Written by Michelle J. Goff, with her mom, Jocelynn Goff

The oldest daughter of a college professor and elementary teacher, my mom grew up learning through at least two different styles of teaching. Not all teaching was formally imparted, of course. My mom never took a speech class from Dr. Brown at Miami-Dade Community College. She never sat in her mom’s classroom during regular school hours, but she did spend time there after school while her mom prepared for the next day’s instruction.

It is no surprise that my mom became a teacher herself. She is a natural teacher and gifted storyteller. Her students would sit up straighter when she offered a “lagniappe story.” Lagniappe is French for “a little something extra,” which meant that this story would not be on the test!

In contrast, when my granddad would pepper us granddaughters with Bible trivia questions during our Christmas visits, he emphasized those of greater importance by saying, “This one will be on the final exam.” What I most learned from those “tests” was his love for Bible study and his diligent commitment to finding little-known jewels in Scripture.

Years later, our conversations have been more give-and-take. I have shared biblical nuggets of truth that I’ve discovered with a similar passion to share it with others. Similarly, my mom and I have transitioned from being exclusively mother and daughter to being Christian sisters and partners in the gospel. The teaching and learning matured and became more mutual.

As you know, our teaching and learning does not come exclusively through teachers, nor through our families. Prayerfully, we seek to be surrounded by others who will invest in us, as well as those with whom we can build relationship. Pivotal teachers can transform our relationship with a certain subject matter… inspiring us to persevere or give up. Close friends teach us what it means to laugh, as we also learn what it means to forgive. Neighbors teach us kindness as we learn how to be a good neighbor ourselves.

There are also those who teach through their words and actions, unaware of how many are watching, learning from their example. This is especially true of our Christian walks. We must be careful to practice what we preach, and we cannot teach what we have not yet effectively learned.

When I asked my mom about a relationship through which she has taught or learned, A.R. Kepple was the first person that came to mind. His simple teaching was a seed planted and watered, week after week. They met at the Downtown Church of Christ in Kansas City, Missouri, the new congregation her parents helped establish in the early 1960’s.

After teaching the children for 20-30 minutes on Sunday evenings, Brother Kepple would invite 7-year-old Jocelynn to join him on the front row during the songs and sermon. After reminding her to mind her manners, her parents granted permission to sit with this retired preacher in his late 70’s.

Once settled with her feet not quite touching the floor, while waiting for the singing to start, Brother Kepple would open his Bible to Matthew 5 and read, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world,” pointing to each sentence as he read them.

“He told me that every time I sat with him, and it made an impression on me and planted a seed in my mind and heart and spirit,” Mom recalled. He lived out the teaching he repeated.

Who is someone through whom you have learned what it means to be a Christian? What has it looked like for you to teach others what it means to follow Christ?

Written by Michelle J. Goff, with her mom, Jocelynn Goff

The oldest daughter of a college professor and elementary teacher, my mom grew up learning through at least two different styles of teaching. Not all teaching was formally imparted, of course. My mom never took a speech class from Dr. Brown at Miami-Dade Community College. She never sat in her mom’s classroom during regular school hours, but she did spend time there after school while her mom prepared for the next day’s instruction.

It is no surprise that my mom became a teacher herself. She is a natural teacher and gifted storyteller. Her students would sit up straighter when she offered a “lagniappe story.” Lagniappe is French for “a little something extra,” which meant that this story would not be on the test!

In contrast, when my granddad would pepper us granddaughters with Bible trivia questions during our Christmas visits, he emphasized those of greater importance by saying, “This one will be on the final exam.” What I most learned from those “tests” was his love for Bible study and his diligent commitment to finding little-known jewels in Scripture.

Years later, our conversations have been more give-and-take. I have shared biblical nuggets of truth that I’ve discovered with a similar passion to share it with others. Similarly, my mom and I have transitioned from being exclusively mother and daughter to being Christian sisters and partners in the gospel. The teaching and learning matured and became more mutual.

As you know, our teaching and learning does not come exclusively through teachers, nor through our families. Prayerfully, we seek to be surrounded by others who will invest in us, as well as those with whom we can build relationship. Pivotal teachers can transform our relationship with a certain subject matter… inspiring us to persevere or give up. Close friends teach us what it means to laugh, as we also learn what it means to forgive. Neighbors teach us kindness as we learn how to be a good neighbor ourselves.

There are also those who teach through their words and actions, unaware of how many are watching, learning from their example. This is especially true of our Christian walks. We must be careful to practice what we preach, and we cannot teach what we have not yet effectively learned.

When I asked my mom about a relationship through which she has taught or learned, A.R. Kepple was the first person that came to mind. His simple teaching was a seed planted and watered, week after week. They met at the Downtown Church of Christ in Kansas City, Missouri, the new congregation her parents helped establish in the early 1960’s.

After teaching the children for 20-30 minutes on Sunday evenings, Brother Kepple would invite 7-year-old Jocelynn to join him on the front row during the songs and sermon. After reminding her to mind her manners, her parents granted permission to sit with this retired preacher in his late 70’s.

Once settled with her feet not quite touching the floor, while waiting for the singing to start, Brother Kepple would open his Bible to Matthew 5 and read, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world,” pointing to each sentence as he read them.

“He told me that every time I sat with him, and it made an impression on me and planted a seed in my mind and heart and spirit,” Mom recalled. He lived out the teaching he repeated.

Who is someone through whom you have learned what it means to be a Christian? What has it looked like for you to teach others what it means to follow Christ?

Written by Ana Carolina Mourão, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Campo Grande, Brazil

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:1-4 NIV)

I found it interesting Colossians 3:2 was the suggested verse for this blog: Set Your Mind on Things Above. This is a struggle I have with my mind and which has been unfolding for some time. I believe we all face this battle. When I reflect on this verse, I think “If my mind stays and works on things that are from above, then it is filled with what is good and there is no time left for the things of the world.”

Our whole life is for the Lord’s honor and glory. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we judge, but only God is the true judge, and this Judge gave us such grace by sending Jesus to die on the cross in our place.

This is my prayer: Father, I ask you for forgiveness because I sin, but I thank you for your mercy, Lord. I give you my life. I thank you for reaching so many sisters and as long as I live, I believe in your healing. I thank you for the sisters who pray for me, Lord, because I believe in the power of prayer. In the name of Jesus, amen.

A good way to occupy your thoughts with things above is to ask yourself: What do I love to do for the Lord? In my case, it is working with the little ones; playing with them, doing theater, and making fun classes. And you? What is your gift? Invest in it. That's your TALENT. Do you remember this beautiful parable? To each is given their talent, and the one who multiplies it hears, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” (Mt 25:21).

May our thoughts remain on things above. And what are these things? These would be things that involve the Lord, His church, the brotherhood, widows, and orphans, as this is true religion (Jas 1:27). When we help with visits, women's classes, coffee and tea for church events, and preparing the Lord’s Supper, we are taking care of things from above.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). I would like to highlight one of the fruits of the spirit, kindness, and talk about a brother, Fonseca, the greatest example of kindness I have ever seen on earth. He fought the good fight and left a legacy, three daughters and his wife, with the same good heart. With my own eyes, I saw him buy a bag of food and give it to a family who needed it. His kindness was always immense. Anyone who knew him has to hold back tears when talking about him. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal 6:9-10).

