Category Archives: Jen O’Sullivan

Clean Your Lens with the Gospel

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We go about our lives mostly on autopilot. Life consumes us. Life beats us down. We often become tired, annoyed, restless, anxious, and even depressed when we do not view life through the lens that God has desired for us. Somehow our lens has gotten foggy and distorted with images of self, desire, pride, people-pleasing, control, and any other world-view that eagerly fights for a spot on that lens. How do we wipe away that lens so we can see clearly? The gospel.

Why is the gospel message so important?

It is our hope, our redemption, our purpose, our lens cleaner.

Get to know the gospel. Memorize it. Preach it to yourself. Share it with others… often!

THE GOSPEL BASICS

God created the world – He created you and me too! As Creator, He is in charge of everything and everyone. He made us to be holy, as He is holy. Sin entered the world through Adam and Even with the deception of Satan. The sin is now in every human and is our nature. Sin separates us from God and deserves ultimate punishment – death. Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth and lived a perfect life that we should have, a holy life, died the death that we deserved due to our sin, and rose again to eternal life. We may have reconciliation to God and eternal life with Him through hearing the Father’s call and giving our life to Jesus by putting our entire trust, faith, and hope in Him as our Lord and Savior. This means being obedient to His commands as seen in His Word, the Bible, and trusting His will and plan for our life over our own.

TEN POINTS OF MEMORIZATION

  • God is the Creator
  • God is holy
  • Sin separated us
  • God is a just God
  • God is a loving God
  • Jesus is the way
  • We must repent
  • God gave mercy and grace
  • We must have faith
  • Christians gain eternal life with Jesus

TEN POINTS WITH SCRIPTURE

God is the Creator
See Genesis 1:1, John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, and Revelation 4:11.
He created everything, the world and people, to be perfect and without sin.

God is Holy 
See 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Samuel 2:2, and Revelation 4:8.
God is holy, which means set apart or without sin. He created us to be holy, too.
We can only be with God if we are holy like He is.

Sin Separated Us
See Romans 5:12-14, Isaiah 59:2, and Romans 3:23.
Sin entered the world through Adam and was passed down to us. Apart from Christ, sin is now our nature and manifests in our selfish desires and motives. This makes us unholy and separates us from God.

God is a Just God 
See Romans 6:23, Romans 5:12, and James 1:15.
The consequence of our unholy sin nature is death.

God is a Loving God
See John 3:16, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, and 1 John 4:8.
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the price for us by dying on the cross.

Jesus is the Way 
See 1 Peter 2:22, Matthew 14:33, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and John 14:6.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, is God’s only Son who lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. He is the only way to salvation.

We must Repent
See 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, and Ephesians 1:7.
We are to ask for forgiveness and turn away from sin and toward Jesus.

God Gave us Mercy and Grace 
See Ephesians 2:4-9, 1 Peter 1:3, 2 Chronicles 30:9b, and Daniel 9:9
God gives us mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, punishment in hell. Grace is getting something we don’t deserve, treasures in heaven.

We must have Faith  
See Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, and Romans 10:17.
We are to give our lives fully to Jesus and trust only in Him for our salvation.

Christians Gain Eternal Life with Jesus
See Revelations 21:4, Luke 23:43, Matthew 6:19-21, John 14:2, and Ephesians 2:6-7.
We will live forever in Heaven with Jesus in our resurrected, perfect bodies where there is no more pain and there is only perfect harmony with Jesus.

Purpose, Passion, and Peace

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How do you live your life? What do you think about most? What do you think about when you think about God?

A.W. Tozer said that what you think about God is the most important thing about you. While that statement is true, a better thought, in my opinion, was said by C.S. Lewis and says what God thinks about you is infinitely more important.

There are two responses to how we live our lives.

Our vertical response and our horizontal response.

Our vertical response is how we were created in light of our relationship vertically, up to God. Our horizontal response is how we were created in light of our relationships horizontally, out to others. The simple answer is usually the most easy to understand, is often the most practical, and usually the hardest to follow.

