Thursday, February 4, 2016

Reflecting on the Manna (Beth Moore Bible Study)

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Reflecting on the Manna
Image Credit:  cocoparisienne - CCO Public Domain Image - via Pixabay

Reflecting on the Manna:  God's Provision


As we begin week 3 of our Bible study, A Woman’s Heart:  God's Dwelling Place by Beth Moore, Beth wants us to reflect back on what we learned about God’s provision of manna in the wilderness.  We learned that God provided physical food for the children of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness.  Today, God provides spiritual food and Jesus is our “manna from Heaven.”
So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. – John 6:30-35
God always gives us everything we need.

If we look back at previous lesson about manna in the wilderness, we will be reminded that manna was always provided in the mornings.  It came daily.  However, for the children of Israel to be nourished by the manna, they had to go out, early, and gather it.  In the same way, we must develop a relationship with Jesus.  We must reach out to Him daily and gather all He has to offer and all  He has to offer us is sufficient for each of us according to our individual needs.
When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. – Exodus 16:18
Until this study, I never thought of the provision of manna as an humbling process.
You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. – Deuteronomy 8:2-3 
 A few notes I wrote in the margin of my workbook:

*Not only the hunger, but also the feeding with manna was part of the humbling process because humans want to be self sufficient.  Manna only comes from God.  We can’t grow it.  We have to depend on God alone for it.

*When you cease having problems common to man, you cease being effective.

To benefit from Beth Moore’s full study, consider ordering your own workbook and completing the entire study on your own or with a group.

Get your copy of A Woman’s Heart:  God’s Dwelling Place here.

You can also download video sessions here.

 Read all posts in this series here.

If you are doing the Bible study by yourself or if you wish to host the study, you'll need the leader kit which includes the DVDs.  You can get that here.




Sunday, January 31, 2016

Faith (Faith Stories Series)

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Faith (Faith Stories Series)
Image Credit:  Pexels - CCO Public Domain Image - via Pixabay
 Scripture Passage:  Hebrews 11:7

 The following are my notes taken during my pastor's sermon.
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. - Hebrews 11:7

Faith


1.  Faith must believe.

You cannot have faith unless God speaks.  Faith comes from God.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17
God speaks through His word.

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? - Romans 10:14

2.  Faith always obeys.
Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did. - Genesis 6:22
3.  Faith gives witness.
And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” - Mark 5:19
 Obey God and then go tell others about all that He is doing in your life.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

21 Days of Prayer

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21 Days of Prayer
Image Credit:  Ben White - Public Domain Image - via Freely Photos
At our church, we are in the middle of 21 Days of Prayer.  The 21 days of prayer are divided into three themes.  For the first 7 days, the prayer theme is “Attributes of God.”  The theme for days 8 to 14 is “Change Me.”  The theme for days 15 to 21 is “Use Our Church.”  We are doing this as a church family but as I pray these prayers, I’m thinking the 21 Days of Prayer is a great personal or family challenge.  I’ve been working on improving my prayer life.  I’ve always prayed, but I’m learning to pray more specifically.  Having a guide helps me focus on specifics.  Perhaps you would like to begin a personal journey through 21 Days of Prayer or maybe you would like to start a 21 Days of Prayer challenge with your family.  If so, here are our 21 Days of Prayer.

21 Days of Prayer


Week 1 – Attributes of God


Day 1:  Lord God, you are holy.  I pray that I would be holy as You are holy.

Day 2:  Our God is perfect in all His ways.  Praise the Lord for His infinite perfections today.

Day 3:  We serve a righteous God.  May we surrender to your justice and righteousness as we live for you.

Day 4:  Dear Lord, show me your power and might.  Let me see Your glory today and not the trivialities of life.

Day 5:  Our God is miraculous.  We praise You for the miracle of salvation.

Day 6:  Be gracious to me according to your steadfast loving-kindness.  Help me to love others like you.

Day 7:  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew my spirit.  Help me to keep my eyes on you.

Week 2 – Change Me


Day 8:  Pray that God would give you a fresh love for His Word, passionately desiring to spend time in it and apply it to your life daily.

Day 9:  Pray that you will grow in your understanding of and obedience to the truth of God’s Word.  Pray that He will change you to be more like Him.

Day 10:  Pray that God would keep you close to Him and that you would live in righteousness and grow in steadfast love as you seek Him.

Day 11:  Pray that you would reject the delusion of the pleasures of this world and only seek after God as you find your satisfaction in Him.

Day 12:  Pray that you would know continually that there can be no true happiness, no fulfilling purpose apart from a life lived for God’s glory.

Day 13:  Pray for God to help you focus on the needs of the people around you and have a burden for those who need the Lord.

Day 14:  Pray for courage to open your mouth when the Lord prompts you and have a gospel conversation before this 21 day journey is done.


Week 3 – Use Our Church

Day 15:  Pray that God will work in you and in our church to position us to be used to bring glory  to Him and see souls saved for eternity.

Day 16:  Pray for God’s continued favor as we move into this building expansion and that He would be glorified as we seek Him through this time.

Day 17:  Pray that you personally and our church family would be obedient to follow the Lord in order to see the completion of this vision.

Day 18:  Pray that God’s hand will be on our construction team and the workers who will be on our campus that His light will be evident to them.

Day 19:  Pray that God will use our church to bring your neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family from death to life in Jesus Christ.

Day 20:  Pray that God would use you in ministry at Blackshear Place.  Ask Him to show you how He would have you serve Him.

Day 21:  Pray that the Lord will raise up Godly leaders who will continue to stand firm on His Word and awaken this generation for Christ.

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