Community - ReplenishFest

Harvesting Gratitude: A Thankful Reflection on Our Summer Worship Music Festival

by Teresa Martin | Nov 21, 2023 | Community

As the autumn leaves paint a canvas of warm hues and the air carries the crisp scent of change, we find ourselves in the season of Thanksgiving. It’s a time to reflect, appreciate, and express gratitude for the blessings that have enriched our lives. In the spirit of this season, let’s take a moment to extend our heartfelt thanks to the amazing people who joined us at Replenish Festival this past summer.

A Symphony of Gratitude

This summer, our hearts were lifted, and our spirits soared as we gathered under the open sky to celebrate faith through the universal language of music. Replenish Festival was not just an event; it was a journey of praise and thanksgiving. Each note, each lyric, and each voice contributed to a symphony of gratitude that resonated throughout the festival grounds.

The Gift of Unity

One of the most beautiful aspects of Replenish Festival was the sense of unity that permeated the atmosphere. Christians from diverse backgrounds, coming together as one community, unified in their devotion and love for Christ. We are immensely grateful for the connections forged, friendships made, and the collective worship experience that transcended individual differences.

Melodies of Reflection

The music played at the festival wasn’t just entertainment; it was a catalyst for reflection. The lyrics echoed truths that stirred our souls, encouraging us to contemplate our faith, our purpose, and our gratitude. Each song became a vessel for introspection, a moment to express thanks for the blessings we often take for granted.

Shared Testimonies

The festival was not only a platform for musical expression but also a space for shared testimonies. Gratitude flowed through the stories of transformation, healing, and renewed faith that were shared during those sacred days. It was a reminder that our journeys are interconnected, and we have much to be thankful for in our collective walk of faith.

A Tapestry of Memories

As we scroll through the photos and videos captured during the festival, we’re reminded of the vibrant tapestry of memories woven during those summer days. Each image is a snapshot of a moment filled with joy, worship, and thanksgiving. We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to making those moments unforgettable.

In this season of Thanksgiving, we extend our sincerest gratitude to each and everyone who attended Replenish Festival this past summer. Your presence, your worship, and your spirit contributed to an experience that goes beyond a mere event; it’s a tapestry of shared gratitude and faith.

As we gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, let’s carry the spirit of worship and gratitude into our celebrations. Share your favorite festival memories, express your thanks for the blessings in your life, and let the melodies of gratitude continue to resound in our hearts.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with the warmth of love, the joy of fellowship, and the harmonies of gratitude.

National Day of Prayer

by Teresa Martin | May 4, 2017 | Community, Connection

Guest Post by Richard Rogers. Richard writes daily posts via his Facebook page. Follow him on Facebook here.

Today is the National Day of Prayer! I encourage you to join me in lifting for our country. and for our leaders in prayer. Let’s ask God to bless America and to send a wave of revival across this great nation that we may return to the godly values and principles of the Bible upon which this country was founded.

Dear God, please forgive our national transgressions and bless the United States of America again. The Lord has promised that: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Calling of Preacher…

by Teresa Martin | Jan 23, 2017 | Community, Connection, Monday Word for Men

Guest Post by Lenny Hall of Sons of Thunder Ministries

1 John 2:27 NKJV — ²⁷But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will^a] abide in Him.

The Calling of Preacher, More Than Seminary

An Oracle of Almighty God who speaks words that are more often than not inspired by the Holy Spirit in a rhythmic fluid style.

The art of preaching is not a learned behavior, rather an anointed function that carries weight and power that breaks negative and false paradigms off of the listener. Seminaries and Homiletics can not produce a preacher, as the “art of the preacher” is reserved only for those the hand of God has anointed and empowered. Preaching has the unique ability to bypass the conscious mind and penetrate and even impregnate the very spirit of its audience. Often the preacher is not speaking to stimulate the mind rather they speak words of deep wisdom as they understand that deep calls out to deep. They bend the bow of their tongue and aim the fiery arrows of God’s blazing words into the spirit of man.

A preacher in and of itself is a calling not a profession, for one can not choose to be a preacher, rather God calls the preacher through a holy interruption somewhere in their life’s journey, arresting them by the heavenly calling, at this point, the calling empowers and ignites a fire within him/her that burns deep with in their heart with passion and zeal.

