WAW Team Post 7

Hi there WAW Team, 

Did ya'll enjoy that last post by Tracey on Good Friday?  Wow that was moving and I was just sorry that I was out of town and unable to post a comment on that day.

This week I wanted to reiterate a good point made by Sheila Alewine in a previous WAW Team posting.

Sheila said, "One thing I am working on and enjoying is learning how to pull out the "structure" in a book (she was referring to the book of Colossians), so that I have a place to "hang" all of the rich fruit I find as I dig deeper. On a practical note, I do this by summarizing each "clump" of verses - where I find natural breaks. Then I go back and try to understand how those "clumps" of verses relate to one another - to see transitions, etc. By doing this, you get a better grasp of the overall meaning the author wants to convey.

If you missed her comment you can find it here: http://theordinaryreflectingtheextraordinary.blogspot.com/2012/03/waw-team-post-5.html  (in the comment section at the bottom of the post)

I found this tip to be very helpful recently as I was studying Chapter 3 of James. The first half of the chapter is all about taming the tongue. I know, I know, its this kind of chapter we can just hardly wait to sink our teeth into right?....Because who won’t find herself squirming a little as she studies a chapter about taming the tongue?!?!

When I first read through James 3:1-12, verse 1 seemed a little out of place with the following 11. Verse 1 says "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" Then the next 11 verses talk about the tongue.

What’s the connection?

So I decided to divide up these 12 verses in their natural breaks and summarize each cluster. This is what I came up with this:

vs. 1-2  responsibility of teachers
vs. 3-6  influence of the tongue
vs. 7-12 perversity of the tongue

Then when I glanced back over it, it became blatantly clear what the connection was.

What member of their body would a teacher use most to teach? (Not counting a charade's teacher)

Their tongue!

Since the tongue is by far the hardest of our members to tame and even untamable without the help of the Holy Spirit, teachers have a tremendous responsibility to be watchful over what kind of influence they exert with their tongues AND (and this is an "and" that is worth pausing over), "will face a stricter judgement."

Why? Because they are in a place of influence and must guard against ever wielding that influence in any way that would dishonor God. So they must learn to willingly and continuously submit their tongues to God over and over again and not succumb to the many temptations to misuse it.

A tongue can boast, lie and steal God’s glory.

It can devastate, destroy, deceive, and sway multitudes in the wrong direction. A tongue can turn a sister against a sister, a neighbor against a neighbor and even nations against one another.

Like a tiny spark that in turn burns a whole forest down a tongue can issue miles of destruction and the teacher who misuses their influence and their tongue for self-seeking personal revenge, gain, or any other ungodly thing will not slip under the radar of God's watchful eyes.

Sobering, weighty, but not hopeless.

Not for the teacher or even just the ordinary joe who will not be held to the same stricter judgment as a teacher, but still has to keep his tongue in check.

If left to ourselves who could stand? Without Christ, who could stand?

But He gives greater grace. (James 4:6)

Praise Him that He gives greater grace!

The tongue, which cannot be tamed by man, can be tamed by God. Nothing is impossible for Him. So our part, teacher or not, is to submit our tongues to Him, resist the devil and his taunts to misuse our tongues and humble ourselves before the Lord acknowledging that without Him we are hopeless but because of Him we have great hope!

Whew! This Word needs to be at Work in me  24/7.  Anybody else feel that way?


In closing,  if you are having trouble understanding how a passage of Scripture fits together or what the overall meaning is try dividing it up into its natural clumps then summarize what each clump is about then stand back and ask God to show you the connections.

How about you? What has the Word at Work in you been teaching you this week?
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Running for Compassion (Helping our own to make a difference)

Hey ladies!  I wanted to tell you about Sue Gray and Veresa Myers and their plan to run in the Dupont Half Marathon (13.1 miles) this Saturday in order to raise money for Compassion International and the work they will be doing in Uganda this summer. They will both be traveling to Uganda with a team from BCC and Mud Creek Baptist in July. I spoke with them about their plans and how we could get involved to help.

(Trudy) Sue & Veresa I know you have both traveled to Uganda before on a Compassion team. What will you be doing this summer?

(Sue & Veresa) We will be visiting some of the Compassion Projects again, including the Child Survival Program that BCC co-sponsors with Mud Creek Baptist. We also plan to see our sponsored kids and love on their families. And then we plan to help build a kitchen for a Compassion project in order for the kids to get a meal during their visit to the project.

