"REDEEMED... " Starts Today

April 20th through June 1st, 2017

(videos every Thursday at LifeWay)

(from the author of this)  AngelaThomas Pharr "Hey everybody!! I’m so excited to begin REDEEMED with you this coming Thursday, April 20th. If you don’t already have your member book, I hope you can get your hands on one soon. Check your local LifeWay store, LifeWay online or my website to get your member book. On Thursday, you’ll receive the link to Video 1. It’s my version of an introductory video to set up the content and style of the study, then we’ll begin the first day of the workbook on Friday. I’m gonna try my very best to interact with you everyday. I’m not sure I can respond to all your comments or questions, but I’ll do what I can that day! While we’ll be doing this study together, our daughter is expecting our first grandchild, one child will graduate college and three others will finish their spring semester (Read: Will need their mama to help them move home and then help them pack and get to their summer commitments). Just like you, we’ve got a lot going on! And with children, the month of May just seems to cave in on top of you. All the more reason to take a little time with our Redeemer everyday! Please don’t worry about getting behind, or not staying right with all of us. I’ll try to post my comments with a clear reference to the day of the study I’m referring to. LifeWay has tried to make this area easy for you to use, so that you can comment to one another, interact and encourage one another, etc. I’ll post my daily comments here and also on all of my social media outlets. This is my first-time hosting one of my studies online, so I’m excited to walk these next six weeks with you. Please know I’m praying for you. My husband, Scott, is praying for you. My friends who pray for me are praying for you! This is gonna be fun, but more than anything, I’m praying for God’s power as you spend time in His Word and in His presence. The Redeemer keeps redeeming our lives until we see Him face to face. May we all keep being redeemed. I love you so. Angela {taken from the comments of the sign-up post and also her blog}

I'm not sure how this all will work yet

even though I hold the book in my hands
but the first place 
I believe I need to begin 
(besides reading the Intro and viewing the first video)
is by defining

REDEEMED

1. compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something). "a disappointing debate redeemed only by an outstanding speech" synonyms: save, compensate for the defects of, vindicate  2. gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.

(but Day 1, gets into this in her book)

And in case, you're not able or convinced yet  that this is a Bible Study you need and have not signed up
Please look at the rest of the title ... (or even the book description)
GRACE TO LIVE EVERY DAY BETTER THAN BEFORE

"The moment you accept Jesus as the Lord over your life, you are redeemed.  As the redeemed, we experience a lifelong journey  of being transformed into His image ..."


[image credit]

looking forward to the practical side of
REDEMPTION
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After the beautiful two page introduction, Angela begins her book with "Preparing for 40 Days"  - "I CAN'T" ... first let me go back a bit into her Intro ... the words that leaped off the page to this soul thirsting for change and a beautiful, grace-filled walk with Jesus - inspite of the disastrous day-by-day struggles, I want to live a life that's being "redeemed" and changed (her words) "to connect your very real, everyday life with the very, real presence and power of God". Angela continues: 
"Here's all I know: When those two things intersect, lives are going to change. Healing will happen. Prayers will be answered. You will know God even more intimately as Your Redeemer."
See the words that are meant for me or stood out! I know you do!
"HEALING WILL HAPPEN"
yes and that's what I pray for me, for you then I read the page with I CAN'T {in red, nonetheless} and the words on that page resonated over and over and the last words on that page
"...Too many years have been wasted spinning in circles, going nowhere." (p.7)
"How would you fill in this blank?" (top of p.8)
"I've given up trying____________________"

Romans 7:15, 18b-19
Romans 7: 24
and on and on
each word sinking deeper
striking nerves
thoughts
right down to the marrow of my bones
in my head, in my heart
page 8 - page 9
"Who will deliver me from my pain?"
"my regret, my habits, my choices, my secrets, my sin?"
"Who will deliver us from ourselves?"
of course, most of us, know the answer
but do we really?
all the other questions and words from Angela are just as
POWERFUL
Romans 7:25
followed by
... We have a Redeemer! And we shall be 
Redeemed!
 page 10
is just as powerful, reading Romans 7:15 to the end and Romans 8:1
page 11
GOD CAN
this I believe and really need to see
especially because I already knew
"I Can't"
but
"HE CAN"
or
this is not all
there is still so much more
like page 14
"When MY GREAT NEED accepts GOD'S GREAT LOVE, REDEMPTION BEGINS
I CAN'T, HE CAN" Angela Thomas-Pharr   (need an image for this one)
WEEK 1: WHEN LOVE MAKES A PROMISE
{yep, this one is a study meant for me}
video link
sample of book
and also
You Version has a 5 day reading plan of
"Redeemed"

{not to be confused with LGG's "Broken and Redeemed", which just finished}

"FOR THE LOVE ..."

"... Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards"

by Jen Hatmaker

Being that this is the first time for me to read a book written by Jen Hatmaker, I just had to take a little longer soaking in "For the Love ..." to grasp all that "... Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards" might have to say and why Jen is so popular and so "loved" by many. It did not take long for me to discover that clearly her gift is her humor and frank honesty of being REAL in her writing and world. Jen Hatmaker, recent release of "For the Love", is filled with her passion and compassion for the loves in her life, her family and others. Distinguished and known even on the back cover of this book as ... 

