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CONTENTS

Ice Cream……………………..………………………………………………………………………………..3

Keys…………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………..5

Kisses………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………..7

M and M………………………….……………………………………………………………………………...8

Mask……………………………….……………………………………………………………………………..12

Dot………………………………….…………………………………………………………………….……….14

Potlucks and Fellowships……………………………………………………………………………...16

Rain…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….18

Soap………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………...21

Stir Up………………………………………….…………………………………………………………….….23

All Scripture References are in the King James Version of the Bible.

(including spelling within Bible verses)

The Devotional Starters have special terms of use.

Devotional Starter Terms: Feel free to add, change, and enhance. Please do not reprint the devotional starters online as is. These are writing prompts and you must rework them and make them your own if you'd like to print them online.

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"Ice Cream"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

January 22, 2011

God Scoops on the Blessings

We all want our ice cream packed

down into the bottom of the cone or

sundae dish and that's how God scoops on our blessings. When we are

giving as we should, there's no air left

in the bottom of the cone.

Give, and it shall be given unto you;

good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over,

shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete

withal it shall be measured to you

again. Luke 6:38

Sweet Toppings

God tops my life with joy…love…peace, mercy, etc.

I Scream! You Scream!

What are you screaming about? What makes you excited? Are you as

excited about the Lord as you are about baseball and ice cream?

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the

prosperity of his servant. Psalm 35:27

How Sweet!

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my

mouth! Psalm 119:103

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Lovingly Homemade

Just like homemade ice cream, God made us with the right ingredients.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are

thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14

Watch Out for Meltdowns!

Just like ice cream needs to be kept in the right place (freezer) with the right

temperature to protect it, we need the Lord to protect us as well.

Unless we are seeking Him daily we won't be holding that temperature as a Christian that we should.

What throws you off track and gives you a meltdown? Forgetting to read

your bible? Keeping away from church and Christian friends?

Get the Scoop!

Have an ice-cream social in connection with promoting your women's

ministry.

Let everyone know what's going on and what ministry and needs you are

working on through your women's group.

Keeping Your Cool

Trouble keeping your cool?

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his

spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs 16:32

Treat Yourself to God's Word

God's Word is a Treat.

Find various treasures in God's Word to share.

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"Keys"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

August 24, 2010

Unlocking The Door To Prayer

• Praying For Forgiveness (Mark 11:25)

• Praying Without Ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

• Praying According to God's Will (1 John 5:14, 15)

• Praying With Faith (Matthew 17:20)

• Praying Fervently (James 5:16a)

• Praying With Praise (Matthew 6:9)

• Praying With Persistence (Matthew 7:7,8)

• Praying In The Lord's Name (Matthew 6:9)

• Praying With Others In Mind (James 5:16b)

Doors

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in

and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they

rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the

door of faith unto the Gentiles. Acts 14:27

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and

open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with

me. Revelation 3:20

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Keys to Christian Growth

• In Our Prayer

• In Our Faith

• In Our Vision

• In Our Compassion

• In Our Relationships

• In Our Witness

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"Kisses"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

March 02, 2013

Biblical Kisses

Kiss of Friendship/Greeting

There are many examples of this in the

Bible

Kiss of Blessing

• Genesis 27

• Isaac who kissed Jacob instead of Esau (good lesson on knowing who

you are kissing :)

Kiss of Love (for Jesus)

• Luke 7

• The woman who washed Jesus feet with the alabaster box of ointment

and kissed His feet.

Kiss of Fatherly Love

• Luke 15

• The father who kissed the prodigal son upon his return home.

Kiss of Death

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

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"M and M"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

January 22, 2011

Mountains and Molehills

• Study on Faith or Trials.

• And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for

verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of

mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove

hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing

shall be impossible unto

you. Matthew 17:20

Monsters and Mayhem

• Study on the devil attacking.

• Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against

the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness

of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:11,12

• Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring

lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Moms and Memories

• Honoring Mothers.

• Great topic for a Mother-Daughter banquet.

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Mary and Martha

• Study on Mary and Martha.

• Highlight their differences and the way that they served the Lord.

• Luke 10

Mighty and Marvelous

• Study on God's traits and characteristics or on His works themselves.

• To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Psalm 145:12

• Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent

greatness. Psalm 150:2

Mud and Mire

• Going through the rough patches of life.

• He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and

set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalm 40:2

Meet and Mingle

• The importance of fellowshipping with other Christians.

• But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from

all sin. 1 John 1:7

Master and Maker

• Study on our relationship with our Master and Maker.

• O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. Psalm 95:6

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• Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. John 13:13

• Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it,

What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Isaiah 45:9

• For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it

shall devour the palaces thereof. Hosea 8:14

Music and Melody

• Highlighting the importance of having a song in our heart.

• Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing

and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19

Merry and Myrth

• Getting away from the doldrums and having a cheerful outlook on life.

• A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the

heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13

• Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things

for them. Psalm 126:2

Mugs and Muffins

• Being filled with the joy and love of Christ (mugs) and enjoying the full life Christ offers and the sweetness of His presence (muffins).

• Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at

thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11

Mission and Ministry

• Have an emphasis on what your women's ministry wants to accomplish.

• Encourage your ladies to get involved.

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"Masks"

First of all...Why I don't put a Mask Theme on the website:

I get emails a lot with questions about using a Mask Theme and wanting

ideas so I thought I'd just share why I don't put a Mask Theme on the

website for everyone's benefit.

I know women's groups have used this theme and I have seen online where ladies have used it in their churches and went in the Mardi Gras direction

with beads and Mardi Gras masks.

I look at Mardi Gras kind of like I do Halloween. It's got a long history and not so good. There is just a whole element of Mardi Gras which is of a

worldly nature.

Also, I don't like the association of a Mask Theme with masquerade masks either as they come from the masquerade balls. Those verses in Proverbs

comes to mind.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. Proverbs 4:14, 15

Anyways, that is my reason for staying away from it. You may choose to

agree or not to agree.

I think it would maybe be okay if you stayed away from the Mardi Gras and the masquerade aspect of it, but I don't want to put ideas for it on the

website as I don't want to seem to be promoting some of the stuff that you could easily get carried away with.

I do think that it is a good topic for a devotional because I do realize that we

as Christians do wear "masks" as it were. We don't let people in. We try to hide our true selves. We put on a front and other things.

For that reason I am going to share some devotional thoughts on "masks" for you that I've had in my notes and didn't really do anything with.

These are more "starters" for you to broaden and rework as I didn't fully

develop these thoughts.

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"Masks"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

March 05, 2014

What Masks Do:

Hide our Imperfections

• We should be proud of who we are.

• God made each of us unique in our own way.

• We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalms 139:14)

Give us a Hardness

• Makes us have that hard coating.

• Makes us a little gruff.

• We should have kindness in our tongues. (Proverbs 15:1)

• Makes us lose our tenderness.

• As Christians we should be "tenderhearted" (Ephesians 4:32)

Impair Our Vision

• We don't see things clearly.

• Makes us misjudge. This could be misjudging others or misjudging

things.

• Puts things out of perspective.

• "Teach me good judgment and knowledge..." (Psalm 119:66)

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Prevent the Light

• Masks prevent the light from seeping in. Do we let the True Light seep

in?

• As we develop this shell of a mask, do we let our Bible reading slide?

• "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm

119:105)

Make Others Stay Away

• Masks help us avoid getting close to others.

• We need that fellowship (1 John 1:7)

• In Acts the early church was "breaking bread from house to house"

(Acts 2:46). That's the model that was left for us. That koinonia kind of

fellowship.

• Masks hinder friendships. We need the encouragement and advice of

friends. (Proverbs 27:9; Proverbs 27:17)

Hide our Identity

• We are children of the King. (John 1:12)

• We need to get out from behind the mask and let our light shine.

(Matthew 5:16)

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"On the Dot"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

March 05, 2014

On the Dot

• In our Prayer Life

• In Our Thought Life

• In Our Hospitality

• In Our Compassion

• Could be "On The Dot" on any topic.

On the Dot

• The story of Esther. How she was "on the dot".

• She was where she should have been when God used her.

• "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but

thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14

Dotting Your I's

• "Identity" (Are you a child of God?)

• "Instruction" (how you regard God's Word)

• "Integrity" (how you live)

• "Influence" (how you are affecting other people)

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Dot to Dot Living

• Covering different areas of our lives, do the dots connect with a life

that glorifies the Lord?

• Dot to Dot puzzles form a shape that represents something such as a

dog, cat, etc.

• When people connect the dots in our lives, they should add up and

form the shape of a godly life that glorifies Christ.

Living on the Dotted Line

• Living on the straight and narrow for the Lord.

• Not swaying our "lines" (or lives) into the world and what it has to

offer.

God is always on the Dot

• And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and

while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

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"Potlucks" and "Fellowships"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

December 08, 2012

There was a question on our old message board about a devotional for a Potluck so this

devotional starter was born from that...Julia

Being Unique

This question about potlucks got me to thinking about fellowships and

potlucks.

Have you ever noticed that if you look around at potlucks that everyone

brings their dish in something different----pans, crockpots, bowls, etc.

Sometimes there are even those with cracked or broken lids and some with

mis-matching lids, etc. Some have fancy dishes. Some not. But it all works

out and everyone contributes.

Just like with the body of Christ and sisters in Christ. Nothing looks

matching when you have a potluck and that's the way it's supposed to be!

