon fellowship. Some with people from my church, others from all over the world. But the fellowship that was had at this conference left me full of joy in our Christ.
3. Wayne Grudem’s theology laden messages. Who says theology is not important in children’s ministry? I love learning about election and justification, especially when it pertains to our children. I also would like to mention that this was Dr. Grudem’s first speaking engagement at a children’s conference. He was fantastic.
4. Pastor John’s unbelievable explanation of the Gospel—floors me every time. It also made me rethink how I tell my conversion story. The message in one sentence—your salvation story started 2,000 years ago, at Calvary. Listen to it, if you can. Amazing.
5. Pastor’s John’s quote on why we teach hard truths to children: “You don’t hide truth because of its potential dangers.” This should be a guiding principle in all of our lives.
6. The fact that there are at least 1,100 people out there who think and believe that theology-driven ministry matters for little ones. It makes my heart sing with gladness to God in the ways He works in people’s lives. May God be pleased to bless their ministries.
7. Mr. Tomaszewski telling me what “HT” means in the blogosphere. I had been dying to know for some time, but was too scared to ask. Now I know. (And for those of you still in the dark, it means “hats off to”.)
8. Knocking over the impressive and large flag display right next to my table. Apparently my bag was too big and when I turned around it was a massive domino effect that resulted in many flags on the floor and many eyes on me, and a laughing Kristi Michael. I knew that there was no way I could make it through an entire weekend without making a fool of myself.
9. C.J. Mahaney telling me that he wished there was a way he could let me see Dr. Mohler’s personal library. That was very kind of him.
10. Leaving with a greater appreciation for my church, my fellow believers in Christ, and for the Church of God in the world.

Pastor Sam left of us with a very encouraging verse, which reminded me of why we are doing ministry. Often times if feels like the words we say aren’t getting through and that are labors are in vain. But God sees our labors; God sees our tears for the souls of those under our care. This verse greatly encouraged me to keep fighting the fight of faith in my own life, and in the lives of others. No matter the circumstance, God knows. God has an appointed time for all things, even answers to our prayers—and when that time is right, we can rest assured that it will come quickly and with power, because God keeps all of His promises.

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).

Battling Fear

Growing up I would occasionally watch the Peanuts cartoon, and one segment that sticks out clearly in my mind is when Lucy is trying to diagnose Charlie Brown’s reason for fear. As she sits at the booth, charging her gullible patrons for disorder diagnosis, poor Charlie receives the sad news—he has the fear of everything.

We all experience fear, some more than others. But whether we are prone to excessive fear, or rarely are faced with it, we still must admit that when it comes, it comes in full force.

“I’m afraid to be myself around him, what if he thinks I’m stupid?”

“I’m scared to go to youth group. What if the kids don’t like me?”

“I’m afraid to talk to my parents about my past, what if they are angry with me?”

“I’m afraid to go outside in my neighborhood. I don’t know my neighbors. What if they hurt me?”

Fear manifests itself in many forms. As these statements will attest, it ultimately stems from a disbelief in God. If we believed that God really is who He says He is, then we would have no reason to fear. Fear also can come from guilt over sin, which causes a fear of exposure (Genesis 3:10). We are fearful of being found out, our sin causes great fear.

We have allowed culture to tell us that our fears are simply a disorder that must be medicated and treated with therapy, when in actuality our fears must be dealt with at the Cross. There should be great fear in the one who is still under the judgment of God, but if we have been redeemed, God is on our side because of the blood of Jesus.

But we are not left without hope. The Word of God reminds us that, in Christ, we have nothing to fear. The entire chapter of Isaiah 41 is showing us that God is our strength. God is our shield.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

All of our fears, and primarily our fear when things aren’t going as we would hope, are rooted in our understanding, or misunderstanding, of our Creator. Not only does the Bible tell us not to fear man, or fear judgment, but the Bible also tells us to fear something far greater—God, Himself.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Our only fear should be a fear of our Creator, a reverent fear that displays and magnifies His holiness. Any other fear places God below the thing that we fear most. It is essentially saying that God is not bigger than the thing that we fear.

So often we go about life as if we are orphans, as if we are not kept by the sovereign, omnipotent hand of God. God really does have the whole world in His hands, and He has your life too. Redemptive history shows us, in every page of Holy Scripture, that God keeps and orchestrates every event for our good and His glory. There is no cause for fear—only hope. We are always in need of more faith, more of Jesus (Matthew 6:31-34).

