What began as five loaves of bread and two fish from a boy’s lunch fed well over 5000 people – with leftovers to spare! We’ve all heard this story. Let’s look at this passage with fresh eyes as we study Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-15. ******** Dear Most Holy God…we are indeed privileged to come before you and to sit at your feet. Thank you for meeting us each where we are and for guiding us as we study your Word. God, I pray that you would forgive me of all my sins so that I may be a clean vessel to hear your voice clearly. We know that there is something specific that you want us each to learn and know today, and we humbly ask you to open our ears and hearts to receive your teaching. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. &nbsp; If you’ve been around the Christian faith for very long, you likely know the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand that is chronicled in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-15. Maybe that is even how you happened upon today’s podcast! But even if you know the story by heart, we should go back to the Bible and look at it with fresh eyes. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to turn our brains off when we “know something so well”? That is precisely why we need to remind ourselves that God’s Word is living and active…meaning that there is something new for us to discover EVERY time we read it. God’s news is never old news. We will never, on this earth, come to understand EVERYTHING God has to teach us, even from a single passage. So let me encourage you today to engage your mind and imagination as I read this story…especially if it is familiar to you. I know I often tout this podcast as one you can listen to as you are driving or walking or doing chores…but…if it is possible, I encourage you to stop for a moment and really concentrate and imagine the scene as I read Mark 6:30-44 from the New Living Translation. &nbsp; Mark 6:30-44 30&nbsp;The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.&nbsp;31&nbsp;Then Jesus said,&nbsp;“Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”&nbsp;He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. 32&nbsp;So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.&nbsp;33&nbsp;But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.&nbsp;34&nbsp;Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35&nbsp;Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.&nbsp;36&nbsp;Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” 37&nbsp;But Jesus said,&nbsp;“You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money[]&nbsp;to buy food for all these people!” 38&nbsp;“How much bread do you have?”&nbsp;he asked.&nbsp;“Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.” 39&nbsp;Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.&nbsp;40&nbsp;So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. 41&nbsp;Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.&nbsp;42&nbsp;They all ate as much as they wanted,&nbsp;43&nbsp;and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.&nbsp;44&nbsp;A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.[] &nbsp; I’ve heard so many teachings on this passage. I’ve learned...

260. Walking in the Word, Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

God’s power can indeed move mountains. But He uses it for so much more! As you listen to this podcast, ask God to speak to your heart, and then rest in submission as He guides you deeper into His presence – in His power. (Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29, Luke 9:37-43) ****** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. I’m your host, Julie Jenkins, and I’m so glad you have taken time out to spend with God in His Word today. This past week, members of my household have been struck with covid for the first time. Thankfully, no one’s symptoms are life-threatening, but it has changed the structure of our days. I have been living and sleeping in my office and sharing my daughter’s bathroom, while my husband and son – both infected – are staying in their parts of the house. But life has gone on – I continue to work via the internet, as does my husband – and I have been struck by just how much just the existence of covid in the world has changed how we live over the last couple of years. In Deuteronomy 11:11-12, God promises the Israelites that the land they will enter will be full of hills and valleys, and there will be plenty of rain, but God will care and watch over us in every season of the year. Doesn’t that hold so true for us today? Our lives are full of hills and valleys, and there IS plenty of rain – meant to keep us from being parched but sometimes causing distress. But most importantly, it is certain that God DOES watch over us in EVERY season of every year. I hope that you have experienced God’s care over the recent years. We at Women World Leaders continue to see God work through the hills and the valleys, opening for us doors of opportunities to serve others and shout His name even as the world continues to be attacked by illness, violence, and hate. In today’s Scripture reading, we see the disciples experience the hills and valleys of life, too, and we see Jesus’ constant care as He leads and instructs them. Today we will study Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29, and Luke 9:37-43. Before we begin, let’s pray… Father God, We thank you for always being with us through the hills and the valleys – and for caring for and teaching us along the way. We give you this time as we open your Word and learn from you. Help us be teachable, willing to listen, and excited to walk even closer to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Last week, we saw Peter, John, and James marvel at seeing the transfigured Jesus in His glory on the mountain top. They were awestruck and didn’t know how to react. God then covered them in a cloud, commanding them to listen to Jesus. They then descended to the valley to meet back up with the other nine disciples. As they did, Jesus instructed the trio not to share what they had seen until after His resurrection. Their thoughts of glory and awe were abruptly interrupted when they came upon a large crowd in chaos, including a man begging for help, a child in torment, and the teachers of the religious law arguing with the nine disciples. Mark 9:14, from the New Living Translation begins… 14&nbsp;When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them.&nbsp;15&nbsp;When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16&nbsp;“What is all this arguing about?”&nbsp;Jesus asked. 17&nbsp;One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.&nbsp;18&nbsp;And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.[]&nbsp;So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” The other gospels give us some additional details that we shouldn’t miss. Matthew tells us that that the man came to...

293. Walking in the Word, God's Power Can Move Mountains

At the Festival of the Tabernacles, Jesus teaches in the temple. His message is surprising, convicting, meaningful, infuriating to some, but most of all, life-giving. Will you listen with an open mind and an open heart, seeking God’s wisdom for the path He has for you today? (John 7:14-31) ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word – the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ Podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am honored to walk with you as we open God’s Word and ask Him to teach us what He wants us to know today. In today’s passage, I believe that God is issuing a charge to each of us. There is SO much unfolding in our world and I believe this message to us is urgent and necessary. I also believe that He is bringing YOU this message at the exact moment that you need to hear it. So strap in – because we are diving right in! Our scripture today comes from John 7:14-31. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Most Holy God. Thank you for guiding us today as we study your Word. God, we know that each time we open your Scripture, there is something specific that you want us each to know – and we don’t want to miss it! So Father, we ask that you cleanse of our sins that we may be clean vessels, ready to hear directly from you. God, may the words that come out of my mouth not be my words, but may they come directly from you. As we gather today, we all have different things going on in our lives, but you know each of them, your care for us is astounding, and we trust you. So we give you this time and ask that you do with it as you will. We love you and we trust you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. &nbsp; As we join Jesus today in John chapter 7, He is in Judea at the Festival of the Tabernacles. You may recall that Jesus has been there in “secret” as it was not yet time, in God’s perfect timing, for Jesus to make known His presence. That didn’t keep people from talking about Jesus, however. He had quite the reputation. And, like the news we see on our phones and on television today, the news that people knew about Jesus was likely not the whole story – instead, MOST of the Jewish people relied on what they heard from others instead of seeking to experience and understand the truth. But now, as John records, the time came for more people to get that opportunity to experience Jesus for themselves and draw their own conclusions as to His identity. John 7:14 from the New Living Translation states.. &nbsp; 14&nbsp;Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach.&nbsp;15&nbsp;The people[]&nbsp;were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked. I love that phrase, “the people were surprised when they heard him.” – Again, the verses before this clearly tell us that Jesus was the buzz around town. Everyone had an opinion. And yet…when they listened for themselves to Jesus, they were surprised. They wondered how He knew so much – this man who had not followed a Rabbi or been taught by one. For many, this was their first contact with the man about whom the rumors had flown. When we hear rumors, do we go to the source? Do we check out things for ourselves – seeking the truth – before we make a judgment? The people were surprised by Jesus, but Jesus was not surprised by the people. Verse 16… &nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp;So Jesus told them,&nbsp;“My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me.&nbsp;17&nbsp;Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.&nbsp; Wow…there is so much in these few sentences! In a time of memorization and regurgitation, teaching, and especially scriptural teaching, was handed down word for word from the teacher to the student. Until the student became the teacher. But as time went by, God’s Word, passed on from flawed human to flawed human, became warped. But THIS teaching, Jesus’ teaching, was different. And...

317. Walking in the Word, Jesus Teaches in the Temple

Today's Podcast is "Gospel Grace" taken from Voice of Truth January 2022 edition 7, titled "Is This It?" by author Anita Setran. &nbsp; May you know the meaning of Jesus in your life and that there is way more to life than what you see right now. &nbsp; ****&nbsp; &nbsp;  I wonder what I am going to be when I grow up. &nbsp; Did you ever think or say this when you were young? Or maybe, like me, you have continued to say it year after year, through your teens, twenties, thirties, forties, and now, for me, knocking on fifty’s door. &nbsp; Jesus has always been the center of my world. At the age of 16, I dedicated my life to full-time ministry and have now served in full-time missions for 24 years. I brought up my children in full-time ministry.&nbsp; Very similar to how I was raised. I’ve had the privilege of leading young men and women, training and sending people on outreaches, and investing in new ministries. I am grateful for the life I’ve lived, and yet through it all, I still found myself thinking, I wonder what I am going to be when I grow up. So, I prayed, God, have your way in my life. &nbsp; It’s not that I haven’t lived a full life. I got married at 20 to my best friend, and we will celebrate our 30th anniversary in September. We have three beautiful children. Our eldest son is now married to a beautiful, Christian young lady. Our middle daughter has just graduated from college, making the Dean’s List every semester. And our youngest daughter, Kiersten, is our very special gift that we get to keep forever! Our precious baby girl just turned 18, and she has Down Syndrome. &nbsp; In the depths of my heart, I always knew, yet also feared, that I would have a child with special needs. You see, I had three precious uncles who each had special needs and learning disabilities. They were not diagnosed during their childhood, but it was evident that they were different. However, they were special. And they were mine. They loved me unconditionally, and I loved them. I knew that my childhood years of living near them, caring for them, and protecting them had prepared me for this divine task of special needs motherhood. &nbsp; Kiersten needed open-heart surgery at nine weeks old to repair a very large hole in her heart. Just days after the surgery, while still in the hospital, she split open her sternum bone due to severe vomiting, requiring a second surgery to open her chest and repair the sternum. In the months to come, her heart healed perfectly. Over the next eight years, however, Kiersten would require seven additional surgeries for her hearing and other needs. It felt like the doctor appointments, lab work, and hospital visits would never end. Eventually, however, things settled down, and life continued. I wondered, Is this it? Is this my calling, my purpose?? We prayed, God’s will be done. &nbsp; Years later, we marched as a family in Washington DC at the March For Life with a group called KIDS, Keep Infants With Down Syndrome. It was wonderful and fulfilling. We participated in this event a few consecutive years, and I wondered, Is this it? Is this what I have been waiting for? We prayed and trusted God with each open door. &nbsp; In 1992, my father, Nick Savoca, founded a new ministry called Prayer Stations. It is a profoundly simple concept. A red and white banner printed with the words “Prayer Station” is hung above a white table and displayed on a sidewalk so that pedestrians approaching from either direction can see it. We started this ministry in New York City to provide free prayer to anyone in need. It’s disarming - who doesn’t need prayer? After all, prayer and God’s faithfulness were the themes of our lives. &nbsp; Immediately following the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City by terrorists on 9/11/2001, Prayer Stations expanded its ministry to rally Christians from around the country and the world to come and pray for our fellow New Yorkers. We set up as many as 14...

321. Celebrating God's Grace, Is This It?

Rachel Dube is a busy mom of five, an author, editor, and Christ-follower. Be blessed today as we listen to a reading of one of Rachel's poems from Voice of Truth,&nbsp;"These Broken Bones Will Rejoice." &nbsp; **** Become a monthly donor at .com to receive a copy of Voice of Truth as our thank you! &nbsp; These Broken Bones Will Rejoice by Rachel Dube&nbsp; Crushed.Dreams are crushed.Paint the sky black and turn the flowers to dust.I don’t want to see the sky glimmer in gold at sunset.I don’t want even familiar faces, much less those I haven’t met.  The laughter of my heart that sang and dancedLike the grass of the field when the wind sweeps byIs quiet, except when I have to fake it. And as soon as I’m alone, all I can do is cry.  Make me the wind Without feeling or home or connections.Set me free in the world to run in all directions.I was once a fresh apple,But I rolled out into the sun.Days ago, I was lively, luscious red,Shouting, “Life is delicious!” But now I am dead.And because I am withered and my color is gone,I don’t want color in any part of the world.I want every hum to be my sad song.I have my black and white piles of paint And I mix them together furiously.I paint scores of life’s most beautiful things,But they all turn out as gray monotony.But somehow amidst the darkness,&nbsp; Just when I’ve decided to lay down and let life beat me, Bright colors, full life and deep love,Though seemingly distant, still pursue and entreat me.Because Jesus himself, God who became manDied on a cross on the darkest of days,So that when I say I can’t wake up He tells me I can.   He reminds me that He didn’t die And come up from the deadFor me, who has His power as my strength,  To be a withered, hardened heart who won’t get out of bed. He tells me that when there isn’t a note Of music anywhere around,To listen to His promises, a symphony of hope, Sweeter than any sound.I feel Him in my heartBreaking down its walls, Building windows and doors, Letting light pour into its halls. My creator, who knows me, Knows every detail of my days.He holds me in His handAnd tells me to trust His ways.I am a jar of clayOn His spinning wheel.I sometimes ask Him to stop the molding,But He refuses to make that kind of deal.  He tells me I am a special jarMade for a purpose very specific.He says that the things He’s working in meAre not projects that are quick. They often require the clay to be crushed.I tell Him, “That one sounds familiar.”He says He wants me to look like His perfect Son, And I am nowhere near there. So here I am in this worldOf dark grays and tears and pain, With light pouring in me from my SaviorWhose life and love are the hope for mineBecause He has no shadow due to change. His promises are for my soul: water, bread and blood.  His life in me gives life colorAnd an ark above this flood. Lord, teach me in this very momentTo lean on Your grace and trust in Your love.Transform my hours of worry and tearsTo hours and days of time well spent.I need You to hold me togetherBecause I can’t stop falling apart.Show me that You can walk on waterAnd calm the storms raging in my heart. Put new life in me With every new day’s sunrise. Whether it peers through my blinds in the morning,Or hides behind cloudy skies.Satisfy me.Fill me up to the brim.So that every small joy   Makes my cup spill over.And whether blessing or trial,These broken bones will rejoice in Him. &nbsp;

327. Celebrating God's Grace, These Broken Bones Will Rejoice

Jesus IS the light of the world! What does that mean for us today? Join Julie Jenkins as we study John 8:12-30 together. ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. I’m your host Julie Jenkins. We have an exciting new offering for you at Women World Leaders! We would love to welcome all ladies, no matter where you live, to join us for our monthly leadership meetings on Zoom. We meet the third Monday of each month at 7pm ET. So, if you are listening to this soon after it is released, our next meeting is Monday, September 19th. You will have to do the math to figure out what time 7pm ET is in your time zone – or, if you’re like me, you’ll just Google it! We do recognize that some of you may have to stay up late or get up early, and we are sorry about that! All I can say is that in heaven, we will surely all be on the same time zone – that isn’t biblical at all – just my hope! At our Leadership meetings, our dear Kimberly Hobbs gives updates on what is going on in the ministry, and we receive a teaching geared toward Christian leaders in today’s world. You will also have the opportunity to meet other ladies from around the world who are involved in the ministry and see how you can connect. To get the Zoom link, register at womenworldleaders.com and we will email you the link. &nbsp;And then set your calendar alarm for the third Monday of every month at 7pm ET. If you are new to the podcast, I want to welcome you – we do offer three different podcasts in one. This is our Wednesday edition, where we take a few minutes to open the Bible together, study the Scripture, and ask God to show us what He wants us to know today. We are currently walking through the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – as we look at Jesus’ life in a chronological fashion. Today’s teaching comes from John, chapter 8:12-30. I invite you to open your Bible if you are able, but if you driving, walking, or even doing dishes as you listen, we simply ask you to open your hearts. Before we begin, let’s pray… Dear Heavenly Father – we do open our hearts to you as we open your Word. God, I ask that you speak through me, I long for you to be pleased with this teaching, so I ask you to take control of my thoughts and my tongue. God, we also pray for each listener – no matter where she is or what she is going through. We trust that you will speak directly to her and that she will receive a revelation of your glory. Thank you in advance. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. If you are a regular listener, you might have noticed that last week we veered off our path a bit. We returned to an earlier teaching where Jesus’ gave us the wonderful instruction that we are to be light and salt. That was done purposefully as this week we return to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts after the Festival of the Tabernacles when He tells the people that HE is THE light of the world. Let’s begin in John chapter 8, verse 12 from the New Living Translation. 12&nbsp;Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,&nbsp;“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” As we look at this statement, let’s attempt to transport ourselves back in time. It may be difficult to imagine, in today’s world, a time without electricity. We have to think really hard to imagine total darkness. I don’t know about you, but in my bedroom with my blackout curtains which prevent the neighbor’s floodlight from lighting my room at night, we have multiple sources of light – even in the supposed dark of night. The clock from the bathroom light spills into my room and the blue light from the phone charger on my nightstand glows…not to mention the light from the kitchen that randomly appears under my door as my teenage son decides to raid the cupboard for a midnight snack. In today’s day, we are rarely in total...

329. Walking in the Word, Jesus is the Light of the World

As we prepare to launch our newest book, Surrendered: Yielded With Purpose through Women World Leaders, join us to hear one of the powerful stories within the soon to be released book. Ellie McGraw from British Columbia shares how to Let Go and Let God. &nbsp; Ellie McGraw received freedom from a painful past as she learned to surrender one by one, things that held her captive to her past.&nbsp; She openly shares her God-given story to glorify God and inspire others. Ellie is using a pen name in order to protect people within her story. &nbsp; *****  Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so happy that you have joined in with us today for our podcast. And it's always a pleasure to welcome our guests and today I'd like to welcome our guest, Ellie McGraw from British Columbia. Welcome, Ellie. Ellie McGraw &nbsp; Thank you. awesome to be here. It's a privilege. Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; And we're glad to have you Thank you. Ladies, I'm, I'm really excited because in women, world leaders, as many of our followers know we have books that God has allowed us to put out. And every year, our books have gone to number one best sellers. In fact, our book, one of our books last year, victories and victories, claiming freedom in Christ went to number one best seller last year. And this year, God is giving us several books that are going to be put out through the Ministry of Women, world leaders, world published productions. And we are excited about these books. And we decided that we are going to share some of these stories with you some of the stories that are in these amazing books that God has allowed us to present. So this book, surrendered, yielded with purpose for 2022 is going to be launching in November. And God has brought forward some of the authors and writers in these books, to do some podcast interviews with us. So today, Ellie, as one of our guests, is one of the writers in the book surrendered, and you get to hear her story that she is sharing. And God tells us in His Word, and Revelation 1211, they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony, they overcame him Who is him, that is the devil, the enemy, and we overcome by sharing, sharing about what God has done in and through our hearts in some of the stories that he has given us in our life. And God has given Miss Mrs. Ellie McGraw wonderful story, and it's one of healing and restoration, but she went through a journey to get through it. And we're hoping that today this will inspire you and encourage you, as you are on your own journey through your walks of life, whatever it is that you are going through, but sometimes we can identify with other stories. And that is our hope today that you might be able to relate and to Ellie's story that she's going to share with you. So let me share a little bit about Ellie McGraw, Ellie is actually going under a pen name, to protect the identity of those that were written about in her past through her story. So she is from British Columbia. And again, we are just privileged to know her she is a wonderful woman of God loves the Lord with all of her heart. She is a dynamic, fiery, passionate, prophetic voice, who loves the presence of God in her life. And from a young age Ellie heard the voice of God. And because of the freedom she herself has received from the Lord, she loves to see the body of Christ set free. And I love that she loves to see them set free, healed and delivered. She has a passion for equipping leaders and raising up champions through giving sound biblical keys to the kingdom of God. Ali speaks at churches and various nations. And since 2000, she has a counseling healing and deliverance ministry called freedom to soar. She leads many groups including a 24 hour prayer line called the Canadian firewall. I love that. I love that because we at women, world leaders believe in the power...

343. Empowering Lives with Purpose, Interview with Ellie McGraw

Join Kelly Williams Hale to hear her personal story about grace and forgiveness. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) God wants us to live an abundant life and can use our story to provide hope for others. We will defeat the enemy by the blood of the Lamb AND the power of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). ******* So today is my second podcast with women world leaders. And I'm so honored today to share with you what's on my heart and a continuation from last month, where I talked about shame. You can find that episode on womenworldleaders.com, click the Resources tab. Episode 339. Trading shame for significance. It was a powerful message. And today I wanted to share something very personal. And what's interesting is I'm sharing this two days after the 6th anniversary of losing my brother in a tragic, obviously unexpected car accident on Halloween, 2016 My brother was a policeman, he loved being a cop, however, he was the brother that out of four of us… he was the one that got into all the trouble. So it’s very ironic that he got into law enforcement. I'm the oldest of 4. Growing up with three younger brothers. Side note, I believe God was preparing me to be a leader way back then! Scott was the middle brother, And so just another reminder of how important our words are. If you’re a mom, we have such a responsibility to Speak life into and over our children. Scott was the middle boy. Like I mentioned, there were 4 of us kids. It was me and Tim for a while and then Scott came along. My parents were young parents, my dad served in Vietnam and didn’t meet me until I was six months old! So when Scott came along, there were 3 and then 18 mos. later my youngest brother was born. At this point, I was 4 years old. So my folks were like 25-26 with 4 young children. I’m not sure how they did it! Scott was a handful. When Scott would misbehave or push the envelope or just be a kid, really, it was A LOT. I know my mom got tired! And so he sort of became that kid who got into trouble or was trying to get attention… When we got older, he didn't really know what he wanted to do. Growing up, my dad drank. And home life just felt uncertain and unsafe at times, from a child's perspective. But as adults, praise God, we all came back home. I know for me, I always said when I turned 18, I was going to leave home and never come back! But God is so wise and so good. And my family is such a blessing to me, my dad quit drinking when he turned 50. All of us kids tended to gather back home during holidays. And it was a beautiful thing. We did sort of revert to our childhood shenanigans, when we got together. I think that happens with all siblings. And it was always an adventure, always fun, especially when we started having children. And then all the cousins got together. It was a loud house. We had fun. We enjoyed each other's company. We loved each other. And loved our mom and dad, they were such a precious blessing. My dad went to heaven in December of 2021. But prior to that Scott - who had finally found his direction at 33, when he attended the police academy. He served in law enforcement in our hometown for about 10 years. And then went to another department and made such an impact in that city, he loved the people, he was a big tease, but he just had such a genuine way about him that other people were drawn to him. He loved the Lord. And I know I'm gonna see him again in heaven. But it was a tragic, horrible day. And so the anniversary of him leaving was just a couple of days ago as I'm recording this now. My second podcast - just know God had a plan all along. He has a plan for all of us in tragedy. If we can just surrender to him and trust. And be grateful. I’m so very grateful for the time we had together. And so with that said, My message today is a follow up from last month around shame. And shame...

