1/27/2012

Becoming You - Adjusting Your Attitude (Lesson 3)

Posted by Stephanie Shott | Labels: ,

Here we are on lesson three and if you haven't noticed, this whole thing is very personal. We aren't talking about just knowing Scripture to help us through a specific situation - we're talking about looking at where we are in light of what the Word says and then adjusting our lives to conform to the Word instead of the world.

I don't have a video for you today, but I do have a few things I want to add to dive deeper into your study. After you read through lesson three in your book and answer your questions, I'd like for you to look at a couple of attitude adjustments found in Scripture and then consider how you can make your own adjustments.

Remember, attitudes determine perspective and perspective determines the way we approach everything!


Take a few minutes and read through the following verses as we consider Jonah. I've linked you to the condensed version in the story: Jonah 1:1-3, Jonah 1:15-17, Jonah 2:1-4, Jonah 2:9-10, Jonah 3:1-3, Jonah 4:1-11.


Now I know we read the story of Jonah and think, "What a whiner!" but we might be surprised to find a few of his attitudes evident in our own lives.

1. Why do you think Jonah said he didn't want to go in the first place? 
2. Should our answer to God's call be based on what we want to do or on our desire to serve God regardless of what we want to do? 
3. Have you ever been angry or frustrated at God because you had to do something you didn't want to do and then it turned out like you thought it would? 
5. Have you ever copped an attitude because you didn't get your way with God or because things didn't turn out the way you wanted them to?
Jonah teaches us much about attitudes. Ultimately, his desire should have been to please God not have his own way. Jonah was a whiner! Would others ever say the same of you? 


Now let's look at Paul:


Take a few minutes and read through Acts 15:35-40.
1. Why did Paul cop an attitude about taking John Mark? 
2. What wording is used to show that they were in a full-fledged argument?  
3. What are some legitimate reasons that Paul might not have thought it was good for John Mark to go with them? (Defend Paul's position) 
4. Even if Paul's motives were good, what attitude did he reflect in this discourse between himself and Barnabus?
5. Have you ever felt so strongly about something or were so angry about a situation that you publicly dug your heals in and made a spectacle of yourself? 
We don't know Paul's heart, but we do know how he responded. I've often defended Paul in these verses. Perhaps he didn't think it would be safe for John Mark to go... maybe he knew that what was ahead of them was more than John Mark could take.


But whether  his motives were good or not - his response was definitely not. 


In 2 Timothy 4:11 we find Paul requesting that John Mark join him because he would be helpful in the ministry.


Years of a very sweet relationship had been lost between Paul and Barnabas because Paul dug his heels in. 


Barnabas saw in John Mark what Paul could not. He discipled him and helped him become fit for the ministry.
  • How many relationships have we hurt because we dug our heels in?
  • Have you ever failed to see the potential in others and disregarded them like Paul did?
  • Has anyone ever disregarded your potential and made you feel less than?
Today, it's time to adjust our attitudes. As you read through your study, pray the Lord will reveal areas in your life that need to be dealt with and then surrender to an attitude of humility and an attitude of confidence in Christ.



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1/25/2012

Becoming You - Addicted to Christ (Lesson 2)

Posted by Stephanie Shott | Labels:

Hi sweet friends! Before we dive into lesson two of Becoming You, I wanted to cover a couple of things.

1. For those of you who want to go through the study with us but you haven't received your link, I am providing it here for everyone. http://www.gigfolder.com/files/30/Becoming%20You%20-%20Product.pdf

2. I want to apologize for the buzz in the video. I normally record from my hubby's computer since mine has a buzzing issue with iMovie. Unfortunately, I had to use mine for the last two sessions.

So, with all that said, let's get going with today's study:

In a culture where addictions run rampant our concept of the word 'addiction' always comes with negative implications. But when we look at the definition and apply it to what our Christian lives should look like, we have to consider whether or not we are truly addicted to Christ.

Since becoming who we were created to be finds its roots in our relationship with Christ, we must make Him the object of our affections if we are going to take positive steps to fulfilling our God-given destinies.

In session one, we examined where we are in light of where God calls us to be. Today, we are coming face to face with whether or not our relationship with the Lord is what it should be to move forward in our journey.

Would you take a few minutes to watch the video and then answer the additional questions below? 

