Seeking Guest Bloggers

Hi Sweet Friends,

A few months ago, I wrote about wanting to interview some of you for my blog. The purpose of the blog is to introduce people to how to study God's Word for themselves, and to share my life and how I'm learning to apply what I see from His Word, in my every day walk.

I haven't blogged in a while, as I'm walking through this recent diagnosis of MS, and daily shots, and a family who is hurting, and...and....and....

My friends keep encouraging me to blog through all of this, but truthfully, I just so don't want the blog to be about me.....I mean really, who needs that much of me?!

So...I'm asking you all....I'd so love to hear your stories of how inductive study is changing your life, and the lives of those whom God has you leading.

And I have no doubt that others would love to hear them too....

Several of you responded that you'd be open to being interviewed, but at this point, I can't even process doing that....so instead, I'm asking if you'd just write in my stead...as guest bloggers.

There are people from all over the world who read my blog....still dumbfounding to me....but when I see the stat info on how they got to it, it's most often because they Googled Precept or Kay or David Arthur...or because they Googled a certain passage of Scripture.

So, just write about what you're learning from the Word.

The months that I'm actively writing, it averages 500 hits a month.

So...God in His sovereignty is using this blog to His glory.

That's why I don't want to use it to continue to write about MS. I just want to walk through this valley (and it is a valley right now...the shots take 3-9 months to begin working).......I need to have some space to walk through this time, loving my family, homeschooling my kiddos, and leading the one upcoming Precept class which God has called me to... "Sweeter Than Chocolate," which will begin Thursday, October 1st at my church.

Yes....childcare will be available this time...thank you, Lord! :)

Back to topic...I see this guest blogger idea as a HUGE opportunity to allow this blog to be so much bigger than me.

I want it to be about Him..for Him, through Him, to Him...

Would you help me?

Of course, I want to have editing rights, but if there's a need for that, we'll talk about it one on one.

If you would like to share your story, or stories, of how learning to study God's Word for yourself has changed your life, would you please write them into Word and then email them to me at PreceptBibleStudy@gmail.com?

If you've gone from Precept student to leader....please write about that, too. People NEED to hear that God can use them to lead others...they need to hear about our failures as leaders as well as about our successes.

They need to hear that God can use them, and will if only they'll heed His call.

Will you help me tell them?

Pretty please, with sugar on top...and a cherry? ;)

I'll pray over each one, and will put them into a file on my computer and will post specific ones as the Lord leads.

I'd beg you to pray over your keyboard before you begin to write. I do this each time I do.

Thank you for considering my request.

You all are iron in my life, and I thank God for you!

Jes

Passing the Baton - Equipping Leaders - Expanding

I keep thinking about the Apostle Paul.

About his testimony, about his faithfulness.

A man whose life was so drastically changed.

Even his name was changed.....a sign of entering into covenant with God through Christ.

He had been known as Saul.

Saul, who was hunting down Christians to see them killed or have them imprisoned.

Saul, who stood by and watched as Stephen was stoned to death because of his faith in Jesus Christ.

Saul, who was so religious, yet had no relationship with God.

Saul, who was so proud of his religious standing, yet was on the way to eternal damnation, because religion never saves anyone.

Yes, I keep thinking about my brother Paul, and about how once he belonged to the Lord, God chose to do mighty things through his life.

But, not by making him a success by worldly standards.

Not by making him strong and powerful.

No, God chose to work through his weaknesses.


2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!

Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

I gotta tell you, this just flies in the face of every "self-help" book I've ever read, and I read plenty of them before I became a Christian.

Back then I would have read that and thought...I'm not going to be weak! I'm just not! Not for you, not for anybody, and especially not for some Jesus I can't even see. I mean, He's the one putting me through all this right? So why do I just want to lay down and take what He dished out to me? No. no. Nonononononononononononono!

That's how I would have looked at it...like I was being asked to be some weakling.

I was so wrong. So prideful.

Break it down with me, won't you?

WHO was in control of this messenger of satan?

WHO said, in essence, "no" to Paul, with regard to removing the torment?

HOW is power perfected?

Do you believe that, sweet friend? Do you KNOW that you KNOW that it's the truth?

WHAT is God telling Paul that He will give him for survival? Goodness, even more than for survival, for the Gospel to go forth....what is it that God's going to give him in his weakness?

