Friday, March 30, 2018

Simplicity ~ Devotion ~ Carol Kinsey ~ Giveaway


Simplicity

an Easter devotional from Carol Kinsey

 

My husband is the youth pastor at our church. I jokingly call myself the “Get one free.” While he’s the one on staff, I have the privilege of working along side him in ministry as a volunteer. One of the responsibilities we have every year is to help our high school youth group put together the Good Friday service. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. It is the day we reflect on Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, before the celebration of His resurrection, which we celebrate on Easter.


Every year, I work with the teens to create a reflective and evangelistic service. This year, we have written what we are fondly calling, “An Easter Carol.” It is a combination skit and worship service. For the past several weeks, the teens have worked hard to sculpt a powerful message of redemption and hope. I have been amazed at the passion God has put in the hearts of these teens to vulnerably share their testimonies, teach God’s Word, shine God’s love, and to do it excellently, with humility.

One of the things I love about working with teens is the passion and excitement that exudes from them when they let God use them. They aren’t caught up in program and methods. They aren’t worried about time. They’re not trying to be politically correct. They are simply pursuing Him.

A.W. Tozer, in his book, The Pursuit of God says, “Now as always God reveals Himself to ‘babes’ and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond.” Tozer adds, “When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself.”

The message of Christ is simple. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3, NASB). Sometimes it’s easy to get so bogged down adulting (a new word created by millennials), that we forget what’s really important. Knowing God.

Good Friday and Easter are my two favorite holidays. They can be summed up in two short sentences. Jesus died. Jesus rose. It’s simple. Our Creator is a loving God who sent His only Son to pay for our sins on the cross so that we might know Him. As you reflect on the simplicity of God’s gift this holiday weekend, I pray that you will find joy in knowing He is all we need.

An author friend of mine once told me my writing is “unapologetically Christian.” Her compliment was a huge encouragement to me. While I want my novels to be action packed, suspenseful stories my readers can’t put down, my number one priority is that my writing brings glory to my Savior, Jesus Christ. I want it to represent truth, to be honorable and pure. I don’t want to write anything that would make a person stumble morally. Philippians 4:8 says, Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (NASB). Writing brings me joy, and much of that joy comes from seeing my writing used as a tool to encourage my readers in their walk with the Lord, answer tough spiritual questions, and help non-believers understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. Philippians 4:8 is my standard and I pray that God will use my books not only to entertain but to bring glory to Himself.

About Witness Protection:
“There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed.” Ty Westgate is an ex-lawyer living under witness protection. Brooke Dunbar is a young nurse, struggling to find hope and healing from her past. After four years in hiding, Ty puts his faith in Christ and realizes his moral duty to tell his unsaved parents about Jesus. While this step of faith holds eternal significance for Ty’s parents, it also puts Ty’s life in jeopardy. Together, in this fast paced novel, Ty and Brooke work to unravel the truth behind Ty’s adversaries. Will Ty’s decision to share his faith cost him his life? Will Brooke learn to trust the One Who can heal her past? The price of freedom may be too high.

Buy Link for Witness Protection:
·       Amazon 
·       Barnesand Noble 
·        
Where to find Carol:
·       GoodreadsAuthor Page 

About Carol:
Carol Kinsey lives with her husband and their two daughters on a farm in rural Ohio. She and her husband have been involved in youth ministry for over twenty years and currently serve at a small country church, which inspired her first published novel, Under the Shadow of a Steeple in 2013. She has also published Witness Protection (2017), Greater Love (2015), and Until Proven Innocent (2014). Carol is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Along with her fiction, Carol is published in several nonfiction venues. In 2016, she launched a homeschool writing curriculum, Creative Writing Through Literature. She is also a contributing author for Relationships Under Construction, an internationally used abstinence curriculum, and has written for Heartbeats. She has a passion for writing exciting, Christ-centered literature that uplifts, encourages, and gives glory to God. For more information, visit carolkinsey.net.

About the Giveaway:
Carol is generously offering an autographed copy of her book Witness Protection to one of this blog's readers … US only, please. To enter, just leave a comment below with your contact information and answer the following question (optional): What first comes to your mind when you think of this Holy weekend? Giveaway ends one week from today, on Friday, April 6, 2018, at Midnight, CDT. 
Bonus: Become one of this blog's followers (see sidebar) and mention it in your comment, for an extra entry in the giveaway.



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