Outpour Magazine - May 2021 by Outpour Magazine

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Krystion Nelson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joy Shamberger COPY EDITOR Bryndle Bottoms CREATIVE DESIGN EDITOR Donald Currie, 12/24 Media

May. 2021 CONTRIBUTORS Laura Bailey DeVona Reese Elijah Robert Hope Moore Sarah Schurman Published by Issuu Inc. Cover/Article pictures: Envato Elements/Canva

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THEOLOGY EDITOR Ronald Obie

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Letter from Editor Joy Shamberger Editor-In-Chief

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We love you and are praying for you! God Bless!

20); keep the faith when your dreams don’t come true (page 22); and see Mary, the mother of Jesus, devotion to God and her Son (page 30). And lastly, meet the leaders of 704 Church in Charlotte, NC Pastor Thaddeus and First Lady Kristen Fennig (page 25). We would love for you to subscribe to our FREE magazine at outpourmagazine.com and share with your friends, coworkers, church members and family! And we’d love to hear from you! How are you waiting for God’s “best” in this season? Contact us and send us prayer requests at info@ outpourmagazine.com.

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“The best is yet to come” circled in my head early one morning as I prepared for the day. The refrain, “Remember in the valley, remember in the battle, that the best is yet to come” came specifically along with a tune. That phrase, “the best is yet to come” won’t be found in the Bible; however there are scriptures that are incredible, solid reminders that what God intends for us is best. Isaiah 64:4 NIV powerfully states “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” This declaration is similarly repeated in 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” And Philippians 1:6 NIV, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” promises the Lord’s faithful commitment to us. Ideally for me, “best” looks like God’s favor in the form of financial abundance, good health, flourishing relationships, a smooth running life, and all kinds of blessings. However, let us be mindful of not focusing on what we think is “best” or what often comes to our mind as to what that looks like for us. Trust that God knows what’s best – even when it may not look like what we’ve imagined or expected. Remember God is always moving, hallelujah! He is working in us and around us for His glory and our good. In this month’s issue, we invite you to meet a family that faithfully serves the Lord (page 14); learn how to live a spirit-filled life (page 8); and what it’s like to trust God as time seems to tick on by (page 12). Further, read about a young man’s testimony (page

Laura Bailey

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Meet This Month’s Contributors!

Elijah Robert DeVona Reese

Faithfully Living by God’s Grace

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Hope Moore

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Sarah Schurman

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Contents 30

In Every Issue:

A LITTLE GIRL’S DREAM

THE CHRISTIAN BOOKSHELF

FAMILY FEATURE STORY P A G E

PASTOR SPOTLIGHT

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A MOTHER’S OBEDIENCE & DEVOTION

EDITOR’S LETTER

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Pastor Spotlight

Meet Pastor Thaddeus and Kristen Fennig of 704 Church in Charlotte, NC.

Living a SpiritFilled LIfe

Allowing the Spirit to control our lives by dying to ourselves goes against human nature. But, as new creations in Christ, we can rely on the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit each and every day!

Family Feature: the Arrington Family

Meet the Arrington Family: Emmanuel and Traketta, and their two daughters, Zaria and Zoe. They talked to us about their faith in God; this season of growth and healing; and how God is shaping and molding their girls. SUBSCRIBE AT OUTPOURMAGAZINE.COM

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ARE YOU LIVING

SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE?

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BY LAURA BAILEY

On numerous occasions I have publicly asserted, ”The Lord is in control, we need not worry,” only to question God and His plan behind closed doors soon thereafter, doubting that He is really ever present and all powerful in both good and bad times (Eccl. 7:14). Instead of trusting in God’s goodness and faithfulness to us at all times, circumstances, not Christ, dictate my emotions. No surprise, that like a ball tossed and thrown about, my life begins to spin out of control. Our beliefs about the future (or worldview) shape how we live in the present. Granted, certain events occurring in our lives and abroad in our world do warrant genuine concern. Hope and joy spring from an eternal perspective grounded in God’s sovereignty. So, why do matters that are beyond our control cause us, God’s children, to pace and fret? Because we have exchanged the Lord’s everlasting promises for a peace that the world offers, which neither satisfies nor endures. Sadly, many Christians fail to remember that we are not permanent citizens of this world; like travelers, we’re only passing through what Saint Augustine called “the City of Man.” Jesus did not want to leave His anxious disciples with troubled hearts. Before He ascended into Heaven, “the City of God,” He promised to return one day to take them there to be with Him. Jesus also left them with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to help and inspire them. This person of the triune Godhead lives right inside of us; our redeemed bodies are His temple, His dwelling place! Yet, instead of relying on this awesome and powerful gift, we frequently silence the Spirit’s guidance and shun His help. Galatians 5:16-17 NKJV tells us

to “walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Mercifully, whenever we do come to our spiritual “senses,” Romans 12:9-18 outlines practical ways to be Spirit-led instead of situation-led. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Rom. 12:9-10 NIV) Despite circumstances, the Apostle Paul tells us to demonstrate sincere love toward our fellow man, the hallmark of a true disciple of Christ. This means turning our focus outward instead of centering it on ourselves. The world will know if our love for Christ is genuine by how we love one another. In a time marked by divisiveness, self-centeredness and intense hatred, a life characterized by kindness, gentleness and patience is a Spirit-filled, contented one. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Rom. 12:11-13 NIV) God’s people have a purpose—to enjoy God forever and to glorify Him in everything. Everything. Whatever our calling, our actions should be carried out with joy and enthusiasm, remembering that we work for

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God’s kingdom and glory. A deeper understanding of who God is and what He has done for us helps us to realize what a privilege this is, even if we suffer during the process. The NLT translates Romans 12:11 this way: “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” We can be joyful in hope because our hope is in Christ’s redemptive power and His promised return, not in headlines, a prognosis or a substantial raise. We will experience hardships, but faith that perseveres produces spiritual fruit, and peace is one of those fruits. Ironically, prayer tends to be one of the first things we neglect during trials, but Paul reminds us to remain in constant communion with the Lord and with others, too. The Greek word for “share” in the verse above means fellowship—the opening of our homes, our pocketbooks and ourselves to those in Christ and to those who are not.

