The Family Disciple Me Podcast // Discipleship Starts With a Conversation
In a world filled with a lot of talk, we want to have meaningful, biblical conversations with those God has entrusted to us. Join Tosha Williams and the Family Disciple Me ministry for Devotion Driven Discipleship conversation starters that will encourage you to "Seek Him Speak Him" in your own life.
Family Disciple Me is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Christian ministry dedicated to catalyzing Devotion Driven Discipleship in our own lives and homes as well as around the world.
For more information, visit familydiscipleme.org
The Family Disciple Me Podcast // Discipleship Starts With a Conversation
WAYS TO PRAISE: The Joyful Promise of ZION // Celebrating God's Presence
How does the reality of God's presence impact you today? This question is central to the significance of my grandson Zion's name. Though Zion has historically been a symbol of joy and hope, today it seems its deeper meaning is lost. So join me as I talk about Zion and reflect on its joyful reality. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let's reclaim the excitement surrounding Zion and allow it to guide us into a season rich with gratitude.
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WAYS TO PRAISE
Zion: Celebrate God’s Presence
“Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things. Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry out and sing, citizen of ZION, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.” Isaiah 12:5-6 CSB
SEEK HIM: Devotion is Meeting with God in Our Own Lives! Christ followers can rejoice because God is with us! Let’s “Seek Him” about how the truth of ZION leads us in “Ways to Praise.”
- WHAT: What is God saying through this Scripture? God's children are citizens of a heavenly city, and, as we are on our journey there, God is with us here every step of the way! The biblical concept of Zion refers to His presence now and in eternity. ~ What is something special God has done in your life? What is something glorious God has done in your life?
- WHY: Why does this Scripture matter? Each of us has sadness, sorrows and pain in our lives, but the reality of Zion is not just future tense. For believers, God is with us now, and this reality can bring us joy today no matter what’s happening in our lives! ~ What about the hope of Zion encourages you today? Read aloud the six verses of Isaiah 12. What about this chapter speaks to joy and celebration?
- HOW: How does God want us to respond to this truth?Isaiah 12 is about thanksgiving for God’s many gifts, including comfort and salvation, joy and strength. Scripture says, “You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God... to myriads of angels, a festive gathering” (Hebrews 12:22 CSB). When earth touches heaven, the result is celebration. Scripture promises, “The ransomed of the LORD will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee” (Isaiah 35:10 CSB). ~ What happens to the sorrow and sighing of Zion's citizens? What are some ways you can praise God right now?
SPEAK HIM: Discipleship is Making God Known to Others! Psalm 48 concludes, “Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end” (Psalms 48:12-14 NIV). What are YOU telling the next generation about God’s presence? As you consider Zion, "Seek Him Speak Him!"
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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media.
Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org
This Thanksgiving. If you're a Christ follower, how does the reality of God's presence impact you today, right now? Does his nearness fill you with hope and surround you with peace? Does his presence give you joy and confidence and gladness as you go about your days, or is this something your mind knows but hasn't quite communicated to your heart? For me, honestly, I think it's often a mix of both of these. Thing is, the reality of God's presence should fill God's people with nothing less than joy at all times. This is the truth I've realized as I've meditated on the meaning of my oldest grandson's name. He's only nine months old now, in my year of jubilee, but I've had plenty of time to contemplate how his name gives us yet another way to praise. Let me cue our podcast intro here, and then I'd love to share with you the celebration of God's presence that's wrapped up in the name of Zion.
