Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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

We cannot always be there to teach others directly, but God, the Architect of Life, in His great promise of love, left us the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will always be with us to guide and teach us (John 14:26).

From the beginning, our Creator has given us precious samples of His immense faithfulness (Gen. 1-2; Ps. 19). For this reason, my beloved, when Jesus was here on earth, He experienced situations similar to ours. He was born, raised, taught, modeled, died, and rose again out of love for all mankind (John 3:16-17). For this reason, I certainly consider that when we read about His life and work, He teaches us infinite truths that only come from Him.

By living a life in Christ, there are many opportunities that, as Christian women, mothers, daughters, and citizens, we have to teach and instruct each other. We likely communicate knowledge in different ways and in different situations where we find ourselves. Daring to teach and instruct the precepts of the Heavenly Father is a divine privilege that leads us to obey His commandment to go and make disciples in every nation, teaching them what He Himself has commanded in order to increase their faith and belief that He will be with us every day until the end of the age (Matt. 28:16-20).

From the moment I was baptized, I have been learning to be a disciple of the Lord. My brothers and sisters in the same faith were in charge of igniting the flame of instructing me in the path leading me to fulfill the most significant profession of serving the Almighty. Some of them are no longer here on earth, but I continue with the teachings that they instilled in me.

I became a mother at the same time that I met God, and I am grateful with all my being, and to the glory of God, because my first daughter grew up in the instruction of fearing and loving the Lord; this brings peace to my heart (Prov. 22:6). Confident in the divine magnificence and in biblical promises, I have always believed in the power of the Holy Spirit and His guidance in everything that lies ahead and as the light that illuminates my feet in each step that I take (Ps. 119:105).

In my experience as a mother, I can say that the transformation that has been done in me served as an example and will continue to show steps for my daughter to continue growing toward the goal of gaining eternal life.

Every day, immersed in faith, I have learned to be constantly under the direction of the Holy Spirit, sharing the Word, praying and being in communion with others, continuing to follow the example of Christ, who despite not being here physically, allows us to follow His beautiful footsteps while holding His hand.

The particular result that we achieve, by learning directly from the grace of the One who knows everything, allows me to continue in the lessons learned, and to continue teaching others in this way at all times. When I no longer am among my friends and loved ones, I know that they will know how to advance in the footsteps of the Master and His teachings, and this conviction arises from His love and from continuing to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

At this moment, my daughter and I are pilgrims or foreigners in other people's lands, and the Holy Spirit has given us many lessons for our edification. I am sure that if we are separated due to travel or other situations, we can remember those lessons to encourage us to always continue learning and teaching others.

The certainty that He is always there and that He will be there until the end of the age motivates me, and hopefully all of us, to consider that, even when we are no longer here, our children, students, or disciples will not deviate for any reason from His commandments and the ultimate goal of eternity with God.

#IronRoseSister #teachthroughrelationships #learnthroughrelationships #intentionalteaching #HolySpirit #preparation #Jesusteaches #blog #guestspeaker

Written by Naijuvelin Diaz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Venezuela

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 
(Job 42:2 NIV)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Pr 19:21)

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Ps 33:11)

Acknowledging God's absolute power and dominion over mankind affirms His magnificence and sovereignty; no thought is hidden from Him.

The Word says that what God wills, He does; and all things work together for good.

Acknowledging God has control over all things affirms that nothing is beyond His reach. When we recognize His all-fulfilling dominion, we humbly activate the obedience that molds us and orders our steps by clarifying His purpose for us. We can discern His purpose and define our own, for it is He who puts the will and the doing on our timeline. Consider the attitude of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as shown in Luke 1:38, when she said, ""I am the Lord's servant . . . May your word to me be fulfilled," accepting His dominion and counsel. Through her example, I learn that for God to define His purpose it is necessary to accept His will.

For us to enjoy such great salvation, Mary had to make a firm and positive decision in response to the divine plan. She said yes, opening the possibility of that eternal purpose being fulfilled in her. How important it is to open the way for God to act on our behalf (Ps 138:8). It is a way of getting involved in the commitment we have made.

"God is not the God of nonsense," a sister friend with whom I shared pleasant moments meditating and praying told me, “Because what God wants, He does." This is the phrase that strikes me the most. When I experienced my mother's departure from this earth, I clung very tightly to the quote from Romans 8:28 when the whys came to my mind, and the Word comforted me with this: "All things work together for good." At the time, I still did not understand what that good was. Personally, I understood that for her to have left with faith in the Lord was great gain and that, for me and the rest of the family, brought strength and comfort because we were rooted in the faith and hope of those who leave with God. God glorified Himself; I saw it when a family member was converted to Him; I understood then how God worked His purpose amid both sorrow and comfort.

Another example to consider is that God established a purpose when He created us in His image and likeness. However, it is up to each person to recognize and act on it. I can define God's purpose when I am a reflection of willingness and submission to Him, abandon myself into His hands, trust, and obey Him.

His counsel for eternity is immutable. Trusting in His divine plan can strengthen you in every situation. Waiting on His promise can transform darkness into light. The psalmist suggests that we entrust the way to Yahweh; our longings, our thoughts, and our hope in Him, trusting that the best response is the one He has defined.

We have the freedom to make plans and goals, without considering what God has designed, or simply not seeking His guidance. Is it convenient for me or not? Will God agree? How does God see this within His plans? Will He like it?
Yet, entrusting all your plans to Yahweh will bring positive results to your life. He will affirm your thinking, that is, confirm what you should do. When we have a close relationship with God, we get closer to His purposes and can discover what they are. However, you must consider continually seeking Him, and He will make you understand the way you should walk (Ps 32:8).

It is through deep connection in prayer and meditation on His Word that we can discover and define His purpose. How ways can you define God's Purpose in you?

Written by Beliza Kocev, Brazil Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries

All you need to say is simply “Yes” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
(Mt 5:37 NIV)

I was baptized in my late teens and was the only Christian in the family. I have a brother who is 12 years younger than me and I would take him to church on Sundays. At one worship service when my brother was four years old, he was having difficulty staying silent during the Lord’s supper and the offering... So I said, “If you don't stay quiet, we're going home!”

A dear brother, who helped me a lot in my Christian journey, turned to me and said quietly so my brother wouldn't hear, “Are you really going to go home if he doesn't keep quiet?” I replied no. He guided me on the importance of keeping my word, if I say I'm going to do something, I need to do what I committed to.

See, my intention wasn't bad; I was an inexperienced 16-year-old trying to get my brother to be respectful during the service. But I knew I wasn't going to do what I said.

