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A Prayer about God’s Best Plan for Us

by | Jan 26, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel Coaching

A Prayer about God’s Best Plan for Us

All-seeing God,

It is near the end of January, 

and many of us have already seen good plans 

we made through prayer and counsel, disrupted.

Whenever our plans on this earth are disrupted or diverted, 

help us to remember what a great promise you gave the Israelites, 

even as you sent them into captivity:

“You will be in Babylon for seventy years. 

But then I will come and do for you 

all the good things I have promised, 

and I will bring you home again” (Jeremiah 29:10).

“In those days when you pray, I will listen. 

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 

I will be found by you,” says the Lord.

“I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. 

I will gather you out of the nations 

where I sent you and will bring you home again 

to your own land” (Jeremiah 29:15).

Lord, even as you promised to return the Israelites 

to the land you created for them, 

you promise to take us out of the captivity of our sin and sorrow 

and return us to the new heavens and the new earth, 

to restore our fortunes beyond our wildest plans or dreams. 

In the day when Christ returns to take his people home to you, 

we will truly be home forever. 

May we look and lean toward that wonderful day.

In Jesus’ hope-full name. Amen. 

Read Jeremiah 29:10-15; Revelation 21:1-5.

Resisting Resistance: 3 Ways to Reach Our Goals

by | Jan 12, 2021 | Gospel Coaching, Weekly Gospel Meditation

Resisting Resistance: 3 Ways to Reach Our Goals

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:1-2

Have you made plans, good plans, plans to enjoy and glorify God in specific ways? If so, expect resistance. Author Steven Pressfield nails the heart of resistance:

“Resistance’s goal is not to wound or disable. Resistance aims to kill. Its target is the epicenter of our being: our genius, our soul, the unique and priceless gift we were put on earth to give and that no one else has but us.” (Steven Pressfield, The War of Art, 15).

Pressfield’s resistance sounds uncannily like the devil, who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Whenever we make plans to multiply God’s glory, the devil will seek to destroy our mission. The “father of lies” (verse) especially enjoys shutting us down with shame, telling us, “You’re not…smart enough, strong enough, old enough, young enough, good enough….”

As Ephesians 2:3 points out, the world also puts up resistance to our plans. Your roommates oppose your exploration of Christianity, because it makes them feel guilty; your bestie mocks your attempts to quit drinking because you are her bar buddy; your husband sabotages your diet because he loves your famous buttermilk biscuits.

Finally, our own sin nature creates resistance—like Adam and Eve before us, we enjoy “gratifying the cravings of our flesh” (Ephesians 2:3). As we seek to finish writing our book, start our exercise program, or begin a Bible reading program, our sin weakens us, and we cave to our cravings (Ephesians 2:10).

If we are to accomplish the good works God has created us in Christ to do, we must resist resistance. But how? Faith, hope, and love are our best weapons.

1. “Through faith,” remember the gift of redemption (Ephesians 2:8): You are alive. Not dead in sin. Alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5). Remember that by God’s grace, he has saved you, for a mission and a purpose. Whenever resistance roars, remember God’s gift of redemption, and ask him to rescue you again. 

2. Hope “in the coming ages” (Ephesians 2:7): To make plans is to hope, and to hope is to risk disappointment. When resistance nags you about your sins or failures, envision what you will be “in the coming ages”—you will be like Christ, because you will “see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2).

3. In love, do the works God has prepared for you to do (Ephesians 2:10): When resistance seeks to stall you, reassert your identity in Christ: “I am God’s handiwork, his poem, his good creation.” Reject resistance, assured that God has prepared good works uniquely for you, and continue on your path.

If you seek to bring light into this dark world, you will meet resistance. But take heart, you can resist resistance with the abundant resources you have in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

Lord,

We are weak. Make us strong. Protect us from resistance without and resistance within. Deepen our knowledge of your love for us that we might love you and love our neighbors by fulfilling your plans for us.

In Jesus’ empowering name. Amen.

Further Encouragement

Read Ephesians 2:1-10.

Listen to “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

For Reflection

What resistance have you experienced as you’ve made plans for the future? Name that resistance and list several ways you can resist it.

A Prayer about the Work of God

by | Jan 11, 2021 | Daily Prayer, Gospel Coaching, Work

A Prayer about the Work of God

Jesus, Bread of Life,

As we begin this week and this new year,

Forgive us for the ways we often work for food that perishes 

and not for the food that endures to eternal life. 