351. Celebrating God's Grace, Forgiven and Free

Oh, Martha and Mary! The sisters who both love Jesus but react so differently to His presence! Who is right? Are either of them “wrong”? Let’s discover together what we can learn as we study Luke 10:38-42. &nbsp;***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am honored to walk with you as we open the Bible together and ask God to show us His heart. If you are new to Women World Leaders, I want to offer you a special welcome. We are a ministry that strives to help others walk in their God-given purpose. As the ministry has grown, one of the things God has led us to is helping women become authors by helping them write and publish their God-stories. The resulting books shine the spotlight on Jesus so others can look to Him as they go through life. To date, each of our books has become a best-seller – people just can’t get enough of God. And rightly so! This year, along with working with women, we have been blessed to partner with United Men of Honor to publish a book of God-stories written by men. The book—United Men of Honor: Overcoming Adversity Through Faith—was recently released and also became an #1 Amazon best-seller. I’m telling you, this book is amazing. I would encourage you to visit womenworldleaders.com to purchase a copy for the man in your life…but you may want to actually purchase two…because you will want one for yourself! While you are on the website, make sure to check out our teachings and devotions and sign up to attend our monthly leadership connection on Zoom. On this, the Wednesday editon of the Women World Leaders’ podcast, we are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as we examine the life of Jesus. Today’s teaching is from Luke, chapter 10, verses 38-42. Before we dive into scripture, let’s pray… Dear Most Holy and ever-present God,&nbsp; we thank you for guiding us through this lesson today. God, the scripture we are studying today is short, but it is SO packed with meaning. God, I pray that you guide my words. You know what we each need to hear from you today, and I ask that you use this time to speak to us. Guide each of our thoughts as we listen. Help us to hear YOUR heart, YOUR instruction, YOUR wisdom. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Today's scripture is just 5 verses, but as I prayed, it is chock full of lessons for us. Luke has grouped this teaching with two other teachings, which we have already studied. Luke 10, verses 1-24 give the lesson that, as Christians, we are to be ambassadors of and for Christ. In these verses, Luke tells of Jesus sending out the 72 messengers, and then he tells of their return – and that the ambassadors are filled with joy because they saw how God faithfully worked through them on their mission. Then, in Luke 10, verses 25-37, we learn the importance of being a good neighbor through the story of the good Samaritan. So we’ve seen the importance, as Christ-followers, of being an ambassador for Christ and of being a good neighbor – the importance of working for the Kingdom. With that in mind, let’s step forward into Luke 10:38-42 to see what our third lesson is. The New Living Translation states… 38&nbsp;As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.&nbsp;39&nbsp;Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.&nbsp;40&nbsp;But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41&nbsp;But the Lord said to her,&nbsp;“My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!&nbsp;42&nbsp;There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Jesus and His...

353. Walking in the Word, Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

Life has its ups and downs. Sometimes we feel like we are on the top of the mountain, and other times we are in the deepest valley. No matter where we are, we can know for certain that God is God. And He will always be with us! Join Rusanne Carole today and be inspired, no matter where you are in life. ***** Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a WWL’s podcast. I am your host, Rusanne Carole, born in Louisiana- living in Australia. Thank you for joining us today as we look at how we, as sisters in Christ, we can live and experience the good times and the challenging times -&nbsp; overcome adversity & challenges we face in this world. &nbsp;God is our God of the times we are on top of the mountain as well as when we find ourselves in the deepest of valleys. &nbsp;But as followers of Christ we are called & equipped to battle on, & we’re not alone… we put on the full armour of God, becoming Spirit-led, Spirit-filled Warriors, we are Women of God, we are Women World Leaders. &nbsp;***God is God and He is with us whether we are on top of a mountain in life – celebrating the wonderful things this life has to offer… *** &nbsp;The Bible shares many glorious experiences that happened on mountains… Moses received the 10 commandments, God, on the mountain, wrote these commandments on tablets of stone with His finger!&nbsp; Jesus appeared in his heavenly form during the Transformation atop a mountain. The happenings on top of a mountain represent the magnificent. The highs.&nbsp; The celebrations.&nbsp; Maybe that’s where we get the saying, “ I feel like I’m on top of the world” As a young girl, I took a trip with my high school and we climbed a mountain in Colorado.&nbsp; As we finally reached the top it was absolutely gorgeous and you did feel like you were on top of the world. Elated.. Like nothing could touch you. &nbsp;Yet as we grow up… experience life we realise those moments don’t last forever… Changes comes. Challenges come. Circumstances we’d rather not experience present themselves &nbsp;Much suffering happens in the valleys as God’s ppl struggle with life’s disappointments, trials, temptation. Our faith is tested.. &nbsp;The dichotomy of LIFE – such beauty and happy times yet such devastation can occur too! &nbsp;Even the biblical Promise Land that God led His ppl to included both hills and valleys alike… Deut 11:11… “But the land you are crossing the Jordan River to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from the heaven. In Matthew 5 Jesus tells us God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. &nbsp;But how do we drink rain from heaven in the lowest of our times in the valleys we find ourselves in? &nbsp;What God asks the Israelites for during their 40 year journey that could have been travelled in 11 days was TRUST.. It’s what He asked of them and it’s what He asks of us now. &nbsp;We don’t know what tomorrow holds but as believers and followers of Christ, we know who holds tomorrow. &nbsp;Our hope is in the Lord. – not in this life but the life that awaits. &nbsp;So practically – how can we drink that heavenly rain as we walk thru the valleys. Here are some things to ponder: &nbsp;  Our feelings during this time can take over… We mustn’t ignore or suppress the feelings but we cannot allow ourselves to stay there.. I had a friend tell me, it’s ok to have a bad day just try not to have 2 in a row. I believe it’s important to pay attention to the pain, acknowledge it, allow it… then the tough part comes in the waiting in the confusing “in-between time when finally the birth of something new comes… For God is good… Nahum 1:7 says The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.&nbsp; He has us and He never leaves us.  &nbsp;  We can quench our spiritual thirst by getting in His Word. Yet I know there have been times in the deepest of...

354. Celebrating God's Grace, God is our God!

We all have very important men in our lives. Today's guest, Ken Hobbs - author, speaker, and coach - shares the importance of being a Man of Honor and how to encourage the man in your life. &nbsp; Ken shares his story about the influence of a man in his life and what value it had in his own life as well as some of the joys of writing with other men in the Amazon #1 Best Seller United Men of Honor: Overcoming Adversity Through Faith, published by World Publishing and Productions.&nbsp; &nbsp; *****  Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Welcome to Empowering Lives With Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And ladies, we are so happy that you joined with us today. And today we're going to talk about United men of honor overcoming adversity through faith. And it's my pleasure to introduce our guest today, Ken Hobbs. And Ken is my husband. Ken Hobbs &nbsp; Well, I, I'm excited to be able to do this, I've been looking from the background, and now it's kind of neat to do this ladies. Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Well, we're happy to have you and, and ladies, we all have men in our lives, whether it be our husbands, fathers, sons, nephews, friends, we all have men that we love very much. And we are happy to announce that women, world leaders and world publishing, work together with United men of honor, and put out this amazing book, United men of honor overcoming adversity through faith. And throughout this book is tools for men, to help them be those men of honor that God has called them to be. And we believe that this book will be an inspiration, a hope, help and healing to many, many men, it already has proven so this book has gone to number one best seller, and actually four Times best seller. And we're going to talk a little bit today about the content of this book, so that it might inspire you to get the book for your man in your life that you really want to reach in touch with a helpful message. So I would like to talk to you a little bit today about Ken Hobbs. And before we get into his story and why he he chose to write about United mandhana, overcoming adversity through faith, I want to share a little bit about him. Not only is he my husband, he is a Christ follower, a wonderful man that has dedicated his life to impacting others in paratroop parachurch ministries, missions, and his business as well, which is a marketplace ministry. He's the founder of United men of honor leading coaching and motivating men to become men have God in their homes and in their businesses and communities. He's part of a leadership team, which is Band of Brothers. He strongly passionate about bootcamps and believes they are needed in this world so that men don't have to fight their struggles alone. Ken is also a Senior Vice President and financial coach to multiple brokerages, and he operates he owns and operates them in South Florida, but they're far reaching across the country. So he's married to me, and has wonderful children. And he works in reaches around the world in multiple multiple ministries. So we are very happy and honored to have you today. I love and I want to open up by sharing a little bit about the book. And there was a paragraph I wanted to share with you ladies about the book before Ken shares about his particular story within the book. As the enemy does his best to take out men off of their mission, the war He instigates rages on in men's lives around the world, where have all the mighty men gone? This world needs more men to step up, step out and be men of honor. Isn't that the truth. They need to be warriors for their faith, their family, their community and their country. And they need to be strong for the week leading them with courage to be overcomers. And this book has been written to proclaim the stories of God, his overwhelming provision and his care and share his word with you and with the world. So we're all a work in progress trying to accomplish great and mighty things in our lifetime....

