women's devotional

Sue Duffield's experience with Waffle House is such a fun and meaningful encounter - almost like church! Are you "scattered, covered and smothered?" The thought here is, she surely hopes you are!

When we ask God to forgive us, His forgiveness comes not because we say, “I will do better”, but only on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross. No matter how awful we've been, the blood of Jesus is ENOUGH to cleanse, purify and save you...kind of like scattering your sin, covering your heart and smothering you with His goodness! God, the Father sent Jesus to suffer, bleed and die so that He can forgive you. Wow! Take a few minutes to bask in the Light of that statement..

www.sueduffield.com

This season on the podcast, we'll be opening up the book of Hebrews together and find within its pages an invitation to draw near to Jesus. This week serves as both an introduction to Hebrews as well as an introduction to my approach to Bible study. I'm teaching this study at Bayou City Fellowship on Mondays and Tuesdays, and every Thursday (more frequently than the past seasons!), the audio version of the teaching will be posted as a podcast. If you'd like to follow along with the homework, the workbook is available on Amazon: Hebrews: Drawing Near to Jesus. But even if you just listen, I pray our time in the book of Hebrews will help us to grasp the incredible magnificence and holiness of God, and to recognize the significance of His invitation to draw near to Him through Christ.

Each week, I'll also post a listening guide if you'd like to follow along with the notes for the lesson. The introduction, Draw Near to Jesus, can be found below.

Listening Guide - Draw Near to Jesus: Introduction

People sometimes ask me if there’s a woman in the gospels that I most resonate with. There is. I don’t know if I resonate with her or just long to be like her. But it’s Mary Magdalene. She knew something about longing and letting go. We don’t see much of this Mary’s personal life. We know she was from Magdala, but apart from that, we really aren’t told much.

But this is what I’ve observed: Mary Magdalene sought one thing every time we see her – Jesus. She wanted to be near Him. She longed for Him. So, I want to be like her. I want to love Jesus like she did, even if that means embracing a longing for One we’ll never know fully this side of heaven.

Show Notes.

If you've ever heard me teach before, you won't be surprised by today's topic. We're going to talk about hope that holds. I'm concerned that the word "hope" has become so flimsy. Hebrews 6:19 tells us that "hope is an anchor for the soul," holding steady in a world gone wild. But what we often refer to as hope is nothing more than a latex balloon--equally as likely to float away as it is to burst when it comes in contact with anything rough.

What is the hope that Christ intends us to have? And can we get it back?

Show Notes.

What is it to seek the presence of One we cannot see? What does that look like in my life? What does it look like in yours? What does it mean to really live a life that is aware of His presence, that looks for Him, that longs for Him? What does it mean to draw near to God and allow Him to draw near to us (James 4:8)?

I love the stories of Jesus’ encounters with the ancient women of the Gospels. Jesus wrapped Himself in flesh and walked beside them. The Heart of the Father beat within the skin of the Son and walked beside His daughters.

The Father’s heart hasn’t changed. The love of the Son hasn’t shifted. The Holy Spirit still dwells in our midst. Our God is as wildly committed to your healing and your freedom as He was 2000 years ago, and in these chapters we will watch the Man of Christ move among those ancient women, so that we can recognize the Spirit of Christ as He moves among us.

The Jesus beside her is still the One beside us—the One beside you.

Show Notes