May Quotes

In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words - than words without a heart.

-John Bunyan

What wings are to a bird, what fruit is to the tree, what the rose is to the thorn, that is praise to a child of God.

-Spurgeon

In true Christianity, there are no short-term commitments and no escape clauses. 

-John Blanchard

In order to receive grace, you must accept Jesus. Not the idea of Jesus, but the actual Jesus; the One who calls you to leave everything behind. The One who says that you must carry your cross, the One who spoke truth in the face of deceit. The Christ who clung unto a world that had let go long ago, Jesus who calls us beloved. If grace is an ocean, you must jump in! 

-T.B. LaBerge

A great white throne: Great, because of the causes that will be decided there ... white, because of its immaculate purity ... a throne, because a King will sit there. 

-F. B. Meyer

Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight — to live by faith in future grace. 

-John Piper

Circumstances don't create character; they reveal character. 

-David Jeremiah

Only men who ken their weakness, find their strength in Christ alone. 

-John Knox

God's plans reach from an eternity past to an eternity to come. Let Him take His own time.

-William S. Plumer

The burden God places on each of us is to become who we are meant to be. We are most fully ourselves when Christ most fully lives in us and through us. The mother shines brightest with her child in her arms, the father when he forgives his wandering son, and the artist when he or she is drawing attention to grace, by showing the pinprick of light overcoming the darkness in the painting, or the story, or the song. The world knows darkness. Christ came into the world to show us light. I have seen it, have been blinded by it, invaded by it. I will tell its story.

-Andrew Peterson

January Quotes

To surrender a precious dream is a fearful thing, but to pursue anything but the full measure of the glory of God’s love is a wasted life.

-Joshua Eddy

Where God tears great gaps we should not try to fill them with human words.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us.

-R.C. Sproul

Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.

-C.S. Lewis

It is not the mouth that is the main thing to be looked at in prayer, but whether the heart is so full of affection and earnestness in prayer with God, that it is impossible to express their sense and desire; for then a man desires indeed, when his desires are so strong, many, and mighty, that all the words, tears, and groans that can come from the heart, cannot utter them.

-John Bunyan

The point of your life is to point to Him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. 

-Francis Chan

There is a living God. He has spoken in the Bible. He means what He says and will do all that He has promised.

-Hudson Taylor

Don’t you know that day dawns after night, showers displace drought and spring and summer follow winter? Then have hope! Hope forever, for God will not fail you!

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Too often we pay so much attention to what we need to do that we totally neglect the extent to which we are entirely dependent on the Spirit to do what we cannot do. 

-Jerry Bridges

Right now if this preacher died he would go to heaven. Not because I spent years in the jungles and the Andes Mountains of Peru. Not because of piety, devotion or Bible study. Not because of denominational affiliation, baptism, or participation in the Lord’s supper. If I died right now, I would go to heaven because two thousand years ago the Son of God shed His blood for this wretched man. And that is my hope.

-Paul Washer

Pondering Words

In beginning a six-month plan through the Bible, I once again read through Genesis. As we're
introduced to Joseph, his brothers, and his father, we begin to understand the family dynamics a bit more as the chapters progress. Brothers are jealous, father has favorites, and Joseph is considered "strange" by his family. Genesis 37 is the chapter in which Joseph is introduced and he reveals the dreams that he's been having to his family. Whether or not this was a good course of action is somewhat debated, though I tend to think it was rather unwise. However, we note the responses of his father and brothers. His brothers are indignant and angry that he would have dreams that demonstrate him ruling over them, and his father follows in a similar response in rebuking his son. But afterwards, one verse is given to us:

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. (Genesis 37:11)

While Joseph's brothers were immediately angry and judgmental of their younger brother, Joseph's father initially rebukes him, and yet he seems to ponder the words of his son. We don't know whether or not Joseph knew his father was thinking about his dreams or not, but the Bible tells us that he was. Jacob himself had had many encounters with God; perhaps the most memorable being that he wrestled with God himself and the Lord put his hip out of joint in the end. With Jacob's past history of visions and meetings with God, perhaps he had more reverence for such things in his son.

