By His Grace
Raise Your Voice, Share His Mission, Spread His Truth: 3 Reasons to Attend the Spark Now Summit

Raise Your Voice, Share His Mission, Spread His Truth: 3 Reasons to Attend the Spark Now Summit

Raise Your Voice, Share His Mission, Spread His Truth: 3 Reasons to Attend the Spark Now Summit

by Baylee Dunn

I am a person who is inspired by the power of a story. For as long as I can remember, I have loved reading books and writing stories of my own. Earlier this year, before attending the Spark Christian Podcast Conference, I was not familiar with the way that stories are shared through podcasting. After the conference, though, it became evident to me that those who are called to Christian podcasting are gifted communicators with unique stories to tell. Each one of these stories has the potential to ignite a spark within the Kingdom of God. The words of Christian communicators bring life and light into darkness. They spread hope and point others to the love of Jesus. 

I believe that the Spark Now Summit is exactly the event that Christian communicators need to help us share God’s mission, spread His truth, and raise our voices for the Kingdom. Here are three simple reasons why you should consider attending. 

Spark Now will equip you to raise your voice for what matters. 

The times that we are living in today are chaotic, divisive, and troubling. But, as Christians, we have hope in the promises of God. We know that Jesus will return one day and gather with Him all who believe in His name. While we do not know the time at which this will occur, we are commissioned to make disciples while here on Earth. This is not a commissioning that we can sit idly with. Instead, it is one that we actively engage in, seeking opportunities to share the hope that we so desperately hold on too. While the speakers at the Spark Now Summit will be teaching from their varying fields of expertise, they all have one thing in common: they want to see you raise your voice now. They want to see you speak up for the things of the Kingdom. And, at Spark, you will be equipped, empowered, and encouraged to do just that. 

Spark Now will empower you to spread His truth.

The Spark Media team believes that your story has kingdom significance. At the Spark Now Summit, you will learn to leverage the gifts that the Lord has given you to speak truth into the lives of those in your own circle of influence. Whether you are a newly emerging Christian communicator or a seasoned veteran with experience in the industry, Spark has a message for you. From social media branding to interview skills, to working with multiple hosts, and the power of storytelling, attendees are guaranteed to walk away empowered to share the messages that the Lord has given them. 

Spark Now will encourage you to share in His mission. 

Friend, the Spark Now Summit was founded with you in mind. Misty and the Spark Media team have a desire to see you chase after Jesus and all that He has in store for you. Walking in the way of His truth, surrendering to His will for your life, and carrying the message of the gospel to all people are things that we, at Spark media, have a heart for. You are in the middle of God’s mission field, right where you are at. And, you have the gift, the opportunity, and the responsibility to share in the work of the Lord. So, raise your voice now, share His mission now, spread His truth now, SPARK Now! 

The Spark Speaker lineup includes Misty Phillip, Kate Battistelli, September McCarthy, and Jamie Erickson of the Mom to Mom podcast, Mike McDonald of The Bible Project, Sunny Gault of Independent Podcast Network Rebecca Dotson George of Do The Thing Movement, Matt Sommerfield of Sommerfield Productions Kelly Buckner of Bee Bold Consulting, Dorothy Strouhal, and Charity Ellis.

I hope that this post encouraged you. I am so excited about the Spark Now Summit! For those interested in speaking with a literary agent, Blythe Daniel and Stephanie Alton of the Blythe Daniel Agency will be taking literary appointments virtually. These can be added to the purchase of a ticket for an additional fee. 

The event will occur virtually on November 6th, 2020, and early bird ticket sales continue through October 23, 2020. Purchase your ticket today before the prices increase! 

For more information about the Spark Now Summit, visit www.sparkchristianpodcastconference.com

Andrew Croft: Christian Persecution

Andrew Croft: Christian Persecution

This week on By His Grace, I talk with Andrew Croft about Christian persecution around the world. Andrew works with Open Doors Ministry in Canada. This ministry serves persecuted Christians through training, community development, trauma counseling, and other avenues to meet the persecuted believer right where they are.  

In my conversation with Andrew, we covered some shocking statistics, asked and answered difficult questions regarding persecution in churches worldwide, discussed how North Americans could help the persecuted church, and prayed for the persecuted church and believers everywhere. 

Key Takeaways

  • Research shows that 1 in 8 Christians worldwide face persecution due to their faith in Jesus Christ. 
  • Approximately 60,000 Christians are in prison camps in North Korea.
  • Last year, about 3,000 Christians died because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  
  • To help the persecuted church, we can pray, educate ourselves, and give to the local Open Doors Ministry.
Christian Persecution

Christian Persecution

Resources

Open Doors Ministries USA Website: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/

World Watch List Report: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/

Connect with Andrew! 

