Encouraged & Equipped

Some things are worth listening to – and this episode is one of those things. Paige Dunn, Laura Johnson, and Camille Adams wisely and honestly share their experiences with listening. They not only talk about how they strive to listen well but also how loved and valued they feel when people listen to them. They also sift through some challenges in listening to God, and highlight the gifts that come from it.

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.

This conversation takes a turn – in the best way. Christina Wagoner and Kendall Reed join Kathy Harrelson for a chat and they end up talking about vulnerability. They truly model it as well as anyone we know. And this episode only scratches the surface of the wisdom they have. Phrases they say will linger in your heart for quite a while. We dare you to listen to their words and take your next step into vulnerability.

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.

Sometimes the bare minimum is all we have to offer and we shouldn’t feel bad about it! But when it becomes our habit we, and all the people around us, miss out. In this episode, Kacey Williamson, Alicia Brunson, and Misty Denman discuss being “all in” wherever God puts them. They talk about saying yes to both going above and beyond and healthy life balance. Curious? We think you will resonate with how these women struggle and thrive in ordering work and life.

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. If we’re honest, that Proverb both excites and terrifies us. In this episode Jessica Allan, Taylor Hadwiger, and Camille Adams discuss the power of words – ones they’ve heard and ones they’ve spoken. They share how they’ve failed and grown in their speech. And they share what words make it into the secret sauce recipe.
 
To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.

It’s the new year! And it’s a great time to ask the Lord where He wants us to focus. Mary Wiehardt, Kelsey Haley, and Camille Adams share a fun and helpful conversation about intentionality. You might be surprised at how seemingly small intentional tweaks can make a big difference. Enjoy their conversation and consider how God is drawing you into an intentional year.

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.

Let's celebrate Advent together! In addition to this week's episode, enjoy the following devotional and reflection questions.

Advent Joy
By Brooke Seale
 
Like Kate and Payton shared, many of us have traditions that mark the Christmas season. My favorite is something my family does in the weeks leading up to Christmas. We call it “Christmas at the Farm.” My grandfather started this tradition years ago when he knew he would have grandkids and wanted to make sure they grew up hearing the gospel and understanding the true meaning of Christmas. So, every year our family breaks our normal rhythms and routines to gather at what we affectionally call “the farm” and share a meal, sit and read the story found in Luke 2:1-21, pray, and sing hymns. 

That idea of breaking normal rhythm and routine is actually a huge part of the story of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-21). Mary and Joseph had to travel out of their way, which is why they were in Bethlehem when Mary gave birth. In verses 10-11 we see another interruption: “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 

That is where joy comes from. We were made for joy. Joy is deeper than happiness, and it is not dependent on circumstance. I would even argue that joy is what you get when you combine peace, hope and love. Christ is the source of joy. He is the only reason it is even possible. Christ came to save us from our sins. He has made it possible for us to commune with God. Because of the work He did on the cross and because He defeated the grave and paid the price for our sin we can, through a relationship with Him, experience eternity in the presence of God. That is why we can have joy, and that is why Christmas is such a celebratory season. 

Here is what I want to make sure we do not miss though. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you have access to true joy that cannot be taken away. On the outside, our celebration of Christmas might not look that different from our neighbors, friends, coworkers or family members who don’t know Jesus. People put up and decorate trees, exchange gifts, decorate their homes, and the list goes on. Let’s not let those things be distractions from what we are truly celebrating, but reminders of why we are celebrating and who we are celebrating. The Christmas season has so much potential for celebration, but it can also be a hard season that makes loss and hardships even more weighty. That is why I am so thankful for joy and the Savior who provides it. He is unshakeable and unchanging, and created us with eternity in mind. Joy is cultivated as we focus on having an eternal perspective. When Jesus was born, He ushered in joy. We get to experience joy presently that will be fully realized when we are in eternity with Him. I pray that this year, with each decoration hung, present exchanged, and tradition maintained that we remember this truth. That’s what the Seale family will be doing down on the farm. 

Reflection Questions

Read Luke 1:39-56.  What phrases particularly bring you joy?

