Cross My Heart Ministry

Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9

It’s no coincidence that Thanksgiving comes at harvest time. What better way to celebrate good weather, sufficient food supplies for the upcoming winter, and a successful harvest, than with a bountiful meal?

The farm-to-table connection can easily be lost as modern day families celebrate Thanksgiving. We may be thankful for a less tangible harvest, but it is still worthy of our gratitude and celebration.

What is the “good” you are investing in, friend? Most likely, your family and your marriage come to mind immediately. Maybe relationships with people God has brought across your path. Perhaps even a ministry that initially brought excitement and eagerness but now feels more like going through the motions, as you slog through to honor commitments.

Whether raising children, growing corn, or loving a (sometimes) unlovable person, there is usually some element of determination to “keep on keeping on” that will be rewarded. Eventually.

Our modern age—one of fast food, instant gratification, constant feedback from social media, and googling anything we want to know right now—makes us impatient to see an immediate return on our investment. But just as popping a seed in the ground today does not mean corn for dinner tomorrow, so the people we are called to love on, pray for, and invest in may not demonstrate overnight change and growth.

Life is often messy. People can be ungrateful. Bad things happen to those who deserve better.

But hope keeps us afloat. Love spurs us on. We may not be at war, but on those days when your life feels like a battle, Winston Churchill’s wartime exhortation applies: “Never, never, never give up!”

Stay the course. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Continue doing the good you were called to do. And when harvest comes—at the proper time—celebrate with great Thanksgiving! Hallelujah!

In our Bible study passage this week, Paul moves on from addressing problems in the Corinthian church to providing insight into questions they asked him. The first questions dealt with marriage, singleness, and sexuality. These were hot topics then – and still relevant to all of us today, no matter our relationship status or history. Whether you are married, single, widowed, divorced, or something else, we pray this week’s teaching is illuminating and empowering.

From all of us at Cross My Heart Ministry,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

We are excited as we look forward to 2023 and new opportunities for Laura to minister to women and encourage them to love God and love His Word. For the rest of 2022, we’re offering a FREE set of next year’s Write the WORD bookmarks, printed in full color and mailed to you, for our readers who make a tax-deductible donation to support the ongoing ministry of Cross My Heart. (Given the cost to print and mail the bookmarks, we kindly request – but do not require – a gift of $20 or more to offset our expenses.) You can mail donations to: Cross My Heart Ministry, 1310 Scout Trail, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.

“Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits
of the crops you sow in your field…”
Exodus 23:16

Harvest was payday in an agrarian society. Weeks and months of backbreaking toil finally paid off when it came time to harvest the grain.

We modern-day worshipers may say “my paycheck,” but who provided the job, the skill to do the job, and the education required to qualify for the job?

It all comes from our Heavenly Father. Everything we have, everything we are, is because of God’s provision. Giving back to Him through our offerings  acknowledges that fact.

Many of us have no problem giving our tithe, but it does seem a bit risky to give it first.

Giving our firstfruits is a step of confident faith. Whether offering up the first of the crop, or writing the tithe check before paying the mortgage (or buying the groceries, or knowing how much it will cost to repair the washing machine), it means we are trusting there will be enough money—or grain.

It’s important to realize that God Almighty doesn’t need our money (or our grain). But He blesses us with the opportunity to depend on Him, and to demonstrate our faith in Him.

Cultivating the discipline of giving first will deepen your walk with the Father, and bolster your reliance upon Him.

R.G. Letourneau (a sixth-grade dropout who went on to become a tremendously successful inventor and businessman) said this about tithing: “It’s not how much of my money I give to God, but how much of God’s money I keep for myself.” What an inspiration!

Perhaps we can also apply the firstfruits principle to our time and talent, not only to our treasure. Devoting our first waking minutes to God—rather than delaying quiet time until later in the day—means trusting that everything else on the day’s To-Do list will be accomplished. It also means all the other tasks in the course of the day are transformed by time spent with Jesus.

I believe that giving to God first is about authority. It’s a statement that He is the Lord and I am the servant. As I yield my resources to Him, I am declaring my daily reliance upon Him.

Giving—and especially giving first—is cause for celebration. Are you ready to “Celebrate …with the firstfruits..?”

In this week’s Friday devotional video, Emily Brannon (Cross Church Pinnacle Hills) walks us through Chapter 6 of I Corinthians – specifically, guidelines for dealing with conflict that arises as we interact with one another. We hope you will be blessed as Emily shares some practical ways we can avoid conflict, as well as address it biblically:

If you have not yet subscribed to our YouTube channel, we encourage you to do so! It costs nothing, but is a simple way to show your support of Cross My Heart Ministry.

