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Breathing in Blessing
There is little that comes more naturally in life or is taken for granted more than breathing. It is something that I don’t thank God for enough or even contemplate the nuances of. I took a walk earlier and as I was walking and asking the Lord what he had to say through me about breathing, He was once again faithful to put many thoughts in my head. I stopped by a coffee shop to jot down notes before they left the quiet places of my mind, and I was overcome with gratitude for all the ways God has used this seemingly simple yet complex word physically and spiritually in my life. Physically Breathing Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” God literally gave us breath....
6 Signs God is Telling You to Rest
Have you ever been on your phone or computer and the notification popped up that your device was about to die or lose power if you didn’t plug it into a power source? You then ignore the notice because you think you’ll get to it in a few minutes but then you forget. And right in the middle of typing a sentence, or double-tapping a photo, or sending an email your screen goes black. Now you’re all upset but mostly with yourself because the signs were there. You knew the energy was low, you just ignored the signs. I think we do this in our actual lives too. I know I do. When we think of God telling us to do something we usually think of an activity; go here, do this, say that. In such a busy world we have a hard time wrapping our minds around the idea that sometimes God simply wants us to be ...
Prayers for Boldness to Testify…
___________________________________________________________________________________________ This week marks four years since my husband Paul sat down with the pastor of our Word of Faith/Prosperity gospel church to vulnerably and lovingly share his heart on some deep convictions and concerns of error of what was being preached there and what he had believed his whole life. God used His written Word and other Biblically sound teachers- Thank You, Jesus, for Justin Peters, John MacArthur, Paul Washer, and John Piper to name a few- to open our eyes to see the false teaching we had believed for many years- for me, since 2008, and for him, the first 25 years of his entire life. We could not in good conscious continue to serve in leadership nor attend that ministry any longer, ...
Pressing Through Ministry Responsibilities
www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org For starters, I want to ask you do you volunteer, work, or serve in your local church? Do you run your own ministry (i.e. non-profit organization, blog, brand, or social media platform)? If you answered yes to any of these examples, then I want to encourage you to keep reading, because this is the post for you dear co-laborer. I want to speak directly to pressing through ministry responsibilities when you’re feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or maybe even a little overcommitted. Let me just say, I know what it’s like to have God-ordained assignments at church and/or in your personal ministry, and find yourself asking, “Lord, how am I going to be able to do all of this?” I need to add here, that it’s also a good practice to reassess to see if you’re...
The Missionary’s New Song: A Legacy Worth Leaving
When I think of legacy, I remember being snuggled in my bed, surrounded by the soft comfort of an old down blanket, I stared at my phone watching the playback of an old live-stream from Inglewood Baptist Church. My Great Uncle Don Jones and his friend (another retired missionary), in a beautiful crescendo, gloriously sang the words: “No more death when we get to heaven. No more death when we get to heaven…Hallelujah, Hallelujah…no more death! No more death, but life forevermore.” Earlier that day my Great Uncle stepped into that life forevermore; for him death is no more. He is in the presence of the Savior to which he dedicated his life, and for him there could be no better day. Those of us left behind feel the pain of loss; for him there is no more pain. I am so thankful ...
Benny Hinn stirred up controversy in the Pentecostal community
Watch Video below “I believe it’s an offense to the Lord, it’s an offense to say, ‘Give $1,000,'” he says in a video posted Sept. 3. “I think it’s an offense to the Holy Spirit to put a price on the gospel. I’m done with it. I will never again ask you to give $1,000 or whatever amount because I believe the Holy Ghost is just fed up with it.”
5 Ways to Recognize God’s Voice
Have you ever thought you heard from God but then doubted yourself later on? “Was that really God,” you question. “Maybe that was just my own thought or, maybe that was the enemy trying to trick me,” you wonder. I’ve been there more than I wish to admit. If you have too, I want to encourage you that knowing and hearing God’s voice is a process. As we develop more in our faith and grow more in Christ, it becomes easier to hear from God. To help you further in this area, here are five ways to recognize God’s voice. 1. God’s voice brings peace. Unfortunately, many people view God as this mean and angry dictator in heaven. If they expect to hear from God, they think the voice will be startling and fearful. However, one thing I’ve learned about hearing from God is that His Word always bri...
Gaining Pastoral Support for New Single Mom Ministries
Okay, you finally have it – your purpose in life, that thing God has called you to do on this earth! You are beyond excited. You cannot wait to start this new single moms’ ministry, outreach, group, or Sunday School class at your church for single moms. You cannot wait to bring the masses to the Lord through your efforts. You schedule your meeting with the necessary “higher-ups” of the church, be it the pastor, assistant pastor, women’s ministry team, or volunteer coordinator. Now, what should you present in the meeting? First, we highly recommend reading The Church and the Single Mom book. Many churches do not have single moms’ ministries because they don’t know there is a need. When setting up a meeting with your pastoral team, be sure you are prepared nati...
Studying the Letters of the Bible
www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org Looks like you’re interested in studying the letters of the Bible. I love it! I believe if you embarked upon a study of the letters of the Bible, you will not only experience a greater knowledge of God’s Word, but you’ll also gain greater insight on how we are to live and stand for the Gospel. You’ll understand even more what it means to be chosen, and why it’s so important that you walk in the Spirit, live by faith, be fruitful, stay pure, remain in Jesus, and do good works, especially in these last days. When you and I take time to read and study the letters of the Bible in depth, we really begin to see that these epistles were God-inspired writings not just for the early church, but for us as well. So, if you were to dig into one of the ep...
Keeping Your Feelings in Check
www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org If you clicked onto this post, you’re probably shouting, “Yes! How do you do it?” Trust me. If you feel this way, I totally get it, because I’ve been where you are before, too. Actually, I wish I could’ve read a post like this years ago! But here it is, my sister. Tried and true. So let’s talk about how to respond properly under pressure or keep your feelings in check. First of all, let me ask this quick question. What’s got you under pressure? Or maybe I should also pose this question, “Who’s stressing you out?” Either one of those should work for this particular post. Yet, in either case, the first step to responding well under any form of pressure is finding out where the pressure point lies. Once you know, breathe in. And then breathe out. And the reason ...
3 Biblical Reminders on the Importance of Rest
Recently, the Lord has placed the topic of rest on my heart. As I prepare my message for this year’s Beloved Women’s Conference, I’m reminded of the importance of rest. This year’s conference theme is “Soul Rest,” and as I share the theme with other women, the topic seems to really resonate. So I want to share a few things I’m learning about rest with you too: 1. Rest comes from Jesus. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV) Some rest means taking a nap, while other times a nap won’t satisfy. It’s then we need rest for our souls. It’s the type of res...
5 Reasons I Read Scripture Daily
The most transformative discipline affecting my spiritual health has been, without a doubt, spending time in God’s word. I say discipline, because spending daily time in the Bible is not always easy. Roadblocks try to separate me from reaching for God’s truth: time, commitments, even reading other text written from fellow believers. Why do I practice this spiritual discipline? Here are 5 reasons why I spend time in the Bible daily: We are in a battle folks, a battle against good and evil. A battle that is waging a war for our souls.Ephesians 6:14-18 shares, “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circ...
