This week Laura took a much-needed break from filming her regular Martha Monday video, as she prepares for the start of her Bible study in I Kings. (Visit our Event Page on Facebook if you would like to join us, in person or online!) She’ll be back next week with a new video, but in the mean time, we’d love to share one of her videos from last year — a Macfarlan favorite recipe for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas!
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
Proverbs 9:9
From an early age, I prayed my children would be teachable. Now, whenever they ask my advice (as young adults), I give praise to God for answered prayers!
I’m certainly not suggesting that I have it all figured out or that I should be the authority they seek out. I’m simply saying this: I’m honored when my adult children acknowledge that my years of living on this planet mean I’ve learned a thing or two!
No matter how wise or righteous we are, there never cease to be things we can learn and areas where we can grow. And whenever we learn a truth, we can rest assured that there will be opportunities to apply that truth in new circumstances and situations. Life is a classroom — and a lab!
Perhaps being teachable and willing to learn is what actually makes one wise. The prideful and arrogant either do not seek counsel, do not seek it from wise and righteous mentors, or do not heed the instruction offered.
Our brother James cautions: “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22
Are you teachable? Are you wise? Ask yourself these questions:
Here’s another interesting indicator that you are teachable and growing wiser: you have regrets.
The world might tell us we need not have regrets: I’m okay, you’re okay. Do your own thing.
But as a woman of God, I do have regrets. If I could go back and begin again, there are many decisions and choices in my marriage, my parenting, my relationships, and my ministry that I would do differently.
Several years ago, as I lamented to God about poor choices with my child raising, He kindly spoke to my heart and mind:
Laura, if I would miraculously turn back the hands of time for you, nothing would change because you would not know all you know now. Living brings learning. You did the best you could with what you knew then.
What a comfort that was to me! The Laura of 2021 is wiser and more mature than the 1990s Laura who was raising her children. The regret I experience now is reassurance that I have grown and changed. Having no regrets would be a sign that I learned nothing in the past several decades!
But those regrets need not consume me … and yours need not consume you. All sins of omission and commission are nailed to the Cross and covered by the blood of Christ when we seek His forgiveness.
I am forgiven. And if you know my Jesus, you are, too.
If you do not know Him, I would love to introduce you. If you find yourself looking around at the world and the culture and finding frustration, confusion, and disappointment, maybe it’s time for you to look up — look to Him.
My friend, Jesus loves you. He died for you. You need not carry the weight of regret and past choices. I invite you to come to Him now. Would you pray with me:
Jesus, if you are real — and I hope you are — I’m ready to give my life to You. I am a mess and I’ve made a mess. I can’t clean myself up, but I believe You can. Forgive my many sins, against you and others. Come into my life and change me. I believe You are the Son of God who died to cover my sin. From this day forward, I choose to live for You.
If you prayed that prayer — or if you think you want to, but have questions about what it means — I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me!
Laura’s most recent teaching video considers the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in Luke 12:11-12. In these verses, He instructs them not to worry about what to say when brought before authorities, because the Holy Spirit will provide the words they need. Here is that video for those who may not have had an opportunity to watch:
In this week’s Martha Monday video, Laura’s back with another yummy recipe! You will want to RUN to the store to buy lemons and ricotta cheese to make these scrumptious cookies. You can watch the video below … but the recipe is available for download if you visit our YouTube channel and find the link. We hope you’ll subscribe while you’re there!
“Fix” only has three letters, but we use the word in many settings and contexts. We fix breakfast. We fix a loose cabinet handle, a misspelled word, or a missing button. We fix our eyes on the sunset. And, for those of us who live in the South, we even use it describe what we are thinking about doing: I’m fixin’ to fix breakfast.
Mr. Webster provides shades and nuances for understanding the little word, fix:
: AFFIX, ATTACH
: to set or place definitely
: ESTABLISH
Our Creator used the word fix in Deuteronomy 11:18-19. instructs us on what to do with His Word:
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;
tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children,
talking about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and
when you get up.
Is God’s Word fixed in your heart and mind? Is it attached, set, and established there?
God instructs us to:
Our hearts and our minds control our thoughts, attitudes, actions, motivations, and behaviors. If our hearts and minds are saturated with the Word of God, it will naturally flow forth to impact every part of our lives and those around us.
