December 2015 - Write from the Deep

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10 – Christmas in the Deep

What does the manger scene mean to you? Is it just a pretty picture on a Christmas card? Or do you see it as a wondrous place of rest for those who’ve endured the journey? There’s a danger for writers in thinking that the pretty scene is the destination. Instead, we need to remember what lead up to the beauty, and what comes after it. Because what we learn in the deep places prepares us to truly savor the times of rest and wonder.

Show Notes

Christmas—a time when we should be celebrating Christ’s birth—can be such a busy, stressful, even depressing time of year. Today we want to stop, take a breath, and talk about one of the most amazing, beautiful scenes in history…and how it can prepare us for the deep.

Key Quotes:

“When we focus only on the pretty scene, we sometimes forget that the holy stuff means there will be darkness and deepness…The destination is the deep places. Because it’s in those places that we find the truth of God’s provision…”

“There are moments of beauty, moments when you know you’ve done everything according to His call, and peace abounds in our journey as a writer…And then there are road to Gethsemane moments. And betrayal moments. And nails in the hands and feet, and mockery, and being spit on moments. And dying moments. And glorious, new-life, risen Christ moments.”

“And all of these, the deep places, the glorious places, the wondrous places, stem out of obedience and faithfulness…When we do what’s right, yes, it leads ultimately into the place of God being able to tell us well done, good and faithful servant…but there’s so much in between that takes us into dark, hard places that test us.”

“The pretty places, the manger scenes, the stars and the angels are gifts to us on the journey. Gifts to remind us that He is there. He is at work. He is showering down His peace and strength and His truth to us, and He’s planting those seeds in us that will germinate in the dark and bloom in eternity.”

Verses:

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

“Yea, though He slay me, still will I hope in Him…” Job 13:15

We’d Like to Hear from You!

What kind of scene are you in right now?

Got a topic you want us to talk about? Let us know!

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09 – The Lifeline in the Deep

Literary Agent Steve Laube talks frankly with Karen Ball and Erin Taylor Young about a writer’s most valuable resource in the deep: God’s Word. It’s as alive, powerful, and applicable in today’s world as it was when first written. But for many believers, the words and truths in Scripture have become…routine. Join us as Steve’s insights from his years-long study of Scripture refresh us and help us discover the wonder, the healing, and the counsel that await when we meet God in the deep.

Show Notes

We’ve been exploring the deep places of struggles, and today we have Steve Laube, one of the most respected literary agents in the Christian publishing industry, here with us to talk about the deep place of being immersed in God.

Most writers know about Steve’s terrific work in publishing, first as an editor with Bethany House Publishers and then as the founder of the prestigious Steve Laube Agency. But what many people don’t know about Steve is that he’s been leading a chronological Bible study at his church for 9 years now. Every week they’re digging in, going deep with God, and discovering things they’ve never seen.

Wisdom from the Bible study

“As the years began going by, and as we were working through the harmony of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and inserting the prophets into their appropriate places, we actually started seeing a bigger picture of how God moved in His people.”

“There was this constant dynamic that I think is missed by most of us…[we could] see the hand of God in history.”

“Despite humanities efforts to derail God’s plans, Gods hands are still there in everything we do. His purposes are accomplished.”

The Demoniac

“The demoniac became the first missionary to the Gentiles…Jesus had never been [to the region of the Gerasenes] before. He was there for less than 24 hours. And He was there for one reason, and that was to heal one man. One man…And I look at that and I say, writers, if you think God has abandoned you, if you think you’re a demoniac and that everything is terrible and horrible and all that…God has you in his sights…”

On Success

“I keep going back to that if you’re faithful in the calling to write, to work within the confines that you were granted, then you define success differently.”

“It’s frustrating when [people] define success monetarily…Those of us who are truly grounded in the word of God, and truly understand what God’s purpose is, our success cannot be defined monetarily.”

“Writing is not a profession for those who wish to be wealthy. It just doesn’t work that way. That’s not the point.”

Our Lifeline

“If any writer who is in a deep place is not searching the scripture, they’re not going to find their lifeline. They will be lost at sea…”

Final Words of Wisdom

“Look in Lamentations 3, where you have the phrase, ‘Great is Thy faithfulness.’ Realize the context in which that was written—while Jerusalem was burning. And Jeremiah says, ‘Great is Thy faithfulness.’ As writers who are in deep places, and dark places, and struggling, and it feels like everything is coming apart…If you can stand with Jeremiah, and look at your dreams on fire, and you can say, ‘Great is Your faithfulness,’ you can survive anything.”

Verses

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

We’d Love to Hear from you!
Have you ever watched your dreams go up in flames?
How did you cope?

Got a topic you’d like us to cover? Let us know!

Tweetable:
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