Browsing Tag

Evangelism

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

New Sister in California!

Posted on May 14, 2026

I don’t know how I missed this in our encouragement group. But I was so blessed to finally read it last night. From digger, Aurelia Wright:

First and foremost, I want to thank God for all the many blessings He gives us in this life, but especially for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and the hope that one day we will be with Him in Heaven. As it says in Romans 6:23, “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I also want to thank everyone who helps with all the work that goes into Digging Deep. The studies have truly changed my life, and I know they have impacted so many others as well, especially our sister Michelle.

Michelle has been studying with our group here in California for the past five years. She came from a Methodist background and even taught in the Methodist church for many years. Through careful study of God’s Word, she came to understand that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, according to Acts 2:38. After much prayer and study, Michelle was baptized into Christ on April 19, which was her birthday and now spiritual birthday, and we are beyond joyful for her decision to obey the gospel.

It was especially meaningful that this happened while we were studying Chapter 5 on forgiveness. God’s timing is truly wonderful.

Please continue to keep Michelle Bobo in your prayers, especially that she will grow strong in the Lord and find many opportunities to work and serve faithfully in the Lord’s church. 

Michelle Bobo, son’t ever give the devil an inch. Live for the Lord every day of your life and He will bless you abundantly MORE than you can ask or imagine. I want to meet you in heaven if I don’t get to see you before then! 

Aurelia Wright, thank you for being an amazing blessing to so many women in the San Joaquin Valley of California. We are praying for you!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

The Best Post Yet of 2026!

Posted on April 1, 2026

This has got to be the best Digging Deep story of 2026! It’s actually not just a Digging Deep story, but it’s a great and praiseworthy example of the providence of our God of More! 

First let me show you the hyssop soap made by the group in DeSoto, Missouri.  Samantha Carlson put this group together. (Her whole life and marriage to Adam is a manifestation of the love of the same great Provider!) Samantha sent me these sweet pictures of the final hyssop product and she mentioned that the sister who had done the lettering and labeling was just baptized in January. 

When I asked Samantha if I could share that good news with you, she gave me a little more of the back story and I could not love it more! 

Victoria and Tim were on their way to worship. They were ready to “get into a church” and get involved. They ended up getting turned around, directionally, and ended up at the church building, where my sweet sister, Samantha, and her husband, Adam worship. (And they really DID get turned around in the greatest way!) They decided just to go on in and worship there, instead, since they were running behind. They later told Samantha that they were looking for a place that just taught the Bible. Victoria also said that they were ready to be involved and active somewhere. Victoria quickly began attending that local Digging Deep group and continued studying, along with her husband, with Adam and Samantha. When people knock, the door is opened (Matthew 7:7). Victoria, the soap “labeler” for month 6 of The God of More was baptized into Christ in January. She and her husband never made it to their intended destination that Sunday morning. But they will, with His help, make it to the eternal one for which they were searching. Jehovah is the God of More. 

We made little bottles and bars of hyssop soap, while God was taking care of the real hyssop cleansing. So profoundly thankful  for the purging with hyssop in all our lives! 

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness;

that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins,

and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #83: T-shirt Designers

Posted on March 12, 2026

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 82 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

It’s t-shirt season and affordable advertising t-shirts are a great way to open conversations when you meet people in your community. I’ve been a part of more than one congregation whose beautiful t-shirts were designed  by teens in the church. I even have one in my collection that was an ad for a VBS, designed by a child. The artwork is precious and is a true conversation-starter!

Just get your child drawing, lettering, and/or painting and then get the design to a local company or a big mailing company like 4 Imprint. The more you order, the less expensive they are. I’ve found that the members love to buy these and, usually, the leadership in the church is excited to have this form of “free” advertising going out in the community. And then the conversations about meeting times, and fellowship opportunities and your youth group, etc…begin. It’s like you get to wear a sign that says “Talk to me about the Bible!”  And then…you never know!

(I think the shirt in the photo was designed by one of our teens, Natalie Wright. She’s great!)

