Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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

One Sunday many years ago in “early marriage days,” my husband came up to me after church saying, “See that man over there? I invited him for lunch.” “You did what?!” I asked incredulously as I looked at the man who had just walked into the church building that morning. He looked like he had slept in his ill-fitting suit. He had huge dandruff flakes all over the shoulders of his suit and in his eyebrows, in other words, a less than appealing presence of a man. I said, “He’s a stranger and we’ve got a baby to think about.” My husband replied, “I thought of that. That’s why I invited the preacher and his wife for lunch as well.” Again, my reply was, “You did what?!” I only have a one-pound meatloaf in the oven. We don’t have enough.” My husband gently said, “We have plenty. This man has $2.32 to his name and needs a bus ticket and ride to the bus station to get to his family. He came to the church for help.” Oh my! I was immediately humbled and changed my response to a prayer. “Dear Lord, please forgive my harsh, immediate judgment and please provide enough for us to share as You did with the small boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish.” This was my prayer all the way home from church as I was also thinking of what else to add to the one-pound meatloaf.

When we arrived home, I got the meatloaf out of the oven and noticed that it had actually shrunk, not grown. “Oh my! Dear Lord, we still need a miracle multiplication here like You did with the small boy’s lunch.” I added to the meatloaf meal three cans of green beans, two boxes of macaroni and cheese, and a can of fruit cocktail with a sliced banana. Then I sliced the meatloaf and served the meal.

Everyone was served some of everything: meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and fruit salad. We had pleasant conversation over lunch. The preacher and his wife agreed to take the man to the bus station and the church would pay for his bus ticket so he could go home to family.

After lunch and everyone had left, I cleared off the table and noticed the meatloaf. Do you know what? I had meatloaf left over! Everyone had been served, yet there was meatloaf left over. I remember in Mark’s account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish” (Mark 6:42-43 NIV).

So, the next day as I ate a sandwich made with leftover meatloaf, I was again reminded of my prayer for God to multiply the meatloaf as He did with the loaves and fishes and He did, and He gave me leftovers as a reminder of His abundant provision.

My reflection afterward was also for the scripture, Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” While I do not know if this man was an angel, I do know that this event and every time I remember it causes me to reflect on this verse and consider the real meaning of hospitality. We often think it’s opening our home to our family and friends. Actually, that is fellowship.

Fellowship is when connectedness or relationship is shared among those with a common aim or background. Hospitality is providing an act of service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests or strangers. It’s an act of service often to the least of these. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” As I’m sure you, like I do, want to serve Jesus Himself then we must learn to serve the “least of these.” This provides the greatest blessing to them, to us, and is Kingdom living.

Written by Cecília Santana, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Salvador, Brazil

Throughout my Christian walk, I’ve understood that obeying God comes down to relationships. I can already hear you saying, “How so?” Hold on, I’ll explain! In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says to love first the Lord God with everything we have and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. In practice, these two commandments mean that we need to be in relationship with God first (praying and meditating on the Bible) and this relationship will influence all of our other relationships.

We can only love who we know, and to know, we must spend time together. In Acts 2:44-46 we see that the first Christians regularly did things together. Sometimes in the current digital age, virtual friends get more attention than real friends. As Christians, we must be mindful to not neglect time with each other, especially post-pandemic where even church services became virtual, and the practice of hospitality is running the risk of being forgotten.

The Bible talks a lot about the importance of hospitality and today I want to cite two reasons to exercise this gift:

1 - God gave the first example for us to follow.

God wanted to be in relationship with us so He created a “perfect home.” The Garden of Eden had everything we needed and, most importantly, God walked with us there (Gen. 2:15-25). However, we know that this relationship was broken by the sin of Adam and Eve and they were forced to “leave home” as a result (Gen. 3:23,24). Soon after, God as a Loving Father brought about the renewing of His relationship with mankind through Noah when He told him to build a “safe house” free from evil, better known as Noah’s Ark (Gen. 6-9).

But again, disobedience distanced us until God once again restored our relationship, this time through Abraham, and the first step was to “leave home” (Gen. 12:1-3). This relationship was so deep that we see God revealing his plans for Abraham’s descendants. They would be guests in another country for a while (Gen. 15:13), but then they would have their own home; a land flowing with milk and honey (Gen. 15:18-19 and Deut. 6:3). Abraham was an exemplary host when he received the angels (Gen. 18:1-8), as was his nephew, Lot (Gen. 19:1-3). In both cases, these visits proved to be huge unexpected blessings!

