FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Because of God’s Sacrifice we can experience the presence of God and have a new beginning
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
(14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. —John 1:14-15 (KJV) (ESV)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sister Julia Frazier – March 28 – Introduction Class
Call (641) 715-3378, access code 2597-48#; Reference 201# to listen to a review of these lessons.
For more information visit 5ambiblestudyministry.org
Visit here to submit Prayer Requests
Overview: We honor God by discussing who He is and His remarkable works done in our lives. This empowers us to assist others in need even if they are critical of our faith. We must humble ourselves and God will enable us by the power of His Spirit to still love each other deeply.
The point of being alive is to pursue God’s Kingdom. As we focus on serving God and others, let’s allow Him to grow us spiritually and not be overly concerned about securing our own future with things. Be mindful that the abundance of things in this life can distract us from our godly assignments and from giving God all the glory for His goodness towards us.
God will supply all our needs as we serve Him and others. Consider the cross, how Jesus made the sacrifice to suffer for our sake and to free us from sin. Let’s ponder and be quiet a moment to embrace such love toward us.
We must pray that God will give us the gift of humility so that we too can extend the love of Jesus, not only to our family and friends, but also to our enemies. If it had not been for Jesus’ way of sorrow opening a new and living way for us to God, where would we be today?
Let’s give thanks to God who has given us the victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
***The English Standard Version (ESV) stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over the past half-millennium. The fountainhead of that stream was William Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526; marking its course were the King James Version of 1611 (KJV), the English Revised Version of 1885 (RV), the American Standard Version of 1901 (ASV), and the Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971 (RSV). In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. Our goal has been to carry forward this legacy for a new century.
To this end each word and phrase in the ESV has been carefully weighed against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to ensure the fullest accuracy and clarity and to avoid under-translating or overlooking any nuance of the original text. The words and phrases themselves grow out of the Tyndale-King James legacy, and most recently out of the RSV, with the 1971 RSV text providing the starting point for our work. Archaic language has been brought to current usage and significant corrections have been made in the translation of key texts. But throughout, our goal has been to retain the depth of meaning and enduring language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world and have defined the life and doctrine of the church over the last four centuries.
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. It seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. More about the ESV translation philosophy….***
Monday, March 26, 2018 – The Point of Being Alive – Luke 12:22-34
Focus: The point of being alive is to pursue God’s kingdom. As we focus on serving God and not ourselves, He will provide for our needs and secure our future.
Scriptures: Romans 14:17; Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 – Glory to the Grower – Mark 4:6-29
Focus: God will continue to grow His kingdom. As we allow Him to grow us spiritually, He can use us to serve His people better and give Him glory.
Scriptures: Rev 14:15-16; 1 Corinthians 1:27-31
Wednesday, March 28, 2018 – Look and Be Quiet – Luke 23:44-49
Focus: As we consider the cross and ponder the great love that Jesus displayed, let’s embrace who He is with a grateful heart.
Scriptures: Galatians 2:20; 1 John 3:1
Thursday, March 29, 2018 – Basin of Love – John 13:1-17
Focus: During Passover week, let’s ask God to give us the gift of humility to enable us to extend Jesus’ love not only to our friends, but also our enemies.
Scriptures: Mark 12:28-31; Colossians 3:12-14; Matthew 5:9-12
Friday, March 30, 2018 – The Via Dolorosa – Hebrews 10:1-10
Focus: Jesus’ way of sorrow opened a new and living way for us to God. Let’s give Him thanks for such a great sacrifice to set us free from sin.
Scriptures: Psalm 40:6-8; Acts 2:21-28
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson –
Seven Reflections On The Last Words of Jesus On The Cross
The cross of Jesus reveals our sins at their worst and God’s love at its best. Jesus took the tree of death so we could have the tree of life. As we reflect on Jesus’ last words before He died, what are we saying to Jesus?
- We will forgive others because you forgave us on the cross.
- We know heaven is real because one day we will be in paradise with you.
- We will take care of our parents because you made provision for your mother from the cross.
- We will give our hearts to God so that we will be in His will.
- We will be thirsty for the Living Water.
- We will not give up but finish our course.
- We will place our lives in God’s hands.