Category: bible study

A Confident Heart by Renee Swope – online bible study

Hey everyone! It’s been several months since I’ve posted but I decided to take a break for a while. But now I’m back & hoping to start posting at least once a week. Not promising anything, so we’ll see how it goes! 🙂

The main reason for this post is that I just started an online bible study for the book, A Confident Heart by Renee Swope & it is being hosted by Melissa Taylor of Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Our assignment for this week was to read chapter 1 & answer the reflection questions at the end. So, for this 1st post, I just wanted to briefly share what I learned from this 1st chapter.

Renee describes how she was wrestling with self doubt regarding an event that she was going to be speaking a the next day as she was putting on her mascara in the bathroom. She also talks about how this wasn’t the first time she’s struggled with self doubt & described several incidents that happened when she was younger.
She then stated that as she turned around in the bathroom to put away her mascara in her makeup bag, she noticed a huge 9 foot shadow that was so much bigger than her 5 foot 2 inch frame. Then as she bent down to put her mascara in the bag, she sensed God whispering to her heart, You can only see the shadow because you have turned away from the light. Turn back toward the light (page 22). As she stood up & turned back toward the light above the mirror she realized that she was no longer standing in the shadow. She says that was the day she discovered the shadow of her doubts.

The rest of this chapter goes on to talk about what it’s like when we decide to listen to doubt’s whispers.

I really like this quote on page 22

Self-doubt blocks the promise of God’s power and truth to change us from the inside out so that we can live with a confident heart.

She goes on to tell us that it’s not supposed to be this way & that

God doesn’t want us stuck in a cycle of fear or living in the shadows of doubt. (page 23)

So, the 1st thing we’ll do in this study is the “spend time digging deep in the heart & character of God so we ccan learn to depend on His heart for us” Then “we’ll identifly the triggers of our self doubt and the destrictive effects they have on our lives & relationships.” (page 24)

It’s not too late to join in this online study. We are currently doing one chapter a week, so you can jump in at anytime. All you need is the book, which you can purchase online or any major retailer & a computer. If you click on the word “assignment” above, it will take you to Melissa’s website & the 1st weeks assignment post. You can also comment on her post to let her know you are joining in. I know she’ll be happy to have you join us. 🙂

It’s No Secret – Week 1

I’m doing this online bible study hosted by Melissa Taylor & the name of the book is called “It’s No Secret” written by Rachel Olsen. Both ladies are a part of Proverbs 31 Ministries. **On a side note, if this post intrigues or inspires you in some way, it’s not too late to join.**

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I wanted to share some things that I’ve learned this week & some of my answers to the Bible study questions at the end of each chapter.

Chapter 1: Always RSVP: Revealing the secret to responding to God.

I RSVPed to God’s call in 1989. Then about 3 years later I decided to take a trip into the “far country” (see Luke 15:13). I finally returned to God in 2004 (you can read some background story at this link).

In the 1st Bible study question, Rachel asks us to read the parable about the man throwing a feast (Luke 14:15-24) and we are to list the excuses that people made for not being prepared to attend. Then, she asked what excuses we have made for not responding to Christ, or not being “dressed and ready”.

Well as I mentioned above, I did respond to Christ in 1989 & again in 2004 after 15 years of back-slidding. But that is not all that He asks of us. Once we are saved, we must continue on in our walk with Jesus in order to be ready for his return. Sometimes that is easier said than done. In Matthew 26:40, Jesus states that the “spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And, I can confirm from my own experiences that this statement is so true. As much as I want to read my bible & spend quiet time with God each day, the concerns & worries of this world seem to have taken dominance in my life. I also become self-absorbed at times in my hurts, feelings, & wants instead of focusing on God & what He wants of me.

Question 2 asks what Revelation 19:6-10 says about the bride (church) and her wedding dress? The NKJV says in verse 8 that, “…to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” My pastor has stated many times that when Jesus returns, he is looking for a church that is “without spot or wrinkle”. He’s also said that if no one wants to see a bride that looks like she’s been drug through the mud, then how much more true should it be for the bride of Christ. (I’m paraphrasing there because I can’t remember the exact quote). We need to be “dressed & ready” for His return & the only way we can do that is by the saving grace of Jesus. It’s through His shed blood that we are redeemed (Ephesians 1:17)

Chapter 2 – Know When to Pay Retail. Revealing the Secret Cost of Following Christ.

This was a powerful chapter in that it talks about the cost of following Christ.

THE TREASURE

She gave an example of the parables of the Hidden Treasure & the Pearl (Matthew 13:44-46)

In Verse 44 Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. The man hid it again & sold everything he owned to get the treasure. Then, in verses 45-46, Jesus compares the kingdom of Heaven to “a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” (NLT)

Here’s a couple quotes that really stood out to me of what Rachel had to say about both of these two parables.

“The difference between these two parables is that in the first, the man simply stumbled upon the treasure… He’s an everday guy who happened upon the treasure and realized its worth.” (p. 46)

“The field buyer’s story tears down my tendency to think living sold out for God is only expected of monks, scribes, nuns, pastors or missionaries. Nope, this sold-0ut living – and the treasures it brings – is for any and every Yahweh Sister. It’s for each gal willing to pay the price in her daily life to follow Christ.” – Since I’m an just your average sister in Christ, I must be willing to pay the price in my daily life to follow Christ. “The pearl merchant, unlike the field buyer, actively searched for his treasure.” – I must be actively searching Him & his will. “Both of these characters recognized the worth of the treasures they encountered and literally dropped everything to obtain them.” (p. 47) – Since I know the true worth of what Jesus did for me, I must also be willing to drop everything to follow Him.

THE COST

“…there is a great price to pay to lay full hold of the treasures of God’s kingdom. I consider it the price of abandon.” (p.47)

“He wants to disciple us and show us the way to the treasure, but that requires some focus and a surrendered commitment on our end. In other words, we must abandon ourselves to Him and sell out to the one true thing worth selling out to.” (p. 48) Wow. I love that statement. Jesus paid the ulimate price for my sins on the cross and, do I believe that is definitely worth selling out to. Absolutely. So, I need to make it my goal to daily abandon myself to go ‘all out for Jesus & not be wishy-washy about it. Because I’m either in or I’m out.” (Another paraphrase from my pastor)

Another parable she discusses is the one about the rich, young ruler (Luke 18:18-23).

“Jesus essentially says to him, If you really want to enter into true life, sell out to Me with careless abandon. Give up your allegiance to all your stuff and your power, and content yourself in walking daily with Me.” … “Only he didn’t recognize it. He didn’t have the eyes to see it’s worth. He misjudged the value of the kingdom of God and settled for his stuff – a counterfielt pearl.” (p. 50)

In Luke 18:24-27, “Jesus points out that weath provides a sense of security, comfort, and pride that can cloud our spiritual vision, causing us to miss the worth of the kingdom of God.” (p. 50-51) Rachel then goes on to say that, “This shakes me to my core when I get honest about how much time I spend pursuing creature conforts instead of the treasure of Christ.” – Wow. I could totally relate to that statement. Since l know that I can’t take my “stuff” with me when I die, why do spend so much time trying to accumulate things that don’t last. When I think about all the times I’ve wasted sitting in front of the TV watching re-runs of shows & movies I’ve seen a 1000 times, instead of spending that time pursing God in His word & through prayer. I feel bad.

But I love what Jesus says next. After the disciples & witneses wondered aloud who could be saved if this rich, young ruler couldn’t be, “Jesus assured that salvation will always be impossible for man to earn, but God will give it to those who yeild it to Him…. then Jesus let the disciples know that even more will be given to those who not only yield, but wholeheartedly sell out to Him with abandon.” (p. 51)

In Luke 18:28-30, Jesus promises that whomever has given up everything to follow him will be repaid many times over in this life as well as receiving eternal life… I love it, because that is a wonderful promise to hang on to. Anything that I have to give up to follow him will be worth it.

Rachel states next that, “This motivates me to examine my heart and see if I’m barely yielding, or really abandoning myself to God. Am I the pearl merchant, or the rich, young ruler?” – This were 2 great questions that I also need to ask myself as well.

“Through these parables, Jesus reveals the paramount worth of the kingdom of God, and the secret reality that anything we give or lose as a result of following Him is more than a bargain for what we’ll receive in return.” (p. 52) – I’ll say “Amen” to that!

“I’m a die-hard bargain shopper, but Jesus has taught me that one thing is worth my all, worth paying retail for: the kingdom of God and its King, Jesus” (p. 53) – I’m also a bargain shopper as well & prefer to buy most stuff when it’s on sale. But I agree that the kingdom of God & it’s King, Jesus are DEFINITELY worth paying retail price.

The 1st question that Rachel asks in the Bible study is, “What character do you identify with most: the stumbling field-buyer, the searching pearl merchant, or the rich, young ruler?”

If I’m honest, I think I’m a mix of the searching pearl merchant & the rich, young ruler. On the one hand, I want to live completely sold out for Jesus and live my life with total abandon. However, because of a prideful & selfish spirit, there are still areas that I’m struggling to leave at the altar. I guess you could say that I’m sort of a control-freak when it comes to certain things and because people I were close to have let me down in the past, I have a difficult time trusting God with those same things. It’s really hard, but I’m slowly starting to trust God and know that He truly does have my best interests at heart.

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Well, I could probably go on, but it’s getting late and I know this post is LONG enough. So, in closing, I wanted to share a video I found on YouTube. The song is, ironically called, Souled Out and it’s by Hezekiah Walker. We sing this song in church & I started singing it to myself while reading this chapter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 🙂

My favorite part of the song goes:

My heart is fixed, my mind’s made up
No room, no vacancies, I’m all filled up
His Spirit lives in me
– and that’s the reason – I’m Souled Out!

Made to Crave

Well, here’s my first post of the New Year. I’m really hoping to get better at posting regularly, which is why I’m creating this post.

A couple weeks ago, actually the 1st Sunday of the year, my pastor gave an awesome sermon on 2011 being a “prime year” & making this the time to not miss our “Kairos” – or “God-appointed” – moments. “Kairos” is one of 2 Greek words used in the Bible for “time” & it “is a pivotal point in a person’s life where profound and significant things are divinely destined to occur.”

One of my “Kairos” moments happened a little over a year ago when I felt I was lead to my new church. I had recently left the church that I was a member of for almost 4 years & was desperately seeking to grow closer in my relationship with God. Before I was so focused on the religious aspects of Christianity & doing the right things, that I forgot to “crave” that relationship with Jesus. My “cup” was becoming clean on the outside, but the inside was still a dirty mess.

After I started attending my new church for awhile, I KNEW deep down that this was where God wanted me to be, at this particular time & I thank HIM everyday that He has me right where He wants me. 🙂

Well, I’m hoping, believing & praying, that I am in the process of my next “Kairos” moment.

I recently signed up for the Made to Crave Online Study hosted by Melissa Taylor.

The book is by Lysa Terkheurst & she is currently hosting live webcasts on Monday nights. The first one was last week, but you can check out the website – Made to Crave – for more information. I’m really excited about reading this book & following the online study.

If you haven’t heard about the book yet, it’s about “the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen.” (http://madetocrave.org/about/) Most importantly, it’s about “craving God” more than we “crave food”.

I’m still growing in my relationship with God & I have been “craving” more of Him lately. I heard Lysa say that people have used her book for the other things we “crave” more than God, not just food. So, that is why I’m looking forward to this journey.

For me, this journey will not only be about learning healthy eating habits, but I’m also hoping to use it as a guide to help me ONCE & FOR ALL quit smoking. I’ve tried quitting twice before to only start back up again. So, I’m hoping to use this book & it’s principals to not only learn better eating habits, but I’m also BELIEVING & TRUSTING in this journey to help me KICK THE HABIT for good. Plus, I believe both of these areas go hand in hand. A lot of people turn to food or gain weight while they are quitting/or after they have quit. So, I don’t want to be the next person who ends one bad habit, only to start another one.

Each Sunday the assignment is posted for the week. So, I’m hoping – as I follow along this study – to update my blog at least once a week to keep myself ACCOUNTABLE. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter & I’m planning on keeping an offline journal to take notes. I want to use this blog, as well as the Made to Crave community on Facebook, to share what I’m learning each week.

On a closing note, I really enjoyed my Pastor’s sermon this morning. He talked about the man who was healed by the pool at Bethesda in John 5. In verse 8, Jesus commanded him to rise, take up his bed & walk. And because of his obedience, the man was made well & got up.

I like what my Pastor said, “If we can do the possible, God can do the impossible.” The key is that we have to be obedient. We can’t expect to change & not put in any effort. So, I’m believing that during those times when I feel like I’m struggling or unable to continue in my own strength, God will intervine & give me the strength to do what is beyond my ability. 🙂

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. And, please feel free to leave me a comment or even a word of encouragement. 🙂

JOY

I just posted my first entry on my other blog. I recently joined a bible study a couple weeks ago and the book we are doing is Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore. I’m actually on week 5 of the study, but I just got a chance to get my notes together on the last lesson, which was JOY.

You can read the post by clicking this link – Living Beyond Yourself: Week 4 JOY

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Living Beyond Yourself: Week 4 – JOY

A couple weeks ago I joined a bible study group with some people I went with to the WOF conference. They are currently studying, Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore. When I joined the group they were already on week 3, but I was able to borrow the first 2 DVD sessions to get myself caught up. So that is where I’m going to start with on my review notes of the bible study.

We have our studies on Tuesday nights & I wanted to post this earlier in the week before I started this week lesson, which is on peace, Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to making my notes until earlier today, so this is actually from last weeks study.

The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength – That was the name of the introduction to the study on JOY.

Before I go on with the actual notes from my lessons, I just wanted to mention how AWESOME I think our God is and how I love the different ways He uses to get our attention.

Right now, I’m not a member of any church. Some of you may/or may not know that I used to be a member of the SDA church. Well, as of last year, I had my membership removed. For the sake of time & space, it’s too long of a story for me to go into the full details right now, but I’m currently working on my testimony of why I left the church. I’m hoping to have that up on my website before Sunday night. But if I don’t, I will have it ready by next week sometime. With that being said, for the past several months I’ve mostly been joining some different bible studies during the week – such as this one. And since I’ve gotten used to sleeping in on the weekends now, I usually watch some services on TV or online.

Well the day after my Tuesday night meeting, on my way home from work, something told me that I should visit a local churches website where I can watch live services online. Since it had been raining earlier that day, I already knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere that night. So at 7pm that evening, I got online to watch the service.

I’ve visited this church on Wednesday a few times, so I was already familiar with they’re format. They sang a few songs, the pastor said a prayer & they started the study. Well, guess what the first words he just happened to say was? If you said, “the joy of the Lord is our strength”, ding, ding, you would be correct! His study that night was on ‘joy’ and the different things in our everyday life that can steal our joy. I just got a HUGE kick out of this & was pleasantly surprised when I opened up my study for that week and the title of the introduction was “the joy of the Lord is our strength”. Had I not been obedient that night, I believe that I would have missed out on a huge blessing.

So back to my lesson… The Greek word for Joy is chara, which means ‘joy, rejoicing, gladness.” In many ways it means, “to celebrate”

The 5 areas of Joy (chara) that Beth mentions in the study are:

1. Salvation
2. Discovery
3. Restoration
4. Abiding (or remaining) in Christ
5. The body of Christ – or fellowship

Here are just a few notes that I’ve taken that describe each area. The words in red are quoted from Beth in the study.

Salvation

“Salvation is a gift of grace that we have a privilege to accept.” The Greek word for grace is charis, which means “unmerited favor.”

Read Luke 10:17-20. Jesus says in verse 20, “Rejoice that your name is written in Heaven.” This is definitely a reason to be joyful. Knowing that the God of the universe sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins, so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

Discovery

“The discovery of one perfect treasure – Christ, Jesus.” (Matt. 13:44, Matt 28:8, Luke 1:44, Luke 2:10, Luke 10:21, Luke 24:52)

“Chara is the supernatural result of which flows from the glorious discovery of our Lord & Savior in every circumstance where we wish to find him.”

“Joy also comes as a surprise through our trials in which the “presence, purpose & power” of God is best discovered through our difficulty.” I know this is true because I’ve been through several trials and, even though I didn’t understand it at the time, I was joyful at the end result & seeing how God had worked through that difficult situation.

Restoration

She gives several examples of finding joy in restoration

1. Difficulties & trials – “One reason God allows us to experience troubles is because He desires to reveal his joy to us through restoration” (Psalm 7:1-24)

“I am convinced we cannot begin to really know Christ until we learn to fellowship with Him in His sufferings.” (Phil 3:10) We know that just as Christ suffered, that we will have to suffer as well. I know from experience that the Christian walk is not an easy one, but I believe that it will be well worth it in the end.

“If God has ordained difficulty for you, he has also ordained restoration for you” (1 Peter 5:10)

2. Our own sins (Psalm 85:6)

3. Our separation from God (Jeremiah 31:1-20) “Discipline basically means ‘teaching’.” (Hebrews 12:6-7,10)

Abiding in Christ

Remain in Christ – the Greek word for remain is meno, “to abide, dwell, live”

“to remain in Christ means to cling to him, to refuse to be budged under pressure, to never allow loss to cause us to leave.”

“the key to “abiding” or “remaining in Christ is in John 15:3, 7, 10”

“Chara can be lost as well as gained”

Reasons we may lose our joy:
1. When our out pour exceeds our intake
2. When our talk exceeds our walk
3. When we become ‘wonders junkies’
4. When we are exhausted
5. When we feel all alone

Body of Christ

(Romans 15:30-32, Romans 16:19, 2 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 7:4, 2 Corinthians 7:7, Phillipians 1:25-26, Phillipians 4:1)

“We are a catalyst of joy for one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

“Joy not only comes from the body of Christ, but also adds joy to the body of Christ. Our joy makes us soul winners” (Psalm 51:12-13, 1 Peter 3:15)

I throughly enjoyed this study on Joy. I’ve started the first few lessons this week on Peace & it’s interesting how much peace & joy are greatly linked. Which is very easy to see because it’s hard to have peace if you’re unhappy or have no joy.
I’m already planning on posting my notes on that study sometime next week, probably Tuesday night or Wednesday, before I start the new lesson. I think it’s easier to take notes as I go along with each days lesson & then, at the end of the week, write one complete post to summarize what I’ve learned.