There are countless verses in Scripture that tell us not to fear. Why must we always be reminded of this truth? We are fearful people. We scare easily. We stress easily. But as I have been writing about godly women who hope in God, I am reminded of the fact that they had great cause to fear. For some of the women, there very lives were at stake, and for others, the outcome of their lives was very uncertain. So often our fears are so trivial (Will he like me? Will I get this job? Will I be accepted?), and yet we do not grasp the simple truths spelled out for us clearly in Scripture. Don’t despair, dear Christian, God hears your cries and He will deliver you—do not fear, hope in God. And as my toddlers have learned recently, Jesus is the Boss! (Matthew 23-27). In one utterance, He calmed the seas as the fearful disciples sat back in amazement. If the seas obey Him at one word, He truly does hold the power to work all circumstances out for good. Let this great truth guide your life and calm your fears.

“You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22).

Here is a link to the Girl Talk blog. They have talked also on the topic of fear, and they do a much better, and more thorough, job than I.

http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/fear/index.html

(p.s. I figured out how to link things on my blog, actually Ellie did. But, nonetheless, I can link now.)

Children Desiring God

There are many reasons why I love my church, one of which is the children’s ministry that we have. It’s very innovative actually—they teach the Bible from infants on up. Contrary to sociology and societal norms, children respond to, and desperately need, the Bible, and I feel very blessed to hear that vision week after week.

For the next three days, I have the privilege of attending the Children Desiring God conference, sponsored by my church. The three plenary speakers will be Pastor’s David Michael and John Piper, Dr. Wayne Grudem, and C.J. Mahaney. And the theme? Standing on the Truth: How Great a Salvation. Amazing!

The overarching vision surrounding this ministry is that the next generation may put their hope in God, and they do not shrink back from proclaiming biblical truth to even the littlest ones. In a day where our churches treat our children’s and youth ministries as a form of “holy daycare”, this curriculum and conference is a beacon of great hope affirming that teaching the Bible matters.

It is my greatest joy to teach this curriculum to the toddlers at my church. In the Easter Sunday lesson we learned that “Jesus is Alive” and as I was telling the story, I was at the part where Jesus had died. To my amazement, one of the little ones screamed out, “He’s not dead, Jesus is alive!” Here is an excerpt from that lesson:

But Jesus said, “I will let them hurt me. I will not stop them. I will not get down.” So Jesus stayed on the Cross…Jesus came back! They talked with Jesus! They walked with Jesus! Jesus is back! Jesus is alive again!

There have been times where I have learned more in my times in nursery with these little ones than I have in any theology class. Every time I hear a two year old say “Only God is Big” or “God is Good”, I am reminded that God works in the hearts of toddlers, but most importantly, He is working in the heart of their teacher (me). There are no theology books or in-depth discussion in the Beginners room, just little souls, who desperately need a Savior. The deepest discussion we have is whether “my mommy bought me new shoes” or “I get a sucker for going potty in the toilet”, and occasionally we will hear a glimpse of the Spirit working in their lives, like when one little girl asked why Jesus didn’t come down from the Cross if He was God. But it is joyful and simple nonetheless, because I know that there are seeds of the Gospel being planted in their hearts that maybe will one day grow into unshakeable hope in our great God.

So, needless to say, I am really excited to spend the weekend sitting under the teaching of these great men. I’m excited to be equipped, encouraged, and to fellowship with like-minded believers. It will be a blessing to my soul, I am sure. Theology matters from the two month old to the eighty year old. And if the two year old gets it, then so can the twelve year old, and even the eighteen year old. May God be pleased to raise up the next generation to hope in God and delight in knowing their Christ.

(Steph, Andrea, and I are going to try and meet C.J. Mahaney. The excitement over him speaking has been all the buzz in our house these past two weeks! It was discussed that maybe a cake would be baked for him, but it was quickly decided that that would be a little too uncomfortable, and could be perceived as slightly unstable.)

Merry Christmas, JR!

Christmas came a little early this year for our dear friend Joseph Randall. A roommate of ours, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave JR some much needed training wheels while his bike waited for him at church. It had become readily apparent to many in the 2520 house that the bike needed a little bit of love, and love it got. Lots of it.

Rethinking Esther: The Most Important Part!

