Romans 15:4 (New International Version, ©2011) "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope".
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Heart
The following is an excerpt from "Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture", which can be found by clicking here.
"All Biblical help, regardless what you call it, must begin with the Gospel and how it applies to the heart. Defining the heart is critical.
All change must begin in the core of the heart. Everything else pours out of our thoughts, beliefs, and desires. If our thoughts, beliefs, and desires are not Gospel-centered, our attitudes, motives, emotions, and behaviors will not be godly.
God’s Word says that we cannot trust our own hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
This is why we cannot help someone by simply offering a new behavior modification idea, or telling them how they should or shouldn’t be feeling, or what their motives should be or that they need to change their attitude. Those things can be changed in our own strength for a short period of time, but there will be no lasting change until we get to the core — our thoughts, beliefs, and desires.
Our thoughts are how we spend our thought life. Are our thoughts centered on this “checklist” of sorts found in Philippians 4:8?
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Or are we thinking thoughts that deny God’s sovereignty, or deny the Truths of the Gospel and are full of the fleshly worries, fears, and anxieties?
Our beliefs are what we believe about God and His Word. Our theology and doctrine matter. If we are in error, our beliefs will eventually pour in to our attitudes or behaviors, emotions and motives. Again, we must be rooted in the Gospel and we must think Biblically.
Our desires are simply what we want. Do we want God’s will or our own? Do we want self-centered things in life, or do we want to be others-centered? Is there idolatry in our lives, or are we applying Ephesians 4:22-24?
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
As you engage in Life On Life relationships, keep in mind to always encourage others that it is God Who does a work in their hearts, and it is not just about changing their external lifestyles. God is a relational God, and Jesus is our perfect example of how to care for others. His work in your life was and is a work at the heart level. He never says to “clean up your act” and then come to Him. Instead, He gave and continues to give you grace, patiently working in your heart as you grow in love, knowledge, and application of His Word in your life. You must now do the same as you relate to others — focus on the heart need, helping them to apply the Gospel and to think Biblically, and don’t focus primarily on the externals. Be patient, and practice the One-Anothers of Scripture in your relationships. Remember that it is God Who will work in their hearts."
"All Biblical help, regardless what you call it, must begin with the Gospel and how it applies to the heart. Defining the heart is critical.
All change must begin in the core of the heart. Everything else pours out of our thoughts, beliefs, and desires. If our thoughts, beliefs, and desires are not Gospel-centered, our attitudes, motives, emotions, and behaviors will not be godly.
God’s Word says that we cannot trust our own hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
This is why we cannot help someone by simply offering a new behavior modification idea, or telling them how they should or shouldn’t be feeling, or what their motives should be or that they need to change their attitude. Those things can be changed in our own strength for a short period of time, but there will be no lasting change until we get to the core — our thoughts, beliefs, and desires.
Our thoughts are how we spend our thought life. Are our thoughts centered on this “checklist” of sorts found in Philippians 4:8?
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Or are we thinking thoughts that deny God’s sovereignty, or deny the Truths of the Gospel and are full of the fleshly worries, fears, and anxieties?
Our beliefs are what we believe about God and His Word. Our theology and doctrine matter. If we are in error, our beliefs will eventually pour in to our attitudes or behaviors, emotions and motives. Again, we must be rooted in the Gospel and we must think Biblically.
Our desires are simply what we want. Do we want God’s will or our own? Do we want self-centered things in life, or do we want to be others-centered? Is there idolatry in our lives, or are we applying Ephesians 4:22-24?
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
As you engage in Life On Life relationships, keep in mind to always encourage others that it is God Who does a work in their hearts, and it is not just about changing their external lifestyles. God is a relational God, and Jesus is our perfect example of how to care for others. His work in your life was and is a work at the heart level. He never says to “clean up your act” and then come to Him. Instead, He gave and continues to give you grace, patiently working in your heart as you grow in love, knowledge, and application of His Word in your life. You must now do the same as you relate to others — focus on the heart need, helping them to apply the Gospel and to think Biblically, and don’t focus primarily on the externals. Be patient, and practice the One-Anothers of Scripture in your relationships. Remember that it is God Who will work in their hearts."
