Reflections on Hebrews, Part 2: Reward By Jodie Montgomery I have not received many rewards in my life. I have even botched a few rewards ceremonies. One time in Lake Placid, my family went to watch a ski jumping competition. I didn’t know any of the skiers before this event but for...
Reflections on Hebrews, Part 1: Endurance By Jodie Montgomery I’m finishing up another Bible study. The group ends in two weeks. I’ve been in Bible study groups nonstop for over thirty years now. You would think that I would get tired of studying the same text. I don’t. I have found Bible...
Loving Your Neighbor-God sees the Oppressed By Jodie Montgomery The corruption of authority results in oppression. Whatever authority we have can be exercised to bless…or curse. Merriam-Webster defines oppressed as being “burdened by abuse of power or authority.” I have noticed through the years that the oppressed oftentimes feel unnoticed by everyone but...
Loving Your Neighbor-The Example of Jesus & The Samaritan Woman By Jodie Montgomery John 4:27 And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” In a world of “stranger...
Loving Your Neighbor-The Example of Paul & the Jerusalem Church Collection By Jodie Montgomery Love is reflected in generosity. If you struggle with letting go of your time or treasures, remember you are wholeheartedly loved. Generously loving represents our Savior. I grew up with one of the most generous people I’ve ever...
Loving Your Neighbor-The Example of the Good Samaritan By Jodie Montgomery Luke 10:25-37 “And behold, a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered,...
Loving Your Neighbor – The Old Testament Teachings By Jodie Montgomery Leviticus 19:17-18 “‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may certainly rebuke your neighbor, but you are not to incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor hold any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall...
Gospel Community by Jodie Montgomery What does unity over uniformity look like? In the Book Future Church the authors Mancini and Hartman state “Unity in Christ is not uniformity. As the first century church took root in the diverse cities of the Roman Empire, one of its great advantages was that it...
Intentionality by Jodie Montgomery With COVID and social distancing, you would think that it would be hard to intentionally spend time with others. I’ve found the opposite. Because of a reduction in events and the move of a lot of groups online, I’ve gained some time in my schedule and been motivated...
Awareness By Jodie Montgomery Matthew 26:10 “Aware of this, Jesus said to them, 'Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.'” I will never forget one time walking with my Grandma Burns along a store front in Brandon, Florida and my Grandma, who neither ran nor swam,...
Ignorance I went to Tuscaloosa, Alabama just after Christmas to visit some friends. The weather was beautiful. We drove around the University of Alabama (even though I’m not a fan). We walked along the river and played in the park where the old capitol once stood. We experienced sweet hospitality from...
Adopted By Jodie Montgomery Thankfulness lifts our countenance. It has been a joy to share my sister-in-law, Marcella’s, experience in meeting her birth mother and expressing her thankfulness to the woman that “had the courage to let Marcella go and to let Marcella back into her life.” Marcella sums up her story...
Adoption Thoughts, Week 3 By Jodie Montgomery with Guest Blogger Marcella Townsend Continuing Marcella’s story with “And what was it like to connect with family that are also strangers?” Marcella writes, "As soon as we started talking on the phone, my birth mother Maria and I had an easy rapport. I learned that she...
Adoption Thoughts, Week 2 By Jodie Montgomery with Guest Blogger Marcella Townsend I’m looking forward to sharing Marcella’s story with you. So hope you are enjoying our adoption thoughts. Marcella wrote the following in response to my question “How did you go about finding your birth mother?” From Marcella: "I began my search for...
Adoption Thoughts, Week 1 By Jodie Montgomery with Guest Blogger Marcella Townsend As promised in last week’s IBC Women’s Blog, we continue our thoughts on adoption by featuring a story from my sister in law, Marcella Townsend. In the next three blogs, Marcella will answer three questions I asked her: What...
Happy New Year By Jodie Montgomery As we begin a New Year, I am thinking about how really new the circumstances of 2021 may be to many. I just saw a cartoon where a whole bunch of people were hiding around a corner and holding a long rod that would open a...
Amen Sometimes at Christmas, a loved one should be rebuked. It can be a bad attitude, a focus on the gifts and not the giver, a meanness amidst family. There are a lot of Scriptures on conflict resolution for a reason…we sometimes have a problem getting along. Thankfully, God has the last...
