"Daughters Arise Ministries"

  Who Am I Pleasing? Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Key Text: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (KJV) As a scholar, I am diligent in completing my assignments. I take my studies seriously and desire to achieve good grades. Naturally, I appreciate positive feedback from my professors. There is satisfaction in knowing that the effort I have invested has been recognised. The same is true in the workplace. Many of us want the approval of our managers and colleagues. We want our work to be recognised and appreciated. Sometimes, however, the desire for recognition can go too far. People may even undermine others so that they can shine, receive the praise and appear to be the better worker. But when I really think about it, I am reminded that we must be careful not to miss the mark. There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence....

Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Heading in the Wrong Direction Key Text “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV) Recently, I was heading to a particular place when a telephone call with my husband revealed that the traffic was terrible. We agreed that instead of continuing with the journey, I would go home and do the errand another day. Initially, we had planned to meet at Foster's Supermarket so that I could collect the item I was supposed to take to that particular place. Since the plans had changed, there was no longer any reason for me to go to Foster's. I was supposed to be heading home. So, I headed home. Or at least, I thought I did. Some time later, I found myself at Foster's Supermarket. Then it dawned on me.  I had made the wrong turn. Although I knew that my destination had changed, I had automatically fol...

  Far Away From God Key Text : “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion.” Luke 15:20 (KJV) Have you ever felt as though you have wandered far away from God? Sometimes I have felt so far from Him that I struggled to feel His presence. I know that God is there, yet there are moments when He seems distant. Sometimes it is because of choices I have made. At other times, the pressures, disappointments and distractions of life have caused me to drift without even realising how far I have wandered. The hymn “Far Away From God” speaks to those moments. Its message is a simple but powerful invitation to the wandering heart: come home. It reminds me of the prodigal son. Jesus tells the story of a young man who chose to leave his father's home. He took his inheritance and travelled into a far country. There, he wasted what he had until eventually he found himself with nothing. Hungry, broken and desperate...

The Love of God Key Text :  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8 (KJV) Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  One thing I have learnt about human love is that sometimes it does not last. Sometimes it is not forever. Sometimes it is given because of who we are, what we have done, how we make someone feel or what we have to offer. At times, love can change when circumstances change. But the love of Jesus is different. His love is constant. It is not determined by who I am related to, what I possess, what I have accomplished or what I have to give. His love is not simply because of. It is even though. Even though I have made mistakes, He loves me. Even though I have fallen short, He loves me. Even though there are parts of my story I wish I could rewrite, He loves me. Even though I do not always get it right, He still loves me. The hymn “The Love of God”...

Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Key Text: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2, KJV Hymn: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Words and Music: Helen H. Lemmel The hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” is a popular and beloved hymn, reminding us that where we choose to focus our attention matters. So often we are faced with situations that demand our attention. Constant pressures, disappointments, responsibilities, fears and uncertainties can easily consume our thoughts. Before long, what we are facing can begin to feel bigger than the God we serve. We think about the problem when we wake up. We carry it throughout the day. We turn it over and over in our minds, wondering what will happen, how things will work out or whether anything will ever change. But this hymn gently calls us to shift our focus. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” It does not tell us to ignore our problems or pretend that difficulties d...

What a Friend We Have in Jesus Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Key Text:  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13, KJV Hymn: What a Friend We Have in Jesus Words: Joseph M. Scriven Music: Charles C. Converse Many times we live as though we do not have a friend.  Better yet, we sometimes live as though we do not have connections or links to anyone who can help us. In this world, people often place great value on who they know. Connections can open doors. A relationship with someone in an established office, organization or system may provide access that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Sometimes we hear people say, “I know someone,” and immediately there is a sense of assurance. They believe that because of that connection, someone will listen, someone will intervene, or somehow a way will be made. But as children of God, our greatest connection is not linked to earthly or wo...

Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary Key Text: Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7, KJV Hymn: Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary Words and Music: John M. Moore I know some of us are accustomed to carrying things on our own. We do not like to ask for help. Depending on someone else can feel uncomfortable. For some of us, it is simply out of character. We are used to figuring things out. We carry the responsibility. We find the solution. We keep going. And even when life becomes heavy, we tell ourselves, “I can manage.” Sometimes that strength has served us well. Perhaps life taught us early that we had to be independent. Perhaps people were not always available when we needed them. Perhaps asking for help resulted in disappointment, so we learned to depend on ourselves. But there are some burdens we were never meant to carry alone. The hymn “Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary” reminds us that Jesus d...

Balm in Gilead A Three Part Devotional Series Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  Hymn: There Is a Balm in Gilead Origin: Traditional African American Spiritual Part 3: You Still Have Something to Give Key Text:  “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.” Mark 5:19, KJV “If you can not preach like Peter, If you can not pray like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus.” Sometimes we convince ourselves that because we cannot do what someone else does, we have nothing meaningful to offer. We compare our gifts. We compare our confidence. We compare our platform. We compare the way someone else speaks, teaches, prays, sings, leads, or serves. And before long, comparison begins to silence us. But this verse gives us a simple and freeing reminder. You do not have to preach like Peter. You do not have to pray like Paul. You only have to be faithful with what God has placed in you. There is something powerful abou...

Balm in Gilead A Three Part Devotional Series Hymn: There Is a Balm in Gilead Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  When Discouragement Comes Key Text:  “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9, KJV “Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain.” There is something deeply honest about those words. Even people of faith become discouraged. We pray and wonder if anything is changing. We serve and wonder if anyone notices. We keep showing up, keep giving, keep trying, and still there are seasons when very little seems to happen. Sometimes we begin to ask ourselves, “Is this making any difference at all?” Discouragement can make faithful work feel pointless. It can make progress seem invisible. It can convince us that because we cannot see results, nothing is happening. But the hymn does not stop with discouragement. It continues with hope: “But then the Holy Spirit revives my ...

Balm in Gilead Part 1: There Is Healing Key Text:  “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3, KJV Sharon Campbell-Danvers  Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church  “There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.” Some wounds are visible. Others are carried quietly in places no one else can see. Life can wound us through disappointment, rejection, grief, broken relationships, betrayal, mistakes and experiences we wish we could forget. Sometimes the wound happened years ago, yet the pain still shows up in the way we think, respond, trust and relate to others. We can become very good at functioning while still hurting. We smile. We work. We worship. We care for others. Yet beneath the surface, there may still be a place that aches. But this hymn reminds us that there is healing. In Jeremiah 8:22, the prophet asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?” The spiritual answers that question with hope. There is a Balm. There ...

I Am a Child of the King Key Text: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs.” Romans 8:16, 17, KJV Sharon Campbell-Danvers Kings Seventh-day Adventist Hymn: A Child of the King Words: Harriet E. Buell Music: John B. Sumner Have you ever questioned your worth? Have you ever felt like an outsider, as though you did not quite belong? Perhaps even within your own family, among friends, at church, at work, or in spaces where you thought you would be accepted, you somehow felt different, unseen or out of place. There is something painful about not feeling that you belong. Sometimes those experiences can cause us to question ourselves. We wonder whether we are good enough, important enough, wanted enough, or worthy enough. But the hymn “A Child of the King” reminds us that our identity is not determined by how others see us, where we come from, what we possess, or whether people make room for us. Our identity is ground...