God, may the bones in my hands be warn, broken down, and tattered when I reach you. Let my hands resemble yours only for the purpose of loving others without abandon for your glory.
THE BONES IN MY HANDS
THE PROBLEM WITH I, ME, AND MY
“God makes it quite clear in His Word that He has only one answer to every human need: His Son, Jesus Christ. In all His dealings with us, He works by taking us out of the way and substituting Christ in our place.”
THE WAY OUT
I feel like I’m in a stage of mourning something right now. Anyone else? We’ve been talking a lot about what’s going on in our Country, and y’all know that we are certainly mourning that. However, I am experiencing a sense of sadness over the state of Christianity that I never have before.
SITTING QUIETLY
In the next scene, he comes to and is sitting in his armchair with a cup of tea while he and Gandalf have an exchange that I believe is very important. Listen closely to what is said. “I’ll be fine, just let me sit quietly for a moment,” said Bilbo. “You’ve been sitting quietly for far too long!” Was the response Gandalf gave.
POWER OF THE PATRIOT
What America needs now is not unity, but complete restoration and an overwhelming sense of conviction.
GOT MY HEART GOING
He is a God who will never, ever, misunderstand you because He is the only one who knows without a doubt, where you’re really meant to be.
DEARNESS ONLY GIVES VALUE
Many of them have preached from the pulpit that politics are not in accordance with standards of honor or decency. Well neither is the Church at this point in time. So, what’s your point?
A MORE CONVENIENT SEASON
When I read this, it hit me super hard. “…I would not ponder the matter deeply… I put it off to a more convenient season.” The very first thing I thought of while reading this, was how we as Christians do this EVERY SINGLE DAY.
FOR LACK OF WONDER
I long for us to want the wonder again. The wonder that has left our homes. The admiration for Christ that has left our Churches. I would be bold enough to say that most of us stress about presents and parties and punch each Christmas more than we think about the manger, our sin, and the cross in a whole year.
THE HOLY PILGRIMAGE OF GRIEF
You’re trying to fight the fierce, yet holy, pilgrimage that grief will take you on. We tend to swim against the currents of it, terrified of being overwhelmed or even becoming lost in our brokenness.
WHY GOD HASN’T WRITTEN AMERICA OFF AND WHY WE SHOULDN’T EITHER
We can’t lose hope. It takes time for evil to be exposed, and we must be patient and willing to trust the Lord for the fate of our country.
NEVERTHELESS
Perhaps you have spent most of this year being ungrateful, as I know many of us have. There hasn’t been a single day this year that I haven’t heard someone say that this year has just been the worst ever.
WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD IS RUNNING
"If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too."
FOR ETERNITY, TOGETHER
I have questioned what godly guys desire in a wife, and what things are important for them to be the one to do in a relationship, as I’m sure every girl has. Being the crazy person I am, I reached out to some married guys who I highly respect, and I asked them to answer some questions that I’m sure we can all think about and learn from.
MORALITY, RELIGION, AND THE 2020 ELECTION
God doesn’t let evil prevail for no reason. I am quickly coming to the conclusion that His purpose for allowing evil to be so evident in this time is because He wants us to stop being cowardly Christians.
WHETHER YOU WOULD RISK IT OR NOT
Like the king, we believe that if we do not want to risk an open war, then it will just leave us alone. But people, this is most definitely not the case. We are in war, whether we would risk it or not.
THE END ZONE
This is the moment where the coach gets down on his knees and starts to crawl beside him, yelling back at Brock, telling him to keep going and that he cannot give up.
BECOMING OBVIOUS
The Church of 2020 cannot afford to be stuck “deciding” whether or not we will take a stand against sin. We are called to make it transparently obvious that we will do what is right even if it is not the popular thing to do. We don’t have a choice anymore.
A THOUSAND TIMES OVER
A year ago today, I sat in front of my computer completely broken before the Lord, about to write a post that I had no clue would make its rounds through multiple churches in the U.S. and be sent through many other jail pods all across Texas. It is one of The Few’s most popular blog posts, so today on October 7, 2020, we are going to republish it.
THE AMERICAN’S DEVOTION
I’m so tired of people saying that Christians should just be quiet when it comes to politics. The reason believers need to stand up and speak up is because politics effects morality. Politics effect your God-given rights, the unborn, religious decisions, schooling, your safety, etc! Y’all, we have to start standing up for ourselves and the things that we know are absolute truth, because no one else will.