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“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Rom. 12:17-18 NIV)

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@LauraBaileyWrites

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Indifference to the wickedness around us allows evil to thrive. Conversely, people often cite “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” from the Old Testament (Ex. 21:24) to justify retaliation for wrongdoing. However, the law wasn’t given to exact revenge but to convict us of sin and point us to a Savior. It was also given to enforce moral conduct and to establish order in a fallen world. Nonbelievers study Christians with a critical eye, looking for hypocrisy. Our lives are not to mirror the world, but look radically different. God does not hold us responsible for other people’s actions; but, we are accountable for our own and perhaps more so, our reactions, “Bless those who persecute you; bless which often prove more difficult to control in and do not curse. Rejoice with those who a Christ-like manner. A Spirit controlled life rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. is one that lives peacefully with others, and Live in harmony with one another. Do surrenders judgment and retribution to the not be proud, but be willing to associate only just and righteous one, the Lord. with people of low position. Do not be Allowing the Spirit to control our lives conceited.” by dying to ourselves goes against human (Rom. 12:14-16 NIV) nature. But, as new creations in Christ and by the indwelling presence and power of Walking away after an offense is difficult the Holy Spirit, we need not be anxious or because revenge seems to hold the solution afraid when life’s situations overwhelm us. to a wounded heart. Yet, God commands us Seek the Lord. We find Him when we pray, to treat our enemies as our friends, to pray read His Word and gather together with the for them and to forgive them as He forgave family of God for fellowship, worship and Holy us. That’s a very “tall order,” one that can Communion. And remember, “...the one who only be filled through the power of the Holy is in you is greater than the one in the world” Spirit. Most relationships experience conflict, (1 John 4:4 NIV). but we must endeavor as peacemakers, not troublemakers, to live harmoniously with one another, even our enemies, near and far. Regardless of our position or station in life, we cannot save ourselves; so believing in our own superiority is not only prideful, but also sinful. The Lord desires that all in the family of God work together in unity and love, bearing one another’s strengths and weaknesses. He has a unique plan for each individual child of Christ and has equipped us to fulfill His will. Unlike the Corinthians, who used their spiritual gifts to impress rather than build up one another, Paul charges us to celebrate with our spiritual brothers and sisters during times of success and Deeply burdened for Christian women who, like herself, commiserate alongside them during times of juggle marriage, motherhood, careers, church, and sorrow. We are all sinners, saved by grace that community, Laura candidly shares her daily struggles not one of us deserves. Recognizing that God and lessons learned to encourage them to live fully and abundantly in Christ. Connect with Laura on her blog, has shown mercy to any of us should humble www.LauraRBailey.com or on Facebook and Instagram: us beyond words.

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Proverbs 31:28 ESV

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I was looking through my vintage photo collection and I came across an old grandfather clock. The one thing that sticks out about grandfather clocks is the “ticking” sound. The sound seems to be never ending… tick, tick, tick. I try to ignore the sound, but it is almost like the clock is following me… tick, tick, tick. It reminds me that “time’s a ticking” when I hear the sound coming from the clock. But what does it mean when people say, “time’s a ticking”? For me a few things come to mind. One, it prompts me to think about the deadlines I have to meet and that I need to stop procrastinating. The other is, I think about what is taking God so long to answer my prayers. And I may not be alone in this thinking. I know God has His agenda, that His timing is perfect, and that I need to wait on Him. I will admit, it can be hard at times to trust Him and His timing when I feel like God is not listening. So, what do I do in the meantime, while I am waiting? I must move myself to dive deeper into His Word. One of my goals for the year is to focus on Psalm 37. This psalm is packed with wisdom pertaining to trusting, committing, and waiting on God. “Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely” (Psalm 37:3 CSB). The word “trust” is written 134 times in the Old Testament in the KJV Bible. But why is it so hard to trust? We sing songs about trusting and worshipping God; the Bible tells us repeatedly to trust God; we read books about trust; and we listen to the experiences of others about how they trusted God for a breakthrough. I must admit, I want to know the outcome of a situation before I make a decision. But if I had it my way, that would not be trusting God to guide me and direct me. I feel that like most people, if God gave me a glance at what was to happen in the future, I probably would not live my life fully. I would be overshadowed by fear and doubt, and would not rely on God. Further, committing to God and His Word is another aspect into trusting Him to

direct your steps. Commit, commit, commit. We need to unpack this word because it can seem like such a harsh word when you think about all that it entails. To be committed you basically take a pledge or agree to something even if you are not sure what the outcome will be. Now, I know some of you are thinking that “commitment can be hard.” We can ask ourselves all kinds of questions that could potentially cause us to change our mind about committing to anything – whether it’s a job, career, relationship, or an idea. Even becoming a Christian takes commitment. I remember when I committed to my first mission trip to another whole continent. That was scary! Even though I prayed about it and knew I had made the right choice, in the back of my mind I still wondered if I had made a commitment that I was not ready to fulfill. I enjoy serving people in need, but going to a third world country to do God’s work was not on my bucket list in the beginning. I had to trust God even about my commitment towards this trip. And yet, this showed me that if I could not trust God in this situation, then what else was I not trusting God about? I had to learn to trust and commit, as the psalmist says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act” (Psalm 37:5 CSB). I have told myself that I need to trust God and commit to His ways; now I must wait on Him. I am impatient when it comes to me wanting what I want at my exact moment and time. I do not want to wait until the stars align or until the time is right. There is that sound again. Tick, tick, tick…waiting for the clock to strike. What are you supposed to do in the waiting? I worry, doubt, and then feel guilty about worrying and doubting. God’s Word clearly says, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6 CSB). I have already prayed about what I am waiting for and I know God hears my prayers, so I have to ask

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What I have learned through reading and meditating on His Word is that God is always moving; He just needs you to be still.

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myself why am I worrying?” Do you ever sit back and ask God why He has not moved yet? What I have learned through reading and meditating on His Word is that God is always moving; He just needs you to be still. “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV). God answers, but if we are not listening to that small voice, we can miss the answer. God takes His time because only He knows when we are ready for whatever we are praying for. Maybe that job you are praying for is not the job for you; God has a better one. That person that you have been praying for may not be ready; God is working on them. Maybe He knows in the long run that you may not be able to afford that big house you want. We need to stop thinking that God is not listening, because He is. “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him” (Psalm 37:7 CSB). “Yes,” “no,” or “not right now” are His answers. And trust me, the wait will be worth it. So, how do we walk out this journey especially when the ticking sound does not seem to stop? Here are a few scriptures to answer the question.

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 CSB) “Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3 CSB) “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 CSB) Even though “time’s a ticking,” keep waiting, keep trusting, and stay committed to your Heavenly Father. DeVona Reese attends Transformation Church in Indian Land, SC and serves as an X-Team Member and Small Group Leader. She works at St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at Novant Health as a Clinical Research Associate. You can follow her on Facebook at DeVona Reese and IG @rubywisdom31

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Photos provided by the Arrington Family

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• City, State: Harrisburg, NC • Church: Multiply Church Concord • Favorite Family Activity? Game Night • One word to describe your family: Hardworking

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Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourselves: Who are the Arringtons? Emmanuel Arrington: We are a hardworking but fun family of four. Traketta and I are originally from Greenville, NC. We met in high school and have been together for 21 years and married for 15 of those years. We both attended UNC Charlotte for college and have lived in the Charlotte area ever since. I am a Senior Project Manager, and Traketta is an AIG (gifted education) teacher for Cabarrus County Schools. We have two beautiful daughters. Zaria is 13 and loves reading, music, and the performing arts. Zoe is 7 and is quite the artist. She loves to create, draw, and adores animals. We also have a furry daughter, a Malshi named Hazel. OM: What have been some of your best memories as a family? Traketta Arrington: Two of my favorite memories by far were the births of Zaria and Zoe. I’ve had 3 miscarriages, so both of their births were miracles! Zaria was born prematurely at only 3 lbs 12 oz, so the moment that I was finally able to hold her in the NICU was pure joy! Zoe’s birth was even more memorable because we got the joy of witnessing Zaria light up as she met her baby sister for the first time. My other favorite memories revolve around our regular family game nights. There’s always lots of laughs, especially because we are all very competitive (the girls and I love to gang up on Emmanuel as he is the most competitive of us all, Lol). Our favorite games to play together are Connect 4 Shots, Uno, Monopoly, and Phase 10. When we don’t have a game night, we have a movie night with all of our favorite snacks. Oh, and I can’t forget Christmas! We love Christmas in the Arrington house! So many traditions and awesome memories surround this holiday. One of my favorites is on Christmas Eve night. We always wear matching Christmas PJs, bake a birthday cake for Jesus’ birthday (to eat on Christmas Day), and read the Christmas story together before bed. EA: One of my favorite memories was our Disney Trip several years ago over the Christmas holiday. It was priceless seeing both

girls light up meeting several beloved characters 1-on-1 such as Cinderella and Mickey. The biggest kid at heart during the trip was Traketta [as it was] her first time at Disney. [She was able] to live out her childhood dreams alongside our girls. Another memorable moment was when our family was asked to be featured in WBTV’s commercial launch of their weather app a few years ago. We got to experience all the nuances of commercial making, and the level of concentration it takes to remember your lines. The final product may have been less than 20 seconds on screen in totality, but still to this day we get reminders from friends just how cool it was to see us on a commercial. OM: How would you describe this season in your family’s life? TA: Definitely a season of restoration! 2020 was a year of growth and healing. At the beginning of 2020, we were not in a good place individually nor in our marriage. Having a forced “pause” during the pandemic allowed us to spend more time in God’s Word, strengthen our prayer lives, and really reflect on the areas of our lives individually, in our marriage, and as a family unit that needed growth. It opened our eyes to the areas in which we needed to rip off the bandaid and start the healing process. We also sought Godly counsel, which was life changing for us as a married couple and as parents; never be afraid to seek counseling. We are not the same Emmanuel, Traketta, Zaria, and Zoe that we were at the beginning of 2020.

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God has restored our marriage and our family! We don’t take the things for granted that we used to. We are more intentional about the time we spend with and invest into each other. We are also all better communicators. We are so much stronger, more focused, and more committed than ever to God and to each other. OM: How has your faith been foundational in your family’s life? EA: We were both raised in church. We both come from a family of ministers so faith has been a solid foundation since childhood for us. Having both come from strong faith upbringings, it carried over into our dating relationship. When we were dating, we went to church together every Sunday, even throughout college. This also helped set the foundation for our marriage and as Godly parents. Home groups/tribes and faith-based counselors have been instrumental in our lives and have helped us get through some challenges. We do devotions together as a couple, and nightly devotions with the girls. Zaria is at the age where she has the Bible app on her phone and chooses her own devotions to read and help strengthen her prayer life. She has a journal where she writes what she learned and any scriptures she wants to remember. We feel that it is important for our girls to pray and have a personal relationship with God on their own. It is our hope that when they are older, they will not depart from it. TA: We also keep messages hung up on the girls’ bathroom mirror (scriptures, such as Psalm 139:14, and inspirational messages) just so they have that daily reminder of who they are and whose they are. OM: How have you been able to stay connected to your church and serve in ministry during the pandemic? TA: During the first few months of the pandemic, we still stayed connected to our church by attending services online. In the spring, I was asked to be a part of our online church ministry, where I would engage with others in the chat during online services. I really enjoyed the opportunity to be able to connect with others watching, especially those that were attending our online service for the very first time. I feel that this was especially needed during a time when people were longing for connection while the world was

basically shut down and in quarantine. One of the things I missed the most during the pandemic was serving on Frontline (our church’s worship team). In the Fall, I was ecstatic to be able to begin serving again in our worship ministry, and have continued to sing on our worship team regularly since then. During that time, (and with safety protocols in place) we all started attending services again in-person. I absolutely love to worship God through song and feel honored to have the opportunity to help lead others in worship as well. We also are a part of two tribes (home groups) at our church, and even during the pandemic we have been able to stay connected to them and meet monthly or bimonthly via Zoom. EA: I’ve had the pleasure of serving on two sub teams of our church’s First Impressions Ministry (first time guest services team/V.I.P, and the parking lot team). Serving in those positions are so impactful to a person’s experience coming to church no matter if it’s a first time guest or a regular attendee. You never know how much a smiling face, a genuine “How are you?” or “Good to see you again” would make someone happy they made the choice to attend today’s service. This brings me satisfaction that I’m a part of everyone’s experience even before [they] hear the first musical note of the first worship song or listen to the first scripture of that day’s sermon. OM: Your eldest daughter received a “purity/ promise ring” on her 13th birthday from you Emmanuel. How special! Can you tell us a little more about why you gave her that gift on this particular birthday and your love for your daughters as a father?

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EA: The ring given to Zaria represents my continual love and value of her. I gave it to her at this particular age of her becoming a teenager. As a teen you’re literally trying to find your place in the world and peer-pressure is one’s biggest adversary. I don’t want to sound cliche’ but I am and supposed to be my daughter’s first love; love of a father-daughter connection is priceless. I never want to allow the world to imprint on my girls a false sense of their worth measured by others, social media, and news. My goal is to have them know their value is more than what others label them. I want them to have a Godly foundation backed by my love for them. They are held on a pedestal, and when the right young man (husband) comes into their life, I want them to require his pedestal for them to be even higher, not equal, and most importantly not lowered. OM: In what ways are you teaching your children to love God and love others? EA: Mark 12:30-31 says to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, with all of your soul, and all your strength; and to love your neighbor as yourself.” It says that there is no commandment greater than these. We feel strongly that one of the most important things that we can teach and model for our daughters is how to show God’s love to their neighbors. We feel it is more important now than ever with all that is happening in our world today. We have tried to provide them with opportunities to show God’s love in action. One in particular that comes to mind was volunteering as a family for “Feed My Starving Children.” The 4 of us spent an early Saturday morning packaging food that would go to kids in several countries around the world. It was not through a church event, but was something that we decided to do on our own as a family. It brought such joy seeing the girls join us in laying our hands on the boxes and praying over the kids that those meals would feed.

