This message is from the 2022 Kingdom Leaders Summit. In this talk by Priscilla Shirer, she explains how we can better engage with the Word of God to not only understand it better, but also communicate its truths to others more effectively.
[Applause]
Lord Jesus thank you so much for oh the
privilege to be together I don’t even
take for granted father just that simple
fact that we maybe before 2020 might
have taken for granted that we can be in
the same physical space I’m grateful
father and I’m also so grateful Lord
that we live in a place where we can
boldly and unapologetically Proclaim our
allegiance to your name and to your
kingdom and we’re not worried today that
somebody’s going to come arrest us for
our faith or that father we’re going to
be marginalized or persecuted in any
major significant way that jeopardizes
our physical health as some people in
other countries right this minute as
we’re sitting in this room they are
underground and cannot be bold as we can
so father you have not only given us
this opportunity but you have also
entrusted us with the privilege of
sharing your word
cause it to be far from us that we would
ever be ashamed that we would not ever
speak with Clarity and boldness the good
news of Jesus Christ we honor you father
in Jesus name amen amen as Shonda
mentioned to you we are talking about
teaching the Bible in order to develop
Kingdom women in particular and so for
just a few moments we’re going to
explore some of the study components and
tools and resources that are needed to
be able to develop impactful lessons
equipping God’s people that is a key
word for me equipping
that’s the goal because it’s different
than motivating
hear that clearly because it shifts the
way that you create and Contour messages
that you’re going to share with other
people again whether it’s over a table
with three women having coffee together
or five College
um women that you’re discipling or it’s
a Sunday school class or women that
you’ve been entrusted to serve at your
local church we are not motivating them
that’s not the primary goal if they are
motivated good for you I’m glad that
that’s a nice benefit of our time
together but really that is only an
offshoot of the primary intention which
is I’m trying to equip you I’m trying to
make sure that you can be steadfast and
unmoved
so that means that I’m trying to develop
you to spiritual maturity so that you
can be Unapologetic in your discipleship
of Jesus Christ I want you to come to
know him his power his character his
mind his attitude his counsel regarding
the circumstances of life
I think that one of the great tragedies
right now y’all is that people are using
the scriptures more like a self-help
book
that we’re going to it really to find
out more about ourselves feel better
about ourselves that’s not the primary
goal it’s to come to know him
who he is and what his mind and counsel
and character is in regards to our lives
and what he has allowed us to face in
our lives and so pointing out Jesus
for me the primary and
Compass charting directive of everything
that I’m going to write or everything
that I’m going to teach is to make sure
that I’m pointing out Jesus I’m going to
share with you as I mentioned some
practical tools but I want to tell you
something that happened probably about
it had to be about 17 years ago now I
was going through the Book of John in my
personal quiet time and much the way
that I’m going to share with you in just
a few moments and when I came to it took
me two years to get through the Book of
John in my personal quiet time with the
way that I’m going to tell you that I I
do my own personal devotional life with
the Lord but when I came across John
chapter 1 I believe it’s verses 35 and
36. those were my two verses that day
and let me tell you what happens in
these two verses John the Baptist is
standing with two of his disciples not
one of the twelve not two of The Twelve
but his disciples students of him he’s
standing with them and verse 35 says
that he sees Jesus he points at him and
he says Behold the Lamb of God that
takes away the sins of the world as
Jesus is walking by
the next verse says
and they left John to follow Jesus
okay I came across those two verses and
it revolutionized what I did not even
know then was the ministry that the Lord
was calling me to
I could so clearly hear the Holy Spirit
say to me Priscilla this will always be
the goal for you
to point out Jesus and say behold
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins
of the world
and then the measure of effectiveness of
ministry will be
not how many more people want more of me
but how many after hearing me speak drop
everything because they’re trying to get
closer to Jesus
so when people have asked me through the
years especially after those films that
I was in okay so you’re going to be an
actor now no
those were only because they filtered
through this Compass charting thing for
me which has been to point out Jesus all
those films did was point out Jesus so
I’m open to any opportunity that goes
through this filter
does it point out Jesus and does it
compel people not necessarily want more
me that’s not the goal the goal is to
point them so clearly to Jesus that they
hunger and thirst after him
so
everything for me in Ministry and for us
as Ministers of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ that’s such a refining filter
because it’ll start to remove excess
stuff out of everything you’re talking
about if this does not point out Jesus
then is it really what I need to be
spending time on spending energy on
spending extra words on in my writing or
the blog post that you’re publishing or
the article that you are composing does
this help me towards my primary goal
which is to point out Jesus I also want
to tell you one other thing in terms of
message preparation which is primarily
what I’m going to talk to you about
today but I want you to know that
message preparation for me is incredibly
difficult incredibly difficult it’s like
a thorn in my side
it’s one I love studying I enjoy seeing
the observations from the text but
compiling insight into a package that
communicates clearly to other people is
a whole different beast and I want you
to know that for me it is it is it’s one
of those things that if I don’t stay
prayed up about it the enemy will use it
to discourage me to question whether or
not this is actually what God has called
me to do do you have something like that
in your life it’s just something that
for you is the thing that keeps you up
at night Sweating Bullets you know you
can’t sleep you can’t function right
because you’re wondering whether or not
um this is going to pan out and
communicate clearly for me that’s
message preparation I can’t tell you how
many times I’ve been with my dad and
gone now Daddy
this is not supposed to be this hard is
it and his answer to that is there is
always something for every minister
that the Lord will leave that thorn in
your flesh
for the purpose of showing you that his
grace is sufficient for you wow
so I think that sometimes when we see
people from afar I do the same thing and
you see them in that hour they’re
speaking or in that 45 minutes that
they’re doing the thing that it looks
like it’s so easy so it’s supposed to
feel easy for us because we picture it
that way so I need you to know right up
front there’s nothing easy about it for
me it’s one of the most painstaking
parts of Ministry for me and it’s the
part that more than anything else keeps
me on my knees going oh Lord if you
don’t do it it’s not going to get done
and every time I finish I go whoa I know
that was Jesus right there
[Applause]
constant reminders for us that his grace
really is sufficient for us so I want
you to relax if this is a hard part for
you message preparation how many people
would say that this is something very
hard for you okay lots of hands relax in
that allow it to be the thing that
constantly makes you dependent on him
allow that to be the thing that reminds
you that in your weakness his strength
is made perfect
99 of what I teach
emerges from my personal devotional life
99 of it
bible study resources that I’ve written
platforms that I’ve had the privilege to
teach from 99 of that has stemmed from
it’s bubbled up from the personal
conviction and prayerful consideration
of a text where I was not trying to
craft a message I was just simply
seeking to deepen my own relationship
with God and then out of that sometimes
I’ll begin to see a message taking shape
like when something when I can’t shake
something it keeps messing with me and
then I share it with a girlfriend and
she’s going um
that means there’s something on it does
that make sense then I’ll sit with a
group of women and maybe I share it with
them or I write a little post about it
or something and I see people’s
responses to it I can tell sometimes
when something that has come from my
personal life my personal quiet time has
