Category Archives: Bible Study

Holy Hearts or Hearts Wholly

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2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

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What is God saying? This morning I read the story of King Asa in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 14-16. Asa immediately follows Abijam whose “heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God” (1 Kings 15:3). In contrast, “the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days” (Repeated word for word in 1 Kings 15:14 and 2 Chron 15:17). As a result, God gave Asa “strong support” because of his blameless heart (2 Chron 16:9).

How will I obey? I often praise God for the holy heart that I have been freely given through Christ that secures me eternally. Today, I’m reminded that my whole heart must be true to God to receive His strong support in this life. I am going to spend 15 minutes praying “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23–24)!

Who will I tell? Morning prayer group

What indicators on the dashboard of our lives will show us where our hearts are not wholly true to the Lord?

I am reading the Blue Letter Chronological Bible in 2016 and asking each day what God is saying to me, how should I obey, and who should I tell. You can find the plan in print and on You Version. Join me.

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God promises to “meet with” and “speak with” His people.

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Exodus 25:22 “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.”

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What is God saying? God has given Moses detailed instructions on building the Arc of the Covenant. Now, God promises Moses that He will “meet with” him and “speak with” him there. In John 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well that God’s offer to “meet with” and “speak with” His people at the Arc in the temple is be expanded to anywhere His people worship Him “in spirit and in truth.”

How will I obey? I will take God up on his supernatural offer. I will “meet with” Him this morning and listen for Him to “speak with” me.

Who will I tell? My Go Training guys.

Make time today and invite God to “meet with” and “speak with” you.

Begin, Again in 2016

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Revelation 21:5-7 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”

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What is God saying? The One who created in the beginning will re-create, “make everything new,” in the end. And, in the present, He is the one who “will give freely from the springs of the water of life” to “all who are thirsty.”

How will I obey? As we begin a new year, if we start with ourselves we will fail, again. If we start with Jesus, we will begin, again.

Who will I tell? You. Join me in 2016 and run to Jesus daily for life. I will be reading the Blue Letter Chronological Bible in 2016, starting tomorrow, January 1st. You can find the plan in different places. A pic of the plan on You Version is attached.

Where can I find help?

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Isaiah 41:17-20 “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground. I will plant trees in the barren desert— cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means— that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.”

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What is God Saying? When we reach the end of the rope (physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally, etc.): 1. God will answer. 2. He is with us. and 3. He will give us water.  Why? So all will see Him in our lives.

How can we obey? Draw near to The Water Source. Jeremiah 2:13 “for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Who can we tell? Who in your life can you encourage with this truth with today?

As I seek to follow Jesus everyday, I am reading the One Year Bible and daily asking the questions above in my personal journal. On occasion, I will post my journal entry online.

 

Biblical Boldness

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2 Corinthians 3:4-6, 12 “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life… Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”man-in-front-of-tanks-tiananmen

What is God saying? Biblical boldness is Christ-confidence, not self-confidence. How do we access it? Paul says our confidence (like our salvation) is “through Christ,” “from God,” and “Spirit given.” If we want this boldness we must find it in God, not ourselves.

Two days ago, I was struck by a verse in my Go Training, discipleship group: Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Note the progression: Being with Jesus > Boldness through common men.

How will I obey? Meet with Jesus and memorize Acts 4:13.

Who will I tell? My dad.

Biblical boldness is Christ-confidence, not self-confidence. Do you want it? Meet with Jesus.

As I seek to follow Jesus everyday, I am reading the One Year Bible and daily asking the questions above in my personal journal. On occasion, I will post my journal entry online.

Our Leader is a Need Meeter – Psalms 107:19-20

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Psalms 107:19-20 “’LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.”

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What is God saying? God is a “need meeting” Leader. In times of trouble we can cry out to Him for help.

How can we obey? Go to Him in prayer and ask Him to “give us this day our daily bread.” Specifically, I am going to Him with a troubled heart asking Him to lead me.

Who will we tell? Tell someone today about our “need meeting” Leader.

Are you in trouble, distress, sickness or even facing death? Cry out to God for help. 

As part of my desire to follow Jesus everyday, I am reading the One Year Bible and daily asking the questions above.

A Supernatural Change of Heart

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Note: I fasted from social media pictures (FB, Instagram) and from my blog during the Easter season to focus more on my private prayer life. It was incredible and transformational. I challenge you to consider what good things may distract you from the greatest things and consider times of fasting to focus your life on following Jesus everyday.

Deuteronomy 30:6 “The LORD your God will change (literally circumcise) your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love Him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!”

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What is God saying to me? Moses has been speaking to Israel at length about the need to listen to and obey God. Remember the Shema: “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” Now Moses says that even this response will happen as a result of God’s work in their lives – GRACE.

How will I obey? I am going to ask God in prayer to change my heart and the hearts of my kids to love Him completely so that we may live.

Who will I tell? Miller.

Are you trying to love God with all your heart and soul on your own? Invite Him to do open heart surgery.

As part of my desire to follow Jesus everyday, I am reading the One Year Bible and daily asking the questions above.

What happens when someone who knows Scripture becomes a Jesus follower? – Matthew 13:52

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Matthew 13:52 “Then (Jesus) added, ‘Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.’”

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What is God saying to me? God can do incredible things with someone who knows the Bible that “becomes a disciple.” I am reminded of the testimony of Paul.

How will I obey? I know a gifted teacher who is educated in the Scripture. I will look for an opportunity to train him to follow Jesus as a disciple.

Who will I tell? The PLT

Do you know the Bible? Follow Jesus everyday and watch him pull gems of truth out of your storeroom.

The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

“But, I’m a good person…” – Matthew 9:12-13

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Matthew 9:12-13 “When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.’ Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.’”

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What is God saying to me? Many “think they are righteous” apart from Jesus. “But, I am a good person…” As I seek to follow Jesus everyday, I must destroy this mentality in me.

How will I obey? I want to read more into my new identity as a saint that occasionally sins as it relates to this verse. I just added this article to my reading list for later today: http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2012/01/sinners-who-are-forgiven-or-saints-who-sin-robert-saucy/

Who will I tell? My accountability partner

Apart from Jesus, Do you think you are righteous or do you know you are a sinner?

The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.

Living with Faith in God’s Faithful Love – Psalms 138:8

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Psalms 138:8 “The LORD will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”

Ellie and Rebecca, right after delivery.

What is God saying to me? Three days ago God gave Rebecca and me our second daughter. Ellie (fullness of God) Marie (asked of Child) was born healthy after a complicated pregnancy. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness. This morning I started in my Bible reading plan by reading Psalm 138 out loud over Rebecca and Ellie. It blessed us so much that we read it out loud a second time. It is a Psalm of thanksgiving (vv.1,4) in response to God’s faithful and loving involvement in our lives.

How will I obey? The NLT’s placement of the word FOR in verse 8 challenges me. “The LORD will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” David is able to be confident in God’s plans being accomplished in his life because of his faith in God’s faithful love. In addition, he prays for God’s involvement in his life in light of God’s faithful love. Today, I want to be confident in and pray for God’s plans being accomplished in Ellie’s life. I want to do the same in relation to Rebecca’s recovery. However, I don’t approach him not knowing His character. I must have faith in God’s faithful love.

Who will I tell? Rebecca

How can you live with an active faith in God’s faithful love today?

The Bible is the Word of God and the power of God is released in our life when we apply it. Join us as we follow the One Year Bible plan. Links to read digitally can be found online at www.pcbc.org/bible.