Author: Michelle Lesley

Servant of Christ, wife, mother, churchwoman, women's discipleship blogger, podcaster, and speaker.
Speaking Engagements

Report Back: Killeen Bible Church Ladies’ Retreat

Michelle Lesley

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information, or to find an upcoming event near you!

It was such a blessing to share with the lovely ladies of Killeen, Texas, at Killeen Bible Church’s ladies’ retreat.

  • I can’t resist a beautiful steeple!

Thursday, my husband, Scott, and I hit the road for Belton, Texas (near Killeen)…

We see a Buc-ee’s, we stop.🦫 It was very sunny and very windy that day!

…where we stayed with our wonderful host and hostess for the weekend, Edward and Debbie. We finished up the day with an authentic Italian dinner made by our authentic Italian hosts. We greatly enjoyed our fellowship with them and their daughter and son-in-law, who is also the pastor of KBC.

Our host home came complete with an adorable baby for me to smooch on!

Friday morning, while Edward escorted Scott to the windshield repair place (after our unwelcome encounter with a rock on the trip over – thank you Edward!), Debbie, and conference coordinators, Liz and Ashley, took me out for a mouth watering brunch at the Water Street Waffle Co. (Highly recommend!)

The ladies’ room was decked out in a “girl power” motif, and I was intrigued by these two prints. I’m definitely going places, like, all. the. time. And I love it! Today, the USA. Tomorrow – maybe – the world? I wish I had this one to hang in my office. But the “self love” print haunted me. Self love is selfish (that’s why Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves – because we already love ourselves too much), and all it does is beautify a corpse, dead in her sins.
Son of man, can these bones live?

When we finished our waffles and other goodies, the ladies showed me around the Belton town square for some shopping and a light stroll.

  • A super antiques mini-mall. I saw things I haven’t seen since childhood. Any of my girls remember roll on liquid lip gloss? :0)
  • A great little used bookstore. Lots of Christian books. (Just use discernment!)
  • Looking forward to diving into these!
  • Established in 1869, CB&P is the oldest continuously open department store in the state.
  • The back of the county courthouse.

After a few hours of rest, it was time for the opening session of the retreat.

No conference audio/video is available for this event at this time.

This was sort of a hybrid retreat/conference, which I thought was a really nifty way of combining intimate, church family fellowship with the option of opening the event up to sisters outside this local body of Believers.

Friday evening, Leslie opened her beautiful home and warmly welcomed the women of KBC to the festivities.

The evening started with a fun ice breaker game. Killeen is a military town with many of KBC’s members stationed at nearby Ft. Hood. Turnover can be high in churches like this, so it’s important to make friends fast.

Next was a super supper, catered by Chipotle.

Candace started our assembly time by giving her amazing testimony of how Christ saved her out of a difficult life of sin. (Providentially, she was born again on my birthday several years ago.)

I followed up with our main teaching session for the evening, Managing Media – being wise and discerning with news, social media, movies and TV, and other media we consume. (It was a great selection for the “members only” portion of this hybrid style event, as it was discrete from, and not foundational to our Saturday teaching sessions.)

At the end of the evening I was sent off with a bountiful hostess bag. Many of the ladies of KBC contributed their time, talents, and donations, and several of these items were included in the attendees’ “swag bags” as well.

These gifts were so lovely! Big thank you’s to everyone who contributed! A few special notes: + Philippians 4:8 was something of a theme verse for the weekend, and is included on the pouch of tea bags and the wooden key chain (crafted by Shauna – check out her Etsy shop, The King & I Crafts). + That little baggie of green leaves is not green tea, like you’re thinking (or should be thinking, anyway😉). It’s basil, no doubt from one of the ladies’ own herb gardens. + The (PURIFIED) water bottle has John 7:37-38 handwritten on the tag. + I used to crochet a lot, so I know just how much work (and how tiny of a hook) it took to make the crocheted bookmarks for all 30 bags. Kudos, sister. I would be arthritic and blind after all that. + The small leather bracelet has a condensed version of Philippians 4:6 on it, which is part of a passage I recently memorized. + The cute pumpkin earrings were designed by the aforementioned Candace (get yours at her website: Georgia Clay Earring Co.)

Saturday morning, a warm atmosphere and a delectable buffet breakfast greeted the ladies as they arrived.

As we moved into our teaching time, Debbie shared her sweet testimony with us.

Our first session was Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Emotions. Scripture is our authority as Christians, and we shouldn’t let our feelings lead us around by the nose.