This verse reminded me of another person who pondered things in her mind, as well. Mary, the mother of Jesus, also initially rebuked her Son when He remained behind at the temple in Jerusalem after the Passover. Searching for three days, His parents grew anxious, and finally found Him questioning and listening to the Jewish rulers. Jesus responds by questioning them as to why they were looking for Him, seeing as He was doing His Father's business in His Father's house. They did not understand His words at the time, but we're told that...

...his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51)

Again, another parent hears the words of their child and ponders the meaning. While Jacob and Mary may seem to have little in common, they both come to realize the profound impact of their children's words later on in life. Perhaps they both regretted rebuking them, or perhaps they simply came to a greater knowledge of God through their life story. But I am certain that later on, they understood the bigger picture of a boy with dreams and another boy who followed an unseen Father's commands. Perhaps it's meant as a lesson for us, too. Don't rebuke another hastily when you don't understand. A good lesson for us as humans are naturally quick to speak and slow to listen.

November Quotes

You must not only affirm the truth; you must also proclaim it. You must also defend it. 

-Albert Mohler

If you focus on men, you will always be disappointed. Focus on the principles for which they stood.

-Col. John Eidsmoe

It was in a garden that Adam sinned, and it was in a garden that the Second Adam (Jesus) was arrested. After being killed for the sins of His own, he was buried then rose from the grave in a garden on the third day, breaking Adam's curse. Mary thought at first that the risen Savior was a gardener. Christ is now in Heaven preparing a place for His own, a garden with the Tree of Life at the center, the garden that Eden was pointing to all along!

-Unknown

[A]ll great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both met and overcome with answerable courage.

-William Bradford

Shall we not pray for strength to run well knowing that greater trials are likely ahead, but also knowing that the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, is greater than all our trials and knowing that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. 

 -Nathan Francis

Let lovingkindness become the standard of true wisdom; justice, the measure of real power; and righteousness, our criterion of riches. 

-John Piper

Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid youstand, Men of the West!' 

-JRR Tolkien (Aragorn)

It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desires which He creates.

-Amy Carmichael

The Christian life isn't difficult — it is impossible. If we don't know that, we will try to do things ourselves. Faith is not necessary when we think we can do it ourselves. Faith comes along when we realize that we cannot do it on our own." 

-Joseph Garlingen

Struggling with sin isn't a sign of God's absence, but of his presence. 

-Darrin Patrick

The universe shudders in horror that we have this infinitely valuable, infinitely deep, infinitely rich, infinitely wise, infinitely loving God, and instead of pursuing him with steadfast passion and enthralled fury—instead of loving him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; instead of attributing to him glory and honor and praise and power and wisdom and strength — we just try to take his toys and run. It is still idolatry to want God for his benefits but not for himself. 

-Matt Chandler

When all is said and done, the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with every available weapon against the flesh.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "The Cost of Discipleship"

These many years of waiting will only be a sentence in the story. This long day will come to an end, and I believe it will end in glory, when we will shine like suns and stride the green hills with those we love and the One who loves.

-Andrew Peterson

Love is an act of the will accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object. 

-Voddie Baucham

It is not your love that sustains the marriage,

but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

What ends up happening to so many of us is that we spend so much time trying to put sin to death that we don’t spend enough time striving to know God deeply, trying to gaze upon the wonder of Jesus Christ and have that transform our affections to the point where our love and hope are steadfastly on Christ. The goal is this: that Christ would become more beautiful and desirable than the allure of sin. 

-Matt Chandler

February Quotes

...there is not a drop of love in His heart that is not yours; you may dive into the immense ocean of His love, and you may say of it all, "It is mine."

-C.H. Spurgeon

There is a brotherhood within the body of believers, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the common denominator. Friendship and fellowship are the legal tender among believers. 

-J. Vernon McGee

Those who will not set their children on the road to adulthood must funnel these children's energies to distractions. 

-Caleb Romanowitz

Everybody wants to be on the mountaintop, but if you'll remember, mountaintops are rocky and cold. There is no growth on the top of a mountain. Sure, the view is great, but what's a view for? A view just gives us a glimpse of our next destination-our next target. But to hit that target, we must come off the mountain, go through the valley, and begin to climb the next slope. It is in the valley that we slog through the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life's next peak.

-Andy Andrews

Our severest trials are God's most powerful answers to our petition that He conform us to Christ's image. They are His chisel on our hearts.

