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Week 3 Bible in 90 Days

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Starting Week 3 of our Journey through the Bible.  I have to confess, this is quite the challenge.  Of course everything has gotten busier to the Nth degree and reading 12 pages a day is difficult.  I have been reading everyday, but I must confess….I am behind.  I will be caught up by the end of this session.

How are YOU doing? Are you ahead? Are you behind? What are your thoughts so far?

Reading Schedule for this week:

  • Day 15 – Deuteronomy 23:12 – Deut 34:12
  • Day 16 – Joshua 1:1 – Joshua 14:15
  • Day 17 – Joshua 15:1 – Judges 3:27
  • Day 18 – Judges 3:28 – Judges 15:12
  • Day 19 – Judges 15:13 – I Samuel 2:29
  • Day 20 – I Samuel – 2:30 – I Samuel 15:35
  • Day 21 – I Samuel 16:1 – I Samuel 28:19

This Week’s Reading Tips:

Pay attention to the following people in your reading this week. How do these people interact with God? How faithful are they to God’s will?

  • Joshua: Joshua, Rahab
  • Judges: Deborah, Gideon, Samson
  • Ruth: Ruth, Naomi, Boaz
  • 1 Samuel: Samuel, Saul, David

Books You’ll Encourter This Week:

Joshua Overview: Moses’ former assistant becomes leader of the nation of Israel. The book celebrates the many victories that God brings to the Israelites under Joshua’s leadership. At the same time, the failure of the people to follow completely God’s plans plants the seeds for future failure.  KEY TEACHINGS: God kept his promise, giving the land he had  promised to Abraham many centuries earlier.   God is the one who brings victory; there is no foe that can withstand him.  God expects obedience.

Judges Overview: this book clearly delineates the impact of leaders who follow God from those who do not.  Some of the favorite Biblical personalities from children’s Sunday School are found here – Deborah, Gideon and Samson.  Key Teachings: God is patient, just and merciful.  God is able to accomplish his plan even through flawed individuals. God held the Israelites accountable to his expectations of them.

Ruth Overview: Ruth’s story of faithfulness is remarkable in its own right, made more so considering she was from Moab, a nation considerd an enemy of Israel. Ruth and Boaz are ancestors of Christ.  Key Teachings: God remained faithful to his people even when the times were characterized by unfaithfulness.  God provides for those who are faithful.

1 Samuel Overview: Samuel is not only a priest, prophet and judge, but a kingmaker. At God’s behest, Samuel anoints Saul the first king of Israel after the people call for a king.  God later directs Samuel to anoint Saul’s successor, David, which sets up a series of conflicts between Saul and David.  Key Teachings: God provided a king for his people.  God Reigns!  God’s power and sovereignty are demonstrated through his king.  God will punish even his chosen ones when they disobey.

Think about it:

“A young man asked God how long a million years was to him. God replied, it’s like a single second in your time. Then the young man asked God what a million dollars was to him. God replied, it’s like a single penny to you.  Then the young man asked God, Could I have one of your pennies? God smile and replied, sure…give me one second.”

God perceives time differently than we do. God gives us the same amount of time and the question isn’t if we have the time to read 12 pages a day, it is if we choose to.  How are we choosing to use our time?

Questions for discussion:

1.  Are you reading the Bible instead of other things in your life or in addition to?

2.  If you are still struggling with your reading, what activites can you eliminate? Where can you squeeze in more reading?

3.  What advice would you give to others who are just beginning this journey or are struggling to keep up.

Digging In:

4.  Refer to Leviticus and list the 5 main sacrifices

5. God lays out the elements and purposes of these offerings with some specificity. Is there too much detail here? What does this suggest about God’s involvement with his people’s lives?

6. What happens to Aaron’s sons in Leviticus 10: 1-2? What does this tell us about how God expectus us to interact with Him?

Applying it:

7.  In Numbers we find God’s people wandering in the wilderness for several decades after failing to believe God would lead them to victory.  Have you ever experienced a similar delay due to fear or similar lack of belief? How can we apply this to our lives today?

Click here to Listen to the Bible as you read it.

This Weeks Study Guide. There is good stuff here, don’t pass this by! Do you worry a lot? You’ll want to get this study guide.

 

Just seeing this post? No need to worry. Pick up here and join us as we walk through the Bible. You can always circle back around and finish up after the last lesson.

Getting closer to the Lord is as easy as getting into HIS Word.

 

Bible Lesson, Blogs, Recent blogs

Week 2 Bible in 90 Days

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Wow, what an exciting week we’ve had so far! I’m glad that you are along with me on this journey! Here is the main landing page for our study The Bible in 90 Days.  It has all of the links of the various resources and will have each week linked to it at the bottom.

Here is a Free Study Guide for week 2.  This has some great information. I hope you’ll grab it.  Here are a few thoughts taken from the study guide for this weeks reading:

Have you ever experienced a wilderness, a time of wandering and dryness in the desert, where you felt deserted by God?

  • A financial circumstance that is burying you
  • Waiting for an adoption to be finalized
  • Lacking clarity after graduation
  • Attempting to sell a house that has been on the market way too long
  • An illness that won’t go away
  • A family member who is rebelling
  • A dream that is turning to disappointment

Survival Skills for the wilderness – 1.  Don’t Whine Numbers 11:4-6 (speaking directly to me!!) 2.  Get Help – Numbers 11:10-15  3.  Grow Strong Numbers 11:16-18

These things and more are discussed in the free weekly study guide. Enjoy!

Reading Schedule for this week:

  • Day 8 – Lev 1:1 through Lev 14:32
  • Day 9 – Lev 14:33 through Lev 26:26
  • Day 10 – Lev 26:27 through Numbers 8:14
  • Day 11 – Numbers 8:15 through Numbers 21:7
  • Day 12 – Numbers 21:8 through Numbers 32:19
  • Day 13 – Numbers 32:20 through Deut 7:26
  • Day 14 – Deut 8:1 through Deut 23:11

Biblegateway on the computer or Youversion on your phone allows you to listen to these chapters! I hope you’ll take advantage of it.

 

Think about it:

Unless you’ve adopted, you don’t get a choice about the children you have.  One difference between God and us is that He does know who his children will be.  Yet He creates us and gives us a free will, despite that knowledge.  A question we might ponder while reading the Bible from cover to cover is, “knowing what HE knows, why would God create each one of us? Why did God create me?”

 Reading Tips:

  • Remember what our goal is: “To read, attentively, every word of the Bible in 90 days.”
  • As you encounter repetition in the Bible, consider it an opportunity to more firmly plant important writings in your mind.
  • Do not obsess with capturing everything you are reading. Absorb what you can, God will bring it back as you need it.
  • If you’ve gotten behind in your reading, don’t give up! Catch up by reading a little more each day or take Sunday and catch up.

Leviticus Overview:

This book of rules gives direction to the Levitical priests in the rituals necessary to maintain holiness for the children of Israel. While modern readers may marvel at the seeming harshness of some directives, it also includes God’s earliest command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (and we are always kind to ourself aren’t we?)

Numbers Overview:

At the beginning of this book, the Israelites number 603,550 at the end they number 601,730. What occurs in between is a lessonin the pitfalls of failing to submit to God and his plan.

Deuteronomy Overview:

With the Israelites finally approaching entry to the promised land, many elements of the previous four books are revisited here, including the Ten Commandments. Moses gets to view the promised land from Mount Nebo but dies before his people enter it.

 

Some discussion questions:

1.  What did you modify (if anything) this week to make sure that you  did your Bible reading? .

2.  When/how did you read? Did you do it all at once, break it up? Read in the mornings, evenings?

3. Ok…honesty time – you ready for this? Did you complete all of your reading? hmmm?? If yes, was it easy for you? If no, what can you do to try and get back with it? Please don’t give up.  We are in this together.

4. What are your suggestions to help others that may have found the first week difficult?

5. So many emotions in last weeks reading.  Did you relate at all? Have you been angry with God? How do you handle it? Is the God you read about in Genesis and exodus the God that you “know”.

6. Adam and Eve blew it. Cain blew it.  What can we learn from it, because it’s just a matter of time before we blow it.

7.  Can you recall the 10 Commandments? You don’t have to list them here, but just for the fun of it…try.  Don’t be afraid, because there is NO way your memory is worse than mine!

Please feel free to list any “aha” moments, any verses that spoke to you.  I hope that you’ll listen to the audio notes as far as the discussion goes.  Speak yer peace….what say ye? hmmm? *grinning*

Keep drawing closer to God! Stay in the Word! You are developing great habits of reading/listening and moving closer to the Lord each and every day!

 

Archived, Marie

Psalm 46

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This post is from @spreadingJOY – lover of the little things that make life big!  Marie knows that every once in a while, you need to be strengthened, encouraged and inspired.  For extra encouragement, a few smiles and lots of {HUGS} follow her on twitter.


Psalm 46

One Sunday morning not long ago, I was doing some daily Bible reading. Ps 46 was in the que. As I was reading it, the song Peace Be Still came to mind and I decided that I should memorize this passage in an effort to learn a verse a day.

Being able to quote this passage from memory has served me more than I would have imagined. Here are my thoughts on this amazing passage of comfort:

Vs. 1-3 – God is our refugee and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Thought the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Daily, everyone of us can stand to hear a reminder that God is our strength. He is with us in trouble. We face trouble on daily basis.  More often than we want to admit, we are weakened and are driven to our knees.  If we would only grab ahold of this verse and cling to its Holy Promise! During the moments in my life when the mountains seem to be falling into the sea, I have been able to pull comfort from these verses. Praise the Lord for being my strength and help in trouble.

Vs. 5 – God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

 This verse reminds me that God Will help and wants to help.  That I do not have to go through my journey alone and scared.  God, the creator of the universe, the Master of the seas, the One that the winds obey his very voice, is in the midst of MY journey.  How amazing is that?

Vs 10a – Be still, and know that I am God…

Worry has a way of grabbing ahold of us and not letting go. We drag our worries around with us, fretting about tomorrow. We wonder what are we going to do, we waste precious time that we could be making a difference for Heaven on worry. That is what satan wants from us. He wants to distract us, so that we forget about this verse. We need to remember to be still and KNOW that God will take care of us, he wants to take care of us and will continue to take care of us. Instead of looking around at the raging storms and taking our eyes off of our Lord, we need to remain focused on him. We need to fix our eyes our heavenly Father and run to Him. We need to crawl right up into his lap and just be still, knowing that He is in control, that He wants to bless us, guide and direct us. Knowing that He is God!

I’m just as guilty as the next person about worry, about discouragement, about distractions.  Having hid these verses in my heart, where I can grab them at a moments notice has proven beneficial so many times. Speaking with my best friend on the phone who is afraid for her prodigal daughter. Consoling my daughter when she feels like the school can’t protect her. Re-assuring my son that God will provide the necessary funding for college. When my own heart is aching, with the desire to give big, with the need to see my son, with various heartaches and breaks – I too, claim these promises from the Lord.

Have you hidden these words in your heart? Can you grab them when you need them? You know the storms are coming, you know the battle will rage? What other passages do you need to hide in your heart?