As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 “rings in”, I want to take this opportunity to say, “Thank You” for your support!  God used YOU to help Step By Step Ministries reach into the hearts and lives of hundreds of people and touch them for the glory of God throughout this year.

Throughout 2011, God allowed us to “make a difference” in a greater way than ever before through the following:  ”Acts of Random Kindness” (where we helped people with groceries, provided meals for those who are homeless, and filled empty gas tanks for single moms); outreaches to both the Fire Department and the Police Department (where our team of volunteers provided meals of appreciation for our emergency responders); Thanksgiving Baskets outreach (where we provided Thanksgiving meals for more than 600 people by creating a team consisting of three other ministries); and Christmas outreaches to our children in Uganda and three local families (where we gave bicycles, computer games, clothes, bedding, toys, etc. to children and single moms).

 We could not have accomplished such awesome outreaches without your support!  

As we move into 2012, we have even more outreaches planned than what we accomplished in 2011. We
hope that you will continue to keep us in your prayers.  We also ask you to partner with us through financial contributions for the year.   This is “fertile ground,” and your gifts are given back to those who are in need.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever…”  ~Ephesians 3:20-21

May 2012 be a year of abundant blessings for you and your family.  May you walk in obedience, submission, and honor of  the Word of God.  

May you know His presence like you’ve never known it before.  And may you walk the path that leads to your destiny.

We are currently collecting toys and clothing for children whose families are struggling this year.  We want to provide them with a great Christmas.  If you are able to help – either through donating toys or giving a monetary gift, please do so right away.  Items needed are:

• Bike – 11 year old and a 5 year old
• Jewelry making set – 11 year old and 9 year old
• Music stand – 11 year old
• Softball set – 9 year old
• Leap Pad – 5 year old

Thanks for all you do!

In Christ,

Brigette

His mentor and friend had passed away.  The people needed a leader; but who should it be and how would anyone be able to “measure up” to the task at hand?  The people of Israel had been wondering in the desert for 4o years, and now Moses was gone.  Was it possible to ever reach the land which God had promised or would they remain in the wilderness, never knowing the fulfillment of their destiny?

Joshua had to have asked himself these questions and many more after Moses passed away.  Fear, doubt, and anxiety must have tried to present themselves as he pondered the events that had taken place.  BUT GOD….

Joshua heard the voice of the Lord when He said, “arise, go over…you and all this people, to the land which I am giving them….”(Joshua 1:2).  Can you imagine?  If that had been me, I probably would have said, “You talking to me, Lord?” – as I looked around to see who else could be a possibility.

Apparently Joshua needed some reassurance, as well.  How do we know this?  Read Joshua 1:1-9.  God said to Joshua, “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (vs. 5); “Be strong and of good courage” (vs. 6); “Only be strong and very courageous” (vs. 7); and “Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (vs. 9).

The awesome part of this story isn’t that Joshua needed reassurance – just as you and I often do.  The awesome part of the story is that he “pushed through” his fear and anxiety to accomplish that which God had called him to do.  He was willing to “make a move”!

Many times in our own lives, we allow fear, anxiety, or self-doubt to keep us from moving forward.  We’re so afraid of failure that we do nothing at all.  Failure is not bad, as long as we learn something along the way.  When we fail, we learn and make adjustments.  By doing so, we keep ourselves on the “cutting edge” of reaching our destiny.  However, if we allow fear to keep us from taking a risk to do that which God has called us to do, we become stagnant.  And a stagnant pond stinks!

Determine today to “fail forward” – as Josh McDowell says.  If you make a mistake, so what!  If you only accomplish part of the goal, so what!  If others don’t see the value in what you’ve done, so what!  As long as you are moving in the direction you feel God has called you to go, success is guaranteed!  Square your shoulders, hold your head up, and look into the horizon.  You won’t be disappointed!

Psalm 139 says that we are “beautifully and wonderfully made”.  Jeremiah 29 says that God has plans and a purpose for our lives.  The Bible is filled with examples of both men and women who had “issues” but were used by God to do great and mighty things for His glory!