Speaker 1:I grew up all over this country, but I mostly hail from the South. Multiple things have stuck with me from my Southern heritage, including good old-fashioned home training, as well as dressing up for church on Sundays and sometimes a bit of an accent. However, maybe one of the strongest influences of the South in my life has been the Christian hymns and songs that are, or at least were, common to that region. Sing an old hymn, particularly an old Baptist hymn, and chances are that I know it. I've played it on the piano and I can sing it along with you. The thing about Southern hymnology is that there are certain themes that rise up over and over again, and one of those themes, which now is all but never spoken of or even sang about, is the theme of Zion. I remember having a hymn book named the Songs of Zion. I remember having a hymn book named the Songs of Zion. Even now, thinking about Zion immediately brings up the reminder of the song. We're Marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God. I remember that back in the day, god. I remember that back in the day, that song, and others like it, songs about Zion, were sung with a sense of jubilation and excitement.
Speaker 1:Alas, I must admit, such enthusiasm mostly went past me. As a kid I loved God, but I wasn't sure I wanted to march to Zion, no matter how beautiful it was. I didn't understand Zion and, honestly, I just wanted to march out of, no matter how beautiful it was. I didn't understand Zion and, honestly, I just wanted to march out of what was often a lengthy church service and just get on with other things. Unfortunately, what was true of me as a kid is now maybe mostly true of the capital C Church.
Speaker 1:Today, christians used to be captivated by the hope and the joy and the celebration of Zion. Today, I'm not even sure most Christians know what Zion stands for at all. We've kind of sort of heard of it, right, but we've almost no idea about what its relevance is to our lives. But the thing is, the truth of Zion is beyond meaningful and relevant to every single one of us who claims the name of Jesus, and when it comes to Thanksgiving, I can think of few things better to lead us into gratitude and thankfulness. To explain this, indulge me for a moment as I share the story behind the name of my first grandchild.
Speaker 1:About this time last year our oldest daughter, anastasia, and her husband Chris were expecting their first child, our first grandbaby. As they waited to find out if they were having a girl or a boy, mom was the word about potential baby names. Apparently they'd seen other friends' baby name pics swiped, so they wanted to keep their boy and girl names on the down low Can't blame them. If you've got a good name, you gotta keep a good name. Well, about that time they were living in Phoenix and I got to go to visit them from Colorado Springs.
Speaker 1:One night. All our family that lived in town in Phoenix was over at their apartment Anastasia's brother Joshua, his wife Casey, who would turn out to later be the parents of the twins I've talked about in the preceding episodes of this podcast. But they weren't expecting those babies quite yet. Well, they were there at Chris and Anastasia's apartment, and so was our daughter Anna-Larie and her then-fiancé Dean. I'll never forget how we were all standing around practically on top of each other in their little kitchen when the topic of baby names came up. Anna-larie, our fourth born, who was engaged to be married.
Speaker 1:Well, she pulled out her list, which apparently she'd been creating in her notes app on her phone, she started reading her girls' names, and there was no overlap between Anna-Laurie's hopes for girls' names and those of Anastasia's. However, when it got to boy's names, anastasia decided she needed to do her big name reveal right then and there, to stake their claim on what their baby, if he turned out to be a boy, would be named. If this baby is a boy, she declared, we've decided to name him Zion, declared we've decided to name him Zion. Well, wouldn't you know it? That was Anna-Laurie's top pick for a baby name as well, but her sister got it first. So, anna-laurie, graciously, let it go. At least let it go if Anastasia turned out to have the first boy.
Speaker 1:Our family may not have entirely known everything that Zion meant at the time, but we all knew it was all over scripture and we had all always loved the name. So as we waited to find out if Chris and Anastasia were having a girl or a boy, we kept their baby name Zion a family secret alongside them. Oh, what joy and celebration when we found out that they were indeed having a boy. And then we started calling him by name, at least to one another, until he was born at the beginning of this year. And when Zion entered the world, he entered with a roar. Literally, we call him Zion the Lion and we think he's pretty amazing. So for this grandma leading up to Zion's birth and then in the months since then, I've spent a lot of time looking at the meaning of Zion in a new way. Our family has laughed about a know-it-all woman who came up to Anastasia and said you know, there's a verse about Zion in the Bible, as if Chris and Anastasia had no idea. The reality is, the name of Zion is mentioned in Scripture almost 200 times, depending upon which translation you use, and as we look at all the scriptures of Zion, there's a theme that arises, a theme that I believe is about celebrating God's presence.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite verses about Zion is found in Isaiah, chapter 12, verses 5 and 6. And it says this Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things. Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness. As people who follow Jesus, we have so many reasons to praise and to rejoice at Thanksgiving and always, but one of the biggest reasons we have to celebrate is the fact that God is with us, he is amongst us. We are citizens of a heavenly city and as we're on our journey there, god is with us here every step of the way. This is the truth of Zion.