The promise made to Abraham (Gen. 12:3) has reached all the way to us as daughters, by faith through our relationship with Christ who came down from Heaven to live on earth with us for 33 years (John 3:16) and continues to live in us through the Holy Spirit. The most beautiful part of this relationship is that Christ prepared our eternal dwelling (John 14:2-4), so we know that we are foreigners in this passing world and we cannot become attached to anything here. Everything is borrowed from God and should be used to bring others to Christ.

2 - Hospitality is an opportunity to exercise practical love.

Through our earthly home entrusted to us by Christ, some of us have the opportunity to show His love to the residents (parents, kids, spouse) who need a welcoming place, a “little piece of Heaven” in this dark world, where they can renew their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. Whether we share our home with others or live alone, this love should extend to neighbors, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and even to strangers! (Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:10)

As wise women, we have the responsibility to maintain our homes (Prov. 14:1), be good managers and attentive to how everything is going like the “exemplary woman” of Proverbs 31. Our doors need to be open to teaching the Word as Lydia did (Acts 16:14,15, 40) so that Jesus can enter and transform lives as He did with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).

I am grateful to the woman who opened her home through which my husband and I came to Jesus and were converted more than 20 years ago. Therefore, my advice to those who think their homes are too small or too ugly is to let go of this idea because all guests need is for us to show them God’s love.

To conclude, I want to share three practical tips from the scriptures and my personal experience:

• Don’t complain! 1 Peter 4:9-11 tells us that we should practice hospitality without grumbling. I have had the opportunity to serve by helping with domestic tasks in homes where, even with problems, my merciful hosts were hospitable. I have also received guests who were challenging, and I learned to be more meek, patient, and self-controlled.
• Never expect anything in return! Everything we do is to glorify and honor God (1 Cor. 10:31). Our reward is eternal (Matt. 10:42). It is much better when the initiative to reciprocate is free and spontaneous, as it was with Elijah in 2 Kings 4:8-32. Be like the Shunammite woman— do your best and God will bless you— and if you are the guest, be a nice surprise!
• Finally: Rejoice, be generous and grateful for the opportunity to serve! Hospitality continues to be God’s powerful means of deepening relationships and changing lives!

Written by Lindsay Richardson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Tennessee

As a missionary kid with a love for travel, I’ve had abundant opportunities to see different parts of the world and to experience a variety of service and volunteer opportunities. I have too many stories to share here, but just this last March I had the chance to go as a volunteer Spanish interpreter on a medical mission trip to Baja, Mexico.

As 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” (NIV).

I am not in any way connected to the medical world, but knowing two languages has been a blessing that God has given me with which to help others.

Here are some testimonies and stories from my week in Mexico:

• We had a patient whom I prayed for in Spanish, and at the end of the visit, and afterward, he said he had tried everything for his pain: doctors, chiropractic care, physical therapy, and medication. But this prayer helped more than anything else had.
• Another patient came to us with rashes all over his body, hungry, and with no place to sleep. We scrounged through our backpacks, gave him our granola bars and water, and found him a blanket.
• I prayed with an older man and as I was praying he would interrupt me with his requests: “oraciones para mi trabajo” (prayers for my job), and ”encontrar una mujer” (that he would find/meet a woman). I had a good laugh.
• A man came in carrying heavy emotional burdens in addition to his sickness and red, burning eyes. He was shaking and sobbing and said his wife left him and took their kids and he has no support system left. He said someone invited him today to the church where the clinic was held and I was able to assure him that he did in fact have a support system and family in Christ there. (I barely made it through that prayer because at the end, I got choked up.)

What a humbling experience! It truly has given me a new perspective on being “the hands and feet of Jesus.”

I have also been involved in some weekly opportunities to serve here in Nashville. I’ve been a part of a Christian organization called People Loving Nashville that provides food and clothing to the hungry and those in need. It’s been an amazing ministry to witness so many people in our city serving and loving each other. I’ve learned so much about humanity in addition to my own heart for others. It’s been a true perspective shift!

