Abide Leadership with Jobeth Ellis, Christina Hardy, Olivia Frazier, and Charity DeGonia - 6

Join us as we discuss Abide, a discipleship initiative that has become a part of the Rise Up Conference.

We invite the leaders of Abide to the podcast this week and we discuss the beginnings of the discipleship piece of Rise Up and how you can be a part of it.

Visit our website at www.itstimetoriseup.org for more about us and the ministries we offer.

Chapters

• 0:09 Abide
• 13:59 Transformation Through Teaching Abide
• 24:23 Restoring Relationships Through Divine Guidance
• 37:42 The Power of Abiding Prayer
• 43:00 Transformative Power of Biblical Communication

Transcript

Kim McIntire: 0:09

Welcome to the it's Time to Rise Up podcast. I'm your host, kim McIntyre. Thank you for joining us this week. I invite you to check out our website at itstimetoriseuporg. There you will find all our social media links and for our podcast platforms, you'll find us on YouTube, apple Podcasts, spotify and anywhere else you find your podcast. Today, I have four very special ladies in the room. I'm so excited to introduce the lead teachers for Abide, which is the discipleship piece for the Rise Up Conference. Welcome Jo Beth Ellis, christina Hardy, olivia Frazier and Charity Degonye. You guys, I am super excited, and I say that I think every interview, but I'm like super, super excited to have you guys here today, oh, my goodness.

Kim McIntire: 1:01

So the journey of Habide has been quite an adventure, and so I'm just going to talk a little bit about how that began.

Kim McIntire: 1:10

So back in June of 2023, the Lord had asked me to bring a group of four young ladies together to read through the Word and pray together, and I didn't know even who I was going to invite. The Lord just said I want you to gather four young ladies, and so when he started dropping names, in my spirit I would be like, but I don't really know them, lord, and so I mean, I knew your face, right, I knew your faces, but two of those four are here today, olivia and Charity. So we're going to actually start there a little bit. So those four ladies said yes, and from that point, abide has just grown and changed and shifted and turned, but it's all been led by the Holy Spirit. So, because you two were there, charity and Olivia, I would like for you guys to just, first of all, charity, tell a little bit about yourself, and then I'll have Olivia tell a little about herself, and then we're going to jump into how Abide began, like the organic roots of it.

Charity DeGonia: 2:18

Okay, so, like you said, I'm Charity Degonia. I am a teacher at our local school in Carl Junction, missouri. I have five children, three at home and my husband, who I'm obviously super proud of. And yeah, so Abide came about after I was away from the Lord for about 20 years. So I was in a place where I was just wanting more, but I didn't know what more was like. I didn't know what I was really seeking. I had been in church for the last three or four years before then and was really just knew that God was in my life, but I didn't know what I was really seeking. So I had had Kim come over and pray with me just a few months before that we started Abide, but she asked me to come to this just and she didn't really call it. A few months before that, we started Abide, but she asked me to come to this just and she didn't really call it a Bible study. She said we're just going to dive into the word and I was like, yes, like I need more, and she's giving me an invitation for more. So yes, lord, this is exactly an answer to my prayer.

Charity DeGonia: 3:19

So as we started, I don't even think she told me who was in the class. Really, she said we're just going to start with a small group. So I go there and a little nervous for a couple of reasons that we might hit on later, but just a little bit nervous about it, but also knowing that God has called me for more. And we started small. We started with just a few words. We dove into them and the Bible was still just words on a page to me at that point and I knew that God had more. So we start diving into these few words and God starts downloading his voice into my head and I just knew then like God's going someplace. So I think we got to maybe the third meeting, second or third meeting, and Kim says to us God has more for this abide thing. And I was like, okay, you know, I'm game, because I knew that God had just put a deep hunger and desperation for more into my spirit, especially when I started hearing his voice. And so then she says it's going to be a bigger group. Well, then the nervousness comes, you know, okay, but I also knew that God had created a safe place for this. And so as it grew and we went to the next group of bigger, you know, and I was a little nervous about it. But man, we started doing like actually practicing these prayer things in her living room and God met us there every single time and he created a boldness in me and in my prayer that just excited me.

Charity DeGonia: 4:43

And so then I want more. I don't want it, just want more. I don't want it just at church and I don't want it just in Kim's living room, I want this in my home. So I start getting up at 4.30 in the morning and everybody's like you're crazy. I'm like no, you don't understand my God. This 4.30 in the morning is when my God meets me, and he showed me that it doesn't have to be at church, it doesn't have to be in Kim's living room, it doesn't have to be anywhere. He'll meet me everywhere that I try to meet Him, that I ask Him to be with me. So God has just kind of taken me from words on a page to like speaking to me through every single passage, to teaching me to prayer, to giving me a boldness to pray at church. Now, like this is something that I was. I felt like God was always my Savior, I was always going to Him to. I needed something.

Charity DeGonia: 5:28

Well, now, god is my Father and he delights and he loves to meet me in those places and he loves to communicate with me. And it's just more than a prayer practice. It's more than words on a page now. It's more than a place. It's anywhere I seek God. He meets us. I have grown in Abide and that's how it's kind of grown me and how it's changed as well to giving me boldness and confirmation and confidence and a holy confidence to walk in victory that I never thought that I would see. Confidence to walk in victory that I never thought that I would see. And so she's taught me you know, this has all taught me how to walk in that victory too that God is always good, no matter where I am and no matter what I've been through and that he's always there.