355. Empowering Lives With Purpose, Interview with Ken Hobbs

As we continue our walk through the gospels, let’s take a step back and be reminded of who Luke, one of the writers of the gospels was. Be inspired to step into your own God-given calling as you learn about Dr. Luke with host Julie Jenkins. (Luke 1:1-4) ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the Biblical teaching arm of our Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and it is my honor to walk with you through the Bible each Wednesday! If you have been with us for awhile, you know that we are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as we ask God to teach us and give us a clearer picture of His time here on earth. &nbsp; Have you ever heard someone’s name who sounds very familiar to you, and, in an effort to jog your memory, looked them up on social media? Sometimes it is not their profile picture that connects the dots in your head, but in scrolling through their photos, you begin to remember that you DID know this person at one time; It always helps complete the picture when we have more than one view. If you are a Christ follower, you, like me, long to see Jesus completely. To know everything about Him –&nbsp; including His life, His family and His culture while here on earth. You hang on every word that He has said, craving to learn from His wisdom and His very being. It has been such a blessing to walk through the life of Jesus with you over these past months – to glean truths as we put the four pictures of Him together into one – to the best of our ability and by the power of the Holy Spirit. John tells us in verse 25 of chapter 21 in his gospel that&nbsp; “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” On this side of heaven, we simply cannot know all there is to know about our Lord and Savior – but that shouldn’t keep us from trying! As we walk together, I pray that God is releasing a greater vision of Himself to each of us. Most recently, we have been studying from the book of Luke, so I thought that today would be a great time to go back to the beginning of Luke, and be reminded of who he was, his giftings, and why he worte his gospel. So our study today is centered on Luke, chapter 1, verses 1-4. Before we begin, allow me to pray for us: Father God – We give you this time. And we thank you for making yourself known to us, in your Word, through prayer, and by the Holy Spirit. We ask you to speak to us in these minutes ahead. Jesus – we long to see you! We know that until the day of our glorification when we stand face to face with you, we will not see the whole picture. But I pray that today, and every day, you will open the curtains a little wider, so that we may know you a little deeper. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Luke, chapter 1, verses 1-4 as written in the New Living Translation: Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.&nbsp;2&nbsp;They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.[]&nbsp;3&nbsp;Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,&nbsp;4&nbsp;so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. All the gospels are historical documents – that is, they were written to convey accurate historical information, and historians, archeological findings, and even science have verified their accuracy throughout the years. The gospels have much in common with biographies that were written to preserve the teachings and lives of philosophers, statesmen, and rulers. But the gospels are more than factual historical documents – they are also theological in nature. Besides giving historical information, they were also written to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ – that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, fully human and fully God. That He lived a sinless...

356. Walking in the Word, Leaning Into Luke

Learn with host Robin Kirby-Gatto, how your mountains can be flattened as you grow strong in spirit. The grace of God is made known within the soul as you face your obstacles and see leadership opportunities. ******* Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, A Women World Leader’s Podcast, I’m your host Robin Kirby-Gatto. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God’s grace, in our lives, in our ministry, and around the world. Today’s message is titled “The Mountain Shall Become a Plain.” God’s grace flattens our mountain into a molehill, a plain. “For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere molehill]! And he shall bring forth the finishing gable stone [of the new temple] with loud shoutings of the people, crying, Grace, grace to it.” (Zechariah 4:7 AMPC) Zerubbabel, the rightful governor of God’s people, was released with the first wave of exiles from captivity to return to Jerusalem. The task given to him by God was the rebuilding of the temple. He had a ginormous undertaking. Resistance surrounded Zerubbabel on every end, as others opposed him. Moreover, the people of Jerusalem were so distracted by building their own houses, that they disregarded the rebuilding of God’s house. No different from Nehemiah, who rebuilt the wall, Zerubbabel had to be both a leader and builder. Many of our mountains are leadership opportunities, as well as building moments. We’re given the gift of leading, as we allow God’s grace to bring freedom to our self-image, thereby building others up. What does this process of being built up in our self-image look like? It’s maturing in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, which is known as growing stronger in spirit. John the Baptist grew strong in the spirit in Luke 1:80, and Jesus Christ grew strong in the spirit in Luke 2:40. Growing strong in spirit means that we understand God’s truth by grace, and not through our own works. God’s grace is His ability that shows us our need for Him, whereby we receive supernatural sufficiency. As I mentioned in my last broadcast # 345, I had a world of hurt in my soul from my prior marriage. It shook my world, and I had to deal with tough questions about who I was. What is it that I wanted to do for a career, as a parent, and what were my dreams in life? Hard times will do this to you, taking you to a microscopic level of the soul, assessing your ability to move forward and to walk in the impossible dreams of God for your life. If everything was easy, we wouldn’t need God. It takes the hard moments in life, to wake us up to who we really are. This is what Zerubbabel was experiencing, a hard moment in life, to wake him up to the fact that he was the rightful ruler of God’s people. He had to lead God’s people and rebuild the temple. It was already a difficult task to lead a massive group of people, much less inspire them to rebuild the temple. It’s the impossible assignments that God calls us to, during the times we feel so insufficient, that He gets us past our quit so that we grow strong in spirit. Before you begin an assignment, without realizing it, God has already gotten you past the place where you would totally quit it, by preparing you in the former place you’ve been, to face your mountain. This is a picture of obtaining grace. Grace flattens your mountain like a pancake into a plain. The Hebrew word for plain is mîyshôwr pronounced&nbsp;mee-shore' meaning, “a level, a plain, equity, even place, right, righteously, made straight and uprightness.” This word might be difficult to comprehend in relation to Zerubbabel’s circumstance, so I want to introduce you to the ancient Hebrew symbols, in which the original first five books of the Bible were written. There are twenty-two Hebrew Aleph-Bet letters, beginning with Aleph, where...

357. Celebrating God's Grace, The Mountain Shall Become a Plain

Jesus’ disciples ask Him a simple question, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In today’s passage, Luke describes a scene rich with Jesus’ teaching on prayer. Join Julie Jenkins on today’s episode of Walking in the Word as we examine Luke 11:1-13. **** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins. As I record this, it is Thanskgiving week in the United States – a holiday that is set aside to reflect on God’s goodness and give Him thanks and praise. We at Women World Leaders have so much to thank God for as 2022 nears a close. This year, we have met and partnered with women leaders from around the globe as we individually and collectively seek to walk in our God-given purpose. We’ve welcomed new contributors to Voice of Truth magazine, new writers to our daily devotions, and empowered women to use their voices on our podcast platform. Together, we’ve written and published two new best-selling books – congratulations to all the authors of Surrendered: Yielded with Purpose and United Men of Honor: Overcoming Adversity Through Faith – both of which are available on our website, on Amazon, and through outlets around the world. And we’ve held local events and monthly Zoom gatherings where we have worshipped and learned together. Most importantly, through 2022, we have grown closer to each other in community and developed a more intimate walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you are new or newer to the ministry, it is our prayer that you will join us wholeheartedly, serving and growing with us. God is doing a new thing in and through His people. Even as our world becomes more divided politically and socially, we can see God drawing His people together. We at Women World Leaders are certainly as diverse as they come – but we are united by our love for Jesus Christ and our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a safe place where we focus on God alone. And one more thing we are thankful for – that is that YOU have joined us today! On this, our Wednesday podcast, we focus on opening the Word of God together and asking the Holy Spirit to guide as and teach us what it is He wants us to learn. We are currently walking through the gospels chronologically, and I think it is certainly no coincidence that today, Thanksgiving week, our Scripture itinerary has taken us to Jesus’ teaching on prayer. Today we will be reading and studying Luke 11:1-13. Before we begin, let’s pray. Most Holy God – we come to you today with hearts filled with thanks and praise for who you are and all you have done for us throughout this past year. God, you have guided us, provided for us, and blessed us beyond measure. Father, we continue to lean on you and your Word for wisdom and direction. We thank you in advance for meeting us where we are and teaching us what we need to know today. Guide my words and guide our thoughts as we study together in your presence. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Let’s begin reading Luke chapter 11, verse 1 from the New Living Translation. Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” The disciples were getting to know Jesus better at this point in their journey. They had witnessed His strength, wisdom, and peace amid turmoil … and they had seen Him pray. They knew firsthand that Jesus’ relationship with God the Father was the most important relationship He had, and they wanted to learn how they could have that relationship, too. But the way this question is asked tells us that the disciples wanted even more than a strong personal relationship with God. They also craved unification and community as followers of Christ Jesus. It was common for groups of believers to have a united way of praying – a liturgy if you will. An agreed upon practice that they could, together, offer to God....

359. Walking in the Word, Lessons in Prayer

Join Lisa Hathaway as she talks about having faith to touch the hem of His garment.&nbsp; In our circumstances, we need to focus on just reaching for God and how the faith, even if little, can change our hearts.&nbsp; The small gesture of touching the hem leads to complete healing.&nbsp;&nbsp; ***** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. And I am Lisa Hathaway and I'm going to be talking to you today for a few minutes. about faith. I know we hear this a lot of times in our lives about having faith and you know, in the Scripture talks about having faith, the size of a mustard seed, but something that has just been really on my heart and something I've reread. And I'm going to read this to you out of Mark chapter five starting in verse 25. And it says, and there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for 12 years, and have suffered much under many physicians. And it's been all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his garment. For she said, If I just touch, even his garments, I will be made well, and immediately the blood, the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus perceiving in himself, that power had gone out from him immediately turned about in the crowd and said, Who touched my garments. And his disciples said to him, you see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, Who touched me. And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, and fell down before him and told him, the world told him the whole truth. And she said to her, Daughter, your faith is made, you will go in peace and be healed of your disease. When I'm reading this, I couple of things stick out to me. You know, when we go through life, sometimes we just want to be able to reach and tangibly touch Jesus, just like the hem of His garment. And I think about this thread, you know, when you have something that you're wearing, and there's a piece of thread that you pull and pull in this, the, it comes apart. And, you know, when she was crawling on the ground, I just envision her just so desperate, after 12 years, just as desperation, of just wanting a touch from Jesus to be healed from this. And all she had to do is just touch the touch the tiny him. And I think so many times we can make things so complicated as Christians, that our faith is something that we just truly inside innately have to believe in once we start seeing something and have faith that it continues to build, and it continues to build and build. And that is what is absolutely so beautiful to me. Another part of this as is when Jesus looked around, and the woman came to him fear and trembling, like came in fear, like she had done something wrong. And she hadn't, she just chooses longing to be healed. And so she just touched his garment. And because he is Jesus, the power left from him to heal her. But she fell down before him and told him the whole truth. You know, when you fall at the feet of Jesus, like so much can happen when we surrender at his feet. If something's going on in our lives, and we're, our circumstances are not like we think they should be or bad things are happening to us or we don't understand or we're suffering or things are happening in our families. And we just, you know, the world's a Hard Place life is hard. And I think that, that in those moments is when we have to clean we have to reach out and visualize just touching the hem of His garment. There's been so many times in the past two and a half years of my life of just going through a lot, a lot of hard things and just my journey that I've literally just reached out to try to touch like, I'm just like to use this. I just want to touch your home. Like I know that you're there. I know you haven't left me I just need that faith and have that faith to be able to...

