Set Apart As Useful

The Christmas morning message from the pulpit came from our study in Hebrews.

"By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10

In this message, I am challenged to see the amazing work Christ has done to redeem me from a state of uselessnes (corruption) to a place of usefulness for His glory. 

Journal Entry: December 26, 2011

"As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed." Proverbs 26:14

I confess, this has been me. Useless - just swaying aimlessly on my hinge. Yes, I have been tired and often don't feel well. Yet, You have work for me to do. You have made me useful by Your work on the cross - Your incredible gift of salvation and sanctification have redeemed me from my useless state.  You have renewed me by the abundant measure o fyour grace so that I am now sanctified - set apart for Your good works. 

Though inwardly- when I focus on myself - I am wasting away - You have a greater call for me. Lord, help me "be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might." Ephesians 6:10

This is the strength I need and the strength I need to give.

Note: I will post the link to the sermon when it is posted on our church website.

Truth for Lies - part 2

Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe

Chapter 2

December 1, 2011

“Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Contrast with:

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

Lie # 1 “Everyone else’s kids are better than yours.”

We actually believe that our children will be better or more pleasing to God and others if they play an instrument or dress a certain way, (read certain books, do certain activities, etc.) p.30

...if you’re making (your children) do those things because you think that it will make you a better mom, stop it! You’ve bought into the LIE. p. 31

Truth #1 “Every family struggles. Every family has weaknesses. We all need the Lord.”

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18

The choices we make for our family, if they are made with wisdom, will produce the fruit listed above.


Lie #2 “Everyone’s house is cleaner than yours.”

...you must be a terrible mom to let your house get out of control and messy.

What is the burden we place on our family to appease the lie?

If you feel burdened to clean to perform for others, stop it.

Truth #2 “Every woman struggles (or works hard) to keep her house clean. The Law of Entropy...everything moves towards disorder. The way God made it.”

The example of Martha

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ‘For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’ “ Matthew 11:28-30

Lie #3 “Everyone fixes meals better than you.”

“They try changing their lifestyle and eating habits, but someone else is always out there to tell them they should be doing more. They go to bed feeling guilty, sure that they have failed their children, husband, and God. They believe the LIE.

If healthy, bread-making cooking isn’t your bent or makes your life more stressful, stop it. p. 35

Truth #3 “How you eat is not a trait of spirituality or a measure of godliness. You’re a busy homeschooling mom and you can’t do it all.” (discuss those who have to make food a priority versus those who choose it)

Romans 14:17ff
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.”

Lie #4 “Everyone is more disciplined than you and more spiritual.”

“You’re just positive that every other homeschool mom gets up early to have her quiet time with God, fixes her family a hot, healthy breakfast, and then basks in the joy of homeschooling, singing and laughing all the day long. (continue reading p. 37)

Truth #4 “Every woman struggles as you do sometimes. Even the woman who wrote the article. She may even feel worse knowing she wrote about something she herself struggles with.”

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” Romans 7:18-19

You are looking at things as they are outwardly . If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.” 2 Corinthians 10:7, 17-18

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11

Discussion questions (from pages 38-39)

Mark which lies you most identify with.

Why do you think women in particular are prone to comparing their kids, their houses, and their spirituality against each other?

Do you usually feel encouraged or discouraged after reading a homeschool magazine or book? What does that mean?

Are you guilty of trying to portray that you have it all together? If yes, how can you stop doing this?

Prayer requests:

Our committment:
“But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and tha tyou be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. “ Ephesians 4:20-25

What opportunties has the Lord given you this past month to live out this command?

Truth for Lies

This year our Mom's Mentorship group is going through the book, Lies Homeschool Moms Believe by Todd Wilson.  This book is a light, humorous, but convicting book to any reader, in my opinion.  In it I am challenged to evaluate my actions, my beliefs, my motives, and my heart.  I am convicted to bring each though captive to Christ and work hard to find the lies, especially the hidden ones, in my everyday thoughts. 