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #82–Kids and Calling Cards

Posted on March 4, 2026

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 82 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

This one’s simple and obvious, too. But this idea’s merit came to me very practically the other day when my eleven-year-old grandson asked me if he could have a few of my little calling cards.

I carry both invitation cards for personal Bible study and cards that invite people to worship, in my bag. These are useful when I get into conversations about all sorts of topics with people that I randomly meet up with–walking in the neighborhood, standing at  a Walmart kiosk,  or waiting in a doctor’s office. “Here’s a card. I love to study the Bible, if you ever want to do that.”…or “This is where we

worship. We’d love to have you visit, but find me, if you come!” I pass them out on planes (especially the flights that connect to Huntsville, because I often meet Huntsvillians on those planes and often they are new to town and may be looking for a church.

I love the way that kids are unashamed and, often, even over-the-top-excited to get to talk to people about God. I gave Ezra a stack for his wallet and he was wanting more in a couple of days. Ezra watched out the window while doing his schoolwork. He’d run out to the postal worker, the gas meter-reader, the nice man who walks by with his dog, the grocery delivery person and hand them a card from his wallet. “This is where we go to worship God. I’d love for you come and visit.”

We live in world, of course, where people, in general, have little time and respect  for  the Word of God. It could be that one soul can be taught as a result of Ezra’s work. (It has happened before as a result of a little calling card.) But, even if not, the very act of inviting is helping the soul of a young boy. And I am, as limited as I am, in HIs mighty view, still able, through a little card in the hand of a zealous eleven-year-old, giving Ezra a little taste of the mechanics of  practical evangelism.

I hope you do this one!

Here’s my current one…front and back. It’s a great conversation starter. And the QR code is for  later. It’s so easy for  people to look!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

…And now she is my sister!

Posted on January 9, 2026

Kass is on the far left. Teresa is beside her. This is when we had an unplanned little reunion at a community theater in Tullahoma. This was a couple of months prior to Kass’ baptism. Cassie is on the far right. She was most instrumental in bringing them both to this precious place in His arms!  I remember we said “This show is going on forever!” that night. We were a little anxious about driving home that night. But the “forever”  reunion that 100 percent of us women, now, in this little pic will have one day, will have no anxious moments and no drives home! We will be forever HOME!

It’s the greatest privilege of this lifetime (besides just living for Him myself) to tell you that someone else has decided to give her life to the One who gave His life for her. Kass VonWert, a digger at Little Mountain in Winchester, Tennessee has made that decision. I love this woman. I love her daughter and I love this group at Little Mountain who helped bring her to the Lord.

A few years back, Cassie Welsh, whose husband is now the minister at Little Mountain, asked me for some extra Digging Deep books for her best friend from childhood, and her mama–great people. They truly are salt-of-the-earth people. Teresa, the daughter of Kass, with the influence of Cassie and lots of other good people, studied her way into the Lord’s church, and was baptized a couple of years ago. She is a hard worker at Camp Moriah, the girls camp at Little Mountain, where we try and teach teen girls and their mamas all things Titus 2. In fact, Teresa worked so hard there, for years, that I thought she was a member of that church. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Teresa was baptized and added to the church. I had always loved her, but I get to love her now as my sister…the one who worked the work before she was even walking the walk with Him, in the most important sense! I love her! Did I say that?! (And she is a mechanic! I think she is the only sister I know who could rebuild my engine!)

(l-r)–Kass and Teresa

But her mama was there, too…working. Slowly, I put the pieces together. Kass Von Wert, this woman who was so kind and faithfully present at Camp Moriah, was Teresa’s mom. I began to pray for her. But others were being the constant examples to this good woman who was in the kitchen, on the pew, and in the classrooms, sewing and learning, And she was digging.

