 So there's absolutely no way I can answer this many questions in 20 minutes. So just for the record, if I don't get your question answered, which more than likely I will not get all of them answered, if you really want an answer and you think I can help you, then you can email me and I'll endeavor to do so, okay? So I'm really sorry, but there's no way, because I will need to start our last session at one o'clock. All right. One was very easy. What is your Pandora station that you like to listen to? I'll answer that one first. I usually sovereign grace the Gettys, something like that. I also like to listen to acapella hymns. I actually have about five or six, but probably sovereign grace and the Gettys are my go-tos, because their music is, for the most part, you know, something on my skip or put thumbs down, is their rich in theology, but also very beautiful music. And so those are my kind of go-to. This lady has some questions about discipleship. What do you consider as far as deciding who to disciple? When I'm pursuing somebody myself, I look for someone who is faithful. As Paul told Timothy, you pass down to faithful men who will be able to teach others also, so you want someone who's faithful to the means of grace, faithful to God. I have discipled many women who are not, and it doesn't usually last very long, because they just aren't faithful. They don't want to do the assignments. They don't want to meet. So you want to pursue someone who is faithful. Now, many times someone will come to me and ask me to disciple them, and I never turn anyone down. I think I've only turned down, not even if I've ever turned anyone down, but usually they're not, sometimes they are not faithful, and so that doesn't maybe show up till later on, and so they usually end up falling by the wayside. Do you ask someone if she wants to be discipled or do you wait for someone to ask you? I've done both. I've sued women that I see a lot of potential in, and I have a passion to help women, and so if I see someone, I think there's potential. I just say, hey, let's get together for coffee and talk, and then during that time I'll ask her if she might be interested. And I've done the other where people have approached me about it, so I've done both. Is there a book, excuse me, is there a book you can recommend on how to disciple in a book that would be good to go through with the person you're discipling? I've written a book called The Discipleship. Martha Peace has a book called The Titus Two Woman. Susan Hunt has a book called Spiritual Mothering. Those are the three that I know of that I've read. I wrote one, but that have to do with discipleship, and that would be mainly for you to get started on how to disciple, and I go through different things with women I disciple. First of all, my biggest concern when I meet with a woman is her salvation, and then after we've determined that that's legit, sometimes you don't know until later, but I do try to get her into the scriptures. If she already does not have a habit of reading God's word, I try to encourage that highly. I try to get her into memorization and things like that. But I use a lot of different materials. Right now I'm going through systematic theology with a couple of gals I'm mentoring. I use Martha Peace as the excellent wife. I'm using Trusting God by Jerry Bridges with several women. Just different things. I would just make sure if you use any books outside of the Bible that they're solid and might ask your pastor or your elders to make sure that they're quality books before you start taking a woman through them. I had one lady I was working with, and she wanted to go through a book, and I said, now, I've never read this book. And I said, I'm willing to start it, but not guaranteeing we're going to go through it. And I went through about two chapters, and I threw it in the trash. And I said, and you need to throw yours in the trash, because that is trash. And so don't be afraid to do that if you start something and it isn't good. How can you share? This is a different question. Can you share how to encourage a Christian who struggles with depression? I have counseled a lot of women who struggle with depression. That actually used to be the number one reason I would see women in the counseling room was for depression. I think now it's maybe anxiety and worry seems to be more so than depression. But usually I will encourage her to memorize scriptures on 42, 43, great passages for depression. Why are you cast down on my soul? Put your trust in God. He is the lifter of your countenance. I also will encourage her. I've gone through Bob Somerville's book. If I'm a Christian, why am I depressed? Very good book. He himself struggled with depression. He's a professor at Masters College. He also is on the ACBC. I don't know if he's a fellow, but he is certified with the National Association of Methodic Counselors, which is now called the National Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. He himself has struggled with deep depression. It's very practical. It gets you into the scripture. He's got assignments at the end of every chapter. I'll go through those with women. Martin Lloyd-Jones, a spiritual depression, great read. Those would be the things I would recommend. When you're trying to help someone with depression, just remember you can't label depression a sin. It is not a sin. Otherwise Christ is a sinner