Tag: sin

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Friendship: Week 1, Wednesday Sin’s Impact on Friendship

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READ: GENESIS 3:8-13 AND 4:6-8; SOAP: GENESIS 3:8

Genesis 3:8-13 New Living Translation

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

Do you think this first sin impacted the relationship that Adam and Eve had with each other? What about with God? If so, how?

Check out today’s LGG Devotional

Genesis 4:6-8 New Living Translation

“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT TODAY’S LGG BLOG  HTTPS://LOVEGODGREATLY.COM/BLOG/

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Faithful Love: Week 4, Friday Living as Wise Women

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READ: HOSEA 10:1-8 AND LAMENTATIONS 1:8,15, AND 18; SOAP: LAMENTATIONS 1:18

The Lord’s Judgment against Israel

How prosperous Israel is—
    a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit.
But the richer the people get,
    the more pagan altars they build.
The more bountiful their harvests,
    the more beautiful their sacred pillars.
2 The hearts of the people are fickle;
    they are guilty and must be punished.
The Lord will break down their altars
    and smash their sacred pillars.
3 Then they will say, “We have no king
    because we didn’t fear the Lord.
But even if we had a king,
    what could he do for us anyway?”
4 They spout empty words
    and make covenants they don’t intend to keep.
So injustice springs up among them
    like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.

5 The people of Samaria tremble in fear
    for their calf idol at Beth-aven,
    and they mourn for it.
Though its priests rejoice over it,
    its glory will be stripped away.
6 This idol will be carted away to Assyria,
    a gift to the great king there.
Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will be shamed,
    because its people have trusted in this idol.
7 Samaria and its king will be cut off;
    they will float away like driftwood on an ocean wave.
8 And the pagan shrines of Aven, the place of Israel’s sin, will crumble.
    Thorns and thistles will grow up around their altars.
They will beg the mountains, “Bury us!”
    and plead with the hills, “Fall on us!”

Lamentations 1:8, 15, and 18

Jerusalem has sinned greatly,
    so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag.
All who once honored her now despise her,
    for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated.
All she can do is groan
    and hide her face.

15 “The Lord has treated my mighty men
    with contempt.
At his command a great army has come
    to crush my young warriors.
The Lord has trampled his beloved city
    like grapes are trampled in a winepress.

“The Lord is right,” Jerusalem says,
    “for I rebelled against him.
Listen, people everywhere;
    look upon my anguish and despair,
for my sons and daughters
    have been taken captive to distant lands.

The young women and men from Israel had to pay the price of the people´s rebellion toward God. We must never forget that sin has consequences. Read the full devotional

Read the full devotional
Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Faithful Love: Week 4, Monday The First and Best Option

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MONDAY – WEEK 4, DAY 1: FAITHFUL LOVE

Read: Hosea 7:13-16 and Psalm 78:32-39; SOAP: Psalm 78:38

Woe to them! For they have fled from me!
Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me!
I want to deliver them,
but they have lied to me.
14 They do not pray to me,
but howl in distress on their beds;
they slash themselves for grain and new wine,
but turn away from me.
15 Although I trained and strengthened them,
they plot evil against me!
16 They turn to Baal;
they are like an unreliable bow.
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because their prayers to Baal have made me angry.
So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt.

Despite all this, they continued to sin,
and did not trust him to do amazing things
33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied
and filled with terror.
34 When he struck them down, they sought his favor;
they turned back and longed for God.
35 They remembered that God was their protector,
and that God Most High was their deliverer.
36 But they deceived him with their words,
and lied to him.
37 They were not really committed to him,
and they were unfaithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he is compassionate.
He forgives sin and does not destroy.
He often holds back his anger,
and does not stir up his fury.
39 He remembered that they were made of flesh,
and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.

Israel saw their problem, but not their sin.

Read the rest of the LGG devotional – 

Reflection Question: What do you learn about God in light of His response to Israel’s rebellion? I invite you to share your answer or a question n the comment bar.

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Gospel of Mark: Week 4, Monday Cut It OFF

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Read: Mark 9:30-50; SOAP: Mark 9:43

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” 32 They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Using the Name of Jesus

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”

39 “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. 40 Anyone who is not against us is for us. 41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.

42 “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. 45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.[d] 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’[e]

49 “For everyone will be tested with fire. 50 Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.

Sin is tricky like that. It starts out as a little thing. An unhealthy thought, just one puff, a second glance, a slip of the tongue, one more drink, one more purchase, a burst of anger…

Read the Full LGG Blog

There is a high cost to following Jesus.