-Paul Washer

God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what 

He is up to.

-Unknown

We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. 

-C.S. Lewis

The real issue of sin is the glory of God, not the hurt of humans.

-John Piper

There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is

Sovereign over all, does not cry, "Mine!” 

-Abraham Kuyper

Think of the self that God has given as an acorn. It is a marvelous little thing, a perfect shape, perfectly designed for its purpose, perfectly functional. Think of the grand glory of an oak tree. God’s intention when He made the acorn was the oak tree. His intention for us is … ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’ Many deaths must go into our reaching that measure, many letting-goes. When you look at the oak tree, you don’t feel that the ‘loss’ of the acorn is a very great loss. The more you perceive God’s purpose in your life, the less terrible the losses seem.

-Elisabeth Elliot

Consider Jesus, know Jesus, soak in the shadow of Jesus, saturate your soul with the ways of Jesus. Watch him, listen to him, stand in awe of him. Let him overwhelm you with the way he is. 

-John Piper

If you belong to Him, He will shatter you in a million pieces and reconstruct you. He will not share you with the world. He will not allow you to get any fun out of the Vanity Fair.

-Paul Washer

Sanctification is a process – the process of becoming more like Christ, of growing in holiness. This process begins the instant you are converted and will not end until you meet Jesus face-to-face. Sanctification is about our own choices and behavior. It involves work. Empowered by God’s Spirit, we strive. We fight sin. We study Scripture and pray, even when we don’t feel like it. We flee temptation. We press on; we run hard in the pursuit of holiness. And as we become more and more sanctified, the power of the gospel conforms us more and more closely, with ever-increasing clarity, to the image of Jesus Christ.

-C.J. Mahaney

…The sword is, as it were, consecrated to God; and the art of war becomes a part of our religion.

-Samuel Davies

Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their Champion Character. 

-T.A. Armstrong

August Quotes

If God is all you have...you have it all.

-Unknown

Sometimes a majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.

-General Douglas MacArthur

What God calls us to do He gives us the strength to accomplish, the grace to live or die for His glory....God does not just have a purpose for your days, but a purpose for your life.

-Pendragon (movie)

When you feel like you’re drowning in life, don’t worry. Your Lifeguard walks on water.

-Unknown

God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him. 

-John Piper

Just keep being sensitive to God's nudging, attentive to His call, obedient to His commands, and pursue Him with reckless abandonment, and He will definitely reward and bless you above all you could ever ask or think.

-E. Mielke

Hell has many gates, though heaven has but one. 

-C.H. Spurgeon

…the strongest characters are as weak as water the moment He withdraws His upholding hand.

-A.W. Pink

He who thinks of his Savior as far away can have made little progress in the need of him; and he who does not need much cannot know much, any more than he who is not forgiven much can love much.

-George McDonald

My mother spoke of Christ to my father, by her feminine and childlike virtues, and, after having borne his violence without a murmur or complaint, gained him at the close of his life to Christ. 

-Augustine of Hippo

I preached as never sure to preach again, And as a dying man to dying men. 

-Richard Baxter

The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up; you have to cut every step with an ice axe; only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress; you need a guide to help you, and you are not safe unless you are fastened to the guide, for you may slip into a crevasse. Nobody ever slides up, but if great care be not taken they will slide down, slide back, or in other words backslide. This is very easily done. If you want to know how to backslide, the answer is leave off going forward and you will slide backward, cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity, for stand still you never can. 

-Charles Spurgeon

His Word!

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm dedicated to expressing the goodness and glory of God's Word. The psalmist uses many terms when exalting the Word of God including "testimonies", "statutes", "commandments", "rules", "law", "judgments", "precepts", and "word". In describing the Word of God, the psalmist declares his joy, hope, and peace found in the written Word, for God's glory is revealed in Scripture.

As an acrostic poem, these verses are divided into 22 sections, each beginning with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. As I read through this psalm in the past week, verses 105-112 particularly stood out to me, as they described some important aspects of Scripture. Since we, as believers, are to continue to search the Word daily, perhaps these words will be an encouragement to you all to keep reading and studying the words that contain eternal life.

