FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Awakening and restoring us to newness of life
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his names sake. — Psalm 23:3 (KJV) (ESV)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sister Inez Speight – April 23 – Class 09/10
Call (641) 715-3378, access code 2597-48#; Reference 205# to listen to a review of these lessons.
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Overview: Our loving God cares about every detail of our lives. He always takes care of all of His creation. We must develop our relationship with Christ so that when the storms of life come upon us (and they will), we’ll be better able to weather those storms.
We’re in God’s hands and He will give us peace in the midst of our troubles. However, there are times when God may have us in a waiting place to teach us a life lesson. If so, wait, though difficult as it may be, in the end we will rejoice knowing that God is building us up in our most holy faith and will deliver us in due time.
We must always give God praise for who and whose we are. Remember, He called us into His Kingdom and He will take care of us. This does not exempt us from the difficulties and the various demands that life places on us, however, by faith, we can draw strength from God.
We must do all that we can in our godly assignments and leave the rest to Him. We all realize that money is the means of exchange to help us navigate through this life. Therefore, many of us desire to have more of it. However, nothing can compare with the true riches that God offers.
Let’s not be distracted by the things of this world, instead, let’s be wise and seek the Lord, knowing that He cares for all of His creation.
***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, April 23, 2018 – The Secret of Peace – 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18
Focus: Our relationship with Jesus will determine how we weather the storms in our lives. Trust God to give us peace, our lives are in His hands.
Scriptures: John 14:27; Matthew 8:23-27
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 – The Waiting Place – Psalm 70
Focus: Waiting is difficult. However, God may be teaching us a life lesson. Rejoice and wait in hope knowing that God will deliver us in due time.
Scriptures: Galatians 6:9; Psalm 40:1-3
Wednesday, April 25, 2018 – Amnesia – Daniel 4:28-37
Focus: We must never forget to praise God for who and whose we are. He called us into the Kingdom and He will take care of us.
Scriptures: Job 42:5-6; Romans 8:29-31
Thursday, April 26, 2018 – The Widow’s Faith – 2 Kings 4:1-7
Focus: Though life is difficult and makes various demands on us, we must draw strength from God. By faith, do what we can and leave the rest to God.
Scriptures: Ruth 1:16-17
Friday, April 27, 2018 – Wisdom’s Call – Proverbs 8:10-21
Focus: We all desire to have more money. However, nothing can compare to the true riches that God offers. Let’s be wise and seek Him.
Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 1:11; Proverbs 30:7-9
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
God IS In the Small Stuff
Psalms 37:23-24 says “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighted in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” Joy is the assurance that God is in control of all the details of our lives. Joy is the confidence that everything is going to be alright. Joy is also the choice to praise God in all things big or small, good, bad or indifferent.
Today, step out in faith! Begin to involve God in the small stuff of your life and watch the results. It is an open door to miracles. Without God in the small stuff of our lives, our week would be:
- Sinday
- Mournday
- Tearsday
- Weepingday
- Thirstday
- Fightday
- Scatterday
Seven days without God in the details of our lives makes one weak. When we step out in obedience, God shows up in big ways and lots of little ways too.