Tag: Jesus

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study
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“Truly this man was God’s Son.” –Mark 15:39

When we face challenges and difficulties in life, we need comfort. When we are unsure where to turn, we need hope. When we face our mortality, we need a Savior. When we doubt our faith, we need assurance.

Jesus is our comfort, our hope, our Savior, and our assurance. He is the long-awaited Messiah, the One all of history waited for and is waiting for. He is God’s Son. He is the Christ. 

The Gospel of Mark is a powerful account of the life of Jesus. It displays the character of Jesus on every page, from His willingness to suffer and serve to His power and deity miraculously displayed. With every scene the author asks, “Where is your faith?” As we read and study the Gospel of Mark we can’t help but ask ourselves if our faith is in Jesus or in ourselves. 

The Gospel of Mark is a Bible study on the Gospel of Mark. As we spend six weeks studying this important account of Jesus’ life, may we ask the all-important question: “Where is your faith?” There are two dramatic confessions of who Jesus is throughout this Gospel. As we study this book together, we hope to answer the question of who Jesus is the same way Peter did: “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). If you long to have incredible faith in who Jesus is and what He can do, this is the Bible study for you!

JOIN ME here M-F for this six week study where you will find Scripture and corresponding content for The Gospel of Mark. I hope you will find it a place to learn more about our Savior and grow your faith in Him. Comments and questions are welcome – adapted from LGG Introduction, by Melissa Fuller

Week 1 Memory/Focus Verse
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Draw Near: Week 6, Thursday — God’s Message

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1 Thessalonians 2:9-16; Colossians 1:3-8 (SOAP: 1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 10 You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (SOAP)

And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 15 For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity 16 as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

7 You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. 8 He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. Colossians 1:3-8

Have you ever thought about the difference between a human message and God’s message? 

To find the answer read today’s full LGG Devotional
Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 5, Thursday Written For Our Instruction

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Romans 15:1-5 (SOAP: Romans 15:4)

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Living to Please Others

We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”  4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.

God’s book has it all. Job lost his job, his possessions, and all of his children, yet God preserved his life, and restored him, and blessed him. Daniel was betrayed by co-workers and thrown into the lions’ den and survived. Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers and sold as a slave, but God used his experience for good. Paul wrote many of his letters while he unjustly sat in jail. Jesus was accused of crimes He didn’t commit and crucified next to criminals on a cross.

Read the full devotional LGG

Would you to know more about God’s Word and why Jesus died on a criminal’s cross – simply type – ‘I would like to know more -‘ in the comment bar.

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Draw Near: Week 5, Tuesday — The Living and Enduring Word of God

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 119:105; 1 Peter 1:22-23 (SOAP: 1 Peter 1:22-23)

1 Peter 1:22-23

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. — 23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

The Word of God and the Spirit of God are essential in bringing to light our sinful hearts and leading us to repentance. Without the light of God’s Word our darkened hearts cannot be wakened to our need for a savior.

Read the full devotion at LGG

If you have questions about God’s Word or would like to know Jesus as Your Savior, please leave me a comment with your question or simply say: I want to know –

Posted in From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

A Faith that Moves Mountains

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James says it like this, Dear brothers and sisters, whenever you face troubles consider them an opportunity for great joy, for you can trust that when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow, so let it grow – because when your endurance is fully developed you will be perfect and complete needing nothing, James 1:2-4. The Psalmist said it like this, I have set the Lord always before me and because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken, Psalm 16:8. And, as a Holocaust survivor, Corrie ten Boom said, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” I believe we will all face, have faced, or even now are facing ‘troubles’ in our lives. I am learning the truth of James’ statement, the troubles of this life -whether big or small – help deepen our faith.

Faith may not change our ‘situation’ but fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our Faith certainly changes our perspective.

Fears are turned to peace, comfort replaces sorrow, where there are desperate needs we witness gracious provision; and when the thing needed is not provided – it is through faith we wait or through faith that we learn to do without. Through the eyes of faith, we witness miracles or walk in hope where none seems possible. Through faith we love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, and we cling to what is good rather than turning to the wrong we may desire. In faith, we turn to God when a doctor delivers unwanted or unexpected news. Through faith, we sit by the bed of a loved one or walk the halls of the hospital. With faith, we rise out of bed in His strength – even when we feel too week, sad, or lonely to go on, and in faith, we say good-bye to those God calls home. As John wrote in 1 John 5:4, and the old hymn repeats … “Faith is the victory that has overcome the world.” Faith doesn’t just move mountains it moves hearts closer to God. We lean on Him through our troubles and we find that He is trustworthy and true – and so when the next trouble comes we run to Him – through this habit the roots of our faith are deepened and we are made stronger – until God’s love runs deeper than the deepest pit of hatred and death … and we are able to consider the hardest of situations a joy because we know that God is with us … and the very knowledge of His presence keeps us from being shaken. This, my friends, is a Faith that moves mountains. Me – From the Insideout

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Everlasting Covenant: Week 3, Thursday – Fulfillment in Christ

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Today’s Scripture: Matthew 26:26-30; Hebrews 9:15 (S.O.A.P. Hebrews 9:15)

Matthew 26:26-30 New Living Translation

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant[a] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice

That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

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Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Everlasting Covenant – Week2 Tuesday – Christ Fulfills the Law

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Question of the Day: What is the law’s purpose?

Today’s Scritpure: Exodus 24:3-8; Matthew 5:17-20 (S.O.A.P. Matthew 5:17)

Teaching about the Law
Exodus 24:3-8 New Living Translation

Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”

4 Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey.”

8 Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.”

Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

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Matthew 5:17 Reference
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Bridge to Everlasting Covenant Week 2, Thursday

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Question of the Day: Who does the phrase, “own people,” refer to in verse 11?

Today’s Scripture: John 1:6-13 (S.O.A.P. John 1: 10-11)

 God sent a man, John the Baptist,[a] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. 11 He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. 12 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Bridge to Everlasting Covenant Week 2, Wednesday

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Question of the Day: Verse 4 says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.” Who is “Him” referring to?

Today’s Scripture: John 1:1-5 (S.O.A.P. John 1:4-5)

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,[a]
    and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.[b]