One of the most amazing things about God is that He does what He says! “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Is 42:9). Prophecies give us confidence that just as He fulfilled what He promised the people of Israel, He will also fulfill what He promised us. Imagine experiencing the difficulties of being a Christian and striving to do God's will, denying yourself, without being sure that we can trust what He promised us!

God has integrity. Integrity is a moral principle. Having integrity means all your actions and decisions are consistent and honest. We can trust what He says, “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Ps 33:4).

Some characteristics of God that show us that His words are honest:

- God is True.

God is true; He is truth itself. God is absolutely trustworthy and true in everything He does.

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Nu 23:19)

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 Jn 5:20)

- God is Faithful.

God is absolutely trustworthy. His words don't fail. He shows His faithfulness by keeping His promises. He never breaks a contract between Himself and His creation.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Dt 7:9)

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. (Ps 117:2)

- God is Unchanging.

God's attributes are unchangeable— He does not change— He is not uncertain or inconsistent. He is perfect. His consistency makes His promises firm, bringing us security and hope.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Jas 1:17)

I the LORD do not change. (Mal 3:6a)

- God is Infallible.

Infallible means that He does not fail— does not make mistakes. As God is perfect, He does not fail!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (Eph 3:20)

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)

My desire is that you dedicate yourself to studying the Bible more and more to discover the wonderful words of God—words of love, guidance, encouragement, comfort, and blessings— but mainly the words that bring salvation, those that introduce Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and the only way to eternal life.

Written by Keren Soraia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, Brazil

Our Lord says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32 NIV). I know this passage is talking about the gospel which gives us salvation and eternal life, but I also believe that it can be applied like this: when we speak the truth, we are free from the possible consequences of sin. When we find someone who tells us the truth, even if it is difficult to hear, we know that we can trust them. Therefore, when we speak the truth, we become trustworthy people.

I thought many times about how to approach this subject — what to say, how to say it. After all, talking about truth is not something our human nature is used to, instead preferring to hide behind lies or omissions, leaving us with the feeling that it is “better this way.” If I lie or omit this fact I won’t have to deal with that person or problem. Our life seems “easier” this way and we don’t notice the resulting problems and consequences. When we do notice, the lie is already a snowball so big that we have no way out other than to resolve the issue and bear the consequences.

Once at my old job, we received a large order for meat. I noticed that this order was taking a long time to come out, and if it was left in the freezer too long, the meat would freeze. Because I was not the supervisor at the time of this order, it was not my problem (yet). But when the part of my shift came when I took over as supervisor, guess what was still in the freezer: the meat. Minutes later, there was an angry customer on the phone. My boss asked what was happening, why the order hadn't been delivered, and an assistant manager asking what he was going to do, why the meats were frozen, and pointing out that if the customer canceled the order, the meats were going to be unsuitable for sale. I thought: what now? Why didn't I say anything—why didn't I resolve it at that time?! Even if it wasn't my responsibility, if I had resolved it, I wouldn't be going through this now. My consequences: stress, a warning, and personally paying for one of the meats that the customer didn't accept.

In the scriptures, we find these passages:

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.” But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply “Yes” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Mt 5:33-37)

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. (Jas 5:12)

These passages talk about similar things such as not swearing by anything and especially by God, and that our yes should mean yes, and our no should mean no. I can't tell you how many times my mother quoted this text to me. I can still clearly hear her. At that time, I didn't understand why. But now I understand: my mother was using the scriptures to teach me about honesty and integrity. She taught me that if I said yes, it should mean yes, and that I should always keep my word so that I would be taken seriously.

Today, being honest and having integrity are such uncommon virtues that when we meet someone like this, it's unusual. They are laughed at, called naive, or told that they don't know how the world works, but that's how Christ calls us to be! We must be honest and have integrity not only concerning money, but with people, feelings, prayers, and especially in our relationship with God.

Having integrity and being honest and true to ourselves frees us from the bonds of sin and the fears that life brings, ready to be filled with the grace and love of God, and it prepares us to pass this grace and love on to others. After all, Christ interacted like this with everyone He met while He was on earth.

Are you and I willing to open our hearts, being true like Christ was?

Written by Alina Stout, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Oklahoma

We chose to commit our hearts to God. Good! Now, are we guarding our hearts from whatever might try to take it from God?

Let us think about Solomon, a man who was faithful in his earlier years of life but who turned his heart away from God as he grew older.

Solomon was born because of God’s mercy. His father was David, and his mother was Bathsheba. David had Bathsheba’s husband killed after having an affair with her. As a consequence, God did not allow their first child to live (2Sa 11-12). However, once David repented (2Sa 12:13, Ps 51), God allowed them to have a second child named Solomon (2Sa 12:24).

God loved Solomon, and Solomon loved God (2Sa 12, 1 Ki 3:3). God appeared to Solomon one night in a dream to encourage him to ask for a gift. Solomon, out of humility, asked for a wise and discerning heart. God granted him this and much more, including wealth and honor (1 Ki 3:5-15).

God gave Solomon one condition: “If you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” (1Ki 3:14, NIV).

Solomon built the temple of God (1Ki 5-6). Out of humility, he prayed that God would let His Name dwell there. God answered and rested His Name on the temple. (1Ki 9, 2Ch 7).

God reiterates to Solomon His one condition: “If you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart…I will establish your royal throne over Israel…But if you…serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them” (1Ki 9:4-7).

We expect Solomon to be thankful for God’s blessings and to glorify God. But something changed. Solomon, despite having a discerning heart, made a mistake that would turn his heart away from God.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.(1Ki 11:4)

Solomon married 700 women of royal birth and had 300 concubines. Some of these women were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. He allowed his wives to worship their own gods and began to worship their gods, too (1Ki 11:1-3).

Three gods are mentioned by name: 1-Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, was a god of war who would grant victory in battle to those who sacrificed to him (Jdg 11). 2-Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, was also called the Queen of Heaven. She was a goddess of fertility and was Baal’s wife (Jer 44). 3-Molek, the god of the Ammonites, was worshiped through child sacrifice (Lev 18:21). Solomon’s devotion to his wives became a devotion to success, fertility, and child sacrifice. Once Solomon introduced these gods to Israel, Israel continued to worship them for generations (1Ki 11:33).

Solomon is an example of someone whose heart was committed to God but whose commitment became divided. He did not guard his heart, and both he and Israel would face the consequences of their actions. If only Solomon had listened to his own wisdom in Proverbs: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Pr 4:23).

