Welcome girls, to Sweeter Than Chocolate!
Remember to get familiar with your STC! page - check out the Sidebar Links and for quick and easy access to Bible Study Cafe, simply click its link.
Read through pg. 2 of your workbook under "How To Use This Study". I would suggest that for this first week you complete the main study text and then if time or inclination allows, going back and going deeper.Find the level of study that brings you joy, healing and sweet refreshment… not guilt! Just make sure you stay in the Word every day, don't try and complete the entire week in just one sitting, do a little every day.
Don’t let the word "inductive" bind you up or freak you out! Inductive Bible Study simply means that the Bible is going to be our main source of Truth. We only look at the commentaries and insights of others after we have studied the Word of God for ourselves.Inductive Study involves 3 basic disciplines:
a. Observation - What Does The Bible Say?
b. Interpretation – What Does The Bible Mean?
c. Application – Living in the light of it
Each week Bible Study Café participation comes after your completion of your homework. Videos will be posted on Mondays to accommodate those groups meeting earlier in the week, but are to be viewed only after completion of homework.
1. Discuss with your group (including On-Line):
a) your view of the Bible entering into this study at this particular point in time
b) how much do you read it
c) have you found it’s claims to be true
d) what are some difficulties you have found in trying
to study/read it
e) has the Word shown itself to be sweet in your life?
2. a) In v. 1-8 who does the psalmist focus on?
Why?
b) Under what circumstances will the psalmist not
be ashamed?
c) What does the word “blessed” mean?
d) Discuss what it means to be “blameless”
with no “unrighteousness”
e) How does Psalm 119:8 fit with Deut. 31: 5-9?
Enjoy your study this week girls!
And remember…
man does not live on bread alone,
but on every Word that proceeds out of the mouth
of God
Hang on His every Word!
Can hardly wait to meet with you in Bible Study Café!
20 comments:
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Cathie. Looking forward to the study because it will help me and all of us together draw closer to God through His Word. This group of 'Chocolate Girls' will be meeting on Tuesday nights and will definitely be eating some chocolate during the process. I have claimed dark chocolate chewy caramel for my code name. So far we have hedgehog and fruity nutty. We are having fun already and we haven't even met yet! So much JOY ahead as the Scriptures become light to us.
Linda, what a fun idea! All during exercise class this morning I was thinking about a chocolate name for myself.
After considering 'Snickers', and then 'Smarties', I finally decided on 'Flake', made by Cadbury, because it just plain made me laugh at myself. (I have since changed my mind on this after considering the perhaps long-lasting ramifications).
Then I thought of Malteser. They were invented in 1936 by the Mars Company, they are round balls of honeycomb coated with milk chocolate and were were originally known as "Energy Balls".
Yep, for the duration of this study I am definitly under the code name of 'Malteser'!
I do have to say though... 'Flake' just keeps cracking me up, I am really quite ridiculously partial to it!
Thanks Linda!
PS Do you girls ever pay attention to the word verification when leaving a comment? Mine right now is NOGGIN... that's me, a Malteser Flake who uses her noggin!
Hi to all my chocolate sisterhood,
Umm, what a thought-chocolate sisters! Sounds like it could be a new piece of chocolate candy. Just imagine a box of chocolate sisters -- comfort food for the tough times and celebration food for the joyous times! For a chocolate name for myself I pick Sweet Georgia Brown. They are quite delicious and I also love the song because I associate it with the Harlem Globetrotters, a basketball team from the states that plays a different game of basketball.
Just started looking at week one in our study. Can I start now or am I supposed to wait for Thursday? I am still a bit uncertain how this goes.
Cathie,
Forget my question. I just listened to the video and read the message you wrote and my questions were answered. I just went exploring the site before and missed the introduction. I am still learning how to do this blog studing
Hi Jan (SGB!), I didn't know that you liked basketball, I'm learning something new about you every time we get together!
You go right on ahead and start doin' that study, once you have completed it you will be ready to gather together with your Thursday group and participate here in Bible Cafe with the other girls that have completed their week one homework.