And now, here she is…your sister and one of the most diligent ones you will ever have. I know you will read this Kass, so let me just say something to you:

What you did on December 22nd, 2025 is, of course, the most important thing you will ever do in this lifetime. In that endless day around His throne, I hope I get to sit by you and sing His praises. I hope we can remember December 22nd and how your loved ones at Little Mountain surrounded you when all of your sins were washed away by the precious blood that He gave for you. I hope you will always know that His prayer, from the cross– “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” –was answered for you that night when you went into the water. I hope you know that when God looks at you now, He sees His Son and he calls you His daughter. He hears and answers your prayers . He tenderly is leading you home. I can’t wait to see you again here, in our little world, at Little Mountain. I’m hoping for a group hug. But I REALLY can’t wait to see you there at His majestic throne! That will be a BIG group hug! 

Here’s the little tile coaster that Teresa gave me shortly after her baptism. She inscribed it on the back for me.

Here are the verses she cited:

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Teresa and, now, Kass are begotten, commandment keeping, overcoming, victorious believers! If these verses say anything, they say that. Did I mention I love them?…and now, I love them all the way to the throne!

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Giving: Twice as Good in December!

Posted on December 2, 2025

Yesterday, I had the chance to travel with Glenn to the West Fayetteville, TN church to a missions day. To say, I was encouraged by the works supported by this comparatively small church, would be an understatement. On Saturday night, I had a tough time deciding whether or not to travel out with Glenn to this event. It’s such a busy season. I’m so glad that I did. I heard about extensive work in India and Africa. I heard about the faithful brethren in Ukraine, who are living in a war siren zone all of the time. I saw pictures of the children sleeping on the tile floors in the areas of bomb refuge. But these children are watching their parents continue to evangelize, even through the horrors of war. Over lunch, I had a conversation with Brian Hall, who is using his skills as a printer to make and take thousands of books from libraries of US preachers to the places where they are needed all over the English-speaking nation of Guyana. Overall, it was a day of conviction for me…conviction that when we each use our unique situations and talents for souls, God gives the increase. 

One opportunity especially stuck with me as I heard from my husband about the work at GBN. The Gospel Broadcasting Network was, like the other works, unique in its scope. While the other works were generally targeted at one area of the world, the network is a worldwide effort to present the pure gospel to every part of the world in which there is internet access. Every imaginable question about faith is easily searchable and is answered with scripture through lessons, podcasts and interviews produced by GBN. And people are searching. The guys at the network are constantly hearing from those who have discovered simple New Testament Christianity all over the US and the English-speaking world. People are finding truth and contacting the network for help in accomplishing their salvation and finding the church in their locales. It made me very glad that Glenn gets to be part of this and, especially, that Digging Deep is finding its way into the programming of this network in a larger way in 2026. 

This opportunity, though, is especially timely. I rarely use any space in this blog for fund-raising. But this particular opportunity is hard to NOT mention. One of our brothers has offered to match any funds donated to the Gospel Broadcasting Network between now and  December 31st. Even if you are able to give just a small amount to GBN, your money will automatically double, if given in the next 30 days! From what I know, firsthand, about GBN, this means that the number of souls reached with the gospel will be growing exponentially, too. 

I just knew there were some of you who would want to know. Of course, anytime is a good time to give to any of these sound mission works. But there are very limited times when you can make your donation go twice as far! 

Here’s the info you need: 

If you want to send a check, make it out to GBN and earmark it “matching funds”. Send it to:  Gospel Broadcasting Network

8900 Germantown Rd, Olive Branch, MS 38654

If you prefer electronic giving, go here:  https://gbntv.org/support/

One more thing I heard over lunch. A missionary was telling me how that, in his travels, in a deep south US state, he came´ across a congregation of God’s people who had never even heard of the Gospel Broadcasting Network. It was, actually, in an area where there are lots of diggers. Well, if you’re a digger and you haven’t checked out the Network, you need to go and bookmark the site or download the app! Nobody should be digging without the resources that are there! They are all free. There’s never a charge for any GBN book, e-book, commentary or recording. Let me repeat: Never a charge! 

If you could do your Christmas shopping through an outlet in which some donor was willing to put a dollar in your wallet for every dollar you spent, you’d find the gifts you need in that place. If you could do your soul-winning (at least some of it) through an outlet in which every donation you made was matched dollar per dollar…well, that’d be a good place to start winning some souls. I’m praying for this window of opportunity through the month of December. You pray, too!