I am so glad for such a great turn out our first night of class! We had 26 ladies (including myself). I am also excited about those who will be taking our class "online" via the blog. We can have interaction online by posting "comments" below (available at the end of each blog post). I'm thankful for this tool because friends, family and sisters in Christ from out of state and all over the world can join this class. For those who miss a class, this is a great way to stay in the loop and jump in with us at the next class meeting. So now...here's the recap:
First and most importantly we have to begin any study of Scripture with a baseline understanding: The Bible is GOD'S WORD. It is TRUE and WITHOUT ERROR. If we do not agree with those statements fully and completely then we can pick and choose what we believe the Bible says and what is true and/or applicable to our lives. This would be wrong and would lead us astray as Satan would love to see happen. NO...We MUST start HERE with faith and trust in the Bible being GOD'S WORD and that it is COMPLETE and ABSOLUTE TRUTH...and IS applicable to our lives everyday and in every way! (2 Tim. 3:16)
As we begin our study in the book of Proverbs, notice that this book is written in a different form than most of the other books of the Bible. These are a collection of "wise sayings" (primary written and collected by Solomon, but also has contributions from other "wise men": Prv.22:17, 24:23, including Agur: Prv. 30 and King Lemuel: Prv. 31; and additional compilation by Hezekiah's men: Prv. 25). These "wise sayings", known as Proverbs, are to be read individually, meaning in the sections or segments the publisher has broken the Scriptures out into visually, sometimes with headings. For example, my Bible has Chapter 1 separated like this: 'The beginning of knowledge' v. 1-7, 'Shun evil counsel' v. 8-19, then 'The call of Wisdom' v.20-33. Some Bibles do not have that type-facing, but most do. Try to use one that does and a translation that is easy for you to read and comprehend. I personally enjoy the New King James Version, New American Standard Bible and the New International Version. A study Bible is an excellent resource and/or one with cross-references of Scripture in the margins is great too. These tools will enhance your study but are not required.
As we move through our study of Proverbs, our goal is to read the proverb (be it one verse or a grouping of verses that are related), then to meditate upon that section (meditate = ponder, pray over, reflect on), then journal any thoughts, prayers, insights, or questions you have of this section of text. Then read the next proverb and follow the same steps. You may get through a whole chapter in one study time or it may take 2-3 study times to cover one chapter. Try to allot a minimum of 15 minutes at a time to allow for the reading, meditation and journaling of a proverb or two. You may have several times a day you can do this...GREAT! You may have a bigger block of time, an hour or more, that you can do this in...WONDERFUL! The goal is to take your time, take time with God during the course of this study and to do something daily. Remember the more YOU put into this study the more you will get out of it!
In addition to reading and journaling with this study, we are also focusing on Scripture memory and developing a Scripture resource for future reference. Scripture memory: Each person will recite their chosen proverb they memorized to their accountability group weekly. Each week this will change. Be sure to pick a proverb (one verse or a few verses) that has impacted you. Some helpful hints for memorizing Scripture is to use a dry erase marker and write it on your bathroom mirror so you see and recite it multiple times a day. Write it and post it on note cards, in your car, at your desk, wherever you will see it. Practice saying it out loud with your eyes closed, have your family or friends help you with memorizing your chosen proverb. Scripture reference resource: As you are journaling, consider categories of wisdom each proverb you read may fall under. In the back of your journal or in another notebook, write at the top of each page the category title (for example: Godly wisdom, Marital wisdom, Financial wisdom, Parenting wisdom, Practical or Social wisdom, etc. the possibilities can be whatever you want them to be). Then as you read a proverb that speaks to that category, jot that chapter and verse down, maybe your own thoughts on that category page. This way when you, or a friend, encounter a trial in one of these areas you can quickly find what God's Word says about that area. When we encounter hard times, sometimes Scripture recall is a challenge. My goal by incorporating Scripture memory and this Scripture resource, plus God's Word (of course), in this class is that you will be more empowered to defend yourself against the attacks of the devil and be encouraged by God's Holy Word!
