Melissa Elsner @MelElsner

It's October, which means it's Reformation Month, and I may be the only person who gets this excited about it. October 31 has always been one of my favorite days of the year, and it has nothing to do with candy. It's Reformation Day, and I love any excuse to remember how God preserved His Word and brought it into the hands of ordinary people. So this month, I'm starting a four-Sunday series called Rooted in the Reformation. Here's what's coming: 📷 Oct 4: Before Luther: what was happening before 1517 📷 Oct 11: Luther, the 95 Theses, and what really happened in Wittenberg 📷 Oct 18: Beyond Wittenberg: reformers you may not know 📷 Oct 25: The five solas and why they still matter I think church history matters. It reminds us that we didn't land here by accident, and when I look back, I can see God's hand all the way through it. The more I read Scripture, the more meaningful this month becomes, because I see how much was sacrificed so that I could open my Bible and read it for myself. Post one is live today! I would love for you to read along with me. 📷 theprofoundbrunette.com/.../before-the…

Spiritual warfare is real—but that doesn’t mean every problem is caused by demons. Biblical spiritual warfare means relying on God’s power, putting on His armor, standing firm in truth, praying, and wielding His Word. ⚔️ Go deeper here: gotquestions.org/spiritual-warf… ⬇️ See the rest of the slides below ⬇️

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Discernment and suspicion can look alike from a distance. They are not the same thing. Suspicion assumes the worst, reads motives without facts, and leaves distrust and division behind it. Discernment starts with the Word. It asks, "What does God say about this?" not "How can I prove this person wrong?" The Bereans in Acts 17:11 didn't blindly accept Paul's teaching. They searched the Scriptures daily to check it. And they were called noble for it. That's the posture: humble, sober-minded, anchored in truth. #rootedwomanhood

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Discernment isn't just for pastors or watchdog ministries. It's a discipline every believer is called to grow in. More than that, it's worship. When we slow down and test what we hear against Scripture, we're telling God, "I trust You more than my emotions, more than this influencer, more than that popular book." "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." Hebrews 5:14 Practice. Training. It's active, ongoing, and sharpened over time. Nobody drifts into discernment. #rootedwomanhood

Jesus is God.

Confession: my brain has tabs. 🐿️ I sit down to read my Bible, and five minutes later I'm wondering what Jesus was like at fifteen. Wondering isn't a sin. God made us curious. But Scripture is carefully edited by God Himself. His silence isn't a hole for us to fill. Two women in Scripture both wondered: Eve's curiosity pulled her toward what God had withheld. Mary's curiosity led her to treasure and ponder what God had revealed. One wondered her way into sin. The other wondered her way into worship. Everything we need is already in the Word. New on the blog 👇 theprofoundbrunette.com/2026/09/29/hol… #theprofoundbrunette

One year ago today, Voddie Baucham, Jr. went home to be with the Lord. This clip is from the final interview we filmed with Voddie. We’re grateful for the ways God used his preaching ministry to impact so many lives. Please join us in praying for his family today.

"For God in His providence and by His grace, to call me to Himself, to save me, to rescue me from my sin, and to bring me back to this place... it means more than you could know and more than I can say." Watch the full sermon at gty.org/sermons/TM19-9…

Reading in context protects us from turning the Bible into a self-help manual. It helps us see Jesus instead. #rootedwomanhood

You can make Scripture say anything you want if you pull it out of context. That's not interpretation. That's manipulation. #rootedwomanhood

When we skip straight to "what does this mean for me?" we risk applying something God never actually said. Meaning comes before application. #rootedwomanhood

A text without a context is a pretext. - R.C. Sproul Pull a verse out of its setting, and you can make it say almost anything. #rootedwomanhood #rootedwomanhood

The Spirit will never contradict the Word He inspired. If it can't be grounded in Scripture, it isn't the Spirit leading. #rootedwomanhood

Trading in a "me-centered" lens for a Christ-centered one will not leave you empty. It will fill you to overflowing. #rootedwomanhood

We begin asking, "What does this passage mean to me?" before we ask, "What does this passage mean?" And that's where the danger lies. #rootedwomanhood

Feelings can accompany the Spirit's prompting, but feelings alone are not the confirmation. Scripture is our safeguard. Worth remembering next time a "feeling" is used to justify a decision. #rootedwomanhood

The next time your heart whispers something that feels true, ask it: But what does God say? If your feelings can't pass that test, let them go. Let scripture speak louder. #rootedwomanhood

Calvinism has never harmed you. There may have been some legalists or oppressive teachers who were also Calvinists that were a burden rather than a blessing. But there is nothing harmful in knowing what the Bible says about the sovereignty of God in salvation—except to your pride. Trust in God, and let this good doctrine comfort your soul. “When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.” —Spurgeon