The Love Offering

What is your testimony? Have you ever had a hard time articulating it or believing in its power? While our experiences with Jesus may vary greatly, the impact of sharing them does not. In fact, Scripture tells us the devil is defeated by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). Jesus already completed his part, and now, it’s our turn to follow through with ours. Consider for a moment how your life might have unfolded if someone hadn’t shared their testimony with you. Because those who have gone before us were faithful to their mission, we heard the good news and had the opportunity to believe. Now we have the same responsibility to tell others about his saving grace. Once we experience him, we are meant to become witnesses for him. Their eternal salvation is at stake. Joanna Weaver is on the show today sharing her testimony with us as she has learned to find intimacy with God in the midst of the busyness of life and embrace trust. What could transform someone’s life more than a relationship with Him? We don’t have to have any special skill to be a witness for Christ. Simply tell your God story and how he has changed your life. This is how the gospel is spread. Your testimony could be the reason someone else can have a testimony of their own. Connect with Joanna: Christian Author & Speaker - Joanna Weaver (joannaweaverbooks.com) The Living Room podcast @joannaweaverbooks Free 5 Day Challenge: Embracing Trust 5-Day Challenge | Join Today! - Joanna Weaver (joannaweaverbooks.com)

Now more than ever, the world is hungry to gather and thirsty for connection. Many of us wish to share a meal, share our faith, and share our lives with others. We want to open our home to friends and neighbors for the sake of meaningful community, but we’re overwhelmed with hospitality hang-ups. How do I extend an invitation? What will they think of my house or the food? Our welcome has been influenced by the messages of the world that tell us hospitality is about our ability to be, host, live, and cook a certain way. In today’s episode, Amy Hannon shares insights through her book Gather & Give to inspire you to embrace the simple hospitality of the Bible that values connection more than perfection and people more than presentation. Amy shares scriptural principles and practical ideas to make everyday hospitality a natural, joy-filled part of your life. Join us to discover that the hospitality of the Bible is uncomplicated and effortless, that a welcome can be used by God to share His love and hope with the world, and that there is abounding joy in following the Lord in His hospitality command. Whether preparing shrimp and grits for a crowd or picking up barbecue with new neighbors, you can invite with intention, plate with purpose, and love others well. Connect with Amy: https://amyhannon.com/

Is it just me? Am I the only one who’s lonely? Am I the only one without friends? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston, founders of the widely popular “Sister, I Am with You,” are raising their hands to say, “Yeah, us too.” And they want to encourage, equip, and reassure you that you have what it takes to build the kind of friendships you want. I’ll Be There (But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants) provides you with the how of cultivating deep relationships in this messy, chaotic, beautiful life. Through this episode, you’ll learn how to: ▫️admit you need friends—then go out and find them, ▫️dismantle the lies you’ve believed about friendship, ▫️love yourself so you can find people who will love you for you, ▫️be a good friend even though you can’t be a perfect one, and ▫️heal from a friend breakup—and find the courage to try again. It’s time you felt completely accepted as you are—from the top of your messy bun to the tips of your unpedicured toes. Let’s start making friendships a priority—together. “To be a love offering view every connection as a gift from God.” “Instead of working for love, come from a place where you’re working from love.” Audio Book sample: https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us/ill-be-there-but-ill-be-wearing-sweatpants-by-amy-weatherly-jess-johnston-chapter-1?si=d0a7aa1b3d79484c9506ede89c5cf36e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Connect with Amy and Jess: https://www.sisteriamwithyou.com

If we're honest, that's a sentiment we’ve all shared. Prayer can be challenging and confusing. Often we feel abandoned, betrayed, and anxious. We don't know what to pray for, we don't know the words to say, and sometimes it just feels like there's no one on the other side. Pastor and bestselling author Derwin Gray addresses all of these feelings and thoughts today on the show. Using his book “God, Do You Hear Me?” (B&H) as a guide, Derwin walks us through the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13). We also chat about: ▫️His time playing in the NFL ▫️God’s transformation process ▫️Partnering with God Tune in to discover the prayer God always answers. We pray this episode helps you break through to a completely new and refreshing prayer life. “When we try to be good without God we end up being bad. So, the way you become a love offering is you let the unlimited, life-giving, sin forgiving, love of Jesus ravage you.” Connect with Derwin: Derwinlgray.com @derwinlgray