legs and it really deserves more time
and attention in terms of sharing it
with others but I cannot over emphasize
to you the importance of prioritizing
your own personal relationship with
Jesus Christ in the scriptures you have
got to have a well that you are drawing
from
because so much of what you’re going to
share with the people that the Lord is
entrusting to you some of that well you
know a large portion of that is going to
come from yes what you wrote down the
manuscript that you created or the
bullet points that you have in front of
you to share but even as you’re teaching
a lot of things are going to come to
your mind into your heart that you did
not plan for and you’ve got to have a
well to draw from for that and so even
as you are preparing for other people do
not begin to neglect your own personal
time with the Lord and while I try to
separate my devotional time from my
study in preparation time very often
these two merge with each other I can
tell you that my devotional time does
not always equal study time
but my study time cannot happen without
devotional time also happening
because any time I am in the scriptures
even as I’m preparing for other people
goodness gracious the holy spirit is
just saying now don’t forget you and me
need to talk about this as well
study time is always devotional because
we are not removed from the people that
the Lord has entrusted to us we have the
privilege of growing and being discipled
together here are the three words that
if you take notes I want you to write
down there probably three words you’ve
heard before but they really Encompass
the framework of my personal quiet time
and also study observation
interpretation
and application
observation interpretation
and application
anytime I am in a passage of scripture
again whether it is for me personally or
I’m preparing a message on a certain
portion of scripture the very first
thing I’m going to do is read a passage
and I’m going to observe it carefully
I’m going to meditate on this passage
I’m going to pour over this passage
I’m sitting on this for just a few
moments because when I say observe
meditate pour over the passage I am
trying to emphasize to you that I mean
this as the opposite of scanning the
passage
I mean sitting with this thing for just
a little while
you read it in one translation you read
it in another translation
you meditate on it outside of when your
eyes are actually on the page
meaning when you’re taking a walk you’re
walking the dog later in the evening
that thing is still rolling over in your
mind you write it down on a three by
five card and you post it where you’re
going to be washing dishes or where
you’re going to be folding clothes or on
the dashboard of your car so that
everywhere you go everything that you’re
doing this is for personal quiet time as
well as message preparation you are
meditating on it you’re personally
rolling over it you’re asking the Holy
Spirit to illuminate it to cause it to
come to life for you
when my children were young I remember
that there was an older wiser woman in
the faith that I was beginning to feel
very discouraged that I could not do
um quiet time in the way that just
seemed the right way to do it to me
um the the you know the Instagram worthy
way to do it where you got you know your
little white couch and your little white
saucer and it looks like a beautiful
picture and it’s lit perfectly and it
looks great on Instagram
we have unfortunately got this picture
in our mind that if quiet time
devotional experiences cannot look a
certain way then it’s not worth the
effort that if you only have seven
minutes or 10 minutes that you can find
in your day that it’s not worth it if
you don’t have an hour or two hours and
the enemy will want you to think exactly
that
that if it’s not picture perfect then
it’s not worth it and an older wiser
woman when my children were young she
said Priscilla this right here is the
time of life when you do what brother
Lawrence wrote years ago practice the
presence of God
if you don’t have that book you need one
of those
practice the presence of God brother
Lawrence was a monk at a monastery who
wrote this book and I remember thinking
when she told me about it you got to be
kidding me he’s a monk at a monastery
what’s he going to talk to me about the
busyness of life and what it means to
spend time with God he lives at a
monastery
but then I found out that brother
Lawrence was actually on kitchen duty at
the monastery his job was to make sure
all the other monks were fed he had to
sweep up after them clean the dishes now
that’s a reality I can get with that’s
that’s my real reality
it gave me an opportunity to see how
this man began to talk about what it
means to practice God’s presence
throughout the regular rhythms of your
day while you’re doing the dishes and
while you’re folding the clothes and
while you’re sweeping up the enemy would
want you to feel so guilty that you
can’t do it a certain way that you don’t
do anything at all
so if it means in a certain season of
Life while you’re taking care of Aging
parents or while it’s a particularly
demanding season of ministry or on your
corporate job some of you I know have
this dual life where you’re in Ministry
but you also still work in a corporate
environment or you have your own
entrepreneurial Endeavors which is to be
commended and so while you’re running on
those tracks life can get so busy
sometimes that if it doesn’t look a
certain way you might not do it and I
just want to encourage you this is the
season of life when you practice the
presence of God meaning you put that
scripture verse in fact that older wiser
woman encouraged me about doing one or
two verses a week
write it down she said on several three
by five cards put it where you change
dirty diapers put it where you’re going
to be washing dishes paste one on the
bathroom mirror so all week long you
keep running into this passage of
scripture everywhere you go by the end
of it it’s inscribed on your heart
there’s something for the Holy Spirit to
to work with because you’ve done what
the psalmist said hide your word in my
heart so that I might not sin against
you you can’t scan quickly over whole
big huge chunks of scripture and
actually be hidden in your heart
you’re supposed to take your time in the
text and again I’m talking on about two
tracks at the same time our personal
quiet time with the Lord but also in
message preparation to the extent that
you have time when you’re going to be
preparing to present to a group that are
gathered take your time to just in fact
don’t undervalue the beauty of just
meditating the power of just soaking in
a passage of scripture as you do that
observations will begin to Bubble Up
from the text one of the things that I
do that helps me with that is that I
will paraphrase in my quiet time and in
message preparation I will paraphrase
what it is that the verse says meaning I
literally write down most of my
scribblings are in store-bought 1.99
spiral notebooks that I got at the
grocery store while I’m school shopping
for the boys and I just write down what
it is that the passage says just
paraphrasing it this is not the time for
you to be brilliant or to work on your
alliteration or the Rhythm or the
Cadence of it you’re not trying to be
impressive you are literally just
writing down what the scripture actually
says so paraphrase the principles these
are observations and they often will
become the principles that I mine from
when I’m preparing to teach it also was
helpful because it gives you a sturdy
tract to run on to remember what the
book actually says
because I don’t go to the book to make
my point I go to it to find my point
listen to that again
you cannot take what you want to say to
a group of people to the text and then
find you a scripture verse that matches
what it is that you want to say if you
come to it with an agenda the reality is
you can superimpose your agenda over a
whole bunch of stuff in the scriptures
you can take stuff out of context left
and right to support whatever agenda you
got on your mind that day
the discipline of us as Ministers of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ is that we do not
go to the book to make our point we go
to it we find out the point it is making
and then that is what we have been
entrusted with to share with the people
who are in front of us so I’m asking
myself what does the passage say that
gives me yields me observations
then I’m going to ask myself this second
questions which will yield
interpretation and that is what does it
mean
what does it mean
now all of this that I’ve talked about
so far this is all happening before I’ve
opened up one commentary before I’ve
opened up any extra biblical information
yet I just want to sit with me in the
Holy Spirit for just a little while and
this patches of scripture and trust that
the holy spirit will do for me what he
promised he would first John chapter 2.