We must always do good to everyone, especially those in the family of faith (Gal 6:10). In fact, it is something which should not need to be mentioned it should be inherent to who we are like in the stadiums where the Japanese collect the garbage without anyone asking.

And think of Jesus, who had all the fruit of the Spirit? With His kindness and mercy, after a life of sacrifice, He died for me and for you. May we keep our minds on things above in preparation for His return!

Written by Johanna Zabala, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ecuador 

The beautiful biblical passage in Galatians 6:2 encourages me to continue fulfilling the Christian mission of bearing the burdens of my sisters in Christ, my family, and others with whom I have relationships. Based in the love of Christ, this scripture is an exhortation of obedience, bonding, communication, and fellowship with each other.

When I say "burdens," I mean the various difficulties and adversities that as human beings and followers of Christ we will encounter in each stage of life, both physical and spiritual.

Over time, we may realize that some burdens began in our childhood. This affirms the great importance of a healthy childhood, starting as early as conception. Early childhood is the foundation of our adult lives. All along the way, we are soul, body, and heart, made with love and an existential purpose.

When thinking of ourselves as a soul, we have a spirit of life that we do not see, which makes it challenging for us to care for and understand. We dedicate a little more care to the physical or external body. However, we take only minimal care of our internal organs. We also have feelings, which flow from the human heart. The word of God says that they are deceitful, as Proverbs 4:23 tells us. We must keep our hearts pure in accordance with Matthew 5:8.

These three areas of life need to be attended to and cared for equally to achieve the first of the greatest commandment of the Lord Jesus. Faced with this need, structuring soul, body, and heart to achieve their complete harmony will present certain challenges or difficulties toward the harmony between the three. Therefore, it will take experience, acceptance, strength, and above all, a lot of wisdom and love to overcome this challenge.

Overcoming the difficulties to achieve this harmony requires walking together through each experience, obstacle, and blessing. We can turn this process into an opportunity, rather than a burden, to understand the reason for the way we interact with our peers. In interpersonal relationships, we can choose to understand, see, and recognize in others our own weaknesses and strengths, which will allow us to be better people.

Furthermore, Matthew 11:28-30 teaches that we can all go into Jesus’ presence. In Him, we learn and rest. We are invited to bear the yoke of Christ and to learn of His meekness and humble heart. The purpose is to find rest for our souls through full dependence on the Lord. Jesus helps me to observe my surroundings daily and share important challenges and sufferings with my physical and spiritual family. These are clusters of constant personal and spiritual growth.

By working with, getting involved with, and getting to know each member of the Church, we reflect the great need we have to help, build up, and love one another, as Jesus Christ Himself taught.

The Lord Jesus calls us to salvation but also invites us to heal the soul. Heal! From what? It may be from an unsuccessful way of living taught by our earthly parents, from which are called to be purified and transformed, as we read in 1 Peter 1:18.

As someone once said, “We see faces; we do not know hearts.” The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 1 and verse 5, emphasizes that "Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted"(NIV). This reminds us that, despite having been born again in the waters of baptism for a new life, there may still be situations that have occurred but not yet been consciously healed.

I know adults with significant wounds from their childhood who still show significant gaps in their relationships. One study states that approximately 89% of people with voids in their relationships were abandoned by a parent. Therefore, within the home and the church it is urgent to help understand the importance of forgiving our earthly parents for:

1. Being completely absent

2. Being very harsh in parenting

3. Not exercising authority or not being there, especially in the early stages of childhood

4. Being unloving

5. Not paying attention

6. Demonstrating immaturity

Sadly, those who suffer emptiness in interpersonal relationships agree that the wounds they feel result from not having grown up with a strong family nucleus. This results in difficulties raising their own children and even more so, an inability to assert themselves in communication with parents, spouses, colleagues, friends, and even with our Heavenly Father.

In conclusion, as daughters, let us wholeheartedly forgive the inexperience and the hurts caused by parents or caregivers as soon as possible in order to be healed. And, if we have children, let’s not hurt them. A commitment like this requires constant prayer and wisdom in the love of Christ. Let’s help each other in sharing and forgiving.

Written byLiliana Henríquez, volunteer for Iron Rose Sisters Ministries in Colombia

One of the most challenging tasks for a human being is to let go of egocentrism and adopt a position of total surrender to God. We mistakenly believe we are all-powerful, but the truth is that nothing moves without God’s will.

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that He was obedient in everything, even though, humanly speaking, He faced the unimaginable pain of crucifixion. Who would willingly offer himself to endure such intense physical suffering as dying on a cross? Jesus did! And because of this, you and I don’t have to pay for our sins—we have eternal life. In the pivotal moment of His death, Jesus fully surrendered to God and His will, saying, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Lk 23:46, NIV).

In our daily lives, we must “crucify ourselves” repeatedly, or in other words, set aside our own desires and make sacrifices for a higher good. 

We set aside our desires to prioritize those of our partner...

We set aside our rest to choose to play with our children...

We set aside our comfort to serve others with love...

We set aside what we want and focus on fulfilling God’s calling for our lives.

In the spiritual realm, things operate under the principle of total surrender to God. Those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord understand that we no longer live to satisfy our own desires, but to fulfill Christ’s (Gal 2:20). We know that those who want to be exalted must humble themselves. Those who want to be served must serve. Those who want to be loved must love. Those who want to receive must give.

This doesn’t mean we always agree with God’s plans. Often, we don’t. In fact, many times, we feel upset because we don’t understand why He asks us to do things that seem “illogical” or outside our comfort zone. However, a true servant of God surrenders because she knows WHOM she is serving and follows the example of Jesus on the cross saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).

A true servant does her part with a surrendered heart and in complete obedience to God—and lets God be God. We don’t need to understand everything God does, but we do need to do everything He calls us to because that’s the commitment we made when we decided to be His disciples.

Is your life fully surrendered to the will of God?

Written byMichelle J. Goff, Founder and Executive Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 

The first time I heard the phrase “She did what she could”, I thought it was a placating remark delivered with a shrug of the shoulders and an “oh well” attitude. When I learned it was a Bible verse, then the context of the verse, not to mention the way in which Jesus honored this woman’s actions, “She did what she could” became a frequently repeated phrase filled with depth of meaning.

This story is told in all four of the gospels. John reveals the woman’s name (12:3); while in the other three, she remains anonymous. Let’s read Mark’s account:

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”(Mk 14:3-9 NIV)

She did what she could. She honored Jesus by anointing Him as the perfect lamb sacrifice.

Jesus could’ve used the same expression when He chastised the rich, honoring the poor widow who put two small coins into the offering.

No one can do it all. It takes everyone doing their part. God created us to be different members of the body with Christ as the head (1Co 12). Paul states to the Ephesians that the body cannot function well unless “each part does its work” (Eph 4:16).

It is easy for us to fall into the comparison trap because we wish we could serve, give, pray, teach, or sing like someone else. She did what she could.