The Lucky Few is a social awareness brand on the mission to make a more inclusive and loving world with an emphasis on shifting the Down syndrome narrative. Heather Avis is the founder and chief visionary officer of The Lucky Few and mom of three adopted children, two of which have Down Syndrome. She is on the show chatting about her children’s book titled “Different—A Great Thing To Be!” (WaterBrook & Multnomah, imprints of Penguin Random House). Join us as Heather shares about learning to value the "different" in all people, leading the way to a more inclusive, kinder world in which our differences are celebrated and warmly embraced. This week’s love offering is to say to ourselves and to say to those around us “who you are, exactly as you are, you are loved and you are worthy. Who I am, exactly as I am, I am loved and I am worthy to be loved.” Connect with Heather: https://www.heatheravis.com https://instagram.com/theluckyfewofficial

Anxiety and depression are on the rise. Michelle Nietert is the Clinical Director of Community Counseling Associates in Dallas, TX. She is a mom of two and a former school counselor with over 20 years experience in private practice. She is on the show sharing her expertise on how to protect our mental health and the mental health of our children. We chat about: Empowering our children to struggle well in hard seasons Managing difficult emotions and age-specific vocabulary to use Warning signs to look for & how moms can help 5 ways moms can protect their own mental health We pray after this episode you are better equipped to handle the mental health challenges life brings. This week’s love offering is “to be a vessel and be open to the moments to experience God. Let him do the work.” People and Books mentioned: Sissy Goff Dr. Caroline Leaf Henry Blackaby - Experiencing God Connect with Michelle: https://michellenietert.com

We live in a polarized time. Christians are quick to conceive of themselves either as theologically-minded or worship-minded; either thinking Christians or feeling Christians. The results are damaging: theology without worship is muted, stifled, and cold, and worship without theology is ungrounded, unrooted, and uninformed. This is not the way it was meant to be. Amy Gannett is the author of “Fix Your Eyes” (B&H books) and she is in the show sharing how our theology (our study and knowledge of God) should always lead to doxology (our worship of Him). Worship should always be rooted in theology. When we study the nature and character of God as revealed in his Word, we are invited to respond in the affectionate, obedient discipleship of worship. How can we keep our theology from being mere head knowledge? How do we give our worship roots that will last? By fixing our eyes on God Himself—the object of our study and the object of our worship. Join us to understand core doctrines of the Christian faith, apply them in our daily worship of God, and live them out in daily life. This week’s love offering is to “make your whole self available to God. So often we withhold a part of ourselves. There is a reason that God asks us to love Him with our whole mind, body, heart, and strength.” About Amy: Amy Gannett (M.Div, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary) is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher. She is the author of several exegetical Bible studies, and her teaching and writing has been featured on Christian outlets like Well-Watered Women, The Gospel Coalition, JourneyWomen, Risen Motherhood, and Christ and Pop Culture. She is also the founder of Tiny Theologians, which offers training tools for parents and children’s ministries, equipping them to pass on the Christian faith to the next generation. You can find her online at amygannett.com, and on social media at @amycategannett and @tinytheologians.

Hard things are a part of life. Yet they don’t have to have the final word. They can become the keys to our greatest usability in the kingdom of God—that is, if we let God make good of them, rather than running away and refusing the growth we truly crave. Lisa Whittle is on the show today discussing her new book The Hard Good. In today’s episode, Lisa guides us on a powerful path to progress as we learn to: accept things we wish were different, apologize and forgive first, cheer for someone who gets what we want, open our hearts again when we’ve been hurt, find joy in the waiting, and show up when we want to shut down. Written for those who desperately want to move forward, The Hard Good gives voice to the hard places we all have lived and Lisa’s clear directions as to where to go next. We pray through this episode you realize your hard place is never too hard for God. Allow it to change you, help you, and ready you for the greatest comeback you have ever known. This week’s love offering is to remember that “You can’t fix it so don’t try. We try to offer our story as help, but sometimes we need to just listen. Don’t be afraid to let silence sit. Sit in the grief.” “If you don’t love Jesus you can’t love people. If it doesn’t come from an overflow of our hearts eventually it will become service that in some way serves us.” Connect with Lisa: Lisa Whittle | Author, Speaker & Teacher | Put Your Warrior Boots On (Book)

Olive Us ministry leader Rachael Wade is on the show today encouraging us to lean into our in-process stories. We chat about the value of remembering the goodness & faithfulness of God, practicing presence, and growing in the midst of tough seasons. Join us in the place of already and not there yet. We pray through this conversation we realize that when we are connected to one another and connected to the Source, we can survive and flourish no matter what comes our way. Mentioned: Jenn Jett Barrett & Camp Well: http://jennjett.com/ & https://thewellsummit.com/ Scotti Beth Lawson's Digital 25 Day Devotional "Esther's Arising" for Mothers and Daughters: https://bit.ly/3yGmX0C Books Mentioned: Ann Voskamp 1000 Gifts Connect with Rachael: https://www.rachaelrwade.com https://instagram.com/rachwade Connect with Olive Us. https://www.oliveus.net https://instagram.com/oliveus_together