  • Nope, not a fog machine, just some lighting challenges.

Following a brief break, our second session was Servanthood vs. Celebrity. We should strive to have the heart of a servant, rather than crave the spotlight and the applause of man.

Hungry babies don’t aways let Mom stay for the whole session.
So grateful for this set-up so our nursing moms didn’t have to miss a moment!

Next on the agenda was – what else? – some fabulous Texas barbecue for lunch!

After a brief time of prayer and Q&A…

…it was time to say goodbye and get on the road so we could be back home in time to worship with our own church family on Sunday.

It was Texas, so it was a bi-Bucc-ee’s trip.

And I’m glad we stopped, because I found the perfect t-shirt to cap off a terrific weekend!

As we eased on down the road, I saw a sign for Brenham, Texas. I’m sure it’s a fine place to live for a number of reasons, but it only means one thing to me: “the little creamery in Brenham,” Blue Bell ice cream! Sadly, we discovered it is closed on Saturdays, but we were able to get a few pictures around the property. Maybe next time!

Props to my husband for (almost) always being willing to indulge my inner five year old’s cry: “Let’s stop there!” because I think my spontaneity got us off track with the map app, and we took an unplanned side trip through downtown Houston on the way home. (No, I did not have time to stop by Lakewood or Living Proof and leave a tract for Joel Osteen or have a come to Jesus meeting with Beth Moore.)

It was such a wonderful weekend with the ladies and elders of Killeen Bible Church. Thanks so much to Debbie, Edward, Daniel, Danielle, Liz, and Ashley for the precious fellowship and hospitality. Thanks also to all the men and women of KBC who worked so hard to host a fantastic retreat/conference, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the area and need a good church to visit, make plans to spend the Lord’s Day with these wonderful brothers and sisters.

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information, or to find an upcoming event near you!

Photo Credits

Many thanks to Debbie, Liz, Ashley, Shauna, and other conference attendees who took or shared many of the photos above. You may assume that if I’m in the picture or if it’s a good quality photo that I didn’t take it. The remaining photos were shot by me.

Evangelism

Share the Gospel Like a Twelve Year Old

Michelle Lesley

Originally published April 3, 2018

A couple of years ago, my 7th and 8th grade sons had to take the standardized state tests for their grade levels. Because I home school them, I took them to the testing facility where they were grouped with other home schoolers their age.

My 7th grade son, Jacob, came home the first day and mentioned that a couple of the kids had picked on him a little, especially a girl his age who made fun of him. She also told him she was an atheist. She continued to tease him for the next two days.

In the car on the way to their last day of testing, Jacob was sitting in the back seat and saw my supply of tracts sticking out of my purse. He asked me if he could have a couple of them. I was so proud. I thought maybe he would leave one in the restroom or on a bench as he’s seen me do before. I told him he was welcome to them.

When I returned to pick them up that afternoon, Jacob told me what he had done with the tracts. He put one at the work station of the atheist girl who had been teasing him. When she found it, she tore it up in Jacob’s face. So he gave her the second one. She tore that one up too and told him that if he ever gave her anything else about Jesus she would “kill him.”

Ladies, I share this story with you, not to brag on my son, but to encourage you. If a twelve year old child can share the gospel with someone so hostile, you can do it too! Share Christ with your friends and family, your neighbors, people you run into at the store. Get yourself some tracts and hand them to cashiers, wait staff, clerks, anyone you come in contact with. Or at least leave them behind when you go somewhere- the library, restaurants, the doctor’s office, etc.

We have a commission from our King to take the gospel to a lost and dying world. Let’s get out there and do it! Here are some resources that can help:

Bezeugen Tract Club– Get a free supply of tracts every month, and follow Bezeugen’s social media pages for fun “tracting” challenges.

Living Waters– Ray Comfort’s phenomenal witnessing ministry offers courses in biblical evangelism, eye-catching tracts, witnessing and apologetics videos, and more!

Wretched– Listen in to Witness Wednesday every week as Todd Friel goes out and about to share the gospel, and participate in evangelistic book distributions as they’re announced.

Evangelism, Faith

Throwback Thursday ~ An Open Letter to My Friends Who Are Struggling…

Michelle Lesley

Originally published September 10, 2008.