360. Celebrating God's Grace, Reach for the Garment

God knows your heart – your true heart. He loves you and longs to rid you of your sin and fill you with His grace and mercy so you can shine for Him. Will you submit to Him today? (Luke 12:1-12) ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and it is my honor to walk with you as we open scripture and ask God what He wants us to know today. If you are new to Women World Leaders, I’m glad you have joined us! Women World Leaders is God’s ministry, and the mission He has given us is to help others walk in their God-given purpose as we all lead for Christ. Leadership can be tricky, and our leadership skills are to be honed throughout our lifetime. We are constantly amazed as God continues to bring women to this ministry who are blessed with different skills. Women World Leaders is truly a picture of the body of Christ – none of us can do everything, but together, we are perfectly equipped to empower each other to lead in God’s grace and love and accomplish all that He has ordained. The fact that we are a body means that we are incomplete without you. Will you pray about where He is calling you to jump in? Perhaps it is your mission to join with us in prayer or to grow in leadership by attending our Leadership connect. If God is nudging you, I encourage you to visit womenworldleaders.com to get a better idea of who we are. Today, on our Wednesday podcast, we are continuing to walk through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in an effort to get a more complete picture of Jesus Christ and His teachings for us. Today’s teaching comes from Luke 12:1-12. If you are somewhere sitting quietly, I encourage you to open your Bible as we study together. Perhaps you want to have a pen handy to jot down thoughts that God might want you to pursue deeper later. But even if you are listening as you are driving, walking, or doing chores, I can’t tell you how much God is smiling at the fact that you are including Him as you go through your day. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Father God, we are in awe that you are with each person listening to this message! Thank you for meeting us each where we are. We know that you have a word for us today, and I ask that our hearts be receptive to hearing your voice. Father, even as I prepare for the honor of reading and expounding on your Word, I ask you to be with me. Guide my thoughts and let my words be pleasing to your ears and be exactly what you would have each listener know from your heart. We thank you and give you all the praise and glory as we begin. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. &nbsp; As we have been studying, Jesus has been traveling and teaching to the crowds, and his disciples have been following and watching with awe and excitement. Now the disciples were small-town guys, and they were being thrust onto a very public platform. Perhaps you have found yourself in that situation – where suddenly everyone is looking at you. If you are or have ever been in a leadership role, you likely know what I am talking about. I got my masters in Biblical Exposition because I love the Bible. But I am also very much an introvert who is happy sitting at my desk with my dogs by my side. Something funny happens when we start getting noticed. Although we may feel uncomfortable in the limelight, or maybe BECAUSE we feel uncomfortable in the limelight, it is tempting to put forth a “face” that may take off the rough edges of who we are on the inside. Jesus understood this. He understood that the disciples, who had before only watched others in charge, were now being scrutinized because of their close connection with Jesus. And Jesus understood that this “fame” and “recognition” could threaten to plunge them into the sin of hypocrisy – that is, acting like more than they were. And that this hypocrisy could very well lead to pride and be their undoing. So as the crowd presses in, stumbling...

365. Walking in the Word, The Heart of the Matter

This Christmas, run to Jesus! He has come amid the craziness of this world to bring you His peace and joy. He is calling you just like He called the shepherds on that night long ago. Peace be with you, and all glory to God in the highest. (Luke 2:8-20) &nbsp; ******* &nbsp; Welcome to Walking in the Word, the Biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Jenkins. I hope you are enjoying our walk through the gospels as we focus on putting the four pictures from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John into one comprehensive view. As I record this, it is Christmas week – the time when we celebrate Jesus’ birth on earth. Jesus, our Holy God, came to earth as a human so that He could die a sinner’s death and give all of humanity the opportunity to step into an eternity with Him. But our most powerful and majestic God also came to earth so that we could individually connect with Him and experience peace in our everyday lives. Have you ever met someone you deem “important” or “famous”? I have – and no matter how prepared I am – when I meet someone “out of my league,” I often feel a bit tongue-tied, or intimidated. My head swims a bit. Do you know the feeling? Although God is, undoubtedly, in higher standing than anyone we will ever meet, He wants to relate to us on common ground. God never wants us to feel tongue-tied around Him. So Jesus came to earth as a man. He was born in a stable. And He lived a common life. He was the extraordinary amid the ordinary who went to extremes to be relatable. So on Christmas, not only do we celebrate the MAJESTY of God, but we also celebrate His HUMILITY as He descended to earth out of sheer love for us, ushering in peace and joy. Let’s begin in prayer… Dear Heavenly Father – today we praise and glorify your name! We know we should do that every day, but today we intentionally remember the birth of Jesus as a helpless baby, praising the fact that you saw fit to come to earth so that you could save us from our sins AND connect with us in such a loving fashion. As we study your Word, God, I ask you to teach us what you want us to know. Guide us in wisdom and joy as we open our hearts to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. In today’s scripture, we are going to take a few moments to peer into the lives of the shepherds. These men were perhaps the lowliest of the low. And yet, they were seen by God, who counted them as so important that they were visited by the angels and were the first to hear of Jesus’ birth. Let’s read Luke, chapter 2, verse 8-20 from the New Living Translation: 8&nbsp;That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.&nbsp;9&nbsp;Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,&nbsp;10&nbsp;but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.&nbsp;11&nbsp;The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!&nbsp;12&nbsp;And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13&nbsp;Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14&nbsp;“Glory to God in highest heaven, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15&nbsp;When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16&nbsp;They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.&nbsp;17&nbsp;After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.&nbsp;18&nbsp;All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,&nbsp;19&nbsp;but Mary kept all...

371. Walking in the Word, Peace and Joy in His Midst

When you think of the Christmas story and Mary carrying the Son of God, I can’t help but think of how she must have felt.&nbsp; We all have greatness inside of us because we are carrying Jesus.&nbsp; He has given each of us a story and greatness within us.&nbsp; Dream and allow yourself to feel His love and purpose for your life.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

372. Celebrating God's Grace, Carrying Greatness

Paul teaches us in Ephesians 6:18-23 to pray in the spirit at all times and on all occasions. What a great reminder as we wrap up 2022! God has a plan and purpose for you in 2023, learn how you can walk in His will through prayer. &nbsp; ***** &nbsp; Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Jenkins. Thank you for joining us as we wrap up 2022 and head into 2023! Allow me to take a minute and say thank you for your involvement in Women World Leaders this year! Whether you have volunteered with the ministry, attended an in-person event, supported us through your donations, or simply listened to this podcast, please know that we value you! And more importantly, God sees and loves you! If you’ve missed any episodes this year, we encourage you to go back and listen to them or even download them so that you can share them with anyone God may put on your heart. As we study the Bible systematically together through this Women World Leaders podcast, please know that we are ONLY scratching the surface of all that God has for you in His Scripture – which is a living, breathing work of art created especially for you! I pray that you will return again and again to scripture daily, allowing God to speak to you where you are. We are excited to jump into 2023! If you have been around Women World Leaders for very long, you know that our ministry was founded on and is guided by prayer. Before we embark on ANY endeavor, we seek God’s will. So whether you are reading our Voice of Truth magazine or stepping into an author’s role in one of our books or anything in between, know that YOU are covered in prayer. One of our leaders recently commented that prayer is the best gift we can give anyone. I think that says it all! Prayer is so important that our first Leadership Connect of 2023 will be dedicated to learning more about prayer – I hope you will plan to join us for this time of learning and fellowship on the third Monday in January – that is January 16th at 7pm ET. You can join us from anywhere in the world – in fact, we often have leaders on from India, Australia, and Canada. To register to receive the Zoom link, visit our website – www. Womenworldleaders.com. And…as prayer is the cornerstone of our ministry, I thought it would be appropriate to wrap up 2022 by studying scripture about prayer. So today we will be studying Ephesians 6:18-23. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father! Thank you for allowing us to Walk in your Word together. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to know you more and to hear your heart on a personal level as we spend time with you. Father, I ask that you would infiltrate the heart, mind, and soul of each woman listening today – teaching her what you want her to know, allowing her to hear directly from you. We praise and thank you for making this, our time together, possible. And we give all glory to you for every good and perfect gift that only you can supply. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Sit back and listen as I read the writing of the apostle Paul from Ephesians 6:18-23 from the New Living Translation. 18&nbsp;Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[] 19&nbsp;And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.[]&nbsp;20&nbsp;I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. 21&nbsp;To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work.&nbsp;22&nbsp;I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 23&nbsp;Peace be with you, dear brothers and...

374. Walking in the Word, Pray in the Spirit at all Times

It is our prayer that after the holiday season, you are feeling emotionally, spiritually, and physically refreshed and renewed and ready to jump into 2023. If you aren't, there's still time! Join host Janet Berrong as she extols the value of refreshment and offers tips for starting 2023 by embracing self-care. **** Welcome to celebrating God's grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. I'm your host, Janet Berrong. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God's grace in our lives in ministry and around the world.&nbsp; It's good to be back with you today refreshed and renewed and ready for the new year. January is always a good time to refresh and reboot, you get a whole new start to a new year. We all like a fresh start. Like this year, I started off the year with 11 day fasting and praying. For me it was really powerful, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Physically, I felt incredible and revived emotionally. I was at peace and had a sound mine. Spiritually, I drew closer to God and had many breakthroughs. I took long walks, got out in the fresh air, I worship through music, and I even danced. I filled my atmosphere with only good and nourishing things. Our heavenly Father gives us a fresh start daily. I encourage you to lean in and draw close to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to do a work in you get refreshed and renewed from the inside out. Lamentations 323 reads, great is His faithfulness His mercies begin afresh each morning. Do you know that God cares about your body? Yes, he cares about every detail about us. He cares about our body because he created it. He fashioned it so perfectly for health, not to live for health, or to make health of God of its own, but to use it to live out the purpose he has for you. He is not a God of external things. But he is personally God who resides within you. He is watching how you use your time, your money, your talents, your opportunities, your mind and yes, even your body. One of the ways we can become defeated quickly is negative thinking, fear. This is why we have to keep our mind and eyes on Christ. what His Word says about us is the only truth. What about our mind? Does God really care about that too? When we think about maintaining our health, you might not consider your mind as being part of the process. However, maintaining a healthy mind is extremely important. Furthermore, you may not consider that your relationship with God and your knowledge of His truth and his plan for your life is a part of maintaining a healthy mind. Scripture tells us in Romans 12 to do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. When you do you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good and pleasing and perfect will. As the Bible says in John 15, one through eight. We must stay connected to the vine in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and bear spiritual fruit. Maintaining a healthy mind, grow in the Lord. Trust him and his plans for your life. Stay connected to him daily through prayer and studying his Word. My prayer today is searched me God and refresh my heart right now. Please help me to surrender my expectations and transform my mind to draw nearer to you. Search me God and align my heart with yours as I pursue the plans you have for me. Let me remember what you've already helped me overcome. You have already made a way for me to know you. You have already made a way for me to experience eternal life with you. Nothing is too hard for you. Search me God and heal my heart. Whatever the future holds. I know you hold me nothing is impossible for you. Restore me God and make me new into Jesus name, amen. Be refreshed and renewed in this new year. God bless each one of you listening today. And until next time, my beautiful sisters. Thank you for listening to women world leaders podcast. Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As we explore together God's extravagant love in your courageous purpose. Visit...