And don't worry, this is a new format for all of us, but I am thinking that it won't take long at all until we are all getting the hang of it. Just imagine what God is doing in this beginning of an On-Line Study...
Too funny! I had just pressed the button to post your answer when your second comment came through...hope you enjoyed browsing through the site, it was fun and challenging try to put it all together.
Hello Cathie
I am thrilled to have found this study and wonder if I can still join. I have the workbook and have done study one already. I love the idea of being on line with many people and also love your sense of beauty.
Hi Dorothy, and welcome! You most certainly can join this On-Line Study and if you already have the workbook and have completed Week One then you are right on time!
Register by simply e-mailing me your full name and the city/town, province/state, country, where you live and if you can a picture of yourself. (you'll find my e-mail address by clicking on the 'About Me' button on the Pure Grace Home Page.
I am thrilled that you found us and am looking forward to getting to know you better in the weeks ahead...
So exciting to see different names joining us on the blog.
through this modern technology we can join with sisters in the Lord whom otherwise we would not have met.
My favourite chocolate is Cadburys fruit and nut I guess my mane will be fruit n nut!
Look forward to our meeting together for our first Bible study in Maple Ridge.
Hi everyone,
I am so excited to be doing this study and can't wait to start the online part. My heart is just overflowing with joy and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me. I just LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART and can't get enough of all that he is teaching me . The hardest part for me is to apply all that I have learned to my everyday living but it is coming. I really feel like I have changed since starting the bible studies a year and a half ago. Cathie, I am having trouble not asking you some questions before next Monday. I was fascinated when I did a study on the word "blessed" and want to talk about it but unfortunately I wont be able to go to the Thursday meeting while I have my family from back East with me. I will just have to practice the patience that God wants us to have.
See you girls in the cafe soon.
Good Morning; I have been reading Linda's blog for awhile - we were friends in Bonners Ferry and once in love with Linda, always in love with Linda, so I love hearing about what's going on with her family. This looks like a wonderful study. I have actually bought the book and want to get into it. I do other readings in the morning and work a fulltime job. I'm usually pretty tired at night, but am going to work on mustering the energy to do it in the evenings. At any rate, thanks for the open invite to read your blog. I will certainly take advantage of your postings. One of the first Bible studies I went to with Linda, she read the entire 119th Psalm to us. I have loved it ever since! Blessings, Karen Reese
Hello Karen Reese! It is lovely having you join us and to know that you are a dearly beloved friend of Linda endears you to my heart already.
I know that you will enjoy this study and that even in your evening 'weariness' I am trusting that it will bring sweet refreshment to your soul.
I would love it if you would e-mail me a picture of yourself and I will post it on the STC page with the rest of our girls.
I am looking forward to getting to know you better in the days to come!
Hi Girls,
Came home from Bible Study this morning feeling so satisfied with the time spent with "my sisters" and thinking how wonderful it was to be with them...missed you Debbie!!! It was a good first study, with our Joan having gone deeply into this first week and you just know that we soaked it ALL in. Thank you!
I continue to be overwhelmed with the promises that are there for us in this most precious book. Psalm 119 is like opening a beautiful box filled with gifts and I look forward to examining each one and claiming it for myself...Okay I will share!
You are so right Debbie that you have grown and changed. We spoke about that as a group this morning, that our studies under Cathie have made such a difference in our lives. This is a whole new way of studying and you can be sure that God is pleased that we are united as women who desire to KNOW HIM. Together, as we walk through Psalm 119 we will learn how to "walk the walk".
It was great to be able to gather once again for our Thursday a.m. bible study. Joan came with chocolates for us to nibble on as we shared our first week in Psalm 119. I find it so rewarding listening to everyone as we explore what each of us has discovered from the weeks lesson. Thanks everyone.I look forward to what is in store for us in the weeks ahead....Nice to see on line Debbie.....missed you yesterday. Have a good week girls......
Hi Cathie...what a wonderful job you did of your first video...but we miss seeing you up close and personal....could you please set your camera just a wee bit closer??? SO we can enjoy all of you.....as it is the next best thing to the real you... :(
Thanks Edna for that suggestion. I read lips so would also appreciate Cathie being closer.