This past Christmas, we purchased and donated toiletries and hygiene items to the Opportunity House (an organization that serves the homeless community in Cabarrus County). Zaria even spent some of her birthday money purchasing additional items that we could donate without being asked. During the pandemic when everyone was quarantined, we had the girls reach out to their friends with encouraging messages and Zoe even made bracelets for some kids in the neighborhood and dropped them off to their porches. We put an emphasis on them having a personal relationship with God, and also teaching them about the power of prayer and interceding for others. We pray with the girls every morning and every night before bed. We’ll ask them, “Have you talked to God today?” If there is something that they are struggling with or worried about, they know that they can not only talk to Mommy and Daddy, but can also talk to God. We have also taught them to stop immediately and pray whenever we learn of a prayer need of a family member or friend. OM: What are your hopes, prayers and dreams for your daughters, for their future? EA/TA: Our hope and prayer is that our girls will love God with all their heart, mind, body and soul; love themselves and remember who they are in Christ. It is our hope that they will grow in their gifts, talents, and abilities. That they will continue to work hard and not be afraid of failure. That they will never be ashamed of their walk with Christ, and be leaders and not followers. Proverbs 22:6 says to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” It is our prayer that our daughters will grow into phenomenal women that wholeheartedly love God, love others, and always seek His wisdom in every aspect of their lives. -OM

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T E S T I M O N Y

My Walk with Christ: A Testimony

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by Elijah Robert My name is Elijah Robert. I was born in Columbus, Georgia and when I was three years old, I moved to Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I grew up with my brother and sister in a Christian home, and I am blessed with parents who have done everything to build our foundation in Christ. We always did things as a family. The rules my siblings and I had to follow were strict in my house, but when I look back, I see it as my parents trying to create an unbreakable foundation in Christ. I’m now 20 years old and currently a junior majoring in finance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The question is, how did I get there? What’s my purpose in my life, and what’s next? “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV) As a freshman at UNCC, I originally majored in Electrical Engineering because I was excellent in math, and engineers make a good amount of money coming out of college. Also, while in college, I learned more about basketball, and decided to try out to be a walk-on to the school team. I also wanted to train to go to the NBA. My ultimate goal was to be rich so I wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again. I paid a trainer to do workouts and drills with me three times a week. I didn’t stress about missing deadlines for assignments because I was determined to make the school team next year and successfully make it to the NBA. I also lived the “college experience” which caused many distractions while taking engineering courses. By the time I realized I needed to pull myself together, it was too late. I underperformed in my finals and finished my first semester with a 0.45 GPA. I was put on academic probation and had to pull my GPA from 0.45 to 2.0, meaning I could only make A’s and B’s to stay in the University. Since I had a pretty strong foundation in God that my parents had instilled in me, I turned back to Him. The first semester I was going to church, but I still did whatever I wanted to do. I felt then, as long as I went to church, I was good.

For the second semester I needed a miracle, and I knew God would be the only one to do it. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13 KJV) That second semester I felt like a new person. I was always studying, to avoid getting kicked out of college. At first, I had a rough time adjusting, but still worked hard. I had counselors recommend that I try transferring to community college because they felt that I wouldn’t get the grades needed to stay in college. None of them believed I could do it, but I continued to use all the school’s resources and pushed through. In the middle of the semester, when I was making A’s, my counselors started to help me. I even had a counselor that spoke with me about my spiritual walk and to keep trusting in God to make it through. I ended the semester with A’s and B’s in my engineering courses, deciding after that day through Christ I can do anything. I found I didn’t enjoy an engineer’s lifestyle, so I decided to change my major to business still with a love of money in my heart. By my sophomore year, I only wanted God and God alone. He made me start seeing, hearing, and processing things differently. My main goal was to strengthen my relationship with Him; I always felt like I wasn’t close enough to Him as I wanted to be. Friends started realizing that I was behaving and acting differently, and didn’t support me trying to be a better man. They felt like I was missing out on “college fun”. I began to create a strong foundation for myself and wanted to help others learn about God. Never in my life had I imagined being in the place I am now with all that I’ve been through. I honestly should be dead, but my purpose hasn’t been completed yet. “And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 KJV)

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“Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’”(John 14:6 KJV)

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Previously, in the summer of 2020, God had also placed on my heart to create a school organization for Christian men, called “Kingdom Men.” In this organization, we encourage college men to take their spiritual walk with God to the next level as well as give insight into the problems we all are going through while advising each other on how

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“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV)

to handle them. We also help the guys to have a stronger relationship in Christ and live the life God wants them to live. We should give God 100% of our lives so we can carry out the purpose He has called us to. This is personally my greatest achievement in trying to encourage others in their walk with Christ. To answer the question of what my purpose is, I still don’t know. I do know it ultimately is to: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV). I’ve shared my testimony to simply say, if you are continually seeking God and trying to find out what He wants you to do, just keep seeking Him. He will show you. God has a plan at the end of the day. Don’t give up, continue to follow Him and He will make a way. Even when you think you’ve got everything you need, you can always make your relationship stronger with Him. He does everything for a reason! Just continuously seek Him, never give up, and live for God’s approval and not the approval of others.

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During the second semester of my sophomore year, everyone was told to go back home because of the coronavirus. I knew God would protect my family and me, and that He would make a breakthrough at the end of it. I was happy. I was able to head back to my hometown and live with my parents. I missed them, and I love hearing their wisdom. God gave me peace at this time while many people were dying and friends were getting the coronavirus, having uncertainty if they would live or not. I took four courses throughout the summer to catch up with my classification and was blessed with a job working an average of 70 hours a week at a hospital. Work-ethic is one of my strong traits so I would work for any amount of time at any hour of the day or night. I enjoyed making a lot of money, but I never put it before God this time. God was number one in every area of my life, but I felt as if He put my want for money in me for a reason. I would fast about my purpose and get uneasy about what I should be doing. In the beginning of my junior year, I changed my major to Pre-business, but contemplated which major to choose throughout the semester. I still worked many hours at the hospital and continued to do well in my schoolwork. I ended up testing positive for the coronavirus at the end of 2020 from being continuously exposed at the hospital. I didn’t have any schoolwork because we were on winter break so while quarantining, I spent time reading my Bible and trying to tap into whatever God was trying to tell me. I concluded that God wanted me to live my life, stay in Him, and He would guide me. Whatever He has for me, that’s precisely where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing. Going into 2021, I drastically changed the number of hours I was working to spend even more time with God. With this extra time, I was also able to apply to internships through which I was blessed to receive multiple internship offers.

