by Julia Bruce
Jeremiah 26:14
God gave Jeremiah a very difficult task – he was to stand in the court of the Lord’s house and speak to all the cities of Judah who come to worship — and the news he was to tell them, was not good news at all. God had a message for the people, and it was Jeremiah’s job to give them the message. It is what God had called him to do. God said through Jeremiah, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” Shiloh was about 18 miles north of Jerusalem. It was where the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant were set up after the conquest of Canaan but was destroyed by the Philistines in 1050 BC after the battle of Ebenezer (see Psalm 78:60-64 and 1 Samuel 4:-11). So basically God said, “Return to me or I will destroy you.” Because of their unrepentant sin, God had turned against them and was now prepared to remove them from the land He had given them and He would send a pagan king to do it.
As you can expect, the priests, prophets, and people who heard the message we not very happy with it. They seized him saying, “Why have you prophesied in the name o the Lord, saying ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant’?” They pleaded their case against Jeremiah to the princes and Jeremiah defends himself with great courage. He was brief and straightforward and stated that his message originated with God. He didn’t back down. In fact, he said to them, “here I am; do with me as seems good and proper to you.” Jeremiah does get a “happy ending” when the princes declare that Jeremiah does not deserve to die.
Jeremiah was totally surrendered to God. When the task got difficult he didn’t talk about stress, burnout, or compassion fatigue. He didn’t “sugar coat” the message. He delivered it exactly as God had said it. (click to tweet) He had to have known the people wouldn’t like the message, but he doesn’t back down. He understood what was at stake and throughout the book we see him weeping over the people. Because of this, he has been dubbed, “the weeping prophet.” He knew (because God had disclosed it to him) that the foreign nations were coming and that the nation of Israel would be scatted. But that wasn’t the only reason he cried. No matter how hard he tried to tell them what was coming because of their unrepentant sin, they would not listen. And so, when God tells him to stand in the court of the temple and deliver His message to the people, Jeremiah does so, even though it might cost him his life. He was so confident in who God was and trusted him so completely, that he is able to say to the people who are ready to kill him, “Here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.” (Click to tweet)
What about you? Are you able to live so fully and completely surrendered to God that you can freely and without hesitation say to God, “Here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.” Most of us would have a very difficult time saying those words to God with heartfelt meaning. We might say something more like, “Here I am Lord, do whatever you want with me….except don’t ask me to go overseas and be a missionary.” Or maybe we’d say, “Here I am Lord, I’ll do whatever you ask of me, just don’t ask me to give my bonus check to the church, okay?” Or maybe it sounds more like, “Here I am God, I’ll forgive anyone you want me to…just not that person over there.” As long as we are offering to serve God on our own terms, we are not fully surrendered to Him. Often what He calls us to do is hard – very hard. If you want to be fully surrendered, then you have to let go of everything. (click to tweet)
Sometimes instead of focusing on what we are letting go of, we need to focus on the One who is in control. When Jeremiah said, “I’m in your hands,” he was saying “You have all the power and authority to do whatever you want to me.” Have you thought about what it is like to be in the hand of the omniscient, omnipotent God? As scary as it is to give up your control, there is no safer or better place to be than in the hands of God who loves us with an everlasting love. (click to tweet)
What’s holding you back from being totally surrendered to God so that He has control over every part of your life? Those parts that are not totally surrendered – they’re your idols.
#verseoftheday #ahearttoknowGod #wholeheart #IwillbetheirGod #Jeremiah #WCM
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This event helps couples understand why the daily activities found in the book will equip them to build a stronger marriage and the book provides them with 365 intentional activities to take what they learn at the event and apply it on a daily basis. Through the event, couples will discover the Biblical “why” behind the categories of activities found in the book and the “how” these activities are important to building a stronger marriage. Focus points of the event includes :
- How memorizing scripture together and studying God’s Word together as they study, meditate and apply scriptures related to marriage and life issues will help them develop marriages that honor God.
- Why utilizing fun conversation starters that spark meaningful conversations will keep interest alive as they continually learn new things about each other.
- Why keeping romance alive is essential to intimacy and connectivity.
- How making memories and working together builds relationship investment bonds and how these investment bonds can become the knots that keeps them together through the tough times.
- How they can understand what they are or are not contributing to the marriage as well as how they might be contributing to problems or potential problems within the relationship through the use of targeted, intentional personal reflections
- Why it is important that couples never stop dating and how group dates with Christian friends can be both an encouragement and accountability to their own relationship.
During the event, couples will be given an activity from each focus point to do together, making this event an interactive, fun, and engaging event with practical, hands-on learning. Unlike other couple events that are over when the event ends, couples who attend the GLMW event will be able to apply what they learn when utilizing the book on a daily basis for a year. Since the book is not dated, couples are able to reuse the activities year after year to continue being intentional in strengthening their relationship with each other and with God as they strive to live out God’s design for marriage every day.
Learn more about hosting this event at your church or conference site by clicking here.
About the book: The GLMW book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
#GLMWcouplesevent #GLMWbook #intentionalmarriage #Godlymarriage
T-shirt Fundraiser Event: We have a product line of Christian apparel and accessories available in our Teespring Store and our Spreadshop Store. You’ll find tee shirts, hoodies, tanks, socks, leggings, tote bags, mugs, iphone cases and more. Here’s a peek at what’s new:
We’ve added a fall line to our Spreadshop Store! Order today because it will be gone soon as we gear up for the upcoming Holidays. Christmas items available soon.
Thanksgiving items will be available on November 1.
All proceeds go to the advancement of Wellspring Christian Ministries.
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Click here to view the Teespring store.
Click here to view the Spreadshop Store
#fundraiser #tshirt #WCM #teespring #spreadshop
Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.
Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.
Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.
With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities, regardless of size.
To request more information or a booking,
fill out the online form here.
Or call us at 904.524.8073
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Affiliate links for The Case for Christ by Lee Stroble:
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The Case for Christ, Updated and Expanded, Mass Market | By Lee Strobel / Zondervan | If you were a journalist, how would you investigate the top story in human history? Join the award-winning former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune as he cross-examines scholars to uncover incontestable evidence supporting Jesus’ claims. Includes updated archaeological material, an interview with Strobel, and more. A powerful defense of the Christian faith! 464 pages, softcover from Zondervan. |
The Case for Christ, Blu-ray/DVD/CD Combo
By Pure Flix Entertainment, LLC
A hard-driving journalist, Lee Strobel was exactly where he expected to be at work: on top. His award-winning investigative reporting recently earned him a promotion to legal editor at the Chicago Tribune. But things weren’t going nearly as well at home where his wife Leslie’s newfound faith in Christ went against everything Lee believed—or didn’t believe—as an avowed atheist.
Utilizing his journalistic and legal training, Lee begins a quest to debunk the claims of Christianity in order to save his crumbling marriage. Chasing down the biggest story of his career, Lee comes face-to-face with unexpected results that could change everything he knows to be true.
Starring Mike Vogel (The Help, Cloverfield), Erika Christensen (Parenthood, Flightplan), Faye Dunaway (The Thomas Crown Affair, Chinatown), and Robert Forster (The Descendents, Jackie Brown). Rated PG. Approx. 113 minutes.
Includes Blu-ray, DVD and CD
Features:
- “The Heart of The Case for Christ” Featurette
- Intro to the Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC
- 11 Music Videos from “The Case for Christ” Album
- Interviews with Lee & Leslie Strobel, Cast, and Crew
- Deleted Scenes
- English and Spanish subtitles
Bonus CD included:
- The Case for Christ – Songs Inspired by the Original Motion Picture
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. 