Beginning Wednesday, April 6th, at 7:00pm, we will begin studying “The Strength of a Godly Woman” by Beverly LaHaye and Janice Crouse.  I want to personally invite you to join me for the next 12 weeks as we dive into this study.  As June Hunt said, “This book demonstrates how God can take the most humble or tarnished woman and transform her into a woman of strength.”

You can be all that God has created you to be!

Life Church, Berkley Rd., Auburndale, FL

Trusting in God Instead of the Praise of Man

“Many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not con-fess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” John 12:42-43

“The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.”  Proverbs 29:25, The Message

There was a time in my life when I longed for the approval of man. I wanted to be a person of great importance. I drank in the praise of man and became intoxicated with what people thought and said of me. Yet my approval addiction was never satisfied and thankfully so because it brought me to the place of brokenness and total surrender to God. I have come to the place where I no longer desire the praise of man, but only to hear my Father say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

In our society we are encouraged to glorify the accomplishments of man. Many strive to achieve titles, positions of power, wealth and to be deemed by the world as a noteworthy person. And although we are promised much favor and success as children of God, a lot of individuals believe that the praise of man alone will bring them a sense of worth. They crave to hear man say of them, “Wow, look at her and what she has accomplished.” This is true even in the Christian culture. There is often a mixture of longing to glorify God while also enjoying the seduction of the praise of man.

Let us be reminded today that the praise of man is temporal and it will never bring true satisfaction, hence why you continually see Hollywood and sports stars turning to drugs, alcohol, affairs and such. The only true satisfaction in this life is to have a relationship with God. And friend, God has already deemed you worthy! Through the Cross of Jesus, you are the righteousness of God and He loves you – the real you!

Friend, you can rest your head tonight knowing that no matter what man may think or say about you, God loves you! It is my prayer that each night you will fall asleep pondering God’s amazing love for you. Oh how He loves you! Jesus gave His life for you, what more could He give? Oh how He loves you and me!

Prayer:

“Lord, thank you for loving me. I acknowledge that there is nothing this world can offer me that will bring me true peace or satisfaction but You! I will choose this day forward to meditate on what You say about me. No matter what man may say, I am the righteousness of God, I am the head and not the tail and the blessings of the Lord will chase me and overtake me (Deuteronomy 28). Amen.”

http://www.tracyhurst.com

 

I remember as a child that deafening sound when the radio or television station would broadcast three loud sirene blasts, then announce “This is a test of the emergency broadcasting system”.  We would hear three more sirene blasts then a very long, very loud, continuous blast.  As a child, those few seconds of testing seemed like an eternity.

It’s much like that in our Christian walk.  So many times in our lives, we go through testing, which in reality is usually for a short period of time.  During the test, however, we often wonder if it will ever end!  We hear the continuous, deafening sound of the “sirene” blasting in our ears as we try to maintain our position in Christ and hold firm to His promises.

Now let me confess:  I do not enjoy going through tests! Testing means stretching, bending, changing, and yes, even crushing at times.  It means that our faith is tried and our dependence upon God is magnified so that we can see how truly vulnerable we are.  But it also means learning to “stay the course” and keep our eyes focused only upon God and His Word – not on our circumstances!

Think about the process by which juice is made.  In order for the juice to be it’s best, that fruit has to be squeezed, crushed, ground, and squeezed again in order to get all of the best of the fruit for the juice.  It’s no different for us!  God loves us so much and has such awesome plans for our lives that He has to “squeeze the juice” out of us in order to make us into what he created us to be. 

We cannot fulfill our destiny if we don’t rid ourselves of the “junk” in our lives, our personalities, and our habits.  He has to allow us to go through testing so that we can become “precious jewels for His glory”!

Romans 5:3-6 says, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance [endurance]; and perserverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”. (NKJV)

We’ve been tested many times over the years.  With each test, we mature and grow stronger in our faith.  We’ve learned to praise God and stand on His promises.  I believe it’s important to praise God, even when you’re in the midst of your trial.  In fact, I believe that your victory is directly connected to your praise.  You see, it doesn’t take faith to believe after your miracle has been revealed!  Faith is only present when you believe before your miracle is revealed!

