Ruth's reputation

As we continue to talk about Ruth, we see that her reputation is widely known throughout the town. Her kindness and good deeds towards her mother in law was known by everyone. Her hard work was evident to Boaz and other workers in the field. Her obedience to Naomi regarding her relationship to Boaz is a reflection of her character. Ruth was a noble woman. What does "noble" mean? As we discuss this principle today, we hope that you are evaluating your own life. Are you striving after a noble reputation that is honoring to God and a reflection of Christ to others?

Biblical Advice About Marriage

In Ruth chapter 3, we see that Naomi gives instruction to Ruth about what to do in her relationship with Boaz. Ruth obediently listens and does what Naomi asks of her. This scenario in Scripture causes us to ask how as women today we can give wise, biblical advice to a young woman who wants to be sure that she is marrying the right person? Listen in as we discuss this question today. We would love to hear from you too! What biblical principles have you shared with your daughter or other young women regarding marriage?

Ruth's obedience

In Ruth 3:1-5, we find that Naomi is now giving Ruth instructions concerning her relationship with Boaz. Ruth responds with a heart of obedience to her mother-in-law. She humbly submitted to Naomi to do what she asked her to. This obedience reveals much about Ruth's character. She not only trusted God to lead her, but she trusted Naomi to give her instruction about her own future! Wow! How many of us today would be so quick to be obedience to our parents or in-laws when given instruction. Sometimes we are so quick to think that we have it all together and that we are old enough to make our own decisions. We must remember that God places people in our lives to help reveal His will for us. It is wise for a daughter to ask her mother for advice in wedding plans or parenting struggles. While decisions are ultimately up to us and we are responsible to the Lord for our decisions, let us also remember that when we pray and seek the council of others who are older in their walk with the Lord that we can gain insights that we hadn't thought of. Perhaps the Lord will use a parent, grandparent or older woman in your church to help you think more biblically about a situation. We pray that this study of Ruth will encourage you as you seek to grow more godly in your character.

Character qualities of a godly woman

We've been talking a lot about character qualities that should be found in women who are striving to serve the Lord. In Ruth chapter 2, we learn more about these qualities. Judging from the events of this story what character traits does God honor in His people? These are what we found as we studied:

• Confidence
• Diligence
• Faithfulness
• Good stewardship
• Contentment
• Compassion
• Loyalty
• Patience

Think through this list in your own life. In what areas do you find yourself needing to grow? What areas are your strength that you can teach others?

Ruth - Her sacrifice and kindness

In 2:8-23, we find that Ruth is now having a conversation with Boaz, the owner of the field where she is gleaning. Here we can see again how much God is providentially caring for her (see post entry 3/8/11). Ruth had sacrificed to stay with Naomi. She left her family, her country and all that was familiar and comfortable to her. Ruth then chose to sacrifice for the good of her mother-in-law. She went to work in the fields to provide food for her and much more. The passage reveals that Ruth did much more to show kindness to Naomi and was full of good works (see verse 11). There is much we can learn from Ruth of her sacrifice and kindness. Is your life a testimony of God's love? Are you showing kindness and sacrifice to those who are closest to you?

Ruth- God's Providential Care

In 2:1-7 we find that Ruth asks for permission from Naomi to glean in the fields. Gleaning was a provision of God for the poor according to the Old Testament law. As readers of this story we can see that God providentially had Ruth "happen" to go to Boaz's field. This is not chance, rather the perfect plan of God! God saw fit to not only make a way for Naomi and Ruth to receive food by gleaning, but He also planned the exact field for Ruth to go to. This field belonged to Boaz, a relative of the family and as we know would become the kinsman redeemer. How marvelous! As we reflect on God's perfect plan in Ruth and Naomi's lives, we can be challenged that God has a perfect plan for us. Nothing happens by chance; rather, all things happen according to His will. God is not surprised when a family crisis comes your way, nor is he surprised when you find yourself pregnant when you weren't planning on it! God sovereignly is in control of the people you meet, the job you have, the church you attend. He knows the path of your life regarding health, finances, and your home. He has it planned! Not only does He have it planned, but He also has made a way to provide for all that you need. How wonderful the peace that comes when we truly accept His plan and give up our wishes and our desires and strive to please Him in every area of life. How about you? Do you understand that God is in control of your life? Or, do you somehow think that you are in control? Do you go to God in prayer when you have a decision to make? We pray that you will grab hold of this truth and let it sink into your heart and find perfect peace.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24 ESV)

Ruth - Chapter 2:1-7

Haven't you been encouraged by our study so far? No matter how many times I read this book, I still learn to apply truths every time. So never tire of reading familiar stories....rather ask God to help you understand how to apply the truth to your life. Today we begin studying in Ruth chapter 2. We will spend some time asking some basic questions about the story and then will get into discussion application. In chapter 2, we are introduced now to a man by the name of Boaz. We learn much about his character and the kind of man that he was: a Godly man who had integrity and self-control. He was kind and generous. Wow! Seeking to be obedient in just these characteristics is a life-time of work! Yet we know that becoming the woman God wants you to be is possible through God's grace....never give up trying even if you fail. In our study of Ruth, we find that Naomi and Ruth were poor, widowed and destitute. These women were vulnerable and yet God led them back to Bethlehem where they would be able find food, housing and where Ruth would eventually meet her future husband who would generously give to her needs. Wow! I don't know about you, but this gives me more confidence as I seek to be faithful to my Savior.

Godly Relationships

The relationship that Naomi and Ruth had was God-ordained, God-honoring, and an example to us as women. God sovereignly brought them together and allowed them to give glory to Him through their example. As we have learned, Naomi must have had some incredible character qualities for Ruth to have been so adamant about following her to her hometown. How does their relationship inspire you to relate to loved ones in your own life?

God's Loving Concern

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem during the barley harvest. This was the first harvest of the year, but Scripture tells us that God was blessing! We can see several ways that God showed his loving concern for Naomi, even though she claimed that His hand was against her (1:13). Here's what we came up with:

1. God allowed Ruth to return along with Naomi. This made the trip home not so lonely!
2. They returned at a time when they could store up food for themselves.
3. Naomi had the ability to return home, even at her older age.
4. Ruth was younger and was able to work to help Naomi.

Even when situations don't look that wonderful, if we look close enough, we can see where God still shows His love and concern for us. Maybe it's in an unexpected financial gift, or a neighbor stops by to help with a project. Maybe it's just the peace that God gives us as we stay faithful to Him in a difficult trial. In any case, God loves us and is always watching over us to give us exactly what we need.

Ruth 1:19-22

Today, we begin studying the last section of chapter 1 of Ruth. Naomi and Ruth return home to Naomi's native land. The people notice! No doubt, these people would have heard of Naomi's loss of her husband and sons. The women even ask, "Is this Naomi?" and Naomi responds by telling them to call her Mara instead of Naomi. Why would she do this? Naomi means, "pleasant one." If Naomi had lived up to the meaning of her name, the people would have remembered her as such. Mara means, "bitter." This word is first used in Exodus 15:23 when Israelites came upon bitter water. The place was called, "Marah," because of it's bitterness. Naomi's response to the women indicate the place of her heart. She was no longer pleasant, but rather was now bitter because of her current circumstances. Although she recognizes that it is God which has caused these things to happen to her, she is not willing to submit to His plan. Rather, she is relaying her bitterness in what God is doing in her life. How about you? How do you respond towards what God is doing in your life? Do you recognize his sovereignty and yet still have a bitter heart? Or do you recognize his sovereignty and have a pleasant heart?

Hope from Ruth

It is evident that Ruth had faith and confidence in the God of Israel. She would not have been so willing to leave her family, culture, false gods and everything else she had known for all of her life. It is also interesting to note that all Ruth would have learned about God through Naomi and her family for the previous 10 years. She did not have Scripture as we do today! How does her commitment to God offer hope and encouragement to you? We share our thoughts today on the program and would love to hear from you. Please share!

Ruth's commitment

In chapter 1:17, Ruth tells of her commitment to Naomi. The Bible says in verse 14 that Ruth clung to her. This word "clung" is used in the same way as in Genesis 2:24 when God commands to man to "cleave" to his wife. Ruth's mind was made up. She was going home with Naomi and once Naomi saw her determination she said no more. How did Ruth reveal her commitment to Naomi?

• Where you go, I will go. She commits to leaving her home.
• Where you lodge, I will lodge. She commits to settling in a foreign land.
• Your people shall be my people. She commits to embracing a new culture.
• Your God shall be my God. She commits to denying her false gods and chooses faith in the one true God.
• Where you die, I will die and there be buried. She gives up her right to be buried with her family in her home country.
• May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you. A seal of her comittment to Naomi.

Losing Hope

Ruth 1:10-14 reveal to the reader that Orpah and Ruth desired to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. This reveals that they were willing to give up their family, their gods and their culture to follow their mother-in-law. As we discuss today, this shows they loved Naomi. She must have been a mother-in-law worth following in order for them to give up everything they knew. Then we find out that Naomi desires for them to stay home. She gave several reasons to them that they should return home: she no longer would bear any more children, she was too old to have another husband, she had lost hope and said the hand of the Lord was against her. Naomi felt that God was against her and that if these ladies followed her, they would suffer because of her. But why did Naomi feel God was against her? As we discuss today, we see from these verses that she loses hope. She acknowledges God's hand in her situation, but feels hopeless for any joy in her life. As you study these verses, do you see yourself like Naomi - losing hope in your time of trial? Never forget that the God who created you and loves you has His hand on all things in your life. He is good and as His child will cause all things to work for your good to conform you more to be like Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Character qualities of a godly woman

We learn more about Naomi and Ruth as we continue on in our study. We are learn that while in Moab, Ruth's husband dies. Her two sons marry Moabite women and then her sons die. Naomi now finds herself in a foreign country with just two daughter-in-laws as her family. She had no grandchildren. At some point while Naomi was in the fields, she finds out that the Lord was blessing her people with food (vs. 6). Naomi desires to return to her people, her home and gives Orpah and Ruth a blessing. Her blessing was that the Lord would be kind to them as they had been to her and the dead and that they would find rest in the house of their husbands (most likely a desire for them to marry again). This relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-laws cause us to ask about the character of these women. What kind of mother-in-law was Naomi to Orpah and Ruth to give them such a blessing? What kind of daughter-in-laws were Orpah and Ruth for Naomi to be so kind to them? What does this indicate about their relationship?

The Setting

As we dig further into the background of the book of Ruth, we find in 1:1-2, some interesting facts about Ruth's family....before we even meet Ruth. It is helpful to know what is going on at the time of the writing. It helps to know how Ruth (a Moabite) would have found herself going to Bethlehem and serving the One True God. We find out from the first two verses that because of a famine in the land of Judah, Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, and two sons chose to move to the country of Moab. We're not told if they thought this was a temporary move or if their reasons for moving were prompted by God. All we know is that they moved. So here's a question for thought....Do you think that Elimelech's decision to move his family to Moab was wise? Why or why not?

Studying Ruth

Today we will begin studying the book of Ruth. We encourage you to take about 15 minutes and sit and read through the entire book. It's just 4 chapters long and will help you to refresh your memory about the story as we begin studying in detail. Notes for our study are posted on the right side of our blog. If you wish, you may print these notes and study ahead on your own or follow along with us as we study. As we begin today, we will discuss the purpose of the book of Ruth. Please share any thoughts or questions you might have here. We would love to hear from you!

An Interview with a Missionary

We are blessed to have the opportunity to have Hannah Scott with us on the program. She'll be sharing her testimony and ministry with her husband in Thailand. Hannah is the daughter of our own Pam Ormiston and we are delighted for this opportunity for Hannah to share her heart with us. She'll be with us from February 4-10, 2011. We hope you will enjoy listening! Hannah, a member of Family Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, was born into a godly family on January 27, 1980 in Illinois. At the young age of four, Hannah placed her faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the testimony of her mother. Through the ministry of camp, Hannah surrendered her life to the Lord’s service around the age of 10. God continued to prepare her by providing ministry opportunities with children, youth, ladies, and counseling. Amidst the ministry at Family Baptist Church, Hannah and Duane realized the mutual desire and passion for missions that they shared. August 3, 2002 they were married. 2003 they began the application process with Baptist Mid Missions where they saw a presentation on Southeast Asian. After a brief survey trip to that area they began deputation for Thailand. Hannah and Duane have been serving in Thailand since June of 2006. You can follow their ministry here: http://www.scottsinthailand.org

Imitating Good

As we close our study in 3 John, we want to spend the time talking about how we can encourage children and teens to imitate good in the midst of peer pressure. We can't ignore the fact that children and teens are bombarded with false philosophies on a daily basis. Every day that your child goes to school they must make a decision about whether they will choose to follow God or do what their friends do. Every day is an opportunity to talk with your children (or those whom you have influence over) and discuss how their walk with Christ is going. It is VITAL that we are being godly role models and mentors to those who are younger than us. Well, we share a lot of our thoughts today on the program. If you missed the broadcast you can look for the audio archives (link is located on the right of this blog) and listen. What do you think? How can Christian women encourage children and teens to imitate good?

A Negative Example

In 3 John 9, we have a negative example of a man named Diotrephes. He was a man who put himself first in the church and rejected authority. As we study this man and his characteristics, they certainly do not glorify Christ! John calls this man out and we have a written record of his negative example. What can we learn from this man? What situations might believers be tempted to be first? As you study this section of Scripture, do you find yourself like Diotrephes in any way? We encourage you to ask these hard questions of yourself. Evaluate your life - are you a negative example like Diotrephes or are you a godly example like Gaius?

Hospitality

As we have studied 2 John and are now studying 3 John, we can see that hospitality was an important part of the believers in John's day. We also know from Scripture that we ought to be showing hospitality to others (Romans 12:13). Our topic of discussion today then is, "how can we show hospitality to other Christians?" We hope this is an encouragement to you as you seek to be obedient to God. How do you show hospitality to others?

Praying for the Believers

Today we want to talk specifically about praying for other believers. We know that prayer is an important characteristic in the life of the believer. We've talked about how it is an encouragement to others when we pray for them. But today, our conversation is more about How you can pray for other believers. We can see from 3 John that John prays for his fellow believers and we see how he prays for them. So we will take thoughts from this text and seek to apply it directly to how we pray for others. What about you? How doe you specifically pray for other believers?

Encouraging the Believers

Today we talk about why it is important to tell other believers that you are praying for them. First of all, it's so encouraging! It also is biblical. We see in this letter that John not only prays for Gaius, but he also tells Gaius of his prayers. What an example of love. When we not only show love by praying, we love even more by telling the believer we've prayed. Is there someone who you have been praying for that you could encourage by telling them so? Or, is there someone you should begin to pray for? Let's pray and tell.....it's such an encouragement!

3 John

We begin a 2 week study of 3 John today. As you read through this book, you will find many similarities between 2 and 3 John. 3 John addresses hospitality and false teachers as 2 John does. This letter was written to Gaius, a very faithful Christian. This is the only book in the Bible that is address to one specific person. John prayed that Gaius' health would be as strong as his spiritual health. Doesn't this tell you something about this faithful Christian? John was very enthusiastic about the positive reports he received regarding Gaius. I hope that as we have discussed qualities of Gaius today, that you will be encouraged reflect on which qualities you need to develop in your own life.

Showing Love

Today we talk about how we can be loving and kind AND still refuse to accept false teachers. That is a hard thought! I don't know about you, but when one is trying to get me to accept a false belief, I am tempted to get pretty huffy quick! Yes, it is good to stand up for God's truth and turn from any false belief. However, it is so important that as we refuse to accept a false way, that we do show love. Here's a few thoughts we share today:

1. Remember Ephesians 4:32 - be kind to others.
2. Use Scripture to defend your belief. Don't just say, "I think," but rather say, "God says."
3. Look at them as Christ does...an unbeliever who needs the Savior. You may be the first person they have met who is a Christian.
4. Don't take it personal. They will answer to God someday for their rejection of the Truth!

Let us know your experience(s) with dealing those who believed falsely. What did you say? Was it hard to show love and kindess? How can we better prepare ourselves for future interaction with people such as these?

Believing a lie?

Today we ask why believers so often tempted to take false teaching lightly? Do we think we would never stray from our faith? Do we not realize the seriousness of their unbiblical belief? Do we think it's OK for them to believe what they want to keep the relationship peaceful? Are we afraid of speaking up for our faith? These are serious questions that you ought take the time to answer in your own life. We share our thoughts today regarding this....what do you think?

False Teachers

As we move into verses 7-13 of 2 John, we encounter those pesky false teachers again! What did they deny? They denied the deity of Jesus Christ. John spent a lot of time in his 1st letter to warn the believers of these false teachers. Here in 2 John, he is warning them again! John encouraged the believers to watch out for them so as to guard the faith. The reader of this letter was warned to not even let these false teachers into his or her house! In doing this, they would be vulnerable to the false teacher's lies. Christians often invited strangers into their home because they were following the command to show hospitality and love to others. Yet, in this case, John said to not allow the false teachers in their home. We hope this discussion of these verses help you to understand this context of Scripture. In two days, we'll get into the more practical application of the truth John wrote about.

Love for the Church Family

How do we show love for our church family? We have talked so much about loving others in the past, and today we want to ask specifically regarding those in our church family. What do you do weekly, monthly or randomly to show love to your church family. Again, we shared many things from our hearts today, and we want to hear from you too! What steps can you take today to show love?

Love for the Church Leadership

Today we are asking a very practical question for every one of us: "How can we show our love for our church leadership?" Specifically this applies to your pastor(s), elder(s) and/or deacon(s). We have a lot of thoughts about this, and would love to hear from you. How have you shown love for them? Or, how have you seen others show their love?

Joy

John had great joy when he hear that children were walking in the truth! (verse 4) Isn't it so encouraging to see others thrive in their Christian walk with God? We talk some today about when we have had joy seeing others walk in the truth. Will you share your joy with us?

The Truth

2 John 2 tells us that the truth "will be with us forever." How is that so? Today we discuss how important this fact is in the believer's life. How do you cultivate the truth in your life and how are you doing encouraging others to walk in the truth?

Beginning 2 John

Today, we begin our study in the book of 2 John! We are excited as we begin this study as we have much more to learn from John's writings. We hope that you will notice that we have made some changes to our study format. We desire to discuss Scripture in a way that will help you understand what is going on as well as how to apply truths to your life. You will still find study notes to help you as we go along (available on the right of our blog) and we will be referring to the questions quite frequently to help keep us all on track! Our discussion today focuses on some general questions about the book.

Overall, John wants his readers to:

1. Walk in the truth
2. Obey the commandments
3. Love one another
4. Guard the teachings of Christ to not be deceived by the antichrist

As you read through this book, what are some initial thoughts you have about it? What is different about this writing than 1 John? What things are similar? We hope you'll join us as we study!

Idolatry, part 2

Today and tomorrow, we will each share personal examples of what modern "idols" we are tempted by. We pray that by sharing our struggles, that it will encourage you to identify any idols you may have and be honest in dealing with them biblically. Would you share what you are tempted with? How do you use Scripture to overcome the temptation? How have you grown spiritually because of this struggle? Please share!

Idolatry

As we end our study of 1 John, we read John's words, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." What is an idol? It is anything that draws our attention away from God. What occupies my heart's desires - is it God? Or do I desire something else? So think through this with us for the next few days. What consumes you? What are you willing to sin to get? Hopefully you can use these questions to determine if you desire something other than our loving God.

How Can You Pray?

What are specific ways you can pray for a sinning brother? We encourage you to pray Scripture for the sinning brother in Christ. Here's some of the verses that we mention today.

• Psalm 32:1-5
• 1 John 1:9
• Romans 2:4
• Psalm 51:2
• Romans 6:1-2, 12-13

As you pray Scripture for this person, it will help you to think biblically about the situation. And when you do go to them to confront the sin, you can tell them how you have been praying for them. So do you have any other thoughts? More verses to share?

What to do?

We ask the question today, "If I see a brother sinning, what do I do?" Here's how we answer:

1. Ask questions! Maybe you need to find out some more facts of the situation before you determine if they are sinning.
2. Pray! The text of 1 John 5:16-17 tells believers to pray....enough said!
3. Follow Matthew 18 - but check your life first (Matthew 7:1-5)
4. Remember the goal of confrontation is to see the sinning brother restored (Galatians 6:1), so be sure to go with a spirit of gentleness.

Prayer for the Sinning Brother

As we look at 1 John 5:16-17, we want to encourage you to pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are in sin. These two verses talk about a sin not leading to death, which we will not take time to study. Rather, if you are curious as to what this might mean, please study on your own and then share with us what you found out! We know that sin is any wrongdoing. Anything that violates God's will is sin and so when a believer is in sin, these verses tell us to pray for them! Is there someone you can pray for today?

Confidence of Eternal Life

As we work through 1 John 5: 13-15, we ask, "How can we be confident that we have eternal life?" Have you ever doubted your salvation? Have you ever wondered if you truly confessed Christ as your Savior? As we answer this question today, we hope that you have been encouraged by the truth of God's Word! Our confidence in eternal life is shown throughout the entire book of 1 John. How many times does John write, "so you may know"? Evaluate your life...are you confident in your salvation?

Eternal Life

As we move through our discussion of 1 John 5, we want to take some time to reflect on the Gospel. How can a person receive eternal life? We know that many of us are familiar with the gospel and eternal life, but we want to share some more detailed thoughts as we answer this question. We'll be also sharing some thoughts from the "God's Bridge to Eternal Life" tract. You can find a link to this tract on the right side of our blog under "Bible Study Tools." We want to encourage you to pray about someone who you can share this truth with. Share any thoughts you might have - we'd love to hear from you!

Water, Blood & the Spirit

Have you ever read this section of 1 John and wondered, "what do these terms mean?" We have! We enjoyed digging into verses 5: 6-8 to discover what each of these terms mean. Here's what we found out: Water - refers to Christ's baptism. Blood - refers to Christ's death. These are two external witnesses to validate Christ's life here on earth. The Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit which lives within the believer. The Spirit gives testimony to the believer of the truth of Jesus Christ. These 3, the water, blood and the Spirit agree to the truthfulness of the person Jesus as the Christ. What a blessing it has been study this passage! And as we seek to apply this section, we ask "How are you doing listening to the Spirit today?"

1 John 5:6-12

As we move into this next section of 1 John 5, we wanted to take some time talk about the words, "testify" and "testimony." Did you notice how often John uses these words in these verses? The word "testify" means to "bear witness," "to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something." John uses this word in other parts of 1 John to show the importance of his testimony of Christ to the believers. Now, he will use these terms to help the believers understand external testimony (vs. 6-9) and internal testimony (vs. 10-12). So join us as we study this section!

Victory!

"You Christians do not have to walk around defeated, because Jesus Christ has made you victors! He has defeated every enemy and you share in His victory. Now, by faith, claim His victory." (Warren W. Wiersbe) Isn't that powerful??? Because of the faith we have in Christ, we are victors over every enemy, every trial, every sin. John 16:33, "Take heart! I have overcome the world." Because believers are in Christ, we can have hope! But it is only through Christ. It is not through me, it is not through worldly philosophy, but it is only through Christ. Claim the victory over sin and do not walk defeated. I know we all go through difficult times, where God stretches us and uses circumstances to "be conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:29) Yet, we do not have to frown or worry through these times....we are victors! What hope and testimony that can give to unbelieving family, friends, co-workers or neighbors when they see the faith and confidence you have in your Savior. Claim that victory today!

Loving God and His Word

Oh, ladies, if you haven't caught our heart's desire yet for you it is that we pray that you will grow to love God and His Word so much that it is your treasure. Today we start talking about the importance of cultivating an attitude of loving God and His Word. Read Psalm 119 and you will catch David's heart as you read about his love for God and His Word. Does your heart mirror David's? Do you love His law (Ps. 119:97)? Do you rejoice in the Law (Ps. 119:14)? Do you delight in it (Ps. 119:16)? Do you find it sweeter than honey (Ps. 119:103)? Do you turn God's statues into songs (Ps. 119:24)? My friend, God's Word is our strength, it is where we can find help in time of need. Regardless of your circumstance, trial or test, go to His Word. Delight in it, love it, pray for understanding and God will give you the strength to obey His commands joyfully.

How can I joyfully obey?

To obey is one thing....but to obey joyfully is another! We have seen in children how they might obey their parents, but have a grumpy heart doing it! Christian adults are the same way! Do we obey our Heavenly Father with a grumpy heart or do we joyfully obey His commands? Over the next several sessions we are going to share with you some ideas that we think will help you joyfully obey God's commands. Tell us what you think or if you have other ideas to share, let us know! The full list with verses can be found on our study notes. For reference, I have a simple list here as well. 1) Check your heart! 2) Recognize that obedience is a family matter. 3) Cultivate an attitude of loving God and His Word 4) Choose to be joyful 5) Don't live based on your feelings 6) Focus on the future

Examples of Obedience

The next couple of days we are going to share with you some Biblical examples as well as recent examples of people who have obeyed in difficult circumstances. We hope you are encouraged by these examples and that they will give YOU encouragement to obey! Can you share with us an example?

