Category: Journey Through The Word

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Made Like Christ

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / 1 john 3:1-3 / SOAP 1 john 3:3

Okay ladies, the day hasn’t been bad but it had its fair share of challenges and things to get done – and well – I’m so tired my mind is muddled. I’m borrowing the devo from the LGG journal that made so much more sense of the text than I could have. My favorite part is – “as we wait , we put our hope in Jesus. He has promised to save and sanctify us, and we trust His words. When we make the active choice to put our hope in Him and His saving work in us, we are purified because we are focused on Him. And as we are made more like Christ, we grow in our understanding of God’s character, including His love –

Trust in the key. Without TRUST there is no true hope.

LGG Team Member

And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure).

Posted in Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

His Love Never Fails

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / 1 Corinthians 13; 1 john 4:9-11 / SOAP 1 john 4:9-11

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:9-11

What better encouragement is there than to know – that not only did God give His only son so that we may live through Him, but God’s love never fails, or as some translations put it – His love never ends?

Paul’s list of what love is and what love isn’t (or doesn’t do) is describing God’s kind of love, a love which we are to imitate according to Jesus’ words in John 13:34. It is also worth nothing that we cannot imitate God’s love if we do not know or have not received His love. As 1 John 4:9-11 points out God’s love is a deep deep love. It is a love that thought of others over self. It is a love of action and example. It is a visible love that speaks volumes of how secure our hope is in Christ. It even gives us hope that we can love like He loves – because, as John wrote, God’s love is revealed in us.

Love is not defined by our love for God, but by the actions of His love for us.

Me -from the Inside out
How do we live this out?

I think the best answer to imitating God’s love comes from Christ Himself. We find it in His words in John 13:34 when He says, “so now I’m giving you a new commandment – love each other. Just as I have loved you should love one another.” But even better, we find it on the cross, when He willingly laid down His life – not because He deserved a sinner’s cross but because He knew it would save us from the death we deserved. – “Mercy there was grace and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me – there my burdened soul found liberty – at Calvary.” Dare we love like this? Dare we lay down our desires for God’s or our ‘life’ for others? If we dare – I believe others will impacted and God will be glorified.

Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for Your Love and Jesus, thank You for Your obedience to the Father. You have set a high bar for us to imitate but we have received Your Spirit who empowers us to live and love like You did when You were here on this earth. May we live lives that are rich in love and grace – to the benefit of others and to the glory of the trinity. – In Jesus’ name – Amen and amen!

Posted in Enduring Hope, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

Saved in Hope

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / Romans 8;18-25 / SOAP verses 24-25

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25

Some Observations

Our larger passage begins with these words from Paul, “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the coming glory that will be revealed to us.” It is worth noting here that Paul is not trivializing ‘our’ present suffering in this sin cursed world nor any suffering that we may face because we follow Him, but rather – he is pointing out how great and wonderful the “coming glory” of life with the Father will be. With the knowledge of such a great promise, is it in wonder that Paul goes on to write, “- we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”?

  • The hope of being with God is the same hope that led us to believe – and place our faith in Christ.
  • Our hope is certain – but not yet seen. We have to wait for it and while we wait we hope.
  • While we wait we will know the suffering and consequences of life on a sin-filled earth and because of this – we will wait eagerly, knowing there is a better day coming.
  • And, we will wait patiently – enduring this present life for the promise yet to come – eternal life with God.
A Present Day Perspective

To put this in perspective of our present day. I work in the office of my church, and there’s a lady who faithfully for prayer – for herself and her extended family. She’s been doing this for years and the needs are never trivial – she calls because she or someone she loves is suffering, or in prison, or unsaved. She is a woman of great faith but also great need and suffering, most recently in her own battle with cancer. She was just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when her sister took ill and died. She buried her sister this past weekend and then called today to say that her brother’s house was robbed while they were at the funeral and thousands of dollars was taken – it was all he had. The list goes on. The suffering never ends for her … but her faith holds firm. In one breath she cries out in agony and in the next – “hope”. Today her agony was so great and her wails so loud that I could barely understand her – then her agony turned to a professed and firm confession of hope in knowing that God is able to save her unsaved and troubled nephew, and He is able to return the stolen money to her brother, and He is able to give her peace “in” all the suffering – and that one day all pain and suffering will end. It was a hope that calmed her crying and brought peace to her agony – and tears to my eyes – because it was a true and abiding hope placed in God and His coming glory.

Like my friend Thelma and in the words of the Apostle Paul, “we [too] eagerly await our adoption and the redemption of our bodies [from earth to heaven]. Because in hope we were saved.” To be sure, – according to God’s Word He has adopted us as His own children, Romans 8:15, but as someone once said – “The adoption is complete, we’re just waiting for our Father to come and pick us up so that we can be with Him.”(unknown source)

Response to God’s Word

Father, as we “eagerly await” Your coming glory, help us to wait patiently, with endurance, for the hope-filled promise of 4-ever with You! And as we ‘endure’ the suffering of this world, whether spiritual or physical, may our endurance shine a light on You, so that others will share in our hope. – In Jesus’ Holy Name –

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Sickened by Lies

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In GOd’s Character
Today’s Reading /Psalm 77 / SOAP Psalm 77:10-13

Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High might become inactive.
11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.
12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
13  O God, your deeds are extraordinary.

Psalm 77:10-13
Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Enduring Hope

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I cannot wait for this study to begin!!! I need the daily refreshment (the giving of fresh mental or spiritual/physical strength or energy) of this Hope in my life –

Check this out … and please share and invite a friend because everyone needs a hope that will not disappoint 💜❤️💙

A hope that allows us to live every day with joy and peace, no matter our circumstances.

“Hope is the confidence to wait on God when we cannot see the future.”

“Endurance is continuing to place our hope in the goodness of God when our circumstances tell us to give up.”

“And faith is the assurance that our hope will not disappoint us because the One who holds our hope is trustworthy.”

Join me here daily for links and blogs on the daily readings.

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

It’s Tricky

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How Can We Model the Love of Christ through Good Listening? [part four]

If you know me then you know that I like to engage in conversation. I’m not sure why – I only know that I love words – long words, short words, descriptive words, words that make you laugh, well-used words, and uncommon words. I love to look up the meaning of words and – well, a thesaurus still thrills my soul. Actually, when my girls were growing up we would play a game where we would see how many words we could use that meant the same thing. For instance, “that’s puzzlingly” would lead to filling in the same/similar phrase with a different word that meant the same thing – like ‘what a conundrum’, or what a ‘riddle’, which led to others like mystery, baffling, confusing, perplexing, and the list would go on as far as we could take it. anyway, you get the idea – words are like a game for me.

I’m not sure when it started. I don’t remember being a particularly chatty child growing up, though I do remember enjoying listening to the adults talk at our family gatherings- (we ate Sunday dinners together often), and I enjoyed their stories and conversations – maybe that’s where it started? Who knows – the point is, and I’m sure you can tell for yourself by now – I like to use words, both spoken and written. However, here’s the thing – just because you like words doesn’t mean you always use them well. I have learned that the hard way more often than I can count. Too many words can turn people away, harsh or unkind words can offend people, too few words can leave others with the opinion that you aren’t friendly, too many challenging words, regardless of their intention, can turn into a confrontation – and again, the list goes on and on. The point is, as you will read in point four of our study – carefully considering how and when we speak is extremely important. This can be particularly challenging when you like words. – it seems that the love of words can be both a blessing and a curse. but as I’m finding through this study, rising to the challenge may be difficult but the result will be unbelievingly beneficial for the effectiveness of our words. Me – from the Inside Out 🦋

As posted on biblestudytools.com

by – Sheila Alewine

4. After Listening, We Must Carefully Consider How and When We Speak

A good listener must become a good “responder” so that the conversation has an effective outcome. Listening doesn’t end when the other person has finished speaking. The goal isn’t that both of you “say your piece” and walk away, unchanged or with no better understanding of one another. How we respond in one conversation lays the foundation for the continuing relationship we want to build, as a bridge to share the gospel and model the love of Christ.

Sometimes we may not need to respond to a comment, but choose to fight that battle on another day, in a better setting and in another way. At other times, God provides an opportunity to speak words of grace and truth at just the right time. Our words are a reflection on the Savior we profess faith in and speak on behalf of. [Our words] should always leave an accurate impression of the character of Jesus, even when the truth may convict or challenge the listener.

Ecclesiastes 3:7b – “A time to be silent and a time to speak.”

Proverbs 15:28 – “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

2 Timothy 2:14 – “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.”

Ephesians 4:29-30 – “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Proverbs 12:17-18 – “He who speaks truth tells what is right, but a false witness, deceit. There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”

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

God’s Way of Listening

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How Can We Model the Love of Christ through Good Listening? [part three]

“God invites us to cast all our cares and anxieties on Him, because He truly cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).” – If you’ve read many of my posts or heard me teach, you know this is one of my favorite go-to-verses. The knowledge that God cares for us and invites us to bring Him “all of our cares and anxieties” truly changed my life in my late teens and again in my early thirties. This is when I learned that God actually, invites us to “cast our cares/anxieties”, [get rid of them] or – to [let Him handle them]. This means trusting Him with it all and leaving it all at His feet – knowing that He is able to do so and believing He cares about us enough to do it. He has set the example of listening. You can read all the ways He does this and the great depths He went to, to make it happen in this third part of our series on listening. Me – from the Inside Out 🦋

As posted on biblestudytools.com

by – Sheila Alewine

We Must Practice God’s Way of Listening

One of the greatest privileges afforded to those who have placed their faith in Jesus is the opportunity to take the concerns of our heart to the Father. God invites us to cast all our cares and anxieties on Him, because He truly cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We are invited to draw near to His throne to find grace and mercy in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). This invitation is extended only on the merits of the finished work of Christ on the cross, who literally opened the way into God’s presence by His sacrifice (Ephesians 2:17-18; 3:11-12).

God loves to hear the prayers of His children. He longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). He has made Himself available and accessible to hear our prayers anytime and at any place. When we approach Him to pour out our concerns, we can be assured He hears, He listens, and He has compassion on us.

As our perfect example, we must strive to imitate the patience and compassion of God in our interactions and conversations with others. Just as we desire and long for God’s face to be inclined toward us when we pray, we ought to give others that same attention.

Psalm 40:1 – “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.”

James 1:19-20, 26 – “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. … If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

Matthew 7:12 – “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

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

Be A Good Listener

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Modeling the love of Christ through Good Listening [Part 2] – if you missed part 1 please click here –

Yesterday – we focused on listening to God first. This is the first step because it helps us to develop and sharpen our spiritual maturity – which is a necessary component of being a good listener. It is also vital to not just listen to others but we must learn the art of listening and practice it faithfully. Which, as we will see today, requires humility. I also believe it is helpful to have a faithful friend – or two – that will hold you accountable to this end. I can tell you the skill most definitely takes humility and can be frustrating and humbling – but God is faithful and able to accomplish in us what He has purposed for us to do. Me – from the inside-out🦋

2. We Must Humble Ourselves to Be Good Listeners

Listening requires humility. Have you ever found yourself formulating an answer while the other person is still speaking? Pride causes us to focus on what we want to say instead of really listening to the words of others. Listening shows respect for others’ thoughts and ideas, affirming them as valuable in God’s eyes. We are to clothe ourselves in humility (1 Peter 5:5), and following the example of Jesus, consider others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

In the book of Proverbs, we find the terms “word” or “words” more than forty times; “mouth” appears at least forty-six times. This shows us that how we use our words is a key indicator of whether we are wise or foolish, righteous, or unrighteous. Pride speaks in haste; humility shows restraint. The wise man will humble himself to hear and increase in learning (Proverbs 1:5).

Proverbs 18:2, 13 – “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind. … He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.”

Proverbs 17:27-28 – “He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”

Proverbs 29:20 – “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Make it personal:

I don’t know about you but this step is quite difficult for me. Seriously, I am totally the person that formulates an answer while the other person is still speaking. – Sad thing is, I thought this was a good thing – YIKES!

  • What about you? Is this step easy or difficult for you?
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

The Art and Importance of Listening

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Years ago God began showing me that I’m not a good listener. In full disclosure it has been one of the most difficult truths that I’ve had to face about myself but God has been good to help me and while it’s a work in progress, He is faithfully honing my listening skills. So when I found this article in my inbox I read with interest and found it to be filled with godly wisdom to apply; and I believe it will be more than helpful to the ongoing process of me becoming a better listener. I also believe that there are others out there who may benefit from these five important lessons. For this reason, I will share a different lesson each of the next five days with the hope of helping and encouraging any and all who read. At the end of each devo you will find Scriptures to enrich the lesson and grow your faith. – I hope you’ll follow along –

How Can We Model the Love of Christ through Good Listening? [part one

As posted on biblestudytools.com

by – Sheila Alewine

How important is it for a follower of Jesus to be a good listener? Do our social skills matter? To answer, we start with a definition.

What, Exactly, Are Social Skills?

The simplest definition is “the personal skills needed for successful social communication and interaction with others.” This includes verbal, non-verbal, written, and visual skills. Good social skills help us communicate efficiently and effectively and have a direct impact on our relationships.

As we think about our purpose and mission as followers of Jesus, our social skills take on an eternal value. How well do we communicate the gospel? Think about your words, your mannerisms, your responses and reactions, and your non-verbal body language. Do they help or hinder your goal of modeling the love of Christ to both the unbelieving world, and our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ?

The good news is that social skills can be learned and improved, especially when we go to the source of all wisdom, God’s perfect Word. God is a master communicator. His social skills are impeccable. The words and life of Jesus while He lived and interacted on earth, as well as all the written Word of God, sets the perfect pattern to imitate as we model the love of Christ.

Five Things to Consider as We Strive to Improve Our Listening Skills

1. We Must Learn to Listen to God First

Listening requires spiritual maturity, self-control, and wisdom to really hear what another person is saying – all characteristics that come from a personal relationship with God. Spiritual maturity happens as we deepen our understanding of God’s Word. Reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture – listening with an intent to obey – produces the fruit of the Spirit, of which self-control is key. As the Word gives us God’s wisdom, we will better understand others, and be able to respond with His wisdom, not just our opinions or perceptions.

Set your heart to become a good listener of what God is saying to you as the Holy Spirit enlightens your understanding of the Word of God. Let God speak to you before you attempt to speak to others. One practical tip for becoming a good listener is to repeat back to the person speaking what you heard them say, so that you are both clearly communicating. We can practice this by praying God’s Word back to Him!

Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Proverbs 23:12 – “Apply your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge.”

Proverbs 22:17-18 – “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Not Made to Be Alone, Quiet Time

Spur One Another On

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We have come to the end of our study – Not Made To Be Alone. We have learned from Scripture that we were made by God and for God. We have read over and over that we are made for community – with God, with friends, with family, and with the church. It may not always be easy – the ‘island life’ may be our preferred way of living – but we were created for more and will thrive only when we are in the center of God’s will. So my prayer for us all is that we will embrace the communities He has placed us in or allowed us to be a part of and thrive – for His glory!

This little devo is a nugget of gold that I found on a sight that I follow – It seemed a perfect bookend for our study,💕💜 and I pray it is a blessing for all who read it –

Spurs and bull riding

As published on Grace Moments, by Pastor Daron Lindemann

“I see lots of spurs at the Austin rodeo that kicks off every spring. One of the most popular competitions is bull riding.

In bull riding, spurs are dulled and mostly help the bull rider hold on to the one-ton bull with their legs and feet. And what happens then? A wild ride. Getting bucked around and off. Broken ribs. Mental toughness. The cheers of the crowd. Telling your grandkids someday that you rode a bull named Fumanchu. Growth. Strength.

Now listen to what the Bible says about the Christian community: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

“Hold unswervingly” are Greek words in the original Bible that literally mean “hold on tight!” The Bible calls us to be spurs that help each other hold on tight and not let go. Let go of what? “The hope we profess.””


And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,

hebrews 10:24

“We don’t let go of each other. We hang in there with each other. Why? Because we have this agreement that we profess. This body of teaching we believe. That’s the Bible that reveals Jesus Christ. The Bible and Jesus define our fellowship as a church.

Hold on to Jesus and his church! Be like spurs and help others hold on to Jesus and his church too. It might result in a wild ride. It might cause pain but will also result in spiritual growth.

And remember Jesus—who believes in his church—is holding on to you. “He who promised is faithful.””

The Rest of the Study

Hey if you missed out on the study, Not Made to be Alone, you can start here and then click next post if you want to continue with the study … https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/05/07/not-made-to-be-alone-2/

The Next Study

Enduring Hope beginning Monday, June 12, 2023 – I hope you’ll join me for the journey 🦋