#338: Mentoring Moment: Hold On Tight

Welcome to Kingdom Writers where we help equip and empower Christian writers of all genres to share your unique gifts with the world. We're your hosts, C.J. and Shelli Hitz.

This podcast is filled with spiritual encouragement as well as prayers to help you overcome the resistance you face as a writer. Your story matters.

Before we get into today's episode, I have an exciting announcement to make. My name is Shelly Hits and my husband CJ and I are the host of the Kingdom Writers Conference and registration is now officially open for the Courageous Writer edition of the conference. And so we are so, so thrilled to bring this conference to you that we have created specifically to help you go from unknown author to consistent book sales by gaining the courage to step out, initiate purposeful partnerships and sell more books using the power of collaborations. This is going to be so good. We have lined up some amazing speakers for you coming with you with topics ranging from fun, finding new readers, developing relationships to grow your platform, using collaborations to sell books without feeling salesy and everything in between. So it kicks off Monday, September 12th and it is going to be five action packed days you are not going to want to miss. We're doing this one a little different than we've done the last two. There will be a lot more interaction, zoom calls. There will be different implementation opportunities, panels. There is going to be so much going on. Make sure to head over right now to the registration page to grab your free ticket@bookDOMwritersconference.com and once you're signed up, there will be an opportunity to also get our all access pass. You'll have just 20 minutes to get the best deal that you can. It's over 50% off right after you register, so, so I encourage you, if you're able, take advantage of that. That offer will not be available anywhere else after you see it that first time, but go over@domedyridersconference.com get your free ticket and share with your friends. This is going to be fun. So today's theme is hold on tight and CJ has some encouragement for you in this mentoring moment.

Yeah. So I want you just to start off just remembering the wonder and the excitement that you felt when you first realized that God was going to be calling you to write a book. Once you just to think of that, you began to prayerfully brainstorm ideas, stories and concepts that could be woven into this book that would impact many.

There was no limit to where God was going to take this body of work. So I want you just to think about, think back to that time that awe and that wonder, that excitement. But over time, the book truly begins. And how many can relate to this? It truly begins to feel like work, that body of work.

As you face your own doubts, Writer's block, criticism, spiritual attack, fatigue. We've all been there. And you know, those rose colored glasses come off as you realize the book is going to really take blood, sweat and tears to finish. Though some of that initial wonder and excitement has been dampened. And I think we could all relate to that. At times you just can't shake the words.

That you heard God whisper to you.

I'm inviting you to write a book that will bring glory to my name.

And so I want you just to think of that time. We're going to look at a story In John, chapter 4, verses 46 through 54. And I want to read that to you. It's about a government official that was in desperate need for his son. And I want you just to. You can follow along with me if you want. It's John 4, 46, 54. It says, as he traveled through Galilee, this is Jesus. He came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son who was about to die. Jesus asked, will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders? The official pleaded, lord, please come now before my little boy dies.

Then Jesus told him, go back home. Your son will live.

Amen.

And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. While the man was on his way, some of his servants.

With the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better. And they replied, yesterday afternoon at 1 o', clock, his fever suddenly disappeared. Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, your son will live. And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.

So.

Here we have this story of a government official.

From Capernaum who found himself desperate for a miracle. His young son's dying, getting worse by the minute, and he hears a man named Jesus is within walking distance. That is. Listen to this now, if you consider 24 miles walking distance. Because that's the distance between Cana, where Jesus was at the time, and Capernaum, where this government official was from. Without hesitation, the desperate father makes his way to Cana. Because how many know that when you've got a son or daughter dying 24 miles is like 24 yards.

To seek the traveling teacher. Lord, please come now before my little boy dies. You can just sense, and those of you who are parents, you can just sense the parental anguish in his voice. So many hopes and dreams for his child hang in the balance.

I want you to think now, can you relate in some small way.

To this man's cry for help?

Maybe you found yourself pleading, lord, please come now before my book dies. I want you just to think about the fact that you felt a calling, but things have dampened. Things aren't looking good right now. Your book is dying. Your dream is slowly ebbing away. Have you felt that in your own life? Have you been desperate to the point where you're like, lord, if you don't come now.

My book's going to be dead. It's just going to be dead in the water.

As the government official, this man would have put Jesus up in perhaps the Capernaum Crown Plaza.

While also providing the best local food and drink in exchange for the teacher's trouble. You could just imagine no dime would have been spared for the teacher, for this man that's going to come. But Jesus, listen to this. Now, Jesus had just traveled 65 miles from Jerusalem over the last couple days, few days.

So how many would understand that Jesus needs to take a load off. He's in this spot in Cana. He's among some friends. As a matter of fact, he had made quite a few friends. His first miracle was there in Cana. Some of you may recall that miracle, changing the water into wine. So he had some new friends there, probably putting him up in some nice comfortable quarters.

Jesus simply gives the man the word, go back home. Your son will live. And then the man believed, this is so key right here. And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

And I believe for many of you, the Lord might be saying.

Your book will live.

Go on home, just set about.

Continue one step at a time. And in fact, with only a promise from a Galilean carpenter, this official begins his 24 mile trek back home, choosing to believe that the miracle was going to happen without him seeing it firsthand. Now I just want you to imagine 24 miles of.

Long, hot, dusty steps all the way home. And you're just thinking that the only thing you have is this promise from this teacher. That's all you have. You're holding tightly to his words, so to speak. That's what many of you are doing this morning. You have this word. You have something that has been put on your heart you're holding on to it. It's the only thing you have. Because our faith many times wavers.

We're holding on to these words of the master. That said, I've called you to this. Just hold on. One dusty step at a time. You're going to see.