Elijah is a junior at UNC Charlotte majoring in Finance. He lives in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and enjoys spending time with his family and discussing topics in the bible with people. He currently works as a Patient Liaison at Vidant North Hospital and will be working as a Summer Financial Analyst for Citibank. His passions are traveling the world, cooking, and meeting new people. He virtually attends Word Tabernacle Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

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grief, and despair. However, when tragedy strikes her sister’s family, Christy is able to offer profound words of wisdom from her own painful experience. “Sometime life doesn’t turn out the way we pictured it, so we have to give our picture over to God and let Him draw us a new one.”

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What is your Paper Dream?

A Little Girl’s Dream By Sarah Schurman Years ago I watched a film about a young girl named Christy, who had a big dream. The film opens with Christy standing in front of her class holding a piece of paper on which she had drawn in simple childish art what she wanted to be when she grew up. There was a little house, a fence, a man and a woman surrounded by three children. The girl proudly announces that when she grows up she wants to be a wife, a mother, and live in a beautiful house. As she shares her paper dream with the class, the scene shifts to show us Christy, her husband, a lovely home in the background and three children. Scenes change again and the camera pans to a van getting ready to pull out of the driveway and tunes into a conversation between Christy and another woman in the passenger seat as they talk about her babysitting the children. The children Christy has with her are not hers, but her sister’s. She did not have any children of her own, something she desperately wanted. And although she was happy to babysit her nieces and nephews, underneath her smile there was the familiar look of one whose dream was still that, a mere dream. Later, just as Christy’s paper dream is about to be realized, it suffers a shattering blow. Her perspective of God is challenged in her anger,

Every one of us has had a dream, a picture of what our life would be. And I think I can safely say most of us are living a life far from the one we’ve dreamed. When I was little, people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I always said a wife and a mother. I longed to have a family of my own to care for, nurture, and love. I dreamed of making memories in the kitchen, baking cookies, having adventures in the backyard, and tucking my children in at night after reading them a bedtime story. I want to be fully transparent because I believe there is someone out there who needs me to be. To have lived your entire life holding on to that dream, one that is a good one, and see others receive what you have longed for is not easy. My life, though filled with many blessings, is not at all what I pictured when I was a little girl. I had a deep longing to see my paper dream fulfilled and wanted it more than anything else. More than anything else. These words pierce my soul because it was the hard truth of what I had allowed that dream to become and I had to ask myself some difficult questions: • Had my paper dream, a dream I created, become more important than God? • Had I allowed its unfulfillment to cause me to believe an untruth about God? • Were these unfulfilled dreams making me discontent with the life I had been given by God? Just like Christy, our manmade dreams of what we think our life should be, has the power to alter our view of God. We think that because what we desire is a good thing, we are entitled to our dream, and when we don’t get it we become discontent and miserable. That is a dangerous place to put ourselves and makes us vulnerable to Satan’s attack because we are not grounded in truth, but lies. Our idea of how our life is supposed to be can lead us to disappointment in God, and disappointment over something He never promised us. Christy’s encouragement was life-changing, “We need to give our picture over to God and let Him

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Sarah was born in Germany and loves expressing her faith through writing. She uses her gifts for the Lord and to make a difference for Him. Graduating from Gardner Webb University with a degree in Graphic Design, she decided to use it to create a Christian magazine for women called “Sit Still my Daughter,” built around the verse found in Ruth 3:18. Her desire is to strengthen women in their walk with God and encourage their hearts. She lives with her mom and her sweet cat Mia in Greenville, SC.

We have a choice to make. We can hold onto our dreams even as we watch the chance for them to come true slip away, or we can let go and place them in the hands of a loving God. I understand this is not as easy as it sounds; we are emotionally invested in our paper dream. Tears are to be expected, not ones of anger or bitterness, but grief and a sense of loss will be felt. For the single girl who needs to release her paper dream of being married, it’s okay to cry. For the wife who needs to release her paper dream of having children, it’s okay to cry. For the woman who lost her parent, spouse, or child, it’s okay to cry. Tears are a gift; they are part of the process of letting go and are necessary. While tears are a step in the process they are not a state to reside in. Take the time to cry, just be sure you don’t stay there. Some other helpful tools can be to: • Write it down. Empty your soul out on

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paper, give every detail of your paper dream, then follow with words of surrender. Writing it out has the power to give closure, so find a quiet place, grab some ink pens, and a journal. • Find a friend. One of God’s most precious blessings to us is a friend. Seek out a trusted friend who you can share your feelings with, someone who will listen, cry, and pray with you. Dreams are not a bad thing. However, when they consume us, they seize possession of a place that is not theirs, but God’s. We are told to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37). This means that with everything in us, we are to love the Lord. He is to take precedence over everything else including our paper dreams, even good ones. I would like to challenge us, myself included, to examine our hearts and see if there is anything there that has taken first place over God. Remember that we can trust God with everything, including our dreams, because His are always better. How can we be sure? Because He is good. He is our Heavenly Father and is incapable of being anything but good. His intentions are always for good and we can trust Him 100 percent. It is not an easy thing to do, but the rewards are a heart that is filled with a peace that passes all understanding because it knows all is well. Don’t ever be afraid to give your paper dreams to God. He loves you more than anyone else and knows you like no one else, which means He understands your needs. Sometimes when we finally let go of our dreams, God draws us a new one that looks similar to the old one. I have heard countless stories of just such. Other times, He doesn’t and that is okay because He is good. I pray you don’t ever forget that truth; God is always good. Believe it and rest in it.

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draw us a new one.” That is an action of surrender; that is someone saying, “God, I want what you want not what I want. You are in control of my life; you created me for a purpose and only you know what my life should look like.” Before Christ went to the cross, He spent the night in prayer, not only asking for the cup to be taken away, but also for God’s will to be done. Can we say the same about our attitude? I believe this story is such a beautiful illustration, which is one of the reasons it has stayed with me all these years. Christy said God would make us a new picture. Many of us feel as if our paper dreams are gone because of the many mistakes we have made, that we blew our chance at having such a dream. I know that I regret many choices I’ve made, but I also know a wonderful truth about my God. He is One who loves to give second chances. He is the One who can restore and make all things new (Rev. 21:5). All you have to do is give Him your picture. This is another truth about God: He will never demand or rip anything from your hand. He just patiently waits until we are ready to let go, to come to Him and release what’s in our hands so He can fill it with something new. Most times we are afraid to let go of our drawing out of fear that His will not be good. But remember, He is good; that is who He is and He cannot change. We can completely trust Him and release our dreams knowing that His designed plans are so much better than any we could draw.

