Fully Alive!

It’s back to school season, and our outside activities are all slowly starting. The two I am most excited about are our church’s time of Bible study/worship/prayer for women, and our ministry for moms & children. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to this ministry arm of our church, called Fully Alive.

Fully Alive at Five is a city-wide prayer meeting for women of all ages, every other Tuesday morning at 5 am. Yes, you did read that correctly! From 5-7am, teenagers through seniors gather together to meet the Lord through hearing the Word of God taught, worshiping, and intercession. It sounds like a crazy hour of the day to gather, but I assure you that the dividends reaped far outweigh the lack of sleep. Here’s our mission:

We seek to create an environment of freedom in worship and openness to the Holy Spirit, as we anchor  our time together in the Word of God.  Our great longing is for the person of Jesus Christ to presence himself among us corporately and minister to each one of us personally.  The God-given purpose for consecrating this early morning time together is for a community of spiritually hungry women to encounter Jesus unto greater fullness in their lives. As we meet together as the bride of Christ in Knoxville, our desire is that you experience this kind of Christ-exalting transformation in your life!

I’m telling you ladies, it ‘aint your typical women’s Bible study. If you live in or around Knoxville, would you prayerfully consider coming? If you’re looking for something deeper than your typical Bible study, or simply long to know the Lord more intimately,  I encourage you to come one time. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I live an hour away from our church, and have three small kids. But, I do not miss these early mornings as far as I can help it. Here’s why: I am hungry for the Lord. I want to know Him, and to walk in fullness of life.  I am willing to wake up at 3:30am and drive an hour to meet with Him if that’s what it takes. He is worth it. He is worthy of giving up precious sleep. Ladies, the Lord sees these moves of the heart and blesses them. He knows our frail frames and that it’s hard to wake up early and then go home to take care of husbands and children. But He gives abundant grace in this place. He is delighted to the core that we would want to fast sleep to meet with Him and to hear the Word brought forth.

As I walk with the Lord, some of the most valuable and consistent ways He has met me has been through the corporate gathering of believers. Hearing the Word of God taught, worshiping in song and dance, and corporate intercession is a truly powerful time.  The body of Christ is a huge part of my life. The gifts that the Lord has given to others are manifested in these times, and the glory of God is on display. I want to be a part of this!

This year, beginning September 10, we’ll be studying the Psalms. To whet your appetite for what it will be like, read Kathy’s vision for our time in the Psalms here.  I’m personally looking forward to studying through the Psalms, because it is my favorite book of the Bible. It is here that I’ve learned over the years (and am still learning) how to steward my emotions in a way that displays the beauty of Christ, how to intercede for others, how to position my heart before the Lord, how to relate to Him as my Father, and other things. It’s going to be a rich time, and I’d love for you to be a part of it.

An added bonus: fresh coffee and the freedom to come in your bedhead and pjs!  I literally roll out of bed and head out the door.

Even if you don’t live in East Tennessee, you can benefit from the gifts the Lord has given Kathy, through her blog. I’d encourage you to visit regularly. Right now, she is giving away a biography about Sarah Edwards. I love Sarah Edwards, and I know you will, too.  What a woman of God and an example for young wives and mothers to walk in steadfast love for her Lord, husband, and children.

I hope that you’ll consider joining us this fall. You can take a peek at the schedule here. I look forward to introducing you to Fully Alive Kids next week!