What can you do today to try to bring joy into someone else’s life?

Read Luke 1:46-55 out loud as a prayer of praise!

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen. Or email us at [email protected].

Let's celebrate Advent together! In addition to this week's episode, enjoy the following devotional and reflection questions.

Advent Love
By Kacey Williamson
 
Patient. Kind. Rejoices with the truth. Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Never fails. These are just a few aspects of biblical love captured in 1 Corinthians 13. During advent, we see another important quality of love: love is about being present.
 
Several years ago, I was a student at TCU struggling with anxiety and depression. One December, while most of my friends were gathering for gift exchanges and ugly Christmas sweater contests, I was holed up in my dorm room, crippled by the weight of final exams and feeling incredibly lonely. One day, a friend reached out and asked if I was going to a party we were all invited to. She said she just wanted to make sure I had someone to go with.
 
My friend didn’t know it at the time, but she loved me in a profound way by simply reaching out and meeting me where I was at—by being present. I went to the party that night and felt love at every turn. From laughter in the car ride over, to fellowship around baked goods and hot chocolate, I was surrounded by people who welcomed me in and pointed me to the love of our Savior.
 
This advent season, and year-round, we get to celebrate true love. We get to rejoice in the fact that our Lord and Savior is our ever-present Immanuel, God with us. He sent His one and only Son to this earth to live the perfect life we couldn’t live and save us from our sins. He is present with us today as His Holy Spirit lives and reigns within the hearts of believers. His presence demonstrates His lavish love. 1 John 4:16 tells us that “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
 
As we hear from Camille, Krupa, and Virginia in this podcast episode, Christmastime is an amazing opportunity to love others by being present with them. When we rally around friends and family and welcome others into our homes and hearts, we share the love of our Savior who first welcomed us into His own family.
 
How can you share the lavish love of Christ this Christmas season? My prayer for each of us, during advent and throughout the year ahead, is that we would continuously abide in the presence of our Savior and follow His lead as we love others well. He is Love itself.
 
Reflection Questions
Read John 3:16-17. Why did God send Jesus to earth? How does that encourage you?
Read Matthew 1:18-25. Reflect on Jesus as Immanuel. Praise God for His constant loving presence.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. How have you experienced God’s love for you in specific ways this Advent season? Note two specific people to whom you can demonstrate love this week.

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen. Or email us at [email protected].

Let's celebrate Advent together! In addition to this week's episode, enjoy the following devotional and reflection questions.

Advent Peace
By Kristin Hines

This week’s Advent theme is peace. If your calendar is full of Christmas events, peace may seem like it’ll have to wait until after the holidays. If this time of year brings up hard memories and unfulfilled desires, peace may seem like a cruel joke. But the peace we’re talking about isn’t a restful day, or a moment of quiet, or a feeling of happiness. This peace is the kind that characterized Jesus’ whole life and is a gift that only He can give. It is peace with God that brings about the ability to have peace with others and even inner peace amid hard times.
 
On the first night of Jesus’ life, angels announced His birth (Luke 2:8-20). They said the Savior had come who would bring glory to God and peace to His people on earth. The reason we needed a Savior to come in the first place was because Adam and Eve (in Genesis 3) had long ago broken that peace. When they sinned against God, they broke their relationship with Him and ever since then we’ve needed a Savior to make the sacrifice that could bring us back into a right relationship with God.
 
On the last night of Jesus’ life, He spoke of peace to His disciples. Knowing He would be arrested soon and the coming days would be hard, He said in John 16:33: “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” He didn’t say His followers might have tribulation, but they will. If we are His followers, we should expect hard times. But we can still have peace in Jesus, because He is the Prince of Peace. Through His death on the cross, He made peace between us and the Father (Isaiah 53:5; Colossians 1:20). He has overcome the world, so whatever is thrown at us, we can have peace knowing He will make all things right in the end.
 