God was angry with Solomon, and He told him that the kingdom of Israel would be torn in two (1Ki 11:9-11). Unlike his father David, Solomon did not repent. In a sad irony, David’s repentance allowed Solomon to live, but Solomon’s lack of repentance led to the downfall of the entire nation of Israel.

Despite Solomon’s actions, God mercifully promised to save one tribe of Israel and Jerusalem (1Ki 11:12-13). That tribe, Judah, is the tribe that Jesus was from.

There are two lessons that can be learned from Solomon’s life.
     1. Guard your heart for God from anyone or anything else that might try to steal it.
     2. God’s heart is committed to you.

In order to keep our hearts committed to God, we need to frequently evaluate our own lives to see whether we are letting anything else lead our hearts astray. Lean on your Iron Rose Sisters through this process.

What do you need to let go of so that you can let God have your whole heart?

Written by Ana Cardoso, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ecuador

The Word of God says: “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Ps 100:5 NIV).

Currently, the concept of love is totally distorted by the world, compared to the love that God teaches us. The love we learn from the world is based on the law of giving and receiving in which for you to receive, it is necessary to give. Often, we Christians follow this pattern.

God's love is eternal, faithful, and incomparable. Many times in my life, I have come to doubt God's love, thinking that because I had given in to sin, God would no longer love me and that perhaps He was tired of my excuses, but I have learned over these 19 years that God's faithfulness never ends. He loves me so much and never fails me. Even knowing this, I continue to make mistakes, yet He continues to love me and teach me about His infinite faithfulness. I often compare myself to the people of Israel, who disobeyed God again and again, and I see that God remained faithful to the Israelites, and still does to us to this day.

But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Dt 7:8-9)

If, like me, you feel that God is no longer willing to forgive you for the sins you have committed, remember what John said: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9). This is one of the promises that God made to us; we just have to confess our sin and believe in the Word.

In 2023, I was in a training program for young missionaries, and at the end of the year, I discovered that my missionary field would be in another country. At the time I didn't have a single dollar saved to buy the ticket. It was at that moment that I saw that God never abandoned me and remained faithful, even if I didn't deserve it. There were days when I let despair overcome me and I didn't remember who was on my side. It was a unique experience where I was able to have the pleasure of seeing the power of God. As I said, I fail with my faithfulness, but God has never failed and will never fail.

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2Tm 2:11-13)

Dear sisters, I encourage you to seek to know more about God's love and faithfulness, and most importantly, put it into practice. After I started looking more into this, my perspective changed when I saw challenges appearing before me. Now I can say that I finally understand that God's faithfulness has always reached me, and it reaches you, too.

No one can be perfectly faithful, but our God can! When we are not faithful, He remains faithful because He maintains consistency. And, if God is faithful, we have confidence that we will receive the reward He promised us.

Written by Katie Forbess, President of the Board of Directors of Iron Rose Sister Ministries, with the collaboration of Jubilee Forbess, her daughter

I finally made it to my closet. I have wanted for years to create a place of prayer there. I have always felt the need, but it never happened until I was invited to spend 29 days in quiet prayer, for Advent 2022. I realized that shutting everything else out is so important because it makes you focus on the presence of God. By repeating, “reveal yourself to me,” I was strengthened in remembering that prayer is where you are alone, but with the Creator God. So, through growing up in the church and trusting God through many trying times, I have found the following lessons and am eager to share them. I wrote pages and pages of anecdotes narrating this story, but, like prayer, this doesn’t need to be so complicated. 

The only way you can truly learn to pray is by doing it. Jesus told the disciples,

“When you pray,say: "`Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation”(Luke 11:2-4)

Why? They were Jewish men who already prayed. They just needed a little tweaking, because… The Messiah was among them. They needed a little perspective. They needed a reminder of what they should ask for, what they should not ask for, and how forgiving others was the key to being forgiven. Prayer is a command. 

My prayer life is what it is because of all the prayers and sermons and songs and books that have come before today. I reflected upon a short story, “Eleven,” that speaks of being all the ages and realized that my prayer life is all the teachings, plus the decision to engage daily. The Scripture. The songs. The answered prayers of 45 years. These were my teachers and my foundation, the pure material that has come through in life’s many trials. Prayer is like breathing. 

Jeff lost his wallet. We prayed as we left to run errands. He found it while we were gone. Prayer is simple. 

God is faithful when we take one step towards Him. I also believe that the verse in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “When I am weak, then I am strong,” is now etched on my heart. When we returned to the United States from Bolivia, I cried every Sunday during the singing. With emotions and transformation that I can’t explain well in words—works of the Spirit, I am sure—I poured out my soul to God in prayer. I chose not to wipe the tears away. Prayer is hard. 

There was a time when I was driving every day after work to take college classes in Greeley, Colorado. On my way there, I was listening to rock music and reading the NY Times. It was a time that would end in a miscarriage, but before that, I realized that I needed to use my time differently and started to listen to purely KLOVE (Christian radio). The same thing seemed to happen in November of 2022. Things were so hard and I needed to be in constant prayer. Fire refines us and shows us who we really are. Sometimes it only warms me, other times it lights the way. Sometimes it burns me, and other times it sweats the impurities out of me. Prayer, then, is like fire. 

I had to pray for the enemy. Keep quiet and let God fight for us. I had to reach out and contact the prayer warriors and ask them to pray for something I simply couldn’t talk about. I had to give thanks, because there was no doubt that the hand of God was in even this terrible situation. I had to trust that God would shut the mouths of lions and He seemed to surround me with lambs. Prayer is a gift. 

Looking through your life and the lessons that Jesus has taught you about prayer, which ones surprise you the most during a time of crisis?

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

When I was growing up, my daddy sometimes told me, “It’s hard to hear God’s voice when you’ve already decided what you want Him to say.”

The Hebrew writer tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb 12:1 ESV).

Picture a runner strapping on ankle weights and a heavy backpack just before an important race. Do you think he will have a good race? This is what the author of Hebrews is talking about when he tells us to lay aside that which can slow us down.

Sin is a weight that slows down or interrupts our walk with Jesus.

We all know how difficult it is to talk to someone through a closed door. When we talk to or listen to our Heavenly Father, we need the door open wide with nothing to hinder communication.

Sin is a barrier…like a closed door…between us and God.

1. Sin often comes with pride…and pride prevents us from listening because we want to be in control. We may have decided what we want God to say.
2. Sin deceives us into thinking God has moved away from us and no longer cares.
3. Indifference, fear, or shame about our sin will close our ears to His voice. The evil one wants us to concentrate on our sin. However, God has told us to give our sin to Him, and He will wash it away.