(If you can't view the video, please click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dDCkhJRxE4



Please read Acts 15:25-26 and write out an explanation of why men would hazard (or risk) their lives for the name of Jesus Christ.
  • In Ezra 7:10, we find Ezra addicted to the Lord. How would that type of devotion affect his every day life?
  • Based on Psalm 119:38, what is it that the Lord gives to those who are devoted to Him?
  • Ephesians 2:10 tells us...
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
  • How can we know those 'good works' apart from spending time with God? 
  • What would you consider is necessary for you to really know what God is calling you to?
  • What adjustments do you need to make in your life to make the Lord the absolute object of your affection?
As you look at where you are in your journey to becoming who you were created to be, do you find a gap in your devotion to Christ? 

This study is certainly not for sissies. We are going to have to come face to face with ourselves if we're going to start moving forward...and we can't more forward until we hear our precious Savior say, "This is the way, walk in it."

Please be sure to share about where you are and where you are going in the comments to make this a joint venture and to allow others who are doing this Bible study to know we are not alone. 

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1/23/2012

Becoming You - Examining Your Heart (Lesson 1)

Posted by Stephanie Shott | Labels: , , ,

This is it, sweet friends! We're going to do this thing together and you know that little excites me more than women in the Word together!

Before we dig into our first lesson, would you please take a few minutes and read through the introduction?

(This is a 1 minute pause as you read the intro in your book. :-) )

Okay. I really wanted you to read it because it sets the stage for our next 10 lessons. Becoming You is not about writing your own story. It's about looking at our lives through the lens of God's plan for us and then letting Him write our stories for us.

I've wanted to do a lot of things through the years. I wanted to be a teacher, a nurse, a doctor, a professional organizer (Lord help us all!), an advertising executive, a missionary, a homeschool mom, a stay at home mom, a business owner, a speaker, a Bible teacher and a myriad of other aspirations.

Like trying on shoes...some of them were a fit; some of them didn't work and some of them I never even attempted to try on.

Our hearts often pull us in directions that our feet should never go. We forget that not every open door is ours to walk through and we forge full steam ahead without spending time in prayer. Many a day is wasted heading in the wrong direction all because we did not seek our Father's face first.

However, the other side of the equation is equally true. We often fail to take positive steps in our own destinies because we are either too distracted, defeated or intimidated to begin the journey. 

We don't take the time to examine where we are or the necessary steps it will take to get to where we are going. We allow past failures, future fears or the enemy's lies to define and defeat us. And sometimes we are so intimidated by a call to something bigger than ourselves that we are afraid to ever begin the journey in the first place.

Will you take a few minutes and watch the video below and then do lesson 1? 

If you are receiving this through your email or through a RSS feed, you may need to click this link to see the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3bzIsKLQFPs


As you consider who you are and where you believe God is calling you to be, will you spend some serious time in prayer? 

Remember, in Joshua chapters 7 & 8 we are told that Joshua lost a battle he should have won because he didn't seek God's face before he took the first step. Human reasoning and a passionate heart does not always equal God's will.

Joshua didn't examine where he was as an army. He didn't consider that he had sin in the camp before he charged forward in a quest he wasn't ready for.

Perhaps after examining where we are, we may need to deal with some stuff hidden in our hearts before we can shift our destiny gears from neutral to first.

As you finish today's lesson in your book, please take a few minutes and answer these additional questions:

1. Do you have anything in your life right now that would hinder you in your journey to fulfill your God-given destiny?

2. What do you struggle with most when it comes to becoming who you were created to be... 
  • Your desire to do so many things, you aren't sure whether they are God's will or just your own desires?
  • Feeling like every open door is yours to walk through?
  • Being so distracted by the dailies of life that you're allowing your life to slip by without fulfilling your purpose?
  • Never understanding your true identity in Christ and being defeated by the lies you've allowed to wrongly define you?
  • Being intimidated by a call to something bigger than yourself and one that you know will require a lot of time, energy and prayer?
Today we are beginning this journey together. Perhaps it's the first time you've ever seriously considered that you were created for so much more than normal. Or maybe you're standing at the crossroads of your own future and you've joined this Bible study as a way of encouragement as you begin to take your next steps. 

Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, I want you to know that I am honored to go through it with you and so thankful we are doing this together!

Please be sure to share about where you are and where you are going in the comments to make this a joint venture and to allow others who are doing this Bible study to know we are not alone. 

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1/18/2012

Interceding for Your Children

Posted by Stephanie Shott |

I know there are a lot of godly young people who are seeking His face and living out loud for Jesus in their generation. They are world changers whose faith inspires us all!


But there is also a culture of young people who seem to have scales on their eyes - blinded to spiritual things - uninterested in seeking God's face - having no fear of God and placing no value on that which is sacred and holy. 


They want to make sense of life, but they don't want to trust in the simplicity of the Gospel.


