BY KEISHA REID

We recently we had our final purity study meeting for the semester. As you may know, this is our third year doing the study. I have always enjoyed doing this study, but this year in particular, there were a few challenges that left me discouraged. The weight of the daily temptations to be drawn away by our own desire is so evident. As a 28 year-old, single Christian woman, the temptation is not any less for me. So, this year, I wanted to teach them about purity out of the sense of a poverty of spirit.

I wanted to be appropriately honest with the young ladies in hopes that they would identify with the reality that temptations are real and there is great pain that come as a result of not waiting on the Lord.

So, more than teaching them to keep their bodies pure, which is of great importance, I wanted to teach them about the importance of guarding their hearts.

Scripture teaches us that sin is born when we are drawn away by our own desires. (James 1:13-15) A young girl will not give her body away if she carries her heart carefully for her King.

The consequence of entrusting your heart to someone who is not committed to stewarding it well is dangerous, and the pain at times is insurmountable. I was compelled to emphasize and re-emphasize the importance of storing up God’s Word in their hearts as treasures to be guarded and truths to be practiced.

“Do not awaken love before it’s time”, we are told by the wisest man who ever lived. (Song of Solomon 8:4)

So often we forsake the Word of wisdom for our own lust and momentary pleasures. The same truths that I taught these girls are the same truths I have to tell myself. I love how none of us are exempt from the application of the Word.

My prayer for these precious girls over the past months came from a place of a deep burden of the importance of seeking, trusting and waiting on the Lord.

I pray wholeheartedly that they:

• will be guarded both in body and spirit.
• that they’ll be treated as precious jewels by every guy they come in contact with, especially their fathers.
• that, they will save themselves, both in body and spirit for their husbands, if they are to be married.
• that they’ll understand and experience and maintain a marriage bed that is undefiled.
• that while they wait on God’s best, they will purify themselves both in body and spirit just as He is PURE.
• that if they have given their hearts and body away, that they’d be humble before the King who stands ready to forgive the contrite at heart.
• that through their lives they will know with certainty that no man will ever treasure and love them as much as the One who made them and gave Himself for them.
• that they will always know the height, depth and width of His unfailing Love.

Pray, Pray, Pray for our girls – the enemy is always seeking to allure them with the fleeting pleasures of this world.

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

BY AMYLYNNE BLAKE

We see time and again the saints in Scripture fasting and praying. I’ve always read past those verses as quickly as possible, thinking I could never do it.

Go without food? You’ve got to be kidding!!!

Recently our church, Strong Tower at Washington Park, participated in a 40-day fast. My husband, Kevin, and I felt called to participate. We weren’t told everybody had to do it or even how each individual’s fast should look. We chose to do juice and water until 6:00 p.m. each day then break fast and eat dinner. Not only did we focus our hungry times during the day on being hungry for the Lord and His Word, but we also desired to respond to the Lord with the same relish and satisfaction as when we took that first bite of food each evening.

Do I open the Word with thoughts of “Yum!” and a”Ahhh, sweet relief?!”

You know that, honestly, the answer is no.

Fasting was completely revolutionizing how I approached the Throne and Word of God! So, for the last seven days of the fast I decided to take the next step….juice and water only. I’ve never been so aware of the Lord! I was completely nourished by Scripture and prayer. For further nourishment I bought some worship music CD’s to play in the car. I’d be going down the road music blasting, worshiping with complete abandon. If anyone was paying attention I’m sure they were greatly entertained!

The result at the end of 40 days? The knowledge that fasting is doable, the Lord does sustain you during that time. It was a joy to participate in the fast with the body of Strong Tower. I think it bonded us even more closely together and brought me closer to my Savior.

BY KEVIN KING

I’ve now been around our high school boys since they graduated from the 5th grade. I’ve spent countless hours with them: hanging out, eating, playing, fussing, pranking, teaching, and conversing about our role in God’s Kingdom. They, as well as some of their biological family, have become like family to our household. As we seek to build deeper relationships and establish trust and a good rapport there still seems to be an unspoken disconnect. I’d noticed it before, but the relationships sometimes go so well that the feelings that I often experience at times seemed to be the elephant in the room who keeps on farting. I don’t want to acknowledge or bring attention to it and its kind of funny when you sit back and observe but it can also stink at times.

