Have you ever taken on a task that seemed impossible? Listen to this week’s podcast to hear the story of Nehemiah and how he relied on God. Learn how God calls everyday people to work for Him. What is God calling you to do? What talents do you have that could be used for God’s work?Contributor: Marissa shares with us about a time when God placed a calling on her heart to reach the lives of children in her community.

Have you ever taken on a task that seemed impossible? Listen to this week’s podcast to hear the story of Nehemiah and how he relied on God. Learn how God calls everyday people to work for Him. What is God calling you to do? What talents do you have that could be used for God’s work?Contributor: Marissa shares with us about a time when God placed a calling on her heart to reach the lives of children in her community.

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Starting with Jesus

Heather Bennett

Reflect and Renew June 2023

An Orphan Becomes Queen

The Queen Who Saved Her People

Faithful Builders

Patient Job


Ever since I was a teenager, I knew working with children was what I wanted to do. I know when I was a child, I didn't really feel my teachers, coaches, or counselors really tried connecting with me. In fact, some of them were downright mean. I'd want to change that, to strengthen and encourage these young people. Welcome to Reflect and Renew.

Hey, I'm Katie. I'm so glad that you'll be joining me today. We will be learning and growing together in our walk with Jesus. You will surely be encouraged and challenged as we study week by week and hear from the experiences of others. This week's story really resonates with me, especially during the past 5 months.

We live on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. Living, working, ministering out here is pretty rough for many reasons. We've been developing our church property over the last 4 years, and this year we built a mission house so that we can house guests and volunteers or even student missionaries. I did all the fundraising, designed the small house, put together a supply list, purchased the supplies, and then after running the numbers, I discovered that if we hired someone to help build it, it was going to cost over $1, 000 for every week. But if I did the work, it would save over $1, 000 a week.

So I cleared my schedule and jumped in with both feet into the world of construction. Drills, chop saws, drywall, flooring, cabinets, you name it, everything from top to bottom. Thankfully, we have had different mission groups come and help for a week or so at a time but the majority of the time it's been me and 1 other volunteer Mr. David who's been leading out with the project. I've never done anything like this before in my life and it reminds me of 1 of the points that Merle Poirier brings out in her devotional about the story of Nehemiah But we'll get to that in just a minute.

Have you checked it out yet? If you go to our website startingwithjesus.com slash renew You can read her devotional and go a bit deeper than we're gonna go today. So I want to encourage you to do that Nehemiah had a daunting building project ahead of him. Yet all through the story you can see that his reliance on God, his strong leadership style and his belief in the mission helps to drive him forward. As he moves forward, God opens the doors and provides the way.

But I love what Merle talks about in her devotional and I'll share it with you here. I'll summarize as well as direct quote. Look at Nehemiah chapter 3. You may be surprised. At first glance, it appears to be a long description of building the wall of Jerusalem.

And it is. It's 1 unpronounceable name after another. But before you completely dismiss it as irrelevant, recognize it isn't about the wall. It's about who's building the wall. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and recognized that rebuilding the wall needed to be a priority.

So he issued an all-hands-on-deck call to the people in Jerusalem. The wall was divided into sections and assignments were given. Now Take a moment and count the names or groups listed in this chapter. You'll find that there's more than 40. Now notice who they are.

They aren't masons. They're not contractors. They're not builders. But the Bible tells us that they're priests, perfumers, goldsmiths, and women. Everyday people who may not have all the skills required, but together they contributed what they had.

Don't you love that? God calls people, everyday people, to work for him. And he called me, who has never built a house before, to be used this year to build a mission house. I have learned so much over the past 5 months. It's stretched me, it's challenged me, it's gotten me down sometimes, but I can look back and see that God has been leading step by step.

So here's a question for you. What is God calling you to do? How does God want you to use your talents or to learn a new skill that can be used for him, for his kingdom. Is he speaking to your hearts today? Are you listening?

Today we hear from Marissa, who's going to share with us about a special calling that God put on her heart to use her talents to make a difference in the lives of children in her community. Ever since I was a teenager and got my very first job as a lifeguard and swim instructor, I knew working with children was what I wanted to do and keep doing. There is just something about connecting with the hearts of children that really spoke to me. I know when I was a child, I didn't really feel my teachers, coaches, or counselors really tried connecting with me. In fact, some of them were downright mean.

And I knew if I ever worked closely with children, I'd want to change that. I'd want to help those kids feel seen, heard, and valued, because that is what I craved. So coaching, teaching, tutoring, and parenting have all helped me reach that goal. To strengthen and encourage these young people. To connect and build relationships with them.

When I started my very first full-time adult job, I felt a bit underqualified and out of place. That only amplified when I got laid off just a few months later and never ended up getting another full-time job again. Now as a stay-at-home mom I have often felt pressure from others but mainly from myself that I need to keep my skills sharp. Otherwise I'd never be hireable anywhere ever again. But time and time again, either through a part-time teaching job I had online, to the touching essays I read from other moms, or the encouraging words from my husband, God has shown me that He has, can, and will use me for His purpose, no matter my skill set.