Kim McIntire: 6:16

Yeah, well, you know, the day that I came to your house to pray, another friend had asked hey, can you go pray with charity? And I didn't know you except just really, your face right. And so we go and pray with you and what I remember is and I know you're okay with me speaking this, but I met a desperate woman that day, yeah, yeah, and as my friend and I were praying over you, I had no idea in that moment.

Kim McIntire: 6:50

But isn't it the power of prayer, right? I had no idea that a year and a half later, I would be basically just working side by side with you as a leader on this discipleship team, and it's just.

Kim McIntire: 7:03

it's a redemption story is what it is and I say this all the time on the podcast the thread that will always be woven through the Rise Up podcast is redemption, because he's a God who redeems, and we overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony and do you ever have a testimony? Charity. Thank you for sharing that. We'll get back into some more of that a little bit later about the dynamics of the group when it started, but we're going to go to Olivia now. Olivia, thank you for being here.

JoBeth Ellis: 7:32

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Yes, I'm Olivia Frazier. I live in Joplin, missouri. I live with my sister, currently Very single. Right now, I work as a graphic designer and I'm on the worship team at church. Yeah, and you've done our graphics for Rise Up. Yes, you've done an amazing job.

Kim McIntire: 7:52

I've had so much fun doing it. You've done such a great job with that, so how tell us about the beginnings of Abide With you?

JoBeth Ellis: 7:59

Okay, it was the. It was at a really low point in my life last year. I was having really extreme anxiety. I was having panic attacks almost every day, every other day, and I had had um a couple of people from church you were one of them, kim uh, pray over me and that was such a turning point. That night was such a turning point in my life of like breakthrough and just more of God and like a hunger for God that I've never had before. Um, and I remember I was sitting right across from you and you looked at me and said do you have problems reading the Bible? And I said um, yes, yes, um, yes.

Kim McIntire: 8:48

And I loved that you were so honest in that moment, because the Lord was speaking to me. I want her to find me in the Word, Because John the first chapter of John, verse 14, says the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. So when we know the Word, we know Jesus.

Kim McIntire: 9:11

So, there's a lot of people that believe in Jesus, but they don't know Him because they don't open the Word. So what I loved in that moment was when I asked you that question and you were honest is it was the Holy Spirit confirming in me this is a girl that needs to come to the class which it didn't have a name then, by the way it's just the class. So what shifted in that time frame? We only met for three months at the beginning, so what shifted in that time frame for you?

JoBeth Ellis: 9:45

It was learning actually how to read the Word. I have struggled for years on how to just sit down and read. My mind goes to different places and I'm a person that is so easily distracted. It was not just doing it by myself, but it was allowing the Lord to come in and show me. Okay, what do you want me to know from this first? What do you want me to know from this first? And it was stuff that wasn't just stuff I already knew. It was stuff that was so new and so fresh and so applicable to my life. It was just amazing the doors he opened at that point.

Kim McIntire: 10:24

Yeah, and some relationship restoration, I really believe was taking place in that too. We'll come back to that in a little bit, because I want you and Charity to talk about that when we come back to that place. We're going to kind of circle back around with this interview, okay. So thank you both for sharing that. So, christina Hardy, yes, I knew you, yes, but you were not a close friend. Nope, I invited you, and just the journey of Abide has drawn us together to be very close friends and I've seen God do some amazing things. I want you to introduce yourself.

Olivia Frazier: 11:01

Okay, okay Great. My name is Christina Hardy. I have been married to my husband, jim, for 31 years. We have two adult children. One, our daughter, lives in Ozark, missouri, and our son lives in Columbia, missouri, while we reside in Webb City, missouri, and I am very fortunate that I get to work in a ministry every day through a private Christian school and I've done that for 20 years and I've got to serve in our church and that just makes my heart so happy and joyful because we get to serve in leadership and help disciple others while we're here at church and everything else. So we truly enjoy that. So when Kim invited me to come join her in her class, it was—I wasn't quite—I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure. I was like, okay, yeah, I've done Bible studies and everything else and I'm like— You've done dozens and dozens of Bible studies in prayer groups.

Olivia Frazier: 12:04

I have, I have.

Kim McIntire: 12:05

Which made me hesitant to ask you. But God told me to ask you and I'm like, but God, she knows how to read the Bible.

Olivia Frazier: 12:13

I do. But you know what? The Abide study is so much deeper than anything I've ever experienced in my life and it really makes the words, that the word, actually come to life and it really is a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit speaking through what you're reading and really deep diving into what the word is telling you and how God wants you to apply that each and every day of your life. Yeah, it's just so much deeper than anything else I've ever done.

Kim McIntire: 12:50

That's so good and a benefit was we got to be closer because I didn't know you personally. I knew you through school, because you work at the private school my daughter and now grandson attend. So it's been nice just to watch that journey of you going deeper, even though I considered you to be someone that would just be like got this.

Olivia Frazier: 13:11

I've got this and I think that's kind of the persona. That kind of comes from different things that you do in your life. You know. People just assume at a certain age that you know what you're doing and you know it and you have it all together and that is a persona that is really false a lot of times, in a lot of ministry type positions, you just think that in ministry, that a person.