I noticed that no matter how close I am to the young men that I’m around there is still a slight difference in the way that they relate and open up to my wife. Not only my wife, but women who are older than they are. As I sat back, observed and analyzed the reasons why this may have been happening, reality kicked in. Some of the mothers are strong women who grind it out on a daily basis showing love by providing food, clothing, shelter, and concern for them. Many dads don’t play active roles in the lives of these young men so some grow up with a deep level of trust, respect, and admiration for older women because of their mothers and other women in their family who nurture them.

It’s funny that as I sit at my dinner table to write this, a few young men just sat near me and confirmed everything that I’m saying. I can relate to this as well because growing up I had the same experience. Going through it and realizing this reality has helped me understand our young men a lot better, but reinforced even more the importance of being affirmed, trained, and discipled by godly men.

In Acts 16 you see Paul being introduced to a disciple named Timothy whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but his father was Greek. In 2 Timothy 1:5 you clearly see that Timothy’s mother and grandmother had a major impact on Timothy’s life and played a pivotal role in Timothy becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. It was huge for a young Timothy, who had been impacted by the older women in his life, to also be trained, affirmed, encouraged, and discipled by Paul, and to journey with him. As I think through our mission to disciple our youth as well as connecting them with godly mentors, I think of the relationship that Paul had with Timothy. My prayer is that the CGM staff men, as well as other godly men we partner with, would effectively help us carry out our mission by investing in our young men and affirming what it means to be a godly man.

BY KEN AUSTIN

In 1986, my wife and I were expecting our second son.

“K.B. needs a little brother” is what we always heard after K.B., our first son, was born.

So three years later, the Lord blessed us with our second child, Jeremy.  My wife’s pregnancy with K.B. was pretty much smooth sailing. Other than the move from  Darlington, South Carolina, to Montgomery, Alabama, there were no obstacles to be concerned about.

About the third month of the second pregnancy, Thomasina went in for a routine doctor’s visit. During that visit, the doctor gave us some disturbing news. We were told that the alpha fetoprotein level of the baby was too high and therefore indicated an increased chance of my wife having a child with a genetic disorder. We just could not believe the news given to us. We were given literature to read to “help us make an informed decision.”  We were sent to a genetic disorder clinic where we received counseling and literature. Upon reading the literature about the causes of genetic disorders, we did not know what to think because none of the causes applied to my wife’s lifestyle or age. Thomasina did not smoke cigarettes nor drink alcohol; in fact, she was a healthy young lady still in her mid-twenties.

During the next doctor’s visit, the doctor asked if we wanted to abort the pregnancy and try having another child later on or continue with the pregnancy with the risks involved.

Our faith was and still is in God. We were willing to receive God’s report and His report only. Thus, we stepped out on faith and the promises of God, the Giver of Life.  We already knew that abortion was not an option, and of course we would have welcomed and loved our baby no matter what. We shared the news related to the pregnancy with our prayer partners: my wife’s parents, our pastor (my brother) and his wife, and other family members and friends.

During the seventh month of my wife’s pregnancy, she had to undergo amniocentesis to identify the health status of the baby. The test would also identify the baby’s gender. After the test, we had to wait about a week for the results.  During that time, we remained prayerful and my wife continued to eat nutritious foods, exercise, and refrain from activities that might cause harm to the baby. The test was on a Monday, and we received the results the following Monday.

Praise God, the report showed that we were on our way to having a healthy baby boy. Thomasina, K.B. and I spent Christmas in Tuskegee with my brother and his family.  At that time, my wife craved collard greens seasoned with smoked ham, and she wanted to eat as much as she could because this would probably be her last meal before going into labor, and sure enough, it was.  My wife went into labor the day after Christmas, and Thomas Steven Jeremy Austin was born the next day on December 27, 1986. He was born healthy and weighed 8 lbs.  Because I was in the Air Force at the time and worked as a Pediatric Nurse in Labor and Delivery, the staff at Maxwell AFB Regional Hospital showered Jeremy with lots of gifts and love.  My Co-workers were excited to see our bundle of joy, and they witnessed our exercise of faith in trusting God and in choosing life without a doubt. Today, Jeremy is a graduate student at Troy State Montgomery, and he recently celebrated his 25th birthday.  To God be the glory for all the wonderful and magnificent things He has done.