he said the Holy Spirit the anointing of
God has been given to you to teach you
all things John 16 13 to guide you into
all truth
we tend to think that there’s some
special hotline connection that some
people have with God that we don’t also
have with God
that that this person we admire and
rightfully so because we appreciate the
way they have Shepherd us in their
writing or their teaching or their
preaching and so we’ve we’ve looked at
them and we’ve celebrated how the Lord
has entrusted Revelation to them we tend
to think that we’re removed from them
and that they have some special hotline
thing going on with Jesus that we don’t
actually have access to
and we think that the way the Holy
Spirit operates with them is not somehow
that’s not our privilege but the moment
you believed in Jesus Christ you
received the Holy Spirit of Promise
his privilege is not only and job second
uh first Thessalonians chapter 2 13 says
is not only to sanctify you to mold us
so that we are recreated into the image
of Christ Jesus but it is also to guide
us into all truth to do what the old
preachers used to say to illumine the
scriptures
so that it comes to life so that it
leaps up off the page you’ve had that
happen to you before where you you have
been reading through a portion of
scripture and you’ve seen this verse a
million times before since you were a
little girl you read about David and
Goliath with the feeding of the five
thousand of the the Red Sea parting or
Jericho walls come tumbling you’ve seen
this a million times before but on this
day
it’s like the Holy Spirit takes out a
highlighter and he makes that thing leap
up off the page and it grips you in your
soul and it resonates with you do you
know what I’m talking about or you’re
sitting in church on a Sunday and the
pastor opens up the scriptures to begin
to teach and
man you feel like you’re the only person
sitting in the whole church you’re
trying to figure out did the church bug
my house how did they know
that this is just what we were arguing
about last night me or my spouse or me
and my teenager and it feels like you
are so well seen and known by the
scriptures this is the illumination of
the Holy Spirit
and we have to leave margin for that
pause for a moment just you in the
scriptures and say holy spirit speak to
me now of course we’re going to make
sure it’s founded in accurate theology
we’re going to get to that in just a
second but in the meanwhile give
yourself a moment with the Lord to say
Lord not only what does this passage say
I’ve paraphrased it I’ve written it down
I’ve been true to what it is that is
written there and now I’m going to
prayerfully ask myself as I maybe close
my Bible and put it aside and I just
look at these paraphrases that I just
wrote down for this one verse or these
two verses Lord what does this mean
is there a promise I’m supposed to heed
is there an attribute of your character
that I have downgraded that this is
reminding me to value
is there an instruction I’m supposed to
follow
is there a directive father that me
personally you were giving me in regards
to a decision I got to make tomorrow or
in regards to the way I’m navigating
this part of my my life in Ministry or
on my job or with my teenager or my my
young adults
um a kid that I have Lord is there
something specifically that you’re
instructing me to let go of or to hold
on to or to cleanse from my conscience
or my mind or my actions or my behavior
are there adjustments that it’s clear
here that the scripture is calling us to
make help me Lord to see that first for
myself and then if I’m studying for
others Lord how can I interpret what it
is that you’re saying here in a way that
will help them see the scriptures come
to life
now as you’re asking yourself that
question here’s where context does
matter
okay as I mentioned before you can pull
any verse out of anywhere and make that
sucker say anything you want it to say
we have to be so careful that not only
are we studying within context the
framework of the entirety of scriptures
but that we’re also communicating it
that way so many of you are pastoring
shepherding ministering with a group of
women and you get to take them from
point A to point B maybe you have a
Bible study group and you’re meeting
over the course of an entire semester so
you can walk with these women over the
course of several weeks together or
months together some of you have that
privilege others of us are in the kind
of ministry where you might only be with
women for three sessions in one day or
one session in one moment so you won’t
always get this opportunity but to the
extent that you’re able to teach through
an entire book of the Bible or in
certain segments of that book so that
you can show them the whole counsel of
God not just bits and pieces here and
there so to the best that you were able
to do that try to find Opportunities to
take them through a portion of scripture
or thematic direction that will help
them to see the whole counsel of God
more than anything else right now y’all
people need to know what the Bible
actually says
I mean for real
what does the bible actually say and
then accurately interpreting that and so
we have to be careful about handling the
scriptures in a way that really does
allow people to see the Beauty and the
power of what God was actually saying
when under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit these authors wrote down this
text this just came to mind as I was
talking that I was when I was going to
high school
me and a friend had a high school
graduation party together me and Nicole
we grew up in church here together she’s
still one of my closest friends and mom
and dad lived in a house around the
corner we walked to church dad still
lives in the exact same house today that
we moved into when I was seven years old
same say it’s a little small house or
we’ve just been in the same house this
whole time and um we had a high school
graduation party for the two of us in
this little house so it’s small so we
had to all be out outside I can picture
us right now outside in the grass having
this graduation party and as people do
when they come to a high school
graduation party they bring gifts for
the graduates Nicole had a little table
I had a little table and most of them
were cards on those tables and I
remember not being upset at all about
the fact that there weren’t any boxes I
love that it was cards because that
meant that I could open up them cards
and shake them
okay
to see if anything was gonna fall out
because you know more than anything as a
as a college student what you need is
some money to help you get yourself
situated I remember one little gift bag
that was sitting there that I opened up
it was from a lady named Mrs Holt and I
opened up that gift bag and there was a
card and I opened it up
nothing fell out that I reached in the
little bag and I opened up a little book
that I still have to this day called the
promises of God
sweet little book and I just thought oh
this is so precious
[Laughter]
so I remember I went to college I took
the little book with me I had all my
stuff laundry baskets boxes all the
things and we moved up to the University
of Houston is where me and Nicole went
to school together and um I remember
that little book it was on the corner of
my desk for a while and then of course
as school got busy that first semester
their papers and computers and things
books everywhere and so it kind of got
shoved underneath piles of stuff and
then eventually it got moved into a
drawer and then you know at the end of
the school year you move out you’ve got
all these boxes now of stuff just thrown
in there together and so we went home
for the summer brought it back that next
that next year for the second year and
it got further and further shuffled
underneath stuff and I remember it was
in my third year I was in my junior year
at the University of Houston I was
digging through a drawer for something
there was that little book the promises
of God tucked in the back of of the
store I had not seen or thought about
that book in months and months and
months and months I didn’t know at that
point honestly if I had ever opened it
so I picked up this little book and I
just kind of looked at it endearingly
because Mrs Holt is a sweet friend of
our families and I was like oh this is
so sweet Mrs Holt gave this to me and I
opened it up to the first page and it
said to Priscilla from Mrs Holt we love
you so much
and then I flipped open the pages
and out from the pages fluttered a 200
check
all that treasure had been in the book
the whole time
foreign
and I thought about all of the times
that my roommates and I had been
scrounging from quarters and nickels and
extra dollars so we could get some
french fries or a soda before going to
class all this time we didn’t have
enough money to get what we needed for
this or that we were we were living So
Below the means that had been available
to us if we had just opened up the book
we just opened up the book yet that’s
worth standing up on it girl I know
I know
my God so I’m saying to you our
responsibility
is to open up the book
there’s treasure in there
and there are y’all there’s a whole
generation of young women coming up they
are living so below their spiritual
means it ain’t even funny just
scrounging for little scraps here and
there their self-worth their identity
wrapped up in things that are temporal
and wrapped up in things that are not
going to tell them who they really are
and what they’re really worth and if
they come to us and we’re just giving
them self-help information
and we’re just motivating them and
sending them on their way we have missed
the whole point of what we’ve been
commissioned to do
man the treasure they’re looking for is
in the book and they don’t even know
it is our responsibility to open up the
book and let them see the treasure that
has been made available to them
so we do that by sharing with them the
entire Council of God his character what
it is that he meant to say to them in
this love letter that he composed for
them it is a love letter so it’s about
getting to know the author the entire
story of redemption what he went through
to make sure that you could have
relationship with him the whole counsel
of the word of God so that they know his
character the reason why we need to know
his character which is why you can’t
pull a verse out here in a verse out
there the reason why we need to know his
character is because the only way you
can clearly detect when the holy
spirit’s speaking to you when God’s
voice is trying to guide you and help
you to navigate life the only way you’re
going to be able to differentiate
between the voice of God and the voice
of a stranger
is if you know his character
it’s the only way
there is an enemy