God's Word is a Light and Lamp
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105, ESV)
Directing our steps, God's purpose and plans prevail over those of man. He guides and sustains us in our darkness just as He does in the light. We don't have to know all that is ahead--God does, and where His will leads us, His grace will keep us.

God's Word is Righteous
"I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules." (Psalm 119:106)
Here the psalmist here promises to keep the rules of God, for they are the only true and pure commandments that are worth fighting for. The relativity of the world provides no foundation, but in the midst of compromised truth, God's righteous rules provide a solid Rock.

God's Word gives Life
"I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word!" (Psalm 119:107)
Affliction, trials, tribulations, and general spiritual weaknesses drain our spirit, and here the psalmist cries out to the Lord. God's Word makes us alive to Christ, and gives us strength and perseverance when we are weary.

God's Word Teaches
"Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your rules." (Psalm 119:108)
The Lord has promised that those who ask for wisdom will receive it. By reading Scripture, communicating with God, and allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us we will be taught the rules of God. And as the psalmist bring his offerings, He praises the Lord. The rules of God should prompt us to praise and glorify God for who He is and what He commands.

God's Word must be Remembered
"I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law." (Psalm 119:109)
Though there was often danger, the psalmist says that nothing could move him to forget the Word. Scripture is that which will never pass away, and it is these Words that we are commanded to meditate on day and night in order to walk in God's way. It requires active remembrance and purposeful meditation to remember the law of God.

God's Word Protects
"The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts." (Psalm 119:110)
The society and culture around us present many temptations for us; we are constantly attacked with Satan's devices and only faithfully holding to that which is holy and true will lead us in the right path. We must know wrong from right in order to avoid evil, and if we are to stick closely to God's precepts then we must study them to have a deep knowledge of them.

God's Word gives us Joy
"Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart." (Psalm 119:111)
This is my favorite verse from the passage. Perhaps Calvin's commentary describes it best: "Without the Divine word all other things were in his estimation as nothing; so that he could willingly leave to others, riches, honors, comforts, and pleasures, provided he possessed this incomparable treasure." When we treasure God's testimony above all else, earthly inheritances and possessions become nothing to us. God's Word is our delight and it is that which completely satisfies our hearts. It brings us inexpressible joy and we live in the blessedness of God's glory. What we treasure shows where our heart is. When we treasure Scripture, our hearts find delight in Christ.

God's Word is Eternal
"I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end." (Psalm 119:112)
The psalmist here makes a conscious choice to turn his heart to the Word of God until the end of his days. The reward for him will be eternal. God's statutes will remain eternally, and so he commits to following them for all the days of his life. We can't do this on our own, but by drawing strength from the Holy Spirit and meditating on the Words of life, we, too, can fix our eyes on the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. It will be worth the wait.

Stay in the Word. Learn to meditate on it. Seek to make Scripture the joy of your heart.

I am...the Life

My devotions this week covered a lot of ground. Reading from Psalm 109 to Isaiah 13, but one of the familiar themes of Proverbs caught my attention again. It tied in well with one of the daily devotionals I read on Wednesday, as well.

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied. (Proverbs 19:23)

The fear of the Lord gives wisdom. The fear of the Lord gives knowledge. The fear of the Lord gives understanding. But here it says the fear of the Lord leads to life. God gives us physical life, but He also promises that those who seek Him will find Him, and the only way we will live eternally is to know the Son of God.

Paul opens his second letter to Timothy in this manner: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus." We, who are spiritually dead, are made alive in Christ's life by His work on the cross. We're given a new life, a renewed mind, and a new mission as a Christian. We won't find eternal life in anyone or anything else, for Christ is the source and giver of Life. He is Life Himself. Jesus came that we "may have life and have it abundantly". (John 17:3)

We live in the flesh, but it's only temporary, and it's purpose serves to sanctify us and bring glory to God. The contrast of Christ's life in us is magnified all the more when we see the depraved nature of ourselves. "Always carrying in teh body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:10)

The fear of the Lord, a reverence and respect for His name, leads us to life, and it's by this life that we live eternally. "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." When we become a child of God, we are forever secure in His presence and protection, and nothing can separate us from His love. We are no more secure anywhere here on earth than the angels are in heaven. And when we are finished this physical life on earth, we will have life eternal in heaven.

