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Welcome to the Strong in the Lord Blog!

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” — Psalm 28:7

Discover stories of faith, hope, and transformation from the heart of Lord’s Gym Ministries. Meet real people facing real challenges—and see how God faithfully meets them at every step. Along the way, you’ll find encouragement, inspiration, and practical insights to help you grow strong in your own walk with the Lord.

A Look at True Friendship

by | Oct 24, 2023 |

From the desk of Melissa Reinert…

Fellowship is essential to a happy life. Time with our close friends increases our sense of belonging and purpose. Friendship boosts happiness and reduces stress. It also improves our self-confidence and self-worth. Friendship is a beautiful blessing from God. Here are five Scriptures about true friendship and what it entails: 

  1. Friends love us and are willing to put each other above themselves: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:12-15
  2. Friends genuinely care for one another. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
  3. Friends are family. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”Proverbs 17:17
  4. Friends learn from one another. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 
  5. Friends pray for one another. “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.” Job 16:20-21

 

Matthew 25:36-40 – The Inspiration Behind Our Upcoming Coat Drive

by | Oct 17, 2023 |

Help us spread warmth and love…

In the spirit of an approaching winter, and the inspiration of Matthew 25:36-40 we are excited to launch a Thanksgiving Coat Drive. This heartfelt initiative is not just about collecting coats but also about spreading warmth, love, and hope to friends everywhere, just as this scripture instructs us.

Matthew 25:36-40 states: “‘I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

This verse is a powerful reminder of our duty to help the community and our friends of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, who are in need of warm clothing. Our coat drive is an opportunity for us to come together as a community and make a tangible difference in the lives of those struggling to stay warm during the harsh winter months. Come be a part of this Thanksgiving Community Meal on Wednesday November 22 from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. at our Family Activity Center in Price Hill.

 How You Can Serve:

1. Donate Warm Coats: Please consider donating new or gently-used coats.

2. Volunteer: Join us in the process of collecting and distributing coats.

3. Spread the Word: Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to get involved.

The coat drive is a way for us to embody the message of compassion and service. Let us come together to make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors, showing them the love and warmth that we all deserve

If you’d like to volunteer or make a coat donation, please contact Melissa at mreinert@lordsgymministires.org for details.

Join Us in Making a Difference – A Simple Invitation

by | Oct 5, 2023 |

From Executive Director Scott Bowers…

I hope this message finds you well. If you weren’t able to attend our Community Awareness Breakfast on September 27, I’d like to take a moment to share a story from the breakfast that embodies the spirit of our organization.

One of our esteemed Lord’s Gym board members, Todd Kuramoto, has had a remarkable journey with us. More than a decade ago, Todd was introduced to the Lord’s Gym community breakfast by a friend. It wasn’t until two years later, after another invitation and attending another breakfast, that Todd’s desire to give back and volunteer for Lord’s Gym was ignited. Sometimes, the most profound passions are born from a simple invitation.

Fast forward five years later, and Todd found himself at a men’s meeting where he had the chance to meet our very own Tom Lipsey. This encounter fueled Todd’s determination to make a meaningful impact. He started by assisting with programs to feed our community, and soon enough, he began coaching youth basketball and is currently in his second year coaching football. Todd’s journey of giving back all started with a simple invitation.

As we celebrate our 30-year anniversary, we reflect on the countless simple invitations that have contributed to our success. These invitations have transformed lives and communities, and we believe that your simple act of inviting others can help shape the next 30 years of our journey.

We have a humble request: Can you join us in extending a simple invitation? Could you invite 30 people to our upcoming Community Awareness Breakfast? Even more powerfully, could you forward this invitation to 30 more individuals? It’s a ripple effect of kindness, with the potential to touch countless lives – 30 to 30 to 30 to 30.

Join us for our upcoming community awareness breakfast.

 

Date: Thursday October 12

Time: 7:00-8:30 AM

Location: Madison Event Center in Covington

RSVP: https://bit.ly/OctComBreakfast

Thank you for being an essential part of our Lord’s Gym community. We look forward to celebrating our journey and building an even brighter future with you.

Stand firm.

