Let's make some noise to our newest member @Mende Lawrence . So excited you joined our community. The community is still a work in progress. This is a faith filled, safe place. We talk about our faith openly. Where we are. Are we struggling in our walk with Christ? Are you struggling in any area of life? Do you need prayer? There is no judgment here. Just be yourself. Feel free to share ideas and questions.To gets started. 1. Please introduce yourself 2. Fun fact about yourself 3. Favorite verses 4. What would you like to get from this community?

Tomorrow we are going live with Pastor @Calvin Hall . This man is my brother in Christ, my friend, and my go to guy with any questions I have. This event will be a Q/A kind of session. It will involve 3 communities coming together to one event. Everyone is welcome to attend. If you know someone, drop them an invite and let's fill up the room The communities coming together are creators @Eric Markum , @Calvin Hall , @Robert Gault . I would love to invite @Stephen Cassidy , @Jaclyn Bailie , @Lara Knutzen , @David De' Ath , @Vanessa Delich , @Gavin Bailie , @Charlie Schaffer , @Gordon Brooks Jr. , @Mende Lawrence , @Sharisa Seabrook , @Gordon Brooks Jr. .

I did some work in the community on Saturday if you want to take a look. In the calendar I put down on Mondays that I will give you a Bible verse to think about during the week. On Friday, I would like you to post what the verse means to you. How does the verse speak to you? If you have a verse that you want to share for the week just post it on calendar or message me and I'll post the verse. Messaging me prevents confusion on what verse to study. I would like to focus on 1 verse a week. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Also check out the about section at the top. I rewrote what this community is about so a person would have a better and clear understanding of what we do here. I've got more to come. Thank you. I'm working hard to get this community noticed on Skool, especially to newcomers who want to grow their faith.

James 1:2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Notice in the second verse it says count it all joy when you meet trials. How can you possibly find joy in trials? In the third verse it says testing. God tests our faith all the time. You can tell if faith is real by whether suffering makes you run toward God or away from Him. Some people when they suffer, get angry at God. Others go through the exact same suffering and it makes them seek God all the more earnestly. The testing of one's faith through suffering can go one of two ways. It can bring a person closer to God or it do the exact opposite.For example. I have worked in recovery for years now. There is a saying, "once an addict, always an addict". I have found that to be true. I work in a Christ centered 12 program called Celebrate Recovery.. There is a good friend of mine that was 10 yrs. sober. He started having problems in his marriage and then she filed for divorce. This was his trial. He went back to using drugs and drinking. His faith was being tested. He never walked away from God. God got him sober again. Instead of seeing a trial as suffering, see it as a test of your faith. Your faith will grow as you mature in your walk with God.

I was thinking about this verse and how it applied lo me. The verse talks about God placing word's into Jeremiahs mouth. There have been many times I didn't have the right words to say at that particular moment so I just paused. I would say "Lord help me". Then the word's just started flowing naturally. I can remember this specifically happening when I gave my testimony for the first time in front of people. I didn't talk to crowds, I was nervous. I started talking bout my life and things I knew like where I was born, etc. Then I paused. This wasn't my testimony, this was God's testimony. The words just started coming out. I don't even recall what I said.