and the Bible says the enemy does not
come to us with a red jumpsuit and a
pitchfork on and say hey it’s me he’s
not that obvious he’s not that covert
the Bible says in second Corinthians 11
14 that he disguises himself like an
angel of Light
that means he’s trying to sound as close
to and look as close to God’s will for
your life as possible
so if you have not taken time for
yourself and also for those who have
been entrusted to you to help them to
know the character of God then the enemy
can play them for the fool
[Music]
this is why Theologian A.W tozier said
we must pray and ask the Lord not only
to help us to discern between right and
wrong
we got to ask the Lord to help us to
discern between right and almost right
because there is an enemy trying to lead
astray and the way he’s doing it is
because his his deception see the crazy
part about deception y’all is when
you’re being deceived you don’t know it
until after the fact and you look back
and go are you kidding me
there are whole seasons of my life I
look back on and go are you kidding me
because you can see it clearly in
hindsight but while you’re in it while
the wool is pulled over your eyes when
you’re about to take that next step the
people around you can see girl if you
take one more step you’re gonna fall
that’s not a good step right there don’t
take the step but when it’s you you
really think you’re making the best
choice for yourself you really think
that’s a good relationship or that’s a
good business deal to go into or that’s
a good path to walk down and other
people can see you’re being deceived but
you cannot
and this is the handiwork of the master
Illusionist the enemy that he disguises
himself like an angel of Light
so if we have not
strengthened and equipped women to know
the the full counsel and character of
God the enemy’s gonna play them for the
fool
so we have to tell them who God is
what his voice sounds like
because not only do you have an enemy
but fear always has something to say
your ego is always trying to get a word
in edgewise
we have to be able to discern between
all those voices and the voices of God
us teaching them the whole counsel of
God is going to help them to know his
character
so Anthony Jr he’s not here this week
he’s out of the country I think but
Anthony Jr not only has dad’s name but
he has dad’s stance he has dad’s build
he has dad’s mannerisms he heads dad’s
voice
at the house mom has uh has a picture
there it’s in one of those little dual
picture frames where it’s one picture
frame but it’s two openings circular on
one side is Dad at 18 years old he has
on a black sort of a tuxedo it’s the top
half of him and a a bow tie his head is
cocked to the side and he’s smiling for
his little graduation picture from high
school in the other frame is Anthony at
18 years old graduating from high school
black suit bow tie and his head is
cocked exactly to the side just like
Daddy’s
same little expression they look exactly
the same at different seasons in their
lives
seeing Anthony because they have so many
similarities I’ve seen Anthony
oftentimes use this to his Advantage for
example
dad had incredible still has incredible
mileage on American Airlines the hub for
American Airlines is here in Dallas so
we always fly American Dad racked up all
these miles with the tri all the
traveling that he was doing through all
the years so he has like executive
Platinum Status or something like that
because of his miles I I know for a fact
that Anthony has gone to the American
Airlines counter
he has shown them his license which says
Tony Evans it says Anthony Evans they’ve
looked up my dad’s profile and gone oh
welcome Dr Evans
they’ve upgraded him to First Class the
beginning of the line just just all the
things
because they’re so similar to each other
I remember growing up Anthony would
answer the phone it might be somebody
calling for Daddy but Anthony sounded
just like that so he’d say hello and
before he’d give the phone to Dad he’d
get all the juicy details of the entire
phone call
and then he’d say hang on let me get
Daddy for you
so I’ve seen my brother take advantage
of these similarities every now and then
but I’m gonna tell you one person or
several of us that he cannot fool
in the first five seconds of a phone
call
I know which of the two Anthony’s has
called me they don’t even have to say a
word I know from the way they’re
breathing or the time of the phone call
I know which Anthony is calling me and
that’s because I’ve spent my life
getting to know the two anthonies
the similarities between the voice of
God and the enemy that is trying
desperately to deceive unless you’ve
spent a lifetime getting to know the
voice and the character and the content
of what your God would communicate
unless you’ve spent your life getting to
know him then the enemy is going to play
you for the fool every single time
so our responsibility is to equip the
women that God has entrusted to us to
know who God is
the goal is not necessarily to get them
to know themselves better
that is a narcissistic way to approach
scripture
that I’m trying to see me in every
passage and see what more about me and
learn more about myself in the past
that’s not primarily what the book is
for
it’s for you to know him
and as you come to know him you see
yourself more clearly because you know
who you are in relation to him and what
he’s called you to do and what he’s
entrusted to you in the inheritance
that’s made available to you and how to
operate by the power of the spirit of
God the gifts of the Spirit the fruit of
the spirit it helps us to see ourselves
more clearly but that ain’t the primary
goal it is not a self-help book
okay we’re trying to know him so that we
can know his leading his counsel in our
lives and we’re trying to make decisions
what would glorify God what would help
me to be an instrument to be used by God
in this particular situation so I’m
going to tell you that when you get to
this portion of
um your message preparation when you’re
asking what does it mean this is where
you really need to make sure that you
are asking that question in light of the
context of the passage in which it is
situated who was the original author
who was the audience that he was talking
to what were they going through that
made him write this letter to them at
this particular point in their
relationship with Christ as new
Believers if you’re looking at something
in the New Testament what did this
author what did he intend to communicate
when pending this text
what were the circumstances that these
people were in
at this particular time
what was plaguing them that made it
necessary for him to feel the need to be
able to communicate this extra biblical
Insight in and around these passages
um like some books I’m getting ready to
show you that have been incredibly
helpful to me through the years they’re
going to help you to be able to put
substantial Flesh on the text that you
were sharing for example if I’m going to
talk to them about what we’ve just
discussed a few moments ago in John
chapter 10 where Jesus says in verse 27
my sheep hear my voice I know them and
they follow me he’s going to talk all
about the sheep and the shepherd and how
a stranger’s voice they will not follow
but when he calls to them his voice will
lead them out that looks and sounds like
freedom to me
[Music]
if I read that passage and then I get
some context around it because there are
some things in the scriptures as you all
know we can’t bring our modern version
of that to the text and then try to
create a message out of what happens
today in 2022 based on that scripture if
he’s going to talk about soil and wheat
and grapes and sheep we need to know
what a Vineyard looked like back then
not today
so if I find out that a middle eastern
Sheepfold in the first century was about
a waste High a stone a fence line that
would Encompass an enormous area and
that there could be 10 Shepherds that
would take their 100 a piece sheep that
they would go around in similar vicinity
throughout the day these ten Shepherds
keeping their 100 sheep in fairly close
proximity but then in the evening all 10
of these Shepherds would take their
sheep to one fold
so it wasn’t just one group of sheep in
the fold There Were Ten different sheets
so now she flocks so now there are one
thousand sheep in one fold but they
don’t all belong to the same Shepherd
and then if I find out that this
Sheepfold has one opening that does not
have a door
it’s just open
and that one of the the ten Shepherds
would stay behind he would become like
the porter for the night he would lay
his body across the opening of the
Sheepfold becoming the door
of the fold
the nine would go to the town for the
evening they would stay there but one
would stay behind so that he could be
the protector the guardian for all of
these flocks that are inside this fold
to make sure no Predator No Stranger
came to take advantage of the sheep that
were inside the fold
and then in the morning when a Shepherd
would come from the town the porter
would remove his body from the opening
of the Sheepfold and he’d start studying
this Shepherd before he ever got
anywhere close to the Sheep to make sure
that this Shepherd was a true Shepherd
of one of the flocks that was inside
and when he authenticated that this was
a true Shepherd then he would move his
body from the opening of the Sheepfold
he would let the shepherd pass into the
Sheepfold and that Shepherd would call
his sheep
[Music]
all one thousand would hear the call but
only 100 of it would of them would
recognize the call as having come from
their Shepherd
this sounds like the Apostle Paul saying
that the natural man is not able to
apprise the things of the spirit because
he doesn’t have a relationship with God
and with the Holy Spirit
Romans 1 says that God is always
speaking there’s General Revelation
available for everybody meaning you
can’t look at the stars and the
mountains and the horizons and the
oceans and not know there has got to be
a god somewhere
pulling this off
that kind of General Revelation is
available for everybody but only the
sheep that belong to him will hear and
recognize more personal Direction the
illumination of the scripture
so when I have that flesh
to put on the meat of what I’m sharing
it adds a weightiness and a gravity and
a clarity about what it was Jesus was
actually saying
when I know that
that someone that would dye Fabrics to
make clothing back in the Old Testament
days the Weavers the fabric Dyers when I
figure out that they would they could
dye those Fabrics those threads any
color but the only color that was
actually unable to be removed or changed
or shifted in any way once it was dyed
the only color
was Scarlet
[Music]
the other ones could you could add other
things to make another color make it