Olivia Frazier: 13:37

Obviously, of course they read their Bible every single day, of course they're speaking to God every single day, but that is not always true, right, right.

Kim McIntire: 13:47

Well, I love that you said yes and I love that you're going to be teaching a class in the future. We'll talk about that soon. Thank you, christina. Jo Beth, you have kind of done an abide journey with me for a long time, just through friendship and talking about the Bible and talking about prayer. But why don't you talk about your experience with Abide and where it has led you? Because you just finished teaching the first launch class of session one, so that's exciting too. So why don't you just share a little bit about what Abide was when you were taking it and then how it changed, from you know taking the class to teaching the class exciting too. So why don't you just share a little bit about what Abide was when you were taking it and then how it changed? From you know taking the class to teaching the class, it has changed.

Christina Hardy: 14:31

Yeah, it's very humbling to even be sitting here and being encouraged to teach. Yeah, because going from a student to a teacher is a whole different perspective. Right, but what I have learned and grown in and I'm just going to relate it to I love to sew, or, if someone likes to cook A bite for me was a new utensil or a new gadget, something to put in my spiritual arsenal or my spiritual toolbox or my spiritual kitchen drawer that has all the fun things to cook with. Yeah, those tools that I have received spiritually from Abide, I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Christina Hardy: 15:36

Yeah, they have made my time with the Lord so much sweeter and it is so personal now so personal, because when I ask the Lord a question or use one of those awesome words, he answers he's there every time. And my literal time, my actual time, I'm getting where I don't have enough time. I just want to stay there. It's like Lord, don't leave, let's stay right where we're at, because it's so sweet. It is so sweet.

Christina Hardy: 16:16

And, on the teaching side, a lot of prayer, a lot of prep, a lot of prayer, a lot of hosting, a lot of prayer, a lot of prayer. But I have asked God, through the teaching which it is such a privilege to do, that he would get me out of the way, that he would lead it and I would be led by him. And the three classes, the first session that I have got to do with these women God has showed up in power in ways that have blown me away. It has been amazing when you have the mindset God, this is your class, it's not mine, I'm only a vessel to be used by you. And, wow, I have been amazed every class.

Kim McIntire: 17:17

It was pretty amazing because after your class launched, I saw a couple of people that I didn't know, but they came up to me and they were like JoBeth's class was amazing and I was just like I know I'm not your mom, but I felt like a proud mom. Do you know what I mean? It was that kind of feeling.

Kim McIntire: 17:35

I was like this is so cool because I feel like you know, god's just growing it, he's multiplying it. So JoBeth's has already started and her spaces are already full. But Charity, olivia and Christina are getting ready to open classes in January. They're local if you live in the Joplin Missouri area, and we're going to talk about the dates and the times and such as that as we get closer to the close of this. So you might want to have something handy if you want to write down that information. But, charity, what led you to want to have something handy if you want to write down that information? But, charity, what led you to want to teach? When you came to me one day after class, the Holy Spirit just had really spoken to you. I saw it on your face. You're like I have to tell you this. I know the Holy Spirit is what brought you to that place, but do you want to share just about that moment that you knew like I am supposed to be teaching this class, right?

Charity DeGonia: 18:25

Well, I think it started with just the passion that I had, because when something changes you and God is in it and the Holy Spirit is working on you, it's not something you want to contain. I don't want to keep this to myself, I want everybody to experience this. And that's kind of the natural teacher in me, because I've been a teacher for so long. So you get excited about it and all this stuff. But I didn't know timing wise. You know I was like OK, god, I want you to use my story. I mean, god has done so much in my life and shown me so much favor and blessing and mercy and grace, and so I just kind of was waiting on that and just saying, ok, lord, when you're ready to use me, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm here. So I had already kind of gotten to that point.

Charity DeGonia: 19:06

But again, that passion and excitement for this where I don't want to contain it and I want everybody to experience what I experienced. So we were sitting in class and you had said something about hey, you know I can't do all of this on my own, we've got to, you know, expand this to other classes, because these are full and we have a hunger for people. You know, people are hungry for it. And I was like okay, lord. And then we started praying and God was like this is your moment.

Kim McIntire: 19:29

Wow.

Charity DeGonia: 19:30

And it literally I was shaking, like God was like this is you have to listen to me right now. Like I honestly I'm really sorry to say I don't remember what you were saying, because I was hearing God's voice so loud in that moment that God just said this is now Like you don't wait, this is you know what you've been asking for. And I was kind of brought to tears and I was like, okay, lord, breathing through the rest of the class so that right after class I could say I'm in Like this is where God is going to give me that spot to show others what he's done in my life as well.

Kim McIntire: 20:05

And I'm excited for the people that are going to be taking your class.

JoBeth Ellis: 20:09

And.

Kim McIntire: 20:09

I know there's already people in your class, so they're going to fill up soon, I think. So, olivia, how about you? At what moment did you think I want to teach abide.

JoBeth Ellis: 20:22

And so I remember you talking about like okay, so now if you want to teach in a Bide class, you know, kind of let me know. And you and I were having a one-on-one one day and I knew in the back of my mind I'm like, oh, I couldn't, I couldn't teach, I couldn't teach. No, no way Not true, no Not true.