To practice like wise women is to do what we can, when we can, to the best of our ability, through Him who gives us strength (Php 4:13). We are merely instruments in the Lord’s hands to bring about His good and perfect will. 

There is grace in the expression, “She did what she could,” because God did not call me to do what He called that woman over there to do. It is up to her to be obedient to our heavenly Father and do what she can do. 

Throughout the seasons of my life, my actions of obedience and submission, sacrifice, and service have looked very different. As they should. My 13-year-old self did what she could by dying to herself and putting on Christ in baptism, proclaiming Him to be the Lord of my life. My 26-year-old self moved to Venezuela to live and work with a new church plant as a missionary. My 36-year-old self quit her job, sold her house, and launched Iron Rose Sister Ministries. 

Those are the “glory stories” of when I did what I could—the leaps of faith and steps of obedience. The highlight reel may look amazing, but it does not reflect, for example, the difficulty of getting out of bed on time each Sunday morning to make it to church. “She did what she could” sometimes faces the frustration of a never-ending checklist, an ill-spoken word, a forgotten birthday, a missed opportunity, a sin committed, or precious time wasted.

God’s mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness! His Son already did what He could and paid the price as the perfect sacrifice (Ro 5:6-11). It is now our privilege and honor to do our part in the Kingdom. 

Sisters, during this month, let’s do what we can— whether in our relationships with God or with one another, through greater involvement with Iron Rose Sister Ministries, by organizing a fundraising event to benefit our Ambassadors Program, starting a new small group… the possibilities are endless! We invite you to hear the words Jesus spoke to honor His precious daughter in Mark 14:8, “She did what she could.”

What is God calling you to do?

How can we encourage or equip you to “do what you can do”?

Is there a thorn hindering you from doing what you can? 

Reach out to an Iron Rose Sister and work together to do what you can!

Written by a volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in the USA 

Singleness: quality or state of being single, unmarried.

This is recent for me. I was married for many years to a warrior for the Lord and lost him to COVID 18 months ago. It feels so strange to try and accept this: I am single.

Paul considers his singleness as a gift from God. In 1 Corinthians 7, he discusses marriage and sex and singleness in verses 1 and 2 (ESV), “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”

A few verses later in verses 6-9 (NIV) Paul says,

I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Why would Paul see singleness as a gift? He explains it in verses 32-34, “I want you to be free from anxieties...” Being single gives us the ability to serve the Lord anywhere in the world, without having to consider whether our mate is also desirous of going to live where we feel called to. We are focused on serving God alone.

But in the beginning, in Genesis 2:18, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Paul thinks singleness is good so we can fully focus on serving God. But God knew it was not good for everyone.

I asked a good friend to share with me his thoughts on singleness. He was also married for a long time and has now been single longer than I have. He said, “It’s unnatural and it hurts.”

I agree.

God made us male and female for a reason; not just for procreation. Yes, that is a very important reason, to keep mankind alive and growing on this earth, but there is so much more to marriage than having children. After raising my children to adulthood and continuing to have the wonderful gift of marriage for many years, I long to have that relationship again; to have the daily love and support, camaraderie, laughter, physical touch, and just the joint shouldering of the burdens of everyday life together with a mate.

At this moment, a large part of me feels destroyed and empty, like a cherished old home that has been burned out and abandoned. But feelings aren’t facts. I know that I am not abandoned. My Father is always here with me, every minute of every day. When I lost my husband, my Dad in heaven gifted me with a tribe of godly friends who welcomed me (Rom. 15:7), loved me (Rom. 12:10), and encouraged me (Prov. 27:9).My tribe bore my weakness with me(Rom. 15:1-3).

God has also comforted me in surprising ways, like putting it on my heart to make a list of the burdens my husband doesn’t carry anymore. I read this list often and imagine how happy he is in paradise now (Rev. 21:4).

My Father reminds me how very fleeting life on earth in James 4:14b, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Compared to eternity, our lives here on earth are very short indeed. But they don’t feel short, especially when we are hurting.

I don’t know why God chose to take my husband home, nor how long I will have on this earth yet to live. Right now, the loneliness each night is like a black hole, threatening to swallow me entirely. It feels unnatural to be alone. And it hurts. So, I turn to my “Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction…” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 ESV).

I am still here. I don’t know why, but while I am, I will serve God, and follow His Word the best I can. So, I study about widowhood, “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:39).

Singleness and I are not friends. I have begun praying that God will grant me a godly man that I can love, and who will love me—someone to hold hands with as we cross the finish line of life together. For now, I can rest in Him as I wait, reminding myself of this passage often, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

My Dad in heaven is infinitely better than any earthly father at screening my dates, because He can see into their minds and hearts and knows their intentions. I am confident He will bring me just the right man if I move out of the driver’s seat (which is, frankly, difficult for me!), and instead allow Him to lead.

Singleness can be a great blessing for some. But it is not for everyone. The most important thing in this life is loving and serving our Creator with all our hearts and minds and souls and strength, whether single or married. And one day we can rejoice as we discuss these events together in heaven!

Written by Jocelynn Goff, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries and mother of Michelle J. Goff

When Jesus was asked what is the greatest command, He replied, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk 12:30 NIV).

If this is the greatest command, how do we keep the commitment to do this day in and day out, moment by moment? For this blog, I’m going to focus on just the strength aspect of this command.

When I’ve taken personality tests, I usually test very high for loyalty. This can make my strength of commitment in some areas easier, as it’s more natural for me. However! There are still people and situations where my loyalty personality trait will never be enough. Then I am challenged to need help to keep my commitment and sometimes quite honestly my sanity as well.

In situations such as this, how do I keep my commitment? Where do I draw my commitment from? My answer should always be that I look to the LORD and His Word because He promises to answer. This promise is found in Psalms 29:11, “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

As a matter of fact, He is looking for those to whom to give His strength. I find this promise in 2 Chronicles 16:9: “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

So, my first thought and action should be to look to my LORD for strength. He promises it to me as His child and I should take advantage of that fact and depend on it, especially, as my own strength is often not enough to meet the challenge of commitment to love my LORD with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My own heart, soul, mind, and strength will fail. A Biblical example of this is Peter. Jesus warns Peter that his commitment will fail, but gives him hope. This hope is expressed in Luke 22:32 when Jesus says, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Peter was tested and failed but Jesus knew he’d turn back. Then Jesus gave Peter a job to do—to strengthen his brothers.

Also, we can have trusted, Godly friends to help strengthen us. As I become aware of a deficit in my strength, I can ask for help from a trusted prayer warrior friend. However, it’s easy to reach out to that friend first before I reach out in prayer for God’s strength. So recently I’ve been challenging myself to pray first about a situation before I call one of my prayer warrior friends. This puts me in the right frame of mind, directs my focus and perspective, and gives me His wisdom and His perspective. Just as Peter was urged to do, my friends can help strengthen me but I’ve made it a priority to seek The LORD first before reaching out to my friends. After all, it’s His strength and energy that I need. Colossians 1:29 speaks of “…strenuously contend[ing] with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

The apostle Paul understood where his ability to be content in any and every situation came from when he said, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Php 4:13).