If he weren't boasting in his weakness, what might he boast in instead?

HOW is he boasting in his weakness?

WHAT is his choice about how he is going to deal with the following:

Weaknesses

Insults

Distresses

Persecutions

Difficulties

FOR WHOSE SAKE?

When is Paul strong?

Oh my, how I hope and pray that you'll take a few minutes and work through the above questions.

Ask the Lord to teach you, train you, correct you, reprove you. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I want to share this with you tonight...I still do not know what is going on with my body.
I am still in pain in ways that are hard to explain.

And yes, I'm sure I'll still have freak-out moments much like the one I posted about a few days ago.

But you know, I just keep thinking about our study of Kings & Prophets that we completed a few months ago. In that study, we learned about how the Israelites built a big platform outside of the temple, which King Solomon stood on in front of all the assembly of Israel, in order to pray and dedicate the temple to God.

I remember that when we were studying the details of the temple, that the platform really stood out to me. I kept thinking about how all of the people would have been able to see Solomon, because he was elevated, so to speak.

And I've been thinking about what's going on in my life...and asking the Lord if this might be His platform for me, for us.

You know, I am so deeply passionate about the things that God has called me to.

I'm never accused of being gray. People who know me know where I stand.

But what about others? Is there some way that an illness could be a platform to help others realize that God is good, even when situations aren't? I believe so. Very much so.

I suppose that my being so black & white comes from the fact that I wasted so much of my life in the cesspool.

I often wonder when I'll have the courage to share my whole testimony with you. Suffice it to say, it will break your heart, and then I pray it will give you great encouragement.

I'm that woman in church who can't make it through ONE single worship time without breaking out in tears. And they aren't subtle, ever. I just stand there in service, weeping.

Every. Single. Service.

Forgiven much...so much.

Loves much....so much.

That's me.

I long for a platform for God's glory. I want to get in front of as many people as God sends my way, and teach them the great treasures they can find if only they'll learn to mine the truth.

If only they'll toss their "fill in the blank" Bible studies out the window. Heck, I suppose across the room does the trick. That's what I did with "Baby Wise" - chucked that book straight across the room.

Shane ducked just in time.

Then he brought home another one...some "spank your kid first time every time, we don't do grace here" kind of book....let's just say, my man got good at ducking when he'd hear pages hurtling across the room.

Um, did I say that I'm passionate about things?!

I have matured though. I don't chuck anything around here anymore, unless it smells like little kid sweat and needs to make it to the laundry room. Those, I chuck. :)

I'm off topic, aren't I?

Here are my passions:

1. That those who don't know the love of God, will come to realize all that He gave through Jesus Christ, that they may come to saving grace through Him, and that they will receive Jesus as Lord and Master.

2. That we as Christian parents, realize the great responsibility we have to raise our children up in the Word of God...and that we get to work at it! NOW!

Yes, I believe we need to raise them in church, too...but church is not to take the place of our jobs before the Lord, of building a firm foundation for our children, in God's Word.

3. That those of us who have been called to lead others in the study of God's Word, must seek the Lord on how to pass the baton to others, and then we MUST be the first in their corner to cheer them and pray for them and encourage them and equip them. We must!

Simply stated, it looks like this:

Susan is in "my" Bible study class of 10 ladies. She doesn't bring the people from her office, or her neighborhood, or her church, or her quilting group. She comes faithfully, but no one comes with her.

Then, one day, Susan decides to lead a class of "her" own. She no longer comes to "mine". Yay!

Why "yay?"

Because now Susan has a chance to impact the lives of all of those people in her sphere of influence, by teaching them the same tools she's been taught...how to study the Bible for themselves.

Yay!

So, Susan has 6 friends who come and study with her for 6 months or so, but Susan is smart...she's watching and listening, and she's praying and seeking the Lord, and she's asking Him for someone to pass the baton to.

God answers, and Kate steps forth and leaves Susan's class, in order to start one of "her" own. Susan meets with Kate on a regular basis, just to work through concerns, questions, and to pray over her...Susan really spends time on her face, praying for Kate.

Kate is super outgoing, so she knows lots of people. 20 come to "her" class.