look a little different over time it
might fade it might wear off Scarlet
once it was dyed it was impossible to be
removed so when the prophet says in
Isaiah though your sins are like Scarlet
he can wash you white as snow
context
what is it that was happening in that
time period that would make what it is
that Jesus is saying here or the Apostle
is teaching here the prophet is sharing
add some weight to it you’ve got to be
able to take the time
to find that out for yourself
and also to find that out so that you
can be a worthy minister to those who
have been entrusted to you in any
particular space I’m going to tell you
before we jump from this some of the
most helpful books
I’m still I’m old enough I’m not not old
old but I’m old enough
that I still like books with paper pages
I gotta tell you
now I will tell you that I love Logos
Bible software I will tell you I have
logos you’ve got logos I will tell you
if you’re going to invest in something
to help you not only personally but with
teaching and Ministry I don’t know that
I have a more valuable tool than logos
on my computer and I’m telling you this
I’m not a a paid endorser of of them or
nothing like that I have no relationship
with them in that way this is me just
saying to you logos has been such a
blessing to me it’s a compilation of
thousands of resources that one click of
the button on one passage pulls all
those resources together for you in one
file so that you can see study
information you wouldn’t get unless you
had the hours and hours and hours and
hours to go to the library at Dallas
Theological Seminary and look through
dissertations from 1970 something or 60
something you don’t have enough time we
don’t to be able to pull up some of
these truths and riches that they have
compiled for you so if you do want to
invest in something
um Electro technological or software
package I highly recommend logos here’s
one of my favorite books
this one is called the manners and
customs of Bible times manners and
customs of Bible times Ralph Gower
g-o-w-e-r
I’m real and dear to this book because
y’all I came across this book from
homeschool to my kids
this was one of the books in their
curriculum when my kids were Elementary
age and it helped us to go through their
Bible lessons so bite size maybe two
pages or three pages for each portion of
scripture that they’re discussing but it
puts meat on the bones of that
particular passage of scripture
this is an incredible resource for you
to have on your your shelf
one more time manners and customs
of Bible times
the author is Gower
g-o-w-e-r Ralph Gower
okay another one is called I’m going to
spell this one for you it’s the cragle
pictorial guide and I’ll leave these up
here after we finish so that you can
look at them the cragle it’s KR
EG
El
the kregal pictorial guide to Bible
History
I just brought one of these you can see
they’re like little magazines there are
probably four or five of these in the
set of these that he has available and
each one of them has like a pull out
either timeline of that particular span
of scripture or it’s got a map that will
show you the the Palestine area that
you’re studying
um incredibly useful when I’ve been in
the process of writing certain Bible
study series I will just have this thing
laid out on the floor trying to figure
out who was the king in Judah when such
and such was the king in Israel and when
did the the kingdom divide and
Incredibly helpful and yet I’m sharing
with you the ones that are most succinct
and direct that give you the meat of the
information that you’re looking for so
again if you do get your hands on this
one keep in mind that there are probably
three or four maybe five of these that
he has and they’re all worth grabbing
hold of the craigle pictorial guide to
Bible History one more that I want to
show you Jonathan and I were just my
brother Jonathan and I were just in the
back before or this session started
talking about this book right here I
have read this book probably five times
and I will read it again it’s called The
Epic of Eden
the Epic of Eden epic the Epic of Eden
by Sandra Richter r-i-c-h
t-e-r and again I’ll leave these right
up here so that you can take a look at
them if you want to see them closer
Sandra Richter I ran into her when I was
at a Women’s Conference somewhere she
was one of the presenters there and she
is a seminary Professor or was at the
time so she’s a seminary Professor with
a whole lot of personality I drank in
everything this woman said she basically
just brought up the fact that most of
our theological awareness and insight
and information it looks like our
closets at home our clothing closets she
said you got all this stuff and don’t
know what to do with it
she’s like it’s in there though you got
especially if you grew up in church you
got it all there but it’s so much in
there that you keep wearing the same two
things over and over and over because
you’ve forgotten the stuff that’s in the
back it’s smashed together still got the
tags on it you’ve never used it and it’s
so unorganized that if we can just bring
organization to your closet
you will enjoy walking into your closet
again because you’ll be able to see
where everything’s at so she helps you
get your theological Closet in order
and it’s exceptional you will never read
the Bible the same again once you’ve
read the Epic of Eden so I mentioned it
to you and I don’t say it lightly I read
that I’ve read it at least five or six
times it’s got highlights and little
things sticking out of it little pieces
you know sticking out where they’re
major points that I’ve used it different
times when I’ve been writing or studying
I will read the whole thing again and
again and again it’s one of the richest
resources that I’ve ever laid my hands
on so those are just a few of the
resources that I wanted to tell you
about aside from Logos Bible software
that are going to be helpful to you when
you are trying to put meat on the bones
and and ask yourself that second
question which leads to interpretation
that question was what does it mean our
third question
that leads to application
is
what does it mean to me
that’s the question that leads the
application
in light of the author’s original
intention
how might the Holy Spirit be
personalizing this in order to give
Insight or personal direction or
guidance to my life or to someone’s life
right now
given the current events and culture
Family Life Church struggles Etc how
does what we just studied in this how
does it change us how is it meant to
inform us reshape us direct us move us
from this point forward
asking this question is what gets to
application and can I just tell you
aside from message preparation in your
personal uh time with the Lord
this is the question
okay
because you’ve already asked what does
it say you’ve asked what does it mean
you’ve asked the Holy Spirit to help you
see what it means
but then you’re always trying to get to
okay Lord
what does this mean for me
because God does not speak to be heard
he speaks to be obeyed
so you’re asking okay Lord now what do
you want what are you asking of me oh is
there a promise I’m supposed to heed
is there a directive that I’m supposed
to follow
is there a way that my attitude is
supposed to be shifted
am I supposed to relate to that person
differently now as a result of what I
just read
father there’s a battle that I’m facing
in my life you just told the children of
Israel be still and see the salvation of
the Lord father is there some way that
I’m supposed to react and respond right
now as a result of what I just read in
the passage
if you still speaking of personal time
with the Lord if you come across a
passage of scripture which you will
where you are reading about you know the
the Hittites that fought the jebusites
and the amorites about the Hittites and
those ites ate those ites and you’re
trying to figure out what does this have
to do with me has that ever happened to
you you don’t know what has to do you
and Leviticus like what
all right
the question on the floor still is
what does this show me about the
character of God though
what does this tell me about him
because remember the more you know him
the more clearly you’re going to be able
to hear him y’all y’all know who said
that to me um Henry blackaby
was at this conference or the church
development conference that Mom and Dad
hosted all those years he came one year
and he spoke and we were I was just
sitting at the end of the table I must
have been like 21 I don’t know I’m
sitting at the end of the table and him
and dad and they’re all down there at
the other end time I was on the kids
side you know he’d had to sit in the
kids section and I was on the kids
section but I’m kind of like
eavesdropping on whatever they’re saying
if you don’t know who Henry blackaby is
girl where have you been you need to
know who Henry blackaby is and you need
to run I was about to say to the
bookstore but go on Amazon and you’ve
got to get um Experiencing God
it’s a workbook it it’s transformative
life transformative
um Henry blackaby wrote that Pride 25
years ago now but I remember sneaking in
a little question I said Mr blackaby can
you tell me how you know when God is
speaking to you
and I remember thinking oh I’m gonna get
a whole Seminary class like I was ready
to write stuff down and all that and his
answer to me was
really it’s pretty simple the more you
know God the more clearly you can hear
God
that was it
he also shared with me he said Priscilla
sometimes I still get it wrong
the only time we know a hundred percent
that God has spoken to us is after the
fact when we look back and see if what
we did lined up with what it was that
God was saying giving the outworking of
what occurred so that was my way of
knowing that even Henry blackaby is
saying I’m still growing in this that we
never arrive we’re not like experts in
relating to God but the great thing
about our God is that his grace is
sufficient for us
and that our mistakes become the most
incredible teachers for the future of
how we relate to God and hear him in our
relational lives with him
and so we need to make sure thank you we
need to make sure that um we are
teaching people the whole counsel of God
and that we’re asking this question of
the text even in the hard parts of the
text what does it mean to me God how are
you trying to show yourself to me and
how am I supposed to respond in light of
this this is the application okay this
is what you’re trying to get to for
yourself personally but it is also what
you’re trying to get to
when you’re teaching as many times as I
am able I am going to get to application
okay when I look back at my notes of
what I’ve written down from these three
questions I will often find that there
is a theme that emerges
Redemption Grace
Focus