CHRISTIANITY AND…
So, come and lay down the “Fashion of Christian coloring” at the cross and be made whole, so that we may experience true happiness and joy.
WINDOW REFLECTIONS
I thought that loving who Rocky really was, was loving who he was when I hugged him outside the pizza shoppe. As I look back, I see that I was wrong. I found out as soon as I saw him through that rusty window in a jumpsuit, that really loving who people are is when you love them in the middle of their sin.
RELIGIOUS LIFE SUPPORT
There are enough “Christians” in our world today, there are enough grandma’s and grandpa’s and Christian classes to just prop us up and make us look like superheroes in the faith.
HOW DEAD IS TOO DEAD?
Can I just say it a little bit louder for the people in the back? NOTHING is too dead for God! Only He knows what will actually come to life.
FOUNDED FREEDOM
Many of us ask ourselves how we can “fix” our country. After doing much research and thinking this week, God showed me the one solution. If we are not living how God wants us to live and pursuing the truth in our everyday life, then our nation will never be “fixed”. Want to know why? Because you are the Nation. Just like you are the Church.
WAR WITHOUT WAR
You see, we wage “wars” that won’t ever satisfy us like real war will. All because we don’t want it to be an inconvenience on our part.
DEAD FISH
The reason why young people are walking away from the faith is because all they see is a bunch of dead fish. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that anybody wants to be discipled by a dead fish.
WHILE WE’RE SITTING
I had seen it happen many times. Heard stories told and realized that it was a harsh reality. No one else seemed bothered though. I didn’t see the people around me making an effort to stop it from happening.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Heroes and heroines are formed by the stories they believe. Frodo and Sam were able to glimpse the story that their small, faithful actions were part.
WHAT WE’D MISS
Sure, it was only one night. But it was a night that person will never, ever get back.
IF WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT
We make the things of God seem optional in our lives, and when we do that, we also make them look trivial to the people around us.
LET THE ARROWS FLY
But, I was thinking afterward, “How did Hannah give up this son that she so desperately desired?” Of course she wanted her son for herself, but she wanted her son for God’s glory even more! She wanted a child who would serve the LORD, glorify Him, and further His Kingdom.
HALF MEASURES
Think about this with me for a moment… Jesus was not content until He had given us all that He had. He isn’t satisfied unless He is in constant communion with those He loves.
YOUR CONDITION
This became evident to me one night before the quarantine ever happened, and I desperately wanted to be content with whatever God had for me. I wrote this in my journal that night, “Lord, help me to remember that your plan is so much better than what I want.” That’s stuck with me ever since I wrote it.
MAKE ME MORE
I want Jesus to make me more like Him every single day I have on this earth. However, that only happens when I look at how pure and holy He is, and I then try to imitate that.
I CALL THIS TO MIND
The author is coming to a realization of something. He’s remembering the things that God has done in the past. Look at how verse 21 starts off, it says, “Yet I call this to mind”. Remember… God doesn’t change when your emotions and circumstances do. He is constant and His faithfulness never ceases to meet every one of our needs.
BASIC
The problem with “professing” Christians is that they are false and do not know basic truth. What’s worse is that the majority of them end up affecting the Church as a whole as they start to bring a sense of worldliness in with them.
SELF-IMPOSED WORSHIP
How often do we do things for God simply because they have been done for generations before us instead of seeking the true will of God for the here and now?
IT COMES WITH TEARS
So, as we were driving home and I was wrestling with God about the whole prayer thing, I specifically remember Him telling me to pray whenever I saw 111 or 1111.
STARS AND MORE STARS
When an inventor invents something, he masters it. The inventor knows everything down to the very last detail of their invention. However, the invention will never be able to master its inventor. The invention just does what it is created to do. It knows its place.
SO VERY CONCERNED
I’m concerned about how the majority of Christians, here in the U.S., have handled this virus and their time at home during the quarantine. I think we have been selfish.
THE RIGHT ONES
Are y’all ready to be encouraged today? The beauty of the Gospel is that we are ALL the “right” ones. It is us who make the distinction between the “right” ones and the “best” ones, not God.
RUNAWAY KNOCKS
We cannot give up the souls of men. They depend on our prayer. So, let’s not let our prayers be like boy’s runaway knocks.
FACING OUR FEARS
Wow! Don’t miss the application. The very place where you experience your greatest fears, can become the very place of your greatest victory!!!
ARE YOU OK?
I then realized that the situation did look a bit odd. I mean, two guys coming in with a teenage girl to get a room, saying that they aren’t going to be staying there but that one of their friends will be the next day probably wasn’t the best idea.