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Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourselves and your ministry. Thaddeus Fennig: We met in 2009 playing volleyball on the beach in Southern California. I grew up in south Alabama and went to school at Taylor University in Indiana and had a one-way ticket to Southern California in May of 2007. Kristen grew up in NorCal and went to Azusa Pacific University and went to Orange County the same month of the same year that I did. We jokingly and seriously say God was keeping us apart, so we could grow up a little bit… Kristen Fennig: We were both bartenders in cities right next to each other and normally you run in the same circles, and we didn’t thankfully. We were both Christians, our whole lives, but just not in the best spots. TF: We were officially dating two weeks after [we met]; got engaged the turn of the year and were married in July of 2010. We tell people in premarital counseling that if you are attracted to your spouse, love Jesus - meaning committed to love Him more than you love your spouse - and view marriage as a covenant, it can work. It’s going to be hard, whatever you do; but if those three things are there, I think you can make it work. Prior to our move to Charlotte, N.C., I was in a church planting residency with a church called Rockharbor and they were developing me, giving me opportunities to do ministry and preach. In the fall of 2015, we moved to Charlotte to start a church. It was called Rockharbor Charlotte, originally north of the city and God moved us south of the city to Indian Trail, which we had never heard about. We launched the church on Easter 2016 so a couple of weeks ago was technically our five year anniversary. I am lead Pastor and Kristen is the First Lady we’ve adopted that title because we haven’t heard that term before we came out here (laughs). Our church is nondenominational. It has a blend of people from all over. Recently we’ve been getting a lot more southerners - but we have people from the midwest, and the northeast, Seattle, and Florida. We had very few Charlotteans. Over the last six months we’ve had more and more that were born and raised in North Carolina. And we have a lot of young families. I would say I’m the average, and I’m 37… KF: The average demographic in Indian Trail is 34.5 and we’ve found that that has been very accurate [for our congregation]. We just had four babies born this fall. And lots of grandparents. TF: I think a key piece of our community and

what I like to be is authentic. Not put on a charade. I know sometimes people need scripts and stuff like that - but [authenticity] is what you will notice if you come to 704 Church. We are who we are and we take Jesus seriously and want to worship excellently; but we can laugh at ourselves and say the wrong thing. Most of the people in our church are pretty authentic. We want to show our scars but not bleed on people. It’s ok to be wounded. You don’t want to make people feel terrible about what they’ve been through. Come as you are - spiritually, physically - whatever is going on we want to have a wide door for you to come in and encounter Jesus. KF: When we got married, he was getting his master’s in education. He was a high school history teacher. I started a master’s in marriage and family therapy. We were not going in the direction of ministry at all. And both of us didn’t feel very equipped. People had told him since he was young that just like his father and grandfather, he was going to be a pastor. And he was like “No, no, no” (laughs). The only Word from the Lord that I had ever received and had felt it was spot on, was when I was at this prayer gathering and a guy was speaking to me and said “your husband is being trained up for you right now, in ministry, and you and him are going to go out and lead the nations.” And I was like a pastor’s wife? No (laughs). But the Lord has a sense of humor. I know God’s redemption and His grace and mercy, like nobody else. Just what he’s brought me from and saved me from. God made it so apparent as soon as we got married, as we were asked to lead this ministry, or start this ministry or come to this meeting for people who want to preach. Thad was like “why am I here?” So things just kept happening and the Lord just kept pushing us and pushing us. Fast forward five years later and we are church planting in Charlotte. OM: Can you tell us where God is leading you and your ministry? And talk about the call of obedience to wherever God is taking you. KF: The biggest shift was the move 2,400 miles away from all our church family - we had an incredible core group of people. There were 50 people that our pastors were like “go and plant a church ten mintues away” because Huntington Beach is huge. We thought for sure we would stay. God kept calling us, kept calling Thad to preach and everyone kept affirming and edifying the call on his life. And in the church planting residency, they asked if we saw ourselves staying around for the next 10-20 years. We were like, hmmm. We’re both not from here. Raising kids in Southern California just didn’t

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feel right to us. They said why don’t you be obedient to that [thought] and put places on your prayer list - some out of state and some in California. TF: My pastor met with me at the time and said, “it’s not a question of if you’ll be a pastor but when. And maybe God is teaching you things out here that He wants you to take somewhere else.” That was way before we knew Charlotte well. KF: So we put five places on the map. Charlotte was on the list because Thad has always thought it would be a great place to raise a family. I’ve never been east of Dallas, Texas except to visit his family in Alabama. So he said let’s put Charlotte on the map and I said ok, that sounds darling (laughs). We also put Tampa, because he had family there. And three places in Orange County, C.A. Orange County is huge and there are not nearly enough churches to reach the people there. And we took one month to pray. We had prayer gatherings, with 50 people at each prayer gathering, praying, seeking the Lord, sharing visions that they had while they were praying. It was crazy. And each month we asked the Lord for our desire for the place He had for us to increase but decrease for everywhere else. We [visited] Tampa and just felt this indifference. And then we landed in Charlotte. Rocharbor flew us out there and as soon as we landed and throughout the week, it was confirmation after confirmation that this felt like home. And I cried the whole week, thinking “oh we’re going this far. I’ve got to leave everything.” I was 1,800 hours into becoming a counselor through my master’s program and I lost all of those [hours] to move. TF: We were reading two books: Dallas Willard “The Spirit of Disciplines” and Ruth Haley Barton “Sacred Rhythms.” You asked about obedience to God’s call but I think people have the opportunity to do either thing. I believe that God cares less about what you are doing than how you are doing it. So if you marry person A or B, you could do both of them terribly. Or this job or this job. We were like “we’re open; we really want to be called.” And one of the steps was to make the decision and keep it private and live our life for a week as if we’ve made the decision and see where we were at. So we felt that it was Charlotte, but were reticent to share that with people. Just a big shift, even though everything up to that point had really pointed to [Charlotte]. I took two nights to go camping and pray. It was by a surf spot so I was surfing a couple of times a day. Other than being really terrified fish

are under you, surfing is pretty peaceful. You are isolated. I was journaling and wrote down a question “what am I afraid of ?” I grew up as a pastor’s kid which can be pretty challenging. I kept writing that question down. I went surfing and I was praying for a literal burning bush moment. In my mind it was going to be a dolphin with a bottle in its mouth with a letter (laughs). As I was surfing, four or five other guys came out and I’m keeping my distance from them, as a courtesy. I get a wave and come out and a guy is like “that’s a great wave.” And I’m like “thanks.” The guy stays next to me, even as his friends drift off. Asking me numerous questions. I was a little annoyed as I was also praying, thinking this guy is interrupting God speaking to me. He kept asking me questions, about my work and I was vague. But then I told him I was in a church planting residency, praying about where God wants us to plant a church. By this time, I was thinking maybe this was the guy God wanted to talk through. This reminded me of the verse where Moses goes into the tabernacle and speaks to God face to face, like a friend to a friend (Ex. 33:11). And that’s what it was. I thought the clouds would darken; there’d be a rainbow or something. It was just super calm. And he said really simply, “sometimes when you are afraid, it’s because you don’t know what’s next. And you need to trust God and take a step of faith.” And I was like, “are you an angel?” And then he was like “ok have a good day” and paddles back with his friends.

