Category: Religious

Standing on the Word 5/11/20

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“He said to me, ’My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”2 Corinthians 12:9

This passage of scripture taken from 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds me to keep moving, time and time again.

Paul, the apostle, dealt with a “thorn in the flesh,” something that he prayed about three times. God’s answer to Him was “My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” I’m not sure how Paul felt, but that’s not the answer we always want to hear when we ask God to remove bad things from our lives. It is, however, the answer that we need to hear. Grace is a precious gift. It is enough to cover. It is enough to sustain us. And it is always available to us. The mighty awesome power of God is completely shown when we are at our weakest. So, like Paul, we don’t have to shrink in shame because of weaknesses; that is when God’s power rests on us all the more.

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Write the Word-May 2020

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Hello dear ones!

Still writing? Great!

I’ve received some questions as to why we are not writing the entire chapters. This is because we are writing through the major themes of 1 Corinthians. A few of the themes we are focusing on are:

• Be Sensitive to One Another
• Observing the Lord’s Supper
• Spiritual Gifts
• Unity in the Body of Christ
• All About Love
• The Gifts in Worship
• Order in Worship
• The Risen Christ

Even by going through the major themes we can still experience God’s word powerfully. However, if you desire to write the entire chapter please feel free to do so.

One of the most well known chapters of 1 Corinthians, is the 13th chapter. We affectionately refer to this chapter as the love chapter. Paul tells us what love is and what love is not, and how love is one of the greatest gifts we could ever receive. Chapter 15 is one of the most powerful chapters we will ever read. It is about the risen Christ, this is the reality of our faith. This chapter contains the basic tenants of the gospel. We see Christ from death to resurrection, ending with Christ’s rousing victory over death, hell, and the grave.

Like always, use this guide as you see fit. Allow God’s Word to permeate your soul.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Happy writing,
Your friend in the journey,
Erica

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I WILL Wednesday 4/1/2020

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.  Psalm 52:9

In today’s passage, David ends Psalm 52 with a beautiful, yet powerful statement of praise and faith to God. It comes after God delivers David from Doeg, the Edomite who was chief herdsman to King Saul and responsible for the deaths of a large number of priests (1 Samuel 21, 22). When David realizes that deliverance had come, he says to God, “I will praise you forever, because you have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.” In those few words, David said so much concerning his faith in God, his dedication to God, and his trust that God can and will bring forth deliverance. Let’s look deeper at the parts of this verse.

“I will praise You forever.” Not only was David making a declaration of his allegiance to God, but he was also speaking to his posture in difficult situations. He says, “I will praise You forever!” In the good times and the bad times; in the happy times and in the sad times I will praise You. David was making a commitment that his posture would not change. Just like David, our posture towards God should not change. No matter what the situation, we should have a posture of praise, and a posture of reverence to God at all times.

“You have done it.” When David proclaimed this message he was talking about his deliverance from Doeg, but we too can say the same thing, “God, You have done it!” You delivered me from my pain.You have delivered me from shame. You have delivered me from all types of trouble. When we take a look back on our lives whether it was years ago or even minutes ago, God has done it (His work of deliverance), in each of our lives. He has delivered us from things we had no idea how we were going to get out of. He provided for us when we had no idea where we would get our resources from. Just like David, we all can say, “You have done it!”

“And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.” David’s love and dedication to God was never hidden from the public eye. This is the same King who danced out of his kingly garb in the middle of the streets! He was not ashamed of Who he depended on, He was not ashamed of Who he belonged to. The last part of the verse says, “I will wait on Your name, for it is good.” This is so amazing! He was saying in every situation, he could wait on God, because God never let him down. I’m sure we all have people who said they would be there for us, but unfortunately they ended up letting us down. But not God! His is a name you can depend on. No matter the situation, hold fast to the trust and the faith that you have in Him. He will not let you down, He will be there right on time.

Isn’t it a wonderful thing, to know that God is faithful in deliverance, faithful in His love, and faithful to supply our needs. Oh yes! He is faithful indeed. So like David, make the declaration “I will praise You forever,” and no matter what “I will wait on Your name.”

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Write the Word 2020

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Hello Sparrow’s Song Family!

It has been one year since the launch of the Write the Word Challenge and we are celebrating how God has sustained us, revealed Himself to us, and has never failed us!

We have been blessed to become acquainted with some wonderful people who have become members of our Sparrow’s Song community from all over the world!  So to ALL of our newcomers, WELCOME!

Now let’s get down to the Word. This month we are kicking off Write the Word with a study of the major themes of Ephesians.  Ephesians is a foundational book that tells believers key truths about our position in Christ, our walk with Christ, and how to stand against spiritual attacks from the enemy.  I will also add last year’s guide so that you can choose from the two, or feel free to use your own.

Just like before we are just writing the word. This format is just a guide for you. If you wish to write different scriptures please don’t feel like that is not okay BECAUSE IT IS!

One last thing, if you are new to Sparrow’s Song Ministries, we invite you to join and follow the Sparrow’s Song Ministries Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/sparrowssongsong/#
Here you will be able to join an online community where people are striving for a closer relationship with God, receiving encouragement from others, and also encouraging others who are in their own personal journey in Christ.

So here we go… Let’s write The Word!

~ Erica

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Write The Word Challenge 2020

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Whoohoo!

It’s the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY for Sparrow’s Song Ministries/The Word W.O.R.K.S.’ Write the Word challenge.

For a year now we have been putting the Word of God above everything else. Through this year God has blessed us so much and there’s no going back now!So for those of you who are new to Sparrow’s Song, I challenge you to branch out with us and Write the Word. And for those who have been in the journey for some time now, let’s keep going!