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Excerpt from Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture
The following is an excerpt from the introduction to “Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture,” a Biblical Mentor Training Course written by me, Ellen Castillo. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Biblical Mentor, click on the links on this blog to my websites and contact me!
The Gospel has to be our starting point for all One-Another ministry. The implication in the One-Anothers is that we are to do life with other believers, Life On Life. Of course, we also do life with nonbelievers, but the One-Anothers emphasize the role we play in each other’s lives, believer to believer.
If you are in a relationship with a woman or girl that God has placed in your life and she has understood a clear Gospel and is a Christian, you have a very good starting point for One-Another life together. If you are not sure she understands a clear Gospel, you have an opportunity to share it! How often have you asked a new friend (or old one for that matter) what they think the Gospel is and how it applies to their life? We can’t miss this! It’s not only our starting point for Life On Life, but it is the ending point and everything in the middle, too.
The Gospel is for salvation. It is also to be applied to our lives from that point on. It is not to be applied in the sense that your salvation depends on performing a certain way or upholding a certain standard of perfection. It is to be applied in the sense that you know it, understand it, can explain it, and BELIEVE it. In the process of living life, the Gospel applied has the potential to either gradually or immediately change how you behave, how you relate to people, how you make decisions, how you view people, how you view yourself, and everything else about how you live.
There is an account in the Bible about a woman that you are probably familiar with and how Jesus shared the Gospel message with her. The story of the woman at the well is found in John 4:7-26. Please read it in your Bible, then come back here to see what we can glean from this account.
Jesus did not use a “formula” to share the Gospel with the woman. In this passage, we can take note of some ways to share a clear Gospel and to be sure it is understood:
* Jesus met the woman when she was alone. Often, people will be more honest if nobody else is listening.
* Jesus began with her immediate need — not spiritual, but tangible (v. 7). Because she was not a believer, she could not discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, He spoke about something she could relate to — water. We can approach people in the same manner of developing conversation. If we are not certain they are a believer, we can make them more comfortable by starting with tangible conversations.
* Jesus, after establishing tangible conversation, turned to the spiritual (v. 10). He simply talked of the things of God. The questions we ask could help us to see if the person understands what being a Christian means. We could ask “Are you involved in church?” or even “Do you love God?” We could then move on to asking about her salvation testimony and asking what her walk with The Lord is currently like. For us, this can take courage.
* If this conversation reveals that the person does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you can follow Jesus’ example from this passage before you go any further in relating with her. Verses 16-18 show how Jesus brought conviction, using the Law and gently pointing out her transgression. Gently speak with her and let The Holy Spirit do the convicting; let Him direct you as to what to say. Once she comes to an admission of her guilt, she is ready for hope.
* Jesus then revealed Himself to the woman at the well (v. 26). She was ready for grace. If the person you are talking to is ready for grace, be sure to present the work of the cross — that God sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. Tell her of the love of God in Christ, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the defeat of death. You can say something like “It’s as simple as this. We broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid our fine. If you repent and trust in the Savior, God forgives your sins and dismisses your case.” Be sure to include the essentials we talked about at the beginning of this lesson. If a person is truly broken over her sins and grateful to God, then her confession will flow without prompting, either silently or verbally to you. Be sure to pray with her. Make sure she has a Bible. Encourage her to go to a Bible-believing church. Start a One-Another relationship with her, Life On Life!
Any kind of mentoring, discipling, friendship, and all One-Another ministry should continue to be rooted in the Gospel. One of the best tools for One-Another relationships is this phrase: APPLY THE GOSPEL.
....more excerpts coming soon, please check back in often OR subscribe
The Gospel has to be our starting point for all One-Another ministry. The implication in the One-Anothers is that we are to do life with other believers, Life On Life. Of course, we also do life with nonbelievers, but the One-Anothers emphasize the role we play in each other’s lives, believer to believer.
If you are in a relationship with a woman or girl that God has placed in your life and she has understood a clear Gospel and is a Christian, you have a very good starting point for One-Another life together. If you are not sure she understands a clear Gospel, you have an opportunity to share it! How often have you asked a new friend (or old one for that matter) what they think the Gospel is and how it applies to their life? We can’t miss this! It’s not only our starting point for Life On Life, but it is the ending point and everything in the middle, too.