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For us I think we were afraid. And it has looked so different. Actually people prayed that - that the church we would lead would look different than what we thought. And we were like no, we know what it’s going to look like. And the people that are at our church now, we only knew two of them before we started leading the church. And we never thought those two would be a part of the church, because they lived up in New Jersey. There’s a hundred or so adults and a bunch of kids and we didn’t know any of them. There were all these pieces. We had never been through some of the struggles or joys of ministry. So really trying to listen to God. He’s speaking all the time. And often when we pray we just want to start talking to Him rather than listen to what He’s been saying. KF: What I am more afraid of is living outside the will of the Lord. And I do feel like if we had made the decision to stay [in Orange County], it would’ve been fine - we would continue our lives and figure it out; but it wasn’t what He had for us. Whether bad or good, whether we are going to face struggles - and we did - I want to live in the will of God. And if [Charlotte] was where He was leading us, then we had to go. OM: I love your tagline of “follow, become, do.” Can you please talk more about that and how this is evident in the daily Christian walk? TF: I’ve preached on this idea a couple of times but it is the discipleship call. Jesus calls us to follow Him. And if you read the scriptures and understand Rabbinic disciple relationships, the goal of the disciple was to have an entirely holistic life with the Rabbi. Everything they thought, you thought; every emotion they had, you had; every action they were doing, you did. So follow is the first step - can you leave what you are doing and come follow me? (see Matt. 4:19). And as you follow, you become like the Rabbi. The disciples start to change, one by one. Then Jesus says clearly “now you go out and do what I’ve been doing, and you’re going to do greater things” (see Matt. 28:19-20; John 14:12). We adopted this from Rockharbor because I think it’s so clear to what discipleship is: follow Jesus, become like Him and do what He did. Jesus is still alive; He’s doing things. He’s still working and partners with us. The follow part is the first step. Are you willing to leave what you have and follow Jesus, because He is in authority whether you’ve allowed him to be over your life or not. And He is the only way that can rescue you from the punishment of your

own doing and your sin. And if you will actually say yes, you will experience the best life you could have ever lived. Because He created you for this life. He knows you and He loves you. And He wants the best for you. Doesn’t mean it’s the easiest, wealthiest or the most beautiful; but it’s what you were designed for. And that’s my passion. Also this helps as a church to anchor what we do - are we encouraging people to follow Jesus, and how we are becoming like Him, through life groups, marriage ministry and even your own personal growth. It’s really hard sometimes when people say they are not getting fed anymore. And the question I would ask them is how are you feeding yourself ? People have a notion that I am going to go to church on Sunday to get fed; but there are 160 other hours in the week for you to get fed, so don’t rely on a pastor or church. That becoming doesn’t just happen on Sundays or Wednesday nights. It’s every day. So daily disciplines in the Word and being a person of prayer - those make you more like Christ. If you take an hour to study His Word on your own, you become more like Him because He actually took hours to talk to God. And hours talking to people about scripture. OM: What about the Holy Spirit? Why do we need Him in our lives and how can we rely on Him each and every day? TF: When it comes to the Holy Spirit something that we’ve been talking about as a church is we want to be receptive and responsive to Him. Receptive meaning are you listening - like when the Holy Spirit gives you a bump. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work and speaking. And we want to be responsive to it. Don’t just ignore it. If you

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think of an old friend to call, and you say, man I should call them. Call them right then. If there is someone that you should pray for, stop right there and pray for them. The Holy Spirit comes into everything we do, but particularly in a sermon, and on Sundays and in groups, we say “prepare like there’s no Holy Spirit, but then preach like there’s no preparation.” Make a good plan - don’t just go up there and wing it - but be open if God wants to do something. And I want to be open to be used by Him.

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OM: And lastly, what is the role of the church and the pastor in today’s society? KF: The role of the church is the same that it’s always been. Jesus has never changed and I don’t think the bride of Christ should ever change. It needs to be consistent to constantly challenge the believer, to edify people and affirm them. The church also needs to be consistent with teaching the Bible. And comforting the broken and calling people into relationship with Him. The church needs to continue to stay the same and not try to get people back into the church with cliche advertising. We just need to remain consistent to what God has called us to, and that’s teaching the Word of God and calling people into relationship with Him. -OM

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TF: I think the challenge is that people prayed before things - before meals, before surgeries, before job interviews. And the way people prayed is the opposite of the Lord’s prayer (see Matt. 6). They start by the things they need, and this is one of the last things found in that prayer. He first says honor who your God is, our Father in Heaven whose name is holy. And then finally would you give me my needs for the day. We need to understand that the first thing we do when we pray is to listen and participate with what God is doing. Eugene Peterson has a great book called “Working the Angles” and it’s on pastoral ministry. He has this brilliant teaching that basically says God speaks first. He spoke the world into creation and is speaking now. Anything that we say and really anything that we pray is a response. Our prayer shouldn’t be a litany of things we need; it should be a pause. How that plays out in our church is that we pray before

service every week and oftentimes we give people time to respond in prayer. We worship after our sermon. And we train our people by telling them when people come up to pray, take 30 seconds, maybe a minute to listen to what God might want you to pray for. Prayer is more than a list of what God can do for you; He wants to speak into your life about the situation. A personal method that I use - Francis Chan preached on it one time - he says before you pray, meditate on Isaiah 6, where Isaiah sees the Lord, holy and exalted; high and lifted up; and the train of His robe fills the temple. When you can see how grand God is, see how you pray differently. And Jesus clearly prioritized prayer. And if we are going to “follow, become, do” - Jesus went away and hid from people; He’d leave before anyone woke up to go spend time with the Father. Right before He gets crucified, He’s praying. If He was doing it being both human and God - then we too should be people cultivating that practice. P A G E

OM: Talk a bit about prayer. Why is prayer still essential in the life of every believer? KF: I grew up in a church where prayer wasn’t emphasised. If I wanted to lead prayer, it was a stern no. In my prayer life, I didn’t even come to know the Holy Spirit until I got to college - when I rededicated my life. That’s when I realized that I could talk to the Holy Spirit, like a friend to a friend. The more I’ve come to know the Lord in prayer, I equate it to talking to my spouse. If I never talk to him and ask him how he is doing or express frustrations, we are never going to have a relationship where there’s no walls between us, [a relationship] that’s authentic and real. This is how I view my relationship with the Lord. If I can’t say I’m sorry and repent for the things that I’ve done, we can’t continue to have the solid relationship that we do. If we aren’t praying or haven’t prayed in a long time, then there’s this wall up. And you better get on your knees and repent from whatever is stopping you. The Lord is standing at the door and He’s asking you to open it (Rev. 3:20). He’s right there - asking you to open the door and come inside. And melt that hardness and unforgiveness of your heart that’s keeping you from Him.

