Cross My Heart Ministry

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
I Peter 4:10

On Sunday afternoons when I was a kid, my parents would drop off me and my two younger siblings (my youngest sister wasn’t born until later) at the Alpine Theater for a Sunday afternoon matinee. We were around 6, 7, and 9. As the oldest, I was given the money to buy tickets for my brother and sister. There was also enough for each of us to have one treat. (A candy bar or popcorn … but not both).

This is one of my earliest memories of being a steward. The money was not mine – it was given to me, entrusted to me for the benefit of others. My parents expected me to watch over my siblings, buy their ticket, and get them a treat.

Our spiritual gifts are much more significant than movie money! They are given to us not for our personal benefit (to be applauded or appreciated or promoted), but to serve others.

The gifts we receive are many and varied. (You can find lists in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12). We all receive at least one spiritual gift and there are various ways (including tests to take) to determine your gift(s). But the thing to remember about a spiritual gift: they are not for you. They are given to you to bless others. They are given to you for the benefit of others.

Our service and stewardship is an honor – we are administering God’s grace. We have been given a sacred trust. God has given something to us, allowing us the blessing of releasing it to others.

We are conduits of His grace.

We are stewards of His grace.

What is your gift and how are you using it to bless others?

Editor’s Note: Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

In this week’s devotional video, Mollie Duddleston (Directory of Ministry Operations and Womens Ministry at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills) walks our womens Bible study participants through I Corinthians 5, as Paul addresses a difficult issue in the church at Corinth. As he teaches them — and us, by extension — we are challenged to walk in humility, holiness, and honor. We hope you’ll find this week’s video valuable, and will embrace the truth God has for your life and circumstances here in I Corinthians 5.

I do not set aside the grace of God,
for if righteousness could be gained through the law,
Christ died for nothing!
Galatians 2:21

If Paul wore a t-shirt, it would read: Don’t mess with the Gospel!

This former Jewish Pharisee/enforcer of the law/persecutor of Christians was saved by Jesus
Christ and he never got over it. His life after Jesus was devoted to bringing the gospel – the
message of righteousness by faith through grace alone – to the world.

He was relentless, unwavering, and he would not have the Gospel diluted, diminished, or
divided.

Religious authorities, government leaders, and even his fellow apostle, Peter … none were exempt from his clear and focused message: Grace alone!

Peter should have known better, but he gave in to the Judaizers when they came to Antioch by resisting fellowship with the Gentiles. Paul would not have it. He called Peter out on it, and even recorded the incident in his letter to the church at Galatia.

Paul preached one clear message: Righteousness is by faith through grace alone, in Christ
alone. Nothing else added! Because once we add to the Gospel, we change the truth of the
Gospel.

If works are added as a prerequisite for salvation, then the Cross means less and the sacrifice of
Jesus is less important. This cannot be! Paul would not stand for it and neither should we! If our good could be good enough, Jesus would not have had to endure the Cross. We are sinners saved by grace through faith. Our only hope for salvation is to receive it as a gift, because we could never hope to earn or merit it on our own.

Jesus did it all.

We add nothing.

This is the Gospel.

Grace alone.

Thank you, Jesus, for enduring the Cross – our only hope. May this foundational truth be the theme of our message, as it was for Paul. May we daily look at the Cross with humility, gratitude, and reverence – acknowledging as John Newton so wisely and succinctly affirmed Paul’s message, “I am a great sinner, Christ is a great Savior.” Jesus, I am a great sinner. You are a great Savior! Thank you for going to the Cross. Thank you for saving my soul!

Editor’s Note: Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

Paul uses three word pictures to help us understand what it means to live as a true minster (and true follower) of Jesus: servant, steward, spectacle. In this week’s devotional video, Laura unpacks these three analogies – challenging us to live according to what often feels like the “upside-down logic” of God’s plan. We hope you enjoy this teaching from our I Corinthians study:

Visit our Downloads page today for your free copy of our monthly Write the WORD bookmark, optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, and more resources to help you love God and love His Word.

“Let your conversation be always
full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6

Paul provides a recipe here for our words with others:

• Full of grace
• Seasoned with salt

The context is interaction with “outsiders” – or unbelievers. Every interaction we have is an opportunity to influence what those in our world think about Jesus.

Are you and I representing Christ well in our conversations with “outsiders?”

If you have never been to Mongolia, never had a conversation or interaction with a Mongolian,
know nothing about the country or it’s ways … and a woman from Mongolia moves in next
door, you (rightly or wrongly) may form beliefs about the entire country and all the people of
Mongolia based solely on the behaviors, actions, attitudes, and words of your new neighbor.