The Word and Prayer is the fuel of the preacher, as these two are the hammer and chisel that enables them to penetrate even the hardest of hearts. The illumination of revelation that comes from deep study and prayer is the cadence that the preacher marches and moves to. Very seldom will a preacher be moved by the will of man, but they bend ever so easily at the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit, for the preacher knows at the end of the day, that as an oracle, it is not their word that they must steward and deliver to the people, rather it is the word of the Lord. It is when the preacher lies their head on his pillow at night that his heart must be at peace with the heavenly calling, knowing that they have been faithful to preach the word with power under the holy anointing in the Spirit of Love.

— Lenny Hall

#MondayWordForMen

Every Woman Needs Encouragement

by Teresa Martin | Jan 18, 2017 | Community, Connection, Wednesday Word for Women

This guest post was first publicized on the blog at frazzledazzlemama.com; written by Teresa Martin.

Is it selfish of me to want someone to encourage me? As I am a mom, I am often found in the role of the encourager. Through the years, I’ve encouraged little ones to try a new food, to try to ride their bike without training wheels, to try a new skill, a new sport or activity. A mama’s “well” can get pretty low sometimes. Every mom needs a chance to get filled back up so she can pour back out.

So how do you get filled up? It’s different for everyone. One of the things that I am thankful for has been a supportive group of women whom I met through a MOPS group at the church I previously attended. I joined MOPS when my oldest was just 2 years old and I’ve never regretted it. MOPS grew friendships that I might not have ever had; it grew friendships that continue to this day.

With our culture warping our thinking, I was a young woman who thought I had to be the one to conquer all. I vividly remember a Enjoli Perfume commercial (circa 1980) when I was growing up where the woman sang about “bringing home the bacon”. It was a commercial that set in my brain that women can do it all! I grew up with Barbie and she could be anything she wanted to be. And yes, my favorite super-hero was Wonder Woman. So, when I had my first child, in my mind, I was supposed to be a woman who worked my full-time job, came home, cooked a good nutritious meal, kept my house clean: dishes washed, clothes clean and put away, and kids fed, washed and cared for, kept the hubby happy and cared for him, kept the bills paid and on and on. I had this naive idea that somehow I could do it ALL and do it well. After all, I am a Gen X’er and that commercial told me women could do it all and with ease.

When I struggled with babies who were fussy… my “well” got depleted quickly. I felt like a failure. My MOPS group provided support to me that assured me I was “normal”, that I was NOT failing and just like them, was doing the very best each of us could. It was REFRESHING to find other women just like me. It was a loving environment where women helped each other and prayed for one another. When one mom’s dad passed away, we rallied around her and provided meals for her for a few days as she dealt with funeral arrangements and details.

As I said, those friendships started back then continue to this day. When I had a scary phone call from my doctor, I went to those women to seek prayer and they came through for me. Through the years, they’ve offered support. They’ve offered encouragement. Sometimes that encouragement comes in the form of a hand-written note, a text or a phone call. Sometimes it comes as a silent, but “be there” presence. One thing is for certain, there’s not a woman I know that doesn’t need encouragement in one way or another.

My environment cultivated me to believe I could do anything and everything. And yes, I STILL believe that you can do just about anything you set your mind to… BUT… with each year comes more knowledge and maturity, and I now know that you CAN’T do it ALL BY YOURSELF! You need encouragement and support, and yes, help from gracious friends and family. You also need to have a relationship with our Savior, because in the quiet, and in the stillness, you can receive encouragement and support from our Heavenly Father. Dedicating time to reading the scripture and mediating on it allows Him to bring peace over a frazzled soul.

I hope that this post encourages you today, and I also hope that you might take a moment and think about those around you. I’m sure if you think for just a moment, there is a likely a woman who will pop into your mind that could use some encouragement. Why don’t you Seize the Moment? Think about them, say a quick prayer, and ask God for the words to say. Then text them or call them. I guarantee that you will MAKE.HER.DAY!

Obeying God in the Grocery Store

by Teresa Martin | Jan 17, 2017 | Community, Connection

Guest Blog Post from Lauren Holmes who blogs at The Naturally Inspired Life

I was waiting in line at the grocery store, and the girl in front of me checking out said to the cashier, “you’re gonna hate me…I forgot all my cards at home.” I watched her go through her wallet twice, (no cash or cards in there,) and was on the verge of tears.

Trust me when I say I had no intention of helping, lol, just being honest. ?

I’m thinking, “God, I can’t step in….I am on a strict budget and saving for my Caribbean trip…plus I only brought $60 to cover what I need for myself.” …still, I felt I was supposed to help.

I told her and the cashier that I’d pay for her groceries, and she rushed over and surprised me with a huge bear hug in the middle of Krogers, which gave me just enough time to whisper to her that God loves her, and that I was happy to help.