When I receive His strength to fulfill my commitment, then I’m rejoicing. I’m writing it in my journal. I’m telling my God story to others. I’m singing much as 1 Chronicles 16:9 says, “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” Specific songs that come to mind include the lyrics of The Goodness of God by Jenn Johnson and Bethel Music. “All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God.” Another one is Everlasting God written by Chris Tomlin. “Strength will rise as we wait upon The Lord, wait upon the Lord.”

What are the challenges that are weakening your strength of commitment to our LORD? Remember, the promise in Psalms 29:11, “The LORD gives strength to his people.” So, He’s ready, willing, and faithful to provide the strength you need.

Written by Jelin Robles, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Campo Grande, Brazil

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2Co 10:3-5 NIV)

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 the apostle Paul talks about submitting every thought to obedience to Christ, and he demonstrates this through his life.

Reading the previous verses, we see that Paul defends his authority as an apostle to the church in Corinth. Even though some judge him, he explains that he is not walking in a worldly way, as some had the audacity to say, but even if he did walk in the flesh he would not act in the same way.

Whatever has been said or done against the gospel, our weapons are powerful in God, destroying every stronghold. But how should we proceed? God does His part and tells us that for our part we must take our thoughts captive in obedience to God, and God will provide help.

As Christians we must obey, but with love.

The Lord Jesus teaches us in Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Whatever is in our hearts, that is what our mouths will speak. The heart is also a reference to our minds. In Proverbs 4:23 we find this instruction: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We learn how important it is to be careful about what we think because our life is directed by our thoughts. Linking the two texts, we understand that thoughts leave the mind (or heart as the Jews called it) as the words we speak.

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. (Php 4:8)

In this verse, we are instructed as to the kind of thoughts that should occupy our minds. In fact, we know that if the Holy Spirit is not with us, we will not be able to fulfill this mission. And once we understand that it is our mind that directs the choices we make in our lives, we will fill our minds with everything that is good and praiseworthy, that is, everything that is true, worthy, correct, pure, pleasant, and decent.

In my Christian walk, submitting my thoughts in obedience to Christ has never been easy, and I still work on it. God is transforming me to take all my thoughts captive, as Paul teaches us, and I know that the weapons of our spiritual army are powerful in God.

God bless, and may He continue transforming the lives of all of us. Hugs!

Written by Jocelynn Goff, mother of Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ Founder and Director Michelle J. Goff

What’s your learning style? I’ve been asked that question at several medical appointments. The nurse wanted to know how I would best receive the information and directions from the doctor.

There is purpose in knowing our own learning style for ourselves, in a classroom, our workplace, a doctor’s appointment, daily conversations, and more. There’s also purpose for understanding this in our relationships and interactions with others. When we interact with a child, family member, friend, neighbor, or coworker it is helpful if we can understand even a little bit of how they learn to have realistic expectations for their retaining the information we are sharing.

There are four basic types of learning styles: visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic.

If I’m a visual learner, then the doctor’s approach could be to show me a picture of the affected part of my body or write a list of directions out for me. To help myself process and retain learning I could use a picture, a graph, a daily organizer, a list, or see a finished product. In relationships, I could utilize those same tools. Obviously, it would be a natural process and not a “let me teach you this way” kind of format.

For an auditory learner, the doctor may give verbal instructions and quite possibly ask me to repeat them back to him. To help myself or in relationships, I could possibly ask if the information can be repeated back either verbatim or by rewording it using their or my own words. A song can also be a useful tool for imparting information. Family stories passed down through the generations are an additional significant, powerful learning tool.

If read/write is my best learning style, then the doctor may share a website for me to research or give me a printed copy of the diagnosis and instructions. Additionally, I can seek other reliable sources in books, websites, journals, or other recommended documents. For myself and in relationships, rewriting the information or just reading it for myself are useful tools.

For a kinesthetic learner, a hands-on approach is best, so the doctor may use a model of the affected body part for me to touch and possibly a simulation of movements that are helpful in the healing process. For myself and in relationships, effective hands-on types of activities include drawing, cooking, eating, taking a hike alone or with a friend, planting a garden, or creating an artistic design.

God, who created learning styles, used all of them in the celebration of the Passover meal. Before Easter, I was reading about Pesach Seder (Passover meal) in an article our Bible class teacher shared. This part of the reading jumped out at me,

“…the Pesach Seder is one of the most carefully constructed learning experiences ever created. In an amazing combination of aural and tactile learning tasks, the Seder has something for everybody—a drink, food, symbols, prayers, songs, stories, philosophy, text study, simulations, ritual actions—all designed with one overall goal” to take each person at the Seder back to Egypt, to re-enact the dramatic Exodus story, to make each one of us feel as she or he had actually been redeemed from Mitzrayim (Egypt).”This exposure in all of the learning styles ensures that the overall goal is accomplished for each individual to experience Passover and its significant meaning.

Similarly, Jesus, as the Master Teacher, employed all of the learning styles. For the visual learner, He let His listeners visualize the birds of the air and the lilies of the field in Matthew 6:25-33. For the auditory learner, He gave the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. For the read/write learner as He spoke to an expert in the Law, “What is written in the Law?” He replied, “How do you read it?” (Luke 10:26). For the kinesthetic learner, there are a plethora of examples, such as when He feeds the 5,000 (Mark 6:30). He even employs several styles at once when He draws with His finger on the ground (John 8:6). Jesus is truly the Master Teacher and gives us every opportunity to know Him and learn from His teachings in our own learning style.

The book, Called to Listen by Michelle J. Goff, employs the various learning styles through 40 days of listening: “to the Good Shepherd, the Creator, the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and through the five senses.” This may even expand your learning abilities in styles you’ve previously been unaware of that speak to you.

I encourage you to find your learning style and begin to recognize this in the relationships around you. I invite you to read Called to Listen to hear the message our Heavenly Father speaks “… through His Word, through nature, through Christian brothers and sisters, even through silence…” This book offers you prompts to use your five senses and explore your learning style.

So, are you primarily a visual, auditory, read/write, or kinesthetic learner? Share or demonstrate in the comments!

Footnote:
This Seder outline was adapted from The Art of Jewish Living: The Passover Seder by Dr. Ron Wolfson, published by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and the University of Judaism, 1988. Additions and edits by Daniel B. Stockstill, 1999.

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

In Matthew 28, we hear the final words of Jesus before His ascension. Verse 18 reminds us that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt. 28:19-20)

“Go” and “make disciples” are the two commands of ultimate importance as Jesus’ final instructions. The two ways in which we fulfill the command to make disciples are baptizing them and teaching them. Then finally, we hear the promise that Jesus will continue to be with us. Amen!

These facets of the Great Commission are integrally connected to the Greatest Command: to love God and love others. Can we truly make disciples outside of relationship with God or others? The teaching would be limited to lists of instructions or rote information without relationship. “Teaching them to obey” is different than “telling them what to obey.”

