We are one in Christ…..what does that mean? This week we will find out as we read Ephesians 2:11-22.

“We specialize in “I am right” rallies. We write books about what the other does wrong. We major in finding gossip and become experts in unveiling weaknesses. We split into little huddles and then, we split again…

“May the all be one,” Jesus prayed.

One. Not one in groups of two thousand. But one in One. One church. One faith. One Lord. Not Baptist, not Methodist, not Adventist. Just Christian. No denominations. No hierarchies. No traditions. Just Christ.

Too idealistic? Impossible to achieve? I don’t think so. Harder things have been done, you know. For example, once upon a tree, a Creator gave his life for his creation. Maybe all we need are a few hearts that are willing to follow suit.”

Max Lucado- No Wonder They Call Him the Savior

This week read: Ephesians 2:11-22

Digging a little deeper: For those of you who would like to learn more about these verses this week, I’ve provided a few resources below for you to use to help you…….dig a little deeper!

1. John MacArthur

a. Ephesians 2:11- 12 The Unity of the Body, Pt 1

b. Ephesians 2:13-15 The Unity of the Body, Pt 2

c. Ephesians 2:16-22 The Unity of the Body, Pt 3

2. John Piper

a. Ephesians 2:11-22 Race & Cross

Question: How can we get better at being “one in Christ” with our fellow Christian brothers and sisters?

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking at Sally Clarkson’s Mom Heart Conference in Irvine, Ca! It was such an honor to be able to spend some time with my dear friend, Sally and have the opportunity to meet some new friends too! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say “Hello” and let me know that you’re a Good Morning Girl! I loved meeting each and everyone of you!!! You BLESSED  me with your testimonies of what God is doing through your life because you are apart of Good Morning Girls and in His Word!

Being in God’s Word truly is life-changing!

LOVED meeting EACH of YOU! Thanks again sweet friends!

Until next time…

Love God Greatly,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

Our little Katherine was born with a sweet, compliant, and cheerful disposition and she has grown into a very patient, kind, and gentle 10 year old.  Ironically she is also totally fascinated with all things spooky, like creepy mysteries and ghost stories.  Not much scares her, which is why the beginning of Eph. 2 is right up her ally. Paul begins by teaching us that we are born spiritual zombies! That’s right, the living dead (2:1).

We Are Created For Good Works

This dark reality is true of us all. (2:3). But God is a God who revives skeletons (Ezekiel 37), brings the dead out of their tombs (Jn. 11), and breaths new life into the spiritually lifeless. It is God who gives new hearts and new spirits (Ezekiel 36 ).

So, when Paul says, “we are His workmanship” (Eph. 2:10) he is pointing to this new life in Jesus. F.F. Bruce says God has taken something that was spiritually dead and ugly and turned it into “a work of art, a masterpiece,” beautiful and precious in the eyes of God. That is what we are, a beautiful masterpiece. This is the reason why we have nothing to boast in, except our Redeemer himself (Eph. 2:9).

The question we have to ask then is for what purpose did God rescue and remake us?

My kids can’t wait to get to heaven. They have this idea that when they get there they can pick any animal God ever created as their pet. But “going to heaven” is only one of many reasons He saves us. God redeems us for His glory, to show His grace, His generosity, His love, and here in Ephesians 2:10 Paul tells us we have been saved for good works (Eph.2:10).

Jesus hasn’t rescued us from hell and helplessness for us to be idle and fruitless. Titus 2:14 tell us that Jesus died for us so that we would be zealous for good works. He wants us to be enthusiastic, passionate and even intense about doing good.

Good Works Are Created For Us

Simply defined good works are those things God commands us to do in faith for His glory. So what high and lofty missions does God have planned for me?

It might not be what you have in mind.  I was chiseling gum off my couch last week and then spent some time scraping unidentifiable gook off my floor when it occurred to me that this is the good work that God has prepared for me to do. Jesus died for me to do this.

Say what?!! What about bringing meals to new moms, or packing everything up and moving to unknown parts of the world to share Christ with people who have never heard? What about leading Bible studies or adopting orphans and caring for the elderly? Aren’t those “good works?” Yes, absolutely, those are great things that God has planned for some of us, but so is vacuuming up piles of cheerios from the car, ironing shirts, cooking meals for picky eaters, pulling weeds, organizing our home, scraping dried toothpaste off of bathroom mirrors, disciplining children, and going on dates with our husbands – all with an eye towards God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31). God commands us to be faithful and fruitful wherever He has called us.

