Browsing Tag

Great Escapes

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Countdown to “Authority”

Posted on August 27, 2018

For those of you who spent last week in Sevierville, Tennessee, at Polishing the Pulpit, I know it’s hard to “come down” from that mountain. It’s a high point in the Colleys’ year, for sure. We go to lots of events throughout the year but, regarding most camps, conferences and meetings, there are at least a few naysayers—people who complain about leadership, about content, about the effort it takes to get there. But PTP is different. The people there, with extremely rare exceptions, are grateful to be there, so obviously blessed by the spiritual feast and cannot say enough good things about the program. Glenn and I are in that category of thankful people. Fifty-plus people from our congregation were there for part or all of the week.

The brand new Digging Deep study, “Authority” was revealed last Tuesday from PTP. Since that time, you  have encouraged me with enthusiasm for the study. I know you will hold me very accountable for studying through it with you. That’s the personal plus for me; I am bound and blessed by a big sisterhood studying along, and I am richer for any Bible study I’m able to do. Authority is an extremely important topic. The challenge to  God’s supreme right of power is  producing chaos in all practical areas of living in our communities—from the taking of innocent lives to the confusion of gender roles to the division that exists among churches in so-called “Christendom”.  I’m convinced that deeply studying the topic will make a practical difference in our families, especially for those who are raising children who will have to respond, as adults, to a society gone awry because of rebellion against authority. 

The directions for the study are here: https://thecolleyhouse.org/new-digging-deep-study-authority. I’ve amended them to include the . opportunity to listen to the Dig-A-Bit podcasts—shorter, audio podcasts that will be posted four times each month. These shorter audio podcasts can be substituted for or added to the monthly video podcast that will be live in a chatroom each month. All podcasts will be archived for your convenience. 

Several women have commented that the study seems overwhelming with the facebook groups, the different podcasts, and the downloads/books. From those who have completed previous years, though, the advice is “Just jump in. It’s intuitive and we are all there to help you.” Feel free to post any questions in the facebook group, Digging Deep in God’s Word. Be sure to limit your prayer requests and other  encouraging posts that are unrelated to the study in the alternate group, Digging Deep for Encouragement. Remember, the study is always free and downloadable if you choose that option. Both options are available here: https://thecolleyhouse.org/store#!/Digging-Deep/c/20688312/offset=0&sort=normal

There are five days left to finish Great Escapes. For all your encouragement about that study, I’m blessed and thankful. I appreciate the escape that Calvary has given me more every day. The study has helped me beyond what I could have imagined. His Word is enabling to those who seek Him.

In the quiet study times, I am increasingly aware that I am filthy rags (Is. 64:6). (And really that phrase from Isaiah, derives from “a rag soaked with the menstrual flux”!) I am simply soaked in unworthy humanity.  God is the ever-present help in a time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). To Him be glory for any good that ensues from Digging Deep.

(photo credits to Callie Clark, Ally Cole, Denise Skelton)

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Sister to Sister: The Snare is Broken!

Posted on June 7, 2018

This beautiful song has been suggested for praise during our Digging Deep PTP session. Based on on Psalm 124:7, it’s about escaping and the powerful Father Who always provides that route (I Cor. 10:13). I hope you will be there to sing it with us. Please take a listen now and then before you come so we really can raise the roof one last time as a large group in our study of Great Escapes. That session will also be the kick-off for our 2018-2019 study, too. I’m hopeful that it can be our most influential yet. God is so good to let us do this together!

Don’t forget the Israel trip registration is now open exclusively for the Diggers and their immediate families. We will see the hill where the snare was broken.  We have a good group signed up already. You can click here for details about that:https://thecolleyhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2019-Bible-Land-Passages-Colley-Israel-Studies-Program-and-Tour-General-Information-and-Registration-Documents-Revised-4.13.18.pdf

Finally, we’ve just begun month ten of our current study. It’s a long hard look at Calvary. I mean a hard look. We painstakingly study all the different ways our Lord could have avoided the agony. But he did not avoid it. He did not escape. He did not call the angels or choose to miraculously exonerate himself. He chose me. He chose my escape from death rather than his own. He chose my avoidance of eternal pain at the expense of his agony. He chose my life with the angels one day over his escape with the twelve legions he could have called that day at Calvary (Matthew 26:53). He chose me. It will do you good to spend some time on that reality this month. To say I’m thankful we can study this together is understating  the emotion. But the thankful heart affected by Calvary is often at a loss for words.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

For the Diggers: Loving the Young Hearts in this Dig

Posted on November 24, 2017

                                        Melanie Pinedo (center) is one of our younger 2017 diggers!

 

We have several young women, even several pre-teens, who are diligently studying the Great Escapes this year with our international Digging Deep group. They are learning how to rescue souls. Kaitlyn Epling, age 12, of Elizabethton, TN was disappointed earlier this week when we failed to get to question number 10 in our podcast discussion.  Here’s her list (verbatim) of several rescues from Acts 9-17. Kaitlyn’s styles of listing and study may evolve as she grows in Christ, but grow in Christ she will if she stays in the book!

 Digging Deep- Great Escapes- Month Three- Question 10

• The disciples of the Lord were saved of Saul by Jesus 9:1-6.

• Saul was saved of his blindness by Ananias 9:18.

• Saul was saved of the Jews by the disciples 9:25.

• Saul was saved of the Hellenists by the brethren 9:29-30.

• Aeneas was saved of being paralyzed by Peter 9:33-34.

• Dorcas/Tabitha was saved of death by Peter 9:40.