Andrew Croft

PARTNER ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Open Doors Canada 

A Wife’s Secret to Happiness- #Wifestylin

The intense stress that comes from having a special needs child can put an incredible strain on even the healthiest of marriages. The difficulty in the day in and day out can be overwhelming. Some special needs people have a difficult time performing even the simplest of tasks such as dressing, toileting, and general self-care. Exhaustion sets in from lack of sleep and that can wreak havoc on any sane person, and a lot of times special kids barely sleep at all. The financial stress that comes from therapy not being covered, the endless doctor appointments, or because anything with a special needs price tag comes at an astronomical cost. The grief that comes from unmet expectations, the heartache that comes from comparing your child and their abilities, or sometimes the guilt alone from blaming yourself or your spouse is enough to tear a marriage apart.

Spiritual Confetti

 

My husband and I have experienced all of this and more, but things really came to a head in our marriage when our son was a baby. I was a weary young mom doing my best to make it from day to day. Our precious little man screamed at the top of his lungs all hours of the day and night and didn’t sleep at all for the first three years of his life. We were constantly in the doctor’s office and in and out of the hospital.

I don’t know about your husband, but my husband is a fixer. He can not stand it if there is something wrong with me or one of our children. Since he is a problem solver, he wants to fix things. However, there are some problems that man can not fix, no matter how hard he tries. This took a toll on my husband and thus took a toll on our marriage.

Things got really ugly between us. This wreaked all kinds of havoc in our personal lives and with each other. I will spare you all of the gory details, just know it was bad enough that I ended up in Lawyer’s office seeking counsel to get divorced. But God—God divinely entered into the midst of our pain and difficulty, and we took the “D” word off the table and choose to commit to each that no matter how bad things got that we would stick it out with God’s help.

 

 

Reduce Stress

We forgave one another and choose to love, not in our strength and might, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. In those moments, everything changed. Our circumstances with our son didn’t change, but our perspective on our situation changed. We faced our problems together with the strength of our mighty God to carry us through. Life didn’t become easy—there was no instant healing. In fact, the years that followed were much more stressful than the previous years. The difference was our relationship to each other and our reliance on the Lord.

Our marriage has been tried and tested and forged in the fire for nearly 25 years. My husband is my best friend and He loves me like Christ loves the church. Through the years, we chose to love one another and submit to Christ, and his plan for our marriage. We now have an incredible relationship. My husband is the biblical leader of our home, and I have embraced my calling of biblical womanhood.

Jen Weaver

These same principles that have guided our marriage are discussed in Jen Weaver’s book, A Wife’s Secret to Happiness. I love this book! From the sparkly cover to Jen’s modern interpretation of the Bible to practical wisdom this book offers to women, Jen has such a great conversational style that you feel like you are sitting across the table from one another sharing your hearts over a cup of coffee.

There are eleven chapters in the book, and each chapter highlights a particular blessing God wants to provide to in your marriage and a conflicting “wifestyle.” A wifestyle is a habit or way in which our routines as wives either attract or reject God’s divine provision. Each chapter contains a wifestyle or a real life story used for practical application.The first blessing is the blessing of three strands, which is taken from Ecclesiastes 4:12:

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken -Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV

 

Cord of Three Strands

This principle takes the heart of two people and binds them together with God to make a marriage that is not easily broken. It is the supernatural strength that comes from the Holy Spirit being alive and active in our marriage that I spoke of earlier.

Jen does a great job of handling some difficult subjects that come up within a context of marriage from leaving and cleaving and becoming one, to submission, to the beautiful gift of sex. In the chapter on the blessing of unity, Jen uses a great analogy of dancing to talk about submission in marriage.

A tango cannot have two leads, and our Marriage instructor, our third strand, calls us to submit to our husbands that we may have unity in our relationships and live in concert with his spirit. -Jen Weaver

 

More Than Enough

There is bonus material to delve deeper into each subject that is available online. This book is a must read for young women preparing for marriage, as well as married women. I wish I would have read something like this before I got married, it would have made the first few years of marriage a lot easier. Jen Weaver nails the secret to happiness in marriage through receiving, honoring and celebrating God’s role for you in your marriage.

A special thank you to The Blog About Network, The Blythe Daniel Agency and publishers for providing a copy of this book for review and one to giveaway.

Leave a comment below with your best piece of marriage advice below, to be entered to win a copy of A Wife’s Secret to Happiness. 

Jen

Jen is married to her best friend Jared and mom to their adorable toddler, Dillon. Jen is an author, marketing professional, Bible study teacher, conference speaker, and a host for The Declare Conference – a blogging conference in Dallas, Texas. She is passionate about sharing strengths with others through her stories of humor and hope.

A Wife’s Secret to Happiness(Leafwood, March 2017) is already receiving rave reviews from Jim Daily, President of Focus on the Family, Associate Senior Pastor Pastor of Gateway Church, Allan Kelsey, Author of Breaking Busy, Ali Worthington, Author of A Mary Like Me, Andy Lee, and many more! www.TheJenWeaver.com

 


Magnolia Market & Easter Inspiration!

