Grace, Fear, Faith, & More

Emily Wickham began her writing and speaking journey in 2005. She writes for Lifeway Christian Resources and enjoys serving the Lord as an author, speaker, and podcaster. She teaches via Indestructible Life, a podcast that helps women discover the life Jesus is and treasure the life God's Word gives. Emily also shares brief messages about the return of Christ on her YouTube channel. Please connect with Emily by subscribing below to her blog, Heart Stirrings.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn
• Instagram

GRACE, FEAR, FAITH, & MORE

Dear Readers,

Before I share the latest about Proclaiming Him to Women, let me highlight the image for today’s post. My daughter, Chloe Grace, designed it! I hope it causes a smile to stretch across your face. God has blessed my girl with incredible talent, and I’m super proud of her (as you can tell). If you’d like to see more of her work, you can follow her Facebook page HERE.

Okay, now for my update. Last week I attended two events that impacted me greatly. They weren’t penciled in my planner months in advance, but God placed them in my schedule for His purposes. And I’m so glad. Please continue reading to discover more…

THE GLORY OF JESUS: GRACE

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6, NASB).

In the King James Version of Ephesians 1:6, Christians are identified as “accepted in the beloved.” I’ve always loved that translation of this verse because it comforts me to know God accepts me—He gladly receives me in Christ. Jesus is everything, for without Him one can’t possess a relationship with the living God.

Today, however, when I read this verse in the New American Standard Version, another aspect caught my attention. God extended His grace to us in the Person of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So when we think about God’s grace toward us, we can contemplate a Person: JESUS, the embodiment of God’s grace. Even though we only deserve condemnation and death, God sent Jesus to pay for our sins and give us life.

This week as we focus on Jesus’ journey to the cross, His sacrificial death, and His victorious resurrection, let’s appreciate the grace God has lavished on us in Christ:

• He grants us favor… in Christ.
• He gives us life… in Christ.
• He makes us new… in Christ.

Every child of God can affirm, “ For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16).

A CONCERT

This past Thursday God enabled me to attend an Andy Cherry concert, which doubled as an album-release celebration. His second album, Invocation, contains powerful lyrics and music. The Lord used this event to minister to me in unexpected ways.

Andy’s openness regarding aspects of his ministry journey refreshed my spirit. At one point he stated how he has thought, “I don’t want to be afraid anymore,” and his words really resonated with me. Because even though I’m 51 years old, fear still affects me in a variety of ways.

From a ministry perspective, fear has crippled my ability to move forward at times. I worry whether people will think I’m promoting myself. I hesitate to speak up and am afraid to stand out. I fear I’m running out of time. But God is working, and He used Andy’s statement to generate the same desire within me: I don’t want to be afraid anymore.

Andy also expressed a profound thought, saying, “Sometimes we put things in the grave that aren’t dead.” Wow. I didn’t anticipate the tears that would flow, but God used them like a cleansing wash. He helped me recognize He’s not done with my ministry yet. Although I firmly believe the Lord Jesus is returning soon, my writing still holds a purpose. The Bible study on Acts I’ve begun to write is not in vain. God has a plan.

A WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

 The Lord also opened the door for me to attend a women’s conference this past Friday. The entire evening included delights: a beautiful drive in the country, time with one of my sisters, the opportunity to meet other Christian women, the privilege of hearing God’s Word taught, and a very direct exhortation from the Holy Spirit.

Right before the speaker, Nicki Koziarz, taught some lessons from Noah’s life, I told my sister I just needed God to let down a scroll from heaven telling me what to do ministry-wise. He answered during the message through Nicki’s words: “We say, ‘God, show me what to do.’ God says, ‘No, look what I’ve already placed you in.’” Nicki continued, “Look at the options God gives and start taking action. Faith feels risky.”

In other words, I need to stop waiting for others to pursue my writing and speaking. I need to step out in faith and see what God will do. So that’s just what I did yesterday in a specific arena. It will be interesting to experience God’s answer.

WORDS I’M WRITING

Work on my new Bible study continues, and your prayers are helping me along the way. Thank you! Sometimes the words flow while at other times it requires effort to write a paragraph. Yet little by little, this manuscript is taking shape.

Two out of three lessons are written, and once I write lesson three, I plan to edit plus finalize each one. Then, I’ll roll up my sleeves to write another book proposal (not my favorite job). Please keep the prayers coming, and Lord willing I’ll share further updates next month.

HOW TO WRITE DEVOTIONS

I found a website, www.teachable.com, where I can sell my instructional video. Yay! God is good. It would be terrific to get this material uploaded soon, but I keep pushing it down the list on my schedule. Please pray for diligence and the Lord’s favor in this endeavor.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

May the Lord bless you and yours with a very meaningful celebration of His resurrection. JESUS is alive! He is the living One, and in Him we live, too.

In Christ’s Love,

P.S. Please tune in to Andy Cherry’s live version of Mighty, and check out my previous post about the resurrection, JESUS CHRIST, the Living One.