Contrast the response of Adam and Eve with David when each were confronted about sin. Adam and Eve were afraid and hid. David responded, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2Sa 12:13 NIV).

Have you experienced the pain of avoiding a friend because of “something” that happened?

Now, let’s apply that to our relationship with God. Whether it is an obvious sin that we are aware of, or we’ve simply quit putting God first in our lives and we know things aren’t right, we feel the barrier, and we are no longer hearing Him.

The prophet Habakkuk wrote: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Hab 1:13). Our Heavenly Father wants us to avoid sin.

The most important thing we need to remember is God will never leave us. We find this promise throughout Scripture. We find it first in Deuteronomy 31:8: “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Our God pursues us to protect us from sin.

Sin is always the barrier that separates us from feeling connected to God.

Isaiah wrote: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God” (Isa 59:2 ESV).

God knew this and understood it. This is why He tells us over and over in Scripture to bring our sins before Him so we can be cleansed.

Think on the following Scriptures…about how they give us hope and assurance:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9 NIV).

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:1,2).

“The blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us from all sin” (1Jn 1:7).

“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (1Jn 2:1). Jesus, our Redeemer, is standing beside us as we approach the Father.

With those promises that show the Father’s loving-kindness towards His people, we need to ask ourselves what we are involved in that may hinder us from hearing the words of our Heavenly Father.

Written by Karla Dourado, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in João Pessoa, Brazil

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:17 NIV)

Gratitude is an attitude that transforms lives and the way we relate to each other and to God. Words are important. They can edify, encourage, and convert. But true gratitude goes beyond what we say—it is demonstrated by our actions. James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. Therefore, gratitude must be shown through our attitude.

Gratitude is action: Serving others, helping someone in need, or even carrying out community tasks are good examples of how we can manifest what 1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.”

Colossians 3:17 invites us to reflect on the way we live our daily lives and the importance of recognizing and thanking God in every aspect of it, recognizing the blessings we receive, even in the smallest things. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Th 5:18).

As I write, I remember the times when I went through difficulty in an area of ​​life: I could only focus on the problem. For some time now, I have been trying to practice gratitude. With this change in mindset, I have been able to defocus from the problem and see lessons for myself that I can share with others.

It was a simple choice, but it has had a huge impact on my life and consequently on those around me.

The depth of this biblical guidance continues to impact my life. The idea that everything I do must be done in the name of the Lord makes me realize that I need to be constantly vigilant so that what I say and what I do are aligned because this represents the faith I profess.

Two years ago, something happened in my life—a really challenging moment. Before, I would have let impulsiveness dominate me... but for two years I have been asking God: How can I act in this situation in the name of Jesus? With this, I have been choosing patience and empathy, rather than anger and guilt.

Instead of getting into arguments, I now choose to wait for God to act, with gratitude for everything that happened in these two years. It is not easy, but it is not impossible when we let the Lord direct us. Breathing and letting God act is rewarding, even amid difficulties.

Today, I can see God's care unfolding in every situation and I can thank Him with sincerity from my heart.

I encourage everyone who reads these brief words to be grateful in any circumstance and experience God's care no matter how complicated the situation seems to be.

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

After the Israelites left Egypt, God told them:

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God. (Ex 20:3-5a ESV)

We don’t know when man first turned to idols, but Joshua tells us, “Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods” (Jos 24:2b).

Later, when Jacob took his family back to his homeland, Laban came after them, accusing them of stealing his gods (Ge 31). In Genesis 35, Jacob tells his household to put away all their foreign gods and purify themselves, Then, they go to Bethel to build an altar to the LORD, whom Jacob affirmed had been with him wherever he had gone.

In Egypt, the Israelites were exposed to the gods of the Egyptians, so when God led His people out of slavery, He wanted them to understand there is one God.

The Israelites were constantly tempted to worship the gods of surrounding peoples. It was not until the Babylonian captivity that the Israelites became mono-theistic. That captivity cured them of worshipping idols.

What do we think of when we hear the word “idol”? A simple definition is anything or anyone that we love and desire more than God, our Heavenly Father, our Creator.

Jesus addressed this desire when He said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Mt 5:6).

Most of us know what it is to be hungry and thirsty. Jesus wants us to have that same longing for righteousness.

So, what becomes an idol in our lives? Bowing down to a golden calf is not something most of us do, but is it possible we have other things that take the place of God?

It is sometimes said that there is a “God-shaped hole” in our hearts, and we seek to fill that hole. Satan tempts us to fill that hole with something other than God. People attempt to fill that hole with family, job, money, possessions, and many other things, but only God can give the peace and fulfillment that fills the heart.

When Jesus was talking to His disciples in the upper room, He told them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn 14:27).

A few minutes later He prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (Jn 17:15).

We live in the world, and many things attempt to take our focus off of Jesus, of doing His will, of making Him LORD of our life.

When we hunger and thirst after righteousness, striving to do God’s will, the peace Jesus left will fill our hearts.

In 1772, William Cowper penned the words to “O for a Closer Walk with God.” One of the stanzas reads:
         The dearest idol I have known,
         Whate’er that idol be
         Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
         And worship only Thee.

We turn our hearts toward God, seeking His righteousness to fill our hearts. Second Chronicles 12:14 says of Rehoboam, “He did not set his heart to seek the Lord.”

The question we need to answer is, “Do I value anything more than my relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Redeemer?” If we answer “yes,“ what changes do we need to make so we hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Written by Liliana Henríquez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colombia

In the previous blog post, I told you that sometimes there are situations or people that we turn into idols that end up occupying God's place in our hearts, our minds, and even our agenda. That's a serious mistake! As Christians, our priority should be God and following Him, not other things.

I am very fond of remembering the promise in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (NIV). God promises us that if we seek Him, He is faithful to give us what we need. The challenge is to understand that the peace and joy that God offers us is far greater than that offered by the world. It is also important to remind ourselves that we need God's support to be able to cope with life's challenges—not something we can do with our own strength.

A job, a husband, children... they will never be able to fill the space that only God can fill.

In June 2023, I received an invitation to support a mission project in another country for a couple of weeks. That really got me excited! However, there was a "small" problem... my passport was expired. What a great frustration! However, I remember that Matthew 6:31-33 came to my mind and gave me strength. I like how it appears in the Easy-to-Read Version:

Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. (ERV, emphasis added)

A relevant fact that I must share is that I am Venezuelan and I live in Colombia. At that time, there was no Venezuelan consulate in all of Colombia, so the only way to get the passport was to go to Venezuela, stay for a month or two there until my passport was ready, and come back. And that definitely wasn't an option for me.