JoBeth Ellis: 20:41

At that moment At that moment, okay, at that moment, at that moment, I remember I talked to you and I was just there was a question like that just kept kind of popping up. It was just like just ask if you know you could help in some way just in some way.

JoBeth Ellis: 21:05

Because part of me was like, well, I don't want Abide to ever really end, you know, because it's just so good. So I asked you and you told me you said that would be great. You know, even you could co-lead. And I'm like, oh, wow, we're going that far, kim. Okay, I had a lot of confidence in you. And then so you had said about co-leading and everything, and I was like, okay, in the back of my mind I was like, okay, lord, if that's what you want me to do, I will do it. And I had just thought, you know I was going to help somebody and you know you were going to reach out to different people. And then you came to me the next time we had a one-on-one and you said somebody wants to co-lead with you, yep. And I was like, oh, really.

Kim McIntire: 21:50

Yes, and this would be a great place to transition to Christina. Christina, can you pick up the story?

Olivia Frazier: 21:57

Yes. So how it kind of started with me is that Kim just keeps always like speaking the word leadership over me. That's just pretty much what she's done, and a lot of it was I felt was actually coming from my ministry career and that it was supposed to come through. Those lines is really where I felt like that was heading. And then one day during our class she talked about you know, needing leaders and things like that. I was like, hmm, I don't know about that. But then she actually came and asked me directly and it was just I just felt overcome with the Lord that day and I just said, sure, yeah, yes, of course, of course, why would I not do that?

Olivia Frazier: 22:41

And, as with any hesitation in my life, it always breaks down to time and I'm always because I do do a lot of ministry work and it, you know, the Lord provides, but he also tells you you have to have periods of resting and things like that.

Olivia Frazier: 22:58

And so I just the more I prayed it and thought over it and I just really felt the Lord lead me, that I was supposed to mentor someone and through a series of events, it was revealed to me that it was Olivia. So Olivia, in context for the listeners. Olivia is the age of my daughter, so we're a generation apart, and but I think that is probably the sweetest part about all of this is that I get to go hand in hand and side by side Olivia and walk through with her and like just kind of lead her through the different steps that it takes to kind of get get something kind of started and then to follow through and honestly, I just feel like this is just the beginning stages. I feel like we're going to be together for for a long time and it's just a great relationship and I've I didn't know Olivia really at all, and so it's just been so special and so sweet and we get to spend time one-on-one together pretty frequently and I've just loved every minute of that.

Kim McIntire: 24:11

There are so many aspects and dynamics to this and I love how I've been able to watch what God has been doing in individuals. We're going to backtrack now to the very first class, before it was called Abide and Olivia, you and Charity two other young women were in the class. I didn't know any of you well. I knew you by face, really, and some brief interactions through church. But what I found out later was just so confirming. It was just such a confirmation of the Holy Spirit that he actually did say every one of your names to me.

Kim McIntire: 24:57

You know, sometimes I'm going to be honest, I do hear from the Lord and I'm really thankful for that. But sometimes I hear and I'm like Lord, is that really you? You know, questioning Instead of being confident. This is the Lord and I don't know if Charity, you want to start and then you want to add in Olivia or vice versa. But there was some relationship dynamics coming into that first class I was completely unaware of and God did some mighty work and I'm so glad I didn't know there were relationship dynamics going in, because I probably would have been oh, this isn't going to work, you know, but God knew. So one of you start and the other one add in.

JoBeth Ellis: 25:40

Yeah, so I took the class with my sister and mine and my sister's relationship hasn't always been the best, and she'll tell you that too. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Um, growing up there was just enough of an age gap where we didn't really you know vibe very well, we didn't hang out a lot, um and so kind of growing up into adulthood and going into adulthood and everything. We lived in different cities and we never really got to spend time together, so we weren't really close Right. My sister had asked me to move in with her a couple of years previous and we were just getting into, you know, living together and working out the dynamics between that, because I mean, we hadn't lived together since we were back at the house Well, and that's a challenge in itself.

Kim McIntire: 26:33

Learning to live with anyone yes.

JoBeth Ellis: 26:35

Right, it's different.

Kim McIntire: 26:36

And if you know her and.

JoBeth Ellis: 26:37

I, we have completely different personalities, yeah, completely. So just kind of working through that, and we had just started like working on our relationship and everything, but we had both taken the class at the same time and I don't know if you know this, but she would have like we would have never taken a class together Hadn't it been for the Holy Spirit that brought us together.

Kim McIntire: 27:00

That's right.

JoBeth Ellis: 27:00

Wow, a class like this anyways. Yeah, um, it was just through the work of the Holy Spirit. And you know, there was, there was one day I think it was the last day of that abide that she prayed over me. Yeah, and that was just life changing for me, because I never I've seen her do it for other people. I've never seen her do it for me. And just even after that, the Lord has just brought us closer together and I have a relationship with her now that I never thought I would.

Kim McIntire: 27:41

It's an incredible story and I remember that day so clearly because we were working on listening to the Holy Spirit as we pray for someone, but them not telling you what they need. Prayer for which listeners? As you are listening to this, if you're not already doing that, there is a very rich, deep place in the Spirit where you're not relying on them to tell you what they need. You're relying on the Spirit to pray through you.

Christina Hardy: 28:12

Yeah, so good.

