Build Your Bible Understanding
My husband is building a multi-faceted website and blog. Not only is it a place for him to post his own sermons, he also has illustrations for sermons, and lessons from Focal Point. Not just for preacher's, however, there's content for women, elders, and deacons. Be sure to check out the verse by verse study through the Bible and the Revelation Quiz for all ages - both are works in progress! More content is added daily.
Build Your Bible Understanding
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If you missed lesson one of Exhortations from Esther last week, find it here. This Saturday, I'll begin a series of lessons that I wrote for Online Bible Class (OBC). OBC are wonderful classes to study on-line with other Christians. Unfortunately, they are have suspended the classes for the time being. Meanwhile, you can study my lesson written for them here. If you would like to discuss any of the questions with me, you may use the contact form on the "Got Questions" page at the top of this website. Please contact me before copying this in any other format/website. Thank you. You must have Adobe Reader to view this file. Growing in good soil - 8 ways to grow Dawn Pasley 2010 Ladies Day Monroeville, AL Years ago, I heard of a survey given to preachers and elders in the church. This survey showed some things that shocked me. According to the results, there were many preachers and elders who didn't believe that Jesus lived, weren't sure if God even existed and weren't sure if they were even going to heaven! At the time I heard that, I was in disbelief. But the older I get, the more I see the reality of the situation. I have looked into the eyes of women who doubted their salvation. I have talked with Christians who have been members of the Lord's church for 10, 25, even 40 years who didn't understand some basic facts about the Bible and God's creation. If our leaders don't know where they are going then we don't. Notice these points: 1. We can know the truth. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13) 2. We have a responsibility to know the truth. "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;" (2 Peter 1:5) "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) 3. Study should be a daily occurrence for the rest of our lives. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11) 4. We should grow beyond only being students and become teachers as well. "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." (Hebrews 5:12) 5. It is good to study things again to be reminded of them. "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1:12-16) And here is your second item for the day: The Truth is Like Jellybeans James Pasley 04/092000 In case you have been on the moon for the past month and haven't heard, the Mississippi river is reaching record levels from Cairo, IL south and is causing major flooding in many areas. In several areas there is concern over the levee systems that have been built to protect some areas. Those concerns fall into two categories: Are they high enough? and Will they be strong enough? In our Christian lives we have to ask our selves about the levees that we should have around our hearts and minds to protect them from being flooded by Satan and the world. Are they high enough and strong enough? We have to know the floods will come, yet some of us neglect the building up of our mental and emotional levees. We are sometimes tempted to think that they were good enough for the last flood, so I will be fine this time too. Don't deceive yourself levees decay and erode without constant attention. If we can build and sustain our levee system it will be an added layer of protection for the foundations of our hearts and minds. Be sure you are building with the quality materials of God's Word or you may find a washed out levee and your heart and mind flooded with sin.
Strength Through Adversity
copyright 1976 by Barry and Paul Epps. Author of stanzas 1&2 unknown, 3 by Paul Epps as found in Church Gospel Songs and Hymns 1)For all the heartaches and the tears, For all the anguish and the pain; For gloomy days and fruitless years, And for the hopes I've lived in vain. 2)For ev'ry hill I've had to climb, For ev'ry stone that bruised my feet; For all the blood and sweat and grime, For blinding storms and burning heat. 3)I thank Thee, Lord, for all the years, For ev'ry burden of the day; For all the heartaches and the fears, That I have known along the way. Chorus: My heart sings a grateful song, These were the things that made me strong; I do give thanks, for now I know, These were the things that made me grow. This passage seemed appropriate for today while there are those who are cleaning up and beginning the rebuilding of houses after the tornado:
"In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall." (Nehemiah 4:10) Take heart and be strong! Just as Jerusalem's wall was rebuilt, so shall our houses and church buildings be rebuilt! "So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God." (Nehemiah 6:15-16) There is One whose love has kept us Through every stormy blast, And His hand will guard and guide us Till all the storms are past; Jesus, we will trust Thee ever, The first and the last, The first and the last. Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/514#ixzz1L819gerk |