Kate is scared out of her wits, but trusts that she too can boast in her weaknesses, knowing that it's not her own power that's going to enable her to teach, to lead....it's the power of Christ dwelling in her, just as it was for Paul.

Kate has 2 ladies from her class that decide to step out and lead. So, Kate's class size shrinks, but new classes are begun because Kate is focused on God's Kingdom, and not upon building a "Kate Dynasty," where everyone could spend each week just "oohing" and "aahing" over Kate the Great.

Nope, you see Kate is smart. She knows she doesn't want to be exalted, she only wants the Lord to be. She also knows that it's harder to pour into peoples' lives when you have a big class, so she has a second task at hand...she'll still leading her class, but now she's going to also be encouraging and equipping others to lead, very likely through some leadership development classes that Kate and Susan and I will work on together, to prepare, equip and refresh leaders....still keeping our eyes wide open for new leaders to be discovered.

Of Kate's two students turned leaders,
Jan has only 2 students, while Molly has 7.

OK...math time.

I started with = 10
I lost Susan = 9
Susan started with = 6
Susan lost Kate = 5
Kate started with = 20
Kate lost Jan and Molly = 18
Jan started with = 2
Molly started with =7

Yet, at then end of the big picture, 41 women are being trained to discover God's Word for themselves through inductive Bible study, all because one person, scared out of her mind, chose to take God at His Word..."My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

In approx. 18 months, we'd now have 5 Precept Bible Study Leaders, and 41+ Precept Students.
That baton was passed 5 times, to 5 different leaders...I may not even know Molly, Jan, Kate, but I do know Susan, and I trusted her character enough to encourage her to step up and lead, therefore, I trust her ability to seek God and listen as He shows her the person(s) to come alongside and encourage and equip.

In a word, the one to grow.

I want you to know, this can happen...and easily.

Next Monday we start our second annual Leadership Development Class. Since our last one, last summer, most of these ladies have been trained to lead, and now we're hoping and praying that they will answer the call, and step out and pass the baton.

Won't you pray for us, please?

We'll be studying Kinsman Redeemer, but we'll also have some extra work each week, which will pertain to leadership. Pray that I'll listen to the Lord in preparing it, won't you please?

Kinsman Redeemer is a life changer. It's only 3 weeks long, but we'll be doing it over 7.

Pray that God laces our hearts together, and that we see His power at work in our weaknesses in ways that will allow us to be awed, knowing that this power could have only come from the Lord.
And pray that when class ends, we'll each be able to report WHAT we're going to lead or study with our respective groups in the fall, and to WHOM God is calling each of us.

Much love,
Jes

The Question I Was Too Afraid To Ask...

I've wondered about this for a really long time, and have really wanted to post the question to the Precept Leader Board, yet I was too afraid to.

I was afraid I'd look like a slacker, and I think I was desperately afraid of the answers that others would share, thinking that I'd once again feel like I am lacking as a Precept leader, when compared to so many others.

But, some brave soul stepped up recently and asked the question I've been itching to ask, and when I saw it posted to the Precept Leader Yahoo Forum, I knew the Lord wasn't going to let me off the hook.

I knew I was being called to share what was pressing on my heart, so I did. I pray that it somehow encourages you to step out in faith in Christ Jesus, and lead others in inductive Bible study.

This was the question:

How many hours a week do you spend preparing for leading your Precept class, excluding the time dedicated to actually working through the lesson yourself?
(I'm paraphrasing, but this was the gist of it.)

I am not at liberty to share anyone's answer but my own...so here goes, this is what I posted...

I wanted to respond to the question about leader preparation time.

I hope my heart comes through in what I feel led to share, as it's not always easy to express one's heart through email/forum groups.

I am led to share in the hope that it will encourage some of you out there who are not now leading because you don't think you have 10+ hours a week to prepare...or, those of you who may be in the same life situation that I am.

We are a homeschooling family of 2 kids, 8 and 6. While I do not work outside the home, I do have a full time job as a teacher inside my home.

We've also had 18mo-2years of unresolved health issues here, which is time consuming too, besides the fact that my brain doesn't work like it used to (seriously!).

I've battled, often, with deep feelings of inadequacy as a leader, and have made the mistake of telling my class one too many times just how bad of a job I am doing, compared to the great and seasoned Precept leaders I've sat under. (Yes, I've had the best!) :)

Countless times, I've thought about many of you here, whom I respect so much, and in weighing myself next to you, I find I lack deeply.

