15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Purpose: In order to strengthen your faith, you must trust God and believe truth.
Through the next 15 days, you will learn how to TRUST AND OBEY God so that your faith will be strengthened and you will grow in your walk with God.
How to Use: Is your faith as strong as you want it to be? Are there some areas in your faith where you struggle with trusting God and believing His Word? Faith is like a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it!
1. You can do this over and over if you choose; twice a month or maybe just one 15 day stint will be all the help you need. 2. Perhaps you may want to pause and repeat a certain day for a few days before moving on. That way you can really focus on an area where you need growth.
Helpful Tips: 1. However you choose to proceed is up to you. 2. This isn’t a pass/fail experience. It’s an opportunity to learn more about the state of your faith; the strength of God and the sufficiency of His Grace.
Stronger faith comes from practicing and persevering. Like a muscle, it grows stronger as we use and stretch it! We all want to trust God and believe His Truth; these 15 steps will help you do just that...the result is stronger faith. Now, let’s exercise our faith. Love, Jennifer
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 1: T=Thanks for Everything Have you ever heard the phrase, “Thanks for Nothing!”? Do you know what a person is really saying when they thank someone for “nothing”? Well, it’s usually a sarcastic way to acknowledged one’s own dissatisfaction with another’s poor or insulting behavior. It has nothing to do with actual gratefulness; it’s just a veiled insult. And, it’s not very nice! But, what if you took that phrase seriously? What if you actually thanked God for the supposed “nothings” in your life? Your faith could become stronger if you infuse it with gratefulness; gratefulness for the seemingly inconsequential can have great consequences. Read more... Start today by saying “thank you” to God for things and people you typically don’t acknowledge. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “be thankful in all things.” So, conscientiously thank God for every person you encounter today. Start with being grateful for something you don’t usually acknowledge that is inanimate just to get you warmed up! When you pour coffee… “Thank You Lord!” When you start your car… “Thank You Lord.” When you wake up your teenager or encounter your grumpy boss… “Thank You Lord!” When your Mail Carrier passes by…“Thank You Lord.” You get the idea. Thank God for every person that comes to mind and one problem today. Keeping gratefulness on your mind will make appreciation fill your heart. Your faith will grow as you change your perception of people from potential problems to solve or obstacles to overcome, to gifts from God whom He can use to teach you, grow you and bless you. End your day by thinking of one problem you deal with - one thing in your life that causes your blanket of faith to have a missing piece. The verse tells us to be thankful “in” all things - including our problems and difficulties. But, as you end your day, be bold and thank God “for” your problem. Just like the people you encountered during your day whom you thanked God for, your problem too can teach grow and even bless you. Be bold and thank God for allowing you to deal with it. Don’t just thank Him in the problem but thank Him for the problem. You will find that instead of saying “Thanks for Nothing” to God, you will say “Thanks for Everything” to God and your faith will be stronger for it!
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 2: R= Renew Your Mind In 2002, I sat in front of a little girl and her daddy on an airplane. We sat on the tarmac for forty-five minutes when the passengers were told for the fourth time that we were delayed again. I was full of frustration and focused on everything that was wrong with this airline and my situation. My thoughts were interrupted by the little girl’s voice behind me. “Daddy, I spy something blue.” Determined to be cheerful, the father began to guess, “Is it that bug?” And so the game went. “Daddy, I spy something good,” she said. Her dad giggled. I figured he giggled for the same reason I did. It was pretty hard to spy anything good in our current, caged predicament. “Is it a bag of M&Ms?” the dad asked. “No,” his daughter chimed. “Is it your new shoes or your sweet smile?” Their words reminded me to fix my eyes upon “something good.” I decided to “4:8” my thoughts. Read more... Philippians 4:8 says, “ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” Renew your mind today by dwelling only on what meets the “4:8” standard. Jot down the list of adjectives in the verse so you can