For many people, you and I are the “woman from Mongolia” when it comes to the Christian
faith. Rightly or wrongly, non-believers may be forming opinions about Jesus based upon our
behaviors, actions, attitudes, and words.

Let’s ponder conversations with those outside the faith:

• The folks next door who won’t keep their dog out of your flower beds
• The surly family member across the table at Thanksgiving dinner
• The waitress who fails to refill your cup when you’ve asked for more coffee
• The customer service person who enforces the no-returns-without-a-receipt policy
• The mother of the kid who bullies your kid
• The lazy co-worker who blames others for her mistakes
• The grumpy, overly-critical boss

These certainly may bring irritation … but they also present opportunities.

How can you and I thoughtfully, intentionally serve up words that are full of grace and
seasoned with salt in our conversations?

Allow me to share a few passages that both inspire and convict me:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1) Choose gentleness over anger!

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness…. (Acts 4:29-31) Speak – or perhaps, demonstrate by actions – the word of God!

We love because he first loved us. (I John 4:19) Always remember that God loved us first, so we can/must love others first.

As we consider conversations in the last few days, weeks, or months, I challenge you to ask yourself: are unbelievers MORE or LESS likely to be open to the Gospel when we part ways? Are they MORE or LESS drawn to Jesus after speaking with me?

The Christian life is one of continual growth and realignment. We need not take on guilt for past failures. Self-awareness prompts not shame, but repentance and a renewed commitment going forward. Let’s be women who receive the grace for ourselves that God prompts us to release to others!

Lord, forgive me for giving little thought and even less prayer to my interactions with
unbelievers. Forgive me for compartmentalizing my life. Give me a conscious awareness that
every conversation is an opportunity to represent You and to make much of You. Allow Your Spirit to remind me that I don’t represent Mongolia (or even Arkansas or America) – but as a woman of God, I carry the banner of Jesus Christ! Help me, O God, to live an active faith and to intentionally allow my conversations to be full of grace and seasoned with salt. Amen.

Editor’s Note:  Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

In our latest Friday devotional video, Laura gives a preview of next week’s lesson on I Corinthians, chapter 4. The first verse of this chapter says: “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.” What are those “mysteries” revealed by God? We invite you to consider Laura’s words as she explores this phrase in preparation for next week’s Bible study lesson.

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23-24

If you grew up going to Sunday School, you know this one! “All have sinned.” All means all! Every. Single. Person.

God does not classify our sin as “felony” or “misdemeanor.” There aren’t big sins and little sins in God’s eyes. It’s all ugly. Sin is the bad stuff we do; it’s also the good stuff we fail or refuse to do. And sin brings an eternal verdict: guilty. The consequence is death.

We must first see ourselves as guilty to embrace with humble gratitude the blessing of being “justified freely by His grace.”

Justification is a concept we often hear in legal briefs or courtrooms.

In Roman times, the imperial governor would sit on a platform (called the bema, or the judgment seat). He would hear the charges, then render a verdict as to whether the accused was guilty or innocent.

In God’s courtroom, we are all guilty, yet we are justified by His grace. It’s a paradox. A blessing. And only possible through Christ Jesus.

Justification is much more than being forgiven. It’s much more than escaping consequences. To be justified is to be declared NOT GUILTY. In His love and mercy, God chooses not to give us what we deserve but what we do not deserve. We are justified FREELY. No merit on our part. No performance necessary (or even possible). We offer nothing to substantiate a “not guilty” verdict.

We are guilty, doomed, condemned … but through Jesus, declared NOT guilty. To fully celebrate and embrace the love and grace of God, we must first look in the mirror and see a condemned sinner. A guilty woman. We need to hear and see the proverbial gavel drop.

Only then can we with reverence, humility, and gratitude praise God that through Jesus Christ we not only escape sin’s consequences (death!) but our slate is wiped clean. Our file is expunged. We are justified freely by His grace.

Hallelujah!

Editor’s Note:  Today’s passage is from Romans, Paul’s presentation of the gospel and what we call, “Christianity 101.” You can view our video teaching series on Romans here.

Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

This week we welcomed another new teacher to our ladies Bible study: Mollie Duddleston, Director of Operations and Women’s Ministry at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills. This week’s passage was I Corinthians, chapter 3. In this chapter, Paul continues to address problems in the Corinthian church – namely, division that arose when church members in Corinth vegan to argue amongst themselves about which leader was the best. Some rallied behind Paul, some behind Apollos … but Paul reminded them who we are follow: Jesus!