Kim McIntire: 28:13

And so I had partnered you up with Faith and I had partnered Charity up with the other young lady, not knowing there had been any relationship issues at all between each of you, because no one ever told me that, because you guys didn't know me well enough to tell me I guess you were keeping me in the dark. But I was glad you did, because isn't the Holy Spirit good? Because sometimes I think our humanity gets in the way and we're like, oh well, they don't get along. So I'm not going to partner those two up because, oh, who knows what could happen. And I'm not saying I would have done that, but you know we all have a human tendency, but when the Holy Spirit's leading relationships get restored, humans can't restore relationships apart from the work of God. It's impossible. So thank you so much because I believe someone's listening right now that needs to hear that sister relationship has been improved and is healing and is being restored and that's beautiful.

Christina Hardy: 29:14

Thank you.

Kim McIntire: 29:14

God Charity how?

Charity DeGonia: 29:17

about you. Well, before I go any further, I just want to say you know, I was always hesitant to go to Bible studies and things because of the dynamics of the people. Oh, I can't be vulnerable with that person or this person or whatever. And I just want to encourage our listeners to say if God is calling you to it, he is going to bring you through it in a better way and deeper, and he's going to move in ways that you're not expecting and that he wants for you. He wants this deep place for you.

Charity DeGonia: 29:41

So when we went into this class because it wasn't a Bible study, it's just that class when I saw this person there, she at that time I'm going to say this in a very vulnerable way. At that time she used to be my best friend and we had gone through something that was so hurtful that I just didn't ever know how like it was. One of those. I could forgive her, but I could never be vulnerable or trust her again. That's the way I felt. And so here I am in this class where Kim is asking us to be vulnerable and real, and I was like, how do I do that, lauren?

Charity DeGonia: 30:14

So we go through these classes and God just really softened my heart and I believe hers too, because she was in the same place and healed things that I didn't know needed to be healed, and forgiveness came without us speaking it. You know like, hey, I see a compassion for what you're going through and for what I'm going through and how God is just changing us and deepening our relationship with Him, because, truly, you know, I think about how God created marriage, how we seek God first, and then the relationship with our husband comes. Well, it's the same thing with friends, I believe, you know, like when we're both seeking God, he brought us closer together, and so this goes on for several months, literally months, and so that relationship, that friendship, softened. And then Kim paired us up and she gave the oil to my friend. She said it's your turn to pray over her, and we hadn't talked about our needs, but it was just a moment where God was like it's all washed away, wow.

Charity DeGonia: 31:14

It's gone, praise God. All of that hurt was gone and the forgiveness was there. And now we're close and we get to spend time together and we trust each other again, and I was like that's only God, and it was not a place we would have put ourselves in. It was a place that God put us in, not knowing what we needed because it wasn't. That class was not about forgiveness, that class was not about grace. It was not about anything other than deepening our relationship with Him on a personal and intimate level and calling out to Him in prayer in a way that I would have never known, listening to Him in that way that you taught us, and to the Holy Spirit and things that have just been so powerful in my life.

Charity DeGonia: 31:56

But, man, the other things that fall in place when we're in line with what God's will and when we're in the Word and when we're in His presence. When we are in His presence, it changes our countenance, it changes the way we view others, it changes the way we view friendship, it changes what we value in everything and it changes our gratitude for what he does. And so, learning to be in that place and desiring that in a big way and I'm going to piggyback what you said earlier about how I was getting up at 430 in the morning and when it was time to stop and go to, you know, get ready for school. I didn't have enough time. Like Lord, do I have to go today? And so that's where it draws you and it changes how you view everything.

Kim McIntire: 32:59

And that's the testimony that I've been hearing is I went from setting a 20-minute timer or a 30-minute timer to know that I had spent time with the Lord to I don't want my timer to go off, I don't want to go take my shower yet to go to work. And then I've heard some people say they've made their wake time earlier or they've added in some in the evening. I know, christina, you've said you also spend time with the Lord in the Word in the evening, and I want to make something really clear to you. I have a really good friend she's been on the podcast before. Cindy has told me that she prays in the morning but she spends time in the Word in the evening because that's when her mind is more still. And I just say, whenever you have the best time for your brain and your mind and heart and spirit to connect to God's Word, do it. For me it's morning and I just can't imagine not starting the morning with God in the Word. But the important thing is you're spending time in the Word and the more you do, it's like when you're transitioning from junk food to healthy food. At first the healthy food is eh, but then your body begins to crave the healthy and doesn't feel well if you eat the junkie and the Word of God. It's like the more you take in of the Word, the more your spirit actually hungers for the Word.

Kim McIntire: 34:14

So I tell people when they say I just don't read the Word or I can't read the Word. There's all kinds of things people say Because this is a question I ask people a lot. Tell me about your time with the Lord is a question I ask people a lot. Tell me about your time with the Lord. And when they do, what becomes revealed is there's very little time in the Word and my mission is that every person that I know, that I'm connected to or God brings into my path, recognizes there is a place you can be in your walk with God where you hunger and thirst for time with Him.

Kim McIntire: 34:50

It's real and it's true, and it doesn't look the same for every person and it shouldn't. But my passion for this grew from a place where I read the Word because I've known my whole life. It's important and I was a Sunday school teacher for many, many years and I wanted to know the and I wanted to know the lesson and I wanted to know I could teach it. But when I was 32 years old, god radically shifted how I approached the Word and now I can say it's not a checklist, it's not something I think I have to do or should do. It's what I want.

