Intro To Exodus

Intro To Exodus

Exodus is generally a book of the Bible that people do not sit down and read for themselves like they would other books. We know the major stories of Exodus - Moses telling Pharaoh “let my people go,” the plagues, Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry land, God giving His people the Ten Commandments, Israel failing time and time again to follow those commandments. We have the general idea of what Exodus is about but the other parts can feel confusing. However, if we take a look at ALL that is happening throughout this book, the stories we already know will come to life even more. 

Five Aspects of Woman: A Biblical Theology of Femininity

Five Aspects of Woman: A Biblical Theology of Femininity

Have you ever read a book that has shaped your life profoundly? I have been challenged this year to reread some of the books that were most impactful on my life. Five Aspects of Woman by Barbara Mouser brought the timelessness of Scripture to my evolving circumstances. When I first read this book ten years ago, I was a Junior in college engaged to be married. Today, I am a married mom of three young children headed into the school aged years. The femininity framework this study provides bolsters my confidence to pursue God in every season because society is asking…the church is asking…I am asking, What is the role of women?  Why should I care?

Jesus is Our Vine

Jesus is Our Vine

My husband was once having a spirited conversation with a colleague on the topic of “who is the Vine” spoken of in John 15 of the Bible. Our colleague argued that Israel is the Vine, and my husband pointed back to John 15:1 to answer, “Jesus is the True Vine!” So, I thought that would be a great place to start this blog post – with a central point of importance being that Jesus is the Vine. The crux of Jesus making this statement is to show us that by our nature we are empty and dry, set to wither away (verse 6) without our being grafted into Him. 

Celebrate Recovery's 20th Anniversary at CRBC

Celebrate Recovery's 20th Anniversary at CRBC

Pastor Rick:  When I arrived at Council Road 20 years ago, one of the first new ministries I wanted to implement was Celebrate Recovery. It was a relatively new ministry in Oklahoma, and one that was badly needed. Oklahoma is located in a prime position geographically for drug and human trafficking—right in the middle of the United States where three major interstates criss-cross. The poverty level is also a problem. Both play into a high dependence on drugs and alcohol.

After getting to know the staff, I knew who the perfect person would be to head up our new chapter of Celebrate Recovery: Sue Ellen Ferguson. She had the perfect combination of leadership, creativity, grace and mercy, and a disarming smile, not to mention her own story of recovery. Some people thought I was crazy, as she was serving as the leader of the Women’s Ministry at the time. But I knew she was the perfect person to take on this new endeavor.

Rooted Doctrine: Be Like A Weed

Rooted Doctrine: Be Like A Weed

If you were a child in my house growing up, you spent Spring Saturday mornings in the yard. You would be picking weeds, mowing, or doing any other sort of lawn/outdoor chores. But most likely, you were picking weeds. There were a lot of weeds. We had big flower beds in our front yard and a garden in the back. Anyone who has an intimate relationship with pesky little growths in their flowerbeds knows that you really have to get deep down in the dirt around a weed if you want to… shall we appropriately say…nip them in the bud. Some weeds have roots that are surprisingly deep, and require a shovel to get the roots loose enough to pull out. I’m sure it was because I was trying to hurry through the task and just pick the leaves off the weeds, but my dad had to teach me that to really pick weeds, one had to get ALL the root too. Without digging deeply, that weed would be right back next Saturday.

The Soil of Community

The Soil of Community

In 2020 I became a “plant mom.” This might not sound ground-breaking, but I promise you, up to that point, I did not have a green thumb on either hand, as I had never kept a plant alive. However, in the fall of 2019, I bought a couple of plants at The Gift Goes On, with a promise from the seller, “these are nearly impossible to kill,” so I decided to try my hand at botany. Turns out, they were indeed easy to keep alive and the seed was planted in me to keep growing my plant collection - which to date includes 31 plant-babies. The secret, I discovered, is threefold: healthy soil, correct watering, and appropriate placement.

24 Essentials in 2024: The Good News of the Gospel

24 Essentials in 2024: The Good News of the Gospel

What I love most about a new year is the opportunity to start afresh. I am old enough to remember the joy of getting a new paper calendar for the year, with blank monthly pages just begging for new plans. I still love to start the year with a new journal filled with empty pages of possibility. No matter what the year before held and how faithful I was with my time and opportunities, a new year reminds me that I can start again.

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