Category: Bible study

Posted in Bible study

Live As Though it Matters

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Based on the study, Come Lord Jesus, Come – by Love God Greatly / w1d3 / Image by LGG

Scripture:2 Peter 3:1-13 (SOAP:3-4 )


 Dear friends, this is already the second letter I have written you, in which I am trying to stir up your pure mind by way of reminder: 2 I want you to recall both the predictions foretold by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles. 3 Above all, understand this: In the last days blatant scoffers will come, being propelled by their own evil urges 4 and saying, “Where is his promised return? For ever since our ancestors died, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water. 6 Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. 9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, the heavens will disappear with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze and the earth and every deed done on it will be laid bare. 11 Since all these things are to melt away in this manner, what sort of people must you be, conducting your lives in holiness and godliness, 12 while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God? Because of this day, the heavens will be burned up and dissolve, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze! 13 But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides.

2 Peter 3:1-13

I love the attitude of Peter here, the urgency, and perhaps a bit of frustration, in his tone in verse one speaks volumes of his passion for the people and his conviction for the ministry and message of Christ that the disciples were called to carry out. He was basically pleading with them to focus and remember what they had previously been taught – specifically the Old Testament prophecies and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

The question then remains, why the urgency and/or frustration? Peter zeroes in on this answer starting in verse three with these reminders:

  1. The last days (the days before the return of Christ) would bring challenges and they needed to be prepared, specifically that they not be led away by the teachings of false prophets.
    • Peter wasn’t the only one to warn about this, as noted in the commentary by bibleref.com – “The New Testament is consistent in describing our era as the last days or end times before Christ returns and is revealed as Lord.”
  2. The truth about false teachers
    • they would be scoffers, those who mocked the return of Christ
    • they would follow, and be fueled by, their own evil desires – which, as Peter had already warned his readers in chapter two of this letter, would lead them to openly participate in immorality and urge the followers of Christ to join in with them.
  3. They will raise doubt in the mind of the believers, questioning the promised return of Christ. This may not sound like a big threat but it is and we need to be aware of the dangers it presents and be prepared with answers – which Peter covers in the remainder of our passage in today’s journey, you won’t want to skim over any of the verses.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, Looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.

2 Peter 3:11. NLT

Verses three and four are the study’s suggested focal point and demand our immediate and serious attention. However my heart and mind were both drawn to and convicted by verses nine through eleven. These verses are beautiful reminders of God’s passion and patience, wanting no one to perish but all to repent and be saved. Yet, we must not miss that it is also a call for believers to remember the importance of living holy and godly lives in order to hurry along the day of Jesus’ return. We may not know when the Lord will return but we do know that He will and we must continue the job of Peter and the others before us who sounded the alarm and faithfully lived out and shared the message of the Gospel – a message that says – “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…. for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved … because God doesn’t want anyone to parish but all to come to repentance.”

Friends… God doesn’t want any to perish but all to be saved – and we must live as though His desires and the eternity of the lost matters to us. In other words, we are to have a heart after God’s own heart, wanting all to be saved and no one to perish.

What are some practical steps you can take to live this out?

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Watching And Waiting

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Based on the study, Come Lord Jesus, Come – by Love God Greatly / w1d2 / Image by LGG

Scripture: Luke 17:26-37 (SOAP: 26-27)

26 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27 In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.”

37 “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.

Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

Friends, the truth is clearly stated… Destruction is coming! For far too many people this is a warning of doom and gloom; but to those who are in Christ Jesus,1 it is a message of promise and eternal hope! Blessed be the name and salvation of our God and Savor Jesus Christ, who was and is and is to come!

PRAYER

Father, help us be found faithfully watching and waiting, looking above – filled with Your mercy and lost in Your love. Open our eyes and ears with an awareness of those who need You. Move our hearts with compassion for the lost, and let us speak with conviction and pray diligently with passion. Let this be the story that is on our lips – that Jesus is coming again and those who are His will be saved from the destruction that is promised to come to those who have not called upon the name of the Lord.2 And, to borrow from the prayer of the Love God Greatly writer, I pray Your Spirit will help us to “pause and take time to pray for our loved ones who do not know You. Please, Lord, open their hearts to You. I pray for salvation for all those in our lives who have not accepted Your free gift of salvation. Please, Lord, use us in their lives to help them see You better. Our lives are Yours, dear Jesus. Use us powerfully to help more people accept You as their Lord and Savior as we daily pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

The More We Know

What do we need to know about the vulture and the corpse? Watching for the signs

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Way Of Hope

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Based on the study, Come Lord Jesus, Come – by Love God Greatly / w1d1 / Image by LGG

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3

But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. 6 For some of these insinuate themselves into households and captivate weak women who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. 7 Such women are always seeking instruction, yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people—who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith—also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not go much further, for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres.

Continue in What You Have Learned

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all. 12 Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves. 14 You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3 (NET)

The world we live in today sounds vaguely familiar to the description we find in verses 1-5 of our passage today. Let’s read them again:

,,, They will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power.

2 Timothy 3. NET

While Paul wrote the letter to Timothy, the truthful reality of it today, can be quite an overwhelming source of hopelessness; but keep reading and notice how Paul points Timothy and all disciples of Jesus to the way of hope.

Paul uses godly instruction, wisdom, encouragement, and wonderful examples that encourage us to live it all out in the very world of hopelessness he described earlier. How do we do that? We aren’t to shrink back simply because of the difficult challenges and ungodly, situations we face in the world around us. Instead, we are to seek God and press into His Word. We are to follow the teachings of Paul, who followed the teachings of Jesus – which points us to God’s Word that fills us with a hope that can only be found through a living faith in Christ Jesus. However, make no mistake – Paul warns, those who choose to follow the teachings of Jesus will surely face persecution — yet even in this, we have the hope that God will deliver us – just as He did Paul and those who have gone before us.

Despite the promise of persecution, there is “exciting news” as the devotion in the Love God Greatly journal for this study points out: “We can take comfort in the truth “that each day we live is one day closer to Christ’s return, and knowing this should motivate us to make every day count for eternity. When you look around and see people in your world becoming more and more like the people described in today’s verses, don’t allow discouragement to seize your mind. Instead, take heart. On those days when everyone in your world seems to want you to live as they do, cry out to Jesus, and ask Him to give you the courage to live in a manner that gives Him glory.”

The writer of the devotion goes on to say,

“Don’t get discouraged as the days get darker before Christ’s return. Instead, live with anticipation as you see the time getting closer and closer. Never forget that Jesus promised right before He returned to heaven that He would never leave us. He is with you. You are not alone, and God is watching over your life right now. Make the most of the opportunities He has given you, and do not get discouraged. This world may seem out of control, but remember, God is more powerful than anything in this world, and this world still submits to His ultimate control.:1

PRAYER

Father despite the reminder that our world must get like Paul described before You return, I take comfort in knowing that You are in complete and perfect control of this world and our lives. Please help us to be brave in these last days. Help us live each day with a greater purpose and urgency, to make You known, until Your return. Until that day, we will continue to pray – come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.

The More We Know

Don’t miss today’s Love God Greatly’s Monday blog post

  1. Today’s quotes are from pg 34 of Come Lord Jesus, Come, a love God Greatly Study ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off the Beaten Path

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Today’s devotional is borrowed and shared from ourdailyverse.com

If I were to list my favorite ‘breath prayers,’ this verse would be among the top ten. I think I learned it because of my anxiety but it is a perfect mantra for busy days, difficult sittuations, weariness, and simply all of life in this world we live in. Try it with me … taking a slow deep breath in, whisper or think the words – “Be still and know,” then.- as you slowly exhale, think or whisper – “that I am God.”

Today’s ‘off the beaten path devotion is a beautiful explanation of this verse and why we should hide it in our heart – ready to quiet any troubling or unexpected situation that arises. Be sure and click on the pic below –

https://www.ourdailyverse.com/p/verse-day-psalm-4610-a84c

🙏 Verse of the Day: Psalm 46:10
Posted in Bible study

Off the Beaten Path

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Day 6: The Power of Kindness

Today’s post is borrowed and shared from ourdailyverse.com

As today’s guest’s post reminds us – we live in a world filled with so many worries and what-ifs. Yet, Scripture reminds us we are not without hope – for we know that God invites us to cast all of our anxieties on Him because He cares for us.1 And, as Paul said – when we talk to God about these things we will experience His peace – a peace that passes all understanding.2 When we are at peace with God we will be able to be instruments of peace and encouragment to those around us who are anxious or weighed down with the cares of this world.

May God help us remember the power of kindness. May He guide our words today, so they may bring comfort, hope, and a smile to those who need it most. Let us be a source of light, using our voices to uplift and cheer the hearts around us, just as You do for us every day.

Read the full post @ https://www.ourdailyverse.com/p/verse-day-proverbs-1225-de9b

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off The Beaten Path –

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Day 5 – Celebration of Life Prayer 2.0

I posted this little blog on my 57th birthday five years ago. It was actually a prayer and one of the first prayer posts I shared under the category of “God is Good.” I have updated it to reflect my most recent birthday and share it here with you as a segue to the guest post by Ann Voskamp.

Celebration of Life / an edited post of July 20, 2019

God, you are good! You have blessed me with 62 years of life🎉 This number represents more than years of life. For it is also a reminder that …

  • through FAITH in Jesus Christ, I have known you as my God for 56 years – and
  • 35 years ago, You brought me to a fuller understanding of Your marvelous grace, which profoundly and forever changed my life1 – and
  • Since then,  I have been GROWING in the knowledge of Your grace and of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ ❤️ in the nurture and admonition of Your amazing, never-failing LOVE!

So, while I celebrate my birthday and am deeply grateful for another year of life – my greater celebration is in You!

  • I bow in worship and celebrate who You are and that You made Yourself known to me!
  • I bless and celebrate Your Name – Name above all Names –
  • I celebrate being adopted into Your family and known as a child of God!
  • I praise and celebrate You for all that You have done for me throughout these 62 years – You’ve protected, provided, and shown me Your kindness, love, and compassion. You’ve rescued me from pits of destruction and walked with me through countless valleys, and not once have You left me on my own —so I celebrate You and the day of my salvation 56 years ago!
  • again and again I praise and celebrate You for Your mercy and pursuit of this wayward lamb
  • and I celebrate the fuller understanding You have given me of Your life-changing grace and Your faithfulness to grow me up in the nurture and admonition of Your Love over the past 35 years!

When I was writing this post five years ago – a song from decades ago started playing in my mind – And will be my song of celebration every year of my life – not just for my celebration of years but even more for my celebration of life in Christ! 🎶

Listen to my birthday song. Then, I invite (and encourage)you to visit the link to Ann Voskamp’s blog. It is a wonderful musing of ideas and encouragement about God’s grace and the change that comes from knowing and embracing Him, the God who doesn’t change and can do the impossible.

Change is possible, when you embrace the God who doesn’t change and can do the impossible.

Ann VosKamp

The post is long but well worth the read – even if you read some today and some tomorrow …. How to Have a Better Second Half of Your Life

photo credits/Ann Voskamp

Clock - it's never too late
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off the Beaten Path

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 42:1

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1. NLT

Some of you know I live in the country, far enough from the ‘city’ and just outside the village where I grew up. What you might not know, though, is that I love flowers, and I used to love growing them. I grew pansies and miniature carnations, along with lilies, roses, geraniums, and many others. However, my love of growing flowers diminished when I could no longer keep them alive, or – should I say “safe.’ You see, I am limited to the varieties I can plant now because the deer population has increased through the years, and they have taken over our yard – well, at least the flowers. So. while I love this verse, I also get tickled and a bit quizzical now, because from my vantage point, the deer do not pant for water nearly as much as they delight in the taste of my flowers.

I love the verse and the beautiful picture the Psalmist paints with his words. His soul’s desire for God is an awe-inspiring reflection of a deer panting for water. Oh, that I, no—that we might also thirst for God and for His Word in this way.

My call and desire is to encourage, equip, and empower women with God’s Word and help them long for God. May no one and nothing but God be able to satisfy our thirst. May His ‘living water’ renew our love and strengthen our faith and keep us coming back for more. May we be attracted to His fragrance and beauty as the deer are drawn to my flowers.🌷🦋

The following post is borrowed and shared from the biblegateway.com site and is a beautiful and encouraging devotion written about today’s verse. Please don’t miss it –

Desiring God’s Presesnce / Biblegateway.com daily verse & Devo 7/24/24

The writer of Psalm 42 compares himself to a deer that is longing for water. The deer is weary and parched without it, and so all it wants is to find a stream to drink from.

In a similar way, the psalmist is weary and exhausted from life. He is under pressure and growing tired. And yet, his innermost desire is for God.

Just like the deer desires water, the psalmist’s soul desires the presence of God. He knows that the solution to his problems is not more accomplishments and praise—it’s spending time in the presence of God.

It’s not wrong to have desires and goals in life. But our foremost desire should be for God, because true satisfaction is only found in His presence.

All it takes is your desire and commitment to spend time with Him by reading His Word, talking to Him through prayer, or reflecting on His faithful character. As you draw close to Him, He is ready and willing to be close to you, and to restore your soul.

Spending time with God is a basic spiritual need of ours, but it is a powerful time that can change the course of our life and the center of who we are. Take time to be with Him now, but also come up with a plan that helps you continue to seek God every day.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

Off The Beaten Path

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Day 3: Let’s Weave This Together”

Scripture: Psalm 20:1-5

In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
    May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary
    and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
3 May he remember all your gifts
    and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude

4 May he grant your heart’s desires
    and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
    and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

Psalm 20:1-5

I have lived long enough, as I’m sure you have, to know that not all of the plans we make will succeed – at least not as we envisioned. However, as bibleref.com points out, “When we pray and worship God,  when we fully trust in the Lord and accept His will, He will guide us. David had not depended upon his own understanding as he prepared for battle. He had worshiped the Lord and sought the Lord’s will instead of his own (1 Samuel 23:1–2).” In order to not be disappointed in God when our plans do not succeed, we must understand that Ps 20 verse 4 is part of a congregational prayer on David’s behalf. When our desire is for the Lord’s will, we will be able to rejoice even when things don’t turn out quite as we planned or hoped.

Consider also these examples:

The apostle James counsels us not to plan what we will do tomorrow without seeking God’s will (James 4:13–15).

The Lord instructed Joshua to meditate on the Word of God and obey the God of the Word, and then he would be successful (Joshua 1:4–9).

Bibleref.com

Today’s devotion is from OurDailyVerse.com and offers much encouragement concerning our desires and God’s will: 

Our hearts often burst with desires—some God-given, others perhaps our own creations. But here's the beautiful mystery: as we draw closer to our Creator, our desires begin to align with His ultimate design. It's not about God being a cosmic vending machine, dispensing wishes. It's about Him lovingly guiding us to want what's truly best.

the rest of the post, borrowed and shared from Our Daily Verse, as received via email on 7/23/24 can be found at the link below –

https://www.ourdailyverse.com/p/verse-day-psalm-204-2ad7

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Spirit

Off The Beaten Path

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Speaking in Love Instead of Speaking Your Mind

This morning, long before I had spoken a word to anyone other than God, I was opening my devotion for the day. My morning devotions are not typically found in a book but in emails or texts from bloggers and speakers that I have found to be Scripturally sound. I love doing it this way since I also post a daily devotion, and I have found that it is good to glean from other trusted sources.

All of the devotions are beautiful reminders of God’s goodness and faithfulness, but some – like today’s – are filled with words of correction and/or reminders of His expectations for His children -corrections and reminders that sometimes come with a bittersweet “ouch” as you realize that the topic is something you’ve struggled with (or perhaps still struggle with).

If you’ve never had trouble with your tongue before – such as speaking before thinking instead of thinking before you speak… or tearing down rather than building up… or speaking the truth but not in love… or words of gossip, anger, unkindness, slander, hate, lies or… the list goes on, but my point is – If your tongue has never been used in any of these ways – then this devotion may simply be sweet encouragement, rather than the bittersweet ‘ouch’ I experienced. However, since James has declared the tongue to be an untameable instrument1, I would venture to say that at least one of these examples strikes a chord in your heart – reminding you of a less-than-spectacular use of your tongue at some point in your life – either way – I encourage you to read on. The author’s words may sting at first, but they are truth-filled reminders of God’s faithfulness to not only teach us His ways but to faithfully remind us of His expectations for His children … expectations like using kind, gentle, and true words. Our words are supposed to encourage and build others up and not tear them down or hurt them. As the blog points out, they are to be spoken in love – which is why this particular devo brought a bittersweet ouch for me – as I have not always used my tongue in accordance with God’s expectations.

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)

I hate to admit it, but I have struggled in the past with this untamable instrument. You see, my tongue has, at times, been quick to speak, and it has gone way off the grid of patience and self-control. So, despite the bittersweet ‘ouch’ of the author’s words, I find myself extremely thankful that this is the devotion God pointed me toward this morning. I am grateful for the loving reminder of His forgiveness and guidance and His patience to change me from the inside-out. I pray it will be a blessing of guidance and encouragement to you as well. 🦋

My prayer~ Father, the tongue is untameable - BUT You have given us Your Spirit who produces in us the fruit of the Spirit, including patience, kindness, gentleness, love, and self-control! So that we are without excuse to use our tongue for anything but good and encouraging. May Your love be evident in all we say and do. Let us not forget that our words have the power to hurt others or to point them to You. May we use our tongues to Your glory and honor - Amen!

–

Please don’t miss the following post, which is borrowed and shared from Encouragement for Today/A Proverbs31 Ministry blog received in my email 7/22/24 –

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/07/22/speaking-in-love-instead-of-speaking-your-mind

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Off the Beaten Path

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Our Best Defense Against Spiritual Drought1

Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 58:11

The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

Have you ever found yourself in a spiritual season of drought – droughts of finding words to pray, droughts of sensing His presence, or droughts of struggling to even pick up God’s Word? I know I have and my heart aches at the remembrance of such times or at the thought of them coming again. However, today’s devotion/blog by Michele Morin, offers great encouragement that even in our seasons of drought God is with us. Even then He is guiding us, strengthening our ‘bones’, as Isaiah wrote, and reviving us with streams of water that flow through the parched landscapes of our lives.

I pray it encourages you as much as it did me 🦋

Staying motivated and excited about reading and studying the Bible is our best defense against the spiritual desert.

Living Our Days / Posted on  by Michele Morin
Read the Blog
How to Stay Motivated and Excited About Reading the Bible
  1. Title and quotes by Michele Morin as published on Living Our Days/July 21,2024 ↩︎