Kim McIntire: 35:28

I want to be in God's Word. I hunger for it, just like you ladies do, and to see it growing is so encouraging. I want to share with you guys the prayer that I prayed on December 26th of 2023, when January classes were getting ready to launch. So that was the first group after the group of four, that initial group that I didn't know what it was going to be, but now we know it's Abide and I read this over all of you and it's what I'm praying for your classes. And some of those spaces are blank, but there may be a listener today or tonight.

Kim McIntire: 36:09

There may be a listener right now that knows they're struggling with the Word, they're struggling to pray, they don't feel like their walk with God is personal and you can be a believer and not be a follower, and the only reason I say that is because I was one and I believe I was going to heaven, because the blood of Jesus saves my soul. But I pray that anyone who's listening that finds themselves in that place will sign up for Charity's class, will sign up for Christina's class. Jo Beth's is already full. We'll tune in in the future for the Abide class that will be on the podcast. And so and these ladies some of them will probably be hopping in on some of those times where we just open the word and go through the structure of Abide. It's not the same as being in a small group. I want to emphasize if you live in the Joplin area, get to one of these classes because you need community.

Kim McIntire: 37:14

However if you do not live in the Joplin Missouri area, then I would ask you to identify when these Abide classes will be on the platform, because I will announce them. And it will be on the platform because I will announce them and it will be on our social media links. You can build a community, even online or through a podcast, but let that be the second option, not the first, because I'm telling you you do not want to miss any of these ladies teaching class. They are treasures. Here's the prayer teaching class. They are treasures. Here's the prayer.

Kim McIntire: 37:51

Lord, prepare each heart to go to deeper places in the word and prayer than they've ever gone before. Lord, remove obstacles and distractions that keep them from going to those places of abiding in you and enjoying intimacy with you. Lord, increase in them the desire for more, a deep hunger and thirst for your presence. Lord, reveal yourself in new ways through your word and prayer. Bring a fresh wind and a fresh fire upon each person. Lord, teach us to abide, and that's really the theme. Teach us to abide. And I meant to open the interview with this scripture, but that's not what happened. So here we go.

Kim McIntire: 38:34

Abide centers on these two verses found in John 15, verse 4 and 5. Abide in me and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. If you abide in me and I abide in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.

Kim McIntire: 39:05

And each woman that is in this circle right now this is their testimony. It's my testimony. Their lives are bearing fruit, but it's not because of them, it's because of Christ in them. They have given their yes and they were willing to take the class and God grew them to a place of leadership and I honestly can't wait to see where God takes you guys in the future with this, because I told you, I actually see you guys in the future sitting down with leaders that you have raised up in your classes. I believe that it will multiply. We've been given prophetic words and I stand on that. And this is why I stand on it, because to lead others to love God's Word and love prayer, to have a passion in your heart to see men and women, boys and girls want to spend time with their Creator in personal fellowship and intimacy that's God's heart more than it's ours.

Kim McIntire: 40:04

That's God's will, that is aligned with what he desires for his people, and he says whatever you ask in my name, it is done, and I believe that's true when what you're asking aligns with the Father. There's no miss in this. Ask, right, right, what would our world look like if every person who believes in Jesus was spending time with him in the word, prayer and praise? So now we're going to talk about the structure. We're not going to give tons of details, but we're going to give little snippets and there'll be more to come on the podcast in the future. The structure is worship. We enter into a time of worship and I've got two people right here sitting in front of me that are on worship team at their church. So that element to me sets the stage. Olivia, speak into that. How does it change the atmosphere when we gather together and we just go right into worship?

JoBeth Ellis: 41:05

It's just an invitation for the Lord to meet us. Amen. It's that an invitation for the Lord to meet us, amen. It's that drawing in, it's him coming to meet us where we are and just sitting with us, and it's an opportunity for us to give him all the glory that he deserves.

Charity DeGonia: 41:20

That's so good, right at the beginning, right when we start.

JoBeth Ellis: 41:23

Yeah, and really when it starts like that, it can only go up from there. That's right.

Christina Hardy: 41:29

Amen, that's right.

JoBeth Ellis: 41:30

That's right.

Kim McIntire: 41:31

You can't miss. He inhabits the praise of his people. If you're praising and worshiping, he's going to show up, and he does every time, every time. The next piece of the structure is called keywords. Who would like to talk a little bit about keywords? What's the purpose?

Christina Hardy: 41:54

We're not going to actually list all the keywords, but what is the purpose of the keywords? Does anyone want to speak to that? I think for me. With the keywords, it gave me a starting place. I'll just say no again, because we've mentioned that one anyway. God, what do you want me to know? What do you want to teach me? Yeah, how can I grow in what you're teaching me? When you got a question, you have to answer. You're looking for the answer, right, and God's pouring it down. He's revealing that to you through that question Because I personally, I personally have learned when I come in with a humble heart and a seeking heart, god shows up every time and he will take me to places I never even dreamed we were going. Going, yeah, and it flows, his spirit leads and I just okay, lord, I wasn't expecting this, but let's go, and it has been amazing.

