Bible Study: Week of August 4 – 11, 2018

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Overview/Theme:  

Sunday – It’s a hard mystery to understand how and when God exercises judgement against the wicked. However, it’s even a greater mystery how He extends His love to the just as well as the unjust by sending Jesus to redeem those who believe in Him to receive everlasting life.

Monday –Let’s express our appreciation for God’s love toward us by joyfully giving our time, talents and treasures to the lost and needy.

Tuesday –Though we may suffer persecution in this fallen world, we must trust God to unfold His purpose in our lives as we serve others. Rest in His faithfulness and pray with confidence for Him to give us mercy and grace to help to endure in our time of need.

Wednesday –It’s very difficult when our loved ones reject Jesus. Be patient, continue to love them and share the gospel of Jesus with them as we have opportunity.

Thursday – Remember, when we’re going through hard times, we have a good heavenly Father that we can call on anytime. He loves us and He will always care for us.

Friday – There are times that we will lament over so many injustices that we and others face. However, for believers, we have hope. Let’s pray that God will deliver us out of this horrible pit of despair and give us a new place of beginnings. 

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 6, 2018 – The Joy of Giving – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

Focus: When we joyfully give of our time, talents and treasures to the needy, this expresses our appreciation to God’s for His love toward us.

Scriptures: Luke 6:30-38

Tuesday, August 7, 2018 – When the Bottom Drops Out – 1 Kings 17:15-24

Focus: Bad things can happen to God’s people in this fallen world. Pray for God’s purpose to unfold and rest in His faithfulness to give us grace and mercy.

Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11-12; Job 14:13

Wednesday, August 8, 2018 – Dedicated to Love – Romans 9:1-5

Focus: Our hearts grieve for loved ones who reject Jesus. Be patient, continue to love them and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Scriptures: Ezekiel 33:8-11; Acts 20:16-24

Thursday, August 9, 2018 – A Good Daddy – Psalm 63

Focus: When we’re going through hard times, remember, we have a good heavenly Father. Call on Him anytime, He loves and cares for us.

Scriptures: Psalm 107:1, 13-15

Friday, August 10, 2018  –  A Hopeful Lament – Lamentations 3:49-58

Focus: Though we lament over many injustices we face, we still have hope. Pray and ask God take us and others out of the pit and give us a new place of beginnings.

Scriptures: Psalm 40:1-3

Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson

Lord, Give us Tears as we Pray

Tears are precious in the sight of God when they are tears of longing for others or tears of joy as you praise God for answered prayer.  Jesus knows what it means to weep in prayer.  The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 which says, “Jesus wept.”  This verse speaks volumes about the love and compassion of Jesus.

We should never be ashamed of tears shed in intercession.  They testify to God of the depth of our love for those whom we intercede and serve as a testimony of the Holy Spirit praying through us.  Our tears, like our words, are very important.  God sees and knows us as we really are.  God knows the secret depth of longing even better than we can express it.

To pray with tears is to make an eternal investment.  To pray with tears is to sow your tears with eternal harvest.  No tears shed in burden intercession for others are ever forgotten by God.  To pray with tears is one of the most powerful forms of prayer known.  As surely as God is in heaven “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”  Psalm 126:5-6