Draw us, today and every day, to feast on you, 

the Bread of Life, 

by reading your Word, 

by dining fully on your mercy and grace. 

Help us to see the crumbs that lie before us—worldly success, earthly accolades— 

as just that—crumbs, crumbs that will soon leave us hungry.

Help us to believe in you, the one whom God has sent, 

and as we believe, to do the work of God (John 6:29).

In your soul-filling name. Amen. 

Read John 6:22-40.

Planning to Learn, Live, and Love in Your Story 2021

by | Dec 29, 2020 | Gospel Coaching, Seasons & Holidays, Weekly Gospel Meditation

Planning to Learn, Live, and Love in Your Story 2021

How do you plan to live your God-given story this year?

Happy Early New Year!

It’s two days before New Year’s Eve, the day/night when many people make resolutions they will break before sundown on New Year’s Day. I’m not much of a resolution-maker since I’m such a promise-breaker, but I do love to spend some time looking back over the previous year and looking forward to what God might do in the new year. If you’d like to join me in any part of this, here’s the blog version. If you’d like the prettier version with lines for writing answers, then be sure to subscribe to Living Story, and you’ll get a ten page printable PDF in your (e)-mailbox as well as a new free gospel-centered resource every month!

The “Where Have I Been, Where Am I Going” Planning Exercise

Background: This enlightening exercise helps us survey what God has done in the past and draws us to look for what he will do in the future. When we are persuaded that God is presently working his kingdom plan, we are motivated to set goals and keep running the race toward them with endurance.

Suggestions: Either schedule out four thirty-minute periods over the next week or one two-three hour planning session (put it on your calendar or it won’t happen). Or, gather for a planning session with some friends or your small group or your spouse; work together and separately on it.

Part 1

  1. Ask, “Where have I been?”
  2. Ask God to remind you of the significant events, changes, accomplishments, and losses of the past year.
  3. Write down your top three in a short sentence or phrase. (Remember, things actually change in our brain when we write).
  4. Look at major areas of your life (relationships, spiritual and emotional health, work, finances, play) and write two-three sentences about changes you saw, for better or for worse, in 2020. (In the Story Planner Exercise, I provide a fancy grid for this, but you can make your own).

Part 2

  1. Ask, “Where are you going?”
  2. Pray, “Lord, show me where to go.”
  3. Write down the top three events/stories/challenges/goals you would like to see accomplished in 2021.
  4. Look at major areas of your life (relationships, spiritual and emotional health, work, finances, play) and write two-three sentences about changes you want to see in 2021.

Part 3: Write Your Story

  1. Pray about which story to write.
  2. Now, write for ten minutes. Choose one of the top three and write an imaginative story as if the goal were accomplished. Date it: December 31, 2021.

Get your free ten page story planner and other gospel-centered resources.

Send it now!

Here is my example:
Prayer: Lord, show me which goals matter to you the most.
Ex. I want to hear from at least ten people that my devotional, From Recovery to Restoration, helped them find peace and hope as they went through a crisis.
So I will write a “fictional” but also a faithful and hopeful account of how that happened.

To help you write the story, you can answer the following questions:

  1. What concrete actions did you take?
  2. What challenges did you meet?
  3. What actions did you take to overcome the challenges?
  4. Who prayed for you, encouraged you, kept you going?
  5. What did you see God do in the process?

Part 4: Make Your Plan
(In the Story Plan Exercise, there’s also a nifty chart for this, but you can make your own).

  1. Review the “imaginary actions” you took to accomplish your goal.
  2. Make your plan of action. Write down three things:
  • What four-five steps do I need to take?
  • Next to each step, write the date for it to be completed.
  • Put a reminder on your calendar to make a note about the outcome—if you completed the step and what happened if you did.

Now you know what to do. If you try it, I’d love to know how it works for you, what you learn through doing it, how I could improve it (there’s always room for improvement!)

A Prayer about Making Goals and Plans for 2021

Lord God,

We are so glad that you are the ruler over our lives. You planned and created the world, and yet, you have taken the time to make plans for the good works we will do to advance your kingdom and to bring you glory. Thank you for the opportunities you give us. Thank you for the grace you show us. Help us to live the story of faith, hope, and love you have written for us. Amen.