Maybe you’ve been in the midst of a test.  You’ve heard the sirene blasting in your ears and have wanted to give up or get angry.  Let me encourage you:  Don’t give up!  And if you’re angry, make sure your anger is properly directed.  Don’t allow the enemy to plant anger towards God.  Praise Him for your revealed miracle – even before you see it happen!

*Photo above taken from www.freefoto.com

Auburndale Life Church

Teaching Class

581 Berkley Rd., Auburndale, FL

Inviting women to join me on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm for “Takin’ It Back: Standing on the Authority of God’s Word”. This class will take you on a journey to victorious living, reclaiming ground the enemy has stolen, and releasing the Gifts of God in your life!

Class material taken from the books, “Breaking Intimidation” by John Bevere and “Reclaiming Surrendered Ground” by Jim Logan.

Don’t set goals that you are unable to accomplish on your own….Allow Brigette to help you set reasonable goals, develop a plan of action, and partner with you to help you reach those goals!

To help set you on a path to success for 2011,

the first three people to email through the link below will receive a scholarship for 50% off all life coaching fees for the month of January!

Don’t miss out!  To schedule your session today, click here:  http://www.brigettewagner.com/contact.

A cheerful giver….What exactly does that mean?  And how does our attitude towards giving affect our every day lives?

Many times, we hear this scripture in connection with tithing – and appropriately so.  However, there’s so much more to be understood from this scripture than just simple tithing.  This scripture speaks to the very heart and nature of our being. 

Do you remember the story in the Bible about the good Samaritan who helped the man who had been beaten and left to die?  Or the woman who broke the flask of expensive oil over the feet of Jesus?  These people were “cheerful givers”.  They gave out of a willing, joyful heart – “a spirit of enjoyment in giving that sweeps away all restraints.” (Spirit Filled Life Bible)

The Word says that our giving – whether it be a financial gift, clothing, food, time, service, etc. – creates opportunity for God’s grace to “abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work”. (2 Cor. 9:8)

We should give every time there is an opportunity.  Now don’t misunderstand me….I’m not talking about being manipulated or coerced into giving.   That type of situation is not of God.  I’m talking about situations where opportunities are presented to us so that we can truly bless another person.  Give – even if it’s only “a little”.  God will multiply “the little” and make it something awesome for His glory!

God gave us the ultimate gift – His only begotten Son, Jesus!  Jesus, who came to this earth, gave of Himself through miracles, wonders, and the most awesome gift of love anyone could ever give – His life!

If you’ve not been a cheerful giver in the past, ask for forgiveness and allow God to give you “a spirit of enjoyment in giving that sweeps away all restraints”.  As you give, you will be blessed!

Merry Christmas!

I was talking to a friend on the phone, when her dog kept barking in the background.  The dog would bark, and my friend would tell him to “be quiet”.   This occurred several times before the dog finally quit barking and settled down.

Have you ever been around someone who was so abrasive that the sound of his/her voice was as offensive as a barking dog?  How does it make you feel to be in that type of situation?  Do you feel angry, grieved, or frustrated?

Have YOU ever been the one who was abrasive or offensive?

As I reflect back over my life, I know there have been times when I have been abrasive or offensive, especially in my younger years.  It grieves me to know that I have, at times, sounded like a “barking dog”. 

I think David was crying out to God in Psalm 140:3 because he knew he also needed help in this area of his life.  The Word says that he was “a man after God’s own heart”, so I believe David wanted desparately  to live his life in such a way that it brought honor to the Name of God.

Throughout scripture, we are told of the dangers associated with “the tongue”.   In fact, Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue”. 

Do you get that?  Our words have the power to breathe life, encouragement, healing, and love into others.  Our words also have the power to create discouragement, harm, hate, and even death to those around us.

 Friends, I encourage you to join with me and make it your prayer today that God will use us to be a light for His glory and that He will place a guard over our mouths so that we will bring healing and encouragement to those we come in contact with.