This take place.

You and I are going to have days when it seems like the distance between our head and our heart.

Is longer than the distance between Cana and Capernaum.

In reality it's 18 inches, but sometimes it feels like 24 miles or more.

When we, when we, when you and I are tempted to lose heart, we can still choose to believe. Like this government official, the words that were spoken to us, to keep moving, to go back home, to sit down, put our rear ends in the chair and say, we're going to take one dusty step at a time. We're going to move forward. In the middle of our riding wilderness. I want to tell you all there is a promise waiting for you on the other side of that 24 mile journey. There's a promise for you. Good news. How many know that good news does travel fast? Because in this story we see they didn't have the Internet, they didn't have social media. But I'm telling you, news travels fast because the official didn't make it home before meeting some of his servants who couldn't wait to share the news of the son's miraculous recovery the day before. And we know that it happened at 1pm CST. Oh, you didn't know. That's Capernaum standard time.

Which was precisely when the Master gave the man his word. So when God speaks something.

We hold on to it. We don't know for sure on our side. There may be some time that passes, but I'm telling you, God's word is always on time. It's never late, it's never early, it's just right on time. The Lord knows what he's doing with your book. He knows what he's doing in your life. He knows what he's doing in the preparation. He knows what he's doing on that long, hot, dusty journey. And I want to tell you the end result is in verse 453. He and his entire household believed in Jesus. That is the greatest miracle. As we reach the end of our writing journeys, each one of us with each one of our books. Book or books plural.

I want to challenge all of us. May our books help lead entire households with the Lord's blessing to believe in Jesus. And I want to say that these are words to hold on tightly, to hold on tight to the promise that God has given you. I know it seems like there's days when it's easy just to lose heart. But I want to say if you'll stay focused, and I applaud each of you for being here this morning. You are putting your rear end in the chair and saying, I'm going to take another hot, dusty step toward that promise that God has told me. We don't know how sometimes that journey can take detours between Canaan and Capernaum. But I'm telling you, if you'll stay focused and remember those words.

There'S going to be a reward waiting for you for that hard work, those blood, sweat and tears. So Lord bless you as you continue to hold on to those words.

Yes. And, you know, I think it, it's interesting because we often call our books book babies, right? C.J. was talking about, like, the man, you know, asking for his son. And so I think, you know, as you are working towards this book, whether you're writing it, whether you're in the process of self publishing it, or even if you're in the marketing phase, you could still feel like things are fizzling out or dying, that there might be some place in this process right now, today, that you need God. Anyone, Anyone. You need God to step in and give you that idea for that plot twist or to give you that next scripture or to show you what to do for marketing your book. And so, see, cj, why don't you pray for each kingdom writer listening right now and the places I want you right now to visualize, and I want you to think about the place where you need God the most right now in your writing, your publishing, or your marketing of your book. Where is it that you're just feeling like the enemy's coming in to steal, kill and destroy? John 10:10 says, the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus comes to give life and life abundantly. And he wants to see, speak promises, speak words that are going to bring life to whatever it is that you're feeling discouraged about today. So, cj, why don't you pray for each one of us?

Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for these stories that we can latch ourselves to that we can be encouraged by.

And I just pray for anyone that is feeling like that desperate government official who is in need of a miracle. He's in need of words from the master, a promise of some kind and encouragement, something for his long journey back. I pray that you would bring encouragement to each one this morning. I pray that every person would be able to accomplish what you've called them to today. We'll leave to tomorrow for tomorrow, but I pray that today you would empower, you would strengthen. I pray you encourage each and every person that is endeavoring to continue process and working on their books, the dream that you have placed in their hearts. And I pray that you would just.

Allow each person to be used powerfully and helping bring whole households to the knowledge of Jesus. And even if that is in the form of planting seeds, watering, whatever it might be, we know that God is the one, you're the one, Lord, that brings the increase. I pray that our words, that we string together into sentences, into paragraphs, into chapters. I pray that they would serve to glorify you and help move others in their own spiritual journey toward you. And we're going to give you the glory, Lord, for allowing us to make that long, hot, dusty journey back to the promise that's waiting on the other side. So I just thank you. You are good, Lord. And I thank you for each person here that you have a calling on their lives. And. And I pray that they'd be able to fulfill that calling with your strength. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Amen. Right there at the end. I just got a picture of faith rising in all of you. And the picture I got was, you know, when you're baking bread, I don't know if any of you have baked bread before. You put the yeast in and you let it sit to rise, right? And you're, you know, I just saw the Lord just coming in to many of you and just helping to, you know, just faith to rise within you. And Heidi shared a testimony. She's been a CBA member for a while now, and she says, I always thought I should write and try to succeed at it, but never could really get to the goal. I actually thought it was just another shattered dream. I came to a place of hopelessness about it. Then God, he began to revive the dream and get me to the place where my writing was full fully in his timing and provision. And now she has published, I think, several books, couple books. And so thank you for sharing that testimony, Heidi. And it's just, you know, one step at a time. And it's all a process. It's all, you know, taking that one dusty step at a time. So thank you for sharing this, CJ and we just pray that God would just bless each one of you as you continue to trust him, him in this process.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Kingdom Writers. We believe that you, as a Christian writer, have a specific role to play in the Kingdom of Heaven to impact lives for eternity.

And because of this, we choose to pour out our lives into encouraging writers like you to not only tell your stories, but to take the courageous step of self publishing your stories in books that will outlive you and leave behind a powerful legacy. This podcast is sponsored by Christian Book Academy where we help you give birth to your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom Writers.