For them, my heart has been breaking! Perhaps that's one of the reasons The M.O.M. Initiative has become such an important ministry to me. I really do believe that if the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, then the church that mentors those hands will win it.


But winning a generation begins on our knees. Turning the world upside down won't take place unless we're willing to seek His face.


Lamentations 2:19 says, 

"Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger."
Our children are starving for lack of the Word. They are hungry for spiritual food and they don't even realize that it's the only thing that will quench their appetites.


But this verse calls us to pray like crazy for our kids. It doesn't say, go feed them... it says to pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer. Plead for your children in every street...for they are faint with hunger.


Your children may be serving God, but a whole generation is slipping through the cracks of Christianity and we are called to pray.


Will you intercede for the next generation of children before we lose it all?

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1/16/2012

And We're Off! (Launching The M.O.M. Initiative)

Posted by Stephanie Shott | Labels:


Wow! This is it! It's really happening! And all I can say is, "WOW! Our God does exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think!"


Today, we are officially launching The M.O.M. Initiative and my heart is pounding in my chest as I write this, girlfriends!


This ministry has been on my heart and in the works for over 2 years now and as I step back and see how the Lord has connected the dots to bring it all to pass, I'm speechless... and y'all know that's a miracle!


I've included some information to help you get a glimpse of my heart and vision about The M.O.M. Initiative.


So...here's The M.O.M. Initiative in a nutshell:




What’s The M.O.M. Initiative?
While many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice and never has to count to three, we all know it’s not always easy being a mom. Those sweet little bundles of joy don’t come packaged with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own.
The M.O.M. Initiative is an acrostic for Mothers On a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers. It exists as a group of moms and a package of resources to equip, enable and support women as they experience Titus 2 in real life. We want to help moms become the best moms they can possibly be.
The Website:
The M.O.M. Initiative website offers virtual encouragement for real life moms. The website exists as safe place to grow as a mother, to gain a better understanding of what a mother is and what a mother does and to foster and support mentor/mentee relationships.
Along with practical tips, helpful tools, godly wisdom and informative insight on current issues, The M.O.M. Initaitive website also offers a private chat room where a mom can connect with a ‘virtual’ mentor and find help in times of need. The website offers help for the mentor as well as the mentee.
I'm blessed to have a great team of M.O.M.s join me in this ministry! They all come from different backgrounds and bring a variety of experience to the table. The articles on The M.O.M. Initiative website are provided by this wonderful group of moms who are passionate about ministering to the hearts of mothers. Some are writers, speakers, counselors, nurses or experts in their fields, yet they all devote much time and effort to serving other mothers in whatever season of life they find themselves.
The Workbook:
The M.O.M. Initiative workbook is being developed to serve as a tool in the hands of Christian moms to help foster mentoring relationships beyond the four walls of the church and take Titus 2 to the streets. It will be an eight week study containing five lessons per week. Each day the mentee will be presented with biblical truths as well as mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and developmental needs of a child. She will also gain insight through thought provoking questions encouraging her to implement proactive mothering techniques.
The workbook will also provide a M.O.M. mentor guide and a missional planning guide in the back of the book.
Summed up, The M.O.M. Initiative is a missional mentoring package of resources that will give Christian mothers an easy, hands on approach to passionately pursue mentor relationships with younger mothers and mothers-to-be, and ultimately impact the next generation for Christ.
How Did The M.O.M. Initiative Get Started?
The M.O.M. Initiative was birthed from my own story. At the age of nineteen, I was a single mom. Without Christ and without a mentor, I made a series of serious choices that affected my precious young son. After becoming a Christian five years later I learned being a mom is much more than a three letter word and a handful of sacrifices. I also realize the significance of Titus 2:4-5.


Over the years I've seen many moms struggle and children often falling between the cracks of our culture's skewed view of the significance of a mother's role and the struggles today's busy mothers face. It's like we're seeing the next generation of children slipping away...we're seeing moms in desperate need of some mentoring mavens who will rise up, take them by the hand and help them in their journey, yet we (the church) aren't quite sure how we truly get involved.


