Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Lisanka Martínez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Venezuela

When we read in Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (NIV), it is necessary to keep in mind that it is a command for all Christians in all times, places, and circumstances. Because of this, we notice the commitment that it represents to be able to express ourselves, as the Word indicates, so that our speech is edifying for those who listen to us, always avoiding the opposite.

This commitment, I confess, has been an uphill struggle for me on several occasions, and incredibly more so in my life as a Christian. Before I studied the Word, when I read or listened to this verse, it seemed to me to be directed at people who were mean in their language, uncontrolled, or who always spoke with malice and double meanings, offending and mocking others. I thought it was not addressed to me, who, although I said a bad word from time to time, tried to be careful where and to whom I said it, being respectful of the people with whom I had some contact.

Later, as a Christian, I remember an anecdote that happened to me during a discipleship class in which I participated shortly after being baptized.

I arrived 15 minutes early to the meeting set for 8 a.m. and I found only the sister in charge of the class who had been there since 7:30 a.m. The rest of the group arrived in a span of half an hour. Much later, the sister who led the class was the last to arrive with another of the sisters. When I asked them what had happened to them and why they were so late, the accompanying sister told me that it was the time the person in charge had told her because they needed to wait until everyone was there before beginning.

I was very upset, and I let the leader know that I thought it was disrespectful for her to arrive almost an hour late to start the class. My attitude had its immediate response: her face was transformed, and she spent the next half an hour sharing an improvised lecture (with its corresponding biblical passages) in which she explained why a neophyte like me should not call out a more mature woman in the faith. I listened to her speech quietly, still upset, and then we finally moved on to the prepared class material. Of course, nothing she said convinced me that she hadn't disrespected all of us. Being Venezuelan, I should have been used to that characteristic of many of my compatriots: the failure to comply with schedules and the lack of respect for others' time; however, I was not and still am not.

Reflecting on this experience, I now think that she, with more experience in the faith, should have simply apologized to everyone for being late and told me, the insubordinate one, that we would talk more calmly about the subject later, instead of showing that she was in charge and that the rest of us should respect and obey her. In conclusion, we both failed as friends, sisters, and group members.

How many of you have had something like this happen? (I remember a story shared by our sister Michelle where she related a similar experience involving a church trip to the beach, found in the book, In God’s Right Hand). Fortunately, those experiences now seem very distant, and we remember them more objectively, although for everyone in the group that day, it would not have been edifying despite the use of the Bible and the fact that no corrupt words were used.

Studying Social Work, I learned about what it means to be in a group and even more so if we formed a team: the commitment, the level of confidentiality, and cohesion that this implied. It should have been a piece of cake to transfer that to my church groups many years later. However, experience has shown me that I have failed in my commitment to God and to the members of the group because of the way I am, always trying to give instructions about the right way to do or say things without being loving, understanding, and compassionate enough in most cases. My commitment is not only to teach, but also to listen and show the greatest empathy, and I want my face and gestures to reflect the love of Christ and not just my words. Now, I work daily to correct and change with God's help.

Do you hear yourself and your sisters in your small group showing love?

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

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. (Mt 7:24 NIV)

In the conclusion to His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us of the importance of putting His teaching into practice, learning then practicing as His followers. It’s like building a house on the Rock. Women’s hands, aged with wisdom, and their voices in children’s classes have shaped this refrain into a memorable song with actions, hand motions, and a simple tune. No one wants to build his house on the sand because we know that it came crashing down when “the rain came down and the floods came up.”

Even today, when the storms of our lives threaten to tear us down, we must cling to the words of Christ and build, or rebuild, our lives on the Rock.

Last year as a ministry, we highlighted various ways in which we are called to live “Committed to Christ, 24/7 in 2024.” With the release of the latest small group Bible study book, we affirmed that we are Committed to Listen. Now that we have “heard these words of [His],” we must turn our attention to putting them into practice, like wise women.

James 1:5 promises that if we ask for wisdom, God will provide it. Those with more life experience can testify to the fact that wisdom is acquired over time. We learn from our failures. We grow through the struggles. Everything we face in life—every thought, action, reaction, and words that do or don’t come out of our mouths—everything provides an opportunity for us to put Jesus’ words into practice.

Fulfilling God’s teaching takes practice. I didn’t learn to play the piano or do a cartwheel on a balance beam overnight. Both activities took practice. As a child, I played many wrong notes, and I fell off the beam on more than one occasion. Today, I can still do a cartwheel, but I haven’t attempted it on a balance beam. These days, I can only remember a few very basic songs on the piano. Why? I stopped practicing.

What are examples from the Christian life that require practice?

Practicing implies failure and grace. Learning a language is a challenge. For some people, it is easier to hear the unique sounds, comprehend the grammar, and learn the vocabulary. Yet no matter what your language-learning ability, you must begin by speaking like a child, imperfectly and incorrectly. You will never perfect the language without giving yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them.

What have you learned from making mistakes as a Christian?

This year, on Tuesdays (only once/week), we will share biblical and personal stories about how we can build our lives on the Rock, put Jesus’ words into practice, and practice as wise women.

We want to encourage you to use these blog posts as guides for small group discussion, in person or virtually. There will be questions for good conversation and, at times, additional Bible verses for further study.

Let’s practice encouraging each other as wise women! In honor of New Year’s, through our social media channels, share a teaching you want to put into practice this year (maybe through a New Year’s resolution or key word for the year). Alternately, share an example of an area that you want to practice with others.

