FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Awakening and restoring us to newness of life
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes,
and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. — Proverbs 20:13 (KJV) (ESV)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sister Peggy Griffin – May 01 – Class 08
Call (641) 715-3378, access code 2597-48#; Reference 206# to listen to a review of these lessons.
For more information visit 5ambiblestudyministry.org
Visit here to submit Prayer Requests
Overview: As we take a closer look at Jesus’ faithfulness to complete His earthly mission, we too, must be courageous to follow His example. Purpose to leave a legacy of love even though we face many challenges in life. Remember, we are victorious because Jesus redeemed us from the slavery of sin. Consequently, we must share our testimonies with others who are still bound by sin and continue to give God praise for breaking every chain.
Though we live in enemy territory and the challenges we face can seem so dark, we must never give up hope. Instead, pray with anticipation and believe the faithfulness of God to deliver us in our times of trouble.
Keep in mind, we have the gift of God’s Son and the Holy Spirit abiding in us. Therefore, we are comforted and have the assurance of God’s unconditional love of which we can never be separated. Continue to be devoted and obey God as we carry out our earthly assignments.
Don’t allow this world’s condition to frustrate us. Enter into God’s sanctuary, pray and gain a new perspective on life.
Nothing escapes God’s eyes, He sees and knows all things. God is eternal and He demonstrated His love for us before creation. He knows His elect and we must begin to appreciate His very nature of caring and being relational.
***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 30, 2018 – Breaking the Chains – Ephesians 1:3-14 [Sin; Forgiveness of Sin]
Focus: Jesus redeemed us from the slavery of sin. Give our testimony of praise how God’s grace can break every chain, not only in our lives but others also
Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 – Waiting in Anticipation – Psalm 130:1-6 [Waiting on God]
Focus: Be encouraged in the mist of our darkest night. We must never give up hope. Instead wait with anticipation for deliverance as we trust our faithful God.
Scriptures: Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 62:5-8
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 – Longing for God – 1 John 4:13-16 [God’s Love]
Focus: Through the gift of God’s Son and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, we have the assurance of God’s unconditional love. We in turn must obey and be devoted.
Scriptures: Psalm 116:1-2; Psalm 42:1-4
Thursday, May 3, 2018 – A Change in Perspective – Psalm 73:12-28 [Injustice]
Focus: Instead of becoming frustrated by this world’s condition, let’s enter God’s sanctuary in prayer with a new perspective. God knows and see’s all things.
Scriptures: Psalm 37:1-2; 1 Peter 3:8-12
Friday, May 4, 2018 – Before the Beginning – Matthew 3:13-17 [Christ, Deity]
Focus: God demonstrated His eternal love for us before the beginning of creation. Let’s begin to appreciate His very nature of being relational.
Scriptures: Jeremiah 31:3
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
The Dawn of a New Day
Morning is God’s way of saying one more time, go make a difference, touch a heart, encourage a mind, inspire a soul, and enjoy the day. It is a gift to wake up at the dawn of a new day and realize that God has given us a new day! Don’t waste it looking back. Don’t waste it being afraid. Get up. Give thanks. Give praise. The world is waiting for you.
When the new day is dawning, we bow our hearts and heads in prayer. We pray to the Lord: “Won’t you lead us this day. Won’t you guide us along the way. Won’t you give us a helping hand so we can find the Promised Land.
Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every morning we wake up is the dawn of a new day. So claim your morning glory: “Arise, shine, for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” –Isaiah 60:1 (KJV) (ESV)