refer to them all day. Make them a screen saver, put them on a sticky-note or write them on your hand! Ask God to make you aware of your thoughts. Every time you become aware of what you’re thinking, ask yourself, “Is it good, lovely, and admirable?” If not, renew that thought by finding the good in a situation or person, seeing what is lovely even in an ugly moment, etc. Ask God to install a “4:8” alarm in your heart that will sound every time you entertain a thought that doesn’t match the verse. This practice will help renew your mind by focusing it on truth. The more you practice truth, the more you are convinced you can believe and trust Truth. And, the Truth will set you free from bitterness, despair or whatever you may be dealing with.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 3: U=Undo One Thing Do you know what Control Z is? It is the best thing I have learned on a computer and it has saved me many times from computer disaster and nervous break downs! Control Z is the command for “undo.” Imagine you wrote a brilliant paragraph, selected that brilliant paragraph to move to another more brilliant place on the document just to, not-so-brilliantly press “delete” before pressing “copy”... Well, it has happened to me! And, when I realize my mistake, I can quickly press “Control Z” before moving on and it will undo that mistake. There are some habits we could use a “Control Z” button, aren’t there? Read more… We often pay attention to the things we “do” that help our faith grow - things like reading the Bible or praying. But is there something that hinders your faith that you need to “undo”? Complaining? Worrying? Ask God to show you one action or reaction that keeps you from trusting Him or believing His Word that you can begin to undo. Perhaps you call a friend when something happens instead of first calling on God in prayer? That is a habit that may need a Control Z! Maybe you turn on the TV, avoiding silence when you are alone so you will avoid facing what hurts you? What do you need to “undo?” in other words, to “undo,” you stop one action or reaction and replace with another. Instead of worry, pray. Instead of calling a friend first, call God first. Note one reaction you have to disappointment or stress that is counterproductive. Press Control Z.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 4: S=Surrender Your Expectations In 2006, I was a guest on the Dr. Phil Show. It was a fantastic experience full of surprises and expectation. I expected to have a pre-interview with a producer. I expected to have a totally interesting experience on set. I expected to have my make-up professionally done there in the studio. I expected cameras, questions and lots of nerves! I didn’t expect to talk to Dr. Phil personally; and if I did get to meet him, I expected him to be hurried but pleasant; professional but not as engaging in private as he was on TV. Well, most of my expectations were correct. But, what I expected from Dr. Phil personally was not what I got! I expected him to be hurried; he was warm and casual. I expected him to be more aloof in person than he seems to be on TV; he was so engaging and genuinely personally interested in me. It was disarming to find out he was not who I expected him to be. I came to realize I was the one who thought he was famous; he acted as if that thought never entered his mind! In order to really relate to him, I had to surrender my expectation of who I thought he was. When I did, I could relate to him in a healthy, enjoyable manner. Until we surrender our expectation of who we “think” someone is or should be, we will never really know them intimately. Read more… For your faith to grow stronger, your relationship with God - the object of your faith - must grow stronger. But, your relationship with God will not grow if it consists of a faulty image of who He is. Think about whom you expect God to be. Do you expect Him to be your magic genie? Your butler? Your Mr. FixIt? Is your expectation of God accurate? Surrender one faulty expectation you have of God. Often our faith can become wobbly because we can’t understand why God allows something or doesn’t intervene when we expect Him to. AW Tozer said, “What you think about God is the most important thing about you.” In other words, if you try to build your faith on the cracked foundation of a faulty image/expectation of God, your faith will not grow, only your disappointment will. So, really ponder, who do you expect God to be? If it is not who He is, surrender it. Let it go. Find one verse in the “God Is” Character Collection to fill in that missing piece with God Himself. Spend your day relating to Him according to the truth of His character. “God you are my Father and my Friend. You are just and Right in all Your ways.”