This life in Christ, in return, should also increase our fear of the Lord, for we should be growing day by day in the Word and in communion with Him. Resting in the Lord for assurance of salvation, sanctification, and security is what will satisfy our hearts. By fear of the Lord we live with the promise of eternal life, and with the physical life He grants us now, we must learn to walk in the fear of the Lord all the days of our life. It is the Living God who grants us life, physically and spiritually. Our time here on earth is for a purpose, and we are immortal until we fulfill it.

"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2a)

"Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12)

Guest Post: Fruit of Grace

Photo Credit

Today I have the privilege to share a post with you written by another very special friend of mine. Carrie-Grace M. is a fourteen-year-old homeschooler, and she gladly accepted the invitation to write for Facing the Waves. Her older brother leads ICBF--our Bible study group--and our families have known each other for about three years now. Thank you, Carrie-Grace, for your enthusiasm in writing this post!

*****

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” ~Philippians 1:6

God’s sovereignty in our sanctification is a rather knotty issue among Christian circles. After all, God is the One Who sanctifies us, but once we are saved there is still a working out of our salvation that we have to undertake. Faith is not based on works, yet Christians are commanded to bear fruit for God’s glory. No more can we live to the passions of our flesh, and we are held accountable when we do.

Romans 6 says this: “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

In this post, I wanted to look at the beautiful meshing of God’s sovereign grace and our obligations as Christian men and women. How do work and grace weave together to make one whole?

The answer to this starts in our restored relationship with God.

1. We are children of God
We were once alienated from God, strangers to Him without hope. But now, He calls us His friends. We are His brothers, adopted into His family through blood-ties. Through his death and resurrection, we have died to sin and now live to righteousness. The old is gone, the new has come. Our souls have been ushered into the throne-room of grace to have eternal fellowship with God. We work out our salvation as a gracious privilege, given to us from above. This privilege is not meant to hurt us or hold us back, but to free us to do the works that God has prepared for us. True, it holds us back from sinning, but it frees us from the death-grip of sin.

2. We are slaves of the King
In Philippians 2:7, Paul says that Jesus “took the form of a servant.” The Greek word for servant here literally means, “a bondservant, a slave, one devoted to another to the disregard of one’s personal interests.” Christ disregarded Himself when He came to earth. Instead of imposing on others, He served them with a selfless love. And He commands us to do the same. At the Last Supper, He washed the feet of the disciples to set the example for all believers. “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 3:16-17). We are to use our freedom to serve one another, not as an opportunity for the flesh (Gal. 5:13). Christ paid the ultimate price with His blood to buy us back to Himself.

I was doing an English report for school recently, on a few of the “I AM” statements of Jesus. One of the ones I looked up was “I am the vine, you are the branches (John 15:4).” In John 15:1, Jesus refers to God the Father as the vinedresser. I found an interesting point from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia that said that the vines required the constant care of the vine-dresser in order for the fruit to remain healthy. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). God alone is the One Who makes us fruitful and preserves that fruitfulness. Jesus tells us to abide in Him in order to bear this fruit, for through Him, and only through Him, can we thrive spiritually.

If Christ is the source of our work, then what is the work? Galatians 5:25 says this: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” In the next chapter, it goes into detail about how we are to live according to the Spirit: forgiving one another, bearing one another’s burdens, sowing to the Spirit, etc. John 15:10, 12 say, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love…This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus declares that our work is to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do this by putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and obeying the commands in Scripture. This leads to the working out of our salvation.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).

This is our calling. This is our mission. The grace of God works in us to this end.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

His grace toward us is not in vain. On the contrary, we work hard to bear fruit to His glory.

".... it is certain that the Christian does grow in grace.

And though his conflict may be as severe in the last day of his life as in the first moment of conversion, yet he does advance in grace--and all his imperfections and his conflicts within cannot prove that he has not made progress."

~ Charles Spurgeon

***** 

Carrie-Grace M. is a Scripture-memorizing cat-lover living in the Mitten of the USA. During the summer, she participates in the National Bible Bee, and enjoys spending time in Scripture there. She likes drawing, reading, and corresponding with friends in between school studies.  