So I, in my conversations with God, asked Him: How am I going to get my passport if there hasn't been a consulate in Colombia for five years?

I answered myself, based on verse 32: Liliana, only those who do not know God try to achieve these things by their own means. Take it easy.

That same month, the first Venezuelan consulate in Colombia opened its doors (Miracle 1). It was located in the city of Cúcuta, which is 16 hours by bus from Bogotá (where I live). I got my appointment very quickly and without difficulty (Miracle 2). I went in August and the whole process was successful. Now all that was left was to hand over the passport. Since the consulate had just started operations, they had not enabled the option of sending the new passport to other cities. So as soon as I was notified that the passport was already printed, I traveled to Cúcuta again to pick it up. In October, I returned home happy with my new passport, ready to be used (Miracle 3).

On that occasion, I confirmed once again that when we obey God, He takes care of providing and opening doors that may have been closed for years. All He asks of us is that we truly commit to Him and make Him our priority.

Written by Nilaurys Garcia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada 

What a joy it is when you get along with all of the people in your circle, or those with whom you associate. There is a sense of peace in those moments and it can be even a little scary because you wonder when something might go wrong in one of those relationships. If I tell you that having differences of opinion is normal and that you can't get along with everyone all of the time, chances are, you'd agree with me. It's easy to have a good relationship with someone with whom you always get along and who thinks like you. It requires more effort when there have been exchanges of not-so-friendly words or when the other person has hurt your feelings.

You may have heard the phrase, “divide and conquer.” It is a well-known strategy in games, in wars, and in situations where the enemy must be separated so their strength will be weakened, most of the time because they will not have the support of a team. Sometimes I have used this strategy to complete a project by having the team split up the tasks and thereby conquering the goal.

Taking it to a more personal and relational level, I have tried to divide or separate people from the way they behaved in the past. I remember who they are and how they responded, and that helps me have a clearer and more objective approach as I deal with the current situation. While a negative impression based on past events will certainly impact our response, it should not determine the way we deal with a current situation. When we separate the bad from the good, we will get better results. A relationship can change a lot when the context is changed, meaning the place, the other participants, and even the topics of conversation.

I like to think about the opposite of “divide and conquer,” the sum of everyone’s efforts can outweigh each individual’s work. It sounds a bit complicated, but there´s a reason why the opposite works very well against enemies. Returning to the strategy where activities are separated to achieve a common goal, much more can be achieved when we collaborate for the fulfillment of an objective since there is support and complement. A biblical example is that a rope made of three strands is more difficult to break. "

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken!" (Eccl. 4:12 NIV)

The relationship we have with Christ is easier if we do it in community, instead of trying to do it on our own. On more than one occasion I have needed help from my family in Christ to face a situation, reaffirm my faith, and get much closer to our Creator. When thinking about how to counteract the effects of division, a story that comes to mind is found in Exodus 17:8-13, when Joshua leads the people in battle against the Amalekites.

Moses supported the Israelite army from the top of a nearby hill by holding up the rod of God. If Moses lowered his arms, the enemy would overpower Joshua’s army. To achieve victory, Aaron and Hur supported Moses, holding up both of his arms until sunset. Isn't this story wonderful? I get excited knowing that the united support of a few and the efforts of many gave the victory to Israel. I wonder what would have happened if Aaron had been angry with Moses over some argument between brothers and refused to help him. It would be a very different ending.

Although I have had moments when I have wanted to surrender, I have had the support of the people with whom I have relationships to encourage me to move forward. I see this in the effort of my brethren in preventing the enemy from dividing and conquering me in my Christian walk. When we have differences with others, we cannot let disagreement become a barrier in our relationships, destroy unity, or let one of our brothers or sisters fall simply because they have a different opinion from ours. And at other times, it might very well be me that is the difficult person to love, and the one who needs my loved ones to see beyond my complicated attitude.

Would you join me in staying united to protect the people of God?

Written by Karyn Dancy, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

There are many different styles of teaching. What I’ve found most effective, though, is intentional teaching through relationships. Paul gives us examples of this, especially in his relationship with Timothy.

I used to be a classroom teacher at the elementary level. I worked in two low-performing schools and I was told from the beginning by other teachers that these children were worthless. It was appalling to me that anyone would say such a thing. As a new teacher, I went in, excited to share some of the resources I’d learned about in school with the other teachers, and the response was actually that these children weren’t worth the effort. This started my determination to show those children and their families that they were very valuable and capable. I wanted them to know they weren’t limited by the expectations of others, not even teachers.

I set out to show the students and their families that they were important to me by building relationships with them. I learned about their cultures and invited them to share things in the classroom that were important to them. Many of them came from immigrant families, so we had a great opportunity to share the diversity of their cultures in the classroom.

Each month we featured a language of the month. The quiet signal for that month would be counting to five in that language and I would teach the kids common words. They would earn points for good behavior, and then at the end of the month, we would have a cultural celebration. (We weren’t allowed to have “parties.”) I invited parents to share about their cultures and bring food for the kids to sample. One particular family was a great example of how that relationship benefited their student. Our language of the month was Samoan. When I asked the student’s mother to help me with the basics of the language, she not only did so but also became active in the classroom in many other ways. Previously her son had not been the best student, but once his mom took an interest in the class, so did he. It was like they were invested in the learning process once they felt valued. It turned out that the student’s grandfather was a tribal chief back in Samoa and had made a video of how to harvest coconut. The student’s mom brought the video in to share with the whole class.

The way it all worked out, once I’d built a foundation of relationship with these children and their families, they came alongside me and cared about what I had to share with them. I was able to teach more effectively because they trusted me. When there was any particular difficulty, for example, math with fractions, we’d explore different activities that would help them until we found what worked best for them.

These students were sixth graders at the time. It’s been about 18 years now, and I still keep in touch with some of those families. It was a very rewarding experience.

Similarly, Paul built a relationship with Timothy. Then Paul mentored and equipped Timothy to follow him as he followed Christ, and Timothy was then able to do the same with his students. Paul didn’t only want his students to learn information; he wanted them to act on that knowledge. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19 that he became like the people he was teaching so that those people could relate to him and believe. Paul shows us through his example how a teacher positively reinforces through encouragement, modeling, and monitoring. The relationship didn’t end when he handed things over to a student to become a teacher. He followed up because it was a true relationship, not simply a means to an end.