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 5: T=Tell Your Struggles When I was 47 years old, I fell into a pit of depression and it was so deep and long that I just couldn’t pull myself out of it. It lasted so long because it took me so long to realize what I was struggling with. I tried nutritional supplements, journaling, resting, exercise… nothing was helping. I was just stuck. A friend spotted me one morning from across the room at church and approached me with a question, “How are you? I mean really, how are you?” My eyes brimmed with tears and before she realized what had hit her, I was sobbing and telling her everything I didn’t want to tell anyone. I had wrestled depression alone. I didn’t want anyone to know because I was too confused and even a little embarrassed. But God used me telling Joan about my depression to help pull me out of my depression. For our faith to grow stronger, we must include others - let them into our pain and tell them what we’re struggling with. Read more… Sometimes your faith grows weak because you are bearing the weight of your heartache and burden all alone. Tell another Christian what you are dealing with. You don’t have to give details; you just need to be honest. Scripture teaches us to bear each other’s burdens. Telling a mature Christian about your struggle will grow your faith as it releases you from potential pride that isolates and protects you from the bitterness that can stem from loneliness. James tells us to “Confess your sins one to another and you will be healed.” If we carry a secret sin, the guilt can make us feel isolated from God and others. Maybe it’s not a burden or heartache you need to tell someone about, maybe it’s a sin or temptation that is weighing down your faith. Confess your sin or temptation with a mature Christian you can trust and watch how God will give you victory. “Alone” is not what helps us get through hard things and become stronger. “Alone” is not a safe way to fight our sin and temptation. “Alone” is what the enemy of your soul uses to keep you fearful and weak. So, pick up the phone and tell somebody today.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 6: A=Acknowledge Your Need Sometimes I wonder if my kids think my one solution for any problem that exists is food! Here’s why: My boys are both active and sometimes, they get so busy doing whatever they do that they don’t realize they need food. So, instead of feeling hungry and eating; they go on to the next thing and then, the next thing that happens is that they get grumpy or droopy or tired or drowsy or irritable. Our conversation then goes a little like this: Me: “Honey, you need food.” Child: “I’m not hungry” Me: “You may not think you’re hungry, but your body needs food. What would you like to eat?” Child: “Nothing.” Me: “How about some Mac and Cheese or an apple? What about some cheese or cereal?” Child: “NOPE!” Then the drama comes to a climax as I shove food in front of them and stand there like a probation officer until they have eaten it all. Upon full digestion, their personalities lift, their energy is restored and they experience renewed interest in life…and they’re nice! They need food even though they don’t always feel like they do. We need God in the same way. Read more... For your faith to grow, you must acknowledge your need to God. And, acknowledge you need God. Often we only realize our need for God when tragedy occurs or storms erupt. And, at that point, we feel like we are operating with pretty shaky faith that is weak. The truth is you need God today - every day and every moment. Tell God you need Him. Examine your heart. Do you rely on Him every day? Or, do you only acknowledge your need when a need arises? Practice acknowledging your need for God today by noting every time you feel hungry or thirsty. When your stomach rumbles or your mouth feels dry, acknowledge you need God as much as you need food and water. Use the statement “I need You Lord” as often today as you possibly can. And, when you lie down to rest tonight, again acknowledge that as much as your body needs sleep, you need God. Recognizing you need God and resting in His sufficiency will strengthen your trust in Him and reduce the isolation of self-reliance.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 7: N=Neglect Lies; Feed Truth As a third grader, our class project was to grow grass in milk cartons! I remember beginning by cutting the tentlike top from a small milk carton so all that remained was a little box shaped planter. Then, I filled it with a bit of dirt, some seeds, some more dirt and a little water. The teacher then let each of us take home our small waxy paper planters and instructed us to water each day and keep in a sunny place so it would grow. We were to record our efforts in a journal and at the end of the month, we were all to bring back the grassy evidence of our attentiveness! I remember placing mine in the window sill in my bedroom. I diligently checked it and watered it when it felt the least bit dry. Tiny sprouts appeared and I recorded it in my “Growth Journal.” By the end of the month, I had a luxurious tuft of green that any golf course in America would covet! After showing my teacher, I was allowed to bring it back home and keep it. I was so proud of my success and determined I would continue to tend to it so back to its window perch it went. I trimmed, watered, tended, watered, missed a few days, forgot, remembered and then ignored it and eventually… I had some dusty hay in a cut off milk carton! Growth is a direct result of nurture and death is a sure result of neglect, isn’t it? Does your faith look like a well-watered green garden or a brittle, dry stack of hay? In order for your faith to grow and flourish, you must nurture it by nurturing truth. But, one sure way to nurture truth is to neglect. Read more... We sometimes feed our faith with lies without even being aware of it. Lies do not lead to growth; instead, they stunt growth and even kill our faith one toxic untruth at a time. So, today, identify a lie you tell yourself and neglect it. To neglect one lie, nurture its corresponding truth. For example, if a lie I entertain often is, “God doesn’t really love me,” then the truth I will nurture is “God has loved me with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3). What lie dogs you and constantly challenges you to believe it rather than what God says? Identify it; neglect it and then nurture the truth. What you starve dies and what you feed grows. So starve one lie by neglecting it; don’t feed it! Hungry lies don’t live long but well fed truth can grow and nourish your faith. If you need help finding corresponding Truth to nurture, check out “Peace Giving Promises for your Missing Pieces.”