This past Sunday in class we memorized, as a class, Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (NKJV) This verse encompasses the theme and purpose of the book of Proverbs. The author here, Solomon, feared God AND asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:3-14). As fallen creation we cannot possibly know God, much less His wisdom, without His help. James 1:5a reminds us: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God..." (read through v.6 for full effect!). We too need to ask God to open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the truths of His Word as we study. 'Fear of the Lord' is seen not only as 'reverence' but also as 'trust in' the Lord. HE will guide and direct us (Prv. 3:5-6) IF we trust in Him, and allow Him, to do so. We can have all the head smarts and even "know" what Scripture says, but without a personal relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit's dwelling within us that guides and directs our study, it will be in vain. If you have more questions about having or developing your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please see me, call me, email me and I will be glad to share more with you!
The next part of v.7 speaks of wisdom and instruction. These two attributes go hand in hand. One commentary mirrors wisdom to skill and instruction to discipline. Wisdom is the ability to live life skillfully and that skill is perfected with discipline (instruction). Wisdom and instruction impart moral discernment and develop mental perception. As we learn as grow in the fear of the Lord, and in turn in knowledge, wisdom and instruction will display themselves as 'practical righteousness' in all areas of our lives.
That's it for the recap. On Sunday we will delve into Chapers 1-4. I hope to see you then! Remember, if you haven't already, be sure to contact your accountability partners to see how their week is going and to hold each other accountable with your study and Scripture memory.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Walking Daily in Proverbs (Women's Bible Study)
I am so excited for the opportunity to be teaching a class on the book of Proverbs for the ladies at Richland Creek Community Church. We will meet weekly in Room 123 from 6-7:30 p.m. each Sunday night starting TONIGHT! I will be utilizing my blog to provide weekly recaps of the study of our previous class. So if anyone misses, or for my out of state friends, you can check here to see what we covered. I hope you will become a regular "follower" of my blog (just click "follow" way down at the bottom of the screen). Thanks!
In each class we will study the previous week’s reading (see list below). We will take time for prayer and fellowship, as well as spend time in small accountability groups. In our small group time we will review the Scriptures each person has chosen to memorize each week. Please make every effort to attend class weekly and feel free to bring a friend!
A word about our Accountability Small Groups: These are designed for you to have a deeper, more intimate relationship with a few people in our class. Each week please encourage each other outside of class with a phone call, email or card. Just to say ‘HI’ or see how the study or Scripture memory is going for your group members. If there are specific prayer requests shared by members of your group, pray for them weekly (if not daily) and ask how they are doing when you make your weekly contact. By each of us contacting just the other two members of our group, we will all be contacted by at least two people each week. That, in turn, will keep our attendance up and our group growing in our spiritual walk. Thank you for participating in the accountability of your fellow sisters in Christ!
I look forward to us enjoying this journey in God’s Word together!
WEEKLY BIBLE READINGS:
Week of 6/21: Proverbs 1-4
Week of 6/28: Proverbs 5-7
**NO CLASS ON SUN. JULY 4TH**
Week of 7/5: Proverbs 8-9
Week of 7/12: Proverbs 10-13
Week of 7/19: Proverbs 14-17
Week of 7/26: Proverbs 18-21
Week of 8/2: Proverbs 22-24
Week of 8/9: Proverbs 25-29
Week of 8/16: Proverbs 30-31
**Last class: Sunday, Aug. 22nd**Be sure to attend!
In each class we will study the previous week’s reading (see list below). We will take time for prayer and fellowship, as well as spend time in small accountability groups. In our small group time we will review the Scriptures each person has chosen to memorize each week. Please make every effort to attend class weekly and feel free to bring a friend!
A word about our Accountability Small Groups: These are designed for you to have a deeper, more intimate relationship with a few people in our class. Each week please encourage each other outside of class with a phone call, email or card. Just to say ‘HI’ or see how the study or Scripture memory is going for your group members. If there are specific prayer requests shared by members of your group, pray for them weekly (if not daily) and ask how they are doing when you make your weekly contact. By each of us contacting just the other two members of our group, we will all be contacted by at least two people each week. That, in turn, will keep our attendance up and our group growing in our spiritual walk. Thank you for participating in the accountability of your fellow sisters in Christ!
I look forward to us enjoying this journey in God’s Word together!