"The popular writer, blogger, and television personality reveals with humor and style how Jesus' extravagant grace is the key to dealing with life's biggest challenge: people. The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning first with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, live for, go to church with, don't like, don't understand, fear, struggle with, compare ourselves to, and judge. People are the best and worst thing about the human life.Jen Hatmaker knows this all too well, and so she reveals how to practice kindness, grace, truthfulness, vision, and love to ourselves and those around us. By doing this, "For the Love" leads our generation to re-imagine Jesus' grace as a way of life, and it does it in a funny yet profound manner that Christian readers will love. Along the way, Hatmaker shows readers how to reclaim their prophetic voices and become Good News again to a hurting, polarized world."

Jen Hatmaker has raised the bar on "impossible standards", in my humble opinion. She clearly is a "people person" and she stretches herself to the limits in loving and invites us to do the same: "love others", yourself and God! She relates to the reader in a comfortable, conversational way with practical and spiritual truths without ever sounding preachy. Expanding throughout "For the Love" with GRACE: first for your very own self; next for "all these people who live in your house" (namely family); then going beyond to friends, neighbors, strangers and enemies and finally the Church: "Church people, Not church people, and God". Each of these 4 parts has 5-7 chapters and ends with hilarious "thanks you notes". "For the Love" covers a wide range of topics: from marriage, family issues, schooling to fashion, Haitian moms, supper clubs, poverty, even social media. Her 10 points of marital insights to "dear darling lamb wife" (new wives and moms) certainly had some endearing truths delivered with her wit. 

I was pretty sure that the chapter on "Dear Kids" was my personal favorite ... until I read on and found each chapter more and more love-able! So then the one that spoke most to me had to be "Poverty Tourism". Oh my, what profound points and wisdom Jen Hatmaker makes as regards "short term missions", the church, the community, the outreach. She hits the nail on the head with her perceptive, excellent questions for every missional conversation, beginning with local leaders, local families, local perspectives ... "when the minority voices say the same things, those with privileges should listen." She bars no holds as she shares what she's learned from the mission field from missionaries and her own. I appreciate her direct words and insights that inspire us to "indeed help instead of hurt ... a noble, necessary work". Awesome, heartfelt expressions throughout even when surrounded by humor, Jen Hatmaker is sure to convict and deliver a real substance message of giving and receiving Grace. Jen has the capacity to deepen the conversation in minutes from humor to serious. You will laugh and love this best-selling author and understand much better how to:

" Break free of guilt and shame by dismantling the unattainable Pinterest life.  Learn to engage our culture’s controversial issues with a grace-first approach.  Be liberated to love and release the burden of always being right. Identify the tools you already have to develop real-life, all-in, know-my-junk-but-love-me-anyway friendships.  Escape our impossible standards for parenting and marriage by accepting the standard of “mostly good.” Laugh your butt off.

"For the Love ..." by Jen Hatmaker, will actually make you want to do better and stand up and shout as we press forward and "...fight for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards" where we can join Jen Hatmaker saying:

"I hope the world sees a community with wide-open arms, which comforts and welcomes and seems determined to build one another up. I hope they find us kind and generous, committed and loyal. The church raised me, held me tight, and continues to be my steadfast family; and I haven’t the slightest idea where I would be without her. May we show love in big and small ways, and may that love reach people accustomed to being shamed or ignored. The bright stars shouldn’t get all the attention; let’s search for those whose lights are dimmed, because we are not a tribe of supernovas but of steady, collective light. ... May the world see a thankful, committed family who loves their God, adores their Savior, and can’t get enough of one another. This is a story that saves, a story that heals, and the right story to tell. ... You are writing a good story for your children. Your community and church need you, your neighbors and family need you ... Our generation will cross the finish line having loved God and people with all our might. We’ll have imperfect lives to offer, sure, but I dream of heaven, seeing millions of folks loved by our hands, where hopefully we’ll hear: “Well done, good and faithful servants. You sure were fun to watch.” ... I hope our community is marked by grace and affirmation instead of defensiveness and exclusivity. Sure, some wander down paths we don’t understand, but there is room in the neighborhood for all of us."

So many wise quotes from my highlights of "For the Love...", which defines love through every facet of Jen's fabulous fight for Grace beyond her own life into the world. "...Let’s fulfill the good work we’ve been commissioned to. Silence any voice that whispers “not enough” and stand in truth as an approved worker. You are. Jesus made you so." More than enough encouragement and so much appreciation exemplified by Jen. If you love humor and God's truth, I highly recommend you add this as a finishing touch to your summer reads! 
You'll laugh, learn and love so much more. Thanks Jen!
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Thanks Book Look Bloggers for making this book available in ADE for me to read & review!

Disclosure of material connection: I received this book free from the publisher Thomas P. Nelson through their book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the: Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

GO HERE for an added BONUS of  Faith Gateway's BOOK CLUB for just 4 weeks with JEN HATMAKER and "FOR THE LOVE"
{perfect timing-this was in my email today-yeah}
Like I wrote --- Fun way to finish off the summer with Friends