there’s something that emerges as the
primary point of what this Red Sea
experience or Jericho experience or this
particular King who did not honor God or
this young King Josiah at eight years
old who didn’t matter what his
grandfather and his father and all them
great uncles did Josiah at eight years
old honored God what is it about this
text that shimmers to the top of the
things that I’ve written down as the
primary point
if I start to use my personal quiet time
notes as something that I’m going to
then look at it for a message I am
looking through all these questions that
I’ve answered and I’m looking for the
primary theme that shimmers to the top
of what the the point is of that
particular passage and I’m going to
write that down at the top of my page
whatever that is focus Redemption Grace
faith I write that down at the top of
the page and then these three principles
really do provide the framework for the
points underneath the message
the paraphrase becomes the top point for
each of the three points or four points
that I have for a message
what does it mean or what does it say
that becomes the top point because the
the beginning of every point is what
does it say
that’s how I start every point that
points back to this major theme is I’m
taking them to the passage because I
want you to be able to know and see
after we finish and the conference is
over and you’ve gone home and all the
fun and the chill bumps have worn off
and you had a great time but now you’re
back in your regular life I need you to
be able to open up the book
and you can still see exactly what the
passage says that you heard in the
conference today or you heard in our
Bible study time today so every point
point one point two point three point
four or just two points whatever that
comes from what does the passage say
underneath each point I’m looking for
what does the passage mean
and so underneath each point now I’m
going to say what the passage means what
the interpretation is what the author
was saying here to the original audience
what are the meat on the bones for this
particular point that helped to bring
some umph to this particular point that
I’m making here in the passage
and then I’m going to get as quickly as
I possibly can what does it mean to you
application
if they are not needy enough points then
they they can’t make it in the message
everything you
you’ve studied all the insights that
you’ve gotten all of the little
illustrations that have come to your
mind y’all you’ve had it happen to you
before where it really could have been a
great message that somebody was sharing
but it was just too much
you don’t know what the point is no more
you don’t know
it’s lunch time you hungry it’s too much
one of the filters that helps me to weed
that out is if this point isn’t meaty
enough to hang on to all three of these
segments what does it say what does it
mean what does it mean to me observation
interpretation application if it’s not
meaty enough to give me all three of
those it’s not gonna make it
that helps me to filter through all of
the stuff that might be rolling around
in my mind and my heart that I would
like to say but most of the time I
learned this from Zig Ziglar when I was
20 years old audiences are going to
remember 10 of what you’ve said
10 percent so if I have an hour with
them if I have 45 minutes with them
every single one of these principles
needs to be not only meaty but they need
to point back to the main point
I can’t have so many extraneous points
that when someone’s asked what did she
speak about they can tell you some funny
joke I told they can tell you a little
story that I’ve mentioned but they don’t
know what the point was
they’ve got to know what was the
overarching theme that the speaker the
preacher the teacher intended to
communicate and they know exactly what
that was because every other point you
mentioned it just basically was an arrow
pointing back to that main point
after I have formulated those those uh
points based on that General framework
then most of the time I go back through
and that’s when I add illustrations
um sometimes as I’m preparing a message
oh the illustration just come to mind
because my kid just did the thing
yesterday and it’s fresh on my mind or
it just happened you know or I saw it on
the news and oh that’s a great example
um and so I filter in those those
illustrations but I do say illustrations
I say that word specifically y’all
because an illustration is different
than a story
an illustration is designed to be a
signpost that points you to a bigger
theme
a bigger picture it’s illness
illustrative of something
okay you you might have some great
stories but if it does not illustrate
your point do not tell it
we we don’t have enough time for that
you have to say you got to get 10 of
what you’re saying is what they’re going
to carry home for them you don’t have
time to waste with a whole bunch of cute
stories that actually don’t illustrate
what it is that God has asked you to
share with these people
um on this particular occasion so ask
yourself is this a great story or
actually does it undergird support and
accentuate the point that I’m trying to
make in this particular passage of
scripture a gentleman by the name of
Richard Allen farmer some of you may
know him he was in our church for a very
long time he pastors now in Atlanta I
actually think he’s about to retire now
he said something to me years ago that
I’ve kind of stayed on this track for 20
years now but he had a little black book
with him it was like a little um Journal
but it was only about this big
he kept it with him all the time
and he said Priscilla this is my
illustrations book
when something happens
somebody says something I see something
on the news or something happens in my
life someone says something and it
Shimmers with
illustration possibility
that you know how sometimes you can see
something or hear something and you
don’t know yet exactly
but you just feel something on that you
know what I’m talking about
a gentleman um Rodney Maiden we were
just in the Green Room earlier talking
his wife has Ms she struggled with it
for a long time and he was just talking
about a few minutes ago he was talking
about how his wife who hasn’t been able
to stand for quite some time now because
of the toll Ms is taking on her body
she has a new physical therapist and
massage therapist who is now working
with her and he was showing me video of
how Now using a walker she can stand up
and and Jonathan asked Pastor Maiden
what is it about what the massage
therapists the physical therapist is
doing
uh that’s helping her and he said well
what he’s caused us to see is that Ms is
telling her brain that her muscles can’t
do it
but her muscles can still do it it’s
just her her brain is telling her
muscles so they can’t do it so the
therapist is reminding their her muscles
of what they are capable of
now I don’t know yet what sermon that’s
going in all I’m saying
as he was talking about muscle memory
and that you just have to have somebody
come
on a remind your muscles of what they
are capable of doing
[Music]
illustration book
illustration book it might be a little
notes file that is on your phone I have
I have one now I still have a little
black book but now most of the time I’ve
just got a little file in my nose
section it says illustrations they are
numbered
so every now and then if I’m writing a
book or I’m writing a Bible study or I’m
in a message I might just go and flip
through my illustrations and I’m like ah
number three number 238 and I’ll put
that number in my teaching notes
so that later I can go back and put
Flesh on it and connect the dots well
with the illustration but I’ve got this
Treasure Trove of illustrations from
life
the very frustrating thing isn’t it when
you really need a good illustration but
you’re trying to think of it in the
moment
but if we are good stewards
that’s the way I see it y’all and I try
to I ask the Lord about this all the
time because I’m like Lord help me to be
a good Steward at 2 A.M when you waking
me up
you’re waking me up at 2 A.M but I know
this thing this principle this Insight
something that happened yesterday I’m
gonna forget it see we think we’re gonna
remember at 8 30 a.m when we wake up but
we’re not
we’re not so you have to have something
where even at 2 A.M real quick you can
jot down whatever three or four words
are going to help you remember that full
story in the morning or that thing that
happens while you’re in the grocery
store line and you run across something
that you’re like oh that Shimmers with
spiritual Insight keep you an ongoing
collection of stories that you don’t
know what you’re going to use them for
yet
but you know at some point the Lord
might give you opportunity to filter
that in that will be a Lifeline for you
be a Lifeline for you so that’s been one
of the things that has been very helpful
for me and then right before we go uh to
answer some questions that you might
have I want to tell you this and you all
know this but I’m going to say it again
in your personal quiet time
but also it’s like two it’s like two
tracks of a train that we’ve been
walking down for this last hour together
your personal quiet time but also your
teaching time I’m going to tell you to
never undervalue the component of Prayer
of course
let your message rest and soak for a
little while while you pray for it
while you just ask the Holy Spirit to do
what only he can do
some of the most beneficial time that I
spend
when I am preparing a message is when
I’m not actively preparing it
it’s when I do the thing as best I can
for that two hours that day or whatever
and then I put it aside and go take a
walk
go wash the dishes go run a couple of
errands and just as I’m going Lord what
else do you want to say to me about that
passage what else is in there that I’m
missing Lord what Revelation do you want
me to bring Lord what is it that you
want to say to me about my own life as
I’m just going about the regular rhythms
of life or just go to sleep
sometimes it’s while I’m asleep
it’s like the Lord just goes let me just
help this girl out real quick
Beth Moore said to me one day that
sometimes she puts her Open Bible on the
pillow next to her and goes to sleep and
she’s like well Lord look if you could
figure that out and tell me tonight
while I’m asleep I would really
appreciate that
but in all seriousness sometimes you can
be so engrossed in this the act of
trying to get it all right that
sometimes the most fruitful time I have
in message preparation is to be diligent
in my study yes but then to Let It Go
and just say Lord I entrust this to you
you already know the women that are
coming you know what it is they need to
hear you know what’s going on in their
personal life right now I don’t you do