I cannot properly teach someone how to make an arepa without first introducing them to this Venezuelan staple. I could tell them what to make, even provide detailed directions, but both of our levels of frustration will be high if I cannot demonstrate how to make it. Subsequently, if my pupil felt defeated and her arepas didn’t turn out well, she will be less likely to make them again on her own.

Conversely, if I explain how to make arepas, step by step, standing by her side and illustrating with my own dirty hands how to prepare the masa and form the arepas, when to flip them, and when they were ready to eat, my student will feel better equipped to continue in the process. Then, we sit down and continue our time together by eating and deepening our friendship, a memory is made, and a connection is built.

The next time my student friend wants to make arepas, she has been set up for success and, if she has a problem, she knows exactly who she can call! We even celebrate together when she sends me a picture of her family eating her imperfectly formed arepas. She is practicing and developing her skills. And she is not alone. Her growing confidence in how to follow the instructions has been encouraged by her teacher. They delight in sharing a good meal and both are inspired to do it again.

The teaching and the learning happened in relationship.

Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ vision is to equip women to connect to God and one another more deeply. The founding principles of that vision and our 2023 theme draw from the Greatest Command (Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), inspired by the imagery of Jesus as the True Vine and us as the branches called to bear fruit (John 15). We cannot fulfill any of those commands without relationship! Through the blog posts, virtual events, and other resources, we will emphasize the relational aspects of these three biblical texts: “Teaching and Learning through Relationships.”

First and foremost, our relationship with God is foundational.

⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

Secondly, the “much fruit” of our relationship with God will be more disciples, which brings us back to the Matthew 28 text. I love how God ties it all together and brings it full circle!

Thirdly, the ongoing relationships with God and with one another are reiterated throughout the remainder of the New Testament.Luke’s narration of the early church, Paul’s letters, Peter’s reminders, as well as John’s and James’ instructions all provide affirmation of the important of relationship.

If you are not familiar with these scriptures or have not known the blessing of these relationships, we invite you to connect with these promises and commands. Ladies, we especially want to illustrate these foundational truths in the ways God has called us to teach and learn through relationships.

This year, we will follow the same pattern established in 2022 for our blog posts. Tuesdays will describe teaching and learning through relationship(s) in the Bible. Thursdays will illustrate a similar relationship dynamic from one of our stories. Bible stories and God stories… there is so much to teach and to learn!

Thank you for joining us! We will continue to introduce the topic through Jesus’ own example in January. Then, February, our well-established prayer month, will continue the Bible stories and God stories, especially in our relationships and communication with God.

Written by Rianna Elmshaeuser, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado

Imagine one fine day you are taking a walk and come across a dog in pitiful circumstances. He’s starved and filthy. His hair is patchy and his neck is swollen and dirty because of the chain around it that’s attached to a large steel stake in the middle of a patch of dirt that passes for a yard. Your heart is moved to help this pitiful creature so you knock on the door of the owner and offer to buy the dog. The price is steep, but you gladly pay it to rescue the poor creature. On your way home, you come across a lovely park so you take the chain off your new dog’s neck and set him free. Now that he's free of the chain and his terrible master, you leave the dog at the park and hope he lives a happy life from now on.

That would be absurd! Jesus does not do that with us either. He didn’t redeem us from slavery to sin and then set us free to figure out the rest on our own. Romans 8:6-7 (NIV) says,

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

Just as you would take your new dog into your home and treat his wounds, feed him food, give him a safe place to live, teach him how to behave, and show him real love, Jesus does the same for us. Saving us from our sins entails so much more than confessing Him as Lord and getting baptized.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us grow into a Spirit-led life. This process can be excruciating at times. Facing my problems and negative behaviors, and having the humility to realize I needed to change certain things has been a long and often lonely journey. Even more painful can be embracing who God created me to be. At this stage in my life, I have learned to trust Him and bit by bit have been growing into who He wants me to be. I am so grateful for that growth and change.

Of course, I still make mistakes but rather than berating myself and losing nights of sleep, I can make it right and move on. I have learned to see people more like God sees them; that includes myself. To be totally honest, as I write this, I am at a low point. Experience has taught me that I am not here alone. Jesus is my Savior constantly, not just for the forgiveness of my sins. Zach Williams sings, “It might feel like Friday, but your Sunday’s coming.” Before Jesus rose from the grave, there were some dark, dark days when all felt lost. God has plans that we can’t see or understand. Even when it is dark, we can cling to Jesus’ hand and trust that He will bring us through it.

As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” If we were always strong and never down, we would have no need of Jesus. God uses our weaknesses to bring us closer to Him and to each other. I have learned that my weakness gives me compassion for the weakness of others. How can I judge and condemn when I myself am broken? I may be traveling through darkness right now, but “even the darkness is not dark to [God]; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you” (Ps 139:12 ESV).

God continues to save us from our sins, from ourselves, and from Satan again and again and again as long as we follow Him.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Ro 8:1).

Written by Kathy Reagan, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!


Philippians 4:4 (ESV)

God’s Word, in this passage and other places, tells us that as daughters of the King, it is His will that we live joyful, fulfilled, abundant lives here on earth.

But sometimes, it can be difficult to rejoice, can’t it? So how can we rejoice at those times?

I think one answer to that question can be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When we are prayerful and thankful, we are happy and rejoicing.

Giving thanks to God is a mindset.

• Check our focus. We know that whatever we focus on tends to grow bigger and bigger in our lives. Colossians 3:2 tells us “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” When we’re thinking about heaven and serving the King during our time here on earth, we are thankful and rejoicing.
• Be aware of our enemy’s schemes. He wants us complaining, feeling sorry for ourselves, blaming others, and blaming God. “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1Pe 5:8). But our Father’s will for us is to “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God…” (Php 2:14-15a). When we are following His directions, we are thankful and happy.
• Train ourselves. We humans naturally tend to see the negatives, hear the negatives from others, and sometimes even imagine negative things that are not necessarily even there. However, with training and practice we can develop a habit of turning the negatives into positives. God calls us to grow and strive for maturity in the faith (2Pe 3:18) so that we can eat solid spiritual food and not just milk. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb 5:14). We train ourselves each time we purposefully choose to take a negative thing and look for the positive so we can give thanks to God for it.

Recognize that we are swimming in blessings!

• It’s a matter of perspective. Proverbs 27:7 says, “One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry, everything bitter is sweet.” When the enemy invites us to recount all our woes, we can be tempted to just give in and have our own little pity party. But we don’t have to give him the victory! Even in the midst of mourning or terrible tribulation, it is possible to rejoice in thanksgiving because we know heaven is our home at the end of the road here on this earth. We know we have the Spirit inside us, guiding us, strengthening us, and comforting us. We know who we are and Whose we are.

Sing out our thanksgiving to God.

• James 5:13b says “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise!” I’m frankly not sure if we sing because we are cheerful or if we become cheerful by singing—maybe a bit of both. I love to sing praise and often wake up with a song in my heart. But in the past, I have purposely sung praise when I was very downcast, and God has always blessed my effort to praise Him. We can always find something to thank Him for, and it is a delight to think of our praise rising to God like a pleasant aroma in His nostrils.