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 8: D=Discern the Truth I attended a meeting of small business owners with my husband Phil. Actually, there were four businesses represented - a frozen custard shop, a health food store an accounting firm and our ministry! In order for the trainer to make a point about the perils and power of influence, she wrote several words on a white board. The words were a list of colors. For example, red, black, blue, green…you get the idea. But, the tricky part was that she wrote all those words over and over in random order and each word which named a color was written with a marking pen of a different color! So, the word “pink” was written with blue ink; the word “yellow” was written in red ink! You can imagine the comical reading that ensued! As everyone tried to read in unison at a quick pace, the colors of the words really influenced the group’s ability to read the word itself correctly. It was one of those times I didn’t mind being blind and just sitting quietly as all the sighted folks made one gaff after another! We are more easily influenced than we even realize. That means our faith is subject to influences we may not be aware of too. Read more… A spirit of discernment is crucial for healthy, growing faith. A discerning spirit can serve as a filter; it can serve as a sieve to separate the lies from the truth, the destructive from the constructive, that which edifies from that which tears down. Discernment is a product of the Holy Spirit within us. It allows us to judge rightly, see clearly and understand spiritual things. 1 Cor. 2:14 says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God for they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things…” (1 Cor. 2:14, 15a) If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you are a spiritual person; God’s Holy Spirit indwells you. Practicing discernment makes you able to recognize truth and trust God even more. As a result your faith will continue to grow stronger. So, focus on exercising discernment. First, ask God to grant you discernment. Ask Him to clear the clutter from your heart and open your spiritual eyes to see clearly. Let’s use media as a discernment testing ground. If you are a user of social media like Facebook or Twitter, begin to look through your feeds. If you don’t use social media, turn on your TV or radio. Now, before you begin to read, ask God to give you discernment to recognize what is truth and what is lies; what is right and what is wrong. Ask Him to guide you into seeing what leads you to life and growth and what brings you down and leads to lethal thinking. Scroll through your feeds; flip through channels on the TV or stations on your radio dial. Go slowly enough to give yourself time to think and pray for that is part of discerning. Then, after you’ve spent about 15 minutes being inundated with all things media, think about what you experienced. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you discern how what you read or saw helped or hurt your faith. Practice that same kind of discernment throughout your day as you listen to people, read or anything else you are involved with. A discerning spirit will help you know what truth is and what is destructive to you. And, discernment is crucial for the building up of your faith.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 9: B=Boast About God Since Menopause arrived, I have quite a few hot flashes. I know some women call them power surges, but for me, they are just one unattractive, sweaty, miserable display of middle-aged misery! Let’s just say I live in my own personal summer! Oh, I am one hot mama! So, I say to my husband often, “I am so hot!” Now, 20 years ago, that would simply imply that I was heated up, sizzling, sweating or on fire! But, today when one is described as “hot” that means she is attractive, good-looking or even sexy! So, with that in mind, you will understand that almost every time I proclaim to my husband Phil that I am hot, he says, “I know you are Honey but you don’t have to brag about it!” But, did you know there is a sort of bragging that will make your faith stronger? Read more… For your faith to grow, you need to start boasting. Boast in God today. I Corinthians 1:31 tells us to do just that! Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord…” Paul wrote those words to the Corinthian Christians to encourage them to not derive their self-worth from personal achievements and crediting their salvation to their own lovableness. Jesus is the source of everything; we are not. This compels us to live lives marked by humility. So, brag on God today! When you accomplish something today or do something well, give God the credit and boast in Him. You can also boast and have confidence in Him like Paul described in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul had some missing pieces in his life - some disappointment or suffering that was painful to him. He said, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” We often try to hide our weakness. We feel it is a blight on our faith. But, Paul boasted about it because it was in his weakness that God’s strength shone most brightly. Today, boast about God; give Him credit for what He has done in your life and even in your weakness. Boasting on God takes your attention off of yourself and keeps it on God. So, boast or brag on God and boast, have confidence, in your weakness so a spotlight shines on God’s strength today.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 10: E=Engage in Jesus’ Mission I met an older gentleman in a hotel lobby while we waited for our families to arrive. We began typical small talk with where we were from and what we did for work. He had owned his own carpet cleaning business for 25 years and proceeded to tell me all the dirty little secrets of carpet cleaning! I forgot most of his cleaning tips, but I’ve always remembered his story about a former employee. He recalled an angry phone call he received from one of his clients. She complained of how a dirty stain remained on her living room rug after the cleaners left. The business owner took his employee back to her home to inspect. When he saw the spot, he turned to his employee and asked, “What is that?” The employee casually shrugged and said, “A spot?” the owner said, “That is dirt. I see dirt and in order for you to work for me, you must see it as dirt too.” The owner continued to lecture the dazed employee that in order for him to work for his business, he must engage in his mission who was to “remove dirt and make happy customers!” But, imagine if that employee would have had the same definition of dirt and the same response to it? He would probably have grown in the business and made the owner proud. If we are to grow in our faith, we must engage in the business of God; do what He does. Read more... We build our faith as we engage in the mission of Jesus. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His Life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Our faith will not grow if we only serve ourselves. If we only take in and never give out, we become like the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea runs along Israel and gets its water from the Jordan River. It is saltier than any ocean and its mineral accumulation is such that nothing can live in its waters. The reason for its lack of viability is that it has no outlet. It only gets water, but never gives it. The same applies to us and our faith. If we only get and never give, we become toxic in our own way. Our faith becomes a dead weight rather than a life raft that carries us and others over rough waters. We must engage in the mission of Jesus. His mission was to love big, serve humbly and give generously. What can you do today to engage in His mission? Our faith grows when our selfish agenda shrinks. When we engage our hearts in what Christ’s heart was engaged with, we experience growth and satisfaction. If you are dealing with disappointment or difficulty, and if your faith has some gaps in it, then engage in Jesus mission with and for Him. Focusing on others will broaden your view of God’s grace and provisions while at the same time, reducing the size of your own problem. So, today do 3 things: love someone in an obvious way; serve someone when they least expect it, and give of yourself…time, is often our most valuable gift we give. Engage in the mission of Jesus.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 11: L=Listen to God’s Voice “Ring, Ring…Hello…Hello?” Are you there? Can you hear me?! How many times have you held a cell phone to your ear and asked, “Can you hear me? Then, you shift positions, move to a window or speak more loudly and ask, “can you hear me now?” If you’re like me, you’ve done that too many times to count! In fact, so many of us have that experience that Verizon Wireless capitalized on our frustration by featuring actor Paul Marcarelli uttering those very words in their famous cell phone commercials. It’s frustrating to know you aren’t being heard when you speak, isn’t it? But, it is far more frustrating when you know someone can hear your voice, yet, they just aren’t listening. Our faith can become weak if we don’t really listen to God. We can hear His voice through His word, but we don’t always listen to what He is saying to us. Read more… Today simply listen to God. Find one scripture and let it be Gods voice to you. When I was going through a pretty stressful time because of the uncertainty of my lumpectomy, I constantly quoted Jesus words, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” That Scripture became God’s voice to me. I constantly heard it in my head and felt it in my heart. Just think about it, in order to hear someone, they must be close. Allowing Scripture to be God’s voice will help you experience His nearness and hone your spiritual ears to listen to Him. Let the one verse you choose sink deeply in your heart and listen to what His Holy Spirit is telling you. Ask Him to speak to you through His Word or His people. Pay attention to God’s voice to you.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 12: I=Integrate Jesus in your Conversations Some of the funniest experiences I had while being a guest speaker with Women of Faith were observing the off-stage antics of the speakers. One thing that was constantly done was one speaker would challenge another to integrate a very nonsensical word into her message. The goal was for that speaker who was challenged to make that word such a natural part of her message that the audience didn’t even know what was happening. The really hard thing was the word was to be used three times! If a speaker could work it in more than that, a free dinner was in her future! That may not seem too hard if you don’t know some of the words that were used. “Appendectomy”, “garden gnome”, and “dandruff” are just a few of the totally odd words which were somehow integrated into messages about God’s grace and growing in faith. It was hilarious! It shows me we can integrate almost any word into the substance of what we are talking about if we just focus on it. Have you ever been challenged to integrate the name of Jesus into your speech? Actually using His name instead of broader terms like “faith” can have a strengthening effect on your faith. Read more… Our lives are our stories...they are the messages we speak to a listening world. We tell our stories as we live out our passions, fulfill our responsibilities, and daily relate to loved ones and strangers alike. Our faith is what gives purpose and meaning to our story. And, often because it is such a part of who we are, we don’t think to actually articulate our faith and acknowledge the Name of Jesus in our conversations. Integrate the name of Jesus into your story today. Jesus said, “If you acknowledge me before men, I will acknowledge you before My Father.” (Matt. 10: 32) I’ll be honest; sometimes I hedge a little and just speak of “faith” or “God” without speaking the name of Jesus. But, He speaks my name before the Throne of God; I want to acknowledge Him before men. Today, acknowledge Jesus. Don’t just talk about faith or God, but actually integrate His Name into your conversations. As you do, you may feel a twinge uncomfortable because you aren’t used to saying His name out loud or you are unsure of people’s reactions. But, you will also experience how Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, is really the center of your story.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 13: E=Expect God to Show Up Rose was a widow who lived in West Palm Beach. Many of us college students visited her. My friend Mike told me how one evening he popped in on Rose at dinner time and she invited him in. They visited a few moments in her kitchen until he noticed her kitchen table was set for two. “Oh Rose,” he said, “I didn’t realize you were having a guest for dinner. I will scoot out.” She put her hand on his arm, stopping him and told him she always set two places at her table ever since her husband died over 30 years earlier. Mike assumed the second place setting was to remind her of her late husband and he commented about how sweet it was that she remembered him in that way. Rose quickly corrected my friend saying, “Oh, no. I set a place at my table every evening for Jesus. I sit with Him, listen to Him and expect Him to be with me.” Rose saved a seat at her table for Christ. We save seats at theaters and restaurants. Why do we do that? Because we anticipate someone showing up and filling that chair. Have you ever saved a seat for God? Read more… Today, expect God to be with you today He promised you His Presence. Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” and His promise is sure. But, rather than just glossing over that truth and assuming His presence is with you, expect Him to be. Assuming is passive, expecting is active. Anticipate how He will show you He is with you today. Look for Him. Talk to Him as if He is walking with you, sitting with you and conversing with you. If you can, set another plate at your table to remind you He is with you and you expect Him to be. At your work, if possible, place another chair next to yours while you work. Do as many tangible things as you can to help remind you to expect Him today.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 14: V=Venerate God Who do you admire? What is your response to that admiration? I admire several people. For example, I really admire my dad. One of the ways I express my admiration is by telling people how much I love and appreciate him. And, I also tell him. But, an interesting result of my admiration is that I am becoming more like him. For example, I am becoming more patient. My dad is one of the most patient people I know. He is patient with others, patient with suffering, patient with himself, and even patient with God. Because I admire and respect that quality in him, I have focused on it and grown to be more like him in that area. (Just not fast enough!) We become more like the people we admire. But, even more startling, we become more like what we worship. That means, we must discern who or what we worship and focus on worshipping or venerating God. Read more... To venerate means to worship, adore, revere or highly esteem. Psalm 95:6 along with multiple other Psalms invites us to worship God. “Come let us worship and bow down…” Today, apply your heart to worship. Ask God to make your awareness of Him be greater than your self-awareness. Worship Him with song. You can sing in the shower or as you drive your car. But, focus a song of adoration to Him. Worship Him with stillness. Take a few moments to bow in stillness before Him. Position your body to kneel, bow or prostrate before Him. Venerate Him with your body, mind, and spirit. Worship is not just an event, it is an attitude. Your faith will grow as your affection for the Object of your Faith grows. A beautiful result of your veneration is that you will become more like Him. The qualities of God that you focus on and extol will be the very qualities of your faith that will begin to change and become more like Him. So, all day, focus on, venerate, and praise Him.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
15 Day Faith Builder
JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD
Day 15: E=Emulate God As a kid, the last thing you want to hear is, “You’re a copy cat!” I have often wondered where in the world that phrase originated anyway. I mean, have you ever known a cat who copied?! Have you even known of a cat that cared enough about another human or animal enough to notice them, much less, copy them?! Cats are the most independent, “don’t tell me what to do,” “I don’t need you,” “Leave me alone please,” animals I know! Now, monkeys…those animals copy! They imitate… you scratch, they scratch. You make a funny noise to them, they make it right back. They are the real copy-cats… For your faith to become stronger, you need to copy…find someone to imitate. Read more…. Find a hero for your heart. Paul urged the Christians in Corinth to “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” (I Cor. 1: 11) Who do you know that imitates Christ? Identify who she is and study her. Note how she and you differ and what Christ-like qualities she has that you can begin to emulate. The purpose of finding a hero for your heart that you can emulate is not so you will be like her, but so that you can become more like Christ. Joni Eareckson Tada is my heart’s hero. When I don’t know the best reaction to a problem or what the wisest choice may be, I think, “What would Joni do?” She imitates Christ and I want to imitate her. Who is imitating Christ that you can imitate when you don’t know what to do or how to feel? Identify her, imitate her and eventually, you will become her for someone else whose faith needs strengthening. As your faith grows, you can help grow the faith of others.
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©2012 by Jennifer Rothschild Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense www.jenniferrothschild.com/MP