BY KEVIN KING

We are on a mission to disciple the youth in our neighborhood in every area of their lives. One of the areas of discipleship that has been really cool to witness is the area of reconciliation.

Teenagers often get mad at each other and the next day they are friends again. This sometimes isn’t the case in adulthood. They eventually become adults, have conflict, and refuse to communicate Biblically; they sweep it under the rug and end up harboring bitterness towards one another. In this day and age it’s even worse because modern technology has become the primary source of communication with most teens.

I had an opportunity to witness a young man and young lady, who appeared to be really close, work out their differences. I quickly found out that they never had a real-life meaningful conversation in the presence of one another but mostly communicated deep thoughts, feelings, and emotions, through texting and Facebook messaging. It was crazy to see the two cover their faces in embarrassment and shame at the thought of them actually confessing sin and extending forgiveness while actually sitting, face-to-face, across the table from one another!

We read a series of scriptures and I walked them through what Biblical communication looked like in that particular situation and after about 20 minutes of awkward silence, loud sighs, and occasional sarcasm, they both finally opened up and actually focused on their own sin and confessed to each other and asked for forgiveness. They both said that it was the first time that they’ve had to actually talk through something and felt like a weight had been lifted. The young man seemed to have gotten another lesson on what it really meant to be a man.

The power of forgiveness is a beast!

BY AMYLYNNE BLAKE

1.) Perfect: Am I, the CGM staff, the ministry that we do here? No, no, and no. Are God’s ways and plans? YES!! I rejoice in the fact that while we are imperfect, God is perfect. At this time and place God has chosen to bring us together as a staff to be iron sharpening iron, in a community where the families are helping to transform us more each day into the perfect image of Christ.  What a privilege that God allows me to not only participate in His work here but also to be blessed by the impact of the folks (staff and families) that surround me each day. It’s easy to think that we’re here to “help them“. The bigger truth is that we are all helping each other! The Father’s refining and maturing process is really very remarkable. I’m so thankful, in the midst of my imperfection, to be right in the middle of His perfection.

2.) Bryan, during a staff meeting, led us through Psalm 27. As we looked at verses 4 and 5: “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” 

David refers to the physical dwelling of the Lord, the temple, where he would meet God.  As Bryan pointed out, we don’t have what David did but we do have God’s people, His church that is where He dwells and we can find Him. I was reminded of something I had seen on Pinterest: “Church is who we are, not where we go.”

What powerful words! What a privilege to be God’s temple!

The Father doesn’t leave us alone and stranded, He gives us the Church, the community of believers. David ends the Psalm with verses 13 and 14: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Bryan looked at the words “in the land of the living” and shared with us that the promise is for now, while we’re living and not just later, eternally. God’s promises are true, here and now, in the land of the living I get to experience the goodness of the Lord being part of the family of Common Ground and Strong Tower. David’s closing verse of this Psalm is an encouragement to all of us then: we will together, wait for the Lord, being strong and taking heart!

BY KEISHA REID

Often times when I am in the midst of resolving a conflict, teaching a Bible, or witnessing the overt patterns of sin, I wonder: “Do they really get it?”

I sometimes ask myself, “Is what we are teaching and modeling before them really making sense?”

Of course it is, God’s word doesn’t return void, but lately, the Lord has been reminding me of my powerlessness in changing the heart of man. Yes, we are His ambassadors, His tangible representation here on earth. Not only are we His ambassadors, we are also His instruments. An instrument is used to effect change in that it’s a means to a greater end.