Most of October still remains so it is not too late to download your free Write the WORD bookmark and join us as we study Pearls of Grace. Visit our Downloads page to find the free bookmark, S.O.A.P. study pages, and other helpful resources!

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Psalm 103:8

David writes in the Old Testament about God’s compassion and grace. We like focusing on this
part of God’s nature. We often think of it as a New Testament idea, but our great God is the
same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is unchanging.

And this Old Testament passage is not a one-off/isolated find! “Compassionate and gracious” is found not only here, but in several other passages as well (Numbers 14:18, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 148:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2).

All these lead back to the very first occurrence recorded in Exodus 34:6 when God describes
Himself, revealing His character to Moses as “compassionate and gracious.”

Modern day, western-world believers are much more comfortable with a God of compassion
and grace than a God of anger and judgment. But even this Old Testament verse refers to the
anger of God (“…slow to anger…”).

He is God. His nature is both compassion and love AND justice and holiness. We cannot dissect and discard the parts that make us uncomfortable.

Our culture may suggest a God of anger and judgment is antiquated, harsh, or unacceptable.
But as women of God, we cannot – we must not – allow the culture to dictate how we
view the truth of Scripture. We must be the proverbial salmon swimming upstream against the
current, viewing the culture through the lens of Scripture.

Yes, my friend, we celebrate that He is a God of compassion and grace – but to fully embrace this element of His nature, we must also see ourselves as sinners who deserve His judgment.
Through the person of Jesus Christ, we receive His love and grace. We can rejoice that “He does not treat us as our sins deserve…” (Psalm 103:10)

Today, I ask you to take a moment to reflect who God’s nature. Revere Him. Praise Him. Thank Him. Think also on your own sin and allow the realization of who you are – and who you are not – prompt grateful praise that we serve a compassionate and gracious God! Hallelujah!

Editor’s Note:  Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

In our latest devotional video, Laura introduces the topic of our October bookmark: Pearls of Grace. We hope you’ll join us as we explore what the Bible says about our gracious Lord.

If you’re not familiar with our Write the WORD series, it is a free, printable verse list that we offer monthly. Laura chooses one word from scripture and selects a verse for each day that contains that word. Our challenge to you is to set aside time to write out these verses daily … and see what the Holy Spirit reveals as you slow down and savor the Word!

Visit our Downloads page for your October bookmark (we include TWO on the page, so you can take one on the go or share with a friend!) and optional S.O.A.P. study pages.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart,
with all your soul, and
with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37

 All means ALL!

When praying that our children would love God wholeheartedly, we mean ALL IN. Not a little bit, not with half their hearts, and not Sundays only.

When a mama asks her boy to take out the trash, she doesn’t expect to see an overflowing bag sitting by the front door. Trash goes to the curb, or to the outdoor garbage cans, or – if you grow up where I did! – to the burning barrel.

When a wife wants a faithful husband, she doesn’t mean 364 days a year; she expects 365 (and some years 366) days of loyal commitment.

And when God commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we need to apply the same high standard. ALL IN!

As we pray for our children and grandchildren to love God wholeheartedly, we can also ask God to reveal where we ourselves might be holding out.

Here are some questions we can ask as we pray for our loved ones (and for ourselves):

• Do I have a divided heart? Is there anything I treasure more than God?
• Do I find myself praying without ceasing – having on ongoing conversation with God throughout my day?
• Does my Savior enter my thought life on Tuesday morning or Friday afternoon?
• Do I ask God about what I buy, read, and watch?
• Has Sunday worship become an optional activity? Am I finding reasons (I don’t feel like braving the rain, there’s a mountain of dirty laundry, I’m in the middle of a great book and can’t wait to finish it) not to gather with other believers?
• Do I give God the first and best of each day?
• Do I speak up when others speak poorly of my Lord?
• Do my posts, tweets, and social media comments indict me as a follower of Christ?
• Do thoughts about God in my mind and heart make their way into my conversations with others?

I hope one or more of these questions convict you as they do me. Perhaps they could even prompt a loving-God-wholeheartedly conversation with a beloved child or grandchild.

Lord God, I pray this child would put You on the throne of his/her life each day and every day. I pray this would be deliberate, conscious, daily choice.  I pray he/she would be ALL IN for you – loving You most and best and with wholehearted devotion.

This week, we welcomed Emily Brannon from Cross Church Pinnacle Hills as a guest speaker for our Bible study in I Corinthians! We hope you’ll enjoy our most recent devotional video as Emily shares insights and truth from I Corinthians, chapter 2.