We all have something to offer. All in our own unique way.

Sharing

We all bring things in pans, bowls or trays. Every dish holds something that

we are going to share.

We as sisters in Christ should always be

ready to help carry the burdens of others.

When we all pitch in and fill our own individual dishes, it's easier to handle and

burdens are so much easier to handle

that way too.

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Fellowship

Thinking about the aromas of food made me think about how sweet

fellowship is.

Comfort

Food is a comfort to us and that's also one of the benefits of having Christian

sisters.

Nutrition

Food is nutrition for us. That is another one of the benefits of spending time with our sisters and other believers in Christ.

It's like nutrition for our souls.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1

John 1:7

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"Rain”

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

July 23, 2011

A Sound of Abundance of Rain

Passage: 1 Kings 18:41-46

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up,

eat and drink; for there is a sound of

abundance of rain. 1 Kings 18:41

Share the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18, where he sends Ahab up 7 times to see

if there is rain. This story is a great reminder that we have to keep looking

for our blessings.

When our lives seems dried up, God's still in control and still blessing. We

just need to look for it.

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

God's Protection

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and

my high tower. Psalm 18:2

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2

Thessalonians 3:3

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for

God is for me. Psalms 56:9

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Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these

calamities be overpast. Psalms 57:1

Raindrops Keep Falling!

Passage: Psalm 121:3-8

God's protection no matter what's falling or going on around us.

Drizzles and Fizzles

Not allowing the little things (the drizzles) to make our faith fizzle. Let those

fizzles roll off of your umbrella and move on to accomplish all you can for Christ.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those

things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ

Jesus. Philippians 4:13,14

Singing in the Rain

Singing through your troubles.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give

praise. Psalms 57:7

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The God of the Rain

Our God is the great and mighty God of the rain.

Examples:

• Noah and the Flood (Genesis 7)

• Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) --rained fire and brimstone

• Sign of Wonder in Egypt (Exodus 9:22-35) --rained hail and fire

It's Raining "Joy"

(or It's Raining -- Faith---Love---Friendship----or whatever topic you want to

focus on.

Showers of Blessing

Passage: Ezekiel 34: 1-31

And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will

cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of

blessing. Ezekial 34:26

Frogs Croaking - Rain Soaking!

F.R.O.G. – Fully Rely on God

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"Soap"

Devotional Writing Starter

Julia Bettencourt

September 06, 2010

Types of Soap:

Liquid- Soap that's quick and ready to use.

Ready to witness on the spot. Having the love of Christ flowing through our

lives. Ready to allow Christ to work in our life.

Go ye...Mark 16:15

Foaming-Soap that has foaming action.

Bubbling over with the joy of the Lord.

...for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Bar - Soap that's standard and gets

the job done.

We are there to do the hard work. We find our place in the body of Christ and work

hard for the glory of the Lord.

...for the people had a mind to

work. Nehemiah 4:6

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one

body, being many, are one body: so also is

Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

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Scented - Soap that smells good.

Reflecting the sweetness of Christ in our lives.

Powdered - Soap that dissolves in water.

We allow for that dissolving. Allowing Christ to melt into every part of our

lives until we are Christ-like.

Waterless - Doesn't need water to use.

Forgetting to go in the power of the Lord. Not allowing the Holy Spirit to work.

Antibacterial - Soap that kills germs and bacteria.

We are careful in every area such as our thought life. We are prepared against sin by safeguarding our hearts and don't allow it to creep into our lives. When

we do, we are quick to ask forgiveness.

CLEAN (Can use for New Year’s)

C – Clear Out (distractions, sins, etc.)

L – Look Forward (don’t dwell in the past, etc.)

E – Examine Your Life (what have you accomplished, etc.)

A – Alter Your Course (don’t stay where you are.)

N – Never Give Up (stay focused.)

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"Stir Up"

Devotional Writing

Starter

Julia Bettencourt

June 20, 2013

Stirring Up the Gift

Passage: 2 Timothy 2

Paul is talking to Timothy in this passage and spurring him on to serve and witness for Christ. Great motivation for our ladies groups. In the verse

preceding this Paul talks about Timothy’s "unfeigned faith".

That means sincere or genuine faith. Paul’s encouraging Timothy to use that

faith to serve Christ.

The stir up in this passage refers to keeping the fire burning. Stirring up the

kindling. Allowing the fire to burn. Fanning the flames.

In other words, allow the Holy Spirit to work. Then in the verses after, Paul

tells Timothy,

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of

a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…

So much encouragement to serve the Lord is packed into this passage of

Scripture.

Stir Up in Others

• Stir up Love

• Stir up Kindness

• Stir up Wisdom

• Stir up Friendship

• Stir up Joy