because he was depressed. He says, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Depression is not a sin, but choices that women make while they're depressed are sinful. Elijah was depressed. David was depressed. Paul was depressed. I don't struggle with depression. My husband used to struggle with depression early in ministry. He doesn't anymore. It was hard for me as a woman who I just don't have. I just don't struggle with that. I might have a blue day or an off day or something like that, but I just don't struggle with depression. But you want to make sure that you don't condemn that, but you do try to help them get out of the pit, but you also teach them to make right choices even if they're depressed. Even if they don't feel like getting out of bed, they need to get out of bed. Even if they don't feel like going to church, they need to go to church. Even if they don't feel like getting read in the Bible. Depression is not an excuse for sin. So you want to make sure that if you're trying to help someone who's depressed, don't minimize their sin and encourage them to do the right thing regardless of how they feel. I tell that to women often who have struggled with submission to their husbands. I said, you be submissive no matter what and trust the feelings will follow. I like what Jerry Bridges says in his book, Trusting God. He says, I've learned to trust God in everything and hope my feelings will follow. So women are so feeling oriented. I'm a woman, but sometimes my husband will say, I don't know how you work with women. And he just shakes his head every time something comes up and he'll just go, oh my. But you want to speak truth to her. Okay. How should I respond to pressures of pressure or feelings of not being as spiritual, as spiritually mature as others in my church? Well, you don't want to base anything on your feelings. But also, 2 Corinthians 10-12 says, those who compare themselves among themselves are not wise. And so you're running your own race. Paul says, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that easily besets us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. And so ladies, some of us are really sprinting and some of us are barely, we're getting there. Reach running. In fact, the Greek there indicates that we're each individually running our own race. And so don't look at the person behind you and think more of yourself than you should. Don't look at the person ahead of you and think less of yourself. Just look at yourself, run your race with patience. And don't compare yourself among somebody else. Paul says, that's not wise. And so sometimes I look at other people and their gifts and their walk with Christ and, you know, can be very intimidating. But learn to thank God for that. Learn to thank God for the women who are more spiritual than you or the men that are more spiritual than you. And those that are behind you encourage them to press on. So God has got you where you are and you need to look to Him and not look to others. That's, again, where we get all messed up. Follow their examples. But don't allow that to make you feel inferior. You run your own race, but run it correctly by laying aside your sins, right? Okay, do you think it's wise to be in fellowship with a person who has left the church that I am a member of? They are bitter and discussing their offenses about my elders with me. No, I do not think that is wise. The reason I do not think it is wise is because the Bible says it's not wise. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5, I wrote to you not to keep company with fornicators. Get altogether with the fornicators of this world or the covetous extorsors, idolaters, then you have to go out of the world. But I've written to you, do not keep company with a man that is called a brother who is a fornicator, covetous, idolater, railer, drunkard, extortioner. Do not even eat with such a one. Now the word for railer means to complain bitterly. So if you are with someone who is formerly in the church that you were at and they want to get to you and complain bitterly about the elders in your church, you're really violating 1 Corinthians 5. You're not even eat with such a one. What I would do is what my husband and I have done many times over the years in ministry is when people are disgruntled with various churches they've been. In fact, one of the church that we started, we had several members from another church in our town that wanted to come and join this church we were starting. And my husband said, not until you go to your elders, not until you go to the elders from your former church. And so I would encourage whoever this is who's bitter, who has offenses, they need to take care of the offense and they need to do it quickly. In fact, they shouldn't even go to church until they do. The Bible says, don't come bring your gift before the altar. If you've got something against your brother, you go and take care of it. Then you come and worship. And so I would hold them accountable to do the right thing. And I would do whatever you can to help them do the right thing. And I would just tell them, you know, I love you, but you know what, I will not violate God's word. As long as you're going to get with me and complain, I just want to entertain it because you don't want to participate in their sin. And you're not to receive an accusation against an elder unless there's one or two witnesses. And so you don't want to be involved in compounding sin upon sin. And me and my husband decide how many children we want to have or is that a sin? I was tempted to put this in the back, but... You know, that's such a hard issue in our culture. For us, we have two children. I had two Caesareans. You know, we couldn't huff and puff and blow the baby out. And even though we went to LeMaz and I was in 36 hours of labor and my son had already had his first bowel movement in the womb and so it was an emergency Caesarean. I then got pregnant with our second and it was because I was cut a certain way. I had the second child the same way. And my doctor after that said, you would be very foolish to have any more children. It's because of the way that your abdomen had to be cut. It could be a risk to you. It could be a risk to the child. So after that, my husband and I prayed about it for a while and then we decided that that was all. We weren't going to risk my life or the life of an unborn child to have a baby. And I don't feel we were in sin. We prayed about it. We talked about it. We listened to what the doctor said. And by that time I'd had other surgeries as well and so we just decided, my stomach looked like a roadmap. So we just decided that was it. I don't believe there's anything wrong in you and your husband deciding. I do believe the way you decide, you have to be biblical about that. I would not take any birth control pills that abort a baby. There are some natural methods of birth control that you can do. And so I would just be very cautious, very wise. I also wouldn't let others judge you for if you decide like we did, we could, you know, too is our limit. But if you want to have, you know, 18 children like Susanna Wesley did, that's up to you too. And so, you know, blessed is the man who has his quiver full. You know, when we got married I wanted six kids. I came from a family of seven. And I told my husband I wanted six kids and that's really what I was going to do until the doctor really cautioned against that. So, but I don't think it's a sin. I would have a hard time proving that biblically. But I think that's up to you and your husband. There are some places where I go where women will tell me, you know, there's such pressure in here in this church for me to date my husband once a week. And I said, really? I said, well, have you asked the women that say that to you, where's that in the Bible? I said, I can't even see Sarah and Abraham having time to go on a date. And so we want to make sure we don't pressure young women into something that's not biblical. So, but I do say that's a, you know, that's not really a topic that I like to approach, but it was asked, so I'll try to answer it the best I can. And if you disagree, that's okay. But just don't come up and shake me, okay? I'm very fragile. I've only had a banana and a few nuts this morning. So... As a single mom, is it okay for her to give biblical advice to her sons basically teaching a man? Yes, of course it is. Ephesians 6 says, Paul tells Timothy, from a child you've known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise into salvation and he knew the Holy Scriptures from his mother and his grandmother, Lois and Eunice. And Timothy's father was a Greek and so he was not, you know, Timothy wasn't taught the word by his dad but by his mother and grandmother. So, you're not teaching a man, you're teaching your child. What I am forbidden to do and you are forbidden to do is to teach men in public assembly. It is... I permit not a woman to teach or usurp authority over a man. And so, I am prohibited to have men in this congregation right now. And so that would be where the line would be drawn. Now, having said that, I will say I know men that read my books, they listen on the, you know, and I can't really, I don't know any scripture that violates that but in the public worship I am forbidden and I really, I have had actually several times where I've said I will not start until you remove the men. I've even was in one venue where I made people, I made men, it was men and women together and I was teaching a group of ladies and there was about a thousand ladies there and the men didn't want to leave and I said I'm not going to start until you leave and I made a lot of people mad. And for me, as a woman, it's very awkward. I mean, I've had men that are like those guys that are doing the sound system and there's allowances for that but it's very awkward to me, especially because I'm a woman and I'm trying to teach women and sometimes I get personal about women things, you know? And so old women are teaching young women so that's the model. I don't know why I got into that. It has nothing to do with that question. Is it appropriate to pray for unbelievers prayer requests? You know, this question really got me. I was like, I was really scanning Scripture in my mind trying to think of that. Is it appropriate to pray for unbelievers prayer requests? I do have unbelievers. I have family who are unbelievers. They've asked me to pray about certain things and I have prayed for them. I don't know anything in Scripture that prohibits that. In fact, I often think it's odd that unbelievers will often come in a time of crisis to a believer and they will say, you know, my dad's dying and would you pray? And so I actually would encourage it because you just don't know if through that the Lord, you know, in