In Matthew 25:35-36 it says,

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Hearing heartbreaking story after story as I’ve been able to interact with people personally in my own city has also allowed me to feel closer to the heart of God as I allow Him to use me in small ways to help make a big impact in the Kingdom. People come to us every single week just because they know they will be loved and cared for in a special way that can only be explained by our relationship with Jesus. May we never underestimate the power of how we can be used by God! We are all simply seed planters, and He is the waterer.

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

Proverbs 27:17 reads, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (ESV).

For iron to sharpen iron, there must be two pieces. One piece cannot sharpen itself. We NEED each other. In the beginning, God saw it was not good for man to be alone, so He created woman. This was before the fall… before sin…so, think how much more important it is now in our sinful nature to have someone we can depend on.

Most of us have had the experience of sharpening a kitchen knife. A knife is a small saw with a micro-serrated edge. When it is sharpened, any uneven spots or “burrs” are removed, and the sharpness is restored. Often, it is polished to make it shine.

We all have uneven and rough spots and have become dull because of the ups and downs of life. We need encouragement, admonition, and even confrontation from someone who cares about us. That’s iron sharpening iron.

Think of lessons we learn from Scripture.

DAVID… in 1 Samuel 25 David asked Nabal for food for his men. It was sheep shearing season, and David’s men had been protecting Nabal’s sheep and workers. Even so, Nabal refused to feed David and his men. David was angry and took 400 men, intending to kill Nabal and the males in his household. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, heard and went to meet David with gifts of food, stopping him from this bloodshed.

Jonathan, son of King Saul, protected David, comforting and making a covenant with him when Saul sought David’s life (1 Sam. 23:16-18).

The prophet Nathan confronted David (2 Sam. 12) after his sin with Bathsheba, making him stop and think about what he had done and God’s laws he had broken… coveting another man’s wife, adultery (possibly rape), and murder. Only someone David respected could have said, “YOU are that man!”

Three friends with different types of help… three ways iron sharpens iron.

NAAMAN (2 Kings 5) was a commander of the Syrian Army… a gentile… a pagan… an enemy of Israel… and he had leprosy. The Syrians had captured and enslaved a young Israelite girl who told Naaman’s wife there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him. When Naaman went to Elisha, he became angry at being told to dip in the muddy Jordan River. He had cleaner rivers back home. He had his reasons for not doing what the prophet instructed. BUT… Naaman’s servants confronted him, encouraging him to follow Elisha’s instructions… and he was healed. Again, iron sharpens iron.

SAUL… the early believers were afraid of him… with good reason. In Acts 9 Barnabas stood by Saul’s side, introducing him to the Jerusalem church who knew him as one involved in the death of Stephen and persecution of Christians, and telling them what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus. Where would Saul have been if there had not been a friend to stand by him? In Proverbs 18:24b we read: “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” We see iron sharpening iron in friendship.

JOHN MARK was given a second chance by his cousin, Barnabas. Because he left the first missionary journey early, Paul refused to take him on another missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). Barnabas parted from Paul and took John Mark. If it had not been for the encouragement of Barnabas, we might not have had the gospel of Mark. An older relative who cared… iron sharpens iron.

There are many ways that “iron sharpens iron.” Confrontation, encouragement, support, kindness, and rejoicing, all done in love can heal relationships with others as well as with God.

We can share ways we have persevered through the storms of life. When there is an established friendship, people are generally more willing to listen. Let’s work on building relationships that focus on the important things in life… so we have someone to turn to when life’s storms come.

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

Being an Iron Rose Sister provides great opportunities each week for endless spiritual blessings resulting from the teachings that we read and from meditating on those wonderful words shared by Christian sisters. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NASB).

There are many spiritual blessings for which we were chosen from the beginning so that we may be set aside as His adopted children. As indicated in the quoted text from Ephesians 1 onward, we are described as princesses of the heavenly kingdom since we have been saved and are striving to live for the glory of God.

In this year 2023, I have observed in more detail how each sister throughout the world who writes for this blog is a beautiful instrument of the Lord to deliver biblical messages and personal stories, called with great love "Godstories". These show how the Heavenly Father Himself in His infinite purposes uses each life experience to make His power and majesty known.

