30 Days of Favor with Andrea Lowery

Today we hear from Andrea Lowery. She is married to Jeremy. They serve at Fairview. She is a member of the Favor team. https://youtu.be/nhSwj3lIEds

30 Days of Favor with Andrea Lowery

Today we hear from Andrea Lowery. She's married to Jeremy and they serve at Fairview Baptist. She's also a Favor Team Member.

30 Days of Favor with Johanna Joines

I'm Johanna Joines, a member of Fairview Baptist Church where I have attended all of my life.  I have been married to Scott Joines for 23 years and we have two active boys, Daniel (18) and Will (13).  I am a middle school teacher and love volunteering with our Alive youth group and Favor women’s ministry.  In my free time I enjoy reading and spending time outside. 

On December 20, 2008 my youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  We were blindsided by this diagnosis and it ripped my heart out to hear my 6 year old tell people that Santa brought him diabetes for Christmas.  I cried, questioned, and became angry.  I put on a great front but I was falling apart inside.  I blamed myself wondering what I could have done differently to prevent this from happening to my sweet boy.  I prayed that I would become sick and he would magically get better.  It broke my heart to prick the finger of a sleeping child.  I became jealous of people with healthy children and was angry that they weren’t going through what my family was going through.  My life felt like it revolved around numbers from a blood sugar meter and I lost my focus.  It seemed as if his numbers determined my worth as a mother.  My life was consumed by this diagnosis.  One night my oldest son said that I spent too much time researching and worrying about this.  Well that ripped my heart out again and I realized that I had lost my focus.  I then decided that if I was going to get back to normal that I was going to have to consult my owner’s manual—The Bible.  My focus came back slowly and I began to realize that this was just a bump in the road and I was meant to be the mom of a diabetic child.  Through constant prayer and reading I began to relax enough to start sleeping again.  During this time certain scriptures began to guide my life and I read them over and over again.  I found comfort in Romans 8:28.  

This disease is a part of my family for many reasons—some of which I know and some of which I haven’t discovered yet.  I have been able to help other moms and sit back with tears in my eyes when my sweet boy sits down and talks to other diabetic children and helps them.  Will has been a huge support to many kids even our school nurse.  I know God will continue to reveal reasons for this disease to me as life continues.  Through 1 Chronicles 29:1 I discovered that this is not my world and He is in control of everything.  Proverbs 3:5-6 became part of a prayer to help me trust in the Lord with all my heart and to realize that everything on heaven and earth is precious to Him including my children. 

Other scriptures that helped me through this and I hope will provide comfort to you:

Isaiah 55:8-10  His ways are much better than mine and I need to trust in them always.

Isaiah53:3  He understands my pain so much better than anyone else ever could.

Romans 11:33-34

Deuteronomy 32:4  It is impossible for Him to do evil or wrong.

Job 34:10

Psalm 86:15

2 Timothy 2:13  Thank you God for remaining faithful even when I am not showing faith in my times of pain.  Your love is not determined by my behavior.

Colossians 1:17  He holds all things together even when I feel that I cannot.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Romans 8:35-39

1 John 4:18

30 Days of Favor with Holly Rockefeller

Today we hear from Holly Rockefeller. She's the daughter of Wilson and Mary Winn Nelson. 

30 Days of Favor with Eddie Leopard

Every Monday's during our 30 Days of Favor, we will be featuring a man! We like to call it our Man Monday Edition! Today we hear from our Pastor at Fairview, Eddie Leopard! 

30 Days of Favor with Kaylin Leopard

Today we hear from Kaylin Leopard. She's married to Stephen Leopard and they currently serve at Origins Church in Greenville, SC.

Click here to watch Kaylin Leopard

30 Days of Favor with Marnie Daniel

Today we hear from Marnie Daniel, a member of Fairview Church and employee of North Greenville University. 

30 Days of Favor with Missy Bryant

The Freedom of Forgiveness

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

For years I struggled with the sin of my past.  I would think about it daily and replay things I had done wrong over and over in my mind.  I would think about how many people I must have hurt and how there was no way they would ever forgive me.  It took me years to realize that it didn’t matter if those people forgave me.  What mattered is that I had confessed my sin to God and that He had forgiven me. Even after I realized that, I was still holding on to all the guilt.  I was having a really hard time accepting God’s forgiveness.

In January of 1995 I found out that I was pregnant with my first child.  Instead of being excited and jumping on the phone to call someone to share my excitement with, I buried my head in shame and cried.  What in the world had happened to me?  I was only 19 years old.  Not married.  My dad had been a pastor all of my life.  I was a Missionary Kid.  How did this happen to me?  I knew better.  All I felt was embarrassment and shame.  I felt like my family and friends would never forgive me or look at me the same.  That was pretty much all I was worried about. I had forgotten who really mattered when it came to forgiveness.

