2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is God breathed
2 Peter 1:2-3 - All that we need for life and godliness comes through the true knowledge of God; it is a knowledge that involves the heart
- Remember that God is not looking for scholarship; He is looking for relationship
- We will see in this week of study that we are to be women who know the Word of God and treasure the Word of God in our hearts
- The way we approach God’s Word is crucial
- All Scripture is God breathed
- The way we approach God’s Word is crucial
- All Scripture is God breathed
Hebrews 4:12 - God’s Word is alive
- It is a living Word
- Every time we open the Bible to read or study,
God’s Word comes to us with a warm breath;
- It is a living Word
- Every time we open the Bible to read or study,
God’s Word comes to us with a warm breath;
fresh from the mouth of God
Isaiah 55:10-11 - God speaks an accomplishing Word over us
- Every time you open the Bible
- God is about accomplishing something in you
- Accomplishing a good work in you
And He will be faithful to complete it
- He is equipping us for today
and for what lies ahead
- Know that whenever you open your Bible
- God is about accomplishing something in you
- Accomplishing a good work in you
And He will be faithful to complete it
- He is equipping us for today
and for what lies ahead
- Know that whenever you open your Bible
that God’s mouth is about to breathe a FRESH Word on you
2. APPROACH GOD’S WORD WITH THE SPIRIT’S FILLING
2 Peter 1:2-3 - “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness… through the true knowledge of Him…”
- The moment we are born again
2. APPROACH GOD’S WORD WITH THE SPIRIT’S FILLING
2 Peter 1:2-3 - “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness… through the true knowledge of Him…”
- The moment we are born again
Receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior
Having acknowledged in humility through confession and repentance
our sinful state and His death on the cross as payment of our sin
We are at that very moment INDWELT by the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit is the power that 2 Peter is talking about
God speaks to us through His Spirit
And it is His Spirit that leads us into all truth
- Now that we are INDWELT
Ask for God for the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit that we might
“behold wonderous things from His Word”
- Many times this is the missing link when we open the Word of God
And so it remains dry to us
3. APPROACH GOD’S WORD READY… WHEN GOD SPEAKS,
TALK BACK!
Having acknowledged in humility through confession and repentance
our sinful state and His death on the cross as payment of our sin
We are at that very moment INDWELT by the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit is the power that 2 Peter is talking about
God speaks to us through His Spirit
And it is His Spirit that leads us into all truth
- Now that we are INDWELT
Ask for God for the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit that we might
“behold wonderous things from His Word”
- Many times this is the missing link when we open the Word of God
And so it remains dry to us
3. APPROACH GOD’S WORD READY… WHEN GOD SPEAKS,
TALK BACK!
- Don’t just read God’s Word… respond to it!
- Remember God is about relationship… not just scholarship!
- Lost in Leviticus or Numbers TELL HIM
Ask Him to give you understanding
This may come through your study group, your pastor or by continued study
- What if you are suddenly hit by a spirit of unbelief?
TELL HIM
Ask Him to increase your faith Mark 9:24
- If you have trouble staying awake and alert during Bible reading TELL HIM
God already knows
Yet when we open our mouths to Him – we are living in full on relationship!
Psalm 15:7 - God will instruct our hearts even when we sleep
- Remember God is about relationship… not just scholarship!
- Lost in Leviticus or Numbers TELL HIM
Ask Him to give you understanding
This may come through your study group, your pastor or by continued study
- What if you are suddenly hit by a spirit of unbelief?
TELL HIM
Ask Him to increase your faith Mark 9:24
- If you have trouble staying awake and alert during Bible reading TELL HIM
God already knows
Yet when we open our mouths to Him – we are living in full on relationship!
Psalm 15:7 - God will instruct our hearts even when we sleep
But when we awake in the morning and whenever we approach His Word
We need to be talking back!
4. APPROACH GOD’S WORD AS HEALING
- Jesus tells us in John that He is the Bread of Life and the Living Water
- Psalm 107:20a says that God “sent forth HIS WORD and healed them."
You and I are sanctified, set apart, by God’s Word 1 Timothy 4:5
You and I are healed by God’s Word Psalm 107
God’s Word is the Word of Life
God’s Word is Living and Active Hebrews 4:12
- John 8:31 tells us that those that continue in His Word prove themselves to be His disciples!
We need to be talking back!
4. APPROACH GOD’S WORD AS HEALING
- Jesus tells us in John that He is the Bread of Life and the Living Water
- Psalm 107:20a says that God “sent forth HIS WORD and healed them."
You and I are sanctified, set apart, by God’s Word 1 Timothy 4:5
You and I are healed by God’s Word Psalm 107
God’s Word is the Word of Life
God’s Word is Living and Active Hebrews 4:12
- John 8:31 tells us that those that continue in His Word prove themselves to be His disciples!
Let’s CONTINUE in His Word!
Aleph: How does Aleph define the blameless?
INTERACTIVES
Aleph: How does Aleph define the blameless?
Beth: How do I become this person?
- Discuss ways that we can treasure God’s Word in our hearts
- Discuss ways that we can treasure God’s Word in our hearts
- What has the heart to do with the propensity to wander?
Gimel: Here we see the first glimpse of opposition
- How is the servant described?
- How is the opposition described?
- Discuss why we are in need of counsel
- Discuss the common counselors of our culture today
Daleth: Called the stanza of ‘the path’ or ‘the way’
- 'Way' or 'ways' is used 13 times throughout Psalm 119
- 5 of those 13 are found in Daleth
- Discuss the changes in the psalmist from v.1 to v.32?
- Discuss why this change occurs
He: Read Deuteronomy 6:5-9
- Discuss the attitude of heart that is needed in knowing God’s Word
- ‘Heart’ is a keyword throughout Psalm 119
- If you have not been marking every occurance of it including synonyms
go back and do so
- Then write down what you have learned regarding the heart
in order to better answer the question
- read again v. 37 and discuss what is meant by ‘vanity’
Daleth: Taking all that you have learned so far from Psalm 119
- discuss the FALSE way in comparison to the TRUE way
Gimel: Here we see the first glimpse of opposition
- How is the servant described?
- How is the opposition described?
- Discuss why we are in need of counsel
- Discuss the common counselors of our culture today
Daleth: Called the stanza of ‘the path’ or ‘the way’
- 'Way' or 'ways' is used 13 times throughout Psalm 119
- 5 of those 13 are found in Daleth
- Discuss the changes in the psalmist from v.1 to v.32?
- Discuss why this change occurs
He: Read Deuteronomy 6:5-9
- Discuss the attitude of heart that is needed in knowing God’s Word
- ‘Heart’ is a keyword throughout Psalm 119
- If you have not been marking every occurance of it including synonyms
go back and do so
- Then write down what you have learned regarding the heart
in order to better answer the question
- read again v. 37 and discuss what is meant by ‘vanity’
Daleth: Taking all that you have learned so far from Psalm 119
- discuss the FALSE way in comparison to the TRUE way
Have a great week in His Word!
I’ll be dropping by the Bible Study Café and look forward to meeting with you there!
6 comments:
Hi girls! Bible Cafe is open, the coffee is on and the chocolate is in ample supply, so pull up a chair and enjoy the fellowship of your sisters!
Hi everyone,
Cathie, I am a bit mixed up as to how to use this cafe. If we are also doing a group can we still discuss things here as well or would you prefer us to just discuss the points that others have made in here?
Also you are doing a fantastic job but I hope it doesn't consume too much of your time as it has up till now. Just remember we are all understanding and if something just isn't going to work at the given time through God's love we have learned how to be patient. None of us want you to get sick again and we want this to be just as enjoyable to you as it is to us.