Recently I experienced this peace. I heard some hard news and was grieving a major loss with circumstances that seemed impossible to change. I’d been studying Philippians for months at that point. The Spirit immediately reminded me of Philippians 4:5b-7: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I didn’t understand how it was possible, but I quickly felt peace. The circumstances didn’t change. I was still grieving. But underneath that, I knew Jesus was close at hand and God was still in control. I knew He would take care of all of us touched by this situation and He would make everything right in the end.
 
If you need peace during this season, turn to Jesus. If you haven’t already, submit your life to Him and trust Him. If you have already done that, remind yourself that He is near to you, ready to receive your fears, griefs, concerns, and ready to give you peace you could never find on your own. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
 
Reflection Questions
Read Ephesians 2:11-16 and Luke 2:9-20. What do you learn about peace?
Read Philippians 4:5b-7. How does the Lord being “at hand” calm your feelings of anxiety? Pray right now about what is bringing you anxiety.
What is true of God and His Word that can give you peace in the midst of chaos?

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen. Or email us at [email protected].

Let's celebrate Advent together! In addition to this week's episode, enjoy the following devotional and reflection questions.

Advent Hope
By Sarah Stiles
 
No one leaves a good book unfinished. I’ll bet any good book you’ve recommended is one you’ve fully read. After all, the ending is why the story is bestowed the adjective of “good,” if not “great.” I know a book is good when it competes for my sleep and wins.
 
Do you know from what book these lines originate: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”? (I’ll give you a hint: Christmas verses.) If you guessed the Bible, way to go! Bonus points if you said Isaiah 9:6. I love Christmas. Every year it comes around, I can’t wait for the familiar tunes, the endearing memorized movie lines, and the hopefully-happy faces when my family opens their presents. (I would say snow is a favorite memory as well, but alas, such a guarantee is impossible in Texas, and to make such a claim, I’d be given coal in my stocking.)
 
In my parents’ house, sitting in front of the crackling fireplace with presents dotting the floor, Dad makes our family pause before the tearing open of gifts. I admit, it takes a minute for my mind to focus on the familiar words of Scripture we take turns reading aloud. After all, the familiarity of Jesus’ birth is old news, and the presents in front of me are a mystery. There is an urgency to open them!
 
I feel sad and a tinge of guilt to admit this. The Christmas story is often like my childhood's dusty old tree we pull out of the attic for a short time to decorate and celebrate, only to then bury back in its box when the New Year hits.
 
I can’t help but think I’m missing part of the story beyond Jesus’ birth, and even past His resurrection. Jesus is my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace! Why do these names only appear alongside the soon-fading Christmas tunes? I want a stronger hope sparked in me with the reminder of His birth.
 
The Messiah’s first coming, Jesus’ birth, is a snippet of our hope we do well to remember. But leaving the Christmas story at the Christmas story is like starting a great book but refusing to read the end. It doesn’t make sense. My hope surrounding Christ diminishes when I forget the rest of the story, the end of the book, the best part!
 
When we stop and pause this December to celebrate His first coming that brought salvation, what if we also remember our hope in His second coming that will bring full restoration and wholeness? (It’s okay to skip to the end of this book.) The last two verses of the Bible stir such yearning and joy in me: “[Jesus] who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” Baby Jesus is coming back as King!
 
This year, when my family gathers again in my parents’ living room with presents scattered around, I want to ask my dad to add in another passage. Let’s skip to the end. For the ending is the best part. And it’s there in the urgency of His promise, my hope stirs strongest.
 
Reflection Questions
Read Luke 2:22-38. How did Simeon and Anna respond to their long-awaited desire for the Messiah, Jesus, to come and bring salvation?
Read Revelation 21:1-7. What about Jesus and His second coming fill your heart with hope?
Read Isaiah 9:6-9. Describe your longing for Jesus to come back again and make all things perfect. Thank Him that it’s guaranteed that He will do it.

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen. Or email us at [email protected].

We have been planning something fun for Advent. And now we finally get to tell you about it!

To find out more about our community or how to get involved in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant, Parker, & Johnson County locations), visit us online at www.ccbcfamily.org/women or find us on Instagram @christchapelwomen.