The Gospel is for salvation. It is also to be applied to our lives from that point on. It is not to be applied in the sense that your salvation depends on performing a certain way or upholding a certain standard of perfection. It is to be applied in the sense that you know it, understand it, can explain it, and BELIEVE it. In the process of living life, the Gospel applied has the potential to either gradually or immediately change how you behave, how you relate to people, how you make decisions, how you view people, how you view yourself, and everything else about how you live.
There is an account in the Bible about a woman that you are probably familiar with and how Jesus shared the Gospel message with her. The story of the woman at the well is found in John 4:7-26. Please read it in your Bible, then come back here to see what we can glean from this account.
Jesus did not use a “formula” to share the Gospel with the woman. In this passage, we can take note of some ways to share a clear Gospel and to be sure it is understood:
* Jesus met the woman when she was alone. Often, people will be more honest if nobody else is listening.
* Jesus began with her immediate need — not spiritual, but tangible (v. 7). Because she was not a believer, she could not discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, He spoke about something she could relate to — water. We can approach people in the same manner of developing conversation. If we are not certain they are a believer, we can make them more comfortable by starting with tangible conversations.
* Jesus, after establishing tangible conversation, turned to the spiritual (v. 10). He simply talked of the things of God. The questions we ask could help us to see if the person understands what being a Christian means. We could ask “Are you involved in church?” or even “Do you love God?” We could then move on to asking about her salvation testimony and asking what her walk with The Lord is currently like. For us, this can take courage.
* If this conversation reveals that the person does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you can follow Jesus’ example from this passage before you go any further in relating with her. Verses 16-18 show how Jesus brought conviction, using the Law and gently pointing out her transgression. Gently speak with her and let The Holy Spirit do the convicting; let Him direct you as to what to say. Once she comes to an admission of her guilt, she is ready for hope.
* Jesus then revealed Himself to the woman at the well (v. 26). She was ready for grace. If the person you are talking to is ready for grace, be sure to present the work of the cross — that God sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. Tell her of the love of God in Christ, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the defeat of death. You can say something like “It’s as simple as this. We broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid our fine. If you repent and trust in the Savior, God forgives your sins and dismisses your case.” Be sure to include the essentials we talked about at the beginning of this lesson. If a person is truly broken over her sins and grateful to God, then her confession will flow without prompting, either silently or verbally to you. Be sure to pray with her. Make sure she has a Bible. Encourage her to go to a Bible-believing church. Start a One-Another relationship with her, Life On Life!
Any kind of mentoring, discipling, friendship, and all One-Another ministry should continue to be rooted in the Gospel. One of the best tools for One-Another relationships is this phrase: APPLY THE GOSPEL.
....more excerpts coming soon, please check back in often OR subscribe
Monday, September 5, 2011
What's On Your Kindle?
I need to stop ‘promising’ I am going to blog more! I tend to not keep that promise very well. My heart’s in it, but a computer crash messed up my momentum, and then I just set it on the back burner again. But, here I am now, giving it a ‘go’ .....
What’s on your Kindle lately?? (or bookshelf, or smartphone, or nook, or ipad, or whatever!). In other words, what are your reading that is God-honoring, edifying, thought-provoking, encouraging, and life-changing??
I will be sharing, from time to time, the books I am currently enjoying on my Kindle. I love to read all kinds of books (but who has time to read alot these days?? I try to find time!). On my Kindle you will find categories - things like ‘encouragement’, or ‘counseling helps’, or ‘mentoring’, or ‘just for fun’. In the ‘encouragement’ category is a book I downloaded by Elyse Fitzpatrick called “Comforts From The Cross, Celebrating The Gospel One Day At A Time”. It is a devotional book, but really it is much deeper than that, and I found myself just reading through it instead of doing it one day at a time!
I appreciate Elyse’s work, not just because she is a renowned author and Biblical Counselor, but because she is so gospel-centered in her writing. It has challenged me to think biblically as a counselor for the past few years, and I can honestly say that her work has changed how I counsel.
Along with that, it has changed ME to focus my thinking on the gospel and how it applies to not just salvation, but all of life. It is my core belief as a Biblical Counselor, that the gospel is meant to be celebrated, appreciated, and APPLIED. In fact, in my new training program for “Biblical Mentors”, I am writing a Bible Study as Level One of the training, and in it we begin with Lesson One by looking at ‘how to apply the gospel’ to life’s struggles as we purpose to share a word of hope with others in our sphere of influence, in particular, other believers (the study is called “Life on Life, Applying the One Anothers of Scripture” (if you want to know more, check out my website by clicking on the link to the Word Of Hope Ministries website below these posts (you will see on that site a link to the mentoring program site).
Elyse has a way of writing that is relatable, and profound. She eloquently explains the gospel in detail throughout the daily readings, and applies it to areas of struggle that we all can relate to. She is not afraid of the tough questions or hard topics (today I read about how to apply the gospel when we are feeling angry with God, for example).
If you are a Christian woman (or man, really!), I’d encourage you to read this devotional book. As much as I like some of the other popular devotionals on the market today (such as Jesus Calling), this one far exceeds them all in depth of content, in my opinion.
Fill up your Kindle, and leave me a comment about what you are reading, too!!
Happy Reading!
Ellen
What’s on your Kindle lately?? (or bookshelf, or smartphone, or nook, or ipad, or whatever!). In other words, what are your reading that is God-honoring, edifying, thought-provoking, encouraging, and life-changing??
I will be sharing, from time to time, the books I am currently enjoying on my Kindle. I love to read all kinds of books (but who has time to read alot these days?? I try to find time!). On my Kindle you will find categories - things like ‘encouragement’, or ‘counseling helps’, or ‘mentoring’, or ‘just for fun’. In the ‘encouragement’ category is a book I downloaded by Elyse Fitzpatrick called “Comforts From The Cross, Celebrating The Gospel One Day At A Time”. It is a devotional book, but really it is much deeper than that, and I found myself just reading through it instead of doing it one day at a time!
I appreciate Elyse’s work, not just because she is a renowned author and Biblical Counselor, but because she is so gospel-centered in her writing. It has challenged me to think biblically as a counselor for the past few years, and I can honestly say that her work has changed how I counsel.
Along with that, it has changed ME to focus my thinking on the gospel and how it applies to not just salvation, but all of life. It is my core belief as a Biblical Counselor, that the gospel is meant to be celebrated, appreciated, and APPLIED. In fact, in my new training program for “Biblical Mentors”, I am writing a Bible Study as Level One of the training, and in it we begin with Lesson One by looking at ‘how to apply the gospel’ to life’s struggles as we purpose to share a word of hope with others in our sphere of influence, in particular, other believers (the study is called “Life on Life, Applying the One Anothers of Scripture” (if you want to know more, check out my website by clicking on the link to the Word Of Hope Ministries website below these posts (you will see on that site a link to the mentoring program site).
Elyse has a way of writing that is relatable, and profound. She eloquently explains the gospel in detail throughout the daily readings, and applies it to areas of struggle that we all can relate to. She is not afraid of the tough questions or hard topics (today I read about how to apply the gospel when we are feeling angry with God, for example).
If you are a Christian woman (or man, really!), I’d encourage you to read this devotional book. As much as I like some of the other popular devotionals on the market today (such as Jesus Calling), this one far exceeds them all in depth of content, in my opinion.
Fill up your Kindle, and leave me a comment about what you are reading, too!!
Happy Reading!
Ellen
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The Resurrection of this blog.....
It's time for me to start blogging again! So bear with me as I type up a test-post, to see if all my networked blog settings are in order. No promises - but I do hope to start posting more often, things related to Biblical Counseling and Mentoring and ministry to women and girls in general. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
You can now find me at the following websites.....
feel free to enjoy the archives here or on the prior "Reason For The Hope" blog....
Please come take a look at what's going on with Word of Hope Ministries here:
www.word-of-hope-ministries.com
and here:
http://wordofhopementor.weebly.com/
feel free to enjoy the archives here or on the prior "Reason For The Hope" blog....
Please come take a look at what's going on with Word of Hope Ministries here:
www.word-of-hope-ministries.com
and here:
http://wordofhopementor.weebly.com/
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