An Interview with Sarah Francis Martin

The incredible inscribed studies came out this week. They all just look amazing! Well, we have the privilege of getting to hear a little of of Sarah's heart who wrote Just Rise Up; A Call to Make Jesus Famous. 

Here's a bit about her. 
Sarah has a passion to do life and ministry with women. By coupling real, raw and relevant life examples with Biblical truth, Sarah encourages women to RISE UP! and make Jesus famous in every area of life. Sarah is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Charles Colson’s Centurions discipleship program, a year-long intense study of biblical worldview. You can read more from Sarah in her first book Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties In A Decade Of Drama. A Texas girl at heart, Sarah now lives with her family in North Carolina where she is a women’s discipleship leader at Grace Church Southern Pines. When she is not typing away at her laptop, Sarah loves to rough house with her young son, go on date nights with her husband and get her hands messy with craft paint. You can find her at her blog LiveitOutblog.com

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An Interview with Sarah

What is your spiritual background?
I grew up in a Christian home and so thankful for that. I remember as a 16 year old driving myself over to our Christian bookstore, The Shepherd Shop, and coming home with the study guide to the group study Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. I was ready to dig in all by myself!  Funny thing, no 16 year old should go through such and intense and awesome study with out discipleship! Looking back, I can see how God was calling me to dig deep, to go places with Him! Years later, what took my faith and my ministry to a new level was when I participated in a year long discipleship program with the beloved and belated, Chuck Coleson. Our focus for the year was Biblical Worldview. That year was a turning point as I felt the call from God to encourage others to center their entire existence around Jesus. From there...no turning back in ministry!
 
Have you always wanted to write?
I dreamt as a child of writing a book for children! Even in the seventh grade I recall writing a paper titled, God's Not Finished With Me Yet. I wish I could find that paper now. The thing is, though, I'm not a natural writer. I like to speak my words. Writing for me is hard...it takes way to long! But, I've come to realize that it is all about the message and getting that message out.

What was your driving desire behind Just Rise Up?
I interact with so many women who desire to make a difference with their lives, yet they just don't know how. I also interact with many who sit on the couch of complacent faith. Something in them is calling them to RISE UP! My drive for Just RISE UP! is to call people up off that couch and make a difference with their lives by making the name of Jesus known. We do this by living with bold faith and servant love. We also do this by living a life of praise, with a Kingdom perspective and a humble posture before the King.
 
Was there are point when you felt you couldn't keep writing and if so who or what helped you keep going?
Oh YES! There were many times where I would stomp my feet like a toddler and say, "This is too hard!! I am NOT doing this anymore." I was intimidated and felt inadequate to due justice to this Make Jesus Famous message which God clearly laid on my heart. I feel like, though, we come to a cross roads when God asks us to do the hard stuff in life. The best way to move forward? Make this declaration: HE IS WORTHY. He is worthy of our dedication, our trust, our faith. Life get's tough. He never wastes any circumstance. We make Jesus famous when we decide to do the hard things in life and praise Him along the way.
 
What do you think could happen if people lived in a way that showed Jesus to be famous?
Here is an excerpt from the introduction of Just RISE UP! that expresses my desire, my hope filled end goal of the book...
What would happen if we chose to . . .
■ RISE UP! with integrity at our jobs and work as if our boss were Jesus?
■ RISE UP! and place Jesus at the center of every room in our household?
■ RISE UP! with our money and give until it hurts? 
■ RISE UP! with our relationships and love even when that love isn't returned?
■ RISE UP! with our words and speak the fame and glory of Jesus even if people think we are weird?
■ RISE UP! with our actions and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading— even if that leading takes us to uncomfortable places?

Let this movement of our lives—of our souls—not be just about words and motivational phrases that look nice on paper. Let us actually step up our faith and change our lives in real and practical ways. I envision sparks all across the world that RISE UP! and live out the fame and glory of our King—women who love the Lord with all their hearts, minds, and souls, and desire to influence others to do the same.

You are one of those sparks. Don’t let your spark go dormant with complacency. Don’t let it die because of fear or uncertainty.

RISE UP!

What else would you like us to know?
Something that I would like to express is that we do not have to do this RISE UP! thing perfectly. I certainly mess up royally in my attempts (or lack thereof sometimes!) in making Jesus famous. That is where grace comes in. That is where we soak in God's goodness and faithfulness and operate out of authenticity. Also, we each have the mission to do ministry with our lives. When we make Jesus famous with our words, our actions, our love for others, we take part in God's Kingdom plan. What a privilege!

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What a joy to get to hear from a kindred spirit! I've started her new book Just Rise Up! and it's incredible! Check it out. It is released at part of a series. Here's the others.

About Laura

Laura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has four kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 11 years serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 girls, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks to college and women's groups. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and A Devotional Journey through Judges, a devotional to accompany the free online Bible study at TheBookofJudges.com. You can find her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram and her author site.

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