375. Celebrating God's Grace, Refreshed and Renewed

Welcome to 2023! However you are feeling today – energized and excited or a bit more trepidatious — Jesus has a message for you: don’t worry, I’ve got this! Join Julie Jenkins today for our study of Luke 12:22-34. ******* Welcome to Walking in the Word – and welcome to 2023! My name is Julie Jenkins, and I’m so glad you have joined us for the start of this new year! If your New Year’s resolution involves spending more time in the Bible, then you are in the right place. Women World Leaders has been blessed with the ability to bring you three podcasts each week. On Mondays, founder Kimberly Hobbs hosts Empowering Lives with Purpose—a 30-minute interview with a different woman of faith who shares her story with the goal of empowering you to walk in your God-given purpose. On Fridays, we have a team of leaders who host Celebrating God’s Grace – a short podcast designed to celebrate all that God is doing in our lives, in this ministry, and in the world. And today, Wednesdays, we are intentional about studying the Bible together on Walking in the Word. We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There is so much to learn from these writers as they lay out for us the life of Jesus. Today, as many days, we get the pleasure of studying the words of Jesus Himself. We just celebrated Christmas, which was a miraculous time, but Jesus’ birth is only the beginning of all that God wants us to celebrate. Today, we celebrate Jesus’ teaching and wisdom. A new year is an interesting time. On the one hand, we can feel like we are given a fresh start with energy and focus as we put our new year’s resolutions in place. But a new year can also be a source of anxiety and frustration as we inventory our lives and, perhaps, see a lack of past progress or are reminded that this is the first year we will live without a loved one who has passed, a relationship that has grown cold, or a dream that seems to have fizzled out. A new year can be a springboard, launching us into the future. But if the devil has his way, your new year may feel nothing shy of painful. So I don’t think it is a coincidence that when I opened my Bible today to our next scripture verses, I landed on Luke 12:22-34, finding Jesus’ words of warning about worry and stress and His glorious reminder that we can trust Him as we walk into 2023. &nbsp; Whatever your attitude as you start this new year, I believe this scripture was written with you in mind today. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Most Holy God – 2023 is upon us, and we are so grateful you are with us! We give you this time today as we open your Word together. Teach us what you want us to know. Allow our minds to be attentive, our hearts to be receptive, and our wills to be obedient as you launch us forward today. Father, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. &nbsp; As we begin today, let’s set the scene. Jesus is speaking to the crowds, which are getting bigger each day. As Jesus’ ministry grows, we tend to think about the crowds getting more belligerent – and they did as the Pharisees and Sadducees felt increasingly threatened by Jesus and tried to trap Him in His teachings. But let’s also remember that there were many people who genuinely wanted to learn from Jesus – including His own disciples. Many had seen His miracles and had already gained from the wisdom He offered—yet they were like sponges, intentionally soaking up all He had to give. As I go through life, I hope I can look past the grandstanders, the nay-sayers, and even those who want to steal the spotlight. I hope I can look solely to Jesus and focus on His words alone. Jesus had just criticized the religious leaders – heaping woes on them. And then He spoke about the rich fool, warning of greed to those with money. But now Jesus turns to his disciples, and as He speaks to those who had already given up...

377. Walking in the Word - Don't Worry, God's Got This!

Happy New Year everyone! 2023 is here. As we may reflect on the past and look forward to what's ahead, we really only have today. And God's Word tells us again and again, He is doing "new things"! As our focus and guidance come from the Lord, may we all be joyful in the new things He has for us in this season to bring Him the glory He so deserves. God bless! ***** Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a Women World Leader’s Podcast. I’m your host, Rusanne Carole. I have the privilege of bringing you our first podcast for 2023! We, at WWL, thank you for listening and we are so grateful for all God has done in this ministry and our lives this past year, including being able to bring you a trio of podcasts each week. We encourage you to join us in studying God’s Word and learning about all the promises He has in store for us -His sons & daughters. We are also aware we have had many challenges in this past year of 2022: &nbsp;including the loss of loved ones, obstacles to overcome and opportunities to continue praising and trusting God through some of the most difficult times this world brings to us and our families and friends. Yet another year is upon us. A new year, 2023, is here! A time to reflect. A time to ponder. A time to trust our Lord and Saviour with every day we are given here on this earth. &nbsp; Shall we begin in prayer: Lord, thank you for this past year. Thank you for the wonderful times you provided where we celebrated and enjoyed all the gifts you gave us. And help us praise and worship you even through the challenges and the things we don’t completely understand or particularly like! &nbsp;It’s often through the suffering we experience that we can find peace in resting and trusting in Your promises. Your promises tell us You are with us. You are a God who truly understands everything we go through! You are bringing us into a new year and with all it will bring let us first and foremost look to You in all we do. What is it about the turning of time to a new year that makes us evaluate – re-evaluate – dream – set goals? It’s a restart. It’s a putting behind the past and turning toward the new. All that is ahead. We tend to long for the past and strive for tomorrow. But really all we have is today – so no matter the year God’s Word says all we have is TODAY. Here are a few things to contemplate as we walk into another year:  Our days are numbered, God knows our beginning and our end and He gives us free will to live out what many call the dash (the in-between days, the days we are called to be here at such a time as this.  What is God calling you to do in this next season? No matter where you are in your “dash” He has something for you, something to do to glorify Him. Could it be joining a prayer team? Could it be a new job? Could it be learning something new or teaching someone else something new? &nbsp; I encourage you to spend the time with Him and He will show you what you can partner with Him to accomplish for His Kingdom – to bring joy to yourself and others. It may also be things that stretch and grow you. Over & over in the Word it tells us God will do “new things”. &nbsp;We must seek Him, rely on Him and He will assist us to accomplish what He has for us to do with our time here.  Just as the years have seasons, our lives have seasons.  What season are you currently in? Some of us are in a resting season? Others in a harvest season? Whatever the season, we are to look to Him and allow for His guidance and His path to be taken. His will, His way we learn with time is so much better than anything we could come up with on our own. Is God calling you to plant a new dream in your heart? Like a woman who may not believe she can step into that new chapter – starting a business, writing a book, taking that job SHE always wanted to take but something held her back. Could God be calling you to water others’ dreams at this time? Like a mother staying home to look after her...

378. Celebrating God's Grace - New Year, New Things

The little things in your life matter. The information you carry within your heart and mind can influence the way you see things. Grow with Robin Kirby-Gatto in your understanding of what might be hindering you from seeing the little things that you need to implement, to make your life better. ****** Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, A Women World Leader’s Podcast, I’m your host Robin Kirby-Gatto. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God’s grace, in our lives, in our ministry, and around the world. Today’s Podcast is titled, “The Little Things Matter.” “Who [with reason] despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. [These seven] are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:10 AMPC) Set to the invisible clock of the New Year, our expectations rise with the hope that specific things will happen. Some people make a list in their journal, while others put it on a piece of paper held by a magnet on their fridge. Zerubbabel knew this well, as he was now rebuilding the second Temple of the Lord. He’d already laid the foundation, but because of the distractions in his life, he, along with the rest of the Jews, put the rebuilding of the Temple to the back of his mind. The distractions continued until the Lord sent two prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, to redirect the focus of His people. Trying to reach a goal can be daunting at first. However, more is going on than meets the eye. What’s really occurring beneath the surface, is the soul feels deficient in completing the task. Inadequacy whispers to us like a familiar friend, until we realize, it’s not a friend at all. Surely this is how Zerubbabel, the rightful governor over Judah, must have felt. In 2003, the book of Zechariah reeled me in like a fish. I was drawn to the incredibleness of the prophet’s supernatural encounters, as well as the tasks God gave him, to redirect the people to fulfill their God given destiny. This book topped all fictional books I’d read, except this was true. I wonder if it might be how, one feels today, watching a science-fiction movie, over the top surreal, and captivating. I read chapters one through four, over and over for years, and found myself continually pausing on Chapter 4, at the rebuilding of the Lord’s Temple, and this governor of Judah, Zerubbabel. Chapter 4 seemed like a cipher to be decoded, and I was intent to spend as much time as necessary on it, which has now turned into two decades, in deciphering bits and pieces here and there. Each time I think that I cannot get anymore revelation of this chapter, the Lord surprises me, and opens my understanding even more to His scripture. In 2021, God had me write the book Mindfulness the Mind of Christ, which unpacks more about Zerubbabel’s struggle in Zechariah 4. He had me study Information Theory, which is basically the science of communication, such as phones, internet, conversations, and the like. Scientists from AT&amp;T (Bell Telephone Laboratories) in the late 1920s were behind this field of science. One of them was Harry Nyquist, who was the leading scientists to contribute to what is known today as Information Theory. One of the major concepts of Information Theory, is the means by which to protect the communication of information. You and I are carriers of information. We carry it in the form of our neurons, where memories are encoded, as well as in a particular receptor in the body, the G Protein-Coupled Receptor, which stores memories at the cellular level. Amazingly enough, what you and I know to be our emotions, are what the leading research Dr. Candace Pert, along with other scientists, proved to be the “molecules of our emotions,” they are experiences of unpacked memories, or can I say “information.” You’ve heard the saying about being in a relationship, where you don’t need to bring any “old luggage” in...

381. Celebrating God's Grace, The Little Things Matter

The painful aftermath of abortion can be fierce. Guest Victoria Robinson - author and national speaker for over 20 years in the Pro-Life Movement - shares the need for abortion recovery in both men and women. &nbsp; Victoria shares her own abortion story and how her struggle with traumatic memories led her to what she does today. Called by God, Victoria became a sought-after abortion recovery speaker for men and women who battle the ongoing pain of "after abortion."

382. Empowering Lives with Purpose, Interview with Victoria Robinson

As God’s children, we are called to live in love. What does that mean? Today, let’s study together the apostle Paul’s words to the Ephesians as we learn to love like Jesus. (Ephesians 5:1-14) &nbsp; ***** &nbsp; Welcome to Walking in the Word, a Women World Leaders’ podcast – I’m Julie Jenkins, and I am excited you have joined us today! Our prayer is that through this trio of podcasts, your intimacy with God will grow and your love for one another will flourish, enabling you to live out a courageous purpose driven life, fueled by the Word, led by the Spirit, and propelled forward into your God given destiny through fearless faith! This is our Wednesday edition of the Women World Leaders’ podcast – Walking in the Word – where we study the Bible as we pray that God will show us how it applies to our lives today. Today, we are going to take a step into Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 1-14. Let me begin by praying for us… Dear Heavenly Father – today I thank you for your wisdom. You never fail to guide us and lead us in the path we should go. Your light always shines bright, leading us to a path that is perfect and is beyond our wildest imaginations. I ask you to shine that light right now – give us the wisdom that only you can provide as we walk through this passage together and as we carry this Word in our hearts all day. We praise you and thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen. I invite you to sit back and listen as I read Ephesians 5:1-14, from the New Living Translation… Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.&nbsp;2&nbsp;Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[]&nbsp;and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3&nbsp;Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.&nbsp;4&nbsp;Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.&nbsp;5&nbsp;You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6&nbsp;Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.&nbsp;7&nbsp;Don’t participate in the things these people do.&nbsp;8&nbsp;For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!&nbsp;9&nbsp;For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10&nbsp;Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.&nbsp;11&nbsp;Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.&nbsp;12&nbsp;It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.&nbsp;13&nbsp;But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,&nbsp;14&nbsp;for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;rise up from the dead, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and Christ will give you light.” &nbsp; &nbsp; This section of scripture is taken from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He is writing to them about unity in the body of Christ – and he is reminding us that we who are now Christians, are held to a higher standard of living than that which was expected of us before we were followers of Christ. Now, we are called to be GOD’S people – which looks VERY different than being the world’s people. Because holding ourselves to this standard doesn’t come naturally, Paul provides instruction as to how we can take steps to look more like Christ. And looking like Christ IS the ultimate goal of the Christian – both in Paul’s day and today. First, Paul says, imitate God! I love this! I can remember growing up and getting SO frustrated when someone else would copy my ideas – and my mom always told me, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The word imitation...