While some take the phrase about symbols literally — as in the Jewish practice of rolling and tying written scriptures on the wrist and forehead — most believers embrace a more figurative interpretation. One certainly would not forget something that is tied to the wrist or put on the forehead.
Perhaps it also suggests that if God’s Word is on our foreheads, it will shine forth and light our way and if it’s on our hands, it colors every act of love and kindness extended to others. Seeing it this way prompts me to pray that others see Jesus in the steps I make, and the actions I take.
The final instruction in the passage is to teach God’s word. Note the order here. We must first own it ourselves before we can hope to teach it to our children.
Note also that God even provides the proper pedagogy for doing the teaching: it’s on-the-job training or as-you-go teaching.
This method is both lifestyle and lecture. It is as you go (at home and on the road) and it’s all day long (when you lie down and rise up). You teach it by speaking it and by doing it.
Christianity is always one generation away from extinction. We must be faithful. Truth has never perished from the Earth. There has always been a remnant in existence to share with the next generation. And it must not stop on our watch!
It may be your own children or grandchildren. Perhaps it’s the young adults living next door. Maybe it’s a niece, nephew, or even young ones at your church. Whoever God has brought into your life to teach, I urge you to love them enough to fix God’s Word on your heart and mind first, so that you are ready to teach them (and model to them) the Word of God.
Laura’s latest teaching video features insights on how the words of I Kings 8:35-36 — part of King Solomon’s prayer as he dedicated the Temple — applies to modern-day living. We hope you’ll take a few moments to listen!
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Just in time for the back-to-school season, Laura shows you how to make your own fast, easy, inexpensive dry erase marker board — customized to fit your space and your needs. Watch this week’s YouTube video to see how it’s done!
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely
so that
you do not forget the things your eyes have seen
or let them slip from your heart
as long as you live.
Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”
Deuteronomy 4:9
“Watch yourselves,” the scripture says. A call to self-awareness. The passage carries a serious tone, a warning to be careful. This is weighty stuff that highlights a sobering reality.
Moses was reminding the people to not forget all they had witnessed. You and I were not there on the banks of the Red Sea. We didn’t see it miraculously open to provide a way through as Pharaoh’s army closed in … but we have seen God provide. We see His work in creation. We behold His provision in His Word. We know He is working in our lives now as He did then.
All this must be treasured up in our hearts. And what is in our hearts overflows into our lives.
What happens as we think on it, marvel about it, sing it out, and live it out? We remember, and others learn. Specifically, the next generation—our children—must hear and learn. We must teach them about God! Our stories must be told.
The danger does not seem to be that we will consciously kick out the truth or reject the truth, but that we just drift from it … wander away. Become distracted. Allow the statutes of God to slip from our hearts.
Have we individually and corporately forgotten about all God has done?
Has the “wow” of your faith disappeared?
Is the proverbial honeymoon with God over?
Wake up!
If you find yourself stuck in a spiritual rut, then put it in reverse: go back, remember, ask God to reignite your faith. And then tell it. Proclaim the truth to others. Teach the next generation about our glorious God and all He has done in your life.
God, forgive our forgetfulness.
Stir up our hearts to never get over wonder of the Gospel.
We want to always be wowed by Your truth, Your love, and Your provision.
Holy Spirit, draw us back when we drift. Woo us back when we wander. Direct our hearts and minds when we become distracted.
Keep us ever in that sweet spot of knowing we are safe and secure from sin’s grip, fully known and fully loved.
And give us courage and conviction, as You compel and equip us to tell and to teach others—especially our children.
O God, You are great and You are good!
Our Write the WORD bookmark for August showcases the word TEACH – perfect as we launch a new school year and think about passing on our faith to the next generation. You can download your copy here. And before you say, “I’m not a teacher,” please check out our video introducing this month’s bookmark (link below) and consider how your life teaches others (and should teach others) about Jesus.
“Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him.”
II Timothy 2:11
My Bible footnote shares that verse 11 of II Timothy, chapter two, is the first line in what is most likely the lyrics to a song sung by the early church. (Read verses 12-13 for the full stanza!)