so Lord what little insights or extras
or other verses from the scripture that
you want me to bring in here to support
what it is that you want to share with
them bring those things to mind Lord
that no matter how hard I study I’m not
going to remember that unless you
bring it to my mind and bring it to my
heart so do not undervalue the potency
of Prayer over your message
okay I hope that was helpful to you
a little bit
amen
I appreciate y’all y’all are kind
okay we have I think we have some more
time right Shonda we do we have some
time which is great
um and shonda’s walking around with a
microphone so if you have a question and
don’t mind speaking it into the
microphone that’ll be helpful then
everybody can hear it and I can do my
best to be able to answer it yes ma’am
Priscilla thank you so much for this
Insight it’s great my question is do you
memorize your messages you rarely go
back and forth to your your papers you
know even at conferences it’s like it’s
all in here so how do you do that
um there are many different ways
obviously to be able to do a message I
have friends that manuscript their whole
their whole message out I can tell you
the older I’ve gotten y’all the more
words I’ve written down on the page I
think there are several reasons for that
I think it’s because I’m a little bit
older
but also because I do think there is
a Precision in your words that you can
have when you’ve written them down
because it gives you an opportunity to
go
is that is that what I’m trying to
communicate right there and honestly in
our social media age where everybody can
take one little clip out
and take this clip to just say and mean
and look what she said and all that
Precision matters so I will say I’m I
write more down than I used to
um I used to just have several bullet
points or words that would remind me of
the illustration here or the point that
I was trying to make here but I do write
more down now
um I don’t really
rehearse a message in that sense that
I’m that I’m saying it specifically
but I’ve I’ve stood on it so long that
I’m just sort of aware of where I’m
headed here but I’ve got notes in front
of me in case I went off on a rabbit
trail and I need to kind of get back on
track
um so I don’t know how to answer that
question exactly
um
but I will also say one of the things
about the ministry that the Lord has
called me to is I’m very rarely in the
same place with the same women in the
same dynamic as many of you are you’re
in a church setting and you’re
discipling the same women what that
means is that if the Lord puts a message
or a theme of messages on my heart I can
speak those messages two or three or
four times throughout the year because
I’m in front of an entirely different
group if that’s still What the Lord Has
on my heart so by the time I’ve gotten
to the third time that I’ve spoken that
message there is a familiarity and an
ease obviously that I would have because
I’ve shared it a couple other times so
so that would be different for somebody
that is preparing for every Wednesday
night to speak to the same people and I
just think there needs to be no shame in
your game or anybody’s game about I
wrote this sucker down and I’m gonna
read this to y’all
thank you
because I you know I haven’t had the
time to prepare it and also absorb it so
much that I can just speak
extemporaneously from it so I hope that
helps a little bit okay
so thank you for your message you’re
welcome and uh observation
interpretation is there a possibility
that
all the women in this room could have a
different interpretation as they observe
and read that’s a great question
um
yes and no
um you know there’s a truth to scripture
that is not it’s black and white
but the way that relates to someone and
that might get more into the application
aspect of it but the way it hits you
might the words might come out
differently or the the bent that that
interpretation takes might be a little
different I’m trying to think of a um
a specific example right now one’s not
coming to my head but there are so many
different it’s like a diamond it’s like
the way I turn the diamond the way the
light hits it this way is going to be
different than if I turn the diamond
this way it’s not right or wrong it’s
just the way that I have turned it in
that particular occasion the scripture
is like that it’s the same way how you
can read one passage of scripture and
you could teach an entirely different
message that’s still accurate and teach
a whole different message that has a
different bent to it that leans to a
different theme from the exact same
passage so I do think that there can be
nuanced interpretations that are still
accurate but they’re coming from the
lens of they don’t bend truth so I want
to make sure I’m clear about that but
they’re coming from the lens and
perspective of the person who is who’s
mining the text for that particular
interpretation
I hope that’s helpful
hope that’s right Dad should have
answered that question
thank you so much for that
um how do you interpret the true
interpretation of the word to the
seasoned religious uh women of the
church
say what’s the question to the seasoned
how do I interpret
the religious the religious
um you know versus tradition
okay what Shonda interpret the question
what’s the question I think she’s saying
how do you get people who are setting
their ways
I tried to keep it clean
you just pray and
[Laughter]
how do you get them to see something
from a different perspective or in a
different way
the true what the scripture is actually
saying um
foreign
have an answer for that
that’s that’s a tough one isn’t it
because
a lot of church culture culture is
wrapped up in Tradition just kind of the
way we’ve always done it so this is the
way it’s always supposed to be done
and I don’t know that I have a response
for that really that is direct other
than to say that we keep praying and
entrusting people to the Lord and then
we keep saying what the scripture says
and keep teaching it and then let the
Lord cause that to drill down into
people’s heart and hopefully begin to
soften their heart and to bear fruit but
we can’t force change that never works
well
but just sort of cultivating an
environment where the old meets the new
slowly introducing whatever those new
traditional nuances are and then praying
for the softening of Hearts as we
continue to stay true to the teaching of
scripture oh I know that’s not a direct
I wish there was a formula for that
that’s a good one
y’all sound like you’re on Wheel of
Fortune good answer
okay we have one here and then one over
here as well
oh
you have an answer for her okay we’ll
get back to it just a second go ahead so
if you can recall before you started to
speak are there disciplines that you
would go back to or ways that you would
encourage your younger self before like
you know you have that um that calling
and and the words come you feel the holy
spirit so you know it’s there but if you
were to speak to your younger self
whether it be just as plans that you
would say like every day Priscilla take
an hour to study the Bible or or what
things would you say to prepare yourself
for what you believe God is saying is
coming oh that’s a great question thank
you for asking that
um one of the things that I got the
privilege to do that I didn’t know until
hindsight was going to be incredible uh
incredible for me was I got to serve and
Graham Lotz
she just had me with her I don’t know if
you know who Ann Graham Lotz is
Lord have mercy
such Authority and power coupled with
femininity
and I just saw her up close I don’t know
what put it on her heart to have me come
and Emcee a few little events that she
was doing but I would go and I would
serve her which meant I was in The Green
Room which meant when her and Jill
Briscoe and K Arthur whoever were in
there talking to see what Integrity
looked like when they were not in front
of people I was drinking and all that I
would tell a younger woman get around
some older women who are doing the thing
you feel called to do and serve them be
quiet and sit there and serve them and
observe what it is that God is doing in
their life I would say that I would also
say
particularly if you’re writing speaking
as well but if you would like to write
right
it’s mind-blowing listen if you want to
write
we think about writing we try to develop
the outline for the writing we want to
do we study and research the things we
might write about someday
but we’re not writing so every day I
would be saying hey what two or three
hundred words can you get on paper today
that are not um they’re not
grammatically accurate they don’t sound
good they don’t have that Rhythm yet
it’s just words on a page there are
things from my early 20s
um because I was doing a Bible study for
some women at Southern Methodist
University
and there were some things I wrote down
that I wanted to share with them and
those 300 random words became the fodder
for books in my 30s that I didn’t even
know I was going to write but I would
see this little piece come up that I
wrote at 23 some random day and go oh my
goodness that point is exactly the point
that I need to make all of these bits
and pieces become useful they’re
foundations for things you don’t even
know that God is going to do in your
life or through your life later on so if
writing is a thing for you don’t wait
until you’ve got it all together you got
a title for the book you got the cover
art like you’re focused on all this
other thing no just right file it away
write what you’re inspired about the
next way next day and file it away so
those bits and pieces matter the third
thing I would say is ask the Lord he’s
given you a gifting he’s given you a
passion he’s given you a desire for
Ministry you entrusted back to him and
say Lord I’m going to hone what it is
that you have asked me or laid on my
heart
um to do ministry with I’m going to hone
that but while I’m honing it I am going
to entrust the people that I’m going to
deliver it to to you meaning the
audience is your responsibility
I think that sometimes we have pictured
in our mind what Ministry looks like
and what the audience Dynamic is
supposed to look like that if it doesn’t
look like that we don’t think we’re in
Ministry yet
but Lord I’m in ministry right now who
are the people today in my sphere of
influence what’s the audience that you
have given to me right now that you want
me to begin to share with as I mentioned
my cousin was in college at Southern
Methodist University and couldn’t find a
Bible study this is this is 20 years ago
so she said will you come lead a Bible
study I did that for five years I had no
idea that I’d be in Ministry or anything
like that I just went up to Southern
Methodist University and a lot of Bible
study for eight to ten women for five
years
so much of that became the fodder for
