All Because of Jesus – FGF Highlights, Shreveport, LA

Let me tell you about my new friend, Maggie, who I met at Fresh Grounded Faith Shreveport. After I called her on stage, Maggie bounded up those stairs like a teenager and stood right beside me with a microphone as the audience cheered.

FGF Shreveport

Thank you to Christina Summers for the beautiful photos. To see the entire Facebook photo album, click here. For those of you who joined the photo booth fun, you can view your photos here.

“Maggie?” I asked in front of the hundreds of women who filled Cypress Baptist Church, “How old are you?”

She turned and looked straight into the eyes of those eager women and said, “94!” And then she hooped and hollered, and so did everyone else.

I asked her how she did it. I wanted to know to what does she attribute her joy and vigor at the age of 94. And as you can imagine, every woman was listening intently.

Now, Maggie could have described what she eats and explained that she goes to the gym five days a week. And, yes, she really does that! Can you believe it?

But, with just as much enthusiasm as she had in climbing the stairs to get on stage, she lifted her chin and said loud and clearly into that microphone, “It’s all because of Jesus!” And then she grabbed my face and hugged me!

Again, the audience went crazy, and I had a moment of reconsidering if I should teach or just take a seat in the audience and let Maggie handle the rest of the day! Because truly … she said it all.

I’m so grateful my hubby told me about Maggie and we got to invite her on stage because she was a perfectly clear presentation of the message this weekend. It is all because of Jesus, and it’s through Him that we can stand firm. He is faithful to us and is the source of our joy, just as he has been for Maggie.

Liz Curtis Higgs also shared a beautiful message on the faithfulness of Jesus as she went through Luke 13:10-17. She taught how Jesus lifted the “bent” woman so she could see Him. And do you know how that woman responded? With praise! This woman experienced firsthand that it’s all because of Jesus!

Meredith Andrews led us in worship and sang over us so our hearts could experience the presence of Christ in that room. We were all reminded of the power and beauty of our Savior, and it was so fitting to lift our voices and sing to the One who is worthy of our praise. It just reinforced in our hearts that it’s all because of Jesus!

And I went through Isaiah 6 to help us see that even when the ground beneath us is unstable and we feel shaken, God is in our midst and we are unshakeable. We were reminded of Psalm 62:6, which says:

He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

Girl, this weekend was all because of Jesus. And in all actuality, everything is all because of Jesus, not just this weekend. We thank Him for being with us at FGF Shreveport and for the work He did through our host church, Cypress Baptist Church, as well as the many co-host churches and volunteers who were involved.

We’re also so thankful for our Local Conference Coordinator, Courtney Bouillon, whose fervent heart helped bring these women and churches together. It’s beautiful to see how God uses women like Courtney and so many others to accomplish His purposes.

And, girl, God was definitely on the move! We celebrated a new sister in Christ, 31 women who chose to renew their commitment to the Lord, and 76 children sponsored through Compassion International. Praise the Lord!

I pray as you go throughout your day, your week, your year, that you would see God at work and respond in praise. I pray that you, too, would say, “It’s all because of Jesus!”

Blessings,

Jennifer and the FGF Team!

BONUS: Liz Curtis Higgs and Meredith Andrews join me on the 4:13 Podcast

Would you like to hear more from Liz and Meredith? Both of these ladies join me on the 4:13 Podcast and give us another boost of encouragement. Click on the episode link below:

Can I Laugh When Life Isn’t Funny? With Liz Curtis Higgs [Episode 9]
Can I Learn to Wait on God? With Meredith Andrews [Episode 20]

5 starsReviews: See what others are saying about FGF!

Would you like to attend a Fresh Grounded Faith conference? Or, bring one to your city? Click on the buttons below to find out more information.

Find a Fresh Grounded Faith event near you. Bring Fresh Grounded Faith to your city.

Plus, you can join me over on my 4:13 Podcast! Each week, you’ll get biblical encouragement as we answer a question about how to live the “I Can” life of Philippians 4:13. Go here to listen to the latest episodes.

Go deeper into this week's question in my Bible Study Bistro Facebook group. There's a community of 4:13ers waiting for you!

Posted on
Categories: Blog, Fresh Grounded Faith
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”