THE MISSING PART OF THE STORY
Truth is, I just had to get out of the way so that God could work. I had to put down my pride and my worry to appear strong in front of others. God needed me to wholeheartedly surrender which in turn touched the young man who just happened to be watching.
SPARE NO ARROWS
I’m asking you today if you’ve just “bought in” to the battle or if you’re completely “sold out”? Because if you’ve just “bought in”, you’re really not fighting. You’re standing on the sideline sparing your arrows, wondering how much it will cost you.
SAY SO
Do you realize that you’re often the closest thing a lot of people will ever get to a church door? People listen to how you talk to others, they notice if your content with your job, or if your attitude is different at school.
HE DOESN’T FORGET
You see, God’s promises and His goodness do not depend on how I feel about it. Thank the Lord it doesn’t, because I’ve given Him countless reasons and chances to walk away from me.
I’M SO DONE
The reason that I’m pouring out what’s on my heart all in one post, is because if Jesus decides to come tonight, I want to have said what He told me to say today. Oh, how I long to live every day for Jesus. With passion! With an expectant heart that I’m going to get to see Him move!
DITCH THE LESSON PLAN
Sometimes God needs us to get our planners and agenda’s out of the way so that He can work. Because our tendency is to box Him in so tightly that He doesn’t even want to work because He knows we don’t really want Him to.
THE WORLD I WALK IN
Can I be real with y’all today? That is not the world I walk in. Failure is NOT an option for me.
BROWN PAPER BAGS
In the midst of all of the busyness and all of the people trying to avoid eye contact with the person that was passing them on the sidewalk, I noticed that many of them were carrying crinkled up brown paper bags.
A THOUSAND & ONE
But, one thing I do know, is that he won’t have to live it out alone. I will be there a thousand and one times over.
WILL HE FIND FAITH?
(Guest post by: Madie Hobbs) After reading this title, you may be thinking, what do you mean, “Will He Find Faith”? Will who find faith? Why wouldn’t He find faith? Well, let me phrase it this way, do you think God will find faith among His people when he returns? A few days ago, as... Continue Reading →
LET NO ONE GO!
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Over the past few months, I have had the chance to become friends with a couple of teen girls that have been coming to our church. Approximately two months ago, one of the girls, named Jamie, asked me if I could explain the Gospel to her. Of course, I said that... Continue Reading →
HE’S IN THE WAITING
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) The Lord has provided me with so many opportunities to pour into teen girls in a real and raw way. Over the years that I have grown in my own faith and really started to live this “Jesus thing” out for myself, I can look back and see how God taught... Continue Reading →
PRESENTS OR PRESENCE?
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) It’s so crazy to me how easily we can get caught up on materialistic items as humans. Whether it’s money, cars, or just the little things we buy that we don’t really need; it all fights for our attention constantly. As we near Christmas day, I want us all to ask... Continue Reading →
CONSUMED BY THE SUBSTITUTE
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) I recently had a conversation with someone about whether or not there will be entertainment, food, or other kinds of things we have here on Earth, in Heaven. The person that I was talking to said he thought there would probably be some different forms of fun and entertainment in Heaven,... Continue Reading →
GONE REAL
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Are we fake? This is the question that I discussed with my Bible Study group last week. I think that in the American Church we have wrongly tried to make ourselves look like something we are not. We try to appear perfect. If I am honest with you, I think that... Continue Reading →
RAINY DAY OBEDIENCE
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) A couple weeks ago, I went camping in Indiana with my family and a few of our friends. It’s our annual fall camping trip together, and we have been doing it for the last several years. Well, my friend (who is a part of The Few and my Bible Study group)... Continue Reading →
NO SHORT CUTS
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) I sat down at the computer yesterday to start writing a blog post. As I typed each letter to form the sentences, I felt like it just wasn’t right. I thought it was what the Lord wanted me to write about, but I wasn’t writing with the same passion and excitement... Continue Reading →
A THOUSAND TIMES OVER
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) I shared a little bit in the last post about how one of our dearest friends is sitting in a Fort Worth, Texas jail cell right now. We went down to see him a couple weeks ago, and I have a few thoughts I’d like to share with y’all. A little... Continue Reading →
THE HOT TOPIC THAT CHRISTIANS ARE BUYING INTO
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Have you seen all the cute coffee mugs, bags, and sweatshirts lately? Have you heard the saying that’s been going around? Did you see the message that’s recently been shared all over social media? The world has recently been putting this message out to everyone and it is “supposed” to fix... Continue Reading →
NO MIDDLE GROUND
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) The Lord gave me a really powerful message last week. My Bible Study group was meeting, and I was waiting on the Lord to give me something to discuss with them later that afternoon. As I was praying, the Lord just made it clear that I was supposed to talk about... Continue Reading →
GO AGAIN!