I have one question that is just burning inside me and I would love to hear how others feel about it. After reading the first two weeks I have looked at my life and feel that as much as I love the Lord I have not been able to be as dedicated as the psalmist is about living in God's ways totally and boy do I feel bad about it. This has already opened my eyes to how I have to change. It should be so easy to live in His ways but I find it so hard to always remember to put Him first. Any one else out there having this trouble?
Hi Debbie, it was great seeing both you and Sherri at the gym this morning, you'll still have to try and encourage me to spin!
You have brought up some great questions here, so let's get to it.
First about the Cafe... it is designed to be visited in conjunction with your regular in person group meeting (if you are in one). The girls that are going solo will benefit greatly from the insights that have been gleaned during your own personal study time and also from what you have gathered from your group. Share, Share and SHARE SOME MORE! should be the common Cafe refrain.
Also, we always have questions, ALWAYS! And the Cafe is where these questions can be brought up and where ALL OF US SISTERS can CONTRIBUTE to the answers. Remember that "Iron sharpens iron, so one (woman) sharpens another." We need to be about sharpening our sisters and coming into the Cafe to get sharpened ourselves! You can NEVER overuse the Cafe!
Next. I have never been as well as I am right now! And neither have I ever experienced more overwhelming joy as I am experiencing at this moment in time! However, having said that I will say this... I am well aware of the opposition that is at play whenever we lean in closer to God through the study of His Word. We need to continue to pray for ourselves and for one another as we proceed through this magnificant study of Psalm 119!
As far as your burning question goes, I also look and realize that there is such room for growth in me... and I rejoice in this! Debbie, one thing that I noticed throughout the first 5 stanzas (and it will show up time and time again throughout Psalm 119) is that the Psalmist is well aware of his 'humanity' and his 'weakness'. This is why he asks God to 'not let me wander from your commandments (Word).' The psalmist is in just as much need of counsel and comfort and assurance and strength as we are. He prays 'Oh that my ways may be established to keep your statutes (Word)!' He prays this way because he knows the propensity of his heart to wander...
If the psalmist is David (which is what I personally believe from my studies) then we know that he plotted murder, slept with another man's wife and counted his mighty men believing his victory to be in their strength. Yet David was a man after God's own heart... and there it is... he was a man, just as we are women.
We do not rest in our humanity as our excuse to not continue in the ways of God, we instead are to use our humanity as the reminder that God is God and that apart from Him... we can do nothing.
It is the Spirit of God in you Debbie that desires to live according to God's ways every moment of the day... just tell Him that and leave the rest up to Him. Your heart tells me that you too, just like David, are a (wo)man after God's own heart.
Love you silly!
Come on girls, pull up a chair and let's start talkin'!
Wow Cathie!!!
Thanks for the lovely comment you did. My goodness I hope I don't make you write so much each time but I took it all in - it was so meaningful. I hope that it will help others who are having this same problem. You made it seem so clear - I didn't realize that the psalmist felt this way but the light just went on. Thanks so much.
Hi Girls, Only four of us this Thurs morning...but we were so involved that we didn't even notice the time flying by until noon!!Makes a huge difference in understanding what the psalmist is trying to say when you hear what the differences are in the words used ..ie the law, precepts, statutes,testimonies etc. Thanks to Joan for all her hard work in doing the word studies and sharing with us !!
Our first thoughts about these first 5 stanzas were "how repetitive..."but looking deeper, seeing the subtle changes in his attitude.....interesting......, WendyL
Hi Wendy, I heard about the class and am so glad that you are enjoying the 'intricacies' of Bible Study. Now, for the benefit of the girls that were NOT able to attend this particular class, tell what the difference was that you learned in the words that are used, through doing your Word study!
I smiled when you said, "Our first thoughts about these first 5 stanzas were "how repetitive..."but looking deeper, seeing the subtle changes in his attitude.....", because right there is a "subtle attitude change" that is occurring right in you! Wonderful!
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