383. Walking in the Word, Love Like Jesus

It is so important&nbsp;as we walk through trials and suffering to remain steadfast in who Jesus says He is. We cannot lose focus on all that Jesus does for us and how He protects us in ways we cannot imagine or even see.&nbsp; When we face our giants, God wants us to lock eyes with Him to see His goodness and His faithfulness.&nbsp; Remaining&nbsp;steadfast in God is when we are firmly fixed on Him in all we do.&nbsp; &nbsp; ***** &nbsp; Hello, this is Lisa Hathaway and I want to welcome you to Women World Leaders Celebrating God's Grace podcast. And today I want to talk to you about the word steadfast. Each year I just pray that God gives me a word that could center my life and the things that I do for that upcoming year. And as I was praying about the word for 2023, he so heavily put on my heart the word steadfast. And when we think of steadfast we think of something that is firmly fixed not subject to change, to be firm and believe, determination, loyal and faithful. And I know those are a lot of words mixed into what steadfast is. But when we think of our lives and the things that we go through the challenges that we face, you know, they're suffering, but this life is hard. And I don't know how 2023 is started for you all, but I do know that sometimes, it's there's a lot of questions of, you know, why is God allowing this why is there suffering? What's happening? Why is my life I have trials in it, but without the trials, we wouldn't be who God is creating us to be because we see ourselves through different lenses when we face trials. And we have to persevere so steadfast to me was something. As I've gone through some trials over the last couple of years, I was like, no matter what, in 2023, no matter what I face, I will remain steadfast, and remaining steadfast is where we look and seek only for God's approval. So many times it's so easy in the world to do things to seek approval of men to seek approval from our bosses or whatever the situation may be from even our parents and our friends. But we all have that innate need to have approval, but the only approval that matters is Jesus. That's the only one that matters. And so, I've really dug deep into looking at steadfast and truly what it looks like, and it looks like fixing our eyes when we fix our eyes on something we lock eyes with something we don't lose focus. We remained so fixed on that object. Sometimes my kids want to get in a staring contest and you just stay so fixated on their eyes like I'm not gonna let you win. That happens a lot with my boys now. Like I can beat you, mom. And I'm like, No, you can't. And you stay fixated. You don't blink. And so you have that, that look in your eye that I'm going to remain fixated and locked. And I love there's a song by Maverick city calls when I lock eyes with you. And I think that so many times is locking eyes is remaining steadfast, focused, fixed, determined on Jesus, the one who gets us through all of our struggles, all of our suffering all of our trials. And I wanted to read a verse today. First Peter 510. It says in the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. And if you think about that, who will restore you make you strong, firm and steadfast I mean, those are powerful words. When you think of restore when you think of making me strong and firm and steadfast. And so it talks about under if you read ahead of that, it talks about resisting him standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. So we know there is so much suffering in this world, we know that we face it on daily basis, we hear about it turn on the news. There's very rarely anything positive. And so when things are hard and challenging, you remain steadfast on the one true God on the one thing that is all sustaining to us day in and...

384. Celebrating God's Grace, The Steadfastness of God

From a Hippie to a princess, Jane "Goldie" Winn, shares her story of being a young Jewish hippie who went through a second-trimester abortion.&nbsp;Goldie shares hope and encouragement of how she broke free from the stronghold of her past. Goldie's book, "Rainbow In The Night," is an inspiring 20-year redemption story that is now being made into a movie for the big screen. &nbsp; ****** &nbsp;  Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so happy that you tuned in today. Today I'd love to welcome our guest, Jane Goldie Winn from Delray Beach, Florida welcome, Jane. Jane "Goldie" Winn &nbsp; Thank you, Kimberly, thank you for having me on your podcast today and welcome to all the listeners. Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Yes, amen. And Goldie's is going to speak today about hope and encouragement, we all need a little bit of hope and encouragement, right? And she shares her story today. Ladies, our desire to have you here is to strengthen and encourage each other in the name of Jesus to walk together to empower one another, to find your beautiful purpose in Jesus and serving Him. God is working in you ladies. He's giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. That's actually a scripture verse in Philippians 213 He gives us that desire to Run after Him and serve Him with all our heart. And it's our hopes that as you listen to these podcasts, that you will be inspired by something that you hear that will allow you to move in that direction, to run after God to seek Him with all your heart and to serve Him because He is amazing. He is the God of exceedingly abundantly beyond what we could ever ask for. So as we talk with Goldie today, and she shares her incredible story about abortion, she wants to deliver that message of there is hope beyond shame and guilt and the things that we sometimes carry because of our past. So I want to tell you a little bit about Miss Goldie when. Today she is a published author. She is a client advocate in a pregnancy resource clinic in South Florida, where she counsels abortion determined clients in the throes of decision making and hoping that she can pour some love and light into their situation. She speaks at churches and congregations and shares her testimony of transformation from a hippie to a princess. When the devastation of a second trimester abortion drove this young Jewish hippie into darkness and despair. She shares about the hope and encouragement of how she broke free from the stronghold of her past. And that's exactly what we love doing here on empowering lives with purpose because we all have pasts. And how did you overcome that? How did Jesus find you where you were? And Goldie's incredible life story is titled rainbow in the night. And she has a 20 year redemption journey which is now in the process of being made into a movie. She has a book that's written on it. She's Goldie is also a Messianic Jew. She has been married to her soulmate Dave since 1974. And together they reside in South Florida. So Goldie as we begin right now, I would love for you to share a little bit about that past and abortion story and what you had gone through as a young, hippie girl, just finding her way, right and life. Jane "Goldie" Winn &nbsp; Yes, well, if you watched Forrest Gump, I would have been a little bit like Jenny, what can I tell you? But anyway, just to give some backstory, I grew up in a small Midwestern town in Independence, Iowa, about 5000 people. And my father was a psychiatrist, a very renowned psychiatrists. He came he was asked to be the superintendent in 1958. And when he arrived, there were 1100 patients. And it was a very formidable structure and a very interesting childhood to grow up in this hospital setting. There were 500 employees. And I remember when we first drove up to the hospital, my father's first words were, what did I get myself into? I have to get these...

385. Empowering Lives with Purpose, Interview with Jane "Goldie" Winn

Prepare to Jump, Ephesians 5:15-20  In Ephesians 5:15-20, Paul gives us a warning and a charge. God has so much waiting for your future – are you preparing to jump wherever He calls? &nbsp; **** &nbsp; Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am honored to walk with you as we open the Bible together and ask God to show us His heart. If you are new to Women World Leaders, I want to offer you a special welcome. We are a ministry that strives to help others walk in their God-given purpose. To learn more about Women World Leaders, I’d like to invite you to visit our website, womenworldleaders.com, where you can find out more about the ministry. Besides our trio of podcasts each week, we also offer a quarterly magazine, events, daily devotions, leadership training, and an opportunity to partner with us. It’s all there on the website, womenworldleaders.com. We’d love to connect with you! I hope that whatever you are doing today, you are having a great day. Know that God is smiling as you stop for a moment to focus on His Word! Today’s study comes from Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 15-20, but let me begin by praying for us… Dear Heavenly Father – we come today to hear from you. Father, I don’t know what your precious child who is listening today is going through, but I know you do. You see her, you love her, and you have promised her that you will provide everything that she needs today. So God, I ask that you allow the weight of the world to slip away from her shoulders right now. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light – and what you have for your daughter today is more than she could ask or imagine. So I ask you to speak your words through me – that she will feel your assured presence, your gentle touch, and she will hear you softly whisper her name in love. We give you this time and we thank you for your presence. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. In the New Living Translation of Ephesians 5:15-21, the apostle Paul teaches us… So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.&nbsp;16&nbsp;Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.&nbsp;17&nbsp;Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.&nbsp;18&nbsp;Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,&nbsp;19&nbsp;singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.&nbsp;20&nbsp;And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage, Paul is continuing his instruction to the Ephesians, and to us today, on how to establish and keep unity in the body of Christ. In Ephesians 5:1 we heard Paul tell us to be imitators of God, because we are his dearly beloved children. Today, because of that status as God’s children and his desire for us to be holy as He is holy, we get some further instruction. I love that God NEVER gives up on us and NEVER stops teaching us. I don’t know about you, but I know that there have been some moments over the last week when I have NOT imitated God – in fact, I have failed miserably. But today I am reminded that God hasn’t given up on me – He continues to love me and instruct me – giving me His wisdom and His strength, that I might get up and try again to imitate Him. We serve a gracious and merciful God! Paul says “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.” What does it mean to be careful how you live? One thing it means is to prepare to keep your eyes on Christ. We can prepare by prayer, bible study, worship, and thanksgiving. Have you ever done a home-improvement project? If you have, you know that things go MUCH better when you prepare! Making a list of the materials you will need and heading to the home improvement store may take some extra time, but in the long run,...