It's been a little over three years now since my godly husband of 47 years passed away suddenly from Covid. God is the one who carried me through that unthinkable time. He surrounded me with loved ones who helped lift me up and bear my burdens. And now He has blessed me beyond measure by gifting me a godly man to walk with me over the finish line of life! We have been married a few months now and we enjoy praying and singing praise. (He is a wonderful tenor!) So, I can truthfully say at this time in my life that I am singing this prayer with David:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. Oh Lord, my God, I will give thanks to You forever. (Ps 30:11-12)

It is much easier to overflow with thanksgiving in the good times. But as daughters of the King, it IS possible (no matter what the enemy says) to rejoice even in terrible tribulation and mourning.

Sisters, allow me to invite you to focus on thanksgiving in the good and the bad times and watch how our Father delights in blessing us with joy.

Song of praise: God is so good 

Written by Karla Cass, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado

As a therapist I see clients riddled with anxiety walk in and out of my office daily. Anxiety among our nation’s children and youth is at an all-time high. The current generation is one of the most anxious generations in history, but Christ calls us to something different. Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) tells us,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

As I ponder this verse, I am taken back to a time when I felt the most anxiety in my own life and when I felt I had very little to be thankful for. In a world full of things that can make us anxious, how can we be obedient to scripture and allow “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” to enter our lives?

The Trial
Dear sisters, I will confess that I often struggle with God’s timeline, which has been a main source of my anxiety in the past. I had a particularly difficult time with God’s timing in the spring of 2018. My husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl the day before Christmas in 2014. We discussed expanding our family and I had a definite vision for what our family should look like. After two years of trying to have additional children, we turned to medical professionals for guidance. Right before Easter I received an infertility diagnosis and was told my eggs were of “poor quality.” The irony was not lost on me that while the world was decorated with brightly colored eggs, I was told mine were old and dusty! In a moment, the vision of my family was demolished along with my faith. The enemy used this news to separate me from God and increase my anxiety and depression. I found it very hard to be thankful for any of the numerous gifts God had previously blessed us with. My anxiety about our future and what our family would look like increased daily, and I lost faith in what I had always believed in: that God was always working for our good. Yet despite my attitude and lack of faith, He was still working on my behalf. God continued to work things out for our good and for the good of others because He can see vastly more for our lives than we ever can.

God Never Fails
During 2020, I was blessed with the opportunity to start a support group along with some church friends for women also going through infertility. We were able to lift one another up, support each other, and point one another to Christ. God used my difficult circumstances to bring myself and others closer to Him. In January of 2021, God exceeded every expectation and we found out we were pregnant with our son. He was the perfect addition to our family at just the right time. Through this trial, God worked things out for our greater good and gave me the privilege to serve others walking a similar path.

When we face great trials, how can we increase our gratitude and decrease anxiety about the future?

Relying on the Spiritual Disciplines
I found three spiritual disciplines helpful in drawing me closer to Him and increasing my faith in a time of difficulties.

1 - Keeping a daily gratitude journal helped me focus on the things God had given me and see that He has a perfect plan for my life and gives me exceedingly more than I could hope or pray for.

2 - The spiritual discipline of silence and solitude helped me to drown out the thoughts and opinions of this world and keep my eyes on Christ and what He wanted for my life. It made me carve out time for prayer and supplication. Through this practice, I was able to meditate on scripture and decrease comparison, jealousy, and anxiety which were robbing me of the joy God wanted for me.

3 - Lastly, I increased my time in the Word and was devoted to the memorization of scripture to combat anxious thoughts used by the enemy to make me doubt God and His will for my life.

Though my struggle with infertility was difficult, God used this time to increase my faith and draw me closer to Him. What spiritual disciplines can you incorporate in your daily life to stop the cycle of anxiety and start living the full life God wants for you?

Written by Ann Thiede, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

I grew up going to one of two churches in our small community. The church was the building. Church also was something that happened on Sundays in the sanctuary of the building. Church did not happen downstairs in the large area with the coke machine— just get-togethers with people who went to that church.

Church had importance, yes, but not enough to cause me to continue going when on my own in college. However, when my serious search for truth began, I went to one right off the university campus. The yearning intensified as I read the gospels, and reached a climax when I surrendered to Christ and shared in His death, burial, and resurrection through baptism.

The people in that church welcomed me warmly and attendance became a priority. It changed from “I have to go to church” to “I get to go to church!” The more I read the New Testament, the more I realized my view of church was misconstrued. It wasn’t the building; it was the people who surrendered to Jesus as Lord and Savior. I found answers to questions of faith and the church within its pages. Learning occurred every time the Bible was opened. I discovered the Acts of the Apostles—all about the beginning of the church and the believers' excitement to share the Good News about Jesus’s death and resurrection. What a great accounting! I strongly encourage you to read or reread Acts with fresh eyes.

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Corinth, he paints a detailed picture of the church in chapter 12, referring to it as the body of Christ. Here is a portion:

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1Co 12:12-14 NIV)

It meant so much realizing I was part of Jesus’s body here on earth, His representative! Paul speaks as well to the church at Rome with these words:

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. (Ro 12:4-6a)

“Each member belongs to all the others.” That is a radical concept. The church is not meant just to be Sunday worship, but members caring about each other daily, even as we care about the parts of our own body — all new to self-centered me. Over the years, I learned valuable and sometimes hard lessons in each church made up of gifted but imperfect people. One lesson: “Bloom where you’re planted.” Struggling to make connections within a large church, I began grumbling until hearing this: “What are you going to do about it?” So I began reaching out to unfamiliar people and hoping to meet visitors. Some new families became our lifelong friends. I also became part of a prayer chain. With joy, I met members we had prayed for when they recovered and returned to worship. Becoming an active part of a small group provided ways to encourage and be encouraged.

For fifty years within various bodies, God has patiently taught me. My first church had many who were gifted in sharing the Good News with others, and teachers who made the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, come alive in powerful and often convicting ways, increasing my love for the Word and a deeper love for God and others. In other churches I have been blessed to learn from those gifted with serving, praying, showing hospitality, giving, showing mercy, humbly leading, and encouraging others, to name a few. Sometimes God has allowed me to look back from wobbly steps in sharing my faith or encouraging others to a greater working of His Spirit. Always it is He who works in us for His good pleasure (Php 2:13). Above all, may love be our motivation as Paul admonishes in 1 Corinthians 13.

How are you blooming where you’re planted? The Holy Spirit excludes no one. You are of great value in the body!

Written by Chrystal Goff, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas, and sister of Michelle J. Goff

“… The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me…” (Gal 2:20b NIV)

Faith. In the Son of God.

If you met me today, you might not expect that I spent many years adamantly hating the God I thought was talked about in church. I remembered hearing as a kid that He was a jealous God, and we should fear him. That sounded scary to a little girl. Combine that with the fact that every relationship I’d been in had been jealous and abusive. Why would I want to worship a God who would hurt me too? Whenever my mom would tell me she was praying for me, I always said, “Don’t. He’s not a nice dude. Don’t say my name to Him. Don’t say His name to me either.”