Charity DeGonia: 43:00

I just want to speak a little bit to those words created a communication with God for me, because I'm asking Him a question, so he has to answer it for me. So then it's not just words on a page, it's what God is speaking to me, and love longs to communicate, right, god loves to communicate with us. So it opened that conversation which created that relationship with him. So when I'm reading the Bible, I'm asking God to speak to me, and I've read some of these chapters several times, a lot of times, and I feel like God says something different to me.

Christina Hardy: 43:32

He takes me deeper every time.

Charity DeGonia: 43:35

So I have most of John 15 memorized, but every time that I ask God, what do you want me to know about this today, he gives me something different or a little bit deeper, or a little bit more, or why don't I take you to this place today? So that communication, I think, is where those keywords take me.

Kim McIntire: 43:54

That's so good. That's so good. Anyone else about keywords?

Olivia Frazier: 43:59

Well, without mentioning one, I mean you can mention one, can I? Can I mention another one? Ok, so I would say the thing that has been the, the thing that spoke to me the most, is declaring things. That is truly what it is, because in all my years of doing all kinds of other Bible studies and stuff that is so different, I mean that's nothing that I have ever been taught from people lecturing me or watching a video series or whatever that may look like in other types of Bible studies. Both of what you two mentioned about hearing him and in him becoming real while you're doing it. It's also about declaring the truths of the Bible and what the Word actually says, and declaring that over your life and what it's going to be, that you know that his biblical principles and truths are going to stand on every aspect of your life. You know from the moment you wake up until the end of your day.

Kim McIntire: 45:00

That is it. That is it Declaring, very powerful, declaring yeah, thank you. So, yeah, if you're listening now and you're that person who's struggling to be in the Word, I would say, tomorrow morning or this evening, open your Bible. I would say, go to Psalm 23. And the reason I say that is most people are familiar with it. But if you sit down with your Bible and you say to the Lord, lord, as I approach this chapter, what do you want me to know? That know can change so many things. And let me just say it's not just knowing for your mind and your intellect, but it's knowing for your heart, like emotionally connecting to the Word. We need to have our mind filled with the knowledge of God and we also need to have our mind filled with the knowledge of God. And we also need to have our heart filled with the knowledge of God, because knowledge in the mind doesn't change a heart, but knowledge for the heart changes a heart. And so it's really about the heart connection to the Word.

Christina Hardy: 46:05

I want to speak into what you just said. I'm going to speak into what you just said. I have always I don't want to let me see how to say this I've always struggled with memorizing, Always, but this I know to be true.

Olivia Frazier: 46:27

My heart's getting it.

Christina Hardy: 46:33

Even though I may come out and someone said what did you just? What were you just in? But I know my heart got it, because I'm changed, because I was in the word. So I'm going to speak to those out there that think I'm not getting anything out of it or I'm not memorizing it. Yes, you are, because it's going in the crevices of your heart, mind and soul. So keep reading it, Keep asking. You're getting it. You're getting it. If you're in the Word, you're getting it.

Kim McIntire: 47:03

That's good, that's so good. Well, and there's also.

Charity DeGonia: 47:07

It's Lisa Harper that said it. She said you know, we can stand in awe of what God's done and we can stand in awe of his word, but it's until we have the attachment and don't. It's not a complete quote, but I just remember her saying that's that attachment that's so important. So when we are attached to the word and something where he has taught me something in this chapter, I'm attached to that chapter in that way, you know, and so it really draws you in a different place. Like you're saying, you are getting it not just because you have it memorized or don't have it memorized, there's an attachment to it and so when you're attached to God's word.

Charity DeGonia: 47:40

you're attached to God's heart and God's will and what he wants for your life too. Amen, that's so true.

Kim McIntire: 47:46

Does anyone want to share I mean, I feel like you've kind of already done that, but I'm just going to ask it in this way Does anyone want to share a specific personal benefit that you know you have gained directly from the Abide class, Just something specific. I feel like you kind of already spoken to that with the Declare Christina that that was the one thing that you just really have taken hold of.

Kim McIntire: 48:10

I think that's what I'm looking for. Is there just one thing that you could just speak to say? This is what made the class worth my time.

Charity DeGonia: 48:21

Well, I'm going to say all of it, but if there's one thing, one of, I'm going to speak another word here. If there's one thing that really changed me. So I was raised in a pretty legalistic church and so when we got to obey I went here's that God discipline thing and that has changed and transformed my life, because it's not about just obeying this God that has a belt in His hand. If I go wrong, you know what I mean. This is a God who loves me so much that he wants me in His will. So it's not just you better obey me, it's I love you so much. God loves us so much that he wants us to be in this place so that he can pour out His blessings and His favor upon us and that we can walk in victory, like your declarer says too. So it all relates to each other. But, man, that shifted everything about my relationship with God. He's not some far off God. He's right here with us and he wants us to obey because of the love that he has for us.

Kim McIntire: 49:29

That's so good. That's so good. I love that. Would anyone want to share any challenges that they had like during the class? You just shared about the challenge with the keyword obey. Did anyone else have any anything that they felt like was hard to overcome or hard to approach?

Christina Hardy: 49:51

hard to overcome or hard to approach. Okay, it was that good, you're honest, you're honest. Well, I hate to speak too much, but you can decide whether you want to put this in or not, but I think the hardest one of the harder things for me each time was being vulnerable with the people around me that I didn't know, because I don't know those people and it's a trust thing.

