Obedience to God | Laurie Coombs

Archive for the ‘Obedience to God’ Category

Loving Your Enemies {A sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.}

Posted on: September 19th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs

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I don’t usually share sermons on my blog, but I came across a sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that’s pertinent to each of us. This may not be something you’re dealing with at the moment, but I guarantee, at some point in your life, you will be called to love your enemy, and so I encourage you to read the excerpts of his sermon below. It’s well worth the read. Loving Your Enemies A sermon delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama on November 17, 1957. …So I want to turn your attention to this subject: “Loving Your Enemies.” It’s so basic to me because it is a part of my basic philosophical and theological orientation—the whole idea of love, the whole philosophy of love. In the fifth chapter of the gospel as recorded by Saint Matthew, we read these…

At the Very Heartbeat of Jesus

Posted on: August 7th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

Moment by moment, I’m kept in His love; Moment by moment, I’ve life from above; Looking to Jesus, the glory doth shine; Moment by moment, Oh Lord, I am Thine. – Andrew Murray I started reading a book––well, I guess it’s actually more like a long essay––written by Andrew Murray called Humility. Murray was a pastor, evangelist, educator, and writer during the nineteenth century who was educated in Europe but primarily lived in South Africa. Honestly, if you have a chance to get your hands on any of his writings, I highly recommend them, but I do have to admit, they can be a bit dense. As I read Humility, I was having a hard time retaining what Murray was saying simply because of the way he writes, and so I began to rewrite his writings in note-taking form to be sure I’d be able to internalize this important message. Humility is something to…

Choose Life

Posted on: July 31st, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. – Deuteronomy 30:19-20 We don’t often like to talk about obedience. It’s simply not a popular topic to address. Quite honestly, I don’t think any of us naturally want to obey God. We all seem to have this thing in us that wants to go it alone. To do our own thing. To be masters of our own domain and live our lives however we so choose. Even the thought of having…

Trusting God to Fill in the Gap

Posted on: February 25th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

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“If we could just get this stuff right,” I said to my husband, “our lives would be amazing.” I had just finished listening to Pastor Andy Stanley’s Breathing Room sermon series, which addresses the importance of the way we spend both our time and money and argues that life is simply better with breathing room. Relationships thrive when there’s breathing room. We experience greater joy and peace when there’s breathing room. And ultimately we have more opportunity to grow in our relationship with God when there’s breathing room. Now, I realize this message may seem like common sense. We know this stuff. It’s nothing new. But I question how many of us still live our lives to the limit. We live in a fast paced world––in a society that makes productivity and “success” top priority. As Americans, we’re called to work hard and achieve the fallacious “American Dream.” But I don’t believe this…

A Note About My Upcoming Book

Posted on: February 20th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

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I posted this blog on Tuesday but had some technical difficulty, so I’ve decided to share an edited version again today for those of you who missed my exciting news. I believe I have been entrusted with a powerful message to share with the world. A message that I have told only in part on my blog but will tell in its entirety in the book I am writing. It was just over two years ago that I felt God’s call to write a book about the mighty work He has accomplished in my life. And though I’d love to say that I immediately complied with God’s request to write this book, and that I immediately pursued my calling, I didn’t. For several months, I fought it. Like Jonah, I ran from God’s call. But one Sunday morning, as I stood in church singing my heart out to God during worship,…

An Intense Season of Growth

Posted on: January 28th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

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God has had me in an intense season of growth over the last month or so. It has been a time of refinement through trial that started the moment I began praying for God to work absolute surrender in me. And though life has been a bit more difficult lately, I have been blessed greatly during this time by the presence of God and by an outpouring of truths He has spoken over me. Last week, I began compiling a list of all God has spoken over me during this season, and as I did, I felt compelled to share the list with you. Some of you may have learned these truths already; others may be learning these truths along with me. But either way, I believe these truths are powerful. So, no matter where you find yourself, I ask that you take these truths in and contemplate them. Pray for God to…

{Guest Post} God’s Hand of Grace

Posted on: January 21st, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

I first became acquainted with Maretha Retief, a native of South Africa, a few months ago when she contacted me to share her incredible story. Born with a disability yet having overcome many obstacles in her life, Maretha has become intimately acquainted with what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth when he said, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” A lesson I am still in the process of learning. Maretha’s testimony is one we all can learn from. It speaks to perseverance, overcoming hardship, and living a life fully submitted to the will of God. So, without further introduction, here is Maretha’s story. I was born with only a pinkie and a thumb on my left hand. A disability that did not escape the eyes of God. He came and took something that…

What Do You Have to Offer?

Posted on: January 16th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

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Surrender, I hear over and over. Surrender, my child. I try––time and again, I try––but I fail. Full of frustration and defeat, I cry out with one simple word––how? I will work surrender in you. God whispers. Lay down what you have to offer, and I will work the rest. I pray as I’ve been taught––Lord, I am willing that you make me willing to surrender in absolute surrender––because after all, many of us are willing in concept, but when the realities of surrender encroach upon our self-centered desires, willingness begins to wane. For close to a month now, I have prayed and prayed and prayed for God to work absolute surrender in me with confident assurance that God can and will perform His work in me. And He is. He is working. But anytime we pray audacious prayers such as these, we must be prepared for what’s to come….

On Plans, Yielding, and Walking With God

Posted on: January 14th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

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It’s time for a new beginning. Don’t you think? We all need a new beginning from time to time, and what better time than the present. Now, I know you’ve probably heard quite a few messages on the topic of “New Year’s Resolutions” already, so rest assured, this is not another one. “Resolution” messages, while valuable, are often the same. Evaluate your previous year. See what worked. See what didn’t. Set goals. Plan. Plan. Plan…. But honestly, while these exercises do have some merit, I believe most people, while making these plans, unintentionally fail to factor God into their equation. I just finished reading Me, Myself, and Bob over Christmas. It’s written by Phil Vischer, the founder of Veggie Tales, and let me tell you, it’s a good read. In his book, Phil tells the story of the rise and fall of Veggie Tales, a popular Christian children’s video series. In…

Deeper Surrender

Posted on: December 17th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 8 Comments

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I thought I had surrendered to God, but it turns out, I haven’t. At least not completely. I seem to be living out the early stages of God’s call on my life. Every day I wake up, I pray for God to use me and for God to show me the way with willing intent to following His lead, which is why I honestly thought I was living a life surrendered to God. But recently, God has made it clear that my level of surrender is not absolute. Up to this point, I have surrendered only in part. Though I stand willing to do that which God calls me to do, I still want control over my time and how it’s allocated. I must confess; I am not very interruptible. I’ve noticed this before, but it’s become increasingly clear over the past week as certain situations have challenged me to…