Dear Friend,

I know you have been going through some rough times lately. Perhaps you have recently lost a loved one. Maybe you’re ill with a serious disease. You might struggle with depression. You could be watching a loved one battle cancer or another terminal condition. Your marriage may be close to breaking up. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re simply sick and tired of the way your everyday life is going. That the world is going to hell in a hand basket and you’re getting sucked right down with it.

I’ve listened as you’ve poured out your heart. I’ve walked with you as you’ve struggled. I’ve held your hand and prayed with you. And while my heart breaks for you because of the circumstances you’re going through, what crushes me even more is the despair, the hopelessness I hear in your voice. That there’s no way out. That it’s impossible to deal with the pain. That there’s no one who can really help you.

But there is. And that’s what I desperately need to tell you.

I haven’t told you before, because when everything was going fine for you, you didn’t want to hear it. But sometimes people just get to a point in their lives where things are so bad they’re willing to try anything.

And so, I’m asking you to try to be open to one more thing. If you’ve already tried everything else, and nothing’s working, what do you have to lose?

Please turn to Jesus.

Jesus loves you. He cares about your pain and your struggle. And He’s the only One powerful enough to actually do anything about it.

I’m not talking about simply bowing your head and asking Him to get you out of the horrible situation you’re in. I’m talking about bowing your life to Him. Giving up. Surrendering. Letting this King you’ve been doing battle with all your life conquer you for your own good, sit on the throne that rightfully belongs to Him, and set up His rulership over your life.

This King doesn’t desire to reign over you so that He can tyrannize you. He’s a freedom fighter. He has already made the ultimate sacrifice to set you free from the oppressive regime under which you’ve been living: you. All you have to do is renounce your throne and become one of His subjects.

What does this mean in practical terms? You set aside a little uninterrupted time to talk it out with God. You recognize that He is God and you are not. You admit to Him, and to yourself, that you have sinned.

“Sin” means to break God’s laws. You know the Ten Commandments, right? At least some of them? Have you ever lied, stolen something (even something small), dishonored your parents? Then you have sinned. And by the way, your opinion on whether or not something should be a sin doesn’t make a hill of beans of difference. When you can create the universe, heal the sick, walk on water, and rise from the dead, maybe you’ll get to make the rules. Until then: God’s turf, God’s rules. And you’ve broken them. All of us have.

What happens when you break a local, state, or federal law? Well, if you get caught, there’s supposed to be some kind of punishment. If you speed, you have to pay a fine. If you steal, you go to jail. If you murder somebody (depending on where you live and whether or not you can get the verdict overturned on a technicality) you get the death penalty.

There’s punishment for breaking God’s laws too. James 2:10 tells us:

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

In other words, if you’ve broken one of God’s laws, you’ve broken them all. So, since we’ve all committed the same crime against God– breaking all of His laws –we’re all destined for the same punishment. Hell.

Yes, there is a hell just as surely as there is a heaven. Once again, your opinion on whether or not hell does exist or should exist matters about as much as your opinion on whether or not the sky is blue or whether or not it should be a different color. Your opinion does not change the facts.

The good news is that God himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, has already taken the punishment for the crime that we committed. Have you ever heard of a completely innocent victim of a crime volunteering to take the death penalty for the perpetrator for no other reason than that he loves him? Me neither. But that’s exactly what Jesus did for you and for me. And believe me, it was cruel and unusual punishment.

But Jesus didn’t just die in our place. He did away with the eternal death of hell by coming back to life after three days in the grave. And He’s willing to share that victory over hell with anybody who wants it badly enough. It’ll only cost you your life. Not your physical life, of course, but your spiritual life.

After admitting to God that you’re a sinner, the next step is to believe with your whole heart that Jesus died and rose again to take the punishment for your sin. You gratefully tell God that you believe Jesus did this for you. You ask Him to forgive you, and make a commitment to Him and to yourself that with His help you’re going to turn away from a life of sin and serving yourself and turn to a life of serving and obeying Him. (This turning away is called “repenting”.)

Repent of your sin and trust that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, are the payment for the penalty for your sin and God will cleanse you and make you a new creature in Christ. (This moment of repentance and belief is called “salvation”.)

Once Christ has saved you, you will want to spend time reading your Bible and praying in order to get to know God better. You will need to find and join a doctrinally sound church by being baptized. When opportunities to sin arise, you turn away from them. As you grow in your relationship with God, you discover what He wants you to do with your life, and you follow that path.

This last step is a very important one that, all too frequently, gets left out. Simply mouthing a prayer and then going back to business as usual ain’t gonna cut it. In fact, if you are able to go back to living the way you always have, with no discernable change of heart or behavior, at least a gradual one, you probably aren’t a Christian. If you’ve truly given your life to Christ, you’re going to be a different person. You’re going to have an aversion to sin, and a love for God. Your attitudes towards others will change. Your priorities will change. Your beliefs about right and wrong will change.

Simply SAYING you’re a Christian doesn’t make you one. I could sit here all day long and tell you I’m a doctor. Sure, I’ve taken some biology classes, and I do have some medical knowledge, but I didn’t go through medical school, I’m not licensed, and I don’t treat patients. If I wanted to become a doctor, I’d have to submit myself to the things that are necessary for becoming a doctor. It’s the same way with Christianity. We have to submit ourselves to what God says is necessary for becoming a Christian: true repentance, and trust in Christ.

If you’ve stuck with me this far through this seemingly interminable article, you’re probably thinking back to my very first paragraph and saying to yourself, “This ‘giving your life to Jesus’ stuff is all well and good, but my husband is dying/I can’t find a job and my house is about to be foreclosed/my mother just died/I’m on the brink of divorce/etc. That’s all I care about, all I can think about right now.”

That’s precisely why I told you about Jesus. When (and ONLY when) you give your life to Him, He helps you through your problems. You want peace when you’re struggling with a rebellious child? Comfort after the death of a loved one? Strength to endure when your body is in pain? Joy instead of sadness? These things, and many others, are just some of the “fringe benefits” you get from being a Christian. But you only get them as a result of giving your life to Christ. There is no other way.

Thanks for allowing me to get this off my chest, Friend. I just couldn’t go one more day telling you that I’m praying for you to have peace or strength or healing without telling you how to get those things. And so I’ll urge you just once more: turn to Jesus. Or as the Bible puts it…

O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Psalm 34:8
Evangelism

Evangelism Encouragement

Michelle Lesley

Sometimes a witnessing encounter can leave us discouraged. We’ve experienced the unfathomable joy and peace of being set free from our sin, becoming new creatures in Christ, and resting assured of our eternity with Him, and all we want to do is share with others how they can have all of those riches, too! Occasionally, the fruit is ripe unto harvest, and the person we’re sharing the gospel with repents and trusts Christ as Savior on the spot. But more often than not, the person rejects the gospel, maybe even lambasting us in the process.

It’s no fun to be called names or insulted for the cause of Christ, but we can get used to that knowing what the Bible says about persecution and understanding that it’s to be expected from unbelievers. But how difficult it is to watch people walk away from Christ knowing the futility they’ll continue to live in and the eternity that awaits them.

If you base your success or encouragement in evangelism on whether or not someone immediately trusts Christ, you’ll spend a lot of time discouraged and thinking you’re a failure at sharing the gospel. Here are a few reminders to keep our focus in the right place and our evangelism mindset biblical so we can remain encouraged:

☙God loves and cares for that person infinitely more than you do, and He’s concerned about that person’s lostness far more than you could ever hope to be.

☙Acts 2:41 is the exception, not the rule. The apostles and other New Testament Christians were often severely persecuted and ridiculed for sharing the gospel. Even Jesus’ own “witnessing encounters” didn’t always result in someone immediately getting saved.

☙Jesus said the “gate [to eternal life] is narrow” and “those who find it are few” (emphasis mine). We should not be surprised when many reject Christ.

☙The outcome of a witnessing encounter is on the Holy Spirit, not you. You cannot convince, nag, or argue someone into genuine saving faith (and you shouldn’t try because it’ll probably produce a false convert). Only the Holy Spirit can do that work on a person’s heart in His own timing.

☙Your job is to present the gospel. If you’ve done that, you’ve successfully been faithful to what God has called you to do. What God chooses to do with your gospel presentation is up to Him, and you must trust Him to handle it.

☙You don’t know how God is working in that person’s heart. Just because he doesn’t trust Christ immediately doesn’t mean God won’t use the gospel you’ve presented to save him tomorrow or next year or in fifty years.

☙God’s word never returns to Him void. It always accomplishes the purpose for which HE sent it. Our purpose is always to see people saved, but God’s purpose for His Word in that moment might be to distinguish wheat from tare, or to allow the person to harden his heart. It is never a waste of time or a failed effort to faithfully proclaim God’s word.

Don’t base your encouragement or success in evangelism on the immediate results, but on whether or not you’ve been faithful to obey God by sharing the gospel.

What are some passages of Scripture or words of wisdom from godly friends that have helped you stay encouraged as you share the gospel with others?

Additional Resources

What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Holy Habits for the New Year: Evangelism – with Rich Story at A Word Fitly Spoken

Truth and Love – with Mike Gendron at A Word Fitly Spoken

Witness Wednesday at Wretched Radio

Bezeugen Tract Club

Living Waters (evangelism equipping ministry)

Speaking Engagements

Report Back: Covenant Baptist Women’s Conference

Michelle Lesley

Last weekend, I had a wonderful time sharing with the lovely ladies of W. Columbia, South Carolina, and the surrounding area at a women’s conference hosted by Covenant Baptist Church. CBC is definitely “Reformed and refreshing”!

I touched down at the Columbia airport Friday evening…

Hmm… this looks like something a hungry Tiger might like to have for dinner!
#GeauxTigers #ForeverLSU 💜💛🐯⚜️💛💜

…and was met by my delightful hostess Kerri and her family. We took a quick ride to CBC where the planning committee had a delicious dinner of South Carolina pulled pork – with all the fixin’s – waiting. The ladies and their families made me feel so at home, and I especially enjoyed my chat with CBC’s pastor, Bro. Charles Swann.

  • I think this may have been the best pulled pork I’ve ever eaten, including when I make it at home!
  • My reputation as a Cheerwine addict precedes me!

I was presented with an enchanting hostess bag of South Carolina treats and gifts (including a new Christmas ornament for my “conference collection”)! Thank you so much, Kerri and team!

  • This awesome dish towel is already hard at work in my kitchen!
  • All of the ladies on the planning team signed this sweet card. And, free books? Yes, please!
  • Conference t-shirt
  • The book I chose. (Haven’t read it yet, not familiar with the author, so this isn’t a recommendation, but I’m looking forward to diving in!)

After a warm time of fellowship, my gracious hostess, Lindsey, took me to her cozy Airbnb (highly recommended if you’re ever in the area!) for a restful night’s sleep.

Photo courtesy of Herrera Guesthouse and Farms

Saturday morning, we hit the ground running. Everything was so nicely arranged for the attendees to check in.

Snacks and fellowship

Door prizes

The ladies all received one of these helpful and informative folders and a set of colorful pens, generously donated by the kind folks at Mr. Pen.

Bezeugen Ministries is my favorite place to get tracts. They not only provided tracts for each of the ladies, but also graciously donated a tract “rollodex” for one of the door prizes! Check out the Bezeugen Tract Club!

Soon, it was time to move into the beautiful sanctuary…

I was mesmerized by this gorgeous window behind the pulpit, but quickly realized it was a good thing we don’t have one in my church. As distractable as I am, I’d be playing mental games of 9×9 tic tac toe during the sermon!

After some helpful announcements and introductory remarks, and a worshipful time of singing…

…we got the ball rolling with Rock Your Role at Home and at Church, learning the beauty of God’s design for women and how we can robustly and biblically fill out the roles He has given us.

Next up was Practical Holiness. We took a look at several practical ways we can prepare the soil of our hearts for God to grow us in holiness.

Lunch time! “Christian chicken” to feed our bodies and Christian fellowship to feed our souls.

Our next session was Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Emotions. Scripture is our authority as Christians, and we shouldn’t let our feelings lead us around by the nose.

Finally, we finished out the day with Hospitality: Welcoming Others as Christ Welcomes Us. What is the biblical foundation of hospitality? We studied some examples and commands and learned practical ways we can show hospitality to others.

With the conference wrapped up, we had a few minutes to chat and take pictures.

The conference planning team.
My hostess, Lindsey.
This is Lara. Just three days before this picture was taken, Amy and I interviewed Lara for an episode of A Word Fitly Spoken. Look for it to drop in a few weeks!

I hated to say goodbye, but I was able to get a Saturday flight out so I could be back with my own church family Sunday morning, and I strive to do that as often as I possibly can. Thanks so much to Kerri and Lindsey for treating me like a queen and taking care of all of my needs. Thanks also to all the men and women of CBC who worked so hard to host a fantastic conference, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the area and need a good church to visit, make plans to spend the Lord’s Day with these wonderful brothers and sisters.

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information, or to find an upcoming event near you!

Photo Credits

Many thanks to Kerri and other conference attendees who took or shared many of the photos above. You may assume that if I’m in the picture or if it’s a good quality photo that I didn’t take it. The remaining photos were shot by me.