FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Developing Spiritual Growth in the Christian Walk of Faith
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
(1) Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. — 1 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV) (ESV)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Sister Earnestine Jones-Jennings – August 16 – Class #02
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Overview/Theme:
Sunday – If we find ourselves in a challenging situation, send out a S.O.S. call to get help from heaven. God will begin to fight our battles.
Monday –If we’re in too much of a hurry to accomplish only the things on our agenda, God may interrupt us and slow us down. It’s then, we may begin to appreciate the gift of time and listen to what He wants us to do as it relates to being generous to help others.
Tuesday –No matter how difficult times are, God will guide us through. Even when the storms of life seem to overwhelmingly flood us, we must trust God and ride out the storm.
Wednesday –I’m sure we all have questions for God about why life is so unfair. However, we must realize that God is Sovereign and no one can instruct Him. So when He gives us godly counsel, let’s listen to His wisdom.
Thursday – These are the times that we should develop and strengthen our relationship with Jesus and with one another. This will provide us with constant spiritual nourishment and the results will be that our hungry and thirsty souls will be filled because God knows our hearts.
Friday – Be careful not allow the demands of everyday tasks to distract us from the things of God. Instead, continue to begin our day with Jesus and He is faithful to reach out and rescue us from the troubles of this world and use us for His glory.
Saturday–
***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, August 13, 2018 – The Gift of Time – Luke 6:37-38
Focus: When we’re in a hurry, God will sometimes interrupt us. We must slow down, appreciate the gift of time and listen to what God wants us to do for others.
Scriptures: 1 Kings 19:1-3
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 – Riding the Rapids – Isaiah 43:1-7
Focus: God will guide us through troubling times. We must trust Him even when the floods of life are overwhelming, we can ride out storm.
Scriptures: Exodus 15:9-13, 19
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 – The Lord Speaks – Job 38:1-11
Focus: Many of us have questions for God about why life is unfair. However, we must trust His sovereign counsel when He speaks and give instructions.
Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 11:33-36
Thursday, August 16, 2018 – Heart Hunger – John 6:32-40
Focus: Our relationship with Jesus will provide constant nourishment. God knows our heart, let’s hunger and thirst after righteousness so that He can fill us.
Scriptures: Matthew 5:6
Friday, August 17, 2018 – Jesus Reached Out – Matthew 14:22-33
Focus: It’s easy to be distracted by our everyday tasks and neglect spending time with the Lord. Let’s begin each day with Jesus and He will reach out to rescue us.
Scriptures: Matthew 6:33
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
No Time for God?
I knelt to pray, but not for long, I had too much to do
I had to hurry and get to work for bills are due
So I said a hurried prayer and jumped up off my knees
My Christian duty was done and my soul could rest at ease
All day long I had no time to spread cheer
No time to speak of Jesus to friends out of fear
No time. No time. Too much to do was my cry
No time to give the souls in need a time to die
I went before the Lord with down cast eyes
For in His hands He held the Book of Life
God looked into His Book and said your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down but never found the time
“My friends, make time for God every day so He will have time for you.”— Sister Clovia
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***