VERTICAL – You are intended to WORSHIP God.

HORIZONTAL – You are intended to HELP other humans.

As a woman, you are intended to help. Not everyone all the time, but specific people for specific seasons. As an individual, your job is to bring glory to God. As a wife, your roll is to be a helper to your husband. As a mother, your job is to help raise your children to glorify God. As an adult daughter, your job is to help and honor your aging parents. As a friend, your job is to help carry your friends burdens.

Are you overwhelmed yet by that long list? Being a helper is a lot of work. My goal is to try to help you become the best at giving glory and worship to God first and knowing exactly how to be the best helper to others in your life without completely overwhelming yourself. I want you to know when it’s time to say yes and time to say no. I want you to know that every need that people present to you is not always a calling from God. I want you to know that it is OK and necessary to keep a lot of white space on your calendar rather than filling it up with things that may not matter 100 years from now.

Are you ready to find out God’s foundational plan for you? Are you ready to be full of purpose, passion, and peace? Are you ready to stop caring about what the world thinks your purpose should be and focus on God’s perfect plan? Are you ready to rest in that gorgeous plan that is already spelled out for you in the Bible?

I pray that this blog will help you to lean more fully on the Holy Spirit, follow more fervently Jesus’ example, and rest more abundantly in God’s plan.

An Excellent Wife

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What have we become? Overwhelmed. Worrisome. Riddled with anxiety. I had thoughts of becoming an excellent wife as a young girl. Like the descriptions in the Bible – a wife who is regarded as “more precious than jewels” and praised by her husband, who is strong, smart, generous, skilled, dignified, wise, kind, full of hope, without fear of the future, and without worry. This describes the women of long ago. These are the women we are supposed to emulate. What happened? How did we veer so far off course?

I remember watching my son focused as he worked, masterfully creating and artfully building, snapping one LEGO piece together with another. I often wondered what he was creating and how it was to be used.

What is my purpose? Why was I created? Amidst a myriad of worldly reasons, the roll of women has been battled and argued, seemingly won at times, only to find more confusion and frustration arise from within the human ranks as history speeds on. To obtain a correct view of our purpose we must take several large steps back and ask ourselves Who created us and what was the Creator’s intentions.

You would probably find it comical, if not outright frightening, if your child’s LEGO creation stood up and boldly proclaimed its autonomy with an inherent right to decide for itself its purpose. I can almost hear what my child’s respond would be as he corrects his creation and decides to change mid-play its intended use, or chooses to smash it to pieces in order to build it up as something wholly different.

Why is this any different with the Almighty Creator of the universe in regard to us? Just because we have will, conscience, and seeming autonomy, the fact of the matter is, we have a purpose that was already determined. All we need to do is understand two specific intentions as put forth by our Creator.

Why were YOU created by God?

Doctrine, Theology, and Theological Systems

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Doctrine vs. Theology

  • Theology is the study of God. 
  • Doctrine is the teachings about God that shape our beliefs.

How would you describe the difference between doctrine and theology?  

There are four main Protestant Theological Systems. 

Theological Systems 

  • Anglicanism (Liturgical Protestant – most like Catholicism)
  • Arminianism (Liberal view of salvation and free will)
  • Calvinism (Reformed – five points of TULIP, and the Five Solas)
  • Lutheranism (High view on baptism and communion, often more liturgical)

Which one do you identify with most and why?

Theological Types

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Bibliology is the study of the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

There are several methods that Biblical scholars have come up with to categorize doctrine and understand the Bible as a whole. Review the four main types and research them further. Article: tinyurl.com/TheologicalTypes

Theological Types 

  • Systematic Theology categorizes doctrinal points.
  • Biblical Theology shows the revealed redemptive history.
  • Historical Theology focuses on historical views on doctrine.
  • Practical Theology looks to all three to apply doctrine to life.

How does understanding these theological types change how you approach the Bible?

List of Spiritual Disciplines

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Prayer: Talking to God

Bible Reading: God talking to me in broad strokes.

Bible Study: God talking to me in detail.

Bible Memorization: Meditating on and internalizing the Word of God.

Church Attendance: Gathering with believers in a corporate setting to learn about God.

Worship: Giving praise to God through art, song, music, meditation, dance, etc.

Quiet Time (Silence): Being quiet before God and listening to His still small voice.

Fellowship: Enjoying time with other believers.

Giving (Tithing): Giving generously back to God (church or missionary).

Communion: Taking the elements with your church body (wine and bread).

Discipling Others: Being intentional about helping another believer grow.

Being Discipled: Being intentionally mentored by a stronger believer.

Fasting: Removing food as a means to focus more fully on God for a short time.

Celebration: Actively celebrating with others the joy of the Lord.

Service: Giving back to God and the community through serving in any way.

Confession: Telling God the things you’ve done wrong, asking for forgiveness, and turning from that sin.

Rest (Sabbath): Taking a day off in the week to honor God.  

Chastity: Choosing to not have sexual relations with your spouse for a short period of time in order to specifically focus on God. 

Spiritual Disciplines

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1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;  for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 

Spiritual disciplines are those things we are to do as Christians that will strengthen our walk with Jesus. They are not compulsory, but rather something we desire to do because the Holy Spirit is within us. Our Father in heaven has asked us to do these things, and we have a deep desire to understand them and do them. Sin and the temptations of this world are what pulls us away from them. 

Which are easiest for you to do and why?

Which are hardest for you and why?

Five Solas

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The Five Solas are principles that emerged from the Protestant Reformation, representing key theological beliefs held by many Christians.

  1. Sola Scriptura: This Latin phrase means “Scripture alone.” It emphasizes the belief that the Bible is the ultimate and authoritative source of Christian faith and practice.
  2. Sola Fide: “Faith alone.” This principle underscores that salvation is attained through faith in Jesus Christ alone, rather than relying on good works or personal merit.
  3. Sola Gratia: “Grace alone.” It highlights the belief that salvation is a result of God’s grace alone, rather than being earned or deserved by human efforts.
  4. Solus Christus: “Christ alone.” This principle emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity, and that salvation comes exclusively through Him.
  5. Soli Deo Gloria: “Glory to God alone.” This principle recognizes that all glory, honor, and praise belong to God alone, and that our lives should be lived for His glory.

These Five Solas have been significant in shaping Christian theology and emphasizing key aspects of faith.

The Reformation

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Martin Luther was a German theologian and monk who played a pivotal role in initiating the Protestant Reformation during the 16th century. There were several key actions and events associated with Luther’s role in starting the Reformation:

  1. Ninety-Five Theses: In 1517, Luther famously wrote and nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, the Ninety-Five Theses. This was a list of grievances and theological propositions challenging the practices of the Catholic Church, particularly regarding the sale of indulgences (a way for someone to pay money as a penalty which, supposedly, absolved them of past sins and/or released one from purgatory after death).
  2. Opposition to Indulgences: Luther’s strong objection to the sale of indulgences sparked significant debate and criticism within the Catholic Church. His writings and teachings on this topic gained widespread attention and debate.
  3. Translation of the Bible: Luther was instrumental in translating the Bible from Latin into German, making it accessible to everyone, including the ordinary person. This helped to promote biblical literacy and allowed for individuals to read and interpret scripture for themselves, without the need of a priest.
  4. Excommunication and Diet of Worms: In 1521, Luther was called to stand at the Diet of Worms, a major assembly of political and religious leaders. He was asked to recant his beliefs, yet he refused. Luther stood boldly and stated, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” Due to this, he was excommunicated by and from the Catholic Church.
  5. Formation of Lutheran Church: Luther’s teachings and reforms gained a significant following. This resulted in the establishment of the Lutheran Church as its own distinct Christian denomination. His theological ideas, reforms, and writings built the foundation for Protestantism.

Martin Luther’s actions and teachings ignited a major movement that aggressively challenged the religious and political authority of the time. This lead to significant changes in Christianity and the establishment of various Protestant traditions around the globe.

Project WOW

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“Oh my God” should be banned from everyone’s speech… PERIOD! But what about OMG? I very strongly think OMG should be banned from everyone’s speech as well. Ok, I get it. When you use that acronym you mean “Oh my gosh!” or “oh my goodness”. Or maybe you mean “off my game” or “over my grave”. You could mean anything.

I get it. But guess what? How do you feel about causing a sister in Christ to stumble? Yep, that’s me! The girl you are causing to stumble. Every time I see OMG all I can think of is Oh my God, and it literally is heartbreaking every time.

On my page I can choose words to ban, so if you use OMG in a phrase it gets blocked or deleted. Here’s why: as much as you may think it’s harmless, let’s take a look at where it was derived from.

We all know oh my gosh and goodness is a shifted form of oh my God so we think we aren’t using God’s name in vain. That’s the reality of it. And what are you really saying when you say oh my gosh or oh my goodness? What is your gosh? What is your goodness?

Did you know gosh is considered an oath and only God is good?

The Bible has some important things to say on these words.

Regarding Gosh:
We must let our yes be yes and no be no. We should not make oaths. Matthew 5:33-37
You may also think it to be derived from golly. But here is the thing: at some point in time, someone who was rightly offended by the use of using the Lord’s name in vain decided to shift it to a more PG version, so they added golly, then gosh. Or how about gee wiz, or even holy cow? Aren’t they harmless. These are all direct derivatives from taking God’s name and trashing it as nothing. It is a big lie from Satan. Gee wiz is the “good form” or Je-sus or Jeeze. Holy cow is derived from when Moses was on the mountain and the people made a cow out of gold to worship. ALL of it is Satan’s attempt at replacement theology and we need to pray really hard about how to proceed.

Regarding Goodness:
If you are saying oh MY goodness then this is a slight turn of the truth that Satan has etched right into your heart. “Oh My Goodness.” Every time you say that, you are going right back to the Fall. Adam and Eve’s original sin of wanting to BE God. Yikes! Only God is good, so by saying Oh MY Goodness, it is about YOUR goodness rather than God’s. Is that right?

Most importantly, God’s name is holy. To use his name without thought or as an empty phrase is a huge sin. Exodus 20:7

There are so many forms of God replacements, such as a simple OH MY or OH MY WORD. For me, words matter. Saying OH MY or OH MY WORD is also not good because it is putting trust in YOU rather than God. It goes back to Satan’s lies and deception, even if it is small. The smallest of fractures cause the largest of cracks. The biggest idol there is, is the idol of self… us wanting to be God. I choose to do a better job of stepping off the throne of my heart and allowing God to have it all. I am not perfect but to exclaim OH MY or OH MY WORD is putting it all back on me. It is not about me or my word, it is about God and God’s Word!

Ever since I got saved I can’t handle hearing anyone say the Lord’s name in vain. It’s worse than any curse word anyone could ever use. When I hear it, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. My soul hurts and my heart breaks.

No matter how the letters OMG are used in your own mind, please consider others and try to love them well by not using it. Consider loving God well by not using it. Consider spreading the truth about OMG and help others not use it. This is a bigger deal than you might think.

Our Father, in Heaven.
HOLLOWED BE YOUR NAME. (Hollowed means holy)
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:9-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Did you catch that? God’s name is holy. It must be holy.

God’s name is not holy here on earth. Jesus told us to pray that God’s kingdom would come and His will be done. But where? On earth like it is already in heaven. That cannot happen if His name is not holy. Yes it will happen. We know every knee will bow and tongue will confess.

My question to you though is, “Do you want to see God on judgement day and have have Him say to you that your words were careless when it came to His name?

I encourage you to simply say WOW. It means what it means and is three short letters like the bad one. Even simpler to type I might add.

Share with other believers the root of gosh and goodness.

Let’s get rid of that awful acronym that flies in the face of our holy holy holy God!!

Join the conversation at www.Facebook.com/groups/rootsfruits