Since you’re reading this, I know you care about relationships with your sisters in Christ. Keep building and nurturing those. Let’s follow Paul’s example. We can be the students. We can find mentors to trust and build relationships with. Then we can pass on what we’ve learned to others, with our own added flavor, and keep the process going to win as many as possible and build each other up.

#IronRoseSister #teachthroughrelationships #learnthroughrelationships #intentionalteaching #valueothers #trust #mentoring #teachbyexample #intentionalteaching #blog #guestwriter

Written by Marbella Parra, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Honduras

Gratitude is a powerful virtue that often goes unnoticed in the midst of our busy lives. However, gratitude not only transforms our perspective, but it also invites us to experience deep joy, just as the apostle Paul teaches.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Php 4:4 NIV)

Paul does not call us to rejoice when all is going well or only on happy days. He invites us to rejoice always, a term that includes both times of joy and sorrow. This attitude of gratitude is an intentional decision that uplifts the soul and opens the door to authentic joy. It is here that thankfulness becomes a powerful tool to connect with the peace and joy that only God can give.

I must admit that, in my life today, gratitude is not something that flows naturally. I'm at a point where daily responsibilities and challenges have led me to feel overwhelmed. There are days when, even though I know God is present, it seems hard to see the reasons to rejoice. I find myself constantly struggling with frustration and burnout, and Philippians 4:4 feels like a challenge that I still can't fully meet.

However, I'm in the process of working on it. Recently, I decided to start practicing intentional thankfulness. I started a gratitude journal, although I have to admit that it has been harder than I thought. There are days when I feel too tired or worried to see anything positive. However, I am committed to trying every day. Sometimes, the list is limited to very simple things: a moment of silence, a ray of sunshine in the morning, or a message from a loved one. I don't always manage to write down three things, but even with just one small thing, I try to remember that this is part of my effort to live the call to always rejoice.

This exercise has shown me that thankfulness is not something I necessarily feel right away; it's rather a practice I'm trying to cultivate. Although I have not attained that full, constant joy that Paul describes, I have noticed small glimpses of change in my attitude. I realize that when I make an effort to be grateful, no matter how small the reason, my day takes on a slightly different tone. It's not that my problems go away, but I feel a small spark of peace that gives me the strength to keep going.

This stage of my life has taught me that gratitude does not always arise spontaneously; Sometimes, it is a conscious decision. Choosing to be thankful in difficult times does not mean ignoring problems but recognizing that, even in the midst of adversity, I can find reasons to rejoice. When I focus on what God has done and continues to do, even if it is still a challenge, I discover that thankfulness can be the channel that will lead me to a fuller, more joyful life.

Paul understood this very well. Despite writing from prison, he was filled with gratitude and joy. He knew the transformative power of thankfulness and how it could bring people closer to deep peace in the Lord. By applying this teaching in our everyday lives, the act of giving thanks not only changes our perspective but also strengthens our faith.

How Can We Practice Daily Gratitude?
     1. Make a daily gratitude list: Take five minutes a day to write down three things you're thankful for. These can be as simple as a delicious meal, an uplifting conversation, or the warmth of the sun on your skin.
     2. Express your gratitude to the people around you: A sincere "thank you" can strengthen relationships and create an environment of love and respect.
     3. Pray with thankfulness: In your prayers, take time to thank God for His goodness and faithfulness. Make gratitude a central part of your spiritual life.

Gratitude is a habit that is built. In doing so, I discover that my life can be filled with joy and rejoicing, not because everything is perfect, but because I am learning to see God's hand in every detail, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

What are the little things you can be thankful for today? How can you make thankfulness a daily practice that brings you closer to God and helps you experience true joy?

Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Phil. 1:9).

Paul prays that the Christians in Philippi may have a love that is growing in knowledge and increasing in insight. That requires intentionality. It is an investment of time and energy. It takes effort to really get to know someone, and it takes intentionality to act on that knowledge. Intentionality is desire coupled with action, and it generates meaningful relationships.

We are not going to build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ solely by showing up for service on Sundays and slipping out the side door after the last song. This is a truth I have learned from personal experience. Deep relationships do not occur by happenstance; we cannot expect to somehow “fall into” strong relationships. Rather we must make the conscious decision to pursue and build strong relationships.

According to the command given in Titus 2:4-5, older Christian women should

“train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:4-5).

Having been married less than five years, I have a lot to learn. This past spring, a sister intentionally initiated a weekly study with me. In this mentoring relationship, she is teaching me and I am learning from her about how to be a better wife. Even though she is getting older, she is very active in the kingdom. She is connected to the true vine and bearing much fruit (John 15).

On two different occasions when my husband was traveling for work, a sister in our congregation invited me over for dinner with her family. Although she is investing in the lives of her three young children, she is also intentional in getting to know me well enough to know what is going on in my life. She knows how to reach out to others and is deliberate in doing so. Hebrews 10:24 says, “

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

We are called to devote mental effort in contemplating how we may best encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. It requires being intentional and involved in one another’s lives outside of the church building.

Another element of intentional relationships is being mindful of others in different seasons of life. I greatly appreciate Michelle’s most recent book, One Single Reason, because it deepens the discussion about singleness and supports sisters in Christ seeking to better understand each other. “Deep love for my single sisters” and “the same deep love for my married friends who long to know how to better support their single sisters” are the first two motivations united by the one single reason for the journey: love. “Even through misunderstandings and the lack of awareness on all sides,” Michelle writes, “one of the most beautiful outcomes has been the love expressed” (pg. 12). Do you hear that? This is a love that desires depth of relationship, motivates us to learn and grow, and seeks to better connect with our sisters in Christ, all while graciously covering over our mistakes and missteps along the way (1 Pet. 4:8).

Second Peter 1:5-8 urges us to add the attributes of knowledge, kindness, and love (among others) to our faith:

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Not only will continually growing in these characteristics prevent us from being unfruitful in Christ, it will also strengthen and deepen our relationships with one another.

I would like to conclude by extending our discussion of intentionality to those around us who are lost. In John 4:35, Jesus declares,

“Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

Are our eyes open to the harvest every day at our workplace? Do we see the harvest in our neighborhood, across the street? What about the harvest in the pew to our left? Hebrews 9:27 warns, “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Let us tell everyone we can about the gospel in the hopes that, when they are standing before the judgment seat on judgment day, they know and are known by the Judge.

God is intentional in His relationship with us. Likewise, we should be intentional in our relationships with others. How are you being intentional in your relationships with your family in Christ? Are you putting yourself in situations where you can connect with people who need the gospel?

Written by Katie Forbess, President of Iron Rose Sister Ministries Board of Directors in Arkansas 

Many people have taken personality tests that identify their “love language." The five major languages are physical touch, gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, and acts of service. There are many online resources for people who want to learn more about themselves and how they show love to those around them, whether it is their spouse, their parents, or even strangers they meet from day to day. This is an interesting and helpful way to explore your relationships and how to improve them, while still getting your own needs met. What is cool about intercessory prayer is that it incorporates all of the love languages in the most universal love language of all: Prayer!It’s praying for others and letting God take care of them in ways that you can’t because you are human.

Once you realize that you can let God handle things not only in your own life but in your relationships as well, intercessory prayer can be an empathetic response to other people’s trials as well as celebrations. One of the main purposes of identifying your love language is to create harmony and unity in your relationships. This is also the purpose of intercessory prayer. Unity was one of Christ’s main purposes in coming to earth: living and dying and resurrecting so that God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and those who are in Christ can be one. The key to that unity is love. Love is the glue that holds the intercessory prayer together, as shown in Jesus’ prayer in John 17:23 NIV. “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

And He continues to pray for this unifying love in verse 26, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

It is also a way of protecting people, and there are many examples of this in the Bible. In this context, we see how Jesus is praying to protect, praying first for Himself and then His disciples. Then He prays for those in the future who will believe. This is because He is the Bridge and the High Priest between His disciples and God. Therefore, intercessory prayer is a way to unify and protect your loved ones.

An important aspect is that when you pray this way—on behalf of others—you are glorifying Jesus and the Holy Father. This purpose is outlined in verses 1b-3 of John 17.

Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Intercessory prayer is a way to connect with someone and show them that although you can’t take care of things for them, you know Who can. When you place your hands on someone or hold hands with them to pray, that is physical touch. When you give them the time that it takes for you to pray for them, you not only spend quality time with them but also with God. Jesus knew it was very important to spend time in prayer, especially when He was in His worst situations. He also took the time to explain to His disciples what was going to happen, even if they didn’t yet realize the weight of it. Intercessory prayer is a blessing, which is a form of gift giving. And this kind of prayer is an act of service and definitely words of affirmation because you are looking to the One who will tell you only truths when there are so many lies that others would like you and those close to you to believe.

All in all, when you have a relationship with another, intercessory prayer is a vital and beneficial part of that relationship that will help you grow closer to each other and to God.

How can you focus more on glory, protection and unity in your intercessory prayers?

Written by Katie Forbess, Board President 

There is something extremely special about when women get together to focus on learning and celebrating Christ that allows for intergenerational diversity in a natural way. One of the most beautiful things about an Iron Rose Sister Ministries event is the multigenerational representation. This aspect of the events is also international.

A recent bilingual event was hosted by the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston, Texas, where I grew up going to church and only a block from where I grew up going to high school. I was unable to attend that event in-person, but loved hearing the God stories about the intergenerational and international diversity, as pictured (photo cred: @findyournitsch). Everyone celebrated with everyone else and learned from each other.

Relationships throughout the Bible show mentorships and intergenerational learning. David and Saul started as David soothed Saul by playing his harp and observing his role as king. It then moved into a dangerous game of hide and seek. David taught King Saul, as well as others, when he faced the giant and convinced his best friend that his father was going to try to kill David. Along the way, David learned the importance of keeping God’s Spirit and prayed after his own sin that it not be removed as it was from Saul. Nathan led David though that terrible time of repentance and restoration. David learned and taught through relationships.

Jesus brought multitudes together that were diverse in ages, like when the small boy brought his five loaves and two fishes from amongst 5,000 men. When the children approached Him at other times, the disciples were not as accepting, but Christ used it as a teaching moment to emphasize the importance of the younger generation. Jesus also honored the widow who had lost her son. From the old to the young, Jesus taught through all ages of relationship. 

The early church needed a reminder to take care of the older generation. They elected seven men to help make sure this would happen evenly across both the Hebraic and Hellenistic Jews (Acts 6). James continues this emphasis in his book, including the multigenerational admonition to take care of widows and orphans (1:27). I don’t think that was solely for the widows’ and orphans’ benefit. Everyone learned as those two groups were being served.

I can testify to the blessing of learning from those we think that we have been called to serve or teach—most recently from a new neighbor. I can truly say every time I have been close to her I have learned more about her love for the Lord, her faithfulness and gracefulness, her honesty and transparency. We have a lot in common even though she is older than I am by at least 20 years. We both love dogs and bugs and our families and laughing. 

I remember my first conversation with her was mainly about our dogs. The second one was about house robes and how we like to wear our husbands’ but for some reason the sleeves were so wide that water from the sink always ran down them. The third time, I learned she was a member of the Church of Christ and met one of her best friends who had come to visit from California. 

About two weeks prior, she had lost her husband and her dog during the same week, but I didn't know that she had lost her dog before I went. I went over with a plan to talk to her because I wasn’t able to go to the funeral. I took a puppy I have been taking care of for “puppy therapy.”

I learned that she misses her husband and her dog terribly. She loved on the puppy and asked about my family. She was so happy that a neighbor was going with her to church on Sunday after listening to the preacher at the funeral, and I told her that her husband, who was an evangelist, received the best gift at his funeral! He was smiling in heaven! As we spoke, she taught me by sharing her stories of grief highlighted by the faithfulness of God. 

At church gatherings, throughout the Bible, and with a neighbor, we can see the impact of teaching and learning through intergenerational relationships. Who can you reach out to today? Someone younger? Someone older? Share your stories with us!

Written by Liliana Henríquez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colombia 

There is a well-known saying, "Time is money." I believe this means that all the years of life granted by God are very valuable, both for ourselves and for others. Time is not necessarily synonymous with wisdom, but it does equate to experience.

Wisdom is God's gift, and when we are lacking it, we can ask for it and He guarantees that He will give it to us abundantly (James 1:5). Experience brings with it the knowledge and skills we acquire over time. Both are important, necessary, and valuable during our time on earth.

In our daily lives, we come across many challenges and situations that other people have already experienced such as divorce, marriage, raising children, traveling, changes in our work life, and others. And thanks to what we call intergenerational relationships— friendships among people of different ages—we can find better and faster solutions to our problems, always remembering that "wisdom is found in those who take advice" (Prov. 13:10b NIV).

Ruth and Naomi's relationship is an excellent example of a wonderful intergenerational relationship.

Ruth was in the same situation as Naomi—they were both widows. However, Naomi had a plan: return to her homeland, Bethlehem. This was a new place for Ruth, but she agreed to be led by her older and wiser mother-in-law.

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” (Ruth 2:1-2)

Ruth was a hard-working woman who listened to the advice of her mother-in-law, Naomi, and sought her constant guidance, and the good relationship that she had with Naomi was admirable, so much so that it was publicly recognized.

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. (Ruth 2:11)

Naomi's wisdom and experience guided Ruth to directly seek out a man to redeem her. Following this advice shortened the time to improve her situation and lessened the possibility of making mistakes. Those same benefits can be obtained by all of us today if we develop relationships with older and wiser women.

There are many teachers of good things (Titus 2:3), willing to guide younger ones to avoid stumbling blocks. But to experience this benefit, we need to open ourselves to opportunities for cultivating intergenerational relationships that will allow us to grow personally and spiritually. The benefit is mutual: older women bring wisdom and experience to the younger ones, and younger ones help the older ones actively fulfill their God-given calling to teach others.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24). Through developing intergenerational relationships, let us be women who build their house, their mind, and their heart on the rock and not on the sand.

Written by Liliana Henriquez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colombia

I'm one of those people who, when they like a song, listen to it a thousand times throughout the day (or several days) until it doesn't excite them anymore. I can literally search on YouTube: "An hour of... (title of the song)" and play it all day long. It becomes the first and only song I listen to for a long time. It becomes the soundtrack or the main song of my day (or days) and I enjoy it very much.

This reminds me of when we decide to obey the gospel and get baptized. Converting ourselves to Christ and everything that has to do with the church is our priority. We are excited to learn the lyrics to all the hymns we sing at service, attend all church activities, read the whole Bible, and know all the verses. We are passionate about Jesus!

How wonderful it would be if we maintained that same passion for the rest of our lives as Christians!

As expected, life goes on, and with it comes new decisions, challenges, and stages such as marriage, children, new jobs, university studies, travel, migration... and generally, these tend to diminish the passion for Jesus that we felt at the beginning. I don't mean that we stop loving Jesus or being His disciples; I mean that the cares of life are sometimes so heavy and challenging that they distract us from what is important, to such an extent that we could make the grave mistake of giving them the first place that only God deserves.

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. (Ex 20:4-5 NIV, emphasis added)

As I read this passage, I am struck by these three words:

"MAKE": It leads me to understand that anything taking the place of God is an idol that we ourselves have the power to create.

"BOW DOWN": Everything we idolize causes us to take on an attitude of submission. Therefore, we yield our will to that idol.

"WORSHIP": We respect and give a place of preeminence to what we put first.

It's important to remember that we have a jealous God and we need to be very aware of that. He wants us to seek Him, to choose Him, to worship Him above anything else created in the world. Our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3) and we are to honor only Him.

I invite you to ask yourself: Is God the theme song of my life today?

I hope so. He is our King.

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“Come, follow Me.” What would you do if someone approached you and told you to drop everything and come?

The 12 Apostles did that. They probably had no idea what a life-changing experience that would be.

Luke 6:12-17 gives a brief account of what happened:

“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

From this passage we learn:

• Jesus prayed all night to His Father before choosing His apostles.
• Jesus already had a following… He called the disciples to Him and chose 12 from the group.   

Look at these 12 men:

Peter- a fisherman.

Andrew- Peter’s brother. It was Andrew who first told Peter about Jesus.

James- also a fisherman and cousin to Peter and Andrew.

John- brother to James and a fisherman.

Those four men had been part of a family fishing business that included their fathers who were Zebedee and Jonah (or sometimes referred to as John.) They were living in Capernaum when they met Jesus.

Philip- His hometown was Bethsaida, which was also the home of Peter and Andrew. In John 12:21-22 we learn that some Greeks who had gone to the feast in Jerusalem approached Philip asking to see Jesus.

Bartholomew- In John 1:43-51 he is called Nathaniel, and it is Philip who tells him they had found Him of whom the prophets wrote. Nathaniel’s response was, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Matthew- He also went by the name Levi and was contracted by the Roman Empire to collect taxes from the Jews in Capernaum. Tax collectors were known for lying about how much people owed and pocketing the difference.

Thomas- He is often referred to as “Doubting Thomas,” because when the other 10 saw Jesus after the resurrection, his response was: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

Jesus then appeared and offered to let him do just that.

Upon seeing Jesus in the flesh with his own eyes and possibly touching the wounds, Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus responded with one of the most powerful statements about faith in all of Scripture: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). I think it is important to remember, WE are in the group who have not seen, yet believe.

James the son of Alphaeus.

Simon the Zealot- we know little about him, but the description “Zealot” indicates he may have belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were bent on revolution and looking for a Messiah to violently overthrow Rome.

Judas Iscariot- the only one who was not a Galilean… described as a thief and the one who betrayed Jesus. The word Iscariot is linked to a town south of Jerusalem.

Could Jesus have chosen any group who were more different… in personality, in political beliefs, in integrity and honesty?

As they walked with Jesus, they saw Him perform miracles, talk to people who were outcast, talk with women… Jesus walked a different path from other religious leaders.

During these three plus years, Jesus influenced these men, and 11 of them would remain faithful, even in the face of persecution and death.

Jesus was the AUTHORITY in the group. From the beginning His disciples knew He was the leader. They called Him “Master” according to Luke 8:24, and John 13:13-14 tells us they called Him “Teacher” and “Lord.”

Jesus held them ACCOUNTABLE when they argued… Luke 9:46-48. Jesus called a child to use as an example, to encourage them to have the heart of a child. In Luke 22:24-29, after Jesus had washed their feet and they shared supper together, they still argued over being the greatest. Jesus once again talks about serving, then tells them they will sit at the table with Him in His kingdom, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Jesus was APPROACHABLE… Luke 11:1-13. They had heard Jesus pray and asked Him to teach them to pray. These are Jewish men who would have been familiar with the Jewish prayers, but it seems something was different when they heard the prayers of Jesus.

At what we call the “Last Supper,” beginning in John 13, we see Jesus taking the role of a servant as He washes the feet of the apostles. Jesus takes this time to talk with them, to give them hope and comfort, to encourage them to love one another. Then in John 15:14-17, He says:

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

Hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus calls His apostles “friends.” We expect loyalty and commitment from friends, but this was still lacking among this group of men until after the resurrection. The years together had set the foundation for a friendship where eventually loyalty, trust, and commitment bonded them to the promised Messiah, and they were eager to take His message of redemption to the world.

[ All Scriptures are ESV. ]