I realize that good works are something we should do with a cheerful heart, but I often fail. Do you?  What are we missing? I think it comes down to the fact that we do not believe or see that even these tasks have been ordained by God for our good.

We tend to lose sight of the fact that the mundane things we do are made holy, just as holy as translating the Bible into another language, because they have been assigned by a wise King who knows better than us how we can glorify Him, and how we can be changed into the image of Christ. Theses are not just any old works, these are works that God custom made for you and me.

And God calls us to walk in them (Eph 2:10). To live them out. We think that we deviate off the path God has for us if we commit adultery, or gossip, or some other really “evil” thing,  but we also deviate off the path when we ignore the works that God has placed before us this very day.

Therefore, the challenge before us is to recognize that both the big and the small tasks in our lives have been prepared for us by God. Christ died so that we might walk in good works.  Do not cast them aside! For in them we will grow in the knowledge of God, and Christlikeness.

Looking to Jesus,

Books that will take you deeper:

The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges
My Life for Yours by Douglas Wilson
50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper (Free)

I used to live a regimented lifestyle.  Always on time.  Franklin-Covey planner marked up and checked off to a T.  Neat freak and paper filer.  I even remember a day when my clothes closet was  methodically organized by color, beginning with the lightest shade, and gradually darkening in color as the shirt line grew deeper.  Aahhhh.

And then I had kids.

Amazing, isn’t it, how one tiny little person can change everything?  Forget the color-coded closet nonsense (wow, did I need a hobby!).  Some days I’m just lucky to get the wet laundry switched into the dryer before it sits too long and I’m forced to re-run the load all over again.

But I like this new me much better than the old one.  I like approaching train tracks with a minivan full of kids and silently thinking, “Man, I hope we get stopped by one today.”  The old me would have grumbled at the delay.  The new me wants the first spot next to the crossing, so my kids have the best view (okay, and so the engineer can see us all giddily pumping our arms up and down in hopes that he’ll sound the whistle – for just a little longer than necessary – at our hyper request).  I used to complain about things like a blanket of fresh snow on the ground, and would immediately think of compromised commutes and of how winter drags on for what seems like forever here in the Midwest.  Now I join my kids and with pure excitement, we sprint to the nearest window and cheer loudly at the sight of the first snowflake.  And then I shallowly ask God to make it that perfectly packing kind, just right for boy-sized snowballs and snowmen.

Sure, the little inconveniences that surround things like busy train tracks and snow storms still exist.  But my identity as a mom has given me a new perspective on life.  A much sweeter, freeing perspective. 

Ephesians brings us good news.  There was a baby who changed everything over two thousand years ago.  His name was Jesus. 

His coming was less than glamorous and certainly not convenient according to human terms, but He would prove to change the path of humanity in an instant.  The world would still remain incredibly imperfect, but suddenly He gave us reason to see life in a whole new way.  A different perspective.

A future and a hope…

Jesus.

Are you living with the perspective as one who is forgiven today, or are you still stuck in the “old” you?  Focused on the inconvenient, or living joyously free?  Confident in your identity in Christ, or looking to the world for value and fulfillment?

He came, and everything changed…

“BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy,

because of His great love with which He loved us,

even when we were dead in trespasses,

  MADE US ALIVE together with Christ – it is by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5

Today, you can LIVE like you KNOW it.

At His Feet,

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Women around the world are IN THE WORD!

Every Wednesday we will have a link-up. If you are a blogger we invite you to link-up any blog posts that you have written about your quiet time that week. We ask that you put our button in the post or on your sidebar so we can find each other.  We do not have code for this link up button. Just right click and save as. Then link it to http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

Love God Greatly!- Angela

For our friends who live in the Irvine, Ca area …….Angela be speaking at the upcoming Sally Clarkson, Mom Heart Conferences this coming Friday, February 3rd. She’d LOVE to see you there!

Today we have a special guest post from my friend, Stacey, who blogs at 29 Lincoln Avenue & MOD Squad. If you haven’t been to either of her blogs……then you need to visit them today! You’ll be glad you did! – Angela

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Do you ever forget who you are? I know I do. I get overwhelmed by life and the dailiness of it all. I barely have time to remember my name or where I put my coffee cup. You know what I’ve realized this past week while studying Ephesians 1? It is good for me to remember not only who I am, but Whose I am. He must have known we would forget, because He wrote it in black and white for us to see. He said…

chosen
forgiven
blameless
blessed
redeemed
lavished with grace

And the truth is, when you really want someone to remember something, you write it down. You send a note. You email. You say it with words because it matters and you don’t want them to forget.