• All those being oppressed were saved of the Devil by Jesus of Nazareth 10:38.

• Jesus was saved of death by God 10:40.

• Sinners were saved of sins by Jesus 10:43.

• Gentiles were saved of sins by Jesus 11:18

• Peter was saved of contending by his dream 11:2-10.

• The people were saved of famine by disciples 11:28-29.

• Peter was saved of prison by an angel 12:7.

• Peter was saved of Herod by God 12:11.

• Peter was saved of Herod by the brethren 12:19.

• Israel was saved of the nations of Canaan by God 13:19.

• Jesus was saved of death by God 13:30.

• Paul & Barnabas were saved of abuse & stoning by themselves 14:5-6.

• A man in Lystra was saved of lameness by Paul 14:8-10.

• Paul was saved of death by himself 14:19-20.

• Timothy was saved of the Jews’ wrath by Paul 16:3.

• Girl of fortune-telling was saved of a demon by Paul 16:16-18.

• The Philippian Jailor was saved of suicide by Paul 16:27-28.

• Paul & Silas were saved of prison by the Philippian Jailor 16:33.

• Paul & Silas were saved of the Jews by the brethren 17:10.

• Paul was saved of the crowd by the brethren 17:14.

                                                                           Kaitlyn Epling 

 

I was kind of sad we didn’t get to that question, too. I had hoped to share my list from one single chapter, noting how God can use the faithful and the rogue to rescue His own and further the gospel. Let’s look at this list of ten rescues from chapter nine:

9: 7-8 Look at how the enemies of the cross are being used to lead around the most influential 1st century missionary.

9;13 Notice Ananias arguing with God, but then going straightaway to rescue the preeminent New Testament writer. God always accomplishes His purposes.

9:15, 16 Can you think of a more unlikely candidate to be the rescuer of Gentiles?

9:25 Those disciples could not go and powerfully write and preach, but they had a rescue basket for  the one who could!

9:27 Barnabas would be greatly overshadowed in Scripture by Paul, but Paul might not have had the chance to do what he did without the jumpstart given by Barnabas.

9:30 Jerusalem was not the right place and time for Paul. But there were rescuers who knew how to get him to the right place and time.

9:33-35 Aeneas was a rescue tool for the people of Lydda and Saron.

9:39 Dorcas was a rescuer using needle and thread.

9:42 Peter rescued the recipients of Dorcas’ goodwill when he raised her.

9:42 In turn, Dorcas became a tool to rescue the people of Joppa.

Another young digger, Grace Yocum, of Louisville, Kentucky.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley Dig-a-Bit Podcast

Obedience is NOT (Great Escapes M02E04)

Posted on October 30, 2017


Podcast (digabit): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:41 — 33.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | RSS

Dig-A-Bit is a weekly mini Bible study with Cindy Colley. It supplements the Digging Deep Bible study for women. In this episode, Cindy discusses the things obedience is not. For more information about Digging Deep, visit TheColleyHouse.org.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

  • 1 Samuel 15
  • Leviticus 10
  • Exodus 7-12
  • Romans 8:28
  • Matthew 6:33

LINKS:

RESOURCES:

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley Dig-a-Bit Podcast

Obedience in Matthew 4 (Great Escapes M02E03)

Posted on October 24, 2017


Podcast (digabit): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:42 — 36.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | RSS

Dig-A-Bit is a weekly mini Bible study with Cindy Colley. It supplements the Digging Deep Bible study for women. In this episode, Cindy discusses obedience in Matthew 4. For more information about Digging Deep, visit TheColleyHouse.org.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

  • Matthew 4
  • Hebrews 5:8

LINKS:

RESOURCES:

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

One More Sleep before the Dig

Posted on August 31, 2017

Tomorrow is September 1st and the “Great Escapes” study is off and running. Podcast for September will be on the 19th at 7 pm CST here: http://new.livestream.com/whcoc/for-women. If you ordered a workbook and did not yet receive it, go here for the free download so you can start:https://thecolleyhouse.org/store#!/Digging-Deep-2017-Great-Escapes-Free-Download/p/90324654/category=20688312. Your book should arrive very soon. T-shirts may take a little longer since we ran out and are having more made. Thanks very much for being patient with our overwhelmed Colley house.

The “overwhelm” is such a blessing. There are a couple of new things this fall and I’m thankful for them both. One is that the study is being translated into Spanish and should be ready for “mi hermanas preciosa.” in just a few days. I cannot wait to receive input from many who have not before been able to join us due to the language barrier. Let’s praise Him for this new door and for Jacky Retana and the Moises Pinedo family, who are working hard to make this happen.

Second, the plan is to add a weekly audio podcast in addition to our monthly video podcast. Many have wanted this for listening during running, doing laundry, driving, etc… and we think it will be a plus for those women (all of us) who are good multi-taskers. Jennifer Benavides is arguably the best multi-tasker and is juggling a lot as she tries to make this happen.

Next, the study is growing to reach more women than ever before and a good number of those reached  are people who have never put on our Lord in baptism. I’m prayerful that the study will be convicting and instructive to anyone (including me) who needs to make changes during the year. Let’s be meek and lowly, like our Lord and make His will our own. If we just trust and obey, we will escape eternal punishment.  If just one soul is saved through the efforts here, our meager offerings are rewarded a hundred fold. Let’s keep connected on the “Digging Deep In God’s Word” Facebook page and, believe me, we will be finishing Great Escapes together  before we know it. Six previous studies have raced by! (Find previous studies here: https://thecolleyhouse.org/digging-deep)

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20,21).

On the eve before this study, I praise the One Who is able!