Watch this week for videos introducing our October Do It! List and Write the WORD downloads. If you don’t follow Cross My Heart Ministry on YouTube, we invite you to visit our channel today and use your Gmail address to sign up. Once subscribed, you’ll be among the first to know when we share a new video!

“…give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:18 [NIV]

Prompted by my pastor when our oldest was only one year old, I began to pray for a thankful heart in my child. I continued this prayer as we added each additional child. Four kids – and three darling granddaughters – later, I’m still praying for thankful Macfarlan hearts.

“Why thankfulness?” you ask.

The first (or most obvious) response might be the blessing released to others. That is true. And that is important. Others are blessed when we express gratitude.

But I’m also convinced that thankfulness is a blessing to the one releasing it. Thankfulness protects against entitlement, materialism, and selfishness … all dangerous to the character of our children. The 21^st-century culture of our western world makes our children vulnerable to “me-ism.” I’m convinced entitlement, materialism, and selfishness are the default in our society, but our prayers can combat these unfortunate norms. We are up against entrenched attitudes, human nature, and even commercials and advertisements. The world will corrupt and entice all of us to make it all about us. It’s natural and easy to make it all about self in this “selfie” world.

But never underestimate the power of a praying mom! We can best fight the culture on our knees. And we can train up children to live selfless in a selfie world.

As we consider praying our children are thankful, consider these prayer prompts:

• Lord, give my child a thankful heart. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
• Jesus, let my child see that every good gift comes down from above. (James 1:17)
• God, I pray my child would intentionally release thankfulness to others.
• Holy Spirit, I pray our family would be thankful in “all circumstances” – by faith, believing that You can and will work all things out for our good and for Your glory. (Romans 8:28)

As we pray, we can also put feet to our prayers by taking these practical steps to teach thankfulness to our children:

1. Do not overindulge in “stuff” but show love in creative ways.
2. Choose at least one night per week to pray “Thank you” prayers. Rather than asking God for something, take turns thanking Him for what He has already done for the blessings of the day. Teach them to pray thank-you prayers for big and small things:
   “God, thank you for the tulips popping through in the flower bed and reminding us that spring is coming.”
   “Jesus, thank you for the baby growing in Aunt Denise’s tummy.”
   “Holy Spirit, thank you for our fun afternoon in the park.”
3. Train your child to respond with thankfulness:
   1. Write thank you notes together with your preschooler—allowing him or her to add their name to the note with your help.
   2. Assist your elementary-aged child to write thank you notes to their teacher, coach, and/or sponsor for their soccer team.
   3. Train your teenager to write thank you notes before cashing the check from grandma and grandpa.
4. Model thankfulness. Most character traits are more “caught than taught,” as I’ve heard Dr. James Dobson say on many occasions.
   1. Sit down together to write thank you notes after Christmas.
   2. Let them hear you intentionally thank your pastor for his teaching on Sunday morning.
   3. Thank your children for big and small things when you see and hear them get it right:
      “Thank you for helping your brother.”
      “Thank you for being kind to your sister.”
      “Thank you for making your bed without being asked.”
5. Ask to speak to the manager when dining out and enjoy seeing his/her face transform from dread to delight when you say, “Our family had such a great meal this evening. Thank you for the good food and excellent service.” (On the way home explain to your children that people always complain when someone gets it wrong, but it’s important to release thankfulness when they get it right!)

The importance of thankfulness was a thread woven through the teaching of Dr. Jonathan Burnham, my wise and godly pastor in the early nineties. Over and again he emphasized the theme of thankfulness in his preaching. Even after moving out of state, that emphasis continued to resonate in my heart and be a priority in my prayers.

All these years later, I give glory to God as I see thankfulness demonstrated in the lives of my children. The thank you notes I have received from them are treasures to keep. They are tangible reminders that, while I did many things wrong, perhaps consistent training in gratefulness was one thing I did right.

Whether you are praying thankfulness into your own children or grandchildren, into your nieces and nephews, or the kids who live across the street or sit in the pew behind you, I hope you will pray faithfully. And I hope that we can all see that a society can truly be transformed by an “attitude of gratitude.”If you have not yet downloaded this month’s Write the WORD bookmark, “30 Prayers & Verses for Our Children,” we invite you to visit our Downloads page for your free copy of the bookmark and optional S.O.A.P. pages – and hope that you’ll start praying along with us in September!

Friday’s devotional video found Laura sharing insights from the first chapter of I Corinthians. Paul, inspired by God, wrote to the church in Corinth, reminding them who they are and the call on their life. Their identity in Christ meant they were called to be HOLY – and so are we! We hope you’ll take a moment to listen as Laura explores what that looks like in the 21st century.