When the cashier finished ringing up everything (hers and my groceries), it was of course more than I’d wanted to spend. I reached in my wallet to pull out the $60 cash I’d brought, and in the next pocket, there was a random extra $20, and I have NO idea where it had come from! It covered the girl’s extra groceries which had come to $16.84 extra, and then some. ??

After she left, the cashier asked me if I even knew her, to which I replied, “No; sometimes I just feel like God wants me to help people in certain situations”. The cashier told me that we need more people like me in the world, and I had to be honest – it’s not that I’m so great, I’m just trying my best to do the right thing and to be obedient to God.

I am not sharing this story because I’m so wonderful…I’m not…in fact, my first instinct was honestly to turn my face away… to ignore the person right in front of me who needed help. But, what if instead of turning our faces away to those in need, we opened our arms, helped those in the grocery stores and in the streets, and really tried to BE the hands and feet of Jesus??

What if instead of just throwing a $20 in the offering plate here and there, we set aside $20 to be intentional about buying someone’s groceries, or paying a bill for a single mom or widow? …I’m sure that girl at the store is thankful for what I did, but I am even MORE thankful for the reminder of what I need to be doing to help others. ☺️?

I don’t share this story to make myself look good, but as a reminder of how we can turn our eyes to those around us who may need our help. ☺️ (I’ll post this on my blog when I get more time, but wanted to share via Facebook also.) ?

Taking the Next Step

by Teresa Martin | Jan 16, 2017 | Community, Connection, Monday Word for Men

Guest Post by Lenny Hall of Sons of Thunder Ministries

2 Samuel 15:1-12 (MSG)
15 ^1-2As time went on, Absalom took to riding in a horse-drawn chariot, with fifty men running in front of him. Early each morning he would take up his post beside the road at the city gate. When anyone showed up with a case to bring to the king for a decision, Absalom would call him over and say, “Where do you hail from?”
And the answer would come, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
^3-6Then Absalom would say, “Look, you’ve got a strong case; but the king isn’t going to listen to you.” Then he’d say, “Why doesn’t someone make me a judge for this country? Anybody with a case could bring it to me and I’d settle things fair and square.” Whenever someone would treat him with special honor, he’d shrug it off and treat him like an equal, making him feel important. Absalom did this to everyone who came to do business with the king and stole the hearts of everyone in Israel.
^7-8After four years of this, Absalom spoke to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to pay a vow that I made to God. Your servant made a vow when I was living in Geshur in Aram saying, ‘If God will bring me back to Jerusalem, I’ll serve him with my life.’”
⁹The king said, “Go with my blessing.” And he got up and set off for Hebron.
^10-12Then Absalom sent undercover agents to all the tribes of Israel with the message, “When you hear the blast of the ram’s horn trumpet, that’s your signal: Shout, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’” Two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem. But they had been called together knowing nothing of the plot and made the trip innocently. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he managed also to involve Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s advisor, calling him away from his hometown of Giloh. The conspiracy grew powerful and Absalom’s supporters multiplied.

As we continue to grow and develop our true devoted relationship with Jesus in 2017, there are always obstacles. The scripture says that narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way. So as we determine to become the man God intends for us to be, we already know that it’s not going to be easy. But He also tells us that ALL things are possible through Him. So in review the gate is narrow but we can make it through, and if we rely on Him, the difficult path has a navigation tool as well. So guess what? If we say “Yes” to Jesus, we make it!!

We also need to be cunning, and innocent but those are topics for a later day. As we press in today I want to expose one of the enemies that will try to shut us down before we can enter the gate of our calling. He is a hindering gatekeeper that wants to turn you away, and make you feel good for leaving. His name is Absalom. In 2 Samuel 15, we see this man who hates King David. So he stands at the gate of the city and misleads, and deceives people who are trying to get to the King.

So here is the hard question, but it must be asked. What is keeping us from going through the gate? What is keeping us from going to the King? Is it the Absalom of drugs, alcohol, pornography, adultery? Or is it simply the Absalom of pride, unbelief, hatred, bitterness? Whatever this Absalom is in your life, Jesus is the King. So call on the name of the King, and He will remove any Absaloms in your life that are keeping you from getting to Him.

#MondayWordForMen

Attention Men! Sons of Thunder Ministries will be having a Men’s Ranch Meeting on Thursday at 7pm at the Son’s of Thunder Ranch location: 1352 Ridgeview Rd NW Floyd, Va 24091. All men are welcome! They meet every 3rd Thursday of the month.

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