7 Questions about Gospel Coaching

by | May 26, 2020 | Gospel Coaching, Leadership

7 Questions about Gospel Coaching

 

Dear Friends,

I have not been doing formal gospel coaching for a season, but the Lord has been leading me for some time to return. Given the recent upheaval in our world, this seems like a good time to offer this service, and I will be taking on a limited number of clients. If you have questions beyond what this article covers, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you.

Ellie found herself with more time on her hands as her last child went to college. She knew she wanted to invest her time wisely, but she wasn’t sure which direction to pursue. Simone wanted to finish school but couldn’t make herself start gathering the paperwork to apply. And Marie, a young mom whose mother had died when she was a teen, wanted to spend intentional time thinking through what it meant to be a “good” mother. Each of these women found that a gospel coach could help them over the hurdles and usher them through the places they tended to get stuck.

Over the last thirty-something years, I’ve done a lot of gospel coaching, although I haven’t always called it that. Some of my coaching has been formal (scheduled sessions, paid); much of it has been informal (over lunch or coffee, unpaid). As I’ve been praying about returning to formal coaching, I’ve decided the simplest and clearest title for my work is “Gospel Coach.” What is a gospel coach? Hopefully, answering these seven questions will help you understand what I do as a gospel coach.

Most life coaching assumes that the primary factor in change lies within us; in other words, it has a humanistic approach.  

Gospel coaching assumes that because of our fallen nature, true and lasting change comes through Christ’s redemptive work in us. Gospel coaches believe that united with Christ, by the work of the Holy Spirit, in faith and repentance, we can and will change and grow to become more like Christ. Gospel coaches come alongside to help you seek God’s calling in your life and to help you move forward in living out God’s love in very specific arenas.

1

What’s the difference between a gospel coach and a life coach?

2

What’s the difference between a gospel coach and a counselor?

While gospel coaches may offer “little-c” counsel at times and will always offer Scriptural wisdom, they are not qualified to treat mental health issues in the way a trained counselor is. Counseling tends to focus more on healing from past struggles which are causing distress; coaching focuses on helping you move forward in a healthy way (in personal growth, relationships, career, parenting, etc.). For a more in-depth look at the differences, see this PDF on Christian coaching.

Yes. The client sets and states the goal. I’ve had clients who were empty nesters wanting to return to school or write a book but weren’t getting very far on their own. I’ve had clients who wanted to grow as young moms, and clients who simply wanted someone to walk alongside them in the hard calling of ministry. All of these are good options for gospel coaching.

I provide exercises that help clients consider the stories God has written in and through you, to discover the obstacles you might face in reaching that goal, and to take the actions you will need to take to accomplish the goal.

Each time we get together, we celebrate what God has done, consider struggles and obstacles, and pray about and discuss next steps.

3

Can a gospel coach help me accomplish goals?

4

What if I don’t want to accomplish any goals but just need someone to walk alongside me?

As a gospel coach, I provide a safe place for clients to share frustrations, disappointments, as well as excitement about what God is doing in their lives. Sometimes, especially in ministry, you can’t share significant stories or struggles with others, but you need to verbally process decisions and thoughts. I listen carefully and ask good questions. I pray and offer gospel cheerleading.

Well, I was never any good at gymnastics, but I’ve been told throughout my life that I am a great encourager. Scripture offers us the strongest encouragement for learning, living, and loving in the gospel, but our problem is that we often have gospel amnesia. My role is to remind my clients of the good news and how it applies to the specific stories you are living.

5

What is gospel cheerleading?

6

Will you yell at me the way my high school volleyball coach did?

No yelling. I may ask some hard or uncomfortable questions, questions a friend might think are too awkward to ask. Questions like, “Why do you suppose you sabotage your movement toward your goal?” or “What are you afraid of?” or “Why do you refuse to celebrate what God has done?” But be assured, even the toughest questions are always asked kindly, with the goal of encouraging movement toward living out faith, hope, and love.

That’s a really good question! Larry Crabb once said that if people had better friendships, there would be no need for counselors, and to a degree, he’s right – about counselors and coaches. But. The reality in a fallen world is that you are not likely to feel comfortable making every get-together with a friend all about you and your struggles or your desires to reach a goal. Your friend is not likely to feel comfortable asking you some of the hard questions that would get you un-stuck. And data shows that when we pay for something, we invest a lot more time, energy, and effort in it.

