*This post is coming to you a few days early as our staff travels with Beth, which you will read more about below.
Hey, Everybody! It’s May! We are making progress, Girls! By now you are getting some verses down in your bones. I was thrilled two weekends ago when we had our clandestine Siesta picture after the end of our Albuquerque Living Proof Live and a bunch of them brought their spirals. Talk about teacher’s pets! Here they are:
OK! I’ve done a little video – a really, really short one this time – where I say my verses to you while I’m on a walk in our woods so this stands as my official entry for Verse 9! I’m doing memory work right now out of Ephesians Chapter Four and it is so powerful. As you’ll hear in this segment, God seems to have a tremendous partiality to the number ONE.
Y’all, I love doing this with you. I love an SSMT year. You are so dear to us. By the time you’re submitting your verses, I’ll be speaking in London at Hillsong Colour Conference. Our whole LPM staff is coming and many of our volunteers. Melissa is with me and will be heading up a short tour with our volunteers after the Hillsong conference ends, giving emphasis to several figures in Christianity who had tremendous influence on Spiritual formation. We are looking extremely forward to it. Her suitcase weighed 10 whole pounds more than mine strictly from books. Made me grin. The girl is a book nerd if you’ll ever meet one. We were so sad Amanda couldn’t come on this trip but she needed to be home with her very busy family this round. We miss her like nobody’s business. Would all of you please pray for us as we labor in this gorgeous field of harvest? Please ask Jesus to pour out His Holy Spirit lavishly upon us and to give us such hearts of love for every person we serve.  When I say, ask Jesus to pour out His Spirit, I mean like GUSHES. FLOODS, TIDAL WAVES of Living Water. Understand what I’m saying? PRAY BIG. Get in there with your faith if you’d be willing and ask God to be enormously present among us here. Ask for many to be saved, many to be delivered from strongholds, healed, and made whole in Jesus. Ask for multitudes to awaken to the breadth and length and height and depth of the borderless love of Jesus. Thank you! I owe you a debt of love which I gladly, joyfully pay.
Ok, Girls! Hit it with those verses!
Cherri, Smyrna, GA: “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. ” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
Sara Sanders, Garden City, KS
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. (â€Isaiah‬ â€46‬:â€9‬ NIV)
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17 (NLT)
Terri
Stonewall, LA
Numbers 6:25 NIV
the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;
Diane from Chesapeake, VA
Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is you faithfulness. NIV
Kaaren. Columbia,SC
Pamma Rippe from Abingdon, VA
“But I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7 HCSB
Christy MacDonald, St. Clements, Ontario
“I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:24 NIV.
Marla, Benton, AR. Ephesians 6:13 NIV “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Laquita Hunter, Athens, Tx. “For l, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13 ESV
Vanessa – Texarkana,Tx.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
But in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Philippians 2:3 ESV
Evelyn Anne Turner , Macon, Georgia
Psalm4:8 ESV
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone,Lord, make me live in safety.”
I greatly rejoice in the Lord, I exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 HCSB
Cindy
1 Peter 5:10 NKJV
But may the God of all grace, who calls us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strenghten, and settle you
Amanda Porter. Kansas City, Missouri. “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.” -Ephesians 4:29 (MSG)
Amy Andrews, Edmond, Oklahoma
But You,O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.
Psalm 3:3
Jennifer Lane, Grand Rapids, MI
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
Colossians 4:2 NASB
Carol Wheaton, IL. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 NLT
Colleen, Lyndonville, NY
But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation. my God will hear me. Michah 7:7
Stephanie from Gulf Shores Alabama
“What do you mean, “If I can?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mark 9:23 NLT
Jenna, Fort Worth, Tx
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Phil 4:8 ESV
Jewel from Florien, LA.
Psalm 91: 1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. KJV
Psalm 5:11 AMP. But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering for them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.
Hillsboro, KS “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippines 3:14 (NIV)
Sherry Stewart, Winston-Salem, NC
Do not let any wholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29
NIV
Kristie Terpstra, Montgomery, TX:
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you;
in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
Justine Crawford
Las Vegas, NV
1 Timothy 4: 12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set as example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. (NIV)
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace…
1Corinthuans 14:33a NAS
Erika, Monson MA
Michelle, Warner Robins, GA
The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
Zephaniah 3:17 NASB
Ephesians 3:17b-18 NIV “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”
And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
Lisa from Rootstown, Ohio. Isaiah 6:7 NIV. “With it he touched my hand and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'”
Michelle, Houston, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10, NIV
Stephanie Allen, Fort Worth TX Proverbs 28:13 NLT “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy.”
Weatherford, Tx
Proverbs 3:14 NIV
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 NIV
Cindy, Deming, NM
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5 (HCSB)
Amy, Hobe Sound, FL “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.” I Cor, 13:8 ESV
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (â€1 Thessalonians‬ â€5‬:â€16-18‬ NIV)
Kim Culp South Bend IN
1 corinthians 2:4-5
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirits power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on Gods Power.”
Ashley Reed, Cedar Park, TX – “…who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on the cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” -Phil. 2: 6-11 (HCSB)
Barb * St Cloud MN * 1 Peter 1:8 (NIV) “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,”
Judy Williams, Round Hill, VA
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 NIV
Phyllis Twilley – Salisbury, MD
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in y9ou. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” Psalm 143:8 NIV
Oh, Beth.. that just was the best (your little video). Praying and especially mindful of you today as you are in London (I’m sure you won’t even read this but saying it anyway!), and as I go today here in Asheville, NC to my church to wrap up our very last day of “Children of the Day!” I’m sad to see Thessalonians go, but God highlighted this scripture for me from the words of the very last chapter of Thessalonians. As a momma to three little ones under the age of 4, this one is one I’m needing to cling to every day in the face of my many failures:
“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
(2 Thess. 3:5 ESV)
God is working in you giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:13
Amanda Jones, Austin,TX
Romans 5:5 NIV “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Sarah M., St. Louis, MO
“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
Susan Davis, Lawrenceville GA. Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. NIV
Robin – Atlanta GA
Be on your guard
Stand firm in the faith
Be courageous
Be strong
Do everything in love
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV