Posted in LGG Study
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The Study of Hebrews, Jesus our everything begins Monday, September 28, 2020. Join me here for all the links and After Thoughts as we learn about Jesus and have our faith strengthened. SOAPing the Scriptures will enhance your understanding and leave you wanting more.  I truly hope you’ll join me because I believe doing this together we will be stronger for it.

The purpose of this group is to receive extra encouragement, fellowship and accountability with other women throughout our study sessions! To help maintain accountability, I’m hoping that you will share your thoughts/soaps daily or at least three times a week. Please be ready to share what God is teaching you, be transparent when sharing in our group, it will help us to build a unique bond in this wonderful online community. We will all benefit from what each member shares. In Acts 18:9 the Lord said to Paul “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent.” I believe these words are applicable for us today.

What to expect each week:

  • Sunday afternoon/evening–I will post the graphics for the Weekly Reading & SOAP Plan, the Weekly Prayer & Praise, and the Weekly Memory (focus) Verse.
  • Each morning, Monday thru Friday –I will post the graphic for the Daily SOAP, add my personal SOAP, and then ask that each of you add your own observation/application/thoughts or chime in and encourage someone else where this may be applicable.
  • Monday Mornings–I will post the Weekly Challenge.
  • First Monday of our study–I will post the graphic for our study Goals, and ask that we each set goals for ourselves and post them in the comment bar. We will revisit these goals midway through the study to check our progress. I realize that not all of you will fill comfortable with all of the steps but I hope you’ll still stick with the group and choose at least one of the steps so that we know you are with us.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you by facilitating this study and for sharing this journey in God’s Word with all of you.  Mary Ellen

If you’re new to Love God Greatly studies you can find their Statement of Belief at the following link.

LGG Statement of Belief
Posted in LGG Study

LGG Group Guidelines

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1.This group is for digging deeper in the Word, accountability, encouraging, uplifting, andprayer.

2.Log in during your quiet time to share your thoughts or SOAP on the daily reading Monday through Friday images. The beauty of this online Bible study is that it’s very flexible to your schedule. Please don’t ever think that your comments are not good enough, or not as good as other women. We all learn from one another and we LOVE to hear what God has taught you!

3. Be respectful and positive at all times. We are here to share and encourage one another, and each person is in a different walk with Christ. Some are more advanced and some are new to Christ. Please be respectful of other people and other denominations.

4. PRAY for each other! Share prayer requests in the comments of the weekly Prayer & Praise post. It helps to keep all the prayer requests in one place so they can be easily found and prayed for.

5. This group is NOT a place to promote one’s own ministry, careers, or platforms. Links maybe shared ONLY if they relate to the content of the discussion. If you would like to post something not related to the study, please first send a message to your Facilitator.

6. This is a confidential group. What we share here stays here.

7. I understand that my voice matters in this group and I have an opportunity to encourage,support and love on the women in this group by what I share on a weekly basis.

8. If a problem arises with another member, I agree to handle the issue in private and contact the Facilitator.

9. I understand that it is up to the Facilitator to add members to the group and I need to contact her if I have a friend that wishes to join the group.

10. I understand that if this group is not the right fit for me, I will contact the Facilitator to discuss it with her.

11. I understand that the Facilitator of this group retains the right to remove members from the group who do not uphold these expectations. If you agree with these Group Guidelines, please type ‘AGREE’ in the comment section. Thankyou!

Posted in Quiet Time

Romans 8:1-11

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 8:1-11 (S.O.A.P. Romans 8:1-2)

Question of the Day: What is condemnation and how are believers free from it?

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit[b] in Christ Jesus has set you[c] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For God achieved what the law could not do because[d] it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by[e] the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. 6 For the outlook[f] of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in[g] the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but[h] the Spirit is your life[i] because of righteousness. 11 Moreover if the Spirit of the one[j] who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ[k] from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you.[l]

After Thoughts
Posted in From the Insideout

The Freedom of God’s Grace

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I love the absolute TRUTH of this passage! Seriously! It excites me that there is now NO condemnation of my sin … because I am In Christ Jesus … and the law of the Life-giving Spirit has set me FREE from the law of sin and death. Yet, sin will always be a real and present struggle for the believer. This struggle can and should raise conviction from the Holy Spirit to turn away from that sin – but it can also raise ’emotions’ or internal charges of guilt and condemnation. This is where grace comes in – for we no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, we live under the freedom of God’s grace – not just that we have been saved by grace but that God accepted Christ’s blood as payment for our sin, and we are no longer charged with the debt! 

I had been a Christian for 21 years before I knew or fully understood this life-changing truth. I still remember the relief the day a pastor friend of mine helped me understand that I don’t have to, nor can I, repay God for my sins. It’s important to know that I firmly believed I was saved by grace through faith in Christ, that it was not by works that I had done, but rather a gift from God. However, while I knew I couldn’t lose my salvation even if I sinned, somewhere along the way, I had begun to live as though I needed to repay God whenever I did sin. I lived a life of trying to be better, trying to live up to His standards, knowing that I hadn’t, and looking for more “good things” to do to garner His pleasure and maintain His love. As you can imagine, and perhaps have experienced, that lifestyle gets exhausting and does not accomplish its purpose. What I mean is this, if He loved me enough to send His son to die for me, even when I was His enemy, why would I think there was anything I could do to cause Him to love me more than that? His only ‘begotten’ Son gave His life for my sins. Did I seriously think there was anything I could give that would amount to more than that? The answer to both of these questions is no. What I had to learn, was just as my sin would never cost me my salvation, it would also never change His love for me. 

Now some may think that this means we can go on sinning. Paul addressed this question at least two different times – and both were a resounding no! He said, “Of course not,” (Romans 6:1-2) and “By no means!” (Romans 6:14-15) explaining to them, as my friend explained to me, that they were no longer living under the law of sin and death. They had been set free, as he said in Romans 8:1-2, by “the law of the life-giving Spirit,” a reiteration of his teaching from chapter 6 that believers live under the “freedom of God’s grace.” However, living under the freedom of God’s grace doesn’t mean we won’t be tempted with sin. Paul spoke of this struggle with sin in chapters 6 and 7, but here in Roman’s 8:1-2, he takes it a step further by proclaiming the wonderful TRUTH that those who are in Christ Jesus are no longer subject to the condemnation that comes from the law of sin and death. 

To be clear, I know that growing in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord is a worthy goal. I know that working on living the Holy life He has called me to, loving God and others better, and keeping in step with the Spirit more today than I did yesterday are all worthy goals. The difference now is – I don’t do it to maintain His Love but rather because I want to honor Him for His love – a love that says – “There is therefore now no condemnation”.

https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/?p=1409

Posted in Prayer Starters

Replacing Complaints With Praise

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When my girls were little, we sang a Scripture song by *Steve Green called “Do Everything Without Complaining.1” It was from Philippians 2:14 and was a great teaching tool for those times when they complained about something or someone. In all honesty, it was a teaching tool for me as well, and the verse has stuck with me/us all these years. Now, the Spirit is quick to use it to convict when complaints start flowing. The idea Paul was seeking to convey to the Philippians was that when we are complaining and arguing, we are opening ourselves (the body of Christ) up to criticism. He encouraged them to live clean and innocent lives as children of God so that they would shine as bright lights in a crooked and perverse world. 

The words were simple and repetitive*, but when it came time to put away toys, do homework, or clean their room, it was an effectively catchy measure of warding off the complaining and arguing that would sometimes ensue.  

*Do everything without complaining.

Do everything without arguing

so that you may become blameless

and pure children of God. (repeat)

As adults, our complaining may not always hinge on having to take out the trash or do the dishes; it’s more likely to revolve around life’s daily frustrations. While the girls and I no longer sing the song, we have learned to look for God’s fingerprints and blessings throughout the day. We name them and share them and strive to focus on them, particularly when the hurts and disappointments or inconveniences of life arise. Naming the blessings sets our minds on God, His goodness, His mercy, His grace, and His love, and the list goes on and on. When this happens, our complaining tongues are replaced with praises, and peace and contentment soon triumph over the frustrations and disappointments. 

Today, let’s echo the prayer of Crisswell Freeman* – “Lord, I can either count my blessings or complain about my disappointments. Today, help me to focus my thoughts upon my blessings, my gifts, and my opportunities. Amen2” 

Posted in From the Insideout

You Should Love One Another

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To love wasn’t new. Certainly, throughout the Old Testament we ar, taught to love God. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” If that sounds familiar, it should – because in the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus was asked “what is the most important commandment?” He replied,

“The most important commandment is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love[a] the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Ok, so to “Love one another” must be the new part – right? No, even this was taught to the people of God long before Christ said it to His disciples. God told Moses to use the same words to teach His people about love in Leviticus 19:18:

You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

So, if “Loving one another” isn’t new why did Jesus say this was a “new commandment”? Because here in John 13:34, Jesus clarifies the command with these words:

Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.

The “new commandment” was and is, “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another” This means I have to know how He loved. What did He do? What didn’t He do? Why and how and all of the other explorative questions we can think of must be examined. It is only in knowing these answers that we will be able to fulfill this commandment, a command that Jesus references in His response to what the greatest commandment is.

One final note, in case, for even a moment of time, we think this applies to only the people that are good and nice to us – in case we want to justify not loving those who have mistreated us, spoke evil of us, or worse – we must remember that when we were the enemies of God, Christ came and died for us. It is to that end that we must live and love like Jesus.

For a good synopsis of how Jesus loved, check-out 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 , John 13:14-15, and Philippians 2:5-8.

Posted in Quiet Time

John 13:31-35

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Today’s Scripture: John 13:31-35 (S.O.A.P. John 13:34-35)

Question of the Day: How can we love one another like Christ loved us?

31 When[a] Judas[b] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away.[d] 33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me,[e] and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders,[f] ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’[g] now I tell you the same.[h]

34 “I give you a new commandment—to love[i] one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.[j] 35 Everyone[k] will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

After Thought
Posted in Quiet Time

John 13:1-17

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Video starter

Today’s Scripture: John 13:1-17 (S.O.A.P. John 13:14-15)

Question of the Day: Why do you think Jesus chose to wash the feet of His disciples?

Washing the Disciples’ Feet – Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time[a] had come to depart[b] from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end.[c] 2 The evening meal[d] was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart[e] of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray[f] Jesus.[g] 3 Because Jesus[h] knew that the Father had handed all things over to him,[i] and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 he got up from the meal, removed[j] his outer clothes,[k] took a towel and tied it around himself.[l] 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.[m]

Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter[n] said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash[o] my feet?” 7 Jesus replied,[p] “You do not understand[q] what I am doing now, but you will understand[r] after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”[s] Jesus replied,[t] “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”[u] 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash[v] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied,[w] “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet,[x] but is completely[y] clean.[z] And you disciples[aa] are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 (For Jesus[ab] knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is[ac] clean.”)[ad]

 So when Jesus[ae] had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table[af] again and said to them, “Do you understand[ag] what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly,[ah] for that is what I am.[ai] 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example[aj]—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth,[ak] the slave[al] is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger[am] greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand[an] these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

After Thoughts
Posted in From the Insideout

Loved – to the Very End

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If I am to imitate Jesus – to be a good reflection of who He is – I must know Him well. I must know how He talked, the habits He had – the company He kept, and the way He spent and prioritized His time. I must know how and even why Jesus loved and lived. I must know and understand His character and what made Him who and how He was.

I can only truly find these details in God’s Word, the depth of which is not meant to be examined here today but the crux of which is this – He was from God. God, who had loved the world so much that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to suffer and die so that all who believed in Him might live. Everything He did and said, the way He lived and loved, how He responded, and the things He thought all hinged on Him being from God. Yes, He was Himself God, but He took on human form, making Himself also a man*, and it is that reference that I found myself examining in the passage I read today from John 13:1-17.

Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. 3 Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself. 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.

6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter[n] said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied, “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 (For Jesus knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is clean.”)

12 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

His habits were Holy and Righteous – why? Because He was from God. He was found most often in the company of His disciples – but also – in the home and the company of sinners. Many questioned this, but we know it was simply and profoundly – because He was from God, sent to seek and save the lost. Because He was from God – He spent His time feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching the masses about the Kingdom of God, and communicating with the Father. He came to give life to the full – why – because He wanted us to be one with the Father just as He is. This oneness can only be experienced when we know God, which is precisely what Christ desired for all people – because He was from God.

Jesus wasn’t just their Lord and teacher. He was God Himself, yet, here we find Him, just before His imminent suffering and death, to have gotten up from the table and removing all hindrances prepared Himself outwardly to perform a ‘servant-like’ expression of His love. As Matthew Henry said, “He taught them the value of spiritual washing and the cleansing of the soul from the pollutions of sin,” and He did this through the lowly act of washing their feet. In preparation for His departure, it seems He wanted them to not only witness an act of selfless love but to be the recipients. So, Jesus gave them a very humble and passionately moving example of serving others from an attitude of love and humility instead of from a position or status. He did this throughout His ministry as an example of how we are to live and love and serve. He loved beyond who and what He was and knew He was entitled to*. Jesus lived and taught a love that served not self but others and spilled out in actions that proved His love was not only genuine but one that endures to the very end.

*Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death —even death on a cross! Philippians 2:1-8

Posted in Prayer Starters

“Just Keep Praying”

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How many decisions do you make in a given day? How do you make them? Which ones do you pray about and which ones do you simply make? These were some questions that came to mind after reading my prayer starter verse this morning.

This morning’s prayer starter is from James 1:5-6

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6

In the Disney movie “Finding Nemo”, there’s an adorable blue fish whose name is Dory. Dory is a bubbly, happy, but very forgetful fish who delivers perhaps the most memorable and often repeated line of the movie: “Just keep swimming”. I mention her because I borrow the line frequently when facing situations that are difficult as a reminder to keep going. I have also revised it many times to say “Just keep praying”. Someone’s sick … pray. Someone is hurting … pray. Someone is in need … pray. The lost need Jesus … pray. You lack strength … pray. Wisdom is needed … as suggested in our verse this morning … pray. Just keep praying.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul said it like this – “Pray continually”. This can be a daunting statement until we understand the meaning behind it, that it is God’s invitation and desire for us to walk and talk with Him throughout the day. Time with God isn’t relegated to a church pew or your ‘closet’, nor is it limited to before meals or bedtime. Prayers do not have to be limited to the “BIG things of life” either – actually, in 1 Peter 5:7, Peter said that we should “cast all our cares on God because He cares for us”. The idea isn’t that we walk around with our heads bowed or stay on our knees all day – the idea is that we have an open line of communication with God throughout every day.

So, my encouragement is this: Pray big prayers, pray long or short prayers, pray whispered prayers or journaled prayers. Pray believing, expecting, and knowing that God hears and cares and answers the prayers of His children. Just keep praying.