 

 

FOCAS Devo: Love & Marriage

by | Sep 26, 2023 |

From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The above scripture is often read at weddings. It was read during mine and my husband’s wedding ceremony, which was seven years ago last Sunday, Sept. 24! How fitting that I’m writing about marriage this week for our Fridays with FOCAS. I hope that you will enjoy my thoughts on this one.

Marriage is tough to say the least. That’s something I’ve learned well these last seven years. But I’ve also learned that my husband and I love each other deeply and we love the Lord even more. Couples who’ve been married much longer than us have told me that’s how it must be done. So that is the key to a lasting marriage: Love. As 1 Corinthians 13:7 says love “always perseveres.”

Ephesians chapter 5, goes into great detail how wives and husbands should love one another, by submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Oh that’s hard for all of us, I think. Submitting means to accept or yield to the will of another person. It means putting someone else’s desires and needs above your own. It exemplifies the greatest love that can be shown… to lay down your life for another.

Both husband and wife are to submit to each other. And they are to do this in reverence of Christ. Christ is our authority, our Lord. God’s will is always better than our plan. When a husband and wife put the other above their own self, they are a living example of the relationship between Jesus and the church. 

Ephesians 5 continues… “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

In return, husbands are to “love” their wives… “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”

For the Littles in Your Life 

by | Sep 12, 2023 |

From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…

“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 

In our last devotional, we discussed how the parent-child relationship lays the foundation of all relationships in our lives. We focused on our relationship with our parents. Today we’re going to look at the other side, which is the relationship with the child. 

Now, not all of us have children. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have the opportunity to step up and practice the principles of the parent-child relationship with a young person who God has brought into your life.  

The Bible has clear directions for parenting or caring for a child. In Ephesians 6, Paul says that parents should not “provoke your children to wrath.” Provoke means to call forth or to excite or stir up. Colossians 3:21 echoes this: “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”  

Parents provoke their children when they act toward their children in ways that violate the justly held relational expectations that children have of parents.  

According to the Child Development Institute, there are four essential qualities of the parent-child relationship:  

• Safety  

• Unconditional love  

• Mutual Respect  

•Acceptance  

A healthy parent-child relationship with these qualities allows a child to establish secure bonds and friendships. A child in this situation is better at regulating their emotions when faced with stress and difficult situations. Finally, secure attachment with parents helps promote a child’s cognitive, emotional and social development.  

What will solidify all of this, is the latter part of Ephesians 6:4: “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” You’ve got to share and show the Gospel to children every day and every opportunity you get. Teach them to love God and others unconditionally. Show them how to be a safe place and teach them to respect God, themselves and others; as well as meet others where they are – just as Jesus does for them. 

Meet Mierra

by | Sep 5, 2023 |

From Mierra…

My name is Mierra Poth and I began a Developmental Representative Internship with Lord’s Gym in June. As a Marketing student at the University of Cincinnati, I was connected to Lord’s Gym Ministries through UC’s Service-Learning Co-op Program.

Prior to embarking on my educational journey at UC, I graduated high school in a small northern-Ohio town, Lexington, and grew up the eldest of four. Post high school graduation, in 2020, I made the decision to join the Ohio Air Force National Guard.

My journey in the Air Force really gave birth to a more intimate relationship with God. I grew up as a Christian and was always in church, but I never understood what it meant to know God and allow him to work through me. Because of the difficulties at basic training, God needed to work through me because I did not have the strength to succeed alone. Once I graduated training and transitioned into a full-time college student role, I found difficulty connecting with peers, and struggled with a lot of loneliness for months. Amidst depression I finally surrendered, and fully gave my life to Jesus Christ.

I got connected with a church, a small women’s group at UC and found most of my time filled with delight in God. During my sophomore year, I was seeking to find my second marketing internship and I spent almost the entire spring semester in pursuit of this, but I never felt at peace with one. Finally, I made the decision to look for a ministry to serve for the summer. Immediately upon looking I came across a “Developmental Representative Intern” role at Lord’s Gym. I had never heard of Lord’s Gym, it sounded like my dream, Jesus and Fitness.

