Jesus is the light of the world.

Where do you go when you have a problem? That's one of the big questions that is being asked at BSF right now. Do you go to your horoscope? Do you go to your spouse? To a self-help book? Or, do you go to the Bible... the Word of the Living God - Jesus, the light of the world. Jesus is the light, and only through Him will you have peace in your life and in the circumstances you face in the day to day.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

In BSF right now, we are learning more about each of these awesome names of Jesus. Have you considered joining a BSF group in your area? What a rich and full experience. You will not regret spending time studying God's Word.

The Bible in a Year

Have you ever read through the entire Bible?

Have you ever done it in a year?

I have read the whole Bible, but never in one stretch, and I want to do that. I want to do that in 2010. I marveled the other day at how I could read novel after novel and not be able to set it down. But, when it comes to my daily Bible reading, I constantly fall short. I think that 10 verses is enough meat for the day. It's usually not.

Why is that? Do you struggle, too? There are so many Bible reading plans available out there. They take sections of the Old Testament and New Testament, as well as Psalms or Proverbs, and you read a little bit each day. Over the span of a year, you cover the entire Bible. There's Bible Gateway, and My Daily Bread. These devotional plans can be downloaded, emailed, listened to and watched on YouTube. The amount of Bible access we have is astounding. Why don't we (why don't I?) use it?

I want to read the Bible as a story - cover to cover. Not in one sitting, obviously, but in one year. If I can read 2000 pages of other books in a single week, then surely I should be able to read my Bible, which is only 2035 pages long, in a year. And that is with 2 versions, so divide that by 2 and you get 1017.5 pages... that is like only three and a half days worth of reading.

However, we are now in the middle of August and I am still in Exodus. The good news is this - 2010 is NOT over yet! And the even better news is that I could read my Bible anywhere I want in this entire country and nobody would ever bother me. I can even go into a regular bookstore, and even some grocery stores, and find a Bible on the shelf to buy.

I once bought a Bible at Superstore for $10. The girl at the till said she'd never seen a Bible go through her till before, and she had to call someone for a price on it! I gave that Bible away.

The Bible I am reading out of right now is a parallel Bible which includes the NIV and Message versions. It was a gift from my husband for my 29th Birthday. That was 5 years ago, and it is not as beat up as it should be in that amount of time. Bibles should wear out from overuse. Bibles should be replaced because you are giving them away to people that don't have one of their own. When someone says, "That's my Bible." They should be really talking about a BIBLE, and not the latest Ikea catalogue or a car magazine.

The B-I-B-L-E... now, THAT'S the book for me. Can you (can I?!) say that with full meaning? It's one of the ways God speaks to us. His word is living and active.

Read it. Live it. Believe it.

Let us Pray

Where does the time go? It's already October!!

I am really enjoying our Ladies Bible Study this Fall, led by Esthie at our church. If you are able to come, it is from 9:30 - 11 every Tuesday morning at the church. We are studying the topic of Prayer. So I wanted to post a scripture and a song...

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Let us Pray (Steven Curtis Chapman)

I hear you say your heart is aching
You've got trouble in the making
And you ask if I'll be praying for you please
And in keeping with conviction
I'll say yes with good intentions
To pray later making mention of your needs
But since we have this moment here at heaven's door
We should start knocking now, what are we waiting for?

CHORUS:
Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray

So when we feel the Spirit moving
Prompting, prodding and behooving
There is no time to be losing, let us pray
Let the Father hear us saying
What we need to be conveying
Even while this song is playing, let us pray
And just because we say the word, "Amen"
It doesn't mean this conversation needs to end

Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
Let us pray without end and when we finish start again
Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray

Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence
As our prayers draw us near
To the One who knows our needs
Before we even call His name

Let us pray everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
Let us pray without end and when we finish start again
Like breathing out and breathing in, let us pray

The Priority is LOVE

During the last several weeks, our Ladies Bible Study went through a DVD series by 5 different women speakers. One of the speakers was Beth Moore. After having the opportunity to go to a Beth Moore Conference in March, I have grown to love her style of teaching, and how she presents the Gospel message in a clear and to-the-point kind of way. (The only think my husband doesn't like when I listen to Beth Moore is that for some reason I pick up her accent after I've heard her speak... say this with a Southern accent, "I need me some JESUS!" I love her voice, but I suppose it suits her better than me..... it just happens!)

One of Beth's messages was on LOVE. Here are some of the thoughts that I took away from her message....

One of the hardest things in life is rejection. And the only way to feel rejection is if we have first loved someone. All we need to create an environment for rejection is relationship. Jesus was rejected by his own people (John 1:11 - He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.) So, Jesus knows how we feel when other people hurt us.

Rejection can wound deeper and last longer than hosts of other injuries. It can also tempt us to invite things into our lives that we never dreamed we would have welcomed, and cause us to act in ways we never dreamed of behaving.

When we feel rejected, we sometimes take 2 very erroneous actions... first, we want to recover what rejected us (I want it back), and secondly we want to reject who/what rejected us. (we want revenge, but it won't work). Nothing makes the fool of us that rejection does.

There is life after rejection. Rejection gives us the perfect opportunity to fellowship in the sufferings of Christ... he KNOWS how we feel. Sometimes rejection on one hand leads to reconciliation on the other hand.

If someone rejects you for your belief in Christ, Christ takes it personally, and HE will deal with it... let him.

Through all our life long, we need to remember the Sovereignty of God... Romans 11:15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

And the other is the Supremacy of God.

The Stone the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone... you are a chosen generation. God is in CONTROL of all things.

In 1 Samuel, the people of Israel demanded a King so they could be like the other Nations... but the LAST thing God wants is for us to be like everybody else. Be set apart.... 1 Samuel 8:7 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

The word rejection appears 120 times in the Bible, and many of those times are referring to the rejection of Jesus Christ. When you feel rejected, don't think for a minute that nobody feels your pain... Jesus does, and he is where you will find healing for your hurts, as well.

We will not be hurt if we do not love, but we are commanded to love one another. There are so many verses in the Bible where love overcomes hurts and pain, perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18) God is love (1 John 4:16) 1 Cor. 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

And the last one, which may be the hardest, is Luke 6:35 which tells us "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

Bible Study

Tomorrow is Ladies Bible Study, and we will be watching another DVD in our series.

NEXT week we will be working on our paper bag scrapbooks again.

Hope to see you all in the morning!!

Bible Study

Hi Everyone,

The Bible Studies are going great. And I can hardly believe that we are halfway through this round of studies. Yesterday we worked on our paper bag scrapbooks, and I thought I would include a couple pics of what mine looks like so far. I have a long way to go, but that's ok... it's a journey of faith we're on day to day, so even if you all don't finish in the next 4 weeks, I hope you'll continue to work on it over the next weeks and months.

The cover... some people called theirs "My Journey of Faith" or something similar. I chose to call mine Walking by Faith, because I like that verse in 2 Cor. 5:7 "For we walk by faith and not by sight."

One of my inside pages


This is my "In Everything give thanks" page... and the tab there is on a little prayer of thankfulness for my family that I wrote.


The way the bag books are put together creates all kinds of natural pockets for pictures or for additional scripture verses or prayers.


Next week we are going to have another DVD study featuring Beth Moore again. I hope you all can make it!

Sarah

Bible Study tomorrow

Hi Ladies,

How did another week go by so fast? Well, it happened!! And tomorrow morning is Bible Study time again.... we will be watching a dvd with Priscilla Shirer speaking, and then starting our Faith mini scrapbooks.

Hope to see you all there! 9:30 is start time.

S

Walking By Faith

Last week we had a great lesson by Beth Moore (via DVD) on Love.

This week we'll be hearing Jennifer Rothschild speaking on her experiences of Walking By Faith (Lessons Learned in the Dark).

Tomorrow morning at 9:30... and we'll be in the Fireside room this week! This will be great because the chairs are way more comfy!!!!

Hope to see you all there.

For we walk by faith, not by sight (KJV)
2 Corinthians 5:7

Bible Study is Back!

Hi Ladies,

Tomorrow morning at 9:30 we will start our Bible Study again! Yay! I have missed you all!! We will be going through DVD messages, all given by women speakers, including Beth Moore, Angela Thomas, Anne Graham Lotz, Priscilla Shirer, and Jennifer Rothschild.

There are 6 DVD messages, but we will meet for 8 weeks. So.... what will we do for the other 2 weeks? Leanne and I have been brainstorming ways to "Scrapbook Your Faith." And that is what we'll be doing for the other 2 Tuesdays, as well as the extra time in a couple weeks (there are a couple of the studies that are fairly short, so we should be through them and the lesson in 45 minutes, and have the remainder of the time to work on our mini books).

NOTE: We will not be scrapbooking tomorrow, so don't bring anything other than a Bible until I tell you otherwise!

So, you might have some questions:

1 - Do I need to be a scrapbooker?? NOOOOO!!!! This will not be a hard assignment. You simply need to be yourself.

2 - Do I need to own scrapbooking supplies to participate?? NOOOOO!!! If you have your own tools that you know and love, you are more than welcome to bring them along and use them, and share them with others, if you wish. But if you have nothing, you need to bring nothing. We will provide what you need.

3 - I've never scrapbooked before, should I stay home for those 2 weeks?? HERE'S THE BIGGEST NOOOOOO YET!!!!! Our goal here is not to make you into a "lifer" of scrapbooking, (but if that happens, it's really not such a bad thing!!!) Our goal here is for you to put down in a keepsake the thoughts and memories of how you have grown in your faith, whether it be an old faith or a brand new walk..... and to see how God has used you, moved you and loved you in every step of your walk.

There's a quick overview of what you can expect in the next 8 weeks. I really hope that everyone that is able will come on out and take part in our Ladies Bible Study at RRCC for the next 8 weeks.

See you in the morning!

The Living Word

Do you ever have it where something jumps out at you from the Bible? Like something you've read a million times before, but then suddenly on the 1,000,001st time it actually catches your attention?

I am finding that over and over again this year while studying the book of Matthew in my BSF class. I don't know how many times I have read through Matthew. But seeing as it is the first book of the New Testament, I think Matthew, along with the other 3 Gospels, is one of the books of the New Testament that I have read the most. Anyway, it's many times! But then as we go through verse by verse, parable by parable, through promises and prophecies, and the character of Jesus Christ - oh how the Bible comes alive. To read it is not enough.... the little ditty that they teach in Sunday School, "Read your Bible, pray every day.... and you'll grow, grow, grow...." I don't think that is enough. To really LEARN and see and know the Bible you must study it. Reading is a start, and if you are doing nothing right now, then to read it is a great start! But to get the most out of it and to see how the Bible is God's LIVING word....... I need to do more than just skim the verses.

What's the difference? To read it is to merely open it and read the verses on the page. To study it means to read it, think about it, then read it again with a pen in your hand... write some notes, answer some questions, and to really make it stick - talk about what you read and learned with someone else.

What does it mean that the Word is living? When you experience the "living and active" part of the Bible as we see in Hebrews 4:12:
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
You start to think more of verses, and when you need encouragement you recite the verses that you have memorized... you are more ready with an answer when someone asks you what Christianity is all about, or who Jesus is. And the part you study is what you need for that day. When temptation comes your way, you follow the example of Jesus and quote scripture promises... you don't try to fight temptation on your own, because you will inevitably fail.

How can it happen that the day I read a certain passage, something happens later in the day where I may need to encourage someone, or clarify a piece of scripture, and the verses I read earlier in the day are relevant. It happens because the scripture is alive. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Are you at a point in your life where Bible reading is your desire? Where you need it as your fuel for the day. You need to have that communion with God each day to survive. It won't happen overnight, and it will take action on your part, but when you see the Scriptures come alive, it will become a part of your day... you will see so many blessings and benefits from spending that time.

So how do you start? Find a time of the day when you have the least amount of distractions. Find a time when you can be alone. And if you can't find the time... MAKE the time!!!!!!!! Start small... start with something not too hard. I wouldn't suggest you try to memorize all the kings of Israel and Judah in your first week of study... you might lose heart. Try Jesus. Read about his life on earth in the Gospels. Then read them again. Once you fall in love with Jesus, you will want to know the whole story. The Bible shows us that if we ask for understanding, we will receive it. And when we lack faith, ask for help in this area, too. When there is a Bible truth that you have a hard time grasping or accepting, follow the lead of the father in the book of Mark, chapter 9 who asked Jesus to heal his son. "If you can" he said, and Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." (Mark 9:23-24) And when you struggle with understanding, follow the example of the disciples when they asked Jesus to explain parables to them. (see Matthew 13:36 "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." )

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8. What will you ask for in relation to the Bible this week? Ask for help to be diligent to study the Word, ask for understanding of what you read, and ask for help to live it out in your daily life.

Have a great week! I hope you experience the Bible as Living and active as you go through each day.

The First Woman

Last Tuesday at our Ladies Bible Study, we took a look at Eve... the first woman. A few things were brought up in our study that I wanted to mention.

We are sometimes so hard on Eve, saying that she wrecked it for the world... they lived in Paradise as we will only know once we enter Heaven's gates. But even though Adam and Eve had incredible abundance, they chose the one fruit - the ONLY fruit that they weren't allowed to eat. Why? Well, if not Eve, it might have been the next person, or maybe it would have been Adam, or me. We often want the things that we don't need, or the things that we can or shouldn't take.... we often do exactly what Eve did.

Another point that was brought up was that Adam was "there with Eve" and he didn't say, "hey wait a minute, sweety, God said no to this one... but let's go get some ripe pomegranates, or I just noticed that the Granny Smiths were great for picking." Nope... he took some too. Why? Perhaps it's just a good indication of human nature. We can be tempted. Even Jesus was tempted when he walked on the earth. The difference is, of course, that he did not give into the temptation, and therefore remained sinless. Jesus used scripture against Satan and Jesus was victorious. We NEED to learn to do this too.

Our Bible Reference was from Genesis 2 and 3. Here are a few of the questions that we discussed:

- what was life like in the Garden?
- The serpent approaches the woman with a discussion about God. What doubts does he raise in her mind?
- what did Adam and Even give up by disobeying God's rules?
- Compare the woman's answer to the serpent's questions with God's original instruction in 2:17. Why do you think she amplified the instruction?
- The woman's first action was to re-examine the tree with serpent-enlightened eyes. What did she see?
- Did the woman think she was doing a bad thing when she took the fruit? Why?
- What was wrong with her focus?
- What were the immediate consequences of her action?
- How would you describe the serpent's strategy which effectively changed the relationships in the Garden of Eden?
- Even though the relationships in Eden were vastly changed, what evidence of God's grace do you see in these verses?
- It was only one tree and one little piece of fruit. What does Eve's experience teach us about the far-reaching consequences of our choices?


- resource - Women of the Old Testament by Gladys Hunt.

Loyalty

After having to cancel twice in a row due to snowy weather, we were finally able to get together again today. We had a great discussion this morning with the ladies that came out. Thanks, everyone, for your input!

Our topic was Ruth... well, kind of! The first couple questions I asked had to do with loyalty:
- How would you define loyalty?
- Is it hard to be loyal to people?

Those simple questions made our discussion take flight and we talked for over 45 minutes about loyalty, loyalty in families, loyalty in marriages, lack of loyalty in society, you name it.

So, this post is going to be just about loyalty. What does that word mean to YOU? I would love to have the discussion carry on further here... do you have a story to tell about how someone has shown loyalty to you? Or an answer to my questions above? Please feel free to leave your comments. I know people read this, because I've asked!!! But I'd love for you to feel free to jump into the discussion, even if you weren't at our Bible Study this week.

Some of the points of our discussion were:
- Loyalty is when you stand by someone no matter what.
- It's a form of commitment
- Society is greatly lacking loyalty, and we don't value loyalty in our society.
- Even when we don't necessarily see eye to eye with someone, or agree 100% with their stance - loyalty is standing beside them in support.

Cancelled AGAIN.....

Hey everyone, due to our crazy weather this morning, and several of you have just called or emailed saying you have sick kids so aren't coming anyway, so tis the season...... we're going to cancel Bible study again. It snows really heavy for awhile, and then it rains a bit, just making the roads a slippery mess. As most of the ladies are loading up kids, etc. and some have already called to say they aren't going to come out in this snow/slush... I think we'll just cancel. Sorry about that... we'll get to Ruth next week!

Bible Study CANCELLED tomorrow

With the forecast of up to 25 cm of snow by tomorrow.... I think it is best to cancel our Ladies Bible Study this week. I had planned to do Ruth tomorrow, so please take the time to read through the book of Ruth sometime this week, and we will take a look at her next time we get together (Feb. 5th).

Thanks so much for being a part of this group of ladies!

Sarah

ps - I know that people in other parts of the world that are getting even more snow than here will be laughing that "a little bit of snow" could cancel an event, but it is a lot for here!!!! It's coming down strong and steady right now, and isn't supposed to let up until later tomorrow, so..... I am not going anywhere!! And since I am the leader.....

Mary and Martha

Sisters.... friends..... sometimes they agree... sometimes they don't. It was no different with Mary and Martha in the Bible. Tomorrow we will take a brief look at these 2 sisters, their relationship to each other and their relationship to Jesus.

Read ahead in Luke 10:41-42 and John 11:1-44 and chapter 12.

Rahab Review

Last week we had a great discussion about Rahab. Why did she do what she did? How did her faith play a part? Did the promises made to her come true? God always keeps his promises, and Rahab and her family were spared. And God helped Joshua lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Read Rahab's whole story in Joshua 2, and 6:15-25.

Women of the Bible

In January, we will be starting a study on Women of the Bible. We will take a look at a different woman each week for the 8 week study. So, here's my question... which women would YOU be most interested in studying? I have a few in mind, but I would love to know which ones most interest you for a study.

Thanks for leaving a comment!

ps- remember that even if you don't go to our church, you can be a part of this study, right here on this blog... so please feel free to leave a comment as well, with your choice for women of the Bible to study.

Coffee Time

We're meeting for coffee at 9:15 tomorrow morning... email me for details! Hope you can come.

The next study will start January 8, 2008.... more details to follow. We (Leanne, Jane and myself) will keep posting weekly on this blog, so please stay with us through the winter!

Study of MARK

Wow, this last 8 weeks has flown by... we are on our last study of the book of Mark. We actually spent 2 weeks on the 7th lesson, because there was so much to discuss, so we have lots to cover today at Bible Study.

Mark 14-16

If you had been a follower of Jesus at the time of His arrest and crucifixion, do you think you would have stood by Him in His final hours?

What do you think the motive was behind Judas' betrayal of Jesus? Was he just responding to the officials' plea to help them find and arrest Jesus? Or was he really hoping that Jesus was going to establish His kingdom on earth, and because Jesus failed to do this, he decided to betray him? What about Judas' greed? Is that the reason he turned Jesus over to the officials? Or was it the voice of Satan that urged Judas to betray Jesus with a kiss?

In the Upper Room, Jesus reinterpreted the elements of the Passover meal to explain the new Covenant. The bread had previously been described each Passover as "the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate when they came from the land of Egypt." Now, it would represent Jesus' body, broken for us, and the wine represented His blood, shed for us. Jesus was the ransom for many. We remember his shed blood and love for us each time we participate in communion... an act of worship.

Read Mark 14:53-65
What false charges were made against Jesus?
Why did the Sanhedrin face difficulty in convicting Jesus?
How did Jesus respond to the High Priest's questions?
Why did Jesus declare in public that he was the Son of God?

Mark 14:66-72
Who denies Jesus?
What did Peter do after he heard the rooster crow?

Mark 15:1-15
Jesus came before Pilate and confirmed that he was King of the Jews. He didn't answer any other charges. Then Pilate asked the crowd who they wanted released... Jesus or Barabbas... they chose Barabbas and shouted for Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus was mocked, and forced to carry his own cross to Golgotha. Jesus cried out, "My God, why have You forsaken Me? And then he died. Joseph of Arimathea asked for Jesus' body and buried him in a tomb, and rolled the stone against the opening.

Mark 16:1-20... the stone could not keep Jesus in the grave. The most surprising or shocking think to ever happen in your life could not match the surprise that awaited the women at Jesus' tomb after his crucifixion.

After Jesus rose from the grave, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, a pair of the disciples, and then to the gathered disciples. Jesus proclaimed the missionary commission of the disciples and described signs that would accompany those who believe.

With his time and ministry on earth complete, Jesus ascended into heaven and took his rightful place at the right hand of God. The disciples took the gospel message and spread it all around.

Jesus lived as we live and suffered as many of us suffer. Mark clearly shows us in his gospel how Jesus made great sacrifices to become one of us. His mission on earth was that "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

Lesson Seven

This Tuesday from 9-11am we will be meeting for our Ladies Bible Study... Here is the outline of what we will be studying. It is lesson 7 in our 8 week study on the book of Mark. Our last Bible study will be on Nov. 6th, then we will meet for coffee on Nov. 13 at 9:30, place TBA... Hope you can join us for the last 2 weeks as well as our coffee time.

Mark 13 - 14

The Great Tribulation

"What will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?" (Mark 13:4)
Why did Jesus emphasize the urgency of flight?
How did Jesus describe the times to come?
What warnings were given?

Mark 13:24-37
What will be the signs of the coming of the Son of Man?

Mark 13:28-37
What is the meaning of the parable of the fig tree?
The disciples asked about specific signs so they would recognize the coming of the end times. But what was Jesus' response about his return?
Does this give you a sense of urgency?

Suffering And Death

Mark 14:1 - 15:47

Something to think about: if you had been a follower of Jesus at the time of His arrest and crucifixion, do you think you would have stood by him in his final hours?

Mark 14:1-9
What did the woman do with the flask of costly oil?
How did the people nearby react?

Mark 14:10-11
The priests and scribes originally planned on waiting until after the eight day festival, and the crowds were gone, to arrest Jesus... what made them change their minds?

The Lord's Supper

Mark 14:12-21
Why was Jesus so secretive about the location of the Upper Room?
How did the disciples respond to Jesus' announcement that one of them was a betrayer?

Mark 14:27-31 - Jesus predicts Peter's denial...
What did Jesus say about the disciples stumbling?
Who was so sure of his faith that he promised to die with Jesus rather than to deny Him?

Mark 14:32-42 - Gethsemane
This is Jesus' most human hour... he prayed that the cup be taken from him, but "Thy will be done." Such an amazing example of obedience to the will of God.

Jesus uses the term "Abba," an intimate expression for "father," in His prayer to God. It is the only time this word appears in the Gospels. Why would Mark include this detail a this moment?
In His humanity, what did Jesus ask for?
How are Jesus' words in this passage a model for our own prayers?

Mark 14:43-52
How did Judas identify Jesus to the multitude?
How did one disciple resist Jesus' arrest?
What did Jesus say in protest to those arresting him?
Jesus then said, "But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." - what did he mean by that?
What happened to the disciples? Why doesn't Mark simply say, "the disciples fled"?