I am witness to this power of writing it down. I’ve seen words wash over a girl of ten and soak in deep till she wore them like her Sunday best. This sweet girl of 10 (now 12) is my daughter. For her birthday that year I asked 30 women to write her a letter telling her what made her special. They wrote the most beautiful letters. They sent His Words. They told her she was amazing, sweet, a true God’s girl and how they loved her passion for worship. The night she opened her gift she came into my room and said, “Oh Mommy, I did not know I was so special.” I watched as day after day she read a different letter, and carefully placed it in her keepsake book. She added stickers and ribbon to the pages and read them again until she didn’t have to read them anymore, because they were written on her heart.

I’ll say it again….

chosen
forgiven
blameless
blessed
redeemed
lavished with grace

These are not my words. They are His. He want us to know how special we are, too. Do you believe it? Do you live like it is true? Can you pick up these words each day, and put them on like you would your favorite pair of cute red shoes? I have an idea: Let’s put them on cards, scribble them on our hands, and write them on our grocery lists. Let’s keep writing and reading them until we don’t have to read them anymore because they are written on our hearts.

Stacey is Mike’s wife and the mother of four vibrant girls. She loves God’s Word, connecting with women and drinks way too much coffee. You can find her blogging at 29lincolnavenue or follow her on Twitter as stacey29lincoln. Her Good Morning Girls group is made up of two other women she adores named Amy and Tracie. Together with a team of amazing women, they write a blog for Mothers of Daughters called the MODsquad.

{Tyler and I on our honeymoon in 1997!}

My husband and I went on a much needed date Saturday night (feel free to insert your own favorite version of The Hallelujah Chorus here!).  In our world consisting of four young children, a variable hospital work schedule, ministry involvement and other random commitments, finding a free night dedicated to just us can sometimes be a pretty tough feat.  We met another couple for dinner, and clearly didn’t run out of things to talk about since we ended up closing the restaurant down nearly four hours later!  We really need to get out more – ha!

My favorite part of the evening?  Sharing with our friends how Tyler and I began our relationship all those years ago.  I sat and listened as my sweet husband described his early college years and how God got a hold of his heart in a powerful way.  We remembered our many years of friendship, when we grew to know God and each other more.  I even got chills when Tyler talked about how his feelings for me gradually, oh so subtly, changed into something more than just friendship.  And we had to laugh, once again, when our individual stories differed a bit on how -and when- God turned both of our hearts in agreement towards each other.

Remembering how it all started is good for my soul.

I left that restaurant filled with a thankful heart for all God has done and all He is still doing in our life and marriage together.  That simple story refreshed my thinking and commitment towards our covenant relationship before God.  I was humbled all over again when I recalled the fact that the development and sustaining of our relationship is all God’s doing, because we were, and are, two very imperfect people.

In the same way, it is good and right to recall those early days when God moved in my life to bring me into a saving relationship with Him.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

in which you used to live when you followed the ways

of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,

the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh

and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

Ephesians 2:1-4

Remembering who we were before Christ.  Our story begins there, and we should tell our story often.   No, not in a living-in-the-past sort of way, but in admiration and awe of  what God sent Jesus to do on our behalf!

Paul has done just that for us in our first two weeks in Ephesians.  He does well to remember, and then to remind us of our spiritual blessings in Christ.  And then, get this:  because he has HEARD of their faith, he is moved to respond in worship to the One who made it all possible.  Wow.

I love how telling the story of what Jesus has done for us can change our thinking instantly.  Instead of focusing on our worldly circumstances, it wallpapers truth on the walls of our minds, bringing us to new levels of thankfulness and commitment in our relationship with Him.  And the effects don’t stop there!  Our testimonies can move others to worship our Savior!  Isn’t that an amazing thought?!  As we move into week three of our study, I hope you are as excited as I am to share with others what God has done for us.  You can start by sharing with your Good Morning Girls group this week!  My prayer is that we, like the Ephesians, will be found faithful, and that the reminder of the gospel impacts us in such a way that we can’t keep quiet about what God has done!

