The Power of Story

Many years ago, when I was in college, I had a friend I'll call Lacy. My roommate--let's call her Patty--and I had been witnessing to Lacy for months.  While Lacy was a "good girl," she didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus, and she admitted that.  Then for a time after beginning to talk to Lacy about Jesus, I led a very hypocritical life.  I wasn't acting like a Christian, and Lacy knew it.  After getting right with God and breaking off a destructive relationship, I returned to church and Bible study regularly but never explained the situation to Lacy.

One night Patty, who had been faithful in her witness all along, suggested that I tell Lacy my story. So I did. That was the missing piece in her decision to trust Christ. Lacy needed to know that my lifestyle was not part of the Christian life, and she needed to hear me say that I had asked for and received forgiveness for my sin. It was our joy then for Patty and me to share the ups and downs of our Christian walk and to see Lacy grow in faith.

This is the power of story. I've heard it said a number of times recently that, because your story is your own experience, it's a powerful witnessing tool. Even people who want nothing to do with the Bible will often listen to a personal anecdote. They can't claim it isn't valid; it's your experience.

Think of the numerous times Jesus told a story to get the attention of the crowd. He knew what most teachers know: if you want people to remember a lesson, find a way to get them emotionally invested in it. Stories do this. They can be merely parables, or they can be true accounts of actual events.

Literature is a powerful medium because we learn so much about people and relationships from well-written stories. The power of friendship is illustrated beautifully in everything from Charlotte's Web to Huckleberry Finn. I am certain that reading Steinbeck has made me a more compassionate person. Some of his stories I will never forget.

On Sunday morning, we were challenged to share our story. I thought of some people who might need to hear the same thing I told Lacy all those years ago. I am praying about the right time and way to begin that conversation.  It won't be easy, but I am trusting God to lead me. Then I'll have yet another story to share!

--Sherry Poff

My Samaria

Yesterday we were challenged to think about our personal "Samaria" (the group of people that would be least likely to ever get a visit from us).

The Jews had pretty good reasons to dislike the people of Samaria. After all, the Samaritans, because they'd intermarried, had mixed pagan idolatry with Jewish practices and customs. For years, Jews went out of their way to avoid these people. Then Jesus walked straight through! He didn't ignore the sin that was in the land, yet he loved the people and reached out to share the Living Water with them!

Later, Philip followed Christ's example, which resulted in many coming to know Christ.

So, have you thought about it? Have you answered the question: To whom are you unwilling to go?

I don't like to think that I've ever been unWILLING to go. 

Maybe unABLE. unQUALIFIED. unPREPARED. 

But unWILLING?

Seven years ago, I would have used these less abrasive "un" words to explain why I could not interact with drug and alcohol addicted prostitutes. But the truth was, I was unwilling to go. In my fear and insecurity I believed that someone else would surely be better equipped for the role. But the Holy Spirit was persistent, and now I spend time with these women every week sharing the truth of the gospel with them, the message that even in their sin, Christ died for them! And guess who gets the blessing every time?

I suppose I could become satisfied that I've been through a personal Samaria. But Acts 1:8 extends the invitation into the uttermost parts of the world. And oddly enough, many of those parts exist right here in my Jerusalem. 

Oh that we would all be bold and obedient to GO into all the world...ALL the world!

~Rebecca Phillips

No Lie

Who remembers that old Nazareth song "Love Hurts"?  It's not an encouraging number. From the anguished voice of the vocalist to the melancholy strains of the guitar, the song just oozes angst. But it is strangely appealing, pulling at the memory most of us have of some past hurt--either real or imagined.

One of the most pessimistic lines of the song is this: "Love is just a lie made to make you blue." Not very poetic or deep, but the tune got a lot of airplay, making it to number eight on the top 100 list in the spring of 1976. (You really have to see the expression on the guy's face as he sings. And the hair! But I digress.)

There's been a lot of talk about love recently, and I'm here to say a little more about it. A few years ago, I had the privilege of contributing to a devotional book called Love is a Verb. The idea of the book is, I believe, a biblical view that love is not how we feel but what we do--a behavior we decide on. That's not to say emotions aren't involved.  I certainly get a wonderful feeling from loving acts, and I am often inspired to loving actions by my emotions.