Redeemer Job 19:25 Yet as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth. One of the best gifts I have ever received was the gift of time with a friend experiencing great worship music. Our husbands celebrated us by joining together to...
Prince of Peace Peace, victory, and rest go together. When our enemies are defeated, we have peace if we are also at rest with our Maker. To defeat enemies and to align with God, we take refuge in the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Mediator that...
Man of Sorrows Many learned the name for Christ, Man of Sorrows, not just from the book of Isaiah but also from Handel’s Messiah. The great musical work, Messiah, includes three parts: the hope and prophecy of a Messiah, Christ’s suffering and despair, and the triumph of redemption. Messiah is an...
Lord of All There were race riots this year in Tampa. There were race riots in many places across our nation. I think riots are partly the result of pent-up anger, a sense of not being heard, a realization of oppression. Because of the race riots, I got more intentional about listening,...
Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9:6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. My husband and I once went to a pastor for marriage counsel. I was wanting a divorce. Weirdly, we...
Lamb of God John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! In Genesis, when Abraham takes Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice to the Lord, Isaac asks his father, “where is the lamb?” The Old Testament...
King of Glory I am a child of a military man. We didn’t live by family, so our neighbors adopted us as family. I remember one Christmas when our house burned down. We were in Bloomfield, Iowa and my Dad was in Viet Nam. We watched the fire and the amazing...
I Am Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58 Identity is so important. Some find identity in their work, oftentimes their working overtime has more to do with feeling secure than deadlines. Some find themselves in their relationships. These may endure unhealthy interactions...
Horn of Salvation “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David—…” Luke 1:68-69 Zechariah was in the midst of doing his priestly duties when he questioned God's messenger and message. I...
Holy One Psalm 29 Ascribe to the Lord, sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in holy attire. The voice of the Lord is on the waters; The God of glory thunders, The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks the...
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty Songs about God entered our home through our little boy, Samuel, singing the ones he learned at Bible Study. One of his favorites was Holy, Holy, Holy. I remember one day at the grocery, Samuel in his cowboy hat, sitting in the cart, as a...
Glory to God Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.” Have you ever wanted to hear what angels say? Here it is, “Glory to God in the highest…” The angels see Him. The angels serve Him. The angels praise Him. One time...
Glorious Lord At Christmas, we play games. On Christmas Eve, after the church service, we try and get a family photo then we open a package that is PJs. When everyone is comfy in their PJs (sometimes matching), we have pizza, Christmas cookies and a variety of sodas in glass bottles...
Father of Mercy 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by...
Everlasting Father Isaiah 9:6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We will focus on Isaiah 9:6 numerous times through the celebration of Advent. This passage is where Isaiah receives...
Emmanuel In 2019, my first grandchild was born. His name is Hunter, but I do not typically get asked what his name is. Instead, people ask me what he will call me. At first, I found this question funny. It’s been over a year and all he says is hi, dog,...
Desire Of All Nations I have not traveled much out of the USA, but I have met many that have through His Body, the church. We are a people from many places and cultures. We are a diverse group. Beautiful in our need for one another. I have learned committed prayer from...
Comforter Several years back, I got an incredible Christmas bedding set. It is mainly white with touches of soft blue and a little red. It says Merry Christmas in a cool script and there are a few little birds on it. Since getting that comforter, I enjoy decorating our bedroom for...
Costly Cornerstone Isaiah 28:16 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed. The last phrase of this verse gets me. I sigh when I read this passage. I live in a state...
Christ When I first became aware of Psalm 2, I was fascinated by God’s understanding of people, our vain plotting and the provision of His Son in providing refuge. The Psalm helped the entire Biblical story come into clearer focus for me. It even conveys the emotional angst of God. I...
Bright Morning Star Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Let’s sing: Twinkle, twinkle, little star How I wonder what you are Up above the world so high Like a diamond in...
Anointed One Psalm 45:7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy above Your companions. When you see the term “Anointed” in Scripture think about Kings. Every Israelite king, anointed by a prophet, was considered a messiah (little “m”). God made humankind in...
Ancient of Days When I turn to Psalm 90, I read the title of the section Psalm 90 is in the Psalms: Book 4, God’s eternity and the brevity of human life. Maybe this is why in God’s Word there are commands to stop and celebrate. We forget that our days...