2023 will be here before we know it … and we are excited for what it will bring! For the rest of 2022, we’re offering a FREE set of next year’s Write the WORD bookmarks, printed in full color and mailed to you, for our readers who make a tax-deductible donation to support the ongoing ministry of Cross My Heart. (Given the cost to print and mail the bookmarks, we kindly request – but do not require – a gift of $20 or more to offset our expenses.) You can mail donations to: Cross My Heart Ministry, 1310 Scout Trail, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.

I love the seasons. I love the rhythm they bring to life, the transformation they bring to creation, and the variety they prompt to my wardrobe. When I think of the seasons, I want to sing along with The Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

God was, of course, the genius who not only thought up the idea of seasons, but spoke them into existence. He promises in Genesis 8:22,

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

The seasonal changes bring a steady constancy to life that can be reassuring, when the seasons of stress—whether they be relational, financial, organizational, vocational, or something else—are often unpredictable.

The changing seasons prompt praise from my heart to my Creator. When I am focused and mindful, I rejoice in God’s provision and in the glory of His imagination. But sometimes days and weeks go by and I forget to acknowledge His handiwork.

We may be distracted by the fleeting nature of time: what it does to our own age and bodies, or how quickly our kids are growing up.  Or we may be distracted by the daily minutiae of our packed schedules. We forget to pause and ponder the miracles around us, even miracles as simple as the apple we mindlessly polish off as our 3 pm snack. That apple, a midday pick-me-up, began as a blossom in the spring and grew to an apple by fall. And long before the blossom, was the seed poked into the ground, followed by the years of growth: from sapling to maturity. It’s astounding. I need to thank Him. I need to remember to thank Him.

Children—our own, our children’s children, our nieces and nephews, or those living next door—allow us to recapture the wonder.  We just need a few ingredients:  a Styrofoam cup, a little potting soil, and a seed. We add some water, wait a bit, and marvel with little humans that a teeny hard black seed sends up a soft green shoot. How do the roots know to go down and the plant to come up? How long until we get apples (or pumpkins, or beans)? Can we plant more seeds?

Their questions make us smile. They also help us remember. The seed and the harvest all point to the One who always keeps His promises. He is ever faithful. We take a tiny human hand in ours and, as we behold the miracle of the growing plant, we give praise to the miracle-maker who made it grow.

This week’s devotional video is a bit different! We’re featuring Laura’s guest lecture for the ladies at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills, where she spoke on Acts 15—The Jerusalem Council—as part of their study of the life of Peter. We hope you are blessed as Laura shares thoughts on Peter’s defense of the Gospel in this passage from God’s Word:

Have you subscribed to our email list and our YouTube channel? If not, we hope you’ll take a moment to sign up today. It costs nothing and is a great way to show your support for the ministry of Cross My Heart!

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
I Peter 4:10

On Sunday afternoons when I was a kid, my parents would drop off me and my two younger siblings (my youngest sister wasn’t born until later) at the Alpine Theater for a Sunday afternoon matinee. We were around 6, 7, and 9. As the oldest, I was given the money to buy tickets for my brother and sister. There was also enough for each of us to have one treat. (A candy bar or popcorn … but not both).

This is one of my earliest memories of being a steward. The money was not mine – it was given to me, entrusted to me for the benefit of others. My parents expected me to watch over my siblings, buy their ticket, and get them a treat.

Our spiritual gifts are much more significant than movie money! They are given to us not for our personal benefit (to be applauded or appreciated or promoted), but to serve others.

The gifts we receive are many and varied. (You can find lists in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12). We all receive at least one spiritual gift and there are various ways (including tests to take) to determine your gift(s). But the thing to remember about a spiritual gift: they are not for you. They are given to you to bless others. They are given to you for the benefit of others.

Our service and stewardship is an honor – we are administering God’s grace. We have been given a sacred trust. God has given something to us, allowing us the blessing of releasing it to others.

We are conduits of His grace.

We are stewards of His grace.

What is your gift and how are you using it to bless others?

Editor’s Note: Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

In this week’s devotional video, Mollie Duddleston (Directory of Ministry Operations and Womens Ministry at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills) walks our womens Bible study participants through I Corinthians 5, as Paul addresses a difficult issue in the church at Corinth. As he teaches them — and us, by extension — we are challenged to walk in humility, holiness, and honor. We hope you’ll find this week’s video valuable, and will embrace the truth God has for your life and circumstances here in I Corinthians 5.

I do not set aside the grace of God,
for if righteousness could be gained through the law,
Christ died for nothing!
Galatians 2:21

If Paul wore a t-shirt, it would read: Don’t mess with the Gospel!

This former Jewish Pharisee/enforcer of the law/persecutor of Christians was saved by Jesus
Christ and he never got over it. His life after Jesus was devoted to bringing the gospel – the
message of righteousness by faith through grace alone – to the world.

He was relentless, unwavering, and he would not have the Gospel diluted, diminished, or
divided.