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—

it is by grace {insert your name here!} you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5

This week read: Ephesians 2:1-10

Digging a little deeper: For those of you who would like to learn more about these verses this week, I’ve provided a few resources below for you to use to help you…….dig a little deeper!

1. John MacArthur

a. Ephesians 2:1-10 Coming Alive in Christ

b. Ephesians 2: 1-10 Exchanging Living Death for Dying Life

2. John Piper

a. Ephesians 2:1 Why We Need a Savior pt 1

b. Ephesians 2:2-3 Why We Need a Savior pt 2

c. Ephesians 2:4 But God…

d. Ephesians 2:8 Pray for All His Purposes

Question: Looking back, how has God moved in your life?

I can’t wait to read your answers!

At His feet,

Hi ladies, how was your week? Did you wonder at all where you would find motivation, energy, and strength to get anything done, let alone meet with God? I did, and I’m sure that I am not the only one who sometimes feels completely drained. My toddler keeps throwing random items into the toilet and using the trash as a wending machine.  Then there is the laundry, which multiplies faster than rabbits, and a husband who will be home famished after a long day at work. Did I mention that my in-laws live with us? And somewhere in all of that I need to homeschool my older kids. We all have a lot going on, and if we’re honest we know that we don’t have the strength to get it all done.

This is why I was encouraged by Eph. 1:19, 20. Paul says he was praying that the Ephesian Christians would know “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe,… that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead ….”

Many of us think of Jesus’ resurrection as a historical event that “saves” us, but we don’t always see how it connects to our everyday lives (and making Resurrection Rolls doesn’t count). Paul says we can know the power of God that was displayed in Jesus’ resurrection. And it is available to all Christians.

I recently read a devotional that asked what the most powerful thing was besides God. The answer was death.

“Every living thing, no matter how small or large, no matter how beautiful or ugly, poor or rich will experience death. Even the devil himself will experience a kind of death. One of the best ways that God has demonstrated his power is by overcoming death. And this same power dwells within every believer.”   - The Exaltation of Christ

As I read through Scripture I see that Jesus IS the power of God (1Cor. 1:24), and with Jesus God has given us a spirit of power (2Tim. 1:7) through which he has granted us all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). His power makes us effective witnesses of Jesus to the world and to our children and spouses (Acts 1:8). It gives us hope in the midst of dark times (Rom. 15:13). It helps us fight spiritual battles in our homes and hearts (2 Cor. 10:4), and it causes us to persevere without being crushed in the midst of pressing duties and present troubles.

But here is my favorite part: How much power do we have available to us? Later in Ephesians 3:20 Paul says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” God’s power is far more abundant than we can imagine!  What can this immeasurable power do? Well, it gave Polycarp the strength to be burned alive for his faith, Ignatius to be joyfully mauled to death by lions for his love for Jesus, and this power is given to you to fulfill your calling.

The reason we don’t really experience much of this power is because we either don’t believe it, think much about it, or seek for it. Some  expect God to just give it. But experiencing this divine power is only found as we rest in Jesus. Here are some ways of doing that.

Look Up

Resting in Jesus while facing all that God has put before us requires us to look up in prayer (James 5:16), expecting God to work in us in mighty ways. I like what Billy Sunday said, “If you are strangers to prayer, you are strangers to power.”

Go Deep

If we are to discover the power of God we must go deep in the word for there we not only see his power in the past, but also find strength for today. The Holy Spirit uses the word to sanctify us (Jn. 17:17; 2 Thess. 2:13), transform our minds (Rom. 12:2; Ps. 19:7-14) and empower us unto godliness.

Work Hard

God grants power, but not so we can relax. “Let go and let God” is often a euphemism for “I don’t care, God will work it out.” God gives us power that we might work hard (Col. 1:28, 29)! When you think you don’t have any more to give remember that we are not wells that run dry, but rivers whose source is the eternal, almighty God. You can learn to deal gently and patiently with your children and be loving and respectful to your husband because you have the power of God in you! You can suffer well because Jesus has suffered well for you, and you now have the power of God to draw from. So, you can give your best at work or clean your home with a godly (dare I say even joyful) attitude because you have Jesus, and his resurrection power.

Never underestimate the importance of our Redeemer’s resurrection for without it we could never grow in godliness.