Together, as the virtuous Michelle, the beautiful Deanna, the unique Ana Teresa, the cheerful Sabrina, elegant Aileen, joyful Kat, fervent Kara, creative Corina, fun Katie, jovial Ann, loving Jocelynn, pretty Alina, always kind Brenda, expressive Francia, fascinating Nilaurys, attractive Claudia, cute Marbella, delicate Elina, brilliant Brenda Davis, faithful Wendy, radiant Liliana, great Lindsay, smiling Beliza, assertive Rianna, enterprising Karyn, dedicated Lisanka, and many others, we have shared each blog with the love of God and the heart of the Lord.

Convinced by the relational discoveries that undoubtedly show a range of experiences and moments of life how we are connected, this connection allows us to teach and learn from each other. For this reason, I feel that we are a great team and every day I get to know and love them much more, creating a bond of fellowship, equality, and continuous growth of faith and hope in the Lord Jesus.

Many are the themes shared by these various writer-sisters that have touched my heart and have led me to reflect on my needs; through their writing they all teach, knowing how to relate as a team in spiritual harmony. Likewise, they have strengthened my belief in the undeniable fact that I will never be alone— that I am always in unity with the Maker of Life and therefore with my fellow sister.

I confess that it has been difficult for me to write to you; it is easier for me to communicate verbally than with a written message. But these sisters have encouraged me with their distinct examples to do it better and better, and I am confident you will understand me because of the different learning styles that have also been described in previous blogs, and that in each facet of life, our talents are acquired and perfected through cognitive stimulation, daily practice, and seeking God’s wisdom.

In short, writing will always be an art. That is why writing is not simply a recording of facts, but also involves knowing how to make oneself understood and felt, and reaching the audience in a meaningful way, I am constantly reminded that the main protagonist without question is and always will be the Holy Spirit, the Guide of each topic presented. That is how I have been able to perceive it at all times in the service of the Almighty.

In addition, I particularly consider that the inter-learning process of these human and spiritual relationships allows each of us to benefit from our combined experiences. This leads us to have the mind of the Lord, and I love that. "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5 NIV)

Therefore, all the manifestations of faith that are projected in each blog entry communicates what exists in each writer’s heart. It is made known at their level of self-knowledge, feelings, thoughts, motor skills, socio-emotional communication, innumerable teaching capacities, and acquisition of continuous learning.

As we think about this theme of relationships that unite us, I would like to bless and encourage each of us who is a part of Iron Rose Sister Ministries not only to consider the written offerings on the theme. Also, to consider the connection that comes from above and that surrounds us to equip ourselves with increasing capabilities to enrich individual and group growth, and to live out the faith, hope and love that characterizes us.

Are you willing? Are you brave and willing to empower every precious Iron Rose Sister to decide to teach and learn in their own relationships? Do you maintain an ongoing relationship with Heavenly Father through prayer so that you can develop communication with each other?

Go ahead— together in unity let's continue to be a great team, precious to God.

Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Hopefully you have caught on that this year’s blog theme is “Teaching and Learning through Relationships.” But we can’t get to the point of teaching and learning unless we make meaningful relationships a priority.

For most of my life, I have not been good at “friendship,” but Iron Rose Sister Ministries has taught me the importance of investing in relationships with Christian sisters. It takes effort, but if I make the time for friendships, then I learn and am encouraged. With this, I can teach and encourage in return.

Here are some ideas for prioritizing various relationships in your life. If it seems like a lot, don’t worry! It’s great to start small and just pick a couple.