I don't have the hours that I desire to have, to study commentaries, and I don't have them on hand even if I wanted to.

I don't have LOGOS or a laptop computer.
I am blessed to have Zodhiates and Vines, and I have Wuest but cannot remember how to use it.

We don't do charts in my class, even though I feel my students could benefit from them. I am trying to follow the new model that Precept has laid down for us, and use minimal visual aides...which is good because the charts intimidate me.

As much as I can right now, I rise early or stay up late to study...but it never, ever seems enough.

I have seen my classes start out with 25 people, and dwindle to 8...more often than not.

I often wonder when the Lord will send the real Precept leader to lead this class, so that I may sit under him or her and soak it up like a sponge. Yet, in 5 years, He hasn't yet chosen to do that.
I've been blessed to see others answer the call to lead, and oh what a blessing that is, yet they haven't taken over "my" class...they've multiplied, and are now leading their own separate classes, and many of them feel as inadequate as I do.

However, through it all the Lord has shown me some rich and humbling things through this journey as a leader....

1. It's His desire for people to learn to study His Word for themselves, and all He asks me is if I'll be obedient. He doesn't ask me to be spectacular, as much as I'd love to be.
(Oh, how I'd love to be!)

2. He knows my heart...that I never feel I have spent adequate time in study, yet He never fails to do the work in the hearts of those students who are willing to sit at His feet and dig in. And He has always been faithful to teach and grow me in the process. :)

3. I'm not to tell my students anymore how bad I am at this. Even in doing that, I am taking the focus off of Him and putting it on me.

4. There are not a lot of leaders that I've met, who are my age. I hope and pray for more and more leaders in my age group, and younger. In order for that to happen, I have to model for them that they really can do this...and make it work with where they are in their lives. It cannot seem an impossible task, or they may not be willing to answer the call.

5. At the onset, I started leading because I kept being asked by other people if I could show them how to study the way that I do...if I can keep that as my focus, just teaching them what I've been taught...just passing this awesome gift to them...then I believe I'll have been obedient to my Master.

I was talking with one of the ladies from our Kings & Prophets study a few months ago, a woman in leadership over me within my church, and telling her how sorry I was that I had done such a poor job...what with health issues and a weak background in the OT.

She looked me square in the eyes and said, "Precept has changed my life!"

Wow! Thank You, Lord! Thank You, thank You!

Today as I laid having an EEG, with wires and gunk all over my head, I listened to the familiar accent coming from the sweet lady who was doing the testing on me.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore..I had to ask...

"Are you from Romania?"

"Yes. Romania." she answered.

Oooh...(My heart's desire is to one day go to Precept's training center there, and see first hand what God has done through the faithful work of a few obedient servants.)

"I have friends from Romania." (I've met Mia and Costel once, but as far as I'm concerned, we're lifelong friends!) :)

"From Romania?" she asked.

"Yes, they have a Bible training center there."

To which she opened up and told me that she is a Christian.

"Oh, do you know Mia and Costel Oglice?" (Why I feel compelled to ask this every single time I meet someone from Romania is because Mia and Costel are my Brother Andrews....my George Muellers.)

"Yes. Yes. They trained my husband in inductive study, when Romania was still a communist country. They trained him underground. He is now a youth pastor at a Romanian church here in Phoenix."

I kid you not when I tell you that this is about the 3rd person I've met in Phoenix who is from there and was trained in Romania by Mia and Costel!

Each time the Lord orchestrates another meeting with a fellow believer like this, He reminds me again of all that He can accomplish through faithful and obedient servants.

(For blog readers who aren't familiar with them, Mia and Costel and their team have been used of the Lord to train thousands upon thousands of people in how to study the Bible for themselves. There is an Bible training center in Romania where much of their work takes place. You can see it by clicking here.)

I know it's been long, but I pray that some of you who have been holding back because you don't have hours and hours to prepare, will be encouraged just to put some people in your hip pocket and take them along with you as you dig into God's Word.

Give them what you've been given, and trust the Lord to do the work in their hearts that He wants to do.

If they outgrow you as a teacher, great...get them trained to lead! :)