Looking to Jesus,

Books that will take you deeper:

Benefits of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, by Perry Hess (free)

Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, D.A. Carson

Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything, Adrian Warnock

Wow, you all amazed me last week by setting a new record number of link-ups!!! We had a total of 98!!! I loved visiting your different sites and getting to know some of you! In celebration I’ve decided to showcase one special blog post that has been linked up each month on the last Wednesday of the month, so make sure and come back again and again sharing with the GMG community what you are learning through our Ephesians study!

Today I’d like to share with you Courtney’s Bible Study Methods & Tips video!

(If you can’t see the video, click here.)

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Women around the world are IN THE WORD!

Every Wednesday we will have a link-up. If you are a blogger we invite you to link-up any blog posts that you have written about your quiet time that week. We ask that you put our button in the post or on your sidebar so we can find each other.  We do not have code for this link up button. Just right click and save as. Then link it to http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

Love God Greatly!- Angela

For my friends who live in the Irvine, Ca area or Dallas/Fort Worth, Tx area…….I’ll be speaking at the upcoming Sally Clarkson, Mom Heart Conferences this coming February. I’d LOVE to meet you there!

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My girls LOVE to dress up as princesses. They LOVE to sing princess songs and watch princess movies. They love to talk about princess and read about princesses…and dream about one day being a princess. Did you ever realize that once you accept Christ as your Savior, you become an adopted daughter to the King of kings?

You become a PRINCESS!

No wonder so many little girls love pretending to be princesses. God has placed that desire in our hearts. As I read over the verses from last week it hit me… God has made all of us yearn to be princesses. Do you realize that he has adopted YOU. That he loves YOU. On the days when you feel less than…….think of that truth!

You are wanted.

You are LOVED by the Almighty!

He thinks that you are beautiful and perfect……just the way He made YOU!

Knowing that truth……how then should God’s princesses live?

Live loved.

Live knowing you are wanted.

Live remembering that you have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…(Eph 1:7)

Live as a princess to the King of kings!

Know who YOU are…You are His!

Rest in that truth.

No one or nothing can snatch you out of His hands! (John 10:29)

This week read: Ephesians 1:15-23

Focus on:

1. Establishing a time each day to spend with God.
2. Work through the S.O.A.P. method each day, learning to slow down and look deeper into God’s Word.
3. Reach out! Share with those in your group what you are learning. If you’re not apart of a group, then please share with us on the blog or Facebook page what you are learning. We love hearing from you!

Keep in mind: We are working on establishing the discipline of being in God’s Word on a regular basis. If you miss a day here or there, give yourself grace and make a point to be in God’s Word the next day. Don’t let Satan discourage you and make you feel bad about missing a day or two. Be victories and get back into God’s Word! Satan fears nothing more than a woman who is in God’s Word!

Digging a little deeper: For those of you who would like further study into these verses this week, I’ve provided a few resources below for you to use to help you dig a little deeper.

1. John MacArthur

a. Ephesians 1:15-23 Christ is Everything

b. Ephesians 1:15-17 Our Resources in Christ pt 1

c. Ephesians 1:18-23 Our Resources in Christ pt 2

2. John Piper

a. Ephesians 1:15-23 The Fullness of Him Who Fills All in All

For those who are just starting the Ephesians Estudy: What will I need for this online bible study? (If you haven’t already downloaded it)

1. GMG Ephesians Estudy Guide- English version

2. GMG Ephesians Estudy Guide- German translation

Not into printing the Ephesians Estudy guide out?
No problem! Use SOAPStudy.com to journal your way through Ephesians! They also have a mobile version for your phone too! Check them out at: www.soapstudy.com/

I’m so excited to begin week 2 with each of you! We have some exciting verses to read together!

I’ll be praying over all of you as you make time to spend in God’s Word.

Question: What makes you most excited when you think about being one of God’s princesses?

Until next time….

Love God Greatly!

For my friends who live in the Irvine, Ca area or Dallas/Fort Worth, Tx area…….I’ll be speaking at the upcoming Sally Clarkson, Mom Heart Conferences this coming February. I’d Love to meet you there!

Woman Reading by Carl Holsoe

I am super excited to be a part of the GMG team and am looking forward to digging deep into Ephesian with you all. This week I was struck with all the blessings that God has given believers in Christ.  However, because of the spiritual nature of these promises I imagine some might not find them very compelling. Many would prefer to be blessed with supernatural powers, a couple of extra sets of arms (retractable so we wouldn’t look like freaks), or maybe just a goose that lays golden eggs. But God has given us gifts that are not only far more valuable, but also immediately experiential and practical. Here are a few things that I have been meditating on this week.

