Bible Study: Week of April 1 – April 7, 2018

 FOCUS OF THE MONTH

Awakening and restoring us to newness of life

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK

 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,

and Christ shall give thee light. – Ephesians 5:14 (KJV) (ESV)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Sister Patricia Andrewn – April 1 – Class 01

Sister Nancy Roy – April 2 – Class 01

 

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Overview: Jesus bore our sins on the cross. His death continues to make intercession for us today. This kindness shown to us should compel us to worship Him by giving to others anonymously.

There are times when we falter. However, God allows us to give Him our weaknesses so that we develop a dependency on Him to guide us in the way of humility.

God is Sovereign and what He does is always good. Therefore, by faith, we must learn through life experiences to accept the bitter with the sweet when He directs us.  When we don’t see how to make our own ends meet, God will sometimes send others to bring us,  front porch relief. 

We must trust God’s provision and learn to be content. However, when we’re in doubt about God’s way of doing things, we must seek advice among godly people. That involves a willingness to listen to their advice even if it’s not what we want to hear, or even if it contradicts our personal preferences.

Remember, God is good and what He does is good. As we continue to do the will of God by having compassion for those that need to be comforted, let’s remember, that Jesus extended Himself for us on Calvary.  Let’s remember that Jesus gave us comfort so, we too must do likewise.


***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 2, 2018 – Anonymous KindnessMatthew 6:1-4

Focus: Our act of giving and showing kindness toward others should be done anonymously. We give because God has graciously given to us.

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; Matthew 10:6-8; Romans 12:8

 

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 – Sweet and BitterPsalm 119:65-72

Focus: God is good and what He does is good. We must learn to accept the bitter with the sweet experiences of life and trust God.

Scriptures: Hebrews 12:11; Job 2:7-10

 

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 – Front-Porch ReliefPhilippians 4:10-20

Focus: If we are wondering how to make ends meet, let’s have faith in God’s provision. He may send help through others for relief, let’s be thankful and learn to be content.

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 9:9-11

 

Thursday, April 5, 2018 – What We Want to Hear2 Chronicles 18:5-27

Focus: When in doubt, we must seek wise advice among godly people.  Listen, even if it’s not what we want to hear or even when it contradicts our personal preferences.

Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4:34; Proverbs 8:33-36

 

Friday, April 6, 2018 – Comfort Shared2 Corinthians 1:1-10

Focus: Just as the Father comforts us, we too, must have compassion and love for others in need.

Scriptures: Colossians 3:12-17

 

Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson   –

 

The Gift of Giving

 

Give out of love, not obligation

Give when it is least expected

Give without strings attached

Give from the heart

Give of yourself

Give something that takes personal sacrifice

Give without keeping score

Give for no reason at all

Give little if you cannot give a lot

Give without attracting attention to yourself

Give to those who need it the most

 

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. — 2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)