stuff I had no idea was a part of what
God had for me in the future so
entrusting the audience and what that
Dynamic will look like to the Lord let
him deal with who’s going to be in front
of you and how they’re going to be in
front of you and if it’s going to be
three or thirty thousand that’s up to
the Lord whether they’re going to be
white or black or mixed Or Hispanic or
whatever that Dynamic is the Lord will
entrust the people to you that need your
voice that need to maybe hear something
they’ve heard before but they need your
voice for them to really get it you have
to trust the Lord with that audience so
that’s what I tell my younger self girl
relax trust the Lord with the way he’s
going to do it and then I would also
tell myself to start now like you’re not
waiting on something
God has called you to it there’s
something for you to be doing right now
and that’s going to be the fodder for
later it’s a great question
okay and you had something to share
about the question over here about the
traditionalist
yes ma’am I don’t I don’t know exactly
who who had said that over there okay
but what I was just gonna say was you
know those are Rick Warren uses the term
uh extra Grace required those are EGR
kind of people that’s an EGR kind of
person and most of the time I have found
out my older women they they just want
to be heard so if I will just reach out
to them outside of Bible study and say
it’s not necessarily a discussion on
they just want to be heard they just
want their voice to be heard so okay
tell it to me over coffee or I’ll tell
it to me while we’re baking bread I
don’t know how to do any of that stuff
so that’s something she can tell me she
can tell me what to do she wants to be
heard so you might try that’s incredible
thank you so much okay I think is our
time up Shonda we still have a little
time okay all right Priscilla thank you
so much quick question
um has there ever been a season in your
life where your husband has been
intimidated by your ministry and your
unique calling girl why you all up in my
business though
[Applause]
that’s an amazing question to Be an
Effective wife in that season
[Applause]
um we’re out of town yeah yeah I hear
you
um in the case of
our marriage I will say that the answer
to that question is no
but not intimidated but he could feel
forgotten
Jerry I I’m married just the right guy
for what what the lord we neither one of
us knew at the time we got married this
would be the trajectory of Our Lives we
thought our life was going a whole
different direction
and I married a very very strong man
he’s a man’s man
a and we’re also gifted very differently
um I think that can be hard too that can
I will say harder in the sense that if
you’re both doing the exact same thing
you’re both in Ministry or you’re both
speakers you both have the same gifting
that can add some extra challenges that
I’m aware of in my case my husband is a
businessman he’s not trying to be on
nobody’s stage teaching or anything like
that and the flip side of that is I’m
not very I’m a business person but I’m
not very business minded with detail and
organization and he is so there are
elements of our life that fit together
in that way that causes us from either
from either one of us feeling
intimidated by the other that being said
if I’m not very conscious and careful
um
if he doesn’t feel needed
which I think is a male thing period
needed desired by us if we’re so busy
and consumed with everybody else and
what we’re doing to minister to people
and we don’t tend to their needs and
desires and just continuing to express
to them that they’re our priority
that could be a big a big thing that
chips away at our husbands slowly until
one day they don’t even recognize it
until one day they wake up and they’re
angry and they feel forgotten and the
real the real reason is is because we
have paid way more attention to our
Ministries and our calling than we have
to them
so I’ve had I’ve been very mindful of
that you know the older we’ve gotten in
marriage I’m even more and more mindful
of that
it’s a great question
[Music]
[Applause]
time for one more okay one more you go
okay we have to do two more because her
hands up too okay we’re gonna do two
quick ones I’m gonna make a short I’m
gonna respond with short answers so my
question is I’d like to teach from the
book for the women and so what is too
long too long to teach yes from a book
from a book like right now we’re doing
hearts of fire there’s eight women and
we only meet once a month and it’s so
impactful and heart-wrenching this book
but these women are sharing their
stories from foreign countries of the
love they have for Christ and what they
go through so we’re still in the book
and it’s it’s been close to a year but
everybody’s still okay well that’s what
I was about to say if your women are
still okay and y’all are still going
through and people are still engaged and
enjoying it
okay keep going don’t rush absolutely
because that thought does come to my
mind oh no yeah I think it’s totally
okay to take your time take your time as
long as everybody’s still engaged and
you can tell they’re still all being
enriched from it
ride ride that out enjoy that okay last
one and then we’ll
let you go
all right thank you
um can you share about like your
confidence and so of course like you
were doing what you were doing just
because you were doing it but when we
learned about Priscilla Shire you
probably were way you know have been
doing this for years can you talk about
your confidence in transition to the
larger call of what God was calling you
to do and then maybe even also Under the
Umbrella of you know Dr Evans as your as
your dad in in your process mat and then
my second part maybe really short
um do you still do like old-fashioned
writing and then like your processing
translators I was in the um kind of
content creation class earlier but are
you still very much like handwriting and
then Translating that as you’re writing
your book or doing your writing process
okay I’ll answer that one first since
it’s a little more succinct
um I type type on my you know Microsoft
Word
um and get everything figured out that
way I’m very much writing my own books
though I don’t have a ghost ride or
anything like that so I’m I’m very
methodical about making sure the words
that I want to be there are there I’m
hands on through editing processes and
stuff like that I want to write my own
books so
um I am right I’m not handwriting dad’s
still hand writes by the way on yellow
legal pads you all know them yellow
legal pads they everywhere they all
laying around the house in the office
upstairs so he still literally is
handwriting that sort of thing
um the transition I’m honestly looking
back I can’t even tell you when it
happened or how it happened we were just
doing the next thing that was in front
of us to do whether it was the films I
could say the same things or doing Bible
study it was the next thing that got put
in front of us to do and we were like
Lord do you want us to do this this
seems like what other people do not me
and then through a series of
confirmations one of them being my dad
older wiser people in my life who we
would call and go does this seem to you
like it’s on the track of what would be
next for us does it seem outside of the
calling that God has for me and I would
have affirmation and Confirmation
likewise some people that we trusted in
different phases would tell me this is
not this doesn’t line up right here we
don’t have a good feeling about this and
I would just say okay I’m not doing this
unless the people in my life
that are the mentors in my life again
the main one being dad and mom
um if they didn’t feel a confirmation
about that for me then I wouldn’t go
that direction but
I did go through a
several seasons I’ve had where I was
terrified terrified
um and and had to pray about the spirit
of fear being on me because I could
recognize it that it was not just a
little emotion it was the spirit of fear
and um people very lovingly prayed for
me that the spirit of fear would get its
hands off me so I could keep moving
forward but it was crippling so I’ve had
to go through different translation
transitions I can look back on them now
and realize that those moments where the
spirit of fear was heavy on me it was
when a transition was happening
um but you can’t see it in the moment
you can’t see that’s what happened
you’re just afraid or you feel a little
nervous
um but then in hindsight I realized it’s
when those transitions were happening
where the Lord was either taking us in a
different direction or opening up
different doors of opportunity
but there was never strategy to this and
I do want to I’ll leave with this there
was never strategy y’all like you said
people can just look from afar and they
go oh I wonder what she did can’t tell
you how many emails or letters we get
that want a formula
there wasn’t a strategy I didn’t send
out flyers or or marketing materials
this was not really the plan that I had
for my life it would certainly wasn’t
what my husband thought we was going to
be doing
um he’s a very private guy very private
and kind of behind closed doors so
especially the whole movie thing oh my
goodness we had to pray about that
before ever agreeing to do it just from
that vantage point of him being a
private person that once you’re on a
movie screen oh my goodness it takes
away that that little veil of privacy
that we may have had a little bit of
still before then so we’ve had to pray
about all these things and ask the Lord
for clarity before moving forward and
then we just feel like each step of the
way he lit up a step and we just took
that step forward and then we just wait
there until the next one but it wasn’t a
plan or a strategy
um so I would have been fine
I would have still been teaching Bible
study if it was just the 10 women that
were in the room to begin with because
it wasn’t about I wasn’t building
something I wasn’t trying to create
something I was just doing the next
thing
um and so I think that’s why Jerry and I
have found such contentment
we’re not ambitious about it we’re not
trying to be Savvy and flashy and create
something and have a bigger following
and sell more books and it’s not about
that at all it’s just about what’s the
next thing the Lord has asked us to do
because one day y’all
we’re going to see Jesus
yeah
listen and we’re going to be accountable
he is not going to ask me how many
Instagram followers I have
[Applause]
he’s going to ask me was I faithful with
the time talent and treasure he gave me
so be faithful honor God with your
calling and leave the rest to him Lord
Jesus I thank you so much for these
moments we’ve spent together bless these
women bless their Ministries in Jesus
name amen
[Music]
[Applause]