The M.O.M. Initiative will arm women with the tools and resources that can help them change the world one mom at a time.
What’s the Vision for The M.O.M. Initiative?
We believe that if the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, then the church that mentors those hands will win it!
The primary vision for The M.O.M. Initiative is that it not only be limited to those who enter the four walls of the church, but that it also be used to facilitate mentor relationships in homes for unwed mothers, in low income housing projects, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile shelters, schools, hospitals, the mission field and anywhere young mothers can be found. (Planning guides for each of these venues will be available in the back of the book.)
We are mothers on a mission to mentor other mothers and we really want to change the world one mom at a time! Won’t you join us?!
The M.O.M. Initiative is not just a book. It’s not just a website. IT’S A REVOLUTION!
To join the revolution and become a M.O.M. Mentor, please click the link: http://www.themominitiative.com/contact-form-to-join-the-revolution/
To learn more about The M.O.M. Initiative, you can visit our website at: http://www.themominitiative.com 


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-MOM-Initiative/233020793425696


Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/themominitiativ

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1/11/2012

STUDY "BECOMING YOU" TOGETHER!

Posted by Stephanie Shott | Labels: ,

(Because of the great response of women who are signing up to join our study of "Becoming You", I thought I'd put this post up again, so those who want to subscribe could receive a free copy and join the study.) 


So, here's a repost and an offer to join our Bible study, "Becoming You":

I recently wrote a small, mini-book called Becoming You that I've been giving away to subscribers and I honestly never expected the response I've been getting!  I'm so thrilled and honored by the emails, Facebook messages and Twitter messages in which women are sharing how the principles in this study have changed the way they respond to life.

Becoming You is a concise, yet in-depth and very practical 10 lesson Bible study designed to arm you with the necessary ammunition to take the front lines of your life.

Because of the response, I want to invite you to walk through Becoming You with me beginning January 23rd! 

You girls know how much I LOVE the Word and how much I thrive on walking through the Word together, so if you'd like to start out the year in the Word together, I'd love for you to join us!

Just subscribe to this blog and you will receive a link to download your free study and join me on January 23rd as we learn how to arm ourselves with practical, biblical principles that can change our lives!

If Bible study is new to you... If you're in a season in your life when you can't spend 40 minutes doing an in-depth Bible study... or if you are looking for how you can be victorious over your thought life and take some real and practical steps to becoming who you were created to be, this study can help!

The lessons in this small, 20 page book have helped me deal with so many areas of my own life and I just want to take this time at the beginning of the year to recommend it to you. These are power-packed biblical truths and principals that can change the way you live and respond to life.

I've included the chapter titles below for your review:

1. Examining Your Heart 
2. Addicted to Christ 
3. Adjusting Your Attitude 
4. Living Intentionally
5. The Battlefield of the Mind 
6. Developing a Plan
7. Our Thought Filter 
8. Whatever!
9. Target Your Prayers 
10. Put That Crown On Girlfriend!

Here's What Others Are Saying:

"Loving this study! I can't believe how the Lord is speaking to me through it!"

"I've struggled with long, time-consuming Bible studies, but this one only takes about 5 minutes to read through, yet it's so powerful and practical!"

"I struggled with my thought life before I read this book. What I learned in Becoming You has helped me understand that I can walk in victory and fulfill God's will for my life."

"The questions Stephanie posed in Chapter 3 made me  question my attitudes and how I really see myself!"



I'm so thankful for those who have gone through this little Bible study and been encouraged to arm themselves for their future and take steps in their journey to becoming who they were created to be. I hope you will join them... I hope you will join me!


You girls know I love you like crazy and I long for each of us to be women of the Word! Empowered by the one and only All Powerful One - Strengthened, challenged, convicted and changed by the Word of the Living God.

May our hearts cry out for more of Him 
and more of His Word!

Join the journey and CLICK HERE to subscribe by email. As a gift to you and I'll send you a link to upload your own pdf copy of Becoming You!



If you subscribe by Google or Networkedblogs, you can click the contact page where you will find my email address. Email me with your email address and I'll send you Becoming You too!

