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Last night, I shared a lesson with the Hispanic sisters of the Northwest Church of Christ in Houston. The class was about truth and lies. I took advantage for the time with them to talk about the same topics that I am studying for the next book, Who has the last Word? Cutting through Satan's lies with the truth of God's Word.
The class was well received and at the end, I had each of the ladies partner with the person next to them and share a lie of Satan that they personally battle with. I also asked them to find a verse in the Bible that spoke a truth that cuts through Satan's lie. After that, they were given the opportunity to share in the Common Threads, as explained below. It was beautiful to see them sharing and flipping through their Bibles.
As they were finishing up, two Christian sisters asked me to come over and talk with them. They just had to share the fact that they battle the same lie: that they don't have time to read their Bibles. They were able to encourage each other mutually in the truth and promises of Scripture. Phone numbers were exchanged so that they can continue to encourage each other during the week. Before I walked away, they read me the verse that most gave them hope and joy - the truth that cut through Satan's lie: Joshua 1:7-8.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:7, 8 NIV)
May God continue to bless those ladies and may He continue to use me and Iron Rose Sister Ministries to equip, inspire, and empower women in their relationship with God and their relationships with others.
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Hospitality is defined by some as entertaining strangers unawares. In the south, you are hospitable if you have coffee ready to share at a moment's notice. (Community Coffee if you're in Louisiana!)
For me, hospitality was always about having people into my home, cooking way too much food, talking with people while we cooked together, and never allowing anyone to leave hungry. My roommates in Atlanta and Denver agreed whole-heartedly with this philosophy and I took it to a whole new level in my own apartment in Caracas - hotel Michelle as it was affectionately called by many. And you can imagine how many college students in Baton Rouge took advantage of a place to hang out, drink tea, and eat food whether in my house or in my office at the Christian Student Center. I love the aspect of ministry that makes people feel at home: warm, welcome, and well-fed.
Since moving to Denver and not having a house of my own, I have had to redefine hospitality. I've realized it's more of a spirit than any specific action or location. I looked to the example of Jesus, who I would consider to be hospitable, yet never had a home or even a consistent place to lay His head. So, in the spirit of hospitality, I have been known to invite myself over to other people's houses to cook.
What spiritual concept are you needing to redefine?