• Christian sisters – Do you have two or three close friends in your “inner circle”? Jesus had Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1; 26:36-38). Identify two or three women you’d like to know. To spend more time with them, get lunch or coffee now and then, go on a walk, pray for each other, memorize a scripture passage together, read a book of the Bible over the course of a month and discuss it, or make a pact to avoid “unwholesome talk” about others (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).
• A Christian sister who needs a mentor – Find someone younger than you to spend time with. Don’t view them as a “project,” but show that you truly care what is happening in their life. As appropriate, share what God has taught you in various aspects of your own life. Use some of the same ideas above for this Christian sister.
• Children – Children need multiple adults speaking truth and love into their lives. You may not have children of your own, but I bet you have children around you such as nieces, nephews, or children at church. Give them your undivided attention. Ask what they’ve been learning at church, find out what they do for fun, celebrate milestones, invite them on an adventure or a game night, go to their game/concert, or send them a card. If you have children of your own, schedule one-on-one outings with them once a month. Those are precious times when they will open their hearts to you and will be more open to deep spiritual truths you’d like to impart. Those bonds will carry through your child’s teen and adult years.
• Neighbors –Do you have leftovers from a meal or big gathering? Knock on a neighbor’s door (particularly if they are single) and see if they would enjoy a portion. Invite them for ice cream or dinner sometime. Offer to get the mail, feed the pet, or mow the lawn when they are away. Listen to their stories. You never know when there will be an opportunity for teaching and learning.
• Employees – Remember that those who serve you as waitresses, checkers, and post office workers are people who also need connection and relationship. The time I have invested showing love to two grocery store employees has opened a door to study the Bible with a Hindu! It’s all about relationship. If you work, invest in building relationships with your colleagues, customers, and employers.

You will bless others−and you will be blessed−if you take time to make relationships a priority in your life.

What are two ideas you can incorporate into your week?

Written by Cami Urquidi, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brazil

When I thought about prioritizing the relationship, the first thing that came to mind was the call of Jesus to his disciples.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke. 5:4-11 NIV)

Why did I think of this passage specifically? I was recently reading the book of a brother in Christ, who worked in a company. The interesting thing is he related that working in a company was not his first priority (of course it was important to earn a salary to pay the family bills), but what was most valuable to him was using the environment to create relationships and lead souls to Christ.

In thinking about this passage where Jesus calls His disciples and they leave everything to follow Him, I reflected on the importance of prioritizing our relationship with God. Placing Him first in our lives, obeying His word and making it our daily bread, because obviously it's not just getting in the water and voilà, happily ever after. We must relate more intimately with God, get to know Him, show true change and show Jesus in our lives, using the spaces and environments that He gives us in our daily lives (such as work, school, the neighborhood store, etc.) to turn them into opportunities to lead disciples to Christ. It is not just about unifying our own relationship with God, but about creating new relationships with, for and through Christ.

1 John 4:11 says, " Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” So, we must remain in love just as God loved us to the point of giving His own son; and we must understand that loving others also means wanting them to relate to God. In a certain way, a person's love for God manifests itself in love for other people and the intentional desire for these people to relate with Christ. They become disciples who want to follow their Teacher, leaving everything because they recognize that the most important thing in life is to create a true and lasting bond with our Heavenly King.

I currently work as a coordinator of pedagogy in a language school, so my life ends up being quite social. It involves having to interact all day with teachers, co-workers, students, parents, neighbors, supermarket employees, the gas station, etc. add to that church members, etc. I am aware that God gives me opportunities to interact with people. The problem is getting past that barrier of “I want to be your friend” to “I want you to meet my Savior, who can also be yours if you decide to follow Him.” It has been a great challenge for me, but something that has helped me a lot is to remember that I am in this world because He wants to relate to all His children, and it is my duty to help them find the right path to the Father. Therefore, I try to avoid thoughts like “I'm going to work” and instead I imagine: I'm entering the space that God has prepared to show the way of His loving relationship to others.


Matthew 28:19-20 says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Preparing disciples to make more disciples. It’s not easy, for there will always be doors that close in our faces, but with Christ the path is light.

What opportunities in your life have you taken advantage of so that other people know and have a relationship with Christ?

Written by Anessa Westbrook, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

In Matthew 22:39, Jesus tells Christians to love their neighbors as themselves. Clearly, loving others is part of witnessing to them and this love can be seen through service. In Acts 9:36-43, we see the story of Dorcas. When she died, two men sought out Peter and asked him to come help. When Peter arrived, he was surrounded by mourning widows for whom she had made clothing. The need was clear; Peter was moved by this and raised her from the dead, allowing her to continue her service to the community.

This particular story is a clear example of the difference that someone can make in the lives of others. Were these women simply concerned about no longer receiving the clothing that Dorcas provided? Surely not! The detail of the two men coming to find Peter and asking him to help is an indication of the loss this community felt, and also that others perhaps felt at a loss to provide the help that was needed. The true gift that these widows received from Dorcas was something greater than merely a piece of clothing. Instead, Dorcas had provided both love and hope.