Coaching through the Transitions

Many coaches are fond of the phrase 'I can't change the wind, but I can adjust the sails.'

Deal with obstacles directly as they arise 

and oftentimes you will find that they add excitement to the journey 

and are rich opportunities for growth.

~Gary Collins

*****

Name 2 challenging transitions that people often go through at some point in their lives and explain how a coach would help individuals through such transitions. Using those 2 examples, write specifically about what you would do to help someone move on past those transitions.


Transition is a normal part of everyone’s life, but sometimes a coach is able to make those transitions easier for the person. As Collins (2009) says, “life coaching is about improving life” and it is the coach’s job to “[coach] people through transitions and [enable] clients to find more balance in their lives” (pg. 238).

Using Hudson’s Four Phases of Change (Collins, 2009, pg. 243), I could help the client who is struggling to decide on higher education. During Phase 1, the client would list the university options and pros and cons for each place, as well as listing his interests, mission, and passions. In Phase 2, I would be sure to encourage my client’s enthusiasm for learning, and remind him of his commitment and purpose to gaining further education (Collins, 2009). Phase 3 would entail planning for financial and travel resources to attend the university, as well as much time spent in prayer. Action steps and accountability would ensure that my client chose one university. Phase 4 would see the client creating and experimenting with all the travel and financial options, networking to gain contacts with the university and other students, and prioritizing his current life to start university in the near future (Collins, 2009). Each of these phases is important in seeking the will of God for this client, while ensuring their interests and passions are included as they seek higher education.

I would help a person who is having difficulty finding an enjoyable job by using the same four phases. During Phase 1, I would assist and encourage my client in listing his talents, gifts, interests, passions, and values. In Phase 2, the client would re-evaluate his dream and inform his boss about his decision to find a new job in the near future (Collins, 2009). This phase would also include my client creating and sending out resumes to different companies. Phase 3 would entail prayer and seeking the Lord’s will for his life, taking into consideration the mission and passions God has given him. Also, actions steps would be taken to prepare financially and perhaps geographically in order to enter into a better job. Additionally, I would encourage my client to resign from his current job. Phase 4 would see my client moving to a different house (if necessary) and beginning his new job. I would stay in contact with him to make sure he transitions smoothly into his new routine. He would be creating and experimenting with daily schedules, networking with people in the workplace (boss, co-workers, customers), as well as learning to prioritize his other activities around his work schedule (Collins, 2009).

I would make sure to encourage both clients during these types of transitions to seek the Lord’s will through each step, explaining that He directs each individual according to their passions, mission, gifts, and calling in life. It would be my job to come alongside them and provide them with direction, asking powerful questions, and supporting them through prayer.

Reference: 
Collins, G.R. (2009) Christian coaching: Helping others turn potential into reality. (2nd ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: NAV Press. 

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We exist to praise God--to love, honor, and serve him--but coaching might be one of the tools he has allowed us to discover and use to be more effectie in honoring him and ministering to others. Coaching can be used to his glory provided we remember that coaching, including coaching across cultures, is a tool to accomplish greater divine purposes.

~Gary Collins

This was the last assignment I wrote for the Life Coaching discussion posts. Throughout this course I learned much about God, myself, and about what Life Coaching really entails, and as one who has been coached for several years through CollegePlus, I definitely was able to learn and apply some of the principles. And though the assignments I've posted are not representative of all that was taught and learned, I hope they are able to give you a small taste of what coaching really is. Coaching is a work God has called some of us to, whether short-term or long-term. And in coaching others we, as Christians, are given the opportunity to minister and lead others in the paths God has called them to.

God bless you all! 

Coaching the Client's Vision

Discerning a vision is neither straightforward nor predictable.

Sometimes it takes a few weeks of diligent effort; sometimes it takes years.

The process is perhaps more important to God than the outcome because

the effort we go through draws us closer to him.

~George Barna

God gives each individual an unique purpose. Some people call it a mission, vision, passion or life purpose, but they all have similar meanings. I remember creating my own life purpose three years ago, with the instruction of my coach. A coach is very valuable in this step as they're able to help the client find his direction and ask pertinent questions to make him think. Ultimately, though an individual will need to spend time himself seeking the Lord's will for his life direction. The summary of my life purpose is this: "Purposing to use what God has given me, I will encourage others to stand fast for the Kingdom of God and equip them to defend the truth to future generations (1 Peter 3:15)." And you can find the more detailed version HERE. ;) 

The question I had to answer for this third discussion assignment was this: What is personal vision? Why is it so important? How can a Christian Life Coach help a client develop a vision? If a client's vision fades, what are was to reinvigorate that vision?