In Jesus Christ all believers are:

Chosen (Eph. 1:4,5)

Paul tells us that we were chosen in Jesus “before the foundation of the world.” He says we were “predestined” according to “the purpose of his will.” The fact that we are saved is no accident. It did not come about because we were lovely in any way, and it certainly was not the result of any work on our part (Eph 2:9). It is all a gift of God’s sovereign grace. This should cause us to be women who are characterized by humility and awe at our merciful and majestic God and King.

Redeemed (Eph. 1:7)

There are days when I feel like my greatest need is more patience, or some silence, or maybe even some chocolate, but as a sinner my greatest need is actually redemption. The idea behind that word is rescue from bondage. It requires that a price be payed. In our case the bondage was to sin and the price was death. The Father planned our rescue before the earth was even created, and Jesus paid the price completely on the cross. Jesus does it all! This blessing should cause us to be women filled with thankfulness and joy out of which comes whole-hearted obedience.

Forgiven (Eph. 1:7)

Do you realize that if you hollered at the kids today (as I have done), or were snippy with your husband, or ignored God for a while, you are already forgiven in Christ? God does not love us more on the days when we think we have it all together, and less on the days when we think we’ve blown it. He always loves us with the same intense love that moved Him to die for us.  You, like me, are like the prodigal son, and when you confess your sins, “He runs to you (as it were) and is repeatedly embracing and kissing you even before the words of your confession are out of your mouth” (Milton Vincent).
 This should cause us to be women who eagerly confess our shortcomings, knowing that forgiveness has already been given, and we should be quick to forgive others.

Adopted (Eph. 1:5)

God’s grace doesn’t stop there, He gives us another spiritual blessing by placing us into His family. This is why we can call God “Father” (Gal 4:6). Therefore, He is as pleased with you and me as He is with Jesus (Mt. 3:17; 17:5; 1 Jn 3:1). This is crazy love because we were not sweet little orphans, but filthy, hateful enemies. His adopting grace should cause us to be women who have confidence to draw near to God at all times. You can be bold in your prayers because our God is a generous Father! (Matt.7:9-11)

Sealed (Eph. 1:13)

I am sure you have heard the phrase “once saved, always saved.” The reason we can so confidently proclaim this is because we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. James Boice says that it is an “authentication that believers are truly God’s.” The Holy Spirit is our down-payment until Christ comes for us.  This seal once given cannot be broken. It is one of the reasons why God will not lose even one of us. This should cause us to be women who do not lose heart on the days when we fail because God has promised to finish the good work he has started in us (Phil.1:6), and the Holy Spirit carries out that promise.

All of these spiritual blessings that God bestows on us so freely cost us nothing and Him everything because they come through Christ’s life, death and resurrection. While we still have laundry to do, kids to train, a husband to care for, and other jobs to accomplish we can rest in the knowledge that if God has given us everything we need for salvation, He will also give us everything we need for living a holy life.

Looking to Jesus,

Books that will take you deeper:

Chosen for Life, by Sam Storms

Redemption Accomplished and Applied, by John Murray

Adopted by God: From Wayward Sinners to Cherished Children, by Robert Peterson

Forgiveness, J.C. Ryle (free PDF)

On Wednesday’s here at Good Morning Girls we have what is called a “Link-Up” party. What’s a “Link-Up” party?

Here’s how it works:

If you are a blogger, you write a blog post about what you have been learning during your morning quiet time.  It can be from the book of Ephesians OR it can be from any other book or devotional you are studying.

After you write your blog post, copy and paste your link here below and the link will appear on our page.

Once the little boxes of links and pictures appear, we invite all the GMG’s to blog hop and get to know like-minded women around the WORLD!

If blog hoppin’ is not your thing, we invite you to chat in the comment section.  Tell what you’re learning new this week!!!  We want to hear it – teach us!!!  Or share if God did something new in your life – we want to know!!!  Feel free to share prayer requests as well.

So let’s get this party started!!!

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Women around the world are IN THE WORD!

Every Wednesday we will have a link-up. If you are a blogger we invite you to link-up any blog posts that you have written about your quiet time that week. We ask that you put our button in the post or on your sidebar so we can find each other.  We do not have code for this link up button. Just right click and save as. Then link it to http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

Love God Greatly!- Angela

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