When the early church sang “died with him,” they were looking back to the Cross. When we accept Christ as our Savior, our old sin nature is crucified with Christ. Sin’s debt – the result of my sin and yours – was paid in full at the Cross.
The power of the Cross is supernatural, divine, and too wonderful to be fully comprehended.
We must meditate on it.
We must marvel at its implications.
We must remind ourselves of the eternal significance of dying with him.
Do not allow that marvelous truth to become stale! Seize hold of it! Remind yourself to remember it, sing it, proclaim it, and rejoice in it!
The Cross changes everything!
At the moment we receive Christ, sin is gone. It is evicted from our hearts and its consequences deleted. We are forgiven.
The Cross was an historical event, but its power reaches forward in time, bringing eternal consequences. The timeless result of this event is perfect atonement for my past, present, and even future sin.
Let that truth settle in. Even if you embraced the Gospel years ago, ask God to stir your affections today. Ask Him to keep your heart tender to the reality of the Gospel. Express gratitude for your salvation. Let it amaze you. Every. Single. Day.
The benefit of walking with Jesus for many years is that maturity brings a greater awareness of the depth of our depravity. We can sing with another hymn writer:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
The Gospel is marvelous. It is wonderful. And it flows to us all because of our Savior’s great love.
Aren’t we grateful it is indeed a trustworthy saying?
The old Laura – and the old you – died with Him. But that means that from those ashes arose a new Laura. One indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Because the old Laura died with Him, the new Laura gets to live with Him … and she gets to live for Him! Her life is no longer defined by hidden shame. No more condemnation. No longer weighted down by the guilt. She gets to live FREE of it all because she gets to live LOVED.
What does it mean to live knowing you are loved?
Today, let’s worship Him with grateful praise! Let’s unite our voices with our first century brothers and sisters as we, too, sing aloud the glorious truth of II Timothy 2:11.
If we died with him, we will also live with him.
Friends, let’s start living with Him and for Him!
Five times in Scripture Paul wrote, “This is a trustworthy saying…” He shared four of those with Timothy and one with Titus. In our Friday video devotional this week, Laura unpacked another one of these. You can view her teaching from I Timothy 1:15 here:
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Today, we’re taking a break from the regular schedule to look back at one of last summer’s most popular videos! We hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch as Laura shares a favorite recipe for a quick and easy summer pasta salad … and be sure to visit the YouTube channel to download the recipe!
“Whoever can be trusted with very little
can also be trusted with much and
whoever is dishonest with very little
will also be dishonest with much.”
Luke 16:10
It’s human nature to want more — more power, more responsibility, more money, more authority, more…everything!
But like the old saying goes, we need to crawl before we walk. Youthful enthusiasm (or arrogance) may prompt us to demand more before we’re actually ready. We become ready for more by proving we can be trusted with little.
To be trusted with a resource (power, responsibility, money, authority, etc.) means we steward it well. And stewarding a resource must begin with a vital acknowledgment: it’s not mine.
We may refer to the job as, “my job” or the money as “my money,” but the reality is that the ability to do the job, the money in the account, and the opportunity to complete the education — all of it, ultimately, is the result of God’s grace and mercy.
When we begin to look at everything we have and everything we are as coming from Him, it becomes very natural to use those gifts for Him.
And when that mindset has settled in, the amount of power, money, and responsibility becomes less important. What really matters is our faithfulness to use whatever amount we have been given.
To whom much is given, much is required.
Do you see yourself as a steward or an owner?
Here’s a challenge: try to avoid using the pronoun “my”— no more my house, my job, my bank account, or my abilities. Ask God to prompt you to see all these as His resources, simply on loan to you.
God, how do you want me to use your car today? How can You and I work together to use Your kitchen table? How do you want me to spend Your money?
If you want more, try stewarding what you already have for His glory!
Have you seen Laura’s latest teaching video? Watch now as she shares her thoughts on how love prompts us to trust — and what that means in our personal relationships:
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Are you a blood donor? It’s an easy way to make a big impact. With the events of the last year, the need for blood has never been greater. In this week’s Martha Monday video, Laura shared thoughts about the importance — and some surprising benefits — of donating blood:
