TLC Women's Ministry

09/13/2023

Don’t miss this event!!! Come by the church office and get your tickets. If you have any questions please call the church office 806-293-4154.

04/21/2021

Good morning TLC Ladies
Come join us for bible study on Saturday May 8 at the main campus. We are excited about this next study. Hope to see everyone then!

06/30/2020

DAY
2
How Your Prison Becomes Your Platform

Karen Ehman
Today's Reading: Philippians 1:12-18

Philippians 1:12 (ESV) "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel."

One spring day, I took my three young children to a historic village that included a jailhouse from the late 1800s. I snapped a playful picture of them peering out from behind the bars of that prison, smiling wide for the camera. In reality, however, prisons are certainly nothing to smile about.

Paul wrote the letter of Philippians while a prisoner, most likely in the city of Rome around the year 62 A. D. , about a decade after the founding of the church at Philippi. He'd been abandoned by many of his friends. (2 Timothy 4:9-18) Others - even fellow Christian leaders - had spoken out against him, hoping to get him into trouble with the government, and many Bible scholars believe he was facing ex*****on for his faith.

Notice the way Paul flips the script and reframes his incarceration. He doesn't complain about his physical location. Instead, he rejoices in the progress being made in the eternal realm. (Philippians 1:12) What was meant to handcuff him physically was not able to shackle him spiritually. His prison became a platform where he could spread the Good News about Jesus. The results are seen in Philippians 1:13-14.

Those nearest in proximity physically to Paul heard the gospel: the imperial guard. Sometimes referred to as the Praetorian Guard, these men were a select group of personal bodyguards who protected the Roman emperor.

The news of the gospel of Jesus didn't stop there. The phrase "and to all the rest" shows the multiplying effect that occurred, insuring even more people heard the salvation story.

When his story was told, it included the why - Jesus. The unusual reason for Paul's incarceration was not for any real crime, but for his faith. Naturally, others would be curious. If this man hadn't broken any laws, why was he behind bars?

Finally, others were emboldened when they saw Paul use his chains as an invitation to preach. His Philippian friends weren't reading a letter from a bewildered and panicked person questioning, "What has happened to me?" Those same words became a calm and insightful statement instead: "… what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel."

Many of us find ourselves in situations that feel confining. We might feel stuck in a job, a hard relationship or even a physical disability or illness that limits us. Let Paul's example spark your own faith, prompting you to cry out to God. Not, "Lord, please get me out of here!" But rather, "Father, why have you brought me here?"

The answer is the same one given to Paul: so that others will see and hear the gospel through you.

Prayer: Father God, please grant me an eternal perspective, one that sees my current predicament as a platform to tell others about the salvation that is offered through Your Son. In Jesus' name, amen

****Share your thoughts in the comments****

06/28/2020

Thank You For Being a Friend

Karen Ehman
Today's Reading: Philippians 1:1-11

Philippians 1:3 (ESV) "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you."

Each Christmas break, after the tree had been taken down, my mom insisted I write thank-you notes to the family and friends who'd sent me gifts. Writing these letters of gratitude - in my very best cursive and until they met my mother's approval - gave way to a love of writing notes of gratitude still today.

Paul's letter to the church at Philippi was also carefully crafted and infused with thankfulness. Paul is grateful for his rivals, (Philippians 1:15-18) his hardships (Philippians 1:12-13) and his life in Christ. (Philippians 1:21) And in today's passage, we see his immense gratefulness for his friends. (Philippians 1:3-5)

Paul wasn't writing this letter to just new acquaintances, but mostly to dear friends, having founded the church a decade prior. He refers to their relationship as a "partnership in the gospel" (Philippians 1:5). This partnership wasn't just a loose association or a casual emotional connection. The original language had physical and financial overtones, meaning they'd taken care of each other's basic needs, sharing money and goods in addition to sharing encouragement.

The apostle was confident of the hope his friends had in Christ, sharing his certainty that God, who had begun a good work, would continue to move in their lives, bringing it to completion in Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) Paul was confident God was working in his friends' lives. He didn't give in to despair about their life decisions, which we sometimes do, but instead prayed for his fellow believers and placed them in God's hands.

The words for "began" and "completion" in Philippians 1:6 are the same words that refer to the beginning and end of a Greek sacrifice. The life of every Christian is a sacrifice ready to be offered to Jesus Christ for the sake of the gospel. Elsewhere in Scripture, Paul used similar imagery, when he urged believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) Part of our life of sacrifice is our interactions with others, for the sake of the gospel.

Because he'd received God's grace, Paul could share it freely with others. (Philippians 1:7) Sharing God's grace prevents our hearts from becoming gripped with envy. This could have happened since Paul was in prison when others were free. And yet we sense Paul's deep love for his fellow believers in his words: "I hold you in my heart." The word hold conveys the meaning to cling to or to grip, showing that through shared grace, we can have close relationships.

Paul loved these people with the affection of Jesus rather than simple human love. (Philippians 1:8) This supernatural affection allowed their bonds to be strong and weather the storms that sometimes come along in relationships. Loving our friends with the affection of Jesus will allow us to be truly thankful for all our interactions with them - even the difficult times. Loving each other, offering forgiveness when wronged and then forging ahead in our friendships displays the gospel to a watching world.

Paul's appreciation of his friends is a prompt for us to have the same mindset. We too can express thankfulness to our friends who help us emotionally and physically in our times of need. It not only blesses them, but gratitude for others helps to grow our faith. Is there someone today to whom you need to say, "Thank you for being a friend"?

Prayer: Father God, thank you for my Christian friends. May I love them with the love of Christ, displaying grace to them and gratitude to You as I do. In Jesus' name, amen.

first5.org

01/14/2019

01/05/2019

We had our first Women’s Bible Study of 2019. We had an awesome group 18 of ladies this morning!!! If you missed it, our next study will be January 19 at 10am. We are studying 70x7. You don’t want to miss out on this study.

09/12/2018

Ok ladies if you have Spotify or if you don’t have Spotify go on and download it. This is the playlist for the Simulcast this year. There are some new songs so if you would like to learn the songs early download this list and listen. We are so excited for what God is going to do this weekend.

A playlist featuring Travis Cottrell, Bethel Music, Hillsong Worship, and others

03/29/2018

We are so excited about what's happening this weekend! Grab your families and we will see you this Sunday! You do NOT want to miss this! LIKE & SHARE this post to help invite your friends, and spread the word.

12/09/2017

Grab a wrapped ornament, and a brunch item and head out to the Main Campus this morning. The tables are decorated and ready! We cant wait to fellowship with you! See you @ 10!