Easy or Difficult?

Many Christians think obeying God is difficult. Why is that a misconception? Remember Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"? The Christian whose will is united with the will of God, will not find obedience to God's will a task. Rather, the Christian will find obedience a joy because he loves to serve and please his Savior. We need to recognize that attitudes of defeat and sorrow over what God has called you to do is sinful thinking. We must take our thoughts captive and chose to believe God's Word - that what He has called us to do, He will give us grace to do. So, how are you doing? Do you think that obeying God is difficult? How have you see God's grace working in your life as you seek to obey God?

Obeyable Commands

Verse 3 in 1 John 5 tells us, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." What an amazing and encouraging truth this can bring us as we seek to obey God's commands. We can be confident that His commands are obeyable because He promises that they are not burdensome! We spent some time today defining the word "burdensome." The thought behind it is that a burden is "heavy," "oppressive," or "grievous." These are not characteristic of God's commands. We read in Matthew 11:30 that Christ says "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Praise God that what God has called us to is bearable, obeyable and can be done using His strength! So, how are you doing with YOUR calling? Are you trusting in this fact that His commands are not burdensome? Or, are you allowing your mind to be overwhelmed with the worries and cares of this life? We pray that this time of study would be an encouragement to you as you seek to fulfill God's calling for your life.

1 John 5:1-5 - Introduction

We begin studying 1 John 5 today and want to introduce the first 5 verses to you. As you read these verses, do any of these verses sound familiar to you? We have talked about many of these things already and again John is weaving these truths in this passage as well. Here are some 3 important themes John mentions again in this section: 1) Faith 2) Loving & Obeying God 3) The Victorious Christian Life We pray that you will find encouragement again from John's words as you study along with us.

Overview of 1 John 4:19-21

As we wrap up chapter 4 of 1 John, we will take the next three days to talk about verses 19-21. What truths from these verses do you use to encourage others? How are these verses encouraging to you?

Overcoming Fear

How can we overcome our fears? Well, surprise, surprise....we made a list! We explain this list today and tomorrow. This list can also be found on our study notes, along with the verses we give for each. 1) Spiritual growth 2) Love God & others because He loves me 3) Trust in His word 4) Prayer 5) Admonition from other believers 6) Hearing God's word (church, Bible studies, radio) Can you think of anything else to add to this list?

Fear, cont...

As we continue to talk about fear from 1 John, we ask "what is the problem with fear?" Is it wrong to be afraid? As we talk about this, I hope you will see that when we fear, we are not trusting in God. We are choosing to not believe the promise that we read in Scripture, that we do not need to be afraid. Psalm 56:3 - "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." At the moment you recognize your fear, you must trust in God! To continue along in your fear is sin. Again, the fear we are talking about in this context, is fear of God's judgment & guilt of sin. Are you choosing to meditate on God's truth or ignore His promises?

Fear

1 John 4:18 talks about fear. This fear has to do with "punishment" or the coming judgment on the world. Fear is "dread, terror, state of severe distress, concern for impending pain, danger or evil." As we talk about fear in this context, it is important to remember that John is telling his readers that we do not have to fear the coming judgment. Believers have been redeemed and because of God's perfect love, we do not need to be afraid of God's wrath on the unsaved. Praise the Lord! Believers can be fearful of judgment or punishment of sin, but we can remember that God is faithful and will forgive (1 Jn. 1:9). Because of his perfect love, He has forigven us completely and will not hold us accountable for our sins. However, this does NOT mean that we won't suffer present physical consequences - say, a speeding ticket for driving over the speed limit. There are consequences for our sin, but God does not hold us eternally accountable for them as through Christ, they have been forgiven. Some Christians fear death....this ought not to be. For we know that if we are absent from our body, we are present with the Lord.

1 John 4:15-21

We begin today digging into chapter 4:15-21 today. We chose to skip verses 15 and 16, only because we have discussed these verses in the past with other sections of our study. They are much a repeat of what John has already said, so to move on with our study, we are going to skip right ahead to verses 17 & 18. Over the next several days we are asking ourselves how these 2 verses fit together. We want to gain a proper understanding and so we hope you'll join us as we discuss the importance of these verses!

New link

We have posted a new link under the "Favorite Websites" section on the right side of our blog. The link is: Matthew Henry's Method for Prayer. On the right side of this website there is a link to join the daily email list of praying Scripture. We hope you look to see if this tool would be useful for you!

1 John - a Review

We are going to take the next couple of days to review what we have studied so far in 1 John. We have been studying intensely the last several weeks and so we thought it would be helpful to take a step back and look at the book of 1 John again as a whole. If you are following our online outline, we start today with question #1 of chapter 4, verses 15-21. What has been the emphasis in John's communications so far? Main ideas of chapters 1-4: Chapter 1) Jesus is a real man whom we have fellowship, 2) Those who claim to know Him must love the brothers, 3) God's children must not live in sin, 4) Learn to discern the spirit of truth and falsehood.

A short break in our study....

We'd like to take a short break in our 1 John study today to just talk about how we are currently studying God's Word. You know, studying God's Word is just so important. Getting to know God better helps us as we seek to glorify Him. Our program seeks to study God's Word and then apply it to women in various seasons of life. Whether you are a teenage girl still learning about all the truths God wants you to know or are a mature older woman, there is much to share! We hope that today is an encouragement to you as you hear how we study. Will you share with us and others what you are doing to study God's Word?

Personal application

How can you personally apply 1 John 4:13-14 to your life? We will be sharing our testimony concerning these verses in the next two days and would love to hear from you! We start off by talking about the work of the Holy Spirit. Check our online notes for the specific things we mention.

Testifying

We've been talking the last several days about how John testified the fact that God the Father sent God the Son to be the Savior of the world. As believer's we are also to testify of this fact. The question we are asking today is, "How can we as believers testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world"? We shared our thoughts on this matter....please share how you testify.

Home

"What is your home communicating? What message does it send out about what God is like? Does it manifest His love, His grace, His beauty, and His order? Does it point people to the gospel? Does it help them see their need for a Savior and make them thirsty for Christ?...we can make homes out of wherever God has placed us, that minister grace and the gospel and the likeness of Christ to those around us...That climate is affected by our attitudes, by the activities that take place in our homes and by the general atmosphere of our homes. A climate conducive to nurturing life would be a climate of order, peace, grace, unconditional love, kindness, truth, a home where we experience the reality and the presence of Christ. Where we talk about Christ. Where we talk about His Word...What stifles life? What kills life in our homes? It’s a climate of:

• criticism
• perfectionism
• anger
• selfishness
• pride
• contention,
• performance-based love

If that kind of climate is in your home, ask yourself, how am I contributing to that environment? Am I doing something to make the climate of our home that way with my behavior, my spirit, my actions, or my reactions?"

I read this in one of Nancy Leigh DeMoss' radio programs, and I thought it was such a great reminder. No matter where we are in life, what season or the size of our home, we are called to be hospitable to others, not only sharing food but also sharing Christ!

I Peter 4:9-10

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. (ESV)

Getting practical - The difficulty to love

What makes it difficult for you to love others? The next 2 days we will seek to answer this question very practically. Do you struggle to love others because of pride? Selfishness? Do you see the response of "I need ME time" as selfish? God calls us to love others and that takes sacrifice; it takes giving up something we want for the good of another. What excuses do you give to NOT show love? Evaluate those excuses and determine if you have a biblical reason for withholding love. If you do not, take time to repent and ask God to help you practice love in a biblical way. We know this is hard work, yet it honors our Savior and is so worth it!

"One anothers" in the Bible

Today we talk about question #7 on our outline - "What is the result of loving one another?" Today and tomorrow we'll talk about other "one another's" in Scripture. See the online notes for the verses. Then on Monday, October 11th, we'll answer question #7 in more detail. What are your thoughts?

What loving others looks like, part 4

Our final topic of discussion on loving others is loving others who are in your sphere of influence. This might be your co-worker, neighbor, friend who lives in another state, or extended family members. How do you show them love?

What loving others looks like, part 3

Third in our categories of loving others is our church family. What does it look like to love others in your church? How have you loved others and what have others in your church done to show you love?

What loving others looks like, part 2

Today we move on in our discussion about love and will talk about what it looks like to love our children? Again, we will share personal examples in our situations. What does it look like in your home?

What loving others looks like, part 1

We are going to spend some time now discussing what loving others looks like. What are some practical every day things that we as women can do to love others. Today and tomorrow we are going to talk about what it looks like to love your husband? We will share our answers as it applies to our situations. If you are married, what does this look like in your life?

Candles among gunpowder

I just read this quote on an email this morning sent out by Nancy Leigh DeMoss speaking about the importance of our modesty as women:

"Richard Baxter was a 17th century pastor who realized how a woman's clothing could snare a man's mind. He gave women this counsel: "You must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder.""

Are we being that cautious in our lives in order to guard the hearts of men around us?

Sharathon 2010

AM-1030/WCTS is the radio station that produces and broadcasts our program "Women in the Word." We are asking those who listen to our program and WCTS to prayerfully consider making a financial donation to the radio station to help their operating costs in this coming year. We appreciate the ministry of WCTS and know that God is using it to encourage believers as well as reaching souls for Christ. The week of September 20-25 is the annual Sharathon during which the station seeks support. If you can help, you can do so by calling: 1-866-766-8556 (toll free) or 763-417-8270 (Metro). You can also donate online through www.wctsradio.com. Note that our program will not air the week of Sharathon. Please ask what the Lord would have you do to help this ministry. Thank you! Rebecca, Pam, Sarah, Crystal & Karen

Please give us some feedback!

We would love to hear from you! Please use this post to comment on our program. As a listener, do you have any suggestions for our program? Do we speak clearly? Give enough biblical references? Are the questions we pose on the program practical? Please let us know how we can improve and how we can encourage you better. Do you have suggestions for a future study? Thank you!

But why love?

Why should Christians love one another? Besides the clear fact that it is a command in Scripture, what other points can we make regarding the importance of love? We will spend September 16th talking about other "oughts" in Scripture. These can be found on our study notes for chapter 4. From then we'll seek to answer this question....what are your thoughts?

What is love?

The next 4 days we will be answering the question, "What is love?". We are going to take quite a bit of time giving as many examples from Scripture of what love looks like. Buckle up and join us as we talk about how to give flesh to the word love! Then share any additional thoughts that you may have here! The study notes also have a listing of verses we share. Check out the notes for chapter 4, question 4 on this section of Scripture.

God's Love

How did God show His love? From 1 John 4:9 we see that God showed His love because He sent His only Son to take the punishment for our sins. Because of this gift, we can "live through Him." What a blessing to know that God loved us this way! We see the Jesus Christ died that we might live "through Him" (1 Jn. 4:9), "for Him" (2 Cor. 5:15) and "with Him" (1 Thess. 5:9-10). We hope today and tomorrow will be an encouragement to you as you reflect on God's love for you. A challenge: take this love and share it with someone who needs to know God's love.

Worldly vs. Godly

Today we ask the question, "What are the differences between the world's idea of love and God's love?" We will spend a few sessions talking about these differences and want to help you think through some of the ways that people think about love. We also want to help you evaluate your own love life. Are you loving others with a godly love or with a false, worldly love? Think through the "why" of why you show love to others. Does it point others Christ? Is your motivation pure? Is it a godly love?

Loving and Knowing God

As we move into our study of 1 John 4:7-12, we find that we will be doing a lot of talking about love! Some of what we say will be a repeat of what we've shared before about love. But it's so important to grasp and understand, so we hope you will welcome the reminders! What is the relationship between loving and knowing God? We will discuss this question today and in the days to come. Please join us in our study and share any thoughts or questions that you may have.

Back to our study!

We took a break the last several sessions to talk with Heather Ormiston about her ministry. We hope you enjoyed and were encouraged through those sessions. Today we get back on track with our study and will continue on in 1 John 4:1-6. Over the next 4 days, we will talk about "false prophets" that are in our lives. What are they? How can I protect myself against them? We will share 3 principles to help you in this: 1) Choose your teachers carefully, 2) Listen with discernment, 3) Take responsibility for what you believe. How are you doing being "on guard"?

Conversations with Heather

Beginning today, we will be talking with Heather Ormiston, daughter-in-law of Pam. She will be with us for a few weeks and will share with us her ministry, how she is a woman of the Word and the blessings and challenges of being a pastor's wife. We hope you enjoy listening!

Overcoming the world

Overcoming the world....seems like such a difficult thing some days. Yet God has promised that we can overcome the world. We do not have to live under control of it's false philosophies. Rather, we can live a life that is glorifying to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today we will begin talking about what ways we have overcome the world. We'll give some personal examples as well as try to help you see the confidence you can have to overcome the devil through Christ.

Distinguishing Truth from Error

Today we ask the question, "How can we distinguish truth from error in spiritual matters?" from 1 John 4:2-3. As a Christian living in this world, we must be able to know what is truth and what is false in order to live a God-honoring life. How do I know what is right and wrong? Over the next 3 sessions, we will seek to answer this question and give practical ideas on how to know the truth. A few things we will mention: 1) Find out what God's Word says, 2) Seek wise counsel, 3) Ask God for wisdom. As you listen and study along with us, what are your thoughts? How do YOU find out what is truth and what is error? Please share!

1 John 4 - An overview

As we begin our study now in chapter 4 of 1 John, we give a brief overview of the first section of verses 1-6. As we study this section of Scripture, keep in mind that the word "spirit" refers to ideas and philosophies of the false prophets that we in the midst of this church. The believers in this church we being bombarded by these false teachings. Therefore, John gave instruction to test the spirits to know whether the teaching was from God or not. So we also ask, how we are to test the spirits. The primary means of knowing whether a teaching comes from God depends on whether or not one believes in the diety of Christ. Many religions today believe that Christ was a real person, but deny His deity. We ought to recognize this teaching as false and hold fast to what we know is true.

Do others know Jesus because of me?

We're asking ourselves the question today, How do other people know that God lives in you? We will talk about a few simple things as we wrap up chapter 3. As you evaluate your life - are you a testimony to Christ? Do others know Jesus because of you?

Prayer, cont...

Verse 23 of 1 John 3 gives us two commands - things we KNOW God wants from us. These commands are to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and love others just as we've be instructed before. So the question we are asking about this verse is this: How should the truth affect your prayer life? We will be sharing our thoughts on this over the next couple of days. Please share yours!

Prayer

1 John 3:20-21 lay the foundation for verse 22, " and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." In the context of this passage, we are talking about loving others in deed. John lays the negative example of Cain and then gives us the positive example of love - Christ! As we fulfill this command to love as Christ loves, it leads us into the discussion of prayer and asking things of God. We can have confidence that we are obeying God's commands and are in a right relationship with God and others that God will hear our requests and answer them! We are seeking the Will of God, so whether the answered prayer returns in our favor or not, we know that God is in control and have peace in that. It's such a blessing to have peace and it's possible, when we are walking according to God's will. We will be spending several days on verse 22, join in the discussion by sharing your thoughts here. Thanks for listening!

God knows the Heart

God knows our heart and there are many verses that prove these. We shared two examples of this from Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) and Peter (John 21:17). What a comfort to know that even though our hearts can be deceived, God knows our heart fully. Here are some verses we read today....look them up and read the truth that God knows all things. Let this truth be an encouragement to you. Over the next several days, we will be talking about this truth. 1)1 Chronicles 28:9, 2) Jeremiah 17:10, 3) Luke 16:14-15, 4) Acts 1:24, 5) Romans 8:26-27, 6) 1 Corinthians 4:3-4.

A Condemning Heart

1 John 3:20 is a tough one to wrap our minds around! We hope that we can help make this verse clear and we pray that through our discussion on this that we can help you understand more of what the Scriptures say regarding "guilty" feelings. This verse says, "for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." What does John mean when he talks about this condemning heart? This condemning heart is is NOT a conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is rather a "feeling" that our sinful self gives to us when we might feel guilty about a situation in which we need not feel guilt. It might be that you feel guilty about something that God does not condemn - say missing a morning of devotions for example. The point is that our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and this verse tells us that God is greater than our hearts. I need not feel guilty if I know in Scripture that God does not condemn me. So in our example of missing devotions, is it a sin that I didn't get up to have my quiet time with God in the morning - No! Rather, I need to understand the importance of having quiet time. I should then seek to have quiet time with God at another point in the day. This is especially an important principle for new moms. I can relate - I have a baby in the home and I know how hard it is to just sit and read God's Word and pray at times. So what we need to do is take advantage of the time we have and spend time with God when there is opportunity and making sure you are using your time wisely. Meditate on His Word through the day, singing songs of praise to Him as you are even washing dishes! Do not condemn yourself that you can't study for 30 minutes a day - that is not what matters to God. There are many other life circumstances where this can apply, this is just one example. What do you think? Have you found yourself condemning yourself in a situation? Please share your thoughts:)

What do we know?

As we move on in our study of 1 John, we come to the section of chapter 3 verses 19-24. In the book of John there are many instances where John says "we know" or "you know." We list for you today the 4 instances from 3:15-24. They are 1) vs. 15 - we know that no one who hates has eternal life, 2) vs. 16 - we know what love is, 3) vs. 19 - we know we are of the truth, 4) vs. 24 - we know that He abides in us by the proof of the Holy Spirit. These truths that we are to "know" ought to reassure us as vs. 19 tells us. When doubts arise, we can go back to the things we know to be true and have peace and confidence because of God's truth. When in doubt to you go to the Truth or do you seek advice and counsel from someone that doesn't know the Truth?

Fleshing out Love

1 John 3:18 tells believers that love is not just in word or talk but it is proven in deed and in truth. We are talking about this verse and trying to understand what this means. How do we love in deed and in truth? Love is more than just talk - it's love in action. Be genuine in your actions too...don't just go through the motions because God knows your heart! When was there a time where you might have loved in "word" and have missed out on God's blessing of loving in "action"? Evaluate your love life towards others - are you loving in "action" or just in "talk"?

Called to Help

When we "see our brother in need" (1 John 3:17), how might we close our heart against him or her? To our shame, we do often close the door of opportunity and blessing to meet another's need. Do you have any personal examples of how you might have done this? How did God use that situation to help you grow?