But sometimes I'm inspired to loving actions by scripture. The apostle Paul had a lot to say about motivation.  In his letter to the Romans, he exhorts the readers to "let love be without hypocrisy." He goes on to talk about "brotherly love" and "affection." The thrust of this whole chapter (12) is that we shouldn't think of ourselves as being better than others; instead, we offer ourselves as "a living sacrifice." 

What does such a sacrifice mean? Sometimes it means letting someone else choose the movie. It might mean digging a hole to help your neighbor plant a rose bush or putting down a book to talk to someone who needs a listening ear. It may mean something much bigger: a lifestyle change or a difficult stand for the truth.

In some of these cases, love might, indeed, hurt a little, but the end is so worth the sacrifice. And that is certainly not a lie.   

--Sherry Poff

Strengthened by Grace

These words are found at the end of a powerhouse book of doctrine, Hebrews. It is common for the epistles to end with instructions and this verse is found smack dab in the parting, last words, live-this-way closing. Because of the many admonitions before and after this verse, you could miss it….

Let’s take a minute and consider this verse.

• "Do not be carried away..."

This first phrase is a straightforward and often repeated, staple kind of teaching. We are not to be “carried away” by varied and strange teachings. The verb translated “do not” of this verse is Present, Passive, and Imperative. The present tense indicating “as a way of life;" the passive voice indicating this is an action we receive, and the imperative mood indicating this is a command. Also, the fact that this verb has a mood indicates this is a main point in the instructions… 

What does that mean? It means this is a very important fact - not a suggestion, not just a good idea of how to live, but a command. This is an action we receive - so how do we receive the ability to not be carried away?? Christ, of course. God, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth (John 14:26). It is interesting to look at the actual Greek in this verse because it reads: “Teachings, varied and strange BE NOT.” The word “varied” is exactly what it says, but the word can also be used for sickness. The word for strange means “not of the family.” So, we are to-as a way of life-not have anything to do with teachings that are not of the family, meaning not of the Word. These teachings that can be considered "sick." There are many varieties of these "sick" teachings.

• "...for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace..."

Now, to my favorite part of this verse! So, we know what we are not to be part of, now we find what teachings we should be about…and that is simply...grace. We are strengthened, which means: sure, fixed, to make firm or reliable so as to warrant security and inspire confidence, to strengthen, make true, fulfill. Teaching and learning grace makes us strong, firm, and secure. How can we be taught grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor and is proclaimed in every book in the Bible. It is by grace we are saved. It is the truth found everywhere in the New Covenant that we cannot earn salvation or work to keep ourselves in favor with God. God is not interested in my “obeying” to make Him happy. He is Love and is already happy with me, in spite of me. I am sealed by the Spirit and cannot lose salvation or favor with God. Too often, we come to Christ in faith for salvation, but try walking with Christ through works instead. We feel that God is not going to bless us if we don’t have our quiet time, or if we do have our quiet time we feel that God owes us something. This is sin. To try to live out our Christian lives through works is sin; and honestly the reason for one of the harshest rebukes in the Bible, “You foolish Galatians.” We are made firm, by remembering and studying the truth, the truth that God’s love for me is because He is God and awesome. How does this give me strength? If I remember this, if I live with this in the forefront of my mind, I live a life of a bondservant. I don’t have to serve but I choose to serve because my Lord is so good.

I used to be afraid to blatantly focus my teaching ministry this way- I felt that if I taught primarily grace then Satan would deceive others into licentiousness, which is heresy as well. God through Paul addressed this in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace might increase (Romans 6:1)?” He goes on to say “...how shall we who have died in sin continue in it” (Rom. 6:2)? This is the same truth as “...if you love me, you will obey My commandments...” (John 14:15) and “...a child of God cannot continually sin...” (1 John 3:9). God loves us not based on what we do, but because He is love. This amazing love inspires devotion. We “obey” out of love for our master who loves us no matter what. We do not obey our master in order to get Him to love us in return. This love, this grace, if we can grasp it, makes us firm and causes us to live a life of a bondservant.