(Trudy) Wow! That’s a lot to pack in but I hear that it is such a treat to go to Uganda and serve the people because they are such lovely people to be with.

(Sue and Veresa) Yes the people in Uganda have so little but are so passionate about their relationship with God. It is such a rewarding trip and we always feel like they give more to us than we give to them.

(Trudy) Is there anything we can do to help you in this effort to help the people in Uganda?

(Sue & Veresa) One of our efforts to raise funds for Uganda is to run the Dupont half marathon this Saturday (April 21). We are looking for friends to come alongside us and pledge per mile (A half marathon is 13.1 miles) or simply make a donation.

(Trudy) That's where we come in... I wonder if there are any of you out there who would want to jump on board and help with these efforts that Compassion International will be doing through some of our own ladies this summer in Uganda. If you want to help, please know that no donation is too small...even pledging a dollar a mile would be very appreciated.  Every bit of it adds up and as we offer what we can I know that Jesus will multiply the fishes. If you want to help, all checks can be made out to Compassion International and you can give them to Sue Gray or Veresa Myers or leave them at the church office with their names on them.

Thanks Sue and Veresa! We know you'll run hard on Saturday not for a prize that perishes but for the joy and prize of knowing Christ better and making Him known to all.

(Sue & Veresa) Thank You!!!

" Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40)

The WAW Team Post 6

by Tracey McMahan


It was a day like no other.  The King of kings stood before the governor of the land.  Pilate asked, “Are You a king?”  And Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Then Pilate asked a question that has reverberated down through the centuries like a gong that still echoes, “What is truth?”

At this point in the story, do you, like me, want to grab Pilate by the shoulders, shake him soundly, and shout, “What is wrong with you? You are staring into the very face of truth! Truth stands before you, truth incarnate! Open your eyes and see the One who is the very definition of truth!”

But sadly, Pilate wasn’t really seeking an answer to his immensely profound question, was he? If he had been, he never would have asked it in the first place, for Jesus had just answered that very question: “It is I who testifies to the truth.”

Let’s pause a moment on this day of remembrance, this Good Friday. Let’s take a step back and ask one another a slightly different question. “How would you have answered Pilate’s question, a question many still ask today – What is truth?”

The Greek word for truth, aletheia, is full and rich. It takes into account the reality of what clearly lies before our eyes as opposed to the mere appearance of something not grounded in reality. It is something pure, free from all error or falsehood. It is sincere holiness and divine doctrine, standing in stark contrast to all that is unrighteous, wrong and counterfeit.

According to Jesus, the word of God is truth, and He prayed to the Father that His followers would be sanctified (made pure and holy) by the perfect and divine word of truth (John 17:17).

The Holy Spirit is truth, and Jesus promised that the Helper would abide with us and be in us forever (John 14:16-17). The Spirit came to guide us into all truth, taking the wisdom of Jesus and disclosing it to all who trust in Him (John 16:13).

Jesus Himself is truth and the only way to God the Father (John 14:6). The truth found in Christ manifests itself in the lives of believers, allowing a transformation to take place as our old nature is replaced by a new nature of true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:21-24).

Now return with me to the day we began with.  Truth stood before a man blinded by fear, lies and disbelief.  In a few short hours, Pilate would condemn Truth to death, and Satan would sing. But the enemy’s supposed victory would be short-lived indeed. For Truth would be gloriously resurrected. He would take up permanent residence not only in heaven at the right hand of the Father of Truth, but also in the hearts, minds, spirits and souls of those who seek Him, who desire to walk in His ways, and who recognize their desperate need of rescue and restoration.

On that Good Friday two thousand years ago, Truth was nailed to a cross and left to die.

But on the first Easter morning, Truth rolled back the massive stone and came forth a Conqueror. From that day forward you and I, together with all the saints who have gone before, can answer once and for all Pilate’s question of questions, “What is truth?”

Shout out the answer with me, dear friend! Truth – His name is Jesus. And He is alive forever more!

What has the Truth spoken in your life recently?

Thank You All You Placemat Artists!

 In the last post I asked the question "Who Wants to Encourage Somebody?  And these smiling faces responded with a resounding "I do I do!" (plus many others who refused to be photographed or were not present)



These placemats will go to the retreat that Kairos Prison Ministry will hold in April



Aren't they great? I can't help but think how these are going to bless and encourage somebody.



Thank you to all the hands, big and small, who contributed to this effort.  May God bless you back!