So, I ran to find a website, some proof that this organization was real. This organization is real. The first thing I came across was a 90-second video that made me extremely emotional. For the two years I have lived in Cincinnati, I have only ever been warned of the dangers of certain areas of Cincinnati. I think the word danger is a mask, there are faces and stories behind it. Lord’s Gym (15 seconds into an introduction video) invites everyone to take off the mask and begin listening.

They woke me up, and I knew God wanted to use me in a piece of it. June 19, 2023, CityBeat released, 34 children had been shot so far in 2023, more than triple that of 2022. I pray every day that God will continue to utilize me so that this number is someday 0. These are children, children I have begun to know and love. The children have names, laughs, ambitions, curiosity in Christ, and they are just seeking love.

Our friends of all ages are seeking that. These past two months, I have had the opportunity to see Ricco’s smiling face almost every day, and the pleasure of getting to know the women of Women’s Hour in Covington. I have been able to witness the STORM Bus in action and begin to build relationships with such a God-Fearing team of men and women. I have seen such an impact in my life and I cannot wait to continue to see the fruit of God’s work through me here at Lord’s Gym.

FOCAS Devo: Our Parents

by | Sep 1, 2023 |

From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.’” Ephesians 6:1-3

The fundamental relationship in our lives is the relationship with our parents. The parent-child relationship typically sets up the course of all relationships in our lives. So it’s an important one, for sure.

God’s word has a lot to say and show about the parent-child relationship. This week, we’re going to focus on the child’s duties in the relationship, which really is to mimic our relationship with God. Paul tells children in chapter six to “obey your parents in the Lord,” simply because it is the right thing to do.

 It is very important that Paul makes note that this obedience must be “in the Lord.” This is because the Lord is our Heavenly Father, and with Him we have the ultimate parent-child relationship, ie. the Lord is No. 1 in our lives. We should not be doing anything outside of His will, even if it’s something someone we trust or should be able to trust most wants us to do.

 He goes on the say that the first commandment with a promise that God gave to Moses is “honor your father and mother.” The promise is so that it may be well with us and that we may live long on earth.

 This is also the first commandment that addresses a human-to-human relationship. The first four focus on our relationship with God. So it’s interesting that the first human-to-human relationship focuses on the parent and child, with a charge to the child to “honor” his or her parents.

 To honor is to regard with great respect. Honoring our parents means more than giving them obedience and respect, however, it’s also about loving them.

 It’s that simple. Or is it? Love in the parent-child relationship can be difficult, especially when the love has not been appropriately reciprocated. In such circumstances, there’s only one place to turn… to the Lord. We can ask the Lord to help us love like Him, when there are strains in our relationship with our earthly mom and dad.

 Jesus said, in Matthew 22, that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord; the second others. Love God love people. Remember, our parents are under the same human condition as us. We need to show them God’s unconditional love; it’s the only way to follow the Lord’s heartfelt wish that we give honor to our parents.


Grateful For Our STORM Volunteers

by | Aug 24, 2023 |

From Chaplain Lynn…

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16

Diane is always a blessing and encouragement when she comes to the Family Activity Center in Price Hill seeking opportunities to pray and minister to our friends and partners. I captured this moment of Diane in action praying over Megan who was recently given shared custody of her son and on another occasion praying for Alex’s injuries from a motorcycle accident. 

After receiving prayer Alex refused to let motorcycle injuries stop her. She limped her way onto the STORM bus to help our ladies we serve in the community. Alex’s labor was not in vain because one of these ladies shown here went to treatment a few days later! 🙌🏾

God will lead you where He wants you to be, but you have to talk to Him daily to see where He wants you to GO. I thank God for those special leaders that are bold enough to GO out to the highways and byways and remind God’s people how much He loves them and is for them. We pray as we continue to GO to people in need, it will lead to freedom and deliverance, that the lost would be found and discover their identity in Christ!

We’ve been praying for several months that God would send the right people to expand the STORM bus outreach ministry by taking the bus out a few more days a week. Joe and Cathy are faithful Lord’s Gym members at our Covington location and have shown interest in the STORM bus outreach ministry. Please join us in prayer as we continue to discuss the possibilities of Joe and Cathy leading the STORM bus outreach in Covington. 

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