Dorothy
Hi girls! It is good to know that the groups that are meeting have already had their first gathering this week... I on the other hand am going through MASSIVE WITHDRAWAL!
You should have seen me try and put together the content for this coming Monday's video posting, it was almost painful to watch! I keep going into default mode,forgetting that the videos are just a means to guide your study and your time together... I was preparing to teach a full two hour session!
I think that in order to ease the withdrawal symptoms I should begin posting a few of my musings, thoughts and findings on the STC page a day or two before the video... what do you think?
You had me laughing with your "Cathie is ready for her close up Mr. De Mille" comments! I will see what I can do!
How did you find your first week of study in the Aleph stanza? Did you think about the season of life that you are in now and honestly assess your view of the Bible at this point in your life? This takes deep thought, time and complete honesty - to ourselves and before God.
We will see as we go through this Psalm that the psalmist has his view of God's Word and that view influences how he percieves and recieves ALL THINGS in his life; just as our view of God's Word will influence how we percieve and recieve ALL THINGS in our lives as well.
Stay in the Word girls!
Love, Cathie
Greetings from Alberta my "Chocolate Sisters". Gosh I'm just thrilled to be able to participate in this study with some wonderful friends/sisters from back in Maple Ridge. And looking forward to meeting new sisters in this online forum.
It's a joy to be part of this group since my first bible study was under our queen of technology, the guru of blogdom...Miss Malteser ;)
The big bonus today after finally finishing Week One's study was this afternoon actually popping open the site and seeing the videoblog with the very "stylin" Cathie in that big comfy chair. Not only was it great to hear your voice and see your smile,(on that teeny tiny little screen), but to once again be blessed with your ability to guide, teach and lead inductive studies.
Love the idea of code names..being so far way..of course I want to play to. And I guess to keep with a theme.. "Lattes n Lasting Impressions" being my blog..hey I'm thinking if there's coffee and chocolate...I must be a "Coffee Chrisp" ;)
I really enjoyed reading the posts today and Angie's entry about Psalm 119 opening this scripture "like opening a big beautiful box filled with gift" well a girl can sure catch her enthusiasm in that. Perhaps each passage within will be much like getting a "Pot of Gold" assorted centers...will it be soft, hard or just plain 'nuts'. Ok sorry all kidding aside.
Since moving from the lower mainland I haven't actually done a study (so it's been a few years) and honestly since moving to Alberta, I've found it easy to do everything else except, open my bible, find a church to call home or in fellowhip. While my heart for God hasn't changed nor have my views of the words within the pages of the leather bindings.
His word has shown itself sweet, but I did feel when reading this first weeks work that while I've been meandering around the interior and now central Alberta...that "somethings missing" sense I have had has always been right in front of me. So some of this weeks passages did resonate a bit closer to home than I would have expected. But that first hurdle has been jumped, I am back in God's word the rest will follow.
Love to you all from AB and keeping you in prayer
Carrie (Chrispy Crunch) :)
Hi Carrie- It is so great to have you joining us! I can hardly wait to hear your thoughts as we progress through these next weeks together.
I loved the fact that you started out as a Coffee Crisp and at the end of your comment you ended up as a Crispy Crunch! It reminded me of the psalmist in Daleth... he started out one way and by the end of the stanza he was completely another!
I aso love the fact that you are 'back in God's Word', may God bless you Carrie as you continue on in it!
Oh my, I did do that, change from a coffee crisp to a crispy chunch, didn't I. Silly me! I best learn to edit a bit more closely. However I guess I could look at this as a goal as I participate in this study, to come away with a "Crisp" pespective on Gods word and new understanding of what the Psalmst writes. ;)
Well its a beautiful sunny 32 degree day here in Edmonton which is amazing since we're usually scraping frost off car windows and wrapping scarfs a bit tighter around our shoulders. But that will come soon enough. In the mean time may we all embrace the glorius day that God has given us no matter where we live.
Carrie
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