Staff Picks for Women’s History Month

Katherine Wolf challenges the students of Passion 2023 to remember that they have the stunning capacity to endure incredibly hard things.

Jackie Hill Perry reminds us of the mercy and necessity that is exhortation among our generation.

In this message, Louie and Shelley Giglio sat down to have an honest and open conversation about what marriage looks like in the context of 1 Peter, how a husband and wife serve one another, how they glorify God together, and the different strengths each brings to the relationship.

The people of God have always been most distinguishable when the presence of God was in their midst. In the days of the Exodus, God made his home in the Tabernacle in the middle of the camp. During the days of King David, the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem where God’s presence would rest, and the kingdom flourished. However, as the kings and people of Israel continued to disobey God, eventually leading to exile, God removed His presence from the temple and the people were hopeless. Until Jesus. In John 1, it says that Word (Jesus) was made flesh and made His dwelling among us. What a miracle that our God has come to us. Later, in His final moments on earth, in John 14, Jesus promises to send us the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Because our sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus, the Spirit of God can actually live inside of us. We no longer have to seek God’s presence, as within every believer now resides the Hope of Glory, the Holy Spirit. He is a helper, a teacher, and a friend. He empowers us to live the life Jesus has called us to. God wants us to experience a closeness with Him. He wants us to let go of lesser things that don’t satisfy our souls. He is calling us to a deeper relationship with Himself. The good news for those who are in Christ is that we now have permanent access to the throne room of God through the Spirit. In Acts, when the Holy Spirit came into the lives of the disciples, they began to live and walk with a new sense of purpose in the world. These everyday, common men and women literally turned the world upside down as the Spirit empowered them to carry the message of Jesus to the world. This same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and was moving in the early Church is alive in us. The Spirit has the power to change and transform our desires and make us more like Jesus. So today, let’s pray for a hunger for the Holy Spirit to move in and around us. Let’s ask the Spirit to lead us and help us live our lives in a way that shines bright.

Unless we’re talking about our favorite true crime podcast or courtroom drama, we don’t often use the word “witness” in our everyday vernacular. It may feel a bit antiquated or like a word only evangelists use when they are encouraging us to share our faith. However, Eugene Peterson says “a witness is never the center but only the person who points to or names what is going on at the center…” And Paul tells us in Colossians 1:15-17 that, “the Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” With this information, one could say that not only are we all witnesses, but it’s why we were created — to give praise and honor and glory to the only one worthy of all of it, Jesus Christ. Witness implies presence. It means we can find God in our own story — His faithfulness, His goodness, His love, His forgiveness, His presence. And on the days, weeks, months or years when it’s difficult to remember, we do what the people of God have done for centuries— we sing. We sing to remind our souls of the character of the One we worship and to help resuscitate a faith in desperate need of hope. And as those who are not without hope, we testify to what we have seen and heard. We tell our stories. The language of story is powerful and often conveys a truth that could not be conveyed in another way. Paul is telling the story of his encounter with Jesus when he says this in Acts 22:14-16, “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name’.” When you discover the cure, when you find the answer, when you uncover hope and the way to life you don’t just keep it to yourself. You want everyone to know – you become a witness to He who is at the center! Let these truths illuminate memories of God’s faithfulness in your story that have been hiding in the shadows, let them put words of hope in your mouth on your darkest days, and encourage you to testify of the hope you’ve found to those desperately looking for home. His name is Jesus.

A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Take a minute and list some adjectives you would use to describe Jesus. What words or phrases came to mind? Gracious, merciful, powerful, kind, loving, forgiving. Many of us probably had one or more of those on our list. But have you ever thought of Jesus as beautiful? The likelihood of the adjective even existing in the vocabulary of men, other than in referring to their wife or a woman they would like to date, is very small. After all, the word does hold a very feminine connotation in our culture. Merriam-Webster defines beautiful as “giving pleasure to the mind or the senses.” Watching a sunset, listening to our favorite song, tasting the first sip of coffee in the morning, embracing someone close to us — all of these could be described as beautiful. But the question remains, do we experience Jesus in this way? When we think about him and spend time with him, is our mind filled with pleasure? Do we find joy in his presence? In Psalm 27:1-4, David writes, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?When the wicked advance against meto devour me,it is my enemies and my foeswho will stumble and fall.Though an army besiege me,my heart will not fear;though war break out against me,even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord,this only do I seek:that I may dwell in the house of the Lordall the days of my life,to gaze on the beauty of the Lordand to seek him in his temple.” An army is coming against David, and what is the one thing he asks of God? To live with him forever so that he can contemplate his beauty! For David, God is more than a philosophy or a worldview. He is more than a quick fix for his day or thought he can share on social media. He is life itself! Pastor Tim Keller said, “Religious people find God useful. Christians find God beautiful.” It is only when Jesus becomes our life, the breath in our lungs, the one who calms every fear, the salvation for our souls, and our greatest reward that we see him as beautiful! And when we do, we want nothing less than to echo David’s prayer, “One thing I ask from the Lord,this only do I seek:that I may dwell in the house of the Lordall the days of my life,to gaze on the beauty of the Lordand to seek him in his temple.”Psalm 27:4

In Flourish in Adversity, we journey through the book of Esther. The readings this week will focus your attention on a woman who faced many trials and was used mightily in the life of Israel. Learn from Esther, a bold and fearless woman of perseverance and faith in the living God.

Our lives are filled with relationships, and we were created to be in close community with others. This five-day journey helps us understand that as we depend on Christ to do within us that which we cannot do on our own, we (and our relationships) will be strengthened and filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

Tracing back through the interwoven stories of prominent people of the Christian faith, Brooke Ligertwood illustrates how a singular faith-filled moment of surrender can create a ripple effect for the Gospel. Brooke teaches us that our creative giftings, in song-writing and production, on the platform or hidden behind its curtains, are merely a means to which Christ can be magnified to the world around us.

What does it take to stay tethered? Why did Jesus use some of his last words to remind us to abide? Priscilla Shirer unpacks the wisdom of John 15:4, challenging us to remain in relationship with our Father.

Sadie Robertson Huff addresses the desperate need for a generation to know the Word of God. After presenting the Scripture as one complete story, she reminds us that our hardship can be evidence of His faithfulness, and the character of who He is in the Word exhibits how real He is. When we face trials, we can be comforted in the generations before us, proclaiming His name and trusting that He is greater than any circumstance we may face.

“God, I am yours. I’ve been awakened to the idea that I’m part of a Kingdom much bigger than me. My life is an eternal flame that can burn on forever.” Rarely do we talk about the obedience that accompanies faith. Jesus is trying to build a house in Godly wisdom, and he requires our obedience. Silently, ask God, “What do you require of me”? How will you respond to His request?