*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!
Ephesians 4:1 HCSB “Therefore I the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.
Deborah, Nash TN
Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4 ESV
Jacalyn Miles
Richmond, Tx
ISA 58:10 ESV
if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
Lisa from Waycross, GA
Donna from Albany, GA
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
Evansville, IN
“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15 (NIV)
Leah Kirksey, Camden, Arkansas
“Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.”
Zechariah 7:10 NLT
Daphne, AL
A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Nikki from San Antonio
“Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!”
Psalm 105:2 ESV
Lori
Shakopee MN
“Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12
Gwen McVey – Longview, Tx. ” Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” – Romans 8:26 ESV
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.”
Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)
Rebecca, Chattanooga, TN
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
Psalm 25:16-18 ESV
Noralee from Texas
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Hebrews 12:15
Lou Verner Mineola, Tx. 2 Cor. 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Kathy, Bryant AR:
“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 4:6
sarah w. East Liberty, OH
For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid;
instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7 (GNT)
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing…in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”
Shannon Hoots, Greensboro, NC. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:7 (NIV84)
Janice
Arcanum,Oh
Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, (â€Ephesians‬ â€6‬:â€14‬ NASB)
Karla from Katy, TX
“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 NIV
Maureen, St. Clair Shores, MI. “We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original”. (Galatians 5:26b MSG)
Jen- West Palm Beach, FL
” Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:2 NIV
Psalm 139:5New Living Translation
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Royse City, TX
5/1/15
Acts 27:25 NAS
Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God, that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.
Leslie Young
Wisner, La.
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Galatians 6:9-10 NLT
Alaina // Tyler, TX
Romans 5:3-5 NIV
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint because God has poured out His love in to our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.
Heather from Anna
Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Jessica, Bellefonte, PA
“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’.” Psalm 91:2(NIV)
Tami, Denham Springs, LA
Colossians 3:3, HCSB
For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.
Marie Franse, Albuquerque, NM: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15 (NIV)
Rebecca
Owasso OK
“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.” Psalm 59: 16-17 NLT
Jennifer from Rosemount
Oh that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Psalm 119:5
Sloan
Atlanta
Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth.
John 17:17 NIV
Addison Franse, Albuquerque, NM: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15 (NIV)
1I lift up my eyes to the hills,
where does my help come from?
2My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
Bridget – Phoenix, AZ
Colossians 2:2-3 NKJV
that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
LaMoniquĂ© J. Katy, TX “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (â€Psalm‬ â€103‬:â€2‬ NKJV)
Brenda McKnight from Waldorf, MD
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, Ephesians 3:18 ESV
Elaine from Greenville SC -Colossians 3:4 (NLT) And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
Beth from Lititz, PA ( a few days late-sorry!)
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the see,
Psalm 139.9 NIV
Caitlin, Windsor, Canada “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2Chronicles 7:14 TNIV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (â€Psalm‬ â€23‬:â€1-4‬ ESV)
The Lord will fight for you;you must be quiet. Exodus 14:14 NIV
Karen Sanders, Burleson, Texas “Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 1 John 5:10 NIV
Stephanie, Dayton, OH
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
Ephesians 2:8 NIV
Tami G. Franklin, TN
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (â€1 Samuel‬ â€16‬:â€7‬ NIV)
Kati B. Central Arkansas Matthew 16:25 NIV
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
Chandra J., Centeron, Arkansas
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers.”
3 John 1:2 NIV
J.J. Molstad, Arlington, WA
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
-2:Core 3:17
Darlyn Knapp – Singer,LA – “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you … then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1, 5 (NIV)