Speaker 1:In Psalm chapter 50, it says From Zion, the perfection of beauty, god appears in radiance. And then in Psalm 132, it says For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it, for his home. He said this is my resting place forever. I will make my home here because I have desired it. And then in the New Testament we're reminded that the celebration of Zion is present, tense now, for Christ followers Today. In Hebrews 12, it says you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels. A festive gathering. What a celebration. And then, just this morning, in my devotions, I read in Psalm 125, those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion it cannot be shaken, it remains forever. The mountains surround Jerusalem and the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
Speaker 1:These passages are just a sampling of the many, many references to Zion throughout Scripture, references that are encouraging to all of God's people about his presence, references that can be inspiring to all of us about praise. I have personally been so blessed and challenged by better understanding the meaning of Zion. Throughout the Bible, zion is referenced as the city of God, as the city of Jerusalem, as the mountain of God. It is the place upon which God's people set their sights, set their hopes and their expectations and their dreams. It is to some extent a physical place on the map, but it's also a spiritual reference about the eternal and with all of this, the encompassing idea of Zion is one thing, and that is the presence of God.
Speaker 1:Now, for the record, I must admit that by no means do I consider myself an expert on the meaning of Zion, a true Jew, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a biblical scholar any of these would probably have so many more layers and details to add to my overview. However, for me, when I look at the dozens of scripture references to Zion throughout God's Word, all of these lead me to this understanding that Zion is the place in God's presence where we're safe, where we're close to him, where we're strengthened by him, where we're known by him, where we are with him, where we have reasons for gratitude, praise and thanksgiving. Which brings me back to the little Zion in my family. This little guy named Zion has rocked our world as a family. As the first of the next generation to arrive, we've been overcome by his presence in our lives. Everything about our family changed with Zion. He paved the way for his cousins, psalm and then Jubilee. He opened our hearts to new life and to new joys. He became the reminder of God's faithfulness and nearness to us. And just like Zion's presence in our family has changed us changed us so does paying attention to God's presence change all of us. He is here, he is near.
Speaker 1:So how does God's presence in your life impact you? Today? I encourage you to spend some time seeking Him in His Word about this. Spend some time in the scriptures of this conversation and listen to God's voice, speak to you through them. Thing is with Zion we celebrate God's presence, with Psalm we declare God's character and with Jubilee we proclaim God's favor. All of these can lead us into a thanksgiving like never before. So lean into the Lord, seek Him Then. Don't be intimidated. Lean into speaking Him into your own family and loved ones.
Speaker 1:This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to engage meaningful biblical conversations with those God has placed in your life. Maybe this will be a Thanksgiving dinner conversation, but even better, maybe this will turn out to be multiple conversations along the way, as you're intentional, about devotion-driven discipleship. Oh, friend, we have so many reasons for joy and celebration, for gratitude, for thanksgiving, as Christ followers. God is with us, his character is true and never changes. His favor is upon us, we have his promises that he has given us and we have so many reasons to share his greatness. So God bless you, friend. Live out these ways to praise.
Speaker 2:And until next time, be encouraged ministry. As well as word about our soon-to-be-released app. Sign up to be the first to know at familydisciplemeorg. Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, help us get the word out by leaving us a review on your favorite podcast platform. God bless you, friend. Now go seek Him, speak Him.