Charity DeGonia: 50:10

So you really have to pour into. Okay, lord, this is yours, these have to be your words, and I have to be vulnerable in your presence so that you can teach me and take me deeper.

Kim McIntire: 50:19

Yeah, I mean, it really is a class that transparency and vulnerability is required. It's really not optional.

Christina Hardy: 50:27

With that I will speak into from the teaching side. One night before we got started, the Lord asked me to do something specifically in the class and I thought, what? Please? No, but you know, I obeyed and I did it and it was amazing. But I honestly think it was more for me than even for them, even though I believe the women got the point of the whole thing. But on the teaching side of it, god has just shifted so much in me and changed so much in me and it has been so amazing to watch these women come in every class and there's only three. But when you start with 10 women and only one of them that I even knew who she was and yet by the time we get to the third class, it's like we're all friends. Everybody's talking more, everybody's sharing more. So even for me, from being in the class to teaching the class, the spiritual benefits far outweigh, far outweigh even the fear or the oh Lord, if I do that, what that's gone, because what God has done in the yes there's no measuring it.

Kim McIntire: 52:00

It's true, there's no measuring it, that's so good. The other piece of abide, the other structure to that, or piece within the structure rather, is the prayer practices. So we close with a prayer practice and what these are. These are just things the Lord has taught me in prayer, different and rather than just doing a prayer, that is a checklist of things you want God to do, which I've said to the listeners before. That was my normal way of praying for many years going to the Lord, thank you for the day and then giving Him the things I needed Him to do and not really taking time to praise Him, worship Him, declare, listen, confess. There's just a lot of different prayer practices that we've done victory, declaring victory. So the prayer practices, I feel like, are kind of that anchor piece, because prayer without the Word and Word without the prayer practices, I feel like are kind of that anchor piece because prayer without the word and word without the prayer they're incomplete. But when you bring them together it's just, it's like the power of the Spirit just shows up, because I believe those are two of God's favorite things. You know, his Word speaks to us and prayer we speak to Him. That's relationship and we talk about that component of relationship.

Kim McIntire: 53:15

We're going to close out talking about relationship right now, because the point of this class is we want people to build and, you know, grow in their personal relationship with the Lord. And what do relationships require? Time, right. What other things do relationships require? Time is the big part. Communication, right, trust, dependency, reliance, and all of these things are part of Abide. So I'm going to ask you guys to share your class, your starting time, so the date, the time of day, the location. If you guys can do that, that would be great Charity. Do you want to start? And then Christina.

Charity DeGonia: 54:06

Sure, so we're going to meet Saturday morning, starting in January, about nine o'clock in the morning in my home in Carl Junction, missouri. Awesome.

Olivia Frazier: 54:16

And our class is going to meet on Friday nights and we are also beginning in January, so it is Friday nights at six o'clock and it will be in Webb City, Missouri. It is some odd times, but January 3rd, January 31st and February 28th.

Kim McIntire: 54:37

And if you go online to itstimetoriseuporg, you can sign up for these classes and you don't have to necessarily remember those times and dates, because those will be given to you. If you sign up online and if one of those times of day works better a Saturday class or a Friday evening class, you know then you can go in that direction. But we're super excited to see who lands in these classes. I am so, like God, I can't wait. I want to share a testimony from a dear, dear friend of mine who moved to Oklahoma a couple weeks ago. So, maddie, thank you for sending this. I want to say, god, is there anything better than when someone sends you an email or a text or leaves a voicemail and you just know it was from the Lord?

Kim McIntire: 55:28

Because, you're in a moment like the day I got this. I was so discouraged, just so discouraged, so defeated, so like under attack from the enemy, and I opened my email and this is what I got. Thank you, maddie Huff. I have gained from this class a deeper intimacy with Jesus through studying and resting in His Word. Studying a particular chapter for a long time frame is new to me. This is such an amazing way to dive deep and see what the Lord wanted me to hear.

Kim McIntire: 56:05

I've struggled in the past with not reading enough scripture until this class, but because of Abide, I was able to see how rich even taking one verse and breaking it down is and how much the Lord wants to talk to me through his word. The response to God's word through journaling has revitalized my time with God. I literally wake up excited to grab my cup of coffee and get into my Bible. I've always enjoyed talking to God in my journal, but this stepped that up because now I'm hearing from Him through the Bible and he's talking back to me. I am so grateful for this class and everything I'm learning. I can't think of one thing that was lacking. This class was amazing. It was well explained and led. I'm forever grateful for Abide Maddie Huff. Maddie Huff, I already missed you and I thank you for that encouraging word at just the right time On a day the Lord knew I needed it. Would anyone like to say anything before we close this interview? Sign up Sign up.

Christina Hardy: 57:20

You'll never be just. You know, you will love it, you will love it.

Kim McIntire: 57:24

Sign up. I'm telling you Charity, olivia, christina and Jobef. Any lady that ends up in your class is so blessed. I could not have handpicked better teachers, better leaders for this discipleship class. Truly, god is the one who handpicked you. I asked Him to provide. He gave me names. You guys said yes. Some of you came to me first. Hallelujah, that's even better. God is good. Thank you for listening today. Be sure to check us out on the Rise Up website at it's Time to Rise Up dot org or our Facebook page. Our Instagram is at the underscore official underscore rise underscore up. May God's grace and peace be with you In Jesus mighty name.