The following quotes are not verbatim:
“It’s been a nice weekend where I have met a lot of
different women of a variety of ages.”
“I’ve really been trying to get to know many of the other
women. It’s not necessarily in my
comfort zone to be extroverted.
This has provided a great way to get to know more women.”
“Well, I can’t spend all my time talking to you, Mary Emily;
I need to meet some other people.”
“Man! There are so many women here! I want to meet them all!”
To each of these quotes but the first (and, maybe the third
one), I was very encouraging and very encouraged. The first one came from my roommate. To her, I promptly replied, “Duh,
that’s the point.”
And it is the point. Pastor Jason and the women of the
Women’s Ministry team desire to see Mathew 28: 18-20 and Titus 2 carried out
among the women of Crosspoint Church.
The Women’s Fall Retreat was an attempt to begin and further develop both
of these foundational verses.
Matthew 28: 18-20 begins with the Gospel. If we don’t know it, we can’t go
proclaim it. Friday, Robin Lewis,
gave a beautiful presentation of the Gospel starting with creation, moving
through the fall to our redemption through Christ and finally ending with a new
life of repentance and faith.
There was not a heart untouched in the room. Unfortunately, because of the conversations—in small groups,
with my roommate and with one of the most Godly women I have ever met—inspired
by the night’s talk, I broke the only rule Pastor Ken gave me for the
weekend: “Don’t stay up late
talking. Get some rest!” Oops. Sorry
Pastor Ken!
The second passage, Titus 2, sets a high standard for those women
who are called out by God. The
passage doesn’t leave much room for interpretation and demands a certain behavior
from Godly women. As Cayce Finley and
Liz Chasteen emphasized in their talks Saturday, reality often looks different
from what is expected by our perfect God.
But thankfully, “God never tires in his desire/effort to sanctify us.” He ever works at making us like
Him. One way He accomplishes this
goal is in community. We, as
women, need each other to learn more about and go deeper with our God. “Sanctification can only be worked out
in the context of Christian community because the Christian life is inescapably
corporate.” This is a call to join
small groups but it is also a call to have Godly women lead a younger
generation in the ways of Biblical womanhood.
Krystal Brummitt and Mary Beth Oxendine did a wonderful job
of describing how powerful the Gospel is.
Both women shared their testimonies inspiring women to look at the
evidences of grace in their own lives as well as producing the desire for more
of the one, true God; to draw near to him; to put off the old self; and to live
a life worthy of His calling.
Many lessons were learned and new relationships developed
all to the glory of God. Keep a
look out for future Women’s Ministry events but until then think of the women
around you who you can encourage, speak truth to or humbly learn something
from. We are blessed to have so
many Godly women in our church.
Seek them out. Then
prayerfully and humbly grow closer to God.
Posted by Mary Emily
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