Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

For all of you who sent me emails or left me comments telling you missed reading my blog last week, thank you. I honestly didn't expect anyone to care or notice that I was on vacation. Michael and I went to the Resolved conference in Palm Springs for four days, and once we came home I spent a few days doing fun stuff like relaxing at my neighborhood water park with friends and barbecuing with family. I realize I skipped the weekly recap of the James study, but enough of you had told me you were behind that I didn't think you would mind the extra week to catch up. On Wednesday I will resume blogging about that.


In the meantime, let me tell you about what I've been thinking about lately. The theme of the Resolved conference was heaven and hell, and I highly recommend that you visit the website and download the free audio. Over four days, Michael and I took in twelve expository sermons from some of America's finest preachers. There is no way I can expound on everything I heard. So let me hit the highlights:

1) CJ Mahaney preached one night on the doctrine of adoption. I absolutely loved it when he said, "If you have ever wondered if God loves you, the fact that you love God is proof that God loves you. Apart from His enabling you to love Him, you wouldn't be capable of loving Him. So, if you love God you can be certain that God loves you." Wrap your mind around that thought. It will help you survive your darkest days.


2) John Piper preached one night on sin. He had us examine disease, death and all of the horrible things we see on the news. Then he pointed out that all of those things are a direct result of the fall of man. Those things are all a direct result of sin entering the world. "They exist," Piper said, "to remind us of the magnitude of sin and the greatness of the glory of God. God would have you look at the sin in your own life and want to get rid of it as badly as you would want to get rid of cancer." Whoa. Never in a million years would I have made that correlation on my own. But, it's so true. I pray that I (and my loved ones) never get cancer, but I don't pray for God to remove the sin from our lives with the same fervor. Now, it's apparant, that I desperately need to reshape my prayer life.


3) Randy Alcorn opened my eyes to some very biblical truths about heaven that I would have never dreamed of in my wildest imagination. What he said was so shocking to me that I immediately purchased his book Heaven and have been tearing through it ever since. In all honesty, the thought of heaven has always made me a little nervous. So little is ever really said about it. But Randy's thorough study of it can prove to be enlightening to all of us. Have you ever considered that our current bodies will be the bodies we have in heaven--only they will be in a glorified and resurected state? Has the thought ever crossed your mind that the current heaven where saints of old now reside is not the permanent heaven that will exist when Christ comes back from the dead? Randy unpacks these topics and many more (Can those in heaven see what's happening on earth? etc...) in his book, and I've found it to be a gripping and life-changing read. It's sound biblical teaching at it's finest.


This blog post fails miserably as a recap of the conference. So, I highly encourage you to visit the website and check out the free audio for yourself. Prepare to have your mind blown. Yes, it's that good!

James Bible Study Week 2--James 1:9-12

I'm eager to hear everyone's insights on this week's passage. If you aren't studying James with those of us on the blog this summer, and you would like to, just leave your email address in the comments section (i.e. shannonATbeingagirlbooks.com) and I will be happy to send you the study guide. Let's jump in to this week's text!

In this week's study, I think I uncovered what has now become one of my favorite verses in the Bible. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

The phrase "the crown of life" means "the crown that is life" otherwise known as eternal life. So what this verse is really saying it that although we cannot earn our salvation in trials (or at all), we can prove our salvation in the midst of trials. Our ability to remain steadfast during trials demonstrates that we truly are Christians and that we trust in a God who is sovereign over all things. This is so amazing to me. Especially since some of us studying James are in the midst of some big trials right now. A few of you emailed me last week and let me in on what's going on with you. Here's a short list of what we (as a group) have been facing:

1) One of us has a husband who is recovering from a major accident and multiple surgeries. If that's not enough, her husband was rushed in for an emergency appendectomy over the weekend.

2) One of us just underwent a root canal and oral surgery.

3) One of us is grappling with the loss of one-third of her family's income in this rough economy.

The list could go on, and those are just some of the "major" trials, not to mention the "minor" ones. (Are there ever really any minor trials that seem minor at the time?)

So, what this verse says to those of us in these hard trials is that remaining steadfast during this time is proof of our salvation and brings with it a blessing. I really saw this concept in action this week. Yesterday I received an email from an old high school classmate of mine. I have only heard from her once in the last eleven years, and that was probably five years ago. This woman is going through a tough time, and she's searching for Christ in the midst of her pain. She emailed me because she couldn't stop thinking about how I was able to "minister" to her in the midst of a major health trial I had when I was 15 years old.

I needed major surgery, and I had to undergo a year-long recovery process that was taxing at times. As I shared the gospel with this girl, and lived out my life before her eyes, I had no idea how closely she was watching me. But she was. And for some reason God caused her to recall that memory eleven years later, so that she would email me and I would once again share the gospel with her. I have no idea what I could have said or done to have such an impact on someone. It had to be the Holy Spirit working through me as I was remaining steadfast in the midst of my trial. My prayer is that this former classmate of mine finds Christ in the midst of her trial, and that she surrenders her life to Him so that she too can receive the crown that is life.

So, be encouraged sisters! Your trials offer proof of your salvation. And those around you notice that proof. Your very reaction to your current trial might be all it takes to open the door to share the gospel. To God be the glory!

I can't wait to read your comments on this passage below!

Count it All Joy

I love the encouragement and excitement that comes from studying the Word of God with friends. It's been great to read all of the comments from those of you studying James with me this summer. Yesterday, I sat across from Erica (one of my fellow studiers of James) and saw the excitement on her face as she discussed the first portion of James 1 and talked about how she had been committing the passage to memory.

This morning I received an email from Deanna, another friend studying James this summer. She attached the above photo to her email. It was taken on her niece's recent trip to Africa. This little boy's name is Richard and he lives in an AIDS ravaged area. Deanna wrote:

This picture reminded me of what we are studying in James. Even though we do not know if he is going through a great trial right now, or if he sees it around him or maybe his whole life has been a trial and he doesn’t know any different, but when I look at it, I just think about how this might be what God wants us to look like as we go through stuff. It may not be reality when we go through something major but it is something to strive for.

So, I encourage you, count it all joy today...no matter what you are facing.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. --James 1:2-4

James Bible Study Week One: James 1:1-8

For those of you who are studying James with me this summer, here’s your chance to chime in. If you aren’t studying James with me, and you would like to, leave your email address in the comments section below so I can send you the weekly study guide. Be sure to use the following format (shannonATbeingagirlbooks.com) so as not to get spammed.

Well, let me just say, there’s nothing like kicking off your summer by talking about trials and needing wisdom! When I first decided to tackle a book of the Bible this summer, I initially selected James because of its length. Simply put, it was short enough that I could sufficiently study the entire book over my summer break from Women’s Bible Study and Thrive. It somehow slipped my mind that James deals with some slightly unpleasant subject matter. But, honestly, the topics of trials and wisdom couldn’t have been timelier for me.

I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details of my particular trial on the internet at this particular time (although I may get there…we’ll see). But suffice to say, the words I’ve been studying in James have cut to the core of who I am, and they have been carving out the character of Christ in me. If I am willing and eager to learn as I study James this summer, I am confident that I won’t be the same person by the end of this summer. The Word of God really is living and active just like Hebrews 4:12 says!

Below you will find the things I found most interesting about this week’s text. I look forward to reading the thoughts of those of you studying James with me in the comments section. Don’t leave me hanging!

•In James 1:1-8 James seems to imply that there is a direct correlation between being in a trial and needing wisdom, and specifically wisdom from God (not from our friends, not from our family members, not from the latest business book, etc…). With this need for wisdom comes a guarantee we will receive it as long as we ask for it and we ask for it without doubting. It amazed me that this text clearly spelled out that if we ask and doubt we cannot expect to receive wisdom (v. 7). So, it seems to me that asking and doubting are a crazy combination because doing those two things in tandem is equivalent to telling God “no thanks” to His free gift of wisdom that we so desperately need.

•I appreciate that James was originally writing this letter to believers (Jews) who were scattered to live among non-believers. In context, James was speaking to people who have some similarities to you and me. In case you haven’t noticed, this world is not our home. Life among non-believers is hard. In California, where I live, gay marriage was recently legalized. My husband works in a secular career in which people aren’t always honest or moral in their business transactions. The fact that some of the issues James will address in this letter are a direct result of being believers in an unbelieving world gives me great comfort, because I know there is a lot I can stand to learn from this letter.

•I love that James simply introduces himself in this letter as a servant. He doesn’t acknowledge that he was the half-brother of Christ. There is no rank or status being pulled. James doesn’t try to give authority to his message based on who he is. Instead, his message (which is directly from God) has all the authority it needs and therefore he (the mere messenger) really needs no authority of his own. This concept is so revolutionary. It stands in such sharp contrast to how the Christian world operates today. Even in Christian publishing, editors want to know all about how big your platform is and how many people you reach on a regular basis before they are willing to offer you a contract. There is no longer an emphasis on truth and accuracy. Christians today (and not just Christians in publishing) have made the Christian life all about making Christ marketable. Instead of letting the power and the authority belong to God, they’ve opted instead for sales strategies that diminish Christ and make Him into a product we need to push onto everyone we meet. After studying James’ approach, woe to any of us who think the power should ever lie anywhere but with God.

•I also loved that James’ approach to take joy in trials clearly demonstrates that many trials are not God’s punishment for something we have done wrong, but are instead His way of maturing and growing us as believers. I’ve found this to be especially comforting in light of my current trial. So often, our tendency during a trial is to find what we’ve done to deserve such punishment and fix it, so we can be relieved from the pain and agony we’ve been enduring. But the command to take joy in the midst of trials stands in stark contrast to the approach of taking joy in being relieved from trials. So, every morning I’ve tried to rise and face my day (and my trial) with joy. I’ve tried to be an eager student who is ready to let “patience have its perfect work” in my life. It’s amazing how taking on this biblical perspective can make a seemingly unchanging circumstance just a little more bearable.

Anyway, this is becoming an extremely long blog post and I don’t want to steal the floor from the others who have been studying James with me. So, girls…let’s hear it. How has the Word of God challenged and encouraged you this past week?

Girls' Night Out in Sturbridge, MA: Event Recap

Over the weekend I was the main speaker at a teen girls' event in Sturbridge, MA. There were roughly 275 people in attendance and it was an awesome weekend! My audience ranged in age from 11-18, which is quite a big spread but they were one of the most receptive crowds I have ever been in front of. And Molly Colton, the coordinator for the event, was absolutely wonderful to work with.

On Friday night I taught from Matthew 13 on the parable of the sower. The girls were a little restless at first as the weekend was just beginning and they were full of nervous energy. But they settled down fairly quickly. At certain points throughout the sermon, you could hear a pin drop. Once I finished speaking, Molly gave the girls about 40 minutes to just sit and ponder where they currently stood before God. I loved how she just stopped her schedule and put everything else on hold so the girls could deal with the most important issue. The leaders all banned together and began to pray for the salvation of the girls during this time, and it was almost as if you could physically watch God claim those who are His. Throughout the rest of the weekend I had girls telling me they became Christians for the very first time. Praise God!

On Saturday, I taught on love and forgiveness from John 13 and the girls all seemed to really respond well. Some of them told me they really appreciated it when I said, "When we choose not to forgive someone else we mock the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. It's as if we're saying, 'His blood was not enough to cover that person's sin.'" The girls all seemed eager to put what they were learning into practice. I closed the weekend out with Paul's admonishment to run to win in Philippians 3. By the time I arrived home on Sunday, my inbox was flooded with emails from girls asking me if I could send them the spiritual growth chart my friend Christa uses that I referenced when I was teaching. I've never met teenage girls so hungry for Christ and so eager to change their lives in response to who He is and what He commands of us.

In every crowd there always seems to be one girl who goes out of her way to let me know how what I do has impacted her life. And every single time this happens I am both grateful for and overwhelmed by the reminder that God has allowed me to be part of the work He is doing in someone else's life. This weekend, the girl who went out of her way the most to encourage me was Taylor. On Friday night she came up to me with a gift. Nervously, she pulled something from a small, drawstring bag and handed it to me.

"This is for you, it's a bookmark," she said handing me a long ribbon with charms tied to both ends. I thanked her and hugged her and made my way to the book table where a line was already forming. Later in the evening Taylor came back up to me to explain what she had forgotten to share with me the first time. She had heard me speak before, and at that event I had taught on trials and how we are to let patience have its perfect work in us (which also happens to be what I am currently studying in James). In that sermon, when I taught on trials, I used the analogy of an oyster using irritants and parasites to form a pearl. When I looked closely at the charm on the end of the bookmark Taylor gave me, I saw that it was an open oyster with a pearl inside. I was touched that she had gone to that much effort to give me a gift with such significance.

What Taylor could have never known was that Michael and I are in the midst of a very great trial right now. Most days are a fight to get through and I know we have both been working hard to meditate on Scripture. Last week I clung to James 1:12 as I worked through my week. And on Friday night, as I looked at the bookmark from Taylor, I was again reminded that God is working something beautiful in my life through this trial and I just need to trust Him and yield to Him in obedience through it all. This morning, I put that bookmark in my Bible to mark my place in James so I could see it and remember Taylor and remember the purpose of trials each morning as I sit down to spend time with the Lord.

I look forward to sharing more about the topic of God working in our lives through trials in my blog post about studying James tomorrow. But, today I want to focus on the work God did in Sturbridge, MA and praise Him for the victory He claimed in the lives of these girls. Thank you for your prayers.