When I was first asked to teach children's Sabbath school back in 2015, I thought to myself, oh, no way, I'm not as good as the people I'd be replacing who were seasoned teachers that had been doing it for years. But the burden for children God planted on my heart all those years ago never left. And even though I didn't feel like the right person to teach Sabbath school, I wanted to be available for those kids, and I trusted that was where God wanted me. There's a song called, Thank You. I performed at church when I was very young.

It's sung from the perspective of a child, reflecting on the lives of the many children that had been touched by 1 person. I heard that song again around the time I was debating accepting that Sabbath school position and everything came full circle. I bet you can guess what decision I made, and God truly blessed. 1 of the students I taught was in a very dark place. He initially wanted nothing to do with God.

But after some very scary supernatural experiences and the prayers of his grandma and his little sister, he started coming to the church where I taught. Week after week and lesson after lesson, he kept coming, bringing friends, asking questions, getting Bible studies for baptism, and then finally making the decision to be baptized. I remember his baptismal day like yesterday, though That was several years ago now. And what is also exciting is just a few months ago, he messaged me thanking me for how I had helped him when I was his Sabbath school teacher. Now he is married and is the youth Bible teacher and youth coordinator at his church.

In 2018, I volunteered to tutor reading at the local library. But once the pandemic shutdowns happened, I wasn't able to do that anymore. And I really felt the sadness of not being able to help those children who really needed it. Last year, My husband and I and our 2 girls started attending a new church. And the desire to serve children like I had before was very much still in my heart.

In fact, I knew exactly 1 of the things I wanted to do. Tutor! And wouldn't you know it, Just a few months into our attendance, that is exactly the program that was going to start. The timing was perfect. God knew my desire and he provided.

So now I have the privilege of tutoring the children in the local community and getting to know them and their families. Often the tutoring days are hard. The students really need help. They sometimes don't listen or don't pay attention. People have even commented, wow you have 2 young kids at home and you're here volunteering?

Sure I could easily come up with reasons not to take that time out of my week and there are some weeks I sigh in relief when I don't have to go. But week after week I show up. I treat it as a job, as my job and my duty rather than simply volunteer work. These children need help. God gave me this desire to help children and provided a way to fulfill that desire.

In a previous Reflect and Renew episode, I said I was committed to following the lamb wherever he goes. And I am, though sometimes it gets so hard. And it's definitely not without challenges. So many times I doubt. I am not qualified for this.

Or I'm not trained enough to do this or I mumble, groan and complain. Why can't someone else just do it? But God is there to remind me to trust Him, to embrace the desire He plants in my heart, to bring my talents to Him, to work with others in accomplishing the same goals, to keep moving forward in trust and obedience, to be a faithful builder. Even though I often feel down for not being in the workforce like I thought I'd be, God reminds me time and time again how He is using me for His glory. I get to be home with my girls, and I have the flexibility to help others in my community.

Truly, chances to keep building relationships. So the question today is, what is God calling you to do for Him? It can be small, and it may not be easy. It usually isn't. But God puts burdens on our hearts to work for Him.

He provides. He makes a way. When we work together as a family, as a church, as a community, we can make a difference in the lives of those around us. And it's a lot of fun too. I love it when we have mission groups come and work with us out here on the Navajo Nation because it's a group of people working together as a team to share God's message to those around us.

And you know, it doesn't seem like work when you're working together and you're all having fun. Our challenge this week is to work together as a family to accomplish some tasks. Just like the families who work together to repair the walls of Jerusalem. There's a few suggestions that our devotional brings out. 1 is build a tower with blocks where everyone must contribute without knocking down the tower.

Something else is pull out a jigsaw puzzle, put it on the table. Everyone works together to finish the puzzle by the end of the week. Make sure everyone participates. Another idea is to clean out a closet, work together, maybe a playroom. Assign parts of the job to each person and set a timer and see how fast the job gets done when we all work together.

Another idea would be make some cookies from a favorite recipe. Each person is assigned a job in order to get the cookies baked. Somebody can scoop and measure. Someone can stir. Someone can put them on the cookie sheet, then share them with someone outside of your family.

But you know some of you might live alone. Maybe you don't have family right around or kids in your home. So think about your job or things that you do to volunteer. How helpful are others towards getting that job done? How helpful are you towards getting that job done?

What could be improved so that relationships are encouraged, people come together? If you want to share with us your experiences in these challenges each and every week, I want to encourage you to write to us, renewatstartingwithjesus.com. Renew at starting with jesus.com. And that way you can tell us what's been happening and we'd love to share it with all of our listeners. Before we go today though, let's bow our heads in prayer.

Lord, Help us to look for ways that we can work together in a team, whether it's with our families, with coworkers, maybe even people at church. Help us to work together, to enjoy our time together, And that when we do that, we're going to see a big difference in the lives of those around us. Help us to look for ways to help and encourage those around us today. In Jesus' name, Amen. This podcast is sponsored by Starting with Jesus.

To find out more about other programs or to find out the links that were shared in this podcast, just check out the description box below. You

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Series

Reflect and Renew June 2023

Faithful Builders

Description

Parent Series

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Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

An Orphan Becomes Queen

14m

The Queen Who Saved Her People

15m

Faithful Builders

14m

Patient Job

20m

Sound Doctrine