My Dear Daniel Ladies…thank you so much for the RENEW picture and my SCRIP gift certificate. What a perfect gift the picture is…I cannot tell you how much I love it! How much it spurs me on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). And think of all the Purell I can buy with that gift certificate…just kidding!
Well, I told the Friday ladies how much I despise goodbyes. I have never been good at them. I’ve also mentioned in class before that I nearly plummet into depression at the end of a Bible study. From the moment I start planning a study, I begin to pray that God will bind our hearts together and that He will give me a supernatural love for all of you. So, why am I surprised when He does? I’m already starting to mourn the fact that a group can never be duplicated. Even the Wednesday and Friday groups of Daniel have their own dynamics and personalities.
Listen…I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve Jesus by serving you. It has been my privilege to prepare for our class time together and to pray for and with you. As I write this, a stack of your prayer request cards sit on my desk. Please know that you have captured a special place in my heart. I esteem each of you so very much. Without fail whenever I spend time with you individually, as you walk away I think…I want to be like her. Each of you has your own gifting and personality that leaves me a little awestruck.
The truth is we all need to be more like Jesus and I think that after this study we are on our way to being women that God esteems! Women of integrity and resolve in a depraved world. Women who will stand against the corruption of the world because they know that the One who is in them is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Women who have been granted a measure of wisdom, understanding and insight from Him who dwells in unapproachable light! Women who with great anticipation look forward to the day when Jesus, our Savior and King, has taken His rightful place and reigns in righteousness for all eternity! Hallelujah! May our hunger for more of Him be insatiable and may we pursue Him with everything we’ve got in order to fulfill the plans and purposes He has for each one of us. May we know our God!
I said it this past week in class but it’s worth mentioning again…let’s be intentional about our take away from this study. We’ve learned a lot from Daniel, the man, and one of the things we’ve learned is that standing for God will not happen by accident. You were not in this study by accident and neither was I. Know the work that God has purposed to do in you through the intense study of the book of Daniel. Surrender that part of yourself to Him, once and for all. The truth is that He does the work in us by the power of the Holy Spirit…all we have to do is surrender, commit and cooperate. Please take a moment and commit whatever that is to God. Purpose in your heart to cooperate with the sanctification process and lay down as a sacrifice whatever it may be that is in the way. There is nothing worth keeping if it keeps us from knowing Jesus more fully and living our life for Him.
Are you starting to get the feeling that I’m avoiding the ‘good bye’ portion of this letter? Me too. I’m hoping that for most of you it is ‘See ya later’ as you’ll be joining me for Breaking Free in February. Though our meeting together is taking a short break in January, stay in the Word! Again, be intentional. What a great time to study from a translation you’re not familiar with or to do a topical study. Let’s ask God for a burning desire to study His Word. It is His will for us to know it and live by it.
I love you; but most importantly God loves you… so much so that He gave His one and only Son that you would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)!
Well, I told the Friday ladies how much I despise goodbyes. I have never been good at them. I’ve also mentioned in class before that I nearly plummet into depression at the end of a Bible study. From the moment I start planning a study, I begin to pray that God will bind our hearts together and that He will give me a supernatural love for all of you. So, why am I surprised when He does? I’m already starting to mourn the fact that a group can never be duplicated. Even the Wednesday and Friday groups of Daniel have their own dynamics and personalities.
Listen…I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve Jesus by serving you. It has been my privilege to prepare for our class time together and to pray for and with you. As I write this, a stack of your prayer request cards sit on my desk. Please know that you have captured a special place in my heart. I esteem each of you so very much. Without fail whenever I spend time with you individually, as you walk away I think…I want to be like her. Each of you has your own gifting and personality that leaves me a little awestruck.
The truth is we all need to be more like Jesus and I think that after this study we are on our way to being women that God esteems! Women of integrity and resolve in a depraved world. Women who will stand against the corruption of the world because they know that the One who is in them is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Women who have been granted a measure of wisdom, understanding and insight from Him who dwells in unapproachable light! Women who with great anticipation look forward to the day when Jesus, our Savior and King, has taken His rightful place and reigns in righteousness for all eternity! Hallelujah! May our hunger for more of Him be insatiable and may we pursue Him with everything we’ve got in order to fulfill the plans and purposes He has for each one of us. May we know our God!
I said it this past week in class but it’s worth mentioning again…let’s be intentional about our take away from this study. We’ve learned a lot from Daniel, the man, and one of the things we’ve learned is that standing for God will not happen by accident. You were not in this study by accident and neither was I. Know the work that God has purposed to do in you through the intense study of the book of Daniel. Surrender that part of yourself to Him, once and for all. The truth is that He does the work in us by the power of the Holy Spirit…all we have to do is surrender, commit and cooperate. Please take a moment and commit whatever that is to God. Purpose in your heart to cooperate with the sanctification process and lay down as a sacrifice whatever it may be that is in the way. There is nothing worth keeping if it keeps us from knowing Jesus more fully and living our life for Him.
Are you starting to get the feeling that I’m avoiding the ‘good bye’ portion of this letter? Me too. I’m hoping that for most of you it is ‘See ya later’ as you’ll be joining me for Breaking Free in February. Though our meeting together is taking a short break in January, stay in the Word! Again, be intentional. What a great time to study from a translation you’re not familiar with or to do a topical study. Let’s ask God for a burning desire to study His Word. It is His will for us to know it and live by it.
I love you; but most importantly God loves you… so much so that He gave His one and only Son that you would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)!
In The Matchless Love of Christ,
Karessa
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