The Word of God is so important in our lives. It’s more than words on pages, it’s living and life giving.

The Word of God is a wellspring to a dry and thirsty soul.

The Word will strengthen a weary heart.

The Word can redirect your focus towards purposeful things.

The Word brings comfort to wounded souls.

Yes friends, THE WORD (STILL) W.O.R.K.S.

Starting March 1st (for the second time), with one verse, or as much as you want, we’re going to journey into the Bible together. We’ll do it little by little, with no pressure! No study guide or workbook. Just the Word. How? By writing it. When you write the Word of God in your own handwriting, it helps you get a better understanding of what you’re reading, and it helps you to remember it. Studies have shown, writing makes it easier for our brains to store, retain, and recall information. What better content to store, retain, and recall than the Word of God.

Join me in our Write The Word Challenge. For the next 31 days make the Word of God a priority. The challenge will run from March 1-31, 2020.

I hope you decide to join us (or rejoin us) in this challenge! Invite your friends! We are excited to continue diving into God’s Holy word with you all.

It’s so easy to sign up, just enter your first name, email, and comment the words “I’m in 🙋‍♀️”, down below, OR comment on our Facebook Post, and we’ll send you suggested templates, and scriptures to get started, as well as other helpful resources and encouragement.

Also, like our Facebook page and follow us at http://sparrowssongministries.com

Don’t know what you’re going to write in? Try Sparrow’s Song’s Scripture Writing Journal. https://www.amazon.com/dp/108124285X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_

 

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I WILL Wednesday 2/19/20

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It’s I WILL Wednesday!

I WILL Wednesday is all about speaking the Words of God to change your life, but this week is a little different. This week is about knowing when to keep quiet and declaring that you will do just that!

“I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” Psalm 39:1

There are times to speak and there are times when our words fail us. Then there are times when we are full of emotions and the words we speak have the potential to betray us. We misspeak or are misunderstood because we speak impulsively from a place of despondency. David knew this feeling well. That’s why he vowed to keep watch over his ways—be careful and cautious—not to sin with his mouth.

This is so important. 2 Corinthians 10:5 admonishes us to demolish every argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and to take every wayward, negative, ungodly thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Sometimes, however, we let those thoughts become words and those words have the power to reek havoc in our lives. Instead of speaking the wrong things, be like David and say, “I WILL put a muzzle over my mouth!” Ok, I’m not saying that you should use a device designed for animals. But I am saying you should take it that seriously. Do all you can to prevent your lips from causing destruction, in your life and in the lives of others. When your heart is overwhelmed and your emotions are in overdrive, learn to muzzle your words, and instead, speak the Word of God.

David was especially cautious “in the presence of the wicked.” There are those who seek to cause trouble for you. We also have a very real enemy who seeks to devour, and he will use your words to do it.  Proverbs 18:21 says “Words have power in matters of life and death” (The Voice). Your words can build, influence, inspire, and encourage. Likewise, your words can tear down, defame, impair, and destroy.

Which will you choose? In the heat of the moment, don’t allow complaining, cynicism, gossip, anger, or bitterness to flow from your lips! Choose to speak words of life, or say nothing at all! Put a proverbial muzzle over your mouth and declare like David, “I WILL watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin.”

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I WILL Wednesday 2/5/2020

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I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.  Psalm 35:18       

Psalm 35 was written during a difficult time in David’s life. It speaks about an enemy who desires to kill him.  However, this wasn’t an ordinary enemy. This enemy was close to David and was able to hit him harder than any of the other enemies he’d faced before.

Why do I say that? Well, looking at the life of David, he was normally quick about confronting an enemy.  For example, Goliath was a problem for David for less than a day (1 Samuel 17).  Nabal scoffed at David and as soon as David heard the news of how Nabal disrespected him, he immediately jumped into action.  I believe Nabal would have fallen to the sword of David that day if it were not for God moving through Abagail (1 Samuel 25).  This happened to almost all of David’s enemies, with the exception of King Saul and David’s own son Absalom.

Unlike his other enemies, these two were able to cause David serious amounts of pain on all levels; mentally, emotionally, physically, and even spiritually, to the point where he cried out to God for help.  They wanted to see him dead (v.4); they mocked him and plotted evil against him (V. 12, 15-16); they lied on him and desired to discredit him (V. 20-21).

This attack came out of nowhere.  Nothing David did can be attributed to the reason for the attack (V. 7, 12-14, 19).  David finds himself looking over his shoulders constantly trying to protect himself, but this enemy is slowly breaking David down and he needed help that only God could give.

Sometimes we find ourselves in this type of situation where we are attacked on all levels, and sometimes, like David, we don’t know why.  No matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, the attack just doesn’t seem to stop.  Just like David, we find ourselves broken mentally, emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.  But it’s in these situations when we should do as David did and cry out to God, for He is the only one who can help.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10a

It is so important that we trust and rest completely in God and believe that He truly cares about us even during our most dire situations. David could rest in the knowledge that God would deliver him from his enemies, He would fight his battles, He would give him victory.  We can trust these promises too!  God loves us and protects us.

Where David praised is also important here.  In public, he praised God.  In front of haters, naysayers, enemies, and even friends.  He put the attention on God and not on his problems. His praise became a testimony of the awesomeness of God!  Hallelujah!

We, like David, may find ourselves facing a vicious enemy, a dire situation, or a problem that seems insurmountable.  That is when we should turn our attention from our pain to God’s praise while repeating the words David said, “I WILL give You thanks in the great assembly! I WILL praise You among many people. Psalm 35:18      

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