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Have you ever been hurt by someone? Maybe somebody in church has hurt you. Maybe your best friend lied to you about something. Maybe, someone you have loved and poured so much of your time into doesn’t seem like they care the same way about you. Yeah. I think we have... Continue Reading →
THE LIGHT ALWAYS WINS
(Guest post by: Michelle Hobbs) I was walking in the main hallway of a nursing home recently, heading to see one of my patients. A gentleman stopped me at the bulletin board and asked me to read to him the riddle posted there. It said, “The more you have of this, the less you can... Continue Reading →
DO PEACE AND BUSYNESS MIX?
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) This past Sunday, as we were on our way to church, my Dad happened to turn on a podcast discussion. They were talking about peace and what it should look like for Christians if we are truly living in peace. It was very interesting to me because as I look around... Continue Reading →
LOOK BESIDE YOU
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Have you ever wanted to share the Gospel but didn’t know how or where? Maybe you have had the intention of telling someone about Jesus, but you just don’t have any clue when or where to do it. Let me tell you, that’s ok! As we discuss this topic further, what... Continue Reading →
# WORTH IT
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) June 27th, 2019 will forever be one of my favorite memories. I had gotten up really early that morning because my dad and I were headed to a seminary for the day to take the students of a class out of the building to pray with people and share the Gospel.... Continue Reading →
EVERYDAY CHURCH
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) In our last post, “Where Did Church Go Wrong”, we looked at how the Church has gotten hung up on human traditions and philosophy and has lost Jesus along the way. Today, I thought it would be interesting to do a follow up post and examine how the Church can get... Continue Reading →
WHERE DID CHURCH GO WRONG?
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) As my family and I have done ministry across the United States, I have come to realize that many churches are dying off. So many of the leaders are discouraged. They can’t get any new people in their doors; especially young people. No matter how many programs they try, they cannot... Continue Reading →
A CALL TO BIBLICAL OBEDIENCE AND HOLY LIVING
(Guest post by: Pastor Gerald Steele) Thank you, Lilly, for inviting me to share a few thoughts on your blog. I’m honored! I love the emphasis on “The Few” and your call for others like yourself to live a life of “reckless abandon for the Lord.” Your call for THE FEW to remain faithful to... Continue Reading →
THE GRAVE DANGER OF SILENT CHRISTIANS
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) I think that the American Church, and all Christians, should be scared of something: Silence. As Christians, we are way too quiet about what we know to be right and wrong according to the Word of God. From things like gay marriage and abortion to bad movies, TV shows, and unacceptable... Continue Reading →
SOME PEOPLE CHANGE
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) My dad listens to this song by Montgomery Gentry called, “Some People Change.” For some reason, the Lord has been putting this song on my heart, and I really feel like I need to write about it. A lot of Christians struggle in this area. I don’t think that God’s children... Continue Reading →
GET OUT OF YOUR TENT!
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Does it sometimes seem like you’re just having a really boring week? A week where it seems mundane and dull? I think we can all feel like that sometimes. However, as Christians, I think that we may not be living how Jesus wants us to live if we are always bored... Continue Reading →
THE NUMBER ONE THING THE WORLD DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) Have you ever stopped and thought about what is actually true? I mean, look at our world right now. We are told that murdering babies is perfectly ok. We are told that we can do anything that pleases us as long as it makes us happy and doesn’t harm anyone else,... Continue Reading →
TRUST TRIUMPHS OVER FEAR
(Post by: Lilly Hobbs) In 2018, I felt like God was calling me to be more intentional in my personal Bible study. I had heard of people choosing to have a focus word that they studied in depth, and I thought I’d give that a shot. My 2018 focus word was ‘’Rock’’. However, I also... Continue Reading →
Come Boldly!
(Guest post by Michelle Hobbs) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 I wonder if we truly understand what a privilege it is for us to pray directly to God; and beyond that, have a promise... Continue Reading →
100% or 0%? Are you all in or all out?
My passion is to see people make Jesus #1 in their life. That’s it. I don’t have some crazy agenda or goal for this blog except to challenge people to make Him first in their life. It is my belief that if we make Jesus first in every single thing we do, we will do... Continue Reading →
The Few 