Jerry & Karen Chambliss

Jerry & Karen Chambliss share about God's work in their lives. From experiencing God's goodness in the face of hurricane to becoming prayer warriors. Listen to the Chambliss family share about God's handiwork over the years.

Chapters

• 0:00 - 1:00 Chapter 1: Introduction and Background
  We meet Jerry and Karen Chambliss and learn about their history with Maiden Lane Church.
• 1:00 - 2:00 Chapter 2: God's Work in Their Lives
  We explore how God has been at work in Jerry and Karen's lives over the years.
• 2:00 - 4:00 Chapter 3: The Power of Prayer
  Jerry and Karen discuss the significance of prayer in their journey with Christ.
• 4:00 - 8:44 Chapter 4: Influencing Others and Words of Encouragement
  The couple shares how their faith has influenced others and offers encouragement to listeners.

Transcript

 Well, hello, friends.

Welcome to the ML Podcast.

We're so glad that you're joining us today.

And today we have with us - Jerry and Karen Chambliss.

Thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank you.

Hey, we know that you guys have an incredible story, but I also know that you're new to Maiden Lane.

So, tell us a little bit about what or how you became associated with Maiden Lane Church.

Well, we're kind of new, but not really new.

I grew up in Maiden Lane.

Okay.

I started at about age 10 when my family was transferred back to Ohio.

So I grew up during my late childhood and all my teen years, young adult, got married here, raised our children here.

Okay.

I was associated with Maiden Lane in those days.

Yeah.

We went and worked in other churches for about 30 years.

Yeah.

Okay.

Now that we've returned from Florida, we are back home.

Gotcha.

So some history in the past, and kind of cycling back through.

 Yes.

I was raised in a Xenia church.

Okay.

And met Karen at the campground, and it wasn't long.

Three months after that, we were married.

Okay.

And it's been good ever since.

All those many, many years, right?

Yes, all those many, many years.

Yeah.

So, what do you guys think is the greatest way that God has been at work in your lives?

Over these many years together, what's the greatest way he's been at work in you?

He taught us the importance of blooming where we're planted.

Life has been a roller coaster of ups and downs.

We've both struggled with health issues, moves that have taken us away from family and friends.

We've survived a Cat 5 hurricane when Michael destroyed 78% of our home in 2018.

We have yielded our will to His throughout our marriage and lives, and He has always been faithful.

We've questioned him from time to time, asked why numerous times, and always his answer has been the same.

Trust me, lean on me, serve me, for I am with you, and my strength will be sufficient for the task I have given you to do.

So bloom where you're planted.

Yeah.

I think your idea of blooming where you're planted, I think that's fantastic.

One, because it requires us to trust, doesn't it?

 It requires to then, not just trust, but to be active right where we're at for sure.

I love that picture, that picture of a bloom.

So I also know that in your journey with Christ, you guys have become significant prayer warriors.

I know that that's a big part of who you are.

So tell us why prayer has become such an important part of your journey with Christ.

Well, for us, prayer is just a matter of

 It's our way of talking and listening to God.

And in all of our day, we start out with the prayer in the mornings and we continue on through the day talking with him and communicating with him.

Because of what Jesus has done in our lives, we have access to God all the time.

We have the freedom to share our thanks and joys as well as our wants and needs.

Over the years, we have learned to be more specific and intentional in our prayer life, with both our praise and request.

And wow, have we seen God's mighty hand move.

We have witnessed miracles both physically and of course most importantly spiritually.

Yeah.

We have witnessed miraculous protection during storms that have come our way.

We have seen people, loved ones, friends who've prayed for family members and seen miraculous things happen.

We've literally prayed for our church growth and watched it happen with our eyes.

We are truly 100% sold on communicating with God through prayer all day long.

That's great. That's great.

I think if anything is important, it is prayer, faith and everything in that.

And I think, as Jerry mentioned, we have learned to pray specifically and intentionally.

That carries over into when we say thanks, we try to be specific.

What are we thankful for today?

And we also, when we're praying for the needs of loved ones or friends or that we know, we try to be intentional, not just general.

I think that gives us a much more personal relationship with God.

And it also opens our eyes to the miraculous way he works.

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

So, how has your guys' faith story helped influence others toward Jesus?

I like to put it like this.

I live a life in front of others, usually men I'm working with because I've been working for the last, in fact, forever.

I like to see other people seeing God at work in their lives, start to work in their lives.

Yeah.

Not because of me, maybe, but a little bit.

Yeah.

They'll come to me and have a prayer request.

I'll stop and pray with them.

Even at work, I did, for many years.

They knew they could come to me.

Yeah.

That's the thing.

That's fantastic.

And I hope that we've prepared many a lesson.

We've been teachers of children's ministry and adult ministry for 40 plus years, 45 plus years.

And I would love to think that some of those lessons have led people to a closer walk with the Lord.

But I hesitate to take any credit for what I know God is doing because we're just a worthy vessel.

And I hope that the way we've lived our life for him, which has been our privilege and joy, has helped other people in their journey as well.

I pray for that, hope for that.

So, just know if anything good has come from it, it's because God has done it.

Yeah, that's fantastic.

I wholeheartedly believe that we are instruments of God's grace.

And when we live in this posture of surrender or denial of ourselves, that he uses us in ways that we are completely incapable of without his power at work in us.

I mean, just in hearing you guys talk, I wholeheartedly know that God's used you in big ways.

So, what word of encouragement would you give our folks here at Maiden Lane or our listeners of this podcast when it comes to pursuing a relationship with Jesus?

Well, we thought about that.

We talked about that.

Jerry and I, we love the old hymns.

We were raised on them.

And so our minds often go back to those old hymns.

And I think if I were to give a word of encouragement, it would be the hymn that was written about 100 years ago called "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus".

Listen to these words.

"Oh, soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness.
There's light for a look at the Savior and life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face, and the things on earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
His words shall not fail you, He promised.
Believe Him, and all will be well.
Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell."

So probably the best advice I would give or encouragement I would give to anyone is just keep your eyes on Him.

Yeah.

The author and perfecter of our faith.

He has the strength to carry you through.

He is faithful and trustworthy.

Yeah.

Jerry and Karen, thank you so much for sharing a little bit about your story.

I really appreciate it.

I hope that people, as they've listened today, would be encouraged.

Friends, if you get a chance to run into Jerry and Karen in the hallway, I'd encourage you just to share with them your inspiration from their story.

And ask them some interesting things about things like living through a hurricane and being a prayer warrior during that.

I understand what that's all about, too, living in Texas for many years.

So you guys, thank you so much for sharing your story.

We appreciate it.

Hey, the next time we drop an episode here of the ML podcast, we'll be sharing another story of God's work in the lives of our friends here at Main Lane.

So until then, have a great day.