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Dreams may outline the desired future, goals may establish the path, passions may drive us forward, but vision is the target—the “potential for the future…anchored in the realities of the present”—that pulls a person forward (Collins, 2009, pg.171).

The practicality of a vision is its most vital aspect. Visions are big; they are the dreams brought down to reality, but visions also must be focused (Collins, 2009). A client will be easily discouraged if they see no practical progress through their coaching sessions, so it is part of the coach’s job to, not only expand the vision, but also to bring it down to tangible, visible results. The author of Proverbs says “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV). Good coaches will help each client to recognize and find their vision, obtain a clearer picture of the vision, and then provide support and encouragement to keep the vision alive (Collins, 2009). People must have some sort of vision in order to have purpose for their life, and a Christian Life Coach will help his clients to pursue a vision that is consistent with Scripture and with God’s calling for that individual (Collins, 2009).

A good coach will help a client find out the answer to “Where do I want to go?” [vision] (Collins, 2009). They will also coach the individual to seek the Lord’s will through prayer and consistent Bible reading. A vision for life is not a rushed process, but rather one that takes time, thought, and communication, and a good coach will be readily available to provide insight and questions in order to spur the client on in their life vision (Collins, 2009). During this process, the client will need to be introspective in order to determine his gifts, values, and passions, for these will be at the center of his vision (Collins, 2009). Information from outside resources such as other mentors, family members, or friends, will also be helpful for the client to clarify his vision and provide extra insight. A good coach will be actively involved with his client, not only to help him focus on a clear and concise vision, but also to eliminate distractions or trivial information.

Keeping the vision is part of a good coach’s job. Sometimes the client’s commitment and passion for the vision fades, and that’s when the coach takes action by encouraging him to progress and reminding him of his commitment. Reinvigorating the vision will require work. The coach may need to step back with the client and clarify values and beliefs or maintain enthusiasm for the vision during obstacles. A coach will not allow a God-given vision to fade for the client. Collins (2009) says, “Coaches are cheerleaders for their clients and their visions, stimulating forward movement so the goals are reached and dreams realized” (pg. 181).

Collins, G.R. (2009) Christian coaching: Helping others turn potential into reality. (2nd ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: NAV Press. 

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As you seek to walk in the center of God's will, it's important to establish the spiritual markers in your life that have led you up to the place you now stand. Looking back on what God has done in your life may bring great clarity toward what he wants to do in your life in the days to come.

~Henry and Mel Blackaby

Coaching Defined

Christian coaching is the art and practice 

of enabling individuals and groups to 

move from where they are 

to where God wants them to be.

~Gary R. Collins

August 18th marked the beginning of my first online college course through Liberty University. As my passion for coaching, counseling, mentoring, and discipling other believers increased during the past three years, I traded out a few of my free elective credit tests for coaching and counseling courses. This course is entitled "Introduction to Life Coaching". It is eight weeks long, and during the course, I will be sharing four of my assignments here, Lord willing. These assignments (500 words maximum) are based on the textbook and lectures that I listen to, as well as answering the given questions for the assignment. 

The conversations that have resulted with friends or with my CP coach have been wonderful. This is a topic that daily catches my interest (whether or not I'm studying it), and I believe it's a ministry that the Lord has called me to in the near future. What that will look like, I'm not sure, yet, but gaining this knowledge and wisdom from my studies and others around me will be invaluable for whatever He has in store later. 

I'd love to hear thoughts or comments about the assignments I share here. I'm always seeking to learn a bit more. ;) Because of the specific word count, I'm not able to detail many terms in each assignment, as it is assumed the student is pulling from the text and lectures. Feel free to ask questions, as I would be happy to clarify, if needed. :) 

Week One's assignment prompt was this: Describe the difference between coaching and counseling, mentoring, and discipleship? What makes Christian Life Coaching distinctive from secular life coaching? 