I think we’ve all been through times where we felt as though we were unworthy of God’s forgiveness.  It’s easy for us to tell others of His forgiveness but when it comes to accepting it for ourselves we have a hard time.  Let me share with you some of the things I learned while going through what I felt was the hardest time of my life. 

My God is not a condemning God.  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

Jesus has set me free.  “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 

Because of Jesus Christ I am new. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 

When I began filling my heart and mind with the truths I was finding in scripture, I began to change. I no longer felt the bondage I had felt for so long. I felt free! The feeling of freedom is a wonderful thing! I was finally able to accept God's forgiveness.

Are you carrying around “stuff” today that God has already forgiven? Do you feel as though you can't carry it anymore? Let me challenge you today to drop it all and accept God's forgiveness. Allow His truth to wash away the bondage of sin you are feeling. Spend time with God today asking Him to help you accept that forgiveness.

Several years have gone by now and I can tell you I am no longer holding on to the things of my past. God, in His grace, has allowed me to continue in the freedom of His forgiveness. One of my favorite verses is found in Matthew 19:26. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” I praise God today that through Him I have been able to accept his forgiveness and I am no longer a slave to sin!

Cling to God's Word.

Abide in His Word. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Meditate on His Word day and night. But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. Psalm 1:2

Hold fast to His Word as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Phil. 2:16

Hold firm to His Word He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:9

Today I pray that you are able to let go to the sin of your past. I pray that you can dig in to God's Word and cling to it. I pray that you are able to feel the transforming power of God's truth and that you feel God's grace. I pray that you confess and move on so that you can fully experience the freedom of His forgiveness. Christ died for us! Walk in that freedom!!

Written by Missy Bryant

Wife to Chad and Mom to Morgan, Madyson, and Ashlyn
Member of Fairview Baptist Church & Favor Team Member

30 Days of Favor with Sharon Broome

Today, we hear from Sharon Broome. She's a part of Connecting Point Church in Easley, SC.

30 Days of Favor with Dawn Leopard

Welcome to Day 1 of our 30 Days of Favor! We hope that through these next 30 days, God will stir something in your heart. We will hear from ladies (& a few men!) who will share how God has used their personal testimonies to bring him glory and what the Lord is teaching them or has taught them through their personal times with Him. Enjoy!

Monday Morning Perspective

It seems wierd to say, but this will be my last Monday morning perspective post until August. It seems even weirder to write. However, I'm so excited that next Monday begins our 30 Days of Favor! If you're unsure what that is, check out the video posted earlier. I've watched most of them already as I was getting them ready to load and they are so good. Thank you to each one who has taken time to do this. As one pointed out, doing a video is harder than you think haha. It really is!!  Please encourage them and let them know you appreciate what they shared and how it benefitted you.  It's going to be a fun summer doing these together. So jump on and don't miss a day!

 

And the good news is you can always check out the sermons from Sunday online if you miss one or just want to give it another listen.

We worked our way through Ecclesiastes chapter 6 yesterday. We compared Solomon and Lot. Eddie pointed out that 

Lot was a righteous man. He was grieved by the ways in Sodom but he wanted all that went with it. Solomon too got away from God as he sought to enjoy the wealth God had given him and the ways of the culture around him. 

We must focus on the Giver instead of the gift if we are going to stay connected to God. 

We also looked at Job and his attempt to question God. We take our questions to God but we can't contend with God. We so often act like we have a better way or know what's best. Solomon found out he could control a lot of things, but he couldn't control the future. 

Wherever we are in life, it helps to remember that we are only passing through. 

Monday Morning Perspective

We see Solomon making his way back as our study took us to Ecclesiastes 5.  
We looked at the observations made by Solomon dealing with church, government, and money.

We are to be the church in every area of our lives instead of compartmentalizing it.  Recent studies have shown that a regular attender of church is now one that attends one or two times a month.  I don't think I'll run that one by my dad who's always believed a regular attender attends EVERY Sunday "less somebody's REALLY sick".  Hahahaha! 
I love the statement Eddie made that we are called to be the church scattered and most of what we do and most of our time should be spent "out there" not "in here"! How often are we the exact opposite of that?!

We looked at Solomon's views on government and we shouldn't be surprised at the oppression and corruption.  I agree with Eddie when he said that oppression and corruption doesn't surprise him, what surprises him is that so many people don't care.  Vote and remember that it's always the lesser of two evils if Jesus isn't on the ballot.  

Lastly, we talked money.  We have to have it but we also have to have the proper view of it.  It won't bring security and you can't buy sleep.  

Have a great week! If you're working VBS, serve gladly.  If you're not working, be like me and pray daily for those who are but also for the children attending that they would have an encounter with Jesus and then we would reach those families outside of our church whom God has opened a door to!

And don't forget...30 DAYS OF FAVOR starts JUNE 20th, just two weeks. Pray for those sharing and all of us who will hear!