WEEKLY BIBLE READINGS:
Week of 6/21: Proverbs 1-4
Week of 6/28: Proverbs 5-7
**NO CLASS ON SUN. JULY 4TH**
Week of 7/5: Proverbs 8-9
Week of 7/12: Proverbs 10-13
Week of 7/19: Proverbs 14-17
Week of 7/26: Proverbs 18-21
Week of 8/2: Proverbs 22-24
Week of 8/9: Proverbs 25-29
Week of 8/16: Proverbs 30-31
**Last class: Sunday, Aug. 22nd**Be sure to attend!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Hybrid
Seeing that visual started me thinking about my relationship with Christ; how my spiritual walk sometimes looks like that hybrid. There's me and there's Christ in me. To see the full cream bloom with a thread of fuchsia, is the start of growth. This growth occurs as I yield to the changes the Holy Spirit makes as He works in my life for their must be yielding in order for the fusion of my spiritual walk to affect permanent change in my life. As I allow the Lord to do more, He does, and then my life looks more like the full fuchsia blooms in the bush next to where I saw the hybrid bloom. What a picture that too makes! The full fuchsia bloom with no cream is like the full covering of the blood of Christ; none of me remains. This is how God sees those who have chosen to follow Him. We are covered in the blood; all of our sins washed away...visible NO MORE!
When I saw that distinct line of demarcation in the bloom, I wondered...is that where I am? Have I put the brakes on the Holy Spirit's work in me? Have I ceased to yield? The Lord Jesus will ONLY come into our hearts as far as we allow Him. He never pushes but does desire to have our whole heart. It really gave me pause to examine how that bloom can reflect our lives and the state of our spiritual growth.
As I did today, I encourage you to look inward at your own heart...what colors do you see there? Is there an area of your life you are not giving over to God? Is there an aspect of your life you are choosing to keep separate? Where is your line of demarcation? Are you still simply swirls of cream and fuchsia or is the full fuchsia of the Holy Spirit showing Himself in the bloom of your heart? We are all at different stages and none of us will ever reach 'perfection' until Heaven. However, we can choose to yield ALL areas of our life to the Holy Spirit; letting Him have His way in our life and choosing to reflect Christ each day. We will fail and we will fall short. Do not beat yourself down when that happens. Get back up and re-yield to Christ! Then you will begin to see the bloom of your heart move from a hybrid bloom to a full fuchsia bloom as you are fully consumed by the Holy Spirit.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Value of a Friend
Happy New Year, friends! I pray that 2010 will be an amazing and wonderful year for us. There were times in 2009 I was ready for the New Year to begin 'right then' because I was disheartened with circumstances. I saw both of my dear friends and roommates lose jobs and struggle with unemployment as I had in the past. It was a tough year for many of us...so many people in my circle of acquaintances lost their job, filed bankruptcy, experienced physical illness or the death of loved ones. Yep...2009 was a tough year. For me, there were situations that would have been so much harder to bear without my friends and family. That leads me to share with you about what the Bible says about the "value of a friend."
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 we hear from the son of David, Solomon, as he reflects on life (post-Proverbs authorship) and see some truths he has observed and learned over the years:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls, when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together, they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Holy Bible, NASB Version)
This passage shows the value of a friend, a companion...some one who 'has your back' as they say. As you probably noticed, this passage also reflects my blog's namesake. My sisters (in Christ, and roommates) Dawn and Daphne have been the other two strands in my life for the past 10 years. Together our friendship has forged a strong cord. Have you ever looked at woven cord? When it's loose you can pull apart the individual strands, yet when you apply tension, those strands draw tautly together and you cannot pull apart the strands. The tension is when the individual strands draw together to become a strong cord.
Friendships for women should be like that. It may be rare to find friends that you remain that close to personally, but a good friend is one that you can resume a conversation with as if you just paused for a moment, even if it's been years! Those, my dear ones, are the friendships we, as women, need to cultivate and nurture. Those are the relationships that we, as women, crave (God-given, I believe). I have a number of other friends with which I am blessed to have such friendships. I have no doubt they would have my back any less than my dear roommates. However, proximity has some of these dear sisters apart from me by states, even continents. Thankfully communications can still happen via phone, email, Facebook, Skype, etc. That's an 'amen' to technology!
Ladies, if you have not made a resolution this year...even if you have...may I encourage you to add one? Add to resolve to reconnect with lost friends and/or establish new friendships and seek to truly make them ones that reflect Solomon's verses above. As a single Christian woman, my sisterhood-friendships are essential in my life. Whether single or married, we all need friends, ones who can support, encourage and admonish us in our spiritual growth and walk. I pray that if you have not already experienced the marvelous blessing of such a friendship that you will in 2010!