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Coaching is a fairly new term used to describe a method of ministering to people. It differs from counseling in that it is proactive--looking ahead to the future, setting goals, determining outcomes, and walking a person through the needed steps to fulfill specific goals. It is referred to as positive psychology because it focuses on the present and future, in order to turn ideals into tangible outcomes. (Collins, 2009)

Counseling typically refers to helping a person heal and move on from difficult life situations that have affected their everyday living. Counseling deals with emotional trauma, addictions, or mental instability. It’s known as negative psychology because it focuses on the past, and works through it, in order to bring healing to the present and future. (Collins, 2009)

Mentoring is defined as dealing “mostly with succession training and seeks to help someone do what the mentor does”. (Collins, 2009, p. 20) Mentoring is focused on supervising a person, in order to each him something the mentor already knows. Often the older will teach the younger. Titus 2 mentions the older women teaching the younger women how to care for a home and love her husband and children. Mentoring doesn’t work on healing past experiences like counseling, nor does it focus on having a person “draw from his or her own resources and experiences” (Collins, 2009) like coaching does. Mentoring is teaching people to learn.

Discipleship is a spiritual endeavor; one that Jesus specifically demonstrated and used on His own disciples. Making disciples was also one of the commands He left to His followers in the Great Commission. (Collins, 2009, p. 25) It differs from coaching, in that it is spiritual by Divine design, but coaching can definitely demonstrate discipleship aspects, such as giving “instruction and guidance that will enable individuals to grow in Christlikeness and in the knowledge and favor of Jesus Christ”. (Collins, 2009, p. 21)

Secular coaching often directs its mission toward helping people achieve their own personal goals and get from where they are now to where they want to be in the future. (Collins, 2009) Christian coaching takes this basis and raises the standard even higher. Christian coaching is distinctive from secular coaching, in that its focus is directed toward Christ. Secular coaching may include spirituality such as New Age or Eastern spiritual themes, but Christian coaching has an eternal purpose, vision, mission, and reward. (Collins, 2009) A Christian coach will direct others to pursue God’s vision and fulfill His unique calling for their lives. A Christian coach will create an awareness of God’s work in a person’s life, and strive to help him set goals and accomplish missions that will further that person’s spiritual growth and lead to the advancement of God’s kingdom. (Collins, 2009)

References:

Collins, G. R. (2009). Christian Coaching: Helping Others Turn Potential into Reality. Colorado Springs: NavPress.

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You don't need lots of techniques or years of experience to be an effective life coach. What contriubtes to people most is your level of commitment to them. That commitment doesn't come from technique or experience. It comes from the depths of your being.

~Dave Ellis

His Life Purpose!

A man's heart deviseth his way: 

but the Lord directeth his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

     Any former student, current student, or alumni through CollegePlus will recognize the "Life Purpose Statement" as one of the first life skills to earning his degree. But life purpose planning isn't just for CP students. Most people plan their life, create goals, define missions, and state values in some shape or form.

     A life purpose statement, as defined by CP, describes who you are or what you desire to be, who you are called to serve, and what you believe is needed by those who you feel called to serve. I actually wrote my LPS three times to date. I rewrote it the second time because I decided that my first attempt didn't include enough details, and then the third time I rewrote it, I wanted something that would encompass my whole life, rather than just specific aspects of it. And I'm satisfied with my last draft of it, now. ;)

     While there is much in my future that I do not know, my LPS is one that directs me back to my ultimate goal and passion: to serve the Lord with my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to encourage others to do the same with their life. Our Master will call each of us to different places, give us different passions, bless us with different gifts, and direct our steps in different directions. But I believe this should be the fundamental goal of each Christian is the same: to serve the One who called you, realizing that He gives you the strength to follow and obey His leading.

     My Life Purpose Statement:

As one who is called to bear the cross of Christ, I purpose to use my time, talents, and resources to impact others for His kingdom. (Luke 9:23) By serving, discipling, and challenging others to live boldly on the authority of Scripture, I will endeavor to counsel, mentor, and encourage other believers, so that they will be equipped to defend the truth to future generations. (1 Peter 3:15) 

"It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis."

~Oswald Chambers

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 
And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

~Mark 12:28-34 (KJV; emphasis mine)