Religious authorities, government leaders, and even his fellow apostle, Peter … none were exempt from his clear and focused message: Grace alone!

Peter should have known better, but he gave in to the Judaizers when they came to Antioch by resisting fellowship with the Gentiles. Paul would not have it. He called Peter out on it, and even recorded the incident in his letter to the church at Galatia.

Paul preached one clear message: Righteousness is by faith through grace alone, in Christ
alone. Nothing else added! Because once we add to the Gospel, we change the truth of the
Gospel.

If works are added as a prerequisite for salvation, then the Cross means less and the sacrifice of
Jesus is less important. This cannot be! Paul would not stand for it and neither should we! If our good could be good enough, Jesus would not have had to endure the Cross. We are sinners saved by grace through faith. Our only hope for salvation is to receive it as a gift, because we could never hope to earn or merit it on our own.

Jesus did it all.

We add nothing.

This is the Gospel.

Grace alone.

Thank you, Jesus, for enduring the Cross – our only hope. May this foundational truth be the theme of our message, as it was for Paul. May we daily look at the Cross with humility, gratitude, and reverence – acknowledging as John Newton so wisely and succinctly affirmed Paul’s message, “I am a great sinner, Christ is a great Savior.” Jesus, I am a great sinner. You are a great Savior! Thank you for going to the Cross. Thank you for saving my soul!

Editor’s Note: Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

Paul uses three word pictures to help us understand what it means to live as a true minster (and true follower) of Jesus: servant, steward, spectacle. In this week’s devotional video, Laura unpacks these three analogies – challenging us to live according to what often feels like the “upside-down logic” of God’s plan. We hope you enjoy this teaching from our I Corinthians study:

Visit our Downloads page today for your free copy of our monthly Write the WORD bookmark, optional S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, and more resources to help you love God and love His Word.

“Let your conversation be always
full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6

Paul provides a recipe here for our words with others:

• Full of grace
• Seasoned with salt

The context is interaction with “outsiders” – or unbelievers. Every interaction we have is an opportunity to influence what those in our world think about Jesus.

Are you and I representing Christ well in our conversations with “outsiders?”

If you have never been to Mongolia, never had a conversation or interaction with a Mongolian,
know nothing about the country or it’s ways … and a woman from Mongolia moves in next
door, you (rightly or wrongly) may form beliefs about the entire country and all the people of
Mongolia based solely on the behaviors, actions, attitudes, and words of your new neighbor.

For many people, you and I are the “woman from Mongolia” when it comes to the Christian
faith. Rightly or wrongly, non-believers may be forming opinions about Jesus based upon our
behaviors, actions, attitudes, and words.

Let’s ponder conversations with those outside the faith:

• The folks next door who won’t keep their dog out of your flower beds
• The surly family member across the table at Thanksgiving dinner
• The waitress who fails to refill your cup when you’ve asked for more coffee
• The customer service person who enforces the no-returns-without-a-receipt policy
• The mother of the kid who bullies your kid
• The lazy co-worker who blames others for her mistakes
• The grumpy, overly-critical boss

These certainly may bring irritation … but they also present opportunities.

How can you and I thoughtfully, intentionally serve up words that are full of grace and
seasoned with salt in our conversations?

Allow me to share a few passages that both inspire and convict me:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1) Choose gentleness over anger!

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness…. (Acts 4:29-31) Speak – or perhaps, demonstrate by actions – the word of God!

We love because he first loved us. (I John 4:19) Always remember that God loved us first, so we can/must love others first.

As we consider conversations in the last few days, weeks, or months, I challenge you to ask yourself: are unbelievers MORE or LESS likely to be open to the Gospel when we part ways? Are they MORE or LESS drawn to Jesus after speaking with me?

The Christian life is one of continual growth and realignment. We need not take on guilt for past failures. Self-awareness prompts not shame, but repentance and a renewed commitment going forward. Let’s be women who receive the grace for ourselves that God prompts us to release to others!

Lord, forgive me for giving little thought and even less prayer to my interactions with
unbelievers. Forgive me for compartmentalizing my life. Give me a conscious awareness that
every conversation is an opportunity to represent You and to make much of You. Allow Your Spirit to remind me that I don’t represent Mongolia (or even Arkansas or America) – but as a woman of God, I carry the banner of Jesus Christ! Help me, O God, to live an active faith and to intentionally allow my conversations to be full of grace and seasoned with salt. Amen.

Editor’s Note:  Laura originally developed our October bookmark to accompany the “Pearls of Grace” women’s retreat. If you are interested in having Laura present this teaching to your church, please reach out to us via email.

In our latest Friday devotional video, Laura gives a preview of next week’s lesson on I Corinthians, chapter 4. The first verse of this chapter says: “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.” What are those “mysteries” revealed by God? We invite you to consider Laura’s words as she explores this phrase in preparation for next week’s Bible study lesson.