While I was hating God and hating my name, He still loved me. Every day, I see different ways He is redeeming the scars of my life to bring others out of darkness and to bring Him glory. I live by faith in the Son of God who has been so gracious to set an example of humility. I live by faith in my Creator who provided for me and sheltered me—always—especially when I was hating who I thought He was.

Now, I’m Spirit-led.

I’m the youngest of four girls. Each of us has eight letters in our names; mom’s does too. There wasn’t intentionality for eight-lettered names until the third daughter. In deciding the fourth daughter’s name, continuity was expected. However, the popular secular eight-letter names weren’t popular with my family. Someone suggested “Chrystal, with an H” instead of the traditional Crystal spelling. Everyone loved it. Everyone except the fourth daughter.

Growing up, my sisters all called me “Chrys,” So when I started kindergarten and roll was called, I acknowledged my presence when “Chris” was called… and my presence was mocked for confusing my name with a boy’s name. Hating the name I was given began.

A few years ago, I asked my sister to teach me the Bible. She’s worked in campus ministry and has loved Jesus way longer than me. I figured she was a good one to ask because her calendar was constantly full of “Coffee and Bible” appointments with students, and I wanted to get on her schedule. Inside she was screaming, “Hallelujah!”, but on the outside, she didn’t want to scare away the curious lost sheep. Slowly, she began revealing ancient truths in Scripture.

The day we were studying Genesis 17 where the LORD established His covenant with Abram and changed his name to Abraham, my eyes were opened to how long God has been loving me. LORD in Hebrew is written as four consonants (YHWH). YHWH is the proper name for God. YHWH is the literal breath of life. Without vowels in the Hebrew translation for YHWH, the pronunciation was unknown.
YaH – inhale
WeH – exhale

YHWH—The LORD added an H to Abram’s name and to Sarai´s. He was giving Abram and Sarai a forever reminder of His presence and a promise of covenant to provide for and multiply Abraham and Sarah’s descendants.

I paused. Putting the pieces together. An H. There’s an H in my name. Pausing in my thought to open my mouth and half ask/half state that’s why there’s an H in my name, a realization hit me: He’s always been with me, even when I hated Him. My sister and I started crying as we let this acceptance of love to and from my Eternal Father wash over us.

Now I love my name. I celebrate it. More of my old self dies each day as I wake up new and excited for His mercies. I wake up and wonder where the LORD will have me share His many mercies and blessings in my life.

Written by Johanna Zabala, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Venezuela

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (Jas 4:10, NIV)

The word humility connects me to the divinity of God. Today, I reflect on the depth of its meaning, which I have sought and seen so many times as I continually strive to live God’s purpose personally and spiritually.

I define humility as an act of the Spirit, which leads me to an attitude of the soul. Using the letters of the word, I break it down into the following characteristics:

       Honesty
       Unity
       Meekness
       Intelligence
       Loyalty
       Inclination (willingness)
       Tenderness (love)
       You serving the Heavenly Father

Each of the characteristics above has invited me, since the day I met Him, to stay in tune with Christ. By allowing me to be used by God, His beloved Son Jesus, and in the power of His Holy Spirit, I have seen His example of humility under submission, obedience, and continual awareness of putting the Father's will before my own, always with an eye toward the great goal that leads me to keep looking up to reach the prize of eternity.

I am also attentive to Peter’s admonition to “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1Pe 5:6).

Therefore, being humble, in my experience, is a necessary spiritual action that undoubtedly brings me constantly into the presence of the Lord. In every area where I find myself, out there all around me, I require large portions of the Eternal Father's wisdom to be a humble child of God, chosen and called to service.

To be a child of God today, as the Bible says, is the greatest privilege I can have. It is a unique honor that has required in me great self-control.

At the beginning of my Christian life, I was filled with human pride, which counteracted humility in every situation. Many times, without realizing it, I felt self-sufficient, and my trajectory was more and more human than spiritual. I wanted to continue doing everything through my own strength rather than through God's. As time went by, I realized that I had to seek more vigorously at every moment the presence of God in everything, since only He knows and is capable of everything.

My first struggles, and the hardest, were with myself, thinking that I just needed to know that I had God, without the need to continue knowing Him fully. However, in those moments, the inner struggle of faith and humility had to continue to develop in me.

Through emotional trials of anxiety, later physical trials of sickness and loss, scarcity, and many more, and even wanting so many things in my timing and not in God's, He has allowed me to recognize, frontward and backward, the full authority of the Heavenly Father, the One who comes from above, for surely He alone is almighty, and in His infinite, true, and matchless mercy He will give me victory here on earth and there in heaven.

I have been able to experience the humility that God gives me in life through times of silence; in the solitude and peace of knowing Him in me, in wisdom, and in the prompt help that comes from Him. Humility is acknowledging His dominion, power, and glory forever.

So, I continue to fight to live consistently in the humility of God and not in the humility of humanity— to be able to live and make known the power of the Holy Spirit in the society in which I live. In this way, I intend to attain the wisdom of valuable and essential humility to arrive at eternal life with God.

We should not forget the beautiful examples and teachings of Jesus, who, with the power of the Holy Spirit, remained humble and overcame every trial and temptation, and we can also overcome them in His will. Are you humble today? Looking up to the eternal home? Do you radiate the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ here and now?

Written by Elina Vath, Virtual Assistant for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ohio 

Each week across city, region, country, and hemisphere, we commemorate together the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the Lord’s Supper. Redemption and salvation through Jesus were foretold in the garden of Eden, fulfilled in Jerusalem, and will continue until He returns.

Before His death, Jesus entered Jerusalem as King, just as the prophet Zechariah said He would. And although it was the last week of Jesus’ human life, He did not receive any relief from those who were determined to see Him fail. Time after time, Jesus looked straight into the hearts of the teachers of the law and completely annihilated their arguments. In a single day, Jesus sent the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees home with their tails between their legs.

Chapter 22 of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life tells us that the Sadducees attempted to trap Him with a question meant to disprove the resurrection. Jesus knew the scheming intention behind the Sadducees’ question for exactly what it was: a weak attempt to show His ignorance of Moses’ teachings, as if Jesus Himself hadn’t been there when Moses floated in a basket on the Nile, murdered the Egyptian, met his wife, removed his sandals, spread his arms over the Red Sea, and breathed his last.

I picture Jesus shaking His head, sighing a heavy sigh, and then effectively bulldozing the Sadducees' trap with these words, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29 ESV). No signs of intimidation or hesitation; rather, Jesus spoke with authority. “You are WRONG,” He told the richest, most powerful Jews of the time. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He then accused the Sadducees of not having done their homework, bringing the conversation to a full stop.

And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.(Matt. 22:31-32)

You see, Jesus knew Moses personally. And when God said to Moses in the book of Exodus, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” Jesus watched as Moses was overcome by the sheer power of those words. Matthew tells us that Jesus’ wisdom and power in repeating these words had the same impact on the Sadducees and everyone who heard Him speak—they were all astonished.

