Gateways to Joy

Hi ladies! This is what Angela has posted on the Good Morning Girls blog for this weeks reading: For those of you who are just now joining us, you can download the  Free e-study guide here  and either print it or use it as a guide as you write in your own journal. This week we will be reading verses 2:1-11 in the book of 1 John. If you would like to further study the verses we will be reading each day, here are 3 on-line commentaries that go along with this week’s reading. 1.  John MacArthur a.  1 John 2:1- Our Divine Defense Attorney b.  1 John 2:2- The Sacrifice that Satisfied c.  1 John 2:3- Certainty of Christian Assurance, Pt 1 d.  1 John 2:4-6- Certainty of Christian Assurance, Pt 2 e.  1 John 2:7-11- Live by a New Love 2.  John Piper a.  1 John 2:1-2- Jesus Christ Is an Advocate for Sinners b.  1 John 2:3-6- Obedience Confirms Our Standing in God 3.  Charles Spurgeon a. 1 John 2:1  The Sinner’s Advocate b. 1...

W ords of Elisabeth Elliot after finding out her husband and the father of her young daughter Valerie had been murdered:  "I found peace in the knowledge that I was in the hands of God.  Not in confidence that I was not going to be killed.  Not in any false sense of security that God would protect me, anymore than He protected my husband, the four missionaries or Honorio from the wooden lances.  Simply in knowing that He held my destiny in His two hands, and that what He did was right." Isn't this why we love her so?  In her life we see ... not perfection, but a desire to live out what she had been taught about the Bible and God all of her life.   Perfect she is not.  A woman who loves her God and worked diligently to live out her faith she most certainly is. Let us learn from the legacy that Elisabeth has left for us to set the bar for living out God's Word high in our lives.  Let us remember, likewise, that God i...

Please take time today to listen to this podcast by Dr. Charles Stanley .  I really enjoyed this message today and I just know you will be blessed by it too, so PLEASE find a bit of time to listen to this audio and allow God to bless you, teach you some new truths and remind you of a few old ones. You will do have to scroll down to the bottom of the blog to mute the music. Dr. Charles Stanley Desires of the heart part 2 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.~ Psalm 37:4 How do we do this?  How do we delight ourselves in Him and commit our way to Him? When we delight in someone that means that we experience extreme pleasure and joy from being around them—remember when you were dating your spouse?  The pleasure and the delight that we seek to have with God can only come from us spending time with Him—becoming intimate.  This is how we get to know and experience God better. When we commit to ...

This morning I received an email from Lysa Terkeurst assistant Holly explaining of their excitement to Lysa's book, 'What Happens When Women Say Yes To God , ' hitting the number 28 mark on Septembers CBA bestsellers list!  Now I have no idea of what that is, but I presume—rather I know it's a good thing, otherwise they wouldn't be excited, right?  I'm excited for her too, as I love and appreciate what she does immensely.  Not only that, but I hope to one day do what she's doing for the Lord . Anyways, Holly had a link to Lysa's video which I clicked on and was sucked into by the writing.  The writing beneath the video caught my attention before I could even click on the video.  What caught my attention? These words: " T otal obedience to Christ can transform an ordinary life into a remarkable journey!"  That's exactly what I'm sensing is going on with me.  I'm as ordinary as they get, but I sense God transforming me...and...