386. Walking in the Word, Prepare to Jump

Today, Kelly Williams Hale shares tips on how to create your vision for 2023. There is something so fresh and exciting about starting a new year. There’s a sense that God is doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19) – particularly if we have resolutions or goals we’d like to accomplish this year. The Bible says a man without vision will perish (Proverbs 29:18). May we all begin 2023 with the vision God gives us so we can be excited about what’s to come! &nbsp; ***** Hi there, and welcome to the Women World Leaders Podcast. My name is Kelly Williams Hale and I'm your host today on Celebrating God's Grace. I'm an author, speaker and coach leading women through inner healing and intimacy work. I teach women how to get past proving their worth and step into the purpose and plan God has for them. Hi there, and welcome to Women world leaders podcast celebrating God's grace. It is a brand new year. And I don't know about you. But there is something so fresh and exciting about starting a new year, it just feels like it's full of possibilities. The last few months of 2022, God was really putting on my heart that he is doing a new thing. It seemed like everywhere I turned, I saw that scripture about God doing something new. And so I went to His word.  says: See, I am doing a&nbsp;new&nbsp;thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. I felt like God was speaking to me… it was time to let go of certain things I had been doing in my life and in my coaching business. God was making a way. I believe he was preparing my heart for what is coming this year! Isn’t that exciting? Now, the challenge is God doesn't always let us know what's coming! But he will give us that nudge – that quickening that is the Holy Spirit. I was hearing that still small voice that something new is coming. And so today, I want to talk about vision. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29 that a man without vision will perish. The definition of vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. I just love that: imagination and wisdom. As we begin a new year, I think it’s important to begin planning for the year – our future – using our imagination and wisdom. Before I dive into that, are you one of those people that chooses a word for the year? I never used to be but a few years ago I decided to try it. It’s been interesting – and fun – to pick a pick. I’ve had Focus, Consistent. Obedience. Last year, the word I selected was love. I started the year so excited, with God telling me this was the year to just love… unconditional love, even when people hurt your feelings. You love them. Even when people disappoint you. Love. For me, being mindful of my word helped me navigate the year with the intention of loving – in all situations. In Matthew 22, the Pharisees and the Sadducees as Jesus which of the commandments is the greatest, he responds (in Matthew 22:37): “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and those who persecute us… to simply love them. I think we all know how difficult that can be!! But if we are called to be ambassadors for Christ, we must love people. Like Jesus did. Without judgment, just love them where they're at, and that through our love, they will know who God is. It’s sometimes not the easiest thing to do, but our job is obedience, and we let God do the rest. And so I just spent 2022, operating from that word, love. This year - for 2023 - My word is trust. I am going to trust God. Trust myself. Trust the process. As I mentioned earlier, the Scripture about God doing a new thing has really stuck with me  “Forget&nbsp;the&nbsp;former things; do not dwell on&nbsp;the&nbsp;past. And Paul tells us to Forget what is behind&nbsp;and strain toward what is...

387. Celebrating God's Grace, The Secret to Successful Resolutions

Leadership begins with being a good listener. Today's guest, Nancy Sabato, is a TV and Podcast show host and producer of "The Call." Through years of God directing her path into communicating with people, Nancy shares great encouragement of stepping into a leadership role in life. **** Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so happy that you joined with us today to listen in. And I am honored to welcome our guest today. Nancy Sebato. From the call. Welcome, Nancy, Nancy Sabato &nbsp; Thank you so much for having me on this wonderful program. I'm so happy to be here to serve all the women that's in your ministry that are watching right now. Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Oh thank you, Nancy. Nancy is going to talk today about leadership, ladies. And we're, I'm really excited. I was actually a guest on her podcast show where she interviews amazing people from around the country, famous people. And so I was just honored that you had asked me and I thought, wow, she must have a story to be able to interview so many people and guests around the world. And I asked her if she would be a guest on our show empowering lives with purpose. And she gladly accepted. So thank you, Nancy. Nancy Sabato &nbsp; Wonderful to be here. Thank you so much. Kimberly Hobbs &nbsp; Thank you. So ladies, it is our hopes that today and listening that you can be strengthened and encouraged to walk after the Lord leadership. Of course, in women were leaders, it's just something that we are passionate about. So whenever we have the opportunity, which is today to talk about leadership, and how important it is, we're going to seize that opportunity and hopefully, just empower you with it. And that is our hope today. The Bible says every believer has received grace gifts. So use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many color tapestries of God's grace. First, Peter 410. Ladies we can be the leaders in so many different ways in our homes in our communities, and our ministries are so many ways to be leaders. We're all created with different giftings because of different talents. So I hope that as you listen in today, as Nancy and I get to share back and forth that you will just have something in you that is sparked by the Lord because that's what we prayed for Nancy and I prayed before we began this podcast that you would be inspired by something that you hear. So I want to share a little bit about Nancy before we begin and she's just as I said pleasant, and I am tickled that we are both kind of in the same in the same passion of what we do, which is to empower others to walk after Jesus. Nancy is a TV and podcast show host and producer of the call with Nancy sabato. For over two years now, the show is an entertaining and informative program that covers a variety of topics from addiction and human trafficking, to salvation and transform lives. Nancy has interviewed a wide range of guests, including world renowned authors, Christian actors, Bible teachers and theologians. Her show is designed to help listeners find answers they need to a transformed life through seeking Jesus. So Nancy, as we get to dive into leadership today, and we know that your life has a calling, obviously, because of what you do and how you are called by God. And you do it so beautifully, Nancy, but prior to the calling by God, can you share with us a little bit about your personal story about your past before TV, and podcasting? Nancy Sabato &nbsp; Of course, you know, my mother always told me be a leader, not a follower. And that stuck with me as a child. So God was just so merciful to me, because he had this plan of me being a leader. And that was my passion. And I couldn't help doing it wherever I was. So if I was going to, you know, it being in a group of people, I would have to lead. It was just a natural thing for me. And I just always, you know, wanted to step into...

388. Empowering Lives with Purpose, Interview with Nancy Sabato

We are all called to walk with Jesus, yet we each must make our own intentional decision to allow Him to lead and guide us. Don’t let anything keep you from your most merciful and powerful ally as you stand strong for Him. (Luke 12:49-59) &nbsp; ***** &nbsp; Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am so glad you have joined us as we walk through scripture together, asking God to show us what He wants us to know today. If you are new to Women World Leaders, I want to welcome you and invite you to visit our website, , where you can learn all about the ministry. We have some great offerings coming up! We meet on the third Monday of each month on Zoom for a leadership connect – this is a time of fellowship and growth as we learn from each other. This month’s topic is Leading a Group, led by me! I have studied leadership and led groups in multiple arenas, and I am so excited to share with you some tools of leading in a group setting. We also have a 2-week prayer seminar coming up in February led by one of our esteemed leaders, Dr. Chidi Kalu, AND we have an in-person event in South Florida on March 11th. There is much to do at Women World Leaders! Our goal is to meet you where you are and empower you to take the next step toward your God-given purpose. But now, let’s take a few minutes to slow down and breathe in as we spend time together in God’s Word. We are currently walking through the gospels, and our scripture today comes from Luke 12:49-59. Let’s begin in prayer. Dear Most Holy God, We come to you in awe of who you are. As we open our eyes and look around, we are astounded by how you provide and care for us each day. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough. And yet you ask no more of us. It is your simple desire that we abide in you – so we are here to do just that. God, speak to us – help us understand your words – and guide us in the way you want each of us to walk today. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. As we meet Jesus today, He has been speaking to the crowd, telling them not to worry about this life, but to prepare to serve God as He calls. Then, He turned directly to His disciples and warned them that those who know what the master wants and refuse to comply, will be deserving of punishment. Teaching them a verse you may be likely familiar with, Luke 12:48…&nbsp;When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. In today’s teaching, Jesus continues speaking to his disciples, giving them a clear view of what was to come. Luke 12:49 from the New Living Translation records Jesus’ words… 49&nbsp;“I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!&nbsp;50&nbsp;I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Fire in the Old Testament was a reference to both judgment and purification. When Jesus was born, even the angels declared “peace on earth” – and Jesus did indeed usher in a new era of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Jesus’ ultimate goal was to make a way for all men to be reconciled to God, but there was a fire He needed to walk through for that to occur. The cleansing we receive, God’s offer of our purification to righteousness, came at a high price for Jesus. He had to walk through the fire of hell for us, and we can get a glimpse from these two verses how difficult that was for Jesus. He says…I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning. How many times do we wish the hard part of what we are going through was already over? The missions God sets before us are not always easy or fun – they often take work and focus – sweat and tears. Jesus knew what He came to earth for…and it would take literal blood, sweat, and tears. The “baptism of suffering” that Jesus is referring to is His...

389. Walking in the Word, Stand Strong for Jesus

There is a massive difference between "believing in God" and "believing God!". He has promises for each of us. He also has a purpose and plan that is meant to prosper us, bless us and propel us into His divine plan and purpose for our lives. But how do we do this when life is tough? Rusanne Carole will explore some things to ponder, including we have&nbsp;the ability to live heaven on earth with God's power and grace.&nbsp; &nbsp; *** &nbsp; Welcome to Women World Leader’s “Celebrating God’s Grace” Podcast. Thanks for joining us today. Women World Leaders mission is to globally invest in the lives of women discovering their lifework and purpose within God’s design. And there are certainly seasons of our “life works” – whether it is being at home raising young ones or running huge corporations we, through God’s grace and power, can experience the exceeding abundance of God’s glorious work through us as believers and followers of Jesus Christ. We, at Women World Leaders, provide numerous opportunities to come together, as women of God, to love, support and encourage each other. Check out our website at  Whether it’s joining our prayer team or you may have a prayer request; you may want to attend a meeting on-line or come to a live event (we happen to have one on the 11th of March at Keiser University – Palm Beach, Florida USA); check out our Voice of Truth Magazine, full of stories, testimony, poetry and art ; or become a monthly donor to help support the ministry in sharing the gospel message. There’s devotions, teaching, weekly podcasts too! &nbsp;Wherever God may be leading you, you are welcome. Come as you are and join women from all over the world as we honor Jesus who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20 &nbsp; &nbsp;I’m Rusanne Carole and I want to talk to you today about Believing! Believing IN GOD and actually BELIEVING GOD. There is a difference. &nbsp; When did you first BELIEVE? For some, you can remember the day, the time, exactly where you were. For others, it was a gradual “knowing, believing and accepting”. There is no “right” or “better” way to accept Jesus into your heart. OR, ARE YOU STILL QUESTIONING WHETHER THERE IS A GOD? That’s OK too, GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE YOUR HEART AND MIND IS. I think He likes the questions. He likes us to talk to Him and He is willing to answer every question if we let Him. &nbsp;He is a patient God. He is a gentleman, not forcing Himself upon us but allowing us to come freely to Him. That is LOVE. So, if we believe in God, &nbsp;do we also believe God? Do we believe in all His promises and that they are for us? It is especially difficult to believe this when life hasn’t been easy and we feel we are constantly struggling? One battle after another! Yet how do we do this, each day as the raging storm waters continue to rise, &nbsp; How do we worship when not much in life is going well? How do we praise with a broken heart? How do we persevere with praise & worship when there doesn’t seem to be much to celebrate? &nbsp; It’s a choice. It takes practice. And the practice will help make it permanent and more consistent. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a surrender. It’s a falling down and getting back up over & over again! It’s training (a spiritual training) &nbsp;& a progressive renewal of the mind to slowly and consistently know who we are in Christ. It’s believing that we, with God’s strength and power, are becoming who we are destined to be. It’s trusting our heavenly Father with every step of our journey – &nbsp; Faith happens when believers believe. How do we do this? READ the WORD Heed the WORD Test the WORD God’s Word is the seed that grows the faith! So I’ll ask, how is the seed in your garden of faith? 2 Timothy 4:17 –“ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me” We don’t do this alone, we do it with the help of the...

390. Celebrating God's Grace, Believe

Today we interview Dr. Jia Conway as she openly shares her personal story of sexual abuse and the debilitating damage it caused to her emotions for many years. Trapped in a body, Jia also shares the POWER of forgiveness which brings freedom and the calling God led her to beyond the clenches of a broken past.

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