The hammer is used by the carpenter to nail pieces of wood together for the outcome of a great piece of furniture. The paintbrush is used by the artist to create strokes of paint for the outcome of a magnificent work of art. The hammer isn’t responsible for the outcome, neither is the paintbrush responsible for the artwork. Conversely, neither is the hammer nor the paintbrush worthy of praise, they were simply instruments functioning in their created
purposes. So, as an instrument in God’s hand, I am reminded that my responsibility is to participate in the Master’s Grand Weaving of things.

I am not responsible to change hearts. I don’t have that power. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Therefore, in moments of reflective thoughts – of, “Do they get it?” – I can have a resolve in knowing that whether they get it or not, its not up to me. My (our) responsibility in ministry is to be ready instruments in the Redeemer’s hand. We share the truth in hope, we love without end, we confront sin in humility, we resolve conflict patiently, and we share our wealth sacrificially. We do all things with the hope of praying and believing that our efforts will not be wasted.

And at times when it seems like they don’t get it, like the farmer who plants in hope for a harvest, we watchfully wait and beg Him that they will indeed get the message that has the power to save souls and transform lives.  And when they do, we don’t take the credit, we simply point to the One who truly has the power to awaken dead hearts.

BY JASON MCHENRY

“My goodness, have you lost your mind? These blankets are fine they aren’t going to scratch any furniture. Do you want me to help you or not? I can’t put up with this crap all day!”

Yes, that’s what I said. Spoken like a true saint. I couldn’t believe the words as they arose out of my heart and ran across my lips in a moment of anger before I could exert the last bit of self control I possessed…

One of my neighbors was informed she was being evicted from her home. Due to her situation I knew she didn’t have the money or the help to move her furniture out of her home and into storage. Given her situation, I knew the best thing to do was to help her move.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to truly walk out Christ’s command of loving my neighbor. However, I soon learned this situation would quickly become part of my sanctification and an opportunity to suffer for the sake of the gospel…

You are probably wondering how I could say such a thing, and I would say, “You haven’t lived next to my neighbor!” I think the nicest way to put is to say working with my neighbor is – difficult.

It was only after a few hours of (a friend and myself) moving the neighbor and being talked to as if I was a dog that had just chewed up a family heirloom – a priceless heirloom that had been passed through the family for the last 14 generations – that I then arrived at the climactic moment mentioned above.

My neighbor was upset that I used the wrong blankets for covering her furniture (even though the blankets in question where in the pile designated for moving, but that is beside the point). After another lecture of how I was doing everything wrong – never mind that I took the day off at work to help her and that she asked to move more than was originally agreed on after I arrived and my friend wanted to quit helping because of my neighbor’s attitude and because I didn’t eat my Wheaties that morning – I lost it!

I was fortunate enough to have my wife outside unloading the kids from our van to witness the whole thing. I followed them into our house to get myself back together and to ask my wife the question I already knew the answer to: “Honey, was I in the wrong?”

The look on her face was priceless as she simply answered, “Yes.” (Men, you know the look, it is the half smile, and the I-am-trying-not-to-laugh-at-the-fact-you-were-acting-like-a-two-year-old-but-want-to-be-serious-about-addressing-your-sin look.)

She couldn’t say another word before I walked back to my neighbor’s house and asked for forgiveness. Explaining the way I behaved was a lack of self-control and was not in fact an outburst which I thought would bring glory to Christ. After eating that slice of humble pie, I walked back outside only to be served my second slice by another lady who was also helping with the move. She simply said, “We are doing this for Jesus, not her.” (Great! Thanks for the reminder…I thought) I was speechless as I watched this woman, who barley spoke English, commence to unpacking the van, thereby creating twice the work… just to get to the blanket originally in question! I quickly realized this is why Jesus said:

“And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Matthew 5:40-41

I refocused and finished the day contemplating all that took place, but still didn’t want to take the next weekend to finish the move. However, I did return to get everything that was left with some help, but I had to finish grabbing the last few big items (washer, dryer, and chest) by myself because my help had to leave. As I finished placing the last few items in storage. My neighbor looked at me with tears in her eyes and said:

“Thank you for going the extra mile, I know you didn’t have too.”

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