This is what we should teach, believe, and live in light of…..


Sarah Beasley

(from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993)

The Death Wish

I know I'm not the only one to notice this phenomenon, but I'll mention it again:  So often the same scripture passages or ideas show up in multiple sermons, devotionals, or songs.  It happened again this week.  Larry and I are visiting our daughter Sarah and her husband in Greenville. The pastor at the church we visited yesterday preached from - - - are you ready?  Acts chapter 4!

It's amazing, really, how rich the Bible is and how many different lessons can be learned from the same passage. This pastor, Jonathan Tomkins, took us to verses 23-33. He had a lot to say about unity, but the big idea that stuck with me was the idea of a "death wish."

Pastor Tompkins noted that the prayer for "confidence"-- or "boldness" in some versions--was really asking for trouble because of the political and religious climate of the day. Many believers went out to proclaim God's word and truly suffered for it, a truth we see in I Peter.

However, another kind of "death wish" is at work here as well: death to self and selfish desires. If we truly focus on God's aims and the gospel message, many people will not like us. They will think we're strange, intolerant, or even hostile. In order to boldly speak truth, I must die to my own desire to be liked and accepted. God's opinion and approval must be more important to me than man's approval.

I note in verse 31 that God granted the prayer of his people. They did speak with boldness, and many of them suffered for it. Some died physically, but all died to self. May it be so for me this week.

--Sherry Poff

A Simple Equation

"Any number X 0 always = 0, huh!"

As a third grade teacher, I often found myself making up silly chants like the one above. While chants are great for instilling one message in a child’s mind, they are also really great for getting kids to line up quickly and in a somewhat fashionable order. Admittedly, the latter was my cherished result, but I’m glad that my third-graders-turned-college-students-overnight still know the truth about multiplying numbers by 0.

Unfortunately, in our spiritual lives, we forget this very basic equation:

ANY SIN (even your 1,893,423^rd one) X CHRIST (zero sins) always = RIGHTEOUSNESS (zero sin), HUH!

1 John 1: 9—“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 103:12—“…as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Hebrews 10:17—“…I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

It doesn’t matter how large the first factor gets, the answer is always ZERO sin! Christ knew before He died 2,000 years ago how many sins we would commit, and He forgave all of them on the cross. When we add variables to Christ’s work on the cross, we change the equation!

There is NOTHING else needed, NO additional confession, NO additional penance, NO additional good works to cancel out the bad.

Nothing.

Zero.

That makes me wanna say, “Huh!”

~Rebecca Phillips

Prisoner...But Free

As a prisoner
All rights as a citizen
No longer apply

As a prisoner
Any dreams for the future
No longer matter

As a prisoner
All cravings and addictions
Cannot be indulged

As a prisoner
Favorite activities
May not be enjoyed

As a prisoner
Choices and variety
No longer exist

-------------------------------------

I know prisoners
Who today have hope in Christ
Chains of sin broken

I know prisoners
Whose guilt, remorse, and regret
No longer bind them

I know prisoners
Whose faith has cleared their record
Truth has set them free

I know prisoners
Blameless, righteous, forgiven
No longer guilty



I just spent two days alongside men who have committed gruesome crimes. They have been stripped of every right and privilege they had as a citizen. Yet, they are more free than many who are not confined to prison, because they have experienced the forgiveness and healing that comes through Jesus Christ. They have hope that even though their lives on earth will be spent inside a maximum security prison, it is not their end. They have joy in knowing that they can have (and have had) an impact on the "outside" world through what they're learning and pursuing inside prison walls. They are speaking Truth into their children's lives, stopping the generational cycle of crime one child at a time. They are sharing the hope they have with other prisoners whose lives are being changed. For two days, I shared tears of joy and pain with my brothers. For one day, I watched men be dads, uncles, grandpas to the children they love. For life, I will be forever changed.

~Rebecca Phillips