“Karen’s Notes!
Insights from a Glory-Bound Lady”

Selected Notes
Volume 6 Number 31
#275 “You Don’t Say!”
August 2nd, 2023

There are many ways that the Lord allows His people to serve Him.
How wonderfully the Lord has made each of us with a special gift to be able to use it for His glory. Some are great at encouraging folks. Others are great in practical ways of being able to build or repair things. There are dozens of ways to serve the Lord. Some of us have the assignment from the Lord to be a speaker. Karen grew into this opportunity. At first she didn’t ever want to be a ladies’ speaker. Slowly but surely the Lord grew and stretched her as well as blessed this ministry.

Sometimes it is really interesting to be an invited guest speaker.

Occasionally the invitation will sound something like this! “Oh good. I’m so glad you are available for that date. You are welcome to speak on anything you wish. I don’t have a theme in mind.” Sometimes that’s how the invitation comes.
Other times the invitation comes with a particular theme, and on those occasions, obviously the speaker prays and asks the Lord for direction with that specific theme in view.

Karen had two forty-five minute sessions with the ladies that day, and it came with a very specific theme!
Karen was speaking at a Saturday morning ladies’ event. She was to bring two devotionals that morning. Both dealt with the subject of “Make Me A Servant, Please?” I know the title sounds funny. However, that was her assignment. In the first forty-five minute session, she was to speak about the servant and her conduct. Maybe someday I’ll share some of these notes with you.
It’s the second forty-five minute session that I am looking at today. This spoke of the servant and her conversation, her words. This was encouraging to me, and I know it will be to you as well.

Here is one of the Scriptures she selected.
She spoke from Matthew 12:34-35 in which the Lord Jesus said, “You generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

Here is a portion of a paragraph from her conference notes.
Words come from the heart. We are reminded of this in Matthew 12:34-35. Christ was speaking to the Pharisees about the condition of their hearts. James warns us of the danger of an uncontrolled tongue. He compares it to a fire with widespread damage when left unchecked (James 3). We need to be an encourager and not a discourager.

May I send you on your way with one last thought?
Here is a statement she highlighted and emphasized in that second session: Aim to build up and not to tear down.
Today, every person reading this little post will have the opportunity of using his or her words to encourage or discourage. The choice is ours. When we speak, the spiritual condition of our hearts is on display. Let’s truly walk with the Lord and cause others to be encouraged today.