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A Mother’s Obedience and Devotion - even in a Dilemma By Hope Moore

Mother’s Day is special in many ways. It is fitting that the world sets aside a special day for those of us who love in a way that is most closely depicted by how God loves us - unconditionally and sacrificially. And while we celebrate our own mothers or our own motherhood, let’s remember the most famous of all mothers: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her story is one of love, obedience, devotion and commitment - to God first and to her beloved Son. Journey with me as we start from where Mary’s story begins…. Joe has finally popped the question Mary has said “Yes!” She is excited, happily making last minute wedding plans, happily humming the hit tune by The Dixie Cups, “Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married…” And then it happens - Boom! Out of the blue Mary gets a visit that turns her world upside down (Luke 1:26-38). Mary has just gotten the news that every young Jewish woman longed to hear - that her child would be God’s promised Messiah! With the angel’s visit, Mary has only one question - “How can this be since I am a virgin?” Gabriel answers - the Holy Spirit will make you pregnant (Luke 1:35). Then Mary answers Gabriel (Luke 1:38) “I am the Lord’s servant...may it be to me as you have said.” And with this answer, Mary creates a huge dilemma for herself. Mary has agreed to bear a child and risk losing Joe, her family and even her life!

Can you imagine the disbelief of Joe and his family, and even Mary’s family? Thankfully, God quickly intervenes and Gabriel visits Joe and confirms Mary’s story! Joe then immediately takes Mary into his home. Scholars believe Joe wanted to protect Mary from gossip and the townspeople. As mothers, dealing with life can be hard. Oftentimes just like Mary, we find ourselves in a dilemma, sometimes of our own making. Then other times, dilemmas happen through no fault of our own - a sick child, an unexpected child, a special needs child, a wayward child or no child. Or having to deal with motherhood while taking care of elderly parents, living with an abusive spouse, unemployment, career challenges, personal sickness and even unexpected deaths. The fact is life happens and like Mary, we have to make difficult choices. Remember, Gabriel told Mary God wants her to bear His Son. So Mary has to choose - either Joe or God. Let’s look again at her response to Gabriel: “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your Word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38 NIV). Mary makes her choice! She chooses her God. In other words, she chooses to trust God. Now Mary doesn’t know everything that will be required, but she knows her God. As Mary faces her dilemma, she sings a song of praise. Did you catch that - a song of Praise!

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“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46-55 NIV) Mary has joy because her heart is filled with God’s Word. Further, Mary knows the joy of serving God outweighs everything else! Now - Mary’s actions beg the question: What about us? How will we respond when a dilemma shows up? Will we be able to make the declaration: “I belong to the Lord - body & soul; I will trust Him?” Mary was only able to make this declaration because she knew her God intimately! The only way we will be able to make this same declaration is because we too must know our God intimately! We have to know that He is the Great I Am! That He will continue to be who He has always been. My mom used to say “You can’t make me doubt Him! I know too much about Him!” Similarly you can’t convince me God is not real! I’ve seen Him show up too many times in my life. Again, we have: 1. Mary’s Dilemma and Ours: God chose her and God has chosen you - will you choose Him? 2. Mary’s Declaration - “I belong to the Lord! Now the question is - Did Mary live out her declaration? Living out a declaration is hard - usually it requires immense trust, immense commitment and immense sacrifice. And yes, Mary lived out her declaration! Her devotion is first evident through her intimate knowledge of God’s Word, shown through immediate action of obedience

to God. Without hesitation she accepted the challenge to be used by God. Even after Jesus’ birth, Mary honored the Lord by circumcising Jesus and presenting Him in the Temple (Luke 2:22-24). Mary knew there was always joy in honoring God. And Mary continues to display her love as a mother to her child by living out the principles in Deuteronomy 6:1-7 of loving the Lord and teaching her children to do the same. As a mother, imagine Mary’s joy, her pride, and her hope as she witnesses and hears about the wonderful life changing deeds “her Son” is initiating across Israel. Then on the opposite end, imagine her distress, fear, anxiety, anger, and hopelessness as she witnesses the opposition, the rejection, the lies, and the misunderstanding that her Son faces, again across Israel. Finally there is no example which shows Mary’s devotion more than Mary’s actions while her Son Jesus hangs dying on the cross. Mary’s love - a mother’s love - places her at the foot of Jesus’ cross. Even though she knows - maybe even knew before He was born - that Jesus was God’s sacrificial lamb, born to die for the sins of the world, Jesus is also her baby boy, her first born, suffering immensely as He dies. And finally witness Mary’s greatest act of devotion - seen as she worships Jesus, her Savior, after the Resurrection. Moms, we see

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Mary’s deep devotion being displayed through one day, God will show you that your labor, your obedience, and your devotion was not in her actions to her God and God’s Son. And vain! Happy Mother’s Day! you may be thinking - “well this is Mary chosen by God to carry God’s only Son! I can’t possibly do what she did!” But we too can decide to make a life changing declaration, as commanded by God in Deut. 6:5 NIV, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” But just as importantly, after making this declaration, is to honor and live it out daily - to be devoted to it. And when dilemmas show up, we will be able to navigate them successfully, and even joyfully! Mary implemented and lived out the principles of Deuteronomy 6 in her home God’s Word was paramount. It maintained first priority in her home, as: • It was taught. • It guided decision making. • It was lived out. Moms, if we truly love our children and want to ensure they are successful, this is the absolute best way. Love God with everything you have! Teach His Word, His commands to your children again and again. All the time: when they wake up; when they eat breakfast; on the way to school; at lunch time; at snack time; in the car ride home; on the way to practice; on the way home from practice; at the dinner table; and before bed. Other ways to teach and talk about God: • Whenever a teachable moment arises illustrate God’s truth, especially in hard situations. • Set aside time for family devotions - to read God’s Word and pray. • Read Bible stories about God at bedtime Hope Moore serves as First Lady alongside • Put music, games, and videos about God her husband Dr. Clarence C. Moore at New on iPads, phones and electronic devices Era Church in Indiannapolis IN, where they And don’t just talk about God to your have been in pastoral ministry for over children; demonstrate and live out God’s 30 years. She also directs and oversees Word in your home! Let that Deuteronomy “Operation More Hope,” an afterschool 6 spirit permeate your lives daily! And to program aimed at helping school-aged all the mothers and mother-types: Moms, children improve their literacy skills. First Lady adoptive moms, birth moms, foster moms, big Moore was just the recipient of the Jefferson mommas, auntie moms, godmoms, mentor Award for her efforts. You can learn more moms, teacher moms, and especially those about her and her husband’s ministry, New Era Church and Operation More Hope here: grandmas - stay devoted to loving God, nne.org serving Him and teaching your children. And

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