7

Why should I pay a gospel coach to do what it sounds like a good friend could do for me?

So that’s what I do as a gospel coach. If you have more questions or think you might benefit from gospel coaching, please contact me for a free discovery session.

Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

Gospel Coaching

I work with women who believe their story has meaning and purpose because God wrote it! Want to try gospel coaching? Contact me for a free twenty-minute discovery session to learn more.

Try a Free Gospel Coaching Session

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Jesus, Foot Washing, and Servant Leadership

by | Mar 24, 2020 | Devotional, Gospel Coaching, Leadership

Jesus, Foot Washing, and Servant Leadership

“Lord, do you wash my feet?” John 13:6

 Our elder son will never forget the words Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, Inc., addressed to him after his job interview there. Touring the facility with the vice-president who interviewed him, they arrived at the “treehouse,” the then ninety-one-year-old’s office. After a brief conversation, Mr. Cathy looked at our son and said, “I look forward to serving with you.” Our son had two (inward) responses:

  1. Does that mean I got the job?! and
  2. Wait, don’t you mean, “You look forward to me serving you?”

With his words, Mr. Cathy had demonstrated the principle of servant leadership that derives from Chick-fil-A, Inc.’s mission statement.

That story always reminds me of Peter’s response when Jesus approached him to wash his feet (John 13). Peter objects, not wanting Jesus to stoop so low as to serve him in such a menial way. Jesus gently rebukes Peter, instructing his followers about servant leadership in the kingdom of God. Let’s revisit the story.

Jesus: The Ultimate Servant Leader

The time, Jesus knows, has now come, for him to depart this world. Even as he is enjoying his feast with his beloved disciples, he is eager to prepare them for their new life of service. He rises from his place at the table, removes his outer garment, and wraps a towel around his waist. Now dressed as a servant, he begins doing what only a servant, or a wife, or a child, the lowliest in the hierarchy of that culture would do—washing feet. At this point, Peter raises his objection. As we continue the story, we learn five realities about Christ’s servant leaders:

Five Characteristics of Servant Leaders:

  1. Servant leaders must be willing to be weak, even despicably so.In removing his outer garment (John 13:4), kneeling before his friends, and taking their dirty feet into his hands, Jesus performs the role of the weakest and most despised in his culture—a servant. Jesus’ menial act is the basis of Peter’s objection, just as it was the basis of my son’s objection to Mr. Cathy.
  2. Servant leaders serve even in times of travail and turmoil.Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, knowing that he is facing the torment of the Cross and separation from his Father, not to mention separation from his beloved friends. Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, knowing that some will betray him in coming days. Trials do not excuse us from servant leadership.
  3. Servant leaders open themselves to the care of Jesus and others.When Peter objects to Jesus’ washing of him, Jesus responds, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me” (John 13:8, ESV). It is Jesus who empowers us to serve others. Without receiving his care and love, we have no love to share.
  4. Servant leaders serve because Jesus first served us, just as we love because Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:7-8).Jesus washes his disciples’ feet to illustrate a spiritual point—he alone can cleanse them from their sin. Then he instructs them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). Jesus’ foot washing is more than an example to the servant leader; it is the empowerment for servant leadership. Because we have the riches of his grace, we pour them out on others.
  5. Servant leaders will get down and dirty, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.Jesus calls his disciples to go into all the world, even the uncomfortable and unfamiliar world. To wash another’s feet may mean sitting on the sidewalk next to the homeless man while he eats the chicken sandwich we brought him; or it may mean enduring the stench of urine in the nursing home as we visit residents there. It may mean entering messy conversations or not exiting miry conflicts.

As you ponder Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, do not miss meditating on his sacrificial service to his disciples. Let us serve because he first served us, just as we love because he first loved us!

A Prayer about Servant Leadership

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you not only showed us the way to servant leadership, you dug the path for us by your death on the Cross. Thank you for lowering yourself that we might be raised to new life. Help us to follow you into the down and dirty places you call us to lead. In your saving name we ask. Amen.

Further Encouragement: John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:1-11.

For Reflection:

  • How do you feel about having your feet washed, literally or spiritually? What encouragement or conviction does this passage bring you?
  • In which of the five areas of servant leadership would you like to grow? Ask God to help you in this area.

Listen: Take My Life and Let It Be, written by Frances Havergal

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash