devotional – Page 98 – Me From the Inside Out

Draw Near: Week 5 — Monday On to Application

Posted on March 1, 2021February 28, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Psalm 19:12-13; Psalm 1:1-2 (SOAP: Psalm 19:12-13)

Psalm 19:12-13

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
¹³Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

Psalm 1:1-2

Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
²But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.

For most of us, the application of our Bible study tends to be the favorite part of our quiet time. We live in a world where we can have access to everything quickly. This mindset can creep into our Bible studies and cause us to want to skip the hard work of observation and interpretation and we move straight to “How can I apply this to my day, week, life, or circumstance?”
For a better understanding of the application process – Read the full blog/lesson at LGG

God’s word can bring to light hidden faults and can warn us of what displeases God so we can confess and avoid these offenses.
Today’s SOAP passage is also our memory/focus verse this week – Read its corresponding devotional at LGG

Draw Near: Week 4, Friday Relying on the Helper

Posted on February 26, 2021February 25, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Psalm 19:10-11; Colossians 3:16-17 (SOAP: Colossians 3:16-17)

Psalm 19:10-11

They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
¹¹They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

Colossians 3:16-17

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

This is not solely up to you. If you are a believer you have the Holy Spirit living in you. He is your helper. He helps you understand truth and gives you a desire to live by that truth.
Read the complete blog/lesson at LGG

The way people in the early church remembered truths about God was through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Read the rest of the devotion at LGG

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Draw Near: Week 4, Thursday The Sword of the Spirit

Posted on February 25, 2021February 24, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Ephesians 6:14-18; Psalm 33:4 (SOAP: Ephesians 6:14-18)

Ephesians 6:14-18

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.¹⁶In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Psalm 33:4

For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything he does.

God’s word is necessary in fighting the schemes of Satan.
Read the whole devotional at LGG

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Draw Near: Week 4, Wednesday Cultural and Historical Background

Posted on February 24, 2021February 23, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Ps 19:10-11; Matthew 4:1-4 (SOAP: Matthew 4:4)

Psalm 19:10-11

Matthew 4:1-4 The Temptation of Jesus

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ²For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

³During that time the devil^[a] came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Each book of the Bible was written in a specific place, in a specific period of time, by a specific author, to a specific people or person who were a part of a specific culture, with a specific intention. The Bible, and everything in it, is a part of history. Understanding some of the historical background can give us a more robust and well-rounded understanding of what we are studying.
Read the full lesson/blog at LGG

There is amazing power in God’s Word in fighting the lies of the enemy. Jesus in His humanity, inspired by the Holy Spirit, spoke truth to overcome the fraudulent words of Satan.
Read Today’s Devotional at LGG

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Draw Near: Week 3, Friday — Interpretation

Posted on February 19, 2021February 21, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Psalm 19:7-9; Matthew 24:35 (SOAP: Matthew 24:35)

Psalm 19:7-9

The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
⁸The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
⁹Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Lgg Blog/Lesson

LGg Devotional

Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week3, Thursday – Every Word is Purified

Posted on February 18, 2021February 14, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Hebrews 4:12-13; Proverbs 30:5-6 (SOAP: Proverbs 30:5-6)

Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Proverbs 30:5-6

Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
⁶Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

LGG Devotional

Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 3, Monday – The Law of the LORD is Perfect

Posted on February 15, 2021February 13, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Psalm 19:10-14; John 17:14-19 (SOAP: Ps. 19:10-11)

Psalm 19:7-9

Jeremiah 15:16

^{When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.}

LGg Blog

LGG Devotional

Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week2, Thursday Draw Near to God and …

Posted on February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Jer 29:12-14; James 4:8 (SOAP: James 4:8)

Jeremiah 29:12-14

In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

James 4:8

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Lgg Devotional

Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 2, Wednesday What Do I See

Posted on February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Psalm 19:4-6; John 1:14-18 (SOAP: John 1:14)

John 1:14-18

So the Word became humanand made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

¹⁵John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

¹⁶From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.¹⁷For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Please don’t miss today’s blog, it is a crucial element of the Draw Near Study.

Today’s Blog/Lesson

Today’s Devotional

Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 2, Friday Created by Him

Posted on February 11, 2021February 11, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture – Ps 19:4-6; Colossians 1:15-20 (SOAP: Colossians 1:15-16)

Psalm 19:4-6

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
⁵It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
⁶The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

Colossians 1:15-20 Christ Is Supreme

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,^[a]
¹⁶for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
¹⁸Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.^[b]
    So he is first in everything.
¹⁹For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
²⁰and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.