If you are looking for inspiration, I recommend reading the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) or ordering Committed to Listen as a 40-day devotional that facilitates dedicated listening, thus learning more about what God is guiding you to put into practice (Mt 7:24).

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

Christian movies often end with the characters, who have trusted and obeyed God despite the circumstances, getting everything they want: a baby, a spouse, money, whatever. I’m not criticizing those movies because that frequently does happen, but it also doesn’t always happen that way. What do we do when we don’t get everything we want? Is it worth it? I can tell you from the perspective of someone who didn’t get the desires of her heart, it is still worth it to trust and obey God.

All my life I have loved kids. I so badly wanted my own kids to hold and sing to and teach and watch grow up. Unfortunately, I never married. I could not afford adoption or a residence big enough to appease the State requirements for a foster child. So here I am, age 40 and skipping all the church baby showers because they are just too painful. Along the way, I received more than a few recommendations to go to a sperm bank (use a donor) and have a baby by myself. But I had a problem with that. I believe God designed the family to have a mother and a father. And as badly as I wanted to be a mother, I felt that if I went around His plan and intentionally brought a child into a fatherless home, I would be disobeying God. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Taking in a foster child was an exception in my book because I was not the one who brought them into the world. They are kids that don’t have anyone to love them, and one person would be better than none.

To most of society, this is a crazy position to take. I connect deeply with Hebrews 11:13, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth” (NIV).

My obedience to God may not bring me what I want, but I trust in God with all my heart that His way is better than mine. I am not single by my own design, but I have found 1 Corinthians 7:34 to be true: “An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.” My singleness and childlessness have given me time to help with the youth group, coach the kids in puppet ministry for Lads 2 Leaders, start a singles ministry, volunteer at nursing homes and other places, make time for lunch or coffee with people who need encouragement, and many other things that bring about a sense of fulfillment.

I have learned to embrace my status in life and trust that God has a plan for me because of Jesus’ example. He trusted His Father, our Father, to the point of death. When Jesus was in the garden, He was praying for God to find another way, to take the cup from Him. But in His perfect obedience, He said, “Not my will, but yours.”

As badly as I want children, I am trusting God’s plan even though I may never see the results in my lifetime. Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness’.” Everyone at one time or another faces a choice to obey God or do their own thing. I had a friend in college who rebelled, had two kids while unmarried, and then repented and came back to the Lord. The thought did cross my mind that I could do that too. But trusting in God means also trusting that the consequences for rebelling to get what I want and then repenting will not be better than if I obeyed Him in the first place.

During my time of testing, I did not rebel, but did my best to emulate Jesus and say, “I don’t understand, but Your will, not mine.” Through the pain and sorrow, God has made changes in my heart that I could never have imagined possible. I have a light in my heart that I didn’t know was missing and a relationship with Jesus that is deeper than ever before. He has also set me on a path to help lots of hurting kids rather than my own. I am excited for the future. Despite the likelihood that there will always be times I don’t understand, and I will still mourn the children I never had, I trust my Father to bring about something better.

Written by Brenda Brizendine, Assistant Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Php 4:8-9 NIV) 

The Bible instructs us to think about good things—things that build us up. Why? Because our thoughts affect our attitudes, our moods, our perception of ourselves, and even our relationships. Our thoughts are tied to our joy, our happiness, and, in general, the quality of life we live.

A few months ago, I started studying the book Who Has the Last Word? written by Michelle J. Goff, with the women in the congregation I attend. This book reminds us that we can use the truth of God's Word to cut through the lies that Satan or we ourselves have placed in our minds or hearts. In it, Michelle teaches us that by remembering the truth of God's Word, memorizing it, and internalizing it in our hearts and minds, we begin a transformation process that allows us to realize the abundant life we can have in Jesus, a life that Satan desires to steal from us. 

Last year, as part of the commitment I made to Christ, I chose Psalm 46:10 to study, understand, and live by. Wow, God knew that I would need to be “still” to face all the situations that arose in my life and family! But He knew better than I did that, beyond being still, I needed to remember that He is still God and the Lord over every circumstance. 

I enter 2025 with unanswered questions, unresolved situations, and transitions to face, but I am ready to continue practicing living in the truth that God has left in His Word. I will stumble and doubt, definitely, but by returning to His Word, evaluating my thoughts, and deliberately choosing to think on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,” I will be able to practice being a wise woman.

Romans 12:2 says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” The next time you notice you’re thinking negative thoughts, choose to replace those thoughts with the truth of God's Word. For example, if you think about giving up, look for the truth in the Word and decide to meditate on verses like Deuteronomy 31:6, Galatians 6:9, and Philippians 4:13. Or when the enemy tries to convince you that you don’t deserve love, remind him of what God says about you in Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5, or Romans 8:38-39. 

Learning to control your mind can be like trying to tame a wild animal. But the Lord says: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you” (Ps 32:8). Keep practicing: rely on God and keep asking Him for help to know His truth. You will begin to see changes—changes that will affect other areas of your life, and “the God of peace will be with you.” 

Now, with what you’ve learned:

1. Share a truth from God’s Word in which you want to grow or bloom (put it into practice).
2. Identify a lie you wish to remove with the truth from God’s Word.
3. Identify a sister who can be like iron sharpening iron in your life and can remind you of the truth you chose in point 1.