fact my sister who just moved to Oklahoma she's not a believer and neither is her husband and my husband told her we were praying for the sale of their house out in California and she called one day and she said, well, I guess God's answering the prayers and I've shared the gospel with my sister many times. She's not a believer and she actually is a God-mocker but I thought it was interesting that she said, well, God answered your prayers. So, you know, I do and I have many times prayed for others when they've asked me to. I don't see anything in Scripture that prohibits that but again I was trying to scan the Scriptures and couldn't really think of any biblical examples except well, never mind. I won't get into that. John 17, that could be a big deep theological discussion that we don't have time for because I have three minutes to answer all these questions. Okay if God does not hear the prayers of sinners then why as a lost person should I pray to ask God to save me? Would He hear me? Yes, of course He would. John 9 is the context where it says now we know that God does not hear sinners. John 9, but Romans 10 13 says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. So God does hear that prayer of a sinner turning from sin to repentance and faith in Christ. So that's a very simple answer. Are you still memorizing a verse a day? How do you do it? Am I in sin if I don't memorize Scripture is funny. The girl that brought us here yesterday she said I've read your book on Scripture memorization she said if you were do you still feel the same way or would you write the same book no I'd actually probably be more radical so it's probably a good thing I don't write a sequel to it. Yes I am memorizing a verse a day I for a long time was making excuses not to but I finally I was in the Acts and I thought this is ridiculous I'm not getting this done so the girl that holds me accountable back home I said I want you to hold me accountable to memorize a verse a day. So I finished the Acts and then I said somebody I disciple I said now I want you to humor me before I die and I said I'd like for you to memorize a book of the Bible with me and I only had Mark Luke and first Corinthians left so she said okay let's do Mark so we got through chapter 4 and she said Susan I've got to stop she's a golf instructor she's a golf pro she teaches 8 to 10 lessons a day has 3 children that all golf and all in tournaments and she said I just can't I'm dying and she said when school starts back up she said I'll start back well I've already finished chapter 5 so she's got a lot of catching up to do but I do memorize a verse a day and I do love it how I do it is the method my husband shared with me and I don't know how much time I have to get into that but it's basically the same way anybody else does blood sweat and tears but whatever I memorize I put on a recording device and with my voice as fast as I can I listen to it I copy of the page out of my Bible and I carry it with me wherever I go in fact it's in my backpack out there Mark 5 and 6 are out there and I pull it out and work on it just like you do phrase by the time you know and as I get a phrase memorized and a verse memorized I do the next one I'm always reviewing like right now even though I'm in Mark chapter 6 I'm reviewing Mark 1 to 5 every day and when I finish a long chapter or a book of the Bible if it's a short book of the Bible I review it every when I get finished I review it every day for 30 days or with Mark what I've done is when I finish a chapter I review it 30 times that day and then you pretty much have it but I always review everything that I memorize within a 2-3 period of time it is a discipline it's a wonderful discipline the reason I told the young girl or the lady I don't know how young I don't want to point her out but anyway the reason I told her I'd be more radical about it now is because as I've thought more on Psalm 1 blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates which is memorized day and night I said you really can't get away from the fact that that is really what we're supposed to be doing day and night and we're supposed to be meditating and thinking on God's word and memorizing it and so I probably would be more radical today if I wrote a book about it plus I've seen the advantage in my own life and in the lives of people I try to help and I mean we could get into how the way it changes your life changes the way you think am I in sin if I'm not memorizing scripture boy you even got tomatoes on their plate they're gonna throw at me you know I wouldn't be as bold to say you're in sin but I would say that you have to deal with someone that you should be meditating day and night you have to deal with Colossians let the word of Christ dwell in you richly you have to deal with a lot of the Old Testament that we're to keep the law of God in the front of our mind so I can't say you're in sin but I would say that if you have a mind that a working mind you don't have any mental handicap you should be trying to memorize something of God's word whether you do it daily that's up to you but I would develop that as a discipline you know we have a discipline of prayer discipline Bible reading, discipline going to church discipline evangelizing discipline giving of our offerings but seems like the discipline of scripture memorization is a lost art so I would encourage you highly to do that