Everything about God is alive. His words are alive, His Spirit is alive, His Son is alive, His kingdom is alive, and we are part of this living kingdom. Abraham, who looked at the stars in the night sky, as God made a promise, is alive. Isaac, the one through whom God began fulfilling that promise, is alive. Jacob, the forefather of Moses and someone used by God to preserve Jesus’ bloodline, is alive. Those who have gone before us are alive. Generation to generation, here we stand today, thousands of years later, as followers of the God of (the living) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Because of Jesus, who is the Life, you and I are counted among the stars in heaven. Generation upon generation of God’s people will live even after our bodies die.

May we all rejoice together at the history of our faith family, and that our names are written in the heavens as part of a promise that continues to be fulfilled.

Written by Alessandra Cardoso, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Sergipe, Brazil

When we stop to think the only begotten Son of God, who came into the world in human form, dedicated His entire ministry to healing, saving, and loving the people around Him, we realize His greatness. He, who is the heir of God the Father, renounced His glory to be among us. With humility and love, He fed hungry people, cured the sick, and healed the hearts of many, including those needing spiritual health.

Nowadays it is difficult for us to understand such gestures of care and service when we look at them from our earthly perspective, but Jesus' greatest purpose on Earth was this: “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28 NIV). Before delving deeper into this verse, I would like to define what the verb serve means: to work in favor of (someone, an institution, an idea, etc.).

Serving is a job, providing a service to something and/or someone, and may receive something in return (like a salary, for example) or simply be a voluntary act. In either case, serving is action. When examining the gospels, we observe Jesus Christ's attitude toward humanity; we see a lovable, docile, kind, compassionate, humble, and merciful man. However, when focusing within the gospels on the three years of His messianic ministry, we see that He proves His divine essence in the form of love and service.

There are countless ways to serve each other in the church of Christ— both our brothers and sisters in the church and those outside. We can actively participate in the congregation’s ministries (children, couples, benevolence, etc.), but we also have the opportunity to take part in the details that are not seen by the majority (preparing the Lord’s Supper, cleaning the building, maintenance, etc.), and we must serve with our wisdom, personal/professional experience, and advice. As Christian women, the range of services is diverse and each one can identify which one fits them best.

If we were to look for a source of inspiration and direction to follow, there is a perfect example of a SERVANT Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master (and by Lord, I mean that we are His slaves— He bought us at a high price). The interesting fact here is: our Lord is owner of the entire universe, Son of God, and our Savior. He became a servant in order to rescue and save many— to be an example for us to follow—because the disciple imitates his master. Therefore, if Christ submitted Himself to servitude willingly out of love for humanity, how can we, His disciples and slaves, not want to follow in His footsteps?

If we reflect deeply on our Christian duties, service is something indispensable for Christians. When done with sincerity and willingness, it has the potential to nourish our Spirit, strengthen interpersonal relationships, and improve our skills. Notably, it is also a huge gesture of love, obedience, and submission to God. When I think about service, I believe that the central point is LOVE, because if I am full of love in my heart, serving is not a burden, but rather a beautiful reflection of what we have within us: the overpowering light of Jesus Christ. Serving is loving. Whoever is full of love to give will certainly serve others with joy. Thinking further, all of this is the result of the fruit of the Spirit being developed and polished within each of us, day by day. It is the mission that Jesus left for us. It is and has always been His desire that serving was more important than being served. It denotes humility and subjection.

A beautiful example of how Jesus demonstrated that He came to serve and not be served is found in John 13:12-14 when Jesus washed the feet of His apostles. He teaches us about His character and, most importantly, gives us the precious lesson about humility connected to service. We often aim for big and flashy things in the church. However, as written in Mark 10:43, our goal should not be to have recognition and prestige— our goal is to simply be faithful servants of Christ Jesus!

I know in our Christian journey, we will have barriers to developing this service within the church. It will not always be the easiest or most fun thing to do. However, I want to encourage you to try. Start with something small and simple, and you can master easily. Remember that serving is: loving, imitating, and glorifying Jesus.

May we be servants of Christ. Amen!

Written by Sâmia Machado, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brasilia, Brazil

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Th 1:3 NIV)

Dear ones, the church of the Thessalonians was a model church for all times. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, we see the success of the gospel and the faithfulness of that church, being the fruit of Paul's work accompanied by Silas and Timothy on his second missionary journey (Ac 15:36-18.23). In these chapters, we see their choice to serve by working together to preach the gospel of Christ.

Over the last three years, I have been able to learn from the Lord the meaning of the word service. Being a servant of the Lord means standing before Jesus with the desire and willingness to genuinely serve. So, if our willpower is weak, we have to exercise it, even if our bodies and minds say they don't have the willpower.

Paul was called to be an apostle and serve the Lord Jesus, having to renounce a lifetime of Jewish customs. As a servant with no choice of where to go, facing persecution, and eventually imprisoned, he happily writes his first letter to the Thessalonians.

Sisters, my family and I have been “on rough seas” since 2021 during my third pregnancy. I was pregnant with twins and lost one of them, leading to an early rupture of the membrane protecting José, the baby I was still carrying. This situation put me in the hospital at 25 weeks pregnant. I was able to maintain the pregnancy until the thirtieth week when the amniotic fluid emptied. Unable to wait any longer, my baby had to be delivered and taken straight to the ICU. In total, I was in the hospital for two and a half months, leaving my home in the care of the Lord with the help of my beloved husband, Emilson, until we were able to go home with our José Victor. I realized how intense the last two months and six days were, when I saw our three children together after so many weeks of absence. Unfortunately, José passed away due to a respiratory syndrome, as a result of a simple cold.

For me as a mother, experiencing that moment of sudden loss made me realize that I should accept God's sovereign will. The desire to give up was intense, but what about my two children who were still with me? And my home? Being in mourning and having to return to work which involved the direct care of mothers and newborns — all of this was part of that rough sea…

Being in the desert of the ICU and seeing God bring my reinvigorated little baby out of there, then going back to the ICU for the second time and leaving without my son alive, returning without a piece of me, was the biggest battle I had to fight against my own will. I had to take care of the home, be a present mother, and start to take care of the family again with this loss. After a few months, I had to return to work assisting with breastfeeding care at the Birth Center where I have worked since then. ii. My dedication to my children, Alice and Benjamin, had to primarily be the continuation of discipling them in the Word of the Lord.

Today, two years and four months after my José Victor's departure, I am inspired by Paul's letters when analyzing the path he followed to serve the Lord. Paul wrote Thessalonians, his first letter to that church, with enthusiasm and love for service. Amid the persecution of the Christians there, he encouraged those new to the faith who, even amid difficulties, did not stop preaching the gospel. Even those who were new to the faith were active in serving the Kingdom, putting into practice the teachings learned from the missionaries.

I refer to each family as a part of the Lord's church, each one being a part of the body that, when joined together, forms the church just as Thessalonica was: an example of a healthy body. Like them, we should also be committed to the gospel of Christ both in our church and in our homes, in any situation, even if there is persecution as there was in the early church.

May we be like the Thessalonian church; active in serving, which was what distinguished it as a model church through the preaching of the gospel throughout Macedonia and Achaia (1Th 1:7-8).

…your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Th 1:3b)