My husband took me to Magnolia Farms in Waco, TX recently. I am a huge fan of HGTV’s Fixer Upper and I was so excited to finally make it to Waco to see the Silos and visit Magnolia Market!

Misty and Peter Magnolia Sign

I love Joanna Gaine’s style and love the way she and Chip banter with one another. You can tell that they love one another, love their family, and that they enjoy what they do. Isn’t that what life is all about? Love God, and love others!

Magnolia Market Flowers

Shopping at the Silos was so inspiring. There were beautiful vignettes all throughout the store and plenty of photo opportunities.

Dried Cotton Flowers

We were at Magnolia Market on a Friday, and it was a gorgeous day, but the crowds were pretty large. Which made it difficult to see everything. If I have a chance to go back, I think I will go on Tuesday morning, and hopefully, it won’t be as crowded. I loved all of the flowers inside the shop and the gardens outside the shop.

Large Flower Pot

Just in time for Spring, one thing caught my eye and I knew that I needed to take it home was the boxwood wreath I saw hanging on the wall. I knew that it would make a great addition to my front door, and would take me from Spring to Fall. Here it is pictured below with some topiaries I had in my entryway and these precious little bunnies I found at Home Goods. What do you think?

Easter Front Door

This got me thinking that Easter is only one month away, and I have barely gotten everything taken down and put away from Christmas. However, I really want our Easter Celebration to be special as special as our Christmas this year. I want to focus on the Resurrection power we have through Jesus Christ and am praying about ways to make this an important part of our time together as a family.

Magnolia Farms Boxes

This year I decided to pull out my parent’s wedding china and use it for our Easter celebration. I miss my parents so much and have fond memories of eating off of these plates throughout the holidays. I look forward to incorporating this into my Easter Table this year.

Easter Place Setting

I threw together this centerpiece with stuff I had from previous years, and just love the way this bunny looks nestled within the eggs and flowers.

Easter Table Center Piece

So what about you friend? I would love to know what traditions you celebrate at Easter. Do you have anything special planned this year? Leave me a comment, and let me know what you are doing for your Easter Celebration!

 

Wisdom from Broken & Free Tour

What would you ask Ann Voskamp, Christy Nockels or Rebekah Lyons if you could sit across from them and ask a question?

I decided that I wanted to get an encouraging word from these women to share with my fellow Christian blogger friends and ministry partners. God has called us to an amazing journey but it has its own set of challenges that these women are all too familiar with!

I recently attended the broken and free tour and over the course of the evening, we worshiped God with Christy Nockels and listened to inspiring messages from Ann Voskamp and Rebekah Lyons.IMG_1591.JPG

I have been following and Ann Voskamp’s blog for many years and her book 1000 Gifts was life-changing for me!  I was reading it during my pregnancy with my baby Liam who had trisomy 18. Ann’s wisdom helped me take the most excruciatingly painful experiences and pour it out in an offering of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord and to others. If you’ve never had the chance to read 1000 gifts or her nearest book The Broken Way, I would highly recommend them!

You can not feel fear & gratitude at the same time.-Ann Voskamp

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Christy Nockels and her husband Nathan started off in Houston many years ago. I had the opportunity to see them when they came to Champion Forest Baptist Church in the 1990’s and have loved them ever since. Christy’s music has always taken me into the presence of the Lord during some of my most difficult times and some of my sweetest memories of worship.

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This was my first opportunity to meet Rebecca Lyons. I loved her message of freedom and feel like we are probably somewhat kindred spirits since we both know the joy and the pain of raising a special needs son.

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My one question for them was this: looking back over the course of your ministry, what one piece of advice would you give your younger self?

The wisdom these ladies shared did not disappoint.

Ann Voskamp took her cue from Beth Moore and said if you are writing a Bible Study to teach it to the ladies God puts in front of you. She said to teach it to the people right in front of you, get feedback, and do business with the Lord there working that thing out. She concluded by saying to pour your life out as an offering and let the Lord use you right where you are, and Rebekah Lyons shared a similar sentiment about ministering to those God puts right in front of you.

I love the wisdom Christy Nockels shared about ministering from a place of rest! It is easy to get caught up on a hamster wheel of life, and ministry is no exception. Christy’s message was similar to a word that I received last year from Beth Moore, which was “enjoy the process.” The video below is Christy’s response to me, I hope it encourages you as much as it encouraged me.

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Broken things can become new! – Ann Voskamp

Shauna Groves was our host for the evening, and one of the highlights of the evening was when Compassion International  signed people up to sponsor children. Compassion is helping release people from poverty all around the world.

 

Jesus Christ came to heal our brokenness and set the captives free! Are you walking in freedom today my friend? Do you know the lover of your soul? Do you have an intimate relationship with him? He loves you, and He came to save you! As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus during Easter this year, I challenge you to go deeper in your relationship with Him!

Seek Jesus, Study the Word, and Grow in Grace

Please drop me a note if you are in need of prayer today. I would love to pray for you!

Much Love, Misty

 

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