To find out what it is read the devotional
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Draw Near: Week 5, Friday Reframing Our Minds Around Application

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 19:12-13; Psalm 119:9-16 (SOAP: Psalm 119:11)

How can a young person stay pure?
    By obeying your word.
10 I have tried hard to find you—
    don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
12 I praise you, O Lord;
    teach me your decrees.
13 I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us.
14 I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.
15 I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.
16 I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. Psalm 119:9-16

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. Psalm 19:12-13

There are two things a text will show you. Either it will teach you something you should know, or it will tell you something you should do. … Don’t skip over the passages that don’t clearly tell you about something you should be doing. Look for truths that will help you renew your mind and love God more.

Read the full blog/lesson at LGG

When we memorize and remember God’s Word we can cling to the truth we’ve received during difficult moments. Instead of being taken captive by lies or despair, we can call to mind the truth of God’s Word when we need it most.

Read the full devotional at LGG
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Shame Breaker, Week 3-Monday The Shame of Adultery

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Today’s Scripture –2 Samuel 11; Psalm 103:10-11 (S.O.A.P. Psalm 103:10-11)

David and Bathsheba

In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”

6 Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. 8 Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. 9 But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. READ THE REST OF THE STORY …

Psalm 103:10-11

 He does not punish us for all our sins;
    he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

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Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Quiet Time

East and West Never Meet

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Our finite minds do not work like God’s infinite mind does. I believe in general – human beings – have a difficult time forgiving someone that wrongs them let alone forgetting that ‘wrong’. But, when God says as far “as the East is from the West” He means forever removed! East and West never meet. As one Bible reference stated, “If we were to search for the sins the Lord has removed from us, we would never find them, because Jesus, the Lamb of God, has taken them far away (John 1:29) from those who come to Him in faith (John 3:16–18). To say that God separates our sins “as far as the east is from the west” speaks of the absolute, irrevocable measure by which God forgives us”( BibleRef.com). So, while yesterday’s passage impressed upon us how shame is associated with sin – this passage brings great hope to anyone who has ever sinned – which Romans 3:23 says is all of us.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 3:23

The hope comes in the fact that God’s forgiveness is absolute. The next part of David’s statement sheds light on the reason for the action of removing the sins so drastically – His tenderhearted, Fatherly compassion – a Hebrew root that implies action – moves Him to not just the sin (that’s love), but to demonstrates that love by removing – or more literally – doing away with them. As Hebrews 8:12 says – He remembers our sins against us no more.

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

With Sin Comes Shame

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The Man and Woman Sin

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Genesis 3:1-7

Eve knew the truth of what God had said and until that day she had obeyed and enjoyed the ‘rich and satisfying life’, God had given them. But she ALLOWED the doubt/lie that the serpent planted to taint and change her perception – of what we can only imagine was fruit she had seen many times before. Her changed perception changed her action. She chose desire over obedience and her altered action affected Adam (and every other human since), and they knew not only good, as before, but now also evil – and sadly the shame that came with it – shame that made them hide from God. Shame that altered their lives forever. And, shame that can still taunt us when we choose to live in sin.

Father, help us to be self-controlled and alert, aware that the enemy is looking for someone to devour. Help us to not get distracted by the things that are pleasing to the eye or more desirable than obeying you. When he comes to us with doubts and lies help us stand firm and resist him – for Your Word says that “if we resist the devil he will flee from us”.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Christ came to GIVE us a rich and satisfying life, a life of freedom from the effects of sin– this is a stark contrast to the enemy’s purpose to TAKE our life and freedom away from us! We must learn to stand firm in the TRUTHS that we know.

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Galatians 5:1

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:10

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Jesus Our Everything: Week 4, Day 5

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Question of the Day: According to Romans 5:20, what happened where sin increased?

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 10:1-18; (S.O.A.P. Hebrews 10:1-2; Romans 5:20-21)

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.[a] 2 For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have[b] no further consciousness of sin? 3 But in those sacrifices[c] there is a reminder of sins year after year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 So when He came into the world, He said,

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body you prepared for Me.
6 “Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings You took no delight in.
7 “Then I said, ‘Here I am:[d] I have come—it is written of Me in the scroll of the book—to do Your will, O God.’”[e]

8 When He says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings You did not desire nor did You take delight in them”[f] (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He says, “Here I am: I have come to do your will.”[g] He does away with[h] the first to establish the second. 10 By His will[i] we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands day after day[j] serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when this Priest[k] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down at the right hand[l] of God, 13 where He is now waiting[m] until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.[n] 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying,[o] 16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put[p] My laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,”[q] 17 then he says,[r] “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.”[s] 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Romans 5:20-21

20 Now the law came in[a] so that the transgression[b] may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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