The following are the notes I shared for our first meeting, a discussion of chapter 1. 

Lies Homeschool Moms Believe by Todd Wilson

Part 1: Foundations

“...what you believe directly affects how you live, the decisions you make, and your outlook on life...” p. 15

“I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God ; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” Ps. 40: 1-4

Note: In my personal journey with the Lord, He has used this verse time and again to help me see the power of His redeeming work in my life. At the point of my salvation, He rescued me from the pit of my sinful choices and set my feet upon the rock of powerful truths.  I am called to walk firmly in His path, praise His holy name and to keep myself from lapsing into falsehood.  Yet, so often I am lured back into the miry clay of my life before His cleansing and I find myself choosing to believe the lies that pull me far from Him.


Women are prone to believing lies:
*Women easily fall prey to believing they are failing or not adequate for the task.

“Your husband probably isn’t affected by these same lies. If your husband is prone to believing lies, he probably believes the lie that he is better than he really is.” p. 19 and following

“If believed, lies become the truth to the one who believes them.” p. 20

“When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food. Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. Prov. 23:1-5

Note:  We need to beware of the home education "rulers" out there. The ones who lead us to believe that if we do life, school, parenting the way THEY do it, we will have a perfect life.  Even well meaning, wise and loving mentors can lead us on a path of deception when we allow ourselves to desire THEIR success, THEIR victories, and THEIR relationships rather than what the Lord has planned for our own unique families. We need to guide our hearts to desire only the Lord and not the "food" and gifts that He has given to others.


“Did you know that everything you do, every decision you make, and the attitudes you hold are based on what you believe? Every single decision, from the simple, daily decisions of life to the complex, weighty decisions that you make from time to time stem from your belief system.” p.21

*What did you believe when you first chose home education? (see p. 21)

Who among you is wise and understanding ? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:13-18

Note: My choice for home education did not come from a strong belief that the Lord was calling me to this noble purpose.  My first motivation was that I desired, above all things, to be just like a beautiful, godly woman in my life. She had been my mentor and friend since I was a teenager, and I believed that to be as close to God as she was, I needed to pattern my life in the exact way she did.  She was actively serving the church in various ministries, so I did the same. She was homeschooling her children, so I knew I would do the same. I was reading homeschooling books while pregnant with our firstborn.  Looking back, I realize how selfishly I was driven. As the verse above states, I was motivated by jealousy (albeit, not bitter) and selfish ambition.  I wanted to be just like her, rather than follow the Lord's specific call for our own family.  Years later, I know that we now learn together at home as a tool of obedience to the Lord in training our children for His glory. Yet, it took a physical separation from my friend, years of seeking, hurting, and failing, and striving, and learning to cleave to my husband's leadership before I let go of my desire to impress and duplicate someone else's walk with the Lord.  In fact, now when I visit this dear friend, I see that our lives are very different, and I'm ever so grateful that the Lord has chosen a uniquely different path for me. 


Lies are Joy Stealers
*The Swimmer (p. 23-24)

“...lies blind you from seeing the truth and leave you feeling defeated and alone. One of the surest ways you can tell whether what you believe is the truth or simply a counterfeit lie is by the weight of the burden you feel.
Truth doesn’t weigh you down with guilt and despair; it lifts you up with hope and joy.” p. 24

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. “ Prov. 30: 5-9

Fill in the blank:
All homeschool moms ___________________________________ .


As a homeschool family we should ___________________________________.

For Discussion:
Right now, in your homeschool journey do you feel lost, weary, or weighted down? Why or why not?


Our Challenge:
“But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.” Eph. 4:20-25

Will you commit to loving one another this way? Will you commit to speaking truth to your fellow homeschool moms, keeping them from the lies of the enemy?  Will we commit to being members of one another, thereby enabling each other to break down the walls that are deceiving us?


Prayer Requests: