Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Source: YouTube

"...Tell me the story of Jesus...Write on my heart every word...Tell me the story most precious...Sweetest that ever was heard..."

The above song lyrics of the old hymn, Tell Me the Story of Jesus, has been on my heart and mind for some time now. It has really been resonating with me lately.

I have been reminded that everybody in this world has a story to tell others. Most importantly, every believer of Jesus Christ has a story to tell other people in this world. What is the reason?

Everybody has been through challenges, obstacles, hardships, and trials in life. (See James 1:2-4) What is most important though is this... Who got them through those difficulties? What brought them out on the other side of those downfalls? How did they come out of those so-called pits in life?

Whether a person has yet accepted Him into their hearts and lives or not, it was Jesus---the name above all names. (See Romans 10:9-10) He is the author and finisher of our faith. (See Hebrews 12:1-2) He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end---who is, who was, and who is to come. (See Revelation 1:8, 22:13)

Jesus has a story. Briefly, His story is the true Gospel---His death, burial, and resurrection. (See Isaiah 53; Matthew 26-28; John 3:16-17, 19:30; Romans 10:9-10) Everyone has a story. He wants all of us to share our stories with others. Most importantly, He desires that we tell His story.

What is His story in your life? How has He loved you? What has He done for you? How has He changed you? Additionally, the list goes on... Therefore, I encourage you and challenge you today and every day thereafter. Share your story and tell people the story of Jesus.


Copyright 2017 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Through All of It

Source: YouTube

In the above music video, Through All of It, by Colton Dixon; several people personally shared their struggles, hardships, challenges, and trials in their lives.  Through watching the video, we found out that they came through all of it with God's help as well as for His glory.

All people go through stuff in life.  Some may endure much more than others.  However, there is not one person in this world who has not endured something during their entire lifetime.

I remember many years ago when I had somewhat of an idyllic life.  I was in high school or college at the time.  That was decades ago now though.  That was way before I lost my mom to metastatic, malignant cancer; suffered through an abusive, co-dependent first marriage; witnessed my Dad's two separate re-marriages, and lost many other relatives to illness, disease, or just plain old age.

Since then, I have endured a lot more in both my life and ministry.  

Through rejection, accusations, confusion, arrests, jail, convictions, judgment, prosecution, injustice, neglect, doctors' diagnoses, surgeries, hospitalization, abandonment, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, loss, domestic violence, separation, divorce, underemployment, misjudgment, criticism, persecution.

All Christians have endured and suffered through hardships, challenges, and trials in life.  What are some of yours?

The Apostle Paul was all too familiar with challenges, hardships, and trials during his life and ministry.

"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."  (2 Corinthians 6:4-10, NIV)

I can identify with Paul in a lot of ways.  He was a writer and author of the majority of the New Testament.  He probably endured more than any of Jesus' disciples.  However, he did not give up.  He persevered through all of it.  He had quite an adventurous life and ministry with all of its ups and downs.  I have also had many valleys and mountains during my life and ministry so far. 

We are always given over to death for Christ's sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our physical bodies (See 2 Corinthians 4:10-12).

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."  (2 Corinthians 4:7-9, NIV) 

Though we go through stuff in this life, we are not alone.  God never leaves us nor forsakes us (See Deuteronomy 31:6, 8).

We can also count on Him to rescue us, deliver us, and save us from the fiery furnace, the lion's den, the pit, or whatever else (See Genesis 37; Daniel 3, 6).  He always helps us to get out and back up.

"for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again..."  (Proverbs 24:16, NIV)

The Christian song, Through All of It, by Colton Dixon would be my theme song if I had one for my life and ministry.  What about you?  What would be your theme song?  

Copyright 2016 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Listening to Godly Counsel

God prepares and trains many different people along their unique paths for His specific purpose and plan.  Unfortunately, He normally raises them up through various hardships, trials, challenges, obstacles, and more (See James 1:2-4).  David and Joseph are only a couple of examples of the way God promoted and increased them over their lifetime (Read Genesis 37-50; 1 Samuel 16-17).

It does not necessarily have to be that way though.  People do not have to learn everything for themselves the hard way.  

Once Jesus was released into His full-time ministry, He was usually only able to help those people who either personally asked for His assistance and/or personally came to Him for assistance.  Of course, there was the instance of the woman at the well but she was a rare exception (See John 4:1-26, 39-42).  She did not ask Him and/or personally come to Him at first.  Nine times out of ten people normally sought Him out and asked for His help.   

That goes without saying for all of God's children.  We are only able to truly help those who are receptive to us whom God has placed in our paths.  They either need to personally ask for our help and/or personally come to us.

There have been more people than I care to think about or count on my hands that have not been receptive to me for one reason or another.  I have come to realize it more over the last several years that it is their problem and not mine though.  I cannot make people believe and receive the truth when I speak the truth in love to them (See Ephesians 4:15).  I cannot force them to make righteous choices---choices that line up with God's word, His ways, His perfect will, and His spirit within them (See Isaiah 55:8-9; Matthew 4:4; Romans 12:2).

It is really a shame that so many people prefer to learn for themselves the hard way instead of being receptive and learning from people like me who have already gained the wisdom, knowledge, insight, clarity through their own life experiences and faith journeys.

However, I have been reminded that "...fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7, NIV)."

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."  (Proverbs 15:22, NIV)

Therefore, it behooves people to not only seek out Godly counsel but actually listen and heed the wise counsel.   

Special Note:  Now offering coaching and mentoring services through my worldwide public ministry.  Go to my ministry website (http://www.dawnfreeman.org/coaching_mentoring/) and briefly fill out a form when you are interested in those type of services.


Copyright 2016 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Nothing is Ever Wasted

Nothing is ever wasted in God's kingdom.

Have you ever thought about it?

Everything that you have gone through in your life is used for your good and God's purpose (See Romans 8:28).

Think about Joseph for a moment.  He is a great example for the purpose of this lesson.

After everything he went through in his life, God not only brought him through all of it but brought him out better than before.

Joseph had God-given dreams.  Perhaps, he was very young and naive at the time because he prematurely shared those dreams with his family specifically his earthly father and older brothers.

As a result, his brothers caused all kinds of problems for him.  They were initially jealous of him and his big dreams that he shared with them.  They made fun of him and treated him poorly.

They threw him in a deep pit.  Then, they sold him into slavery.  Lastly, they made it look like he had been killed by a violent animal by tearing up his prized robe and putting animal blood on it (See Genesis 37).

What the devil meant for Joseph's harm though, God turned around and used for His purpose and plan (See Genesis 50:20; Jeremiah 29:11).

Even though Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, he came out better off in the end.  God promoted him and increased him over the years afterwards.  He became ruler over a successful and prosperous land.  His biological family experienced hardship and suffered during a famine in their particular region.  Since they were in the midst of a crisis, they came looking for assistance.  They wound up in the land where Joseph was in charge of everything.  At first, they didn't even recognize their own younger brother after all of the years had passed since he was sold into slavery.  However, Joseph had the opportunity to meet and speak with them during their time there (See Genesis 38-50).

He told them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20, NIV)."

Joseph recognized that his older brothers were used by the devil to hurt him, but now God was using it for his good to save many people in the land.

The same is true for you.  All of the hardships, trials, challenges, and struggles that you have endured may have been meant for your harm by the devil, but God is going to use them for your good as well as for His purpose and plan.  Many people will be saved as a result of everything that you have gone through in life.  You will also come out better and stronger in the end.

God has great plans for you.  Do not allow your temporary circumstances in life to make you forget that truth.  His plans are better for you than you may even physically see with your own eyes right now.  His plans are for you to have a hope and a good, successful, and prosperous future (See Jeremiah 29:11).

Copyright 2015 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Be Brave Challenge Day 2: "Is This You?"

You are a Christian lady who struggles, strives, and endures through hardships, trials, and difficulties in life.  Perhaps, you are a perfectionist who procrastinates on projects.  Maybe, you are a Type A personality who is very driven, demanding, strong, independent, and confident.  You have got it all figured out.  You are a success.  You really enjoy your work.  You are so productive.  You are making a contribution in this world.  You enjoy life.  You want to understand others more. 

However, you may be putting up a front and keeping up the charade.  You are just putting so much time and effort into everything.  You feel like you are getting nowhere fast.  You keep spinning your wheels in life.  You are in a rut going around the same hamster wheel.  You are going around the same old mountains in life.  You believe that you have to be everything to everyone.  It is so difficult to do it and keep it up though.    

Welcome to Dawn Freeman Ministry!  You are the right person.  I can help, serve, encourage, educate, inform, and inspire you.  Go to my website at www.dawnfreeman.org.  Email me at dawn@dawnfreeman.org and get on my email list.  Thanks!  
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Copyright 2015 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.