Called to Love

1 John 3:16 reveals that as Christians, we are to love others and even lay down our own life for our brothers. How can that be done? What does this look like in the life of the believer? Does God really want us to suffer for the good of another? As we look into Scripture we see the command to think of others before ourselves, yet when someone has a need, we are tempted to give an excuse as to why we cannot help. True love is shown when we show it by our actions. Consider James 2:15-17. How can you fulfill that today?

Let's Talk About Love

What is love? 1 John 3:16 tells us we can KNOW love. Christ died for us! We know love by God and God alone. The love that we show others, proves our love for God. We'll be talking the next several days about love, it's characteristics, as well as share some personal examples of what love "fleshed out" has looked like in our lives

Hatred = Murder

1 John 3:15 tells me that if I hate my brother, I am a murderer. Wow! Have you ever hated someone? Cain hated his brother and his hatred let him to kill his brother. You might think that you would never be capable of doing something so severe, but the Bible tells us that if we hate someone it is just like murder in God's eyes. Is there a relationship you need to reconcile? If so, pray that God would give you opportunity and grace to reconcile that relationship. Ask Him to help you confess any wrongs you have done toward the other person that Christ may be glorified! Don't let hatred boil in your heart.

Do Not Be Surprised!

Do you love surprises? I do...when they are for special celebrations or just because. But I hate being surprised by a scary noise in the dark! Well, we have a warning here in 1 John 3:13 - it says, "Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you." Why would the world hate you? Should the world hate you? What should your reaction be to their hate?

A Bad Example

1 John 3:12 tells us that we should not be like Cain. We will spend the next couple of days studying the story of Cain from Genesis 4:1-16. Cain's attitude and behavior are bad examples to follow. Is your life full of selfishness, anger, depression and rejection of biblical counsel? Be warned! Cain had these same attitudes and he murdered!

The Message to Love

Over the next two weeks, we will be talking about 1 John 3:4-11. John begins this section with a reminder about loving others. Don't we all need reminders? John does this for our benefit so that we would not forget to love others. The command to love others was given from the beginning of our faith in Christ. I can't get over the power of Romans 5:5, "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit," and 1 Thessalonians 4:9 that says, "you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another." If God has poured love into our hearts and we ought to love others - then we have no excuse to not share God's love to others. People need to see the love of God - especially unbelievers! Are you sharing God's love? What evidence is there in your life that you are?

Questions for Thought

As we conclude this section of 1 John 3:4-10, ask yourself the following questions to evaluate your life: 1.Do I have the divine nature within me or am I merely pretending to be a Christian? 2.Do I cultivate this divine nature by daily Bible reading and prayer? 3.Has any unconfessed sin defiled my inner self? 4.Am I willing to confess and forsake it? 5.Do I allow my flesh to control my thoughts and desires, or does the divine nature rule me? 6.When temptation comes, do I “play with it” or do I flee from it? Do I immediately yield to the divine nature within me?

The Children of God

How do we identify the children of God. Well, 1 John 3:10 tells us! It says, " By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." Over the next few days, we will talk about verse 10 and it's implications.

Sin in the beliver's life

Sin - ugh.... The thought of sin in my life torments me. I grapple with the question of why do I continue to sin? Do you? As a believer, we still have that ugly sin nature a part of us, but the Bible tells us that we have been given a new nature to follow righteousness. 1 John 3:9 tells us that we cannot keep on sinning because we have been born of God. How is that true? The next couple of days we will be talking about this verse. But here are some reasons we give as to why Christians cannot continue to sin: 1. Sin is incompatible with the law of God which believers love (Psalm 119:97, Romans 7:22). 2. Sin is incompatible with the work of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). 3. Christ came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8). 4. Sin is incompatible with the ministry of the Holy Spirit who has imparted a new nature into the believer (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Devil

1 John 3:8 helps us understand the devil and gives us HOPE as we seek to follow Christ rather than Satan. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and in that truth believers can have HOPE! We do not have to live in bondage to sin. Our question for verse 8 is: What do you learn about the devil and how does that help you in your spiritual battles? We would love to hear how God has helped you overcome the devil in your quest for spiritual growth and Christlikeness.

The Victory Plan

Today we begin discussing The Victory Plan as we seek to do what is right. Listed here are the points that we will cover over the next several days. These points can also be found on the study notes. 1. Meaningful devotions (James 1:22-25) 2. Faithful involvement in a good local church (Hebrews 10:24) 3. Develop Godly friendships (2 Timothy 2:22) 4. Institute Accountability (Hebrews 3:13, 14; Romans 12:10, 16) 5. Proper diet, rest and exercise (1 Timothy 4:8, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Ecclesiastes 5:12) Book suggestion: Love to Eat Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick 6. Commit to serve others (Matthew 20:25-28) 7. Use your time wisely (Ephesians 5:15-16) 8. Avoid certain people, places and practices (1 Corinthians 15:44, Psalm 1:1, 1 Corinthians 10:12).

What does it mean to do right?

1 John 3:7 says"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." So what does it mean to do right? We will spend the next couple of weeks answering this question. We will also introduce you to the "Victory Plan." Please share any thoughts you have.

Am I different?

In our study of 1 John 3:6, we are asking ourselves this question: How is a person who lives like Christ unusual?" Over the next 5 days we will be answering this question. As a Christian, are YOU different? In what ways can unbelievers see the difference in you? We hope you will study along with us!

What is lawlessness?

Over the next several days, we will be discussing lawlessness. This word, "lawlessness," used in 1 John 3:4 is not a word we often use, yet Scripture uses it to be clear that it is an intentional rebellion against God's will. Lawlessness does refer to sin, but the meaning behind the word is so much more - it truly gives the idea of one's choice to rebel against God's plan. Through this word study, the ladies will be answering the question "What is lawlessness?" The answers they give with Scripture text are listed on the online study notes. How has this study helped you to understand lawlessness?

Sanctification

In the study of 1 John 3:3, the ladies talked today about sanctification. What is God's part in our sanctification and what is our part? God's Part 1. He eliminated the authority of the flesh in the life of believers. Romans 6:6-14 2. God illuminates the Word of God in the mind of believers. 1 Corinthians 2:12 3. God instills the fruit of the Spirit in the life of believers. Galatians 5:22-23 Our Part 1. We need to mortify the flesh. Romans 8:13 2. We need to mediate on God's Word. Psalm 19:14 3. We need to manifest Christ's likeness. Ephesians 5:1 What is the hardest part in sanctification for you? What struggles do you have? How might you overcome these difficulties?