Late Saturday night a thought came to me that I forgot the part that most exemplified womanhood in Esther's life--the fact that she sought the Lord (Esther 4:16)! Like I previously said, the text never actually mentions the Lord, but based on what we know about fasting in the Old and New Testaments, we know that biblical fasting almost always included seeking the face of God because the purpose of it is to draw closer to Him by abstaining from food, and substituting prayer (Matthew 6:16-17; Acts 13:1-4; 2 Chronicles 20:1-23). So even though reference to God is not explicit we can still infer that Esther was fasting and seeking God. Why? Because Esther is an inspired book, put in our Bible by God for our good and edification. It is important and helpful in our study of God's Word to look at the whole of Scripture as we read. Not only does it protect us from error, but it also gives us a great and broad view of the grace and mercy of God in redemptive history. Our names are written all over the pages of the Old Testament if we are in Christ, that should floor us.

So, as we read the book of Esther, let's remember that she was not amazing because she was brave, nor was she amazing because she was beautiful (though God certainly used her beauty for good), she was amazing because she had a great God who was powerful and sovereign enough to give her strength and the ability to stand for her people--God's chosen.

Qualities of a Godly Woman, Part 4: Learning from Esther

I have always loved the book of Esther. Maybe it’s because I liked the idea of risking your life for people and for God. Or maybe it’s because I liked the idea of bursting into the palace and exposing the truth (although that didn’t really happen in the Bible, only in that cheesy movie about Esther).

But in all honesty, I think there is a lot to learn from her regarding biblical womanhood. The book of Esther doesn’t get a lot of lip service, yet there is still an example for us to follow in her life. A misconception about Esther can be that she was a sort of pioneering feminist, rising up and liberating her people from the Persians. She did rise up and save her people, but she did not do so in a grassroots movement, rallying-up-the people-type- of way. She did it by listening to Mordecai, her familial head. Mordecai found out information, and then relayed it to Esther, always advising her of what to do. In essence, Esther was never relieved of the headship of her head, Mordecai. He figured out the plot to kill the Jews, he advised her of what to do—even when at first she was not so keen on the idea.

Esther, in the providence of God, was made Queen of Persia, and as Mordecai told her, she had an obligation to save God’s people—yet even if she did not, God would find another person to do the job.

The most telling part of the book, and the part I think we could learn a lot from, is in chapter 4 where Mordecai tells Esther what the consequence will be if she does not help:

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4: 14-16).

As we looked earlier this week at Ruth, we can ask the same question of Esther. What makes a woman willingly risk her life and comfort for other people? What makes a woman choose to be a life-giver in this way? Hope in God. Knowing that God is sovereign, He does not make mistakes, and He is the most supreme treasure. Although the book of Esther never actually mentions the word God, we see His providence in every page. Esther did not say “If I perish, I perish,” because she hoped in her own capabilities—she did it because she knew that there was, and still is, an all powerful God up in heaven who will not allow His will and purpose to be thwarted.

That is where our courage comes from. Not in our own strength, but in resting in God.

In closing, notice Esther’s way of bringing the truth to her husband, the King. She does not do so in a militant, “give me my rights” way, nor does she do so in a nagging, tattle-tailing way either. She was smart. She got all of her facts, and she did so with humility, thought, and poise. Through her gentle and quiet spirit she gained the respect of the King and was thus able to bring her knowledge to the table—with boldness. A gentle and quiet spirit does not mean mousy and wimpy. It means discernment and wisdom to know when to speak and when not to speak, and actually requires much more thought and sanctification than a passive and timid spirit ever would.

So as we look at Esther, let’s remember that being a godly woman takes work. It requires us to be discerning, to be aware, and to be willing to stand for truth no matter the cost. In all things we should remember that there is a sovereign God in heaven who is orchestrating our life for our good and His glory. Let’s not be inclined towards the world’s empty praise, but seek to live with a gentle and submissive spirit.

And let’s face it. That’s way cooler than bursting into the palace and falling breathless into the arms of the King of Persia. (I guess you’d have to see the movie…)

Qualities of a Godly Woman: Part 3 (Just for Tommy)

As we have been looking at the qualities of a godly woman, I was encouraged by a brother to share this visual with the reading world. Here is how we as women can affirm the men in our life--profess our undying love for them in the public arena (in this case, the Metrodome).

In my worldwide Youtube debut, if you can't hear, I am screaming that I love Michael Cuddyer, a player for the Minnesota Twins. It was a bet, and Steph lost. Another example for us to learn from--don't lose bets, stand your ground and be brave!

Enjoy!