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1/10/2012

Study Ephesians With Kathy Howard

Posted by Stephanie Shott | Labels: ,

My sweet friend and fellow servant in the Word, Kathy Howard, is beginning a new study in Ephesians on Wednesday, January 18th and I know you won't want to miss! 
I want y'all to know that I absolutely LOVE her! Her heart for God and to serve women in the Word flows from her life a faucet running full blast! Teaching the Word and ministering to women is not what she does - it's who she is and I want you to know I highly recommend that you walk through Ephesians with her! 
This I know...you will be glad you did.
Below is a post from Kathy to sort of whet your whistle for her study and hear her heart about why she is doing it. After reading it, I think you'll understand why I'm encouraging you to walk through the Word with her! If you don't know her already, you're going to love her!
Here's her post:
Chocolate Paradise and Every Spiritual Blessing
Chocolate surrounded me. Left, right, ahead, and behind. Everywhere I turned, chocolate lay in great mounds. Every shape and size, wrapped and unwrapped, with nuts and without, cream-filled and nougat, round and rectangle. I have dreamed of a chocolate paradise such as this many times, but this wasn’t a dream.
This time I stood in an actual chocolate paradise. This was not some average, American chocolate shop. I had the joy of salivating in a European chocolate establishment. (And yes, Hershey, they do it better.) The chocolate aroma overwhelmed me and I had to squash the thought of Eve eyeing the forbidden fruit.  
Everything I could have hoped for was here – plus many I could have never imagined. The tantalizing smorgasbord of tastes and textures excited me. Chocolate with coconut for my husband? Three choices! Sugar-free chocolate for my diabetic father-in-law? Oh yes, more than he could ever eat! The experience far surpassed my greatest chocolate fantasy. I left with gifts in one hand and my own personal stash in the other.
This morning I fondly thought about this chocolate shop visit when I read through the Bible book of Ephesians. Here’s a couple of passages that thrilled me:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3, NIV
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20, NIV
I know my chocolate experience is a weak analogy for these glorious promises, but no physical comparison can measure up to the spiritual blessing God desires to pour into our lives. (So everything considered, being set loose with an unlimited chocolate selection was a good choice.)
Are you experiencing “every spiritual blessing in Christ?” Have you witnessed God do “immeasurable more than all you can ask or imagine?” I honestly can’t say I have, but I’m growing that direction. Want to come along?
You’re invited to join me in a study of the book of Ephesians. “Growing Up Together – a study of Ephesians,” begins Wednesday, January 18th on my blogsite. You can visit my blog now for a bit more information. https://service.mail.com/dereferrer/?target=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kathyhoward.org%2Fwhy-dont-you-just-grow-up-youre-invited-to-study-ephesians&lang=en
Do you long to experience God’s blessing in your life? In what areas do you feel your faith needs to grow? 
Kathy Howard calls herself a “confused southerner.” Raised in Louisiana, she and her husband have lived all over North America. She doesn’t know whether to say “coke” and “ya’ll” or “pop” and “you guys.” But this Southern girl loves to encourage women through teaching and writing about God’s Word. Find out more about Kathy’s Bible studies and speaking ministry and get lots of free resources at www.kathyhoward.org 

 

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Posted by Stephanie Shott |



Today, I'm over at my sweet friend, Melissa Mashburn's site, Mel's World. I met Melissa through cyberspace and she has become so very dear to me! Her heart and passion for God and for making a difference in the lives of others is amazing!






Join me over there where I'm talking about Weeds in our souls.


On the surface, all may be beautiful, but down deep, weeds grow. They grow in our sod and they grow in our souls.


Maybe you have some weeds you need to deal with before you take one more step into 2012!


Click here to join me. If you haven't subscribed to Melissa's blog yet, please be sure to do that while you're over there! She's a little powerhouse for Jesus and I know you're going to be blessed by all she offers for Jesus' sake!

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1/02/2012

You Won't Find What You Need On the Computer

Posted by Stephanie Shott |

Happy 2012, sweet friends!

I've got a confession to make! I've been so busy in the work that I sometimes neglect to really bask in the presence of the God I'm working for! Do you do that?

If you're involved in ministry you know it's a slow fade from worshipping God to worshipping the work He has called us to. Just this morning, I was sitting at the computer before church and instead of rushing in to spend time with Him, I rushed over to my email to check to see if I had heard from a specific friend. I know I won't find Jesus on a computer screen, yet I sit in front of it, working like a wild woman and neglecting to give God the first fruits of my day.

Crazy! Right?! It doesn't even make sense!

Oh, it's not that I don't spend time with the Lord, but I need to count it as much more precious than research for a talk I'm preparing or a writing project that I'm working on! 

A gentlemen once told me there is a difference between the time we spend in the Word and in prayer and the time we spend in study...and we need to do both every day.

And so, as we enter 2012, let us set our faces like a flint to make a difference...but let us get up to make that difference only after we've spent time with the Living God!

Today, I'm posting a video to talk a little bit about how you can't find Jesus on a computer screen, a little bit about The M.O.M. Initiative and a little bit about making this year count for eternity! Hope you'll join me!



If you are receiving this through your feed, please click here for the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EuRpQQdKQQ

LET'S DO 2012 WELL, SWEET FRIENDS!

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12/31/2011

Happy New Year

Posted by Stephanie Shott |


ISAIAH 42:16, 18-19


"This is what the LORD says—
   he who made a way through the sea,
   a path through the mighty waters,
Forget the former things;
   do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
   Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
   and streams in the wasteland."

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