C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity writes,

Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. (p. 135)

In our modern society, we can help people see an alternate way of life and a Christian way of living that is in stark contrast to the world around us. Just as Israel and early Christians lived in a world needing hope, we, too, are surrounded by people who are desperate to fill the longing for hope that they feel in their souls.

In Ephesians 2:12, Paul reminds the Ephesian church that before they were Christians, when they were separate from Christ, they were without hope. He writes, “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (NIV). Sharing this hope is certainly the driving force behind our witness and ministry.

The Book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were being persecuted; yet in Hebrews 13 they are not called to focus on their own troubles but to serve. Hebrews 13:1-3 says,

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Just because the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were suffering, they did not have permission to get out of service or witnessing to others. Instead, they were to focus on how they lived, their purity, doctrine, and on finding ways to help others. What a challenge for us today! Often, we are overly focused on our own struggles as Christians, but if we refocus our attention on how we live, our purity, understanding our faith, and service, this puts things into greater perspective.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus teaches His followers not to worry about earthly concerns and problems. When Christians live this out, the lack of worry shows a confidence and hope that surpasses what many people will encounter in the world. This is attractive to a world that feels as if they have no hope. Showing that there is hope, and living day-to-day in a way that is different, is also an important part of our witness.

As Christians, we have both the responsibility and opportunity to show the world a different way of living, loving, and serving. Our hope in Christ is both the object and focus of our witness. Hopefully through our reflection on biblical hope, we can share with others the basis and potential of our hope.

• What are some specific ways that hope could affect and encourage our outreach to others?
• Hebrews 13:16 says not to neglect doing good and sharing, but what are the specific implications for the church if the majority of members were to neglect it?
• What are some specific areas in which you would like to see yourself more involved in helping the church, and what obstacles do you face in being able to do that?

Written by Claudia Pérez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama

As Christian women, our daily goal is to imitate Christ and walk as He walked, especially in the way that He loved, because this will reflect that we know God. So said the Master, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35 NIV). But how can we love as Christ loved?

Without a doubt, the meaning of loving as Christ loved is found in the book of John, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The expression "so loved" expresses the magnitude of God's love, a love so great that even though we were sinners, our God sacrificed His only Son to die for us.

First of all, to love as Christ loved, we must understand that sacrifice is required. The Lord gave Himself as a sacrifice for us; His body was martyred on the cross of Calvary because He loved us. If you and I want to love as Christ loved, how do we imitate that sacrifice? The apostle Paul tells us: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Rom. 12:1). Thus, this sacrifice consists of giving up ourselves and sacrificing our lives completely in the service of our God.

The Master also said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13), and it is with that love that Christ loved us and gave Himself up. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).

John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16 get my attention because of their similarity; in them I find the perfection of God in every way, showing us His great love and teaching us how to practice this great love towards our neighbors.

While it is true that today, while almost no one would die for any human being, we must understand that loving our neighbors requires sacrificing our desires and priorities for their good. The Master loved us not only by sacrificing His life and giving up Himself, but by enduring humiliation, and dying in the most humiliating way.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:6-8)

It is sad to see how we forget to imitate this way of loving when we allow there to be lawsuits between us, when we wrong our sisters, when we defraud our sisters, and let pride, revenge and injustice dwell in us. Many times, we think that forgiving or asking for forgiveness is humiliating. That thought is too often within us, and we forget about obedience to our God, and that love that was shown on the cross of Calvary. But this is not just a current problem; let's remember what happened in the Corinthian church. There were lawsuits among themselves, and they deceived each other and the apostle Paul exhorted them in this way, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?”(1 Cor. 6:7b)

Let us not allow Satan to gain advantage in our lives and tempt us to do wrong, knowing that God will exalt us on that day, and we will be obeying the greatest commandment,

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37-39)

To love as Christ loved is sacrifice, surrender, obedience, humiliation, suffering, and dispossession. It is giving our lives to the service of God and our sisters. My sisters, let us love as the Master has given us an example. If you have not yet given your life to the Lord, you have not allowed that love to take effect and be reflected in your life because you have not known God, and God is love.

To love as Christ loved is to give our lives unreservedly to God, but it is also to love our fellow man as ourselves. Are you willing to imitate the Master's love? Are you willing to love as Christ loved?