In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 we hear from the son of David, Solomon, as he reflects on life (post-Proverbs authorship) and see some truths he has observed and learned over the years:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls, when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together, they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Holy Bible, NASB Version)
This passage shows the value of a friend, a companion...some one who 'has your back' as they say. As you probably noticed, this passage also reflects my blog's namesake. My sisters (in Christ, and roommates) Dawn and Daphne have been the other two strands in my life for the past 10 years. Together our friendship has forged a strong cord. Have you ever looked at woven cord? When it's loose you can pull apart the individual strands, yet when you apply tension, those strands draw tautly together and you cannot pull apart the strands. The tension is when the individual strands draw together to become a strong cord.
Friendships for women should be like that. It may be rare to find friends that you remain that close to personally, but a good friend is one that you can resume a conversation with as if you just paused for a moment, even if it's been years! Those, my dear ones, are the friendships we, as women, need to cultivate and nurture. Those are the relationships that we, as women, crave (God-given, I believe). I have a number of other friends with which I am blessed to have such friendships. I have no doubt they would have my back any less than my dear roommates. However, proximity has some of these dear sisters apart from me by states, even continents. Thankfully communications can still happen via phone, email, Facebook, Skype, etc. That's an 'amen' to technology!
Ladies, if you have not made a resolution this year...even if you have...may I encourage you to add one? Add to resolve to reconnect with lost friends and/or establish new friendships and seek to truly make them ones that reflect Solomon's verses above. As a single Christian woman, my sisterhood-friendships are essential in my life. Whether single or married, we all need friends, ones who can support, encourage and admonish us in our spiritual growth and walk. I pray that if you have not already experienced the marvelous blessing of such a friendship that you will in 2010!
Friday, December 25, 2009
A New Resolution
It's Christmas Day, 2009, well what's left of it, and I've been thinking about resolutions made and to be made. How many times have I thought of writing my thoughts, lessons learned and truths experienced of God's goodness on this blog? I've had my blog created for some time but was hesitant to write because I wanted what I wrote to be "just right" and then I realized...that could be many more months or years yet...so here goes! My first post as a novice blogger.
I initially chose to create this blog to highlight and share stories of my 10 year (and counting) friendships with two very dear ladies, Dawn and Daphne. They are my spiritual sisters in Christ and are truly like sisters to me. The three of us have been roommates off and on (more on than off) for the better part of 10 years, which is something of a feat...or so I've been told. There are so many stories and life lessons I hope to share with you, dear reader, and hopefully they will blog a few stories as "contributions" sometime.
I state my initial reason above for beginning this blog and I wish to clarify that this is entirely in God's hands. Therefore, the direction may change or refocus depending on His purpose for my blogging ministry (as I see this as a ministry).
I invite you to join me on this journey of recollections, resolutions and new discoveries as we look forward to 2010. I can't believe the New Year is nearly here. What will your resolutions be? Reconnect or develop new friendships? What about with Christ? How does that relationship stand? I know I often reflect on my own Christian walk with disappointments of the many "resolutions" I've made in the years and months past to grow closer, study more, pray more, etc. Well I think it's time I get to doing things and not just making resolutions...it's time to actually see them through. What do you say? Will you join me in making and seeing through a new resolution?
Father I pray for anyone reading this who may be struggling in whatever way (spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially). Lord Jesus on this day I celebrate your birth and am so thankful for the sacrifice You made coming to earth as a babe, leaving your Heaven, leaving Our Father, to come to earth to live a sinless life as a human in order to redeem sinFUL humanity to God. Thank you for bridging that gap that none of anyone's good works, good deeds, good thoughts could ever overcome. Lord I know all humanity has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I know I have sinned and though I try not to, I still continue to sin and fall short of Your glory. Without your gift of redemption and forgiveness I would not have any "good" in me. I am grateful for your Holy Spirit that now resides in me as a Christian. I pray for Your strength to embark on sharing the truths You have shown me through my dear sisters, friends and family over the years. May these words bring You glory and be an encouragement to someone...anyone that You know may need to read these blogs. Thank you, Jesus, Amen!
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