Category: Bible study

But He Gives a Greater Grace

Carolyn
 James: Mercy Triumphs (Member Book)

One of the highlights of this summer has been studying the book of James with about 12 women. If I had tried to plan a Bible study, it wouldn’t have happened. I was marveling the other day about how God really planned it and brought us together.

Earlier in the spring, three different friends had asked me about what I would be doing for Bible study this summer. Then I ran into my friend Sasha, and she was willing to do this James Bible study with me and help lead it. My mom was moving here and had the DVDs. We decided to just pray about it and see who God brought into our paths. I contacted the three friends, and then the rest of the ladies truly were people who entered our paths at exact moments. (Those are fun stories, too!) They range in age from 28 to 68, attend a variety of churches, and most of the women met each other here in the group!

This group has been such a blessing. This study has been wonderful!

A verse from this study that has stayed on my mind this last week was James 4:6a: “But He gives a greater grace….” I’m not sure exactly what to make of it in context or even out of context!

I’ve been intrigued by learning that James is much like the Proverbs of the New Testament with lots of wise sayings that often don’t seem connected (but upon further study, sometimes actually seem like they are). Is this statement (“But He gives a greater grace…”) simply one that stands alone and separate, or is it in some way connected?

I’ve also benefited from thinking through how the teachings in James mesh with and complement the teachings of Paul, despite a first glance that might make us think they could be contradictory. One writer focuses more on the works of our faith (James), while one stresses grace over works (Paul). Yet here, in the middle of the book of James, we see, “But He gives a greater grace…”  It makes me think of this overarching grace over all our works, grace flowing down, the acknowledgement from James that grace really is greater than all our sins, all our works.

But I don’t know. I haven’t studied this in depth (nor did the study we’re doing), and I’m no theologian or scholar. But it has been running through my mind… grace, grace, grace… His grace is enough, it’s sufficient for all my sins. It’s greater than I know. It flows from the top down to me, not me working hard from the bottom up to earn it. It’s just flowing down on me. God’s grace. I don’t deserve it. I didn’t earn it. It covers me. It covers my sin. It’s greater than my shortcomings and my best efforts. For this I am so thankful.

Bible Study Wrap Up

Carolyn

My Bible study group had a wrap up dinner together a week or two ago in our leader’s lovely home. What a fun year it has been together! We studied Philippians during the fall semester and the Minor Prophets in the spring.

I did not expect to do Bible study at church this year because I work on Wednesdays, and the classes are on Wednesday morning and Wednesday night. By night time, I am pretty tired and in the middle of a busy week. However, I thought it might be fun to do with a friend, so I thought I would invite her, and if she said yes, then we could do it together.

Well, she did say yes, and we both enjoyed the studies so much. My children participated in Wednesday evening programs, so Wednesday became a church night for us this year. It had been seven years since I had been able to participate in Women’s Bible Study because of a year of homeschooling, then six years of working, and it was wonderful to be back. I remember the first lecture back in the fall as the speaker gave an overview of the Bible. My heart was so full being back in this setting together, gathering with women in the community to study God’s Word.

Then who would have thought my two sweet leaders would recommend I speak at the Bible study spring celebration!? And that I would agree?! I was grateful to be able to share what the Lord has done in my life and trust He will use it for His glory. That He would be seen and I would not was my prayer.

I praise the Lord for what He has done in this group this year, for the truths we have learned about His character that absolutely caused us to stand in awe of Him, and for the friendships He has developed. The study of His Word does not return void, and my life is richer for knowing these ladies!

Bible Study

Carolyn
“Let us press on to know the Lord” Hosea 6:3

I am enjoying blogging more regularly because it is keeping me accountable! I have a goal to exercise at least 3 times a week (I’m starting with low expectations), and it was great to wake up and walk again this morning. It was so neat to see the moon out as I walked one direction, and the sun rising as I walked the other! I read Proverbs 9-10 before I walked (I was already a day behind in that goal!) and reflected on the verses as I walked.

Proverbs 9 continued with contrasting wisdom and folly, while Proverbs 10 talked a lot about the tongue/mouth and also contrasted righteous living with evil. There is a connection between the way we speak and the way we live, between mouths that are a fountain of life and righteous, wise living.

It struck me again that God’s Word teaches us how to live and speaks to our lives. The reason I sometimes don’t know what to do is because I don’t ask or seek or look in the Bible. But it is there, the truths that I need, the ways I should follow, knowledge about the loving God who made me and whom I want to trust and serve.

My Bible study group for this year met one last time last night for dinner at my leader’s house. It was lovely, and I am going to miss seeing these ladies regularly. Studying the Bible together and praying for one another through the year builds sweet friendships and brings encouragement.

I am doing a Beth Moore Bible study Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman with a friend now and looking forward to studying James: Mercy Triumphs, another Beth Moore study, with a group starting in late June. I find if I don’t have a plan for summer, it’s easy to miss my daily time reading the Bible simply because I don’t have a plan!

So my praise for this morning is God’s Word, the Bible. What an amazing gift to us that God has spoken to us through His Word. I also remembered this morning that it is a gift to have it in my language, readily accessible,  and to have the freedom to read and study it openly with friends. We have been given much, and I want to know this gift and its Giver and give it to those who do not have it or know its power.

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

Mom’s in Town!

Carolyn
Dinner at my mom’s new place with my in-laws — she’s already cooking for a (small) crowd!

I’ve referenced it in some earlier posts last week, but my mom has moved to town! It’s been very exciting for us and a lot of fun. We awaited her arrival with great expectation. I can only hope she is enjoying her time here so far. She’s come at a time when all programs are ending like Bible studies and such, but I’m sure she’ll make friends as she moves along.

We haven’t lived in the same city in most of the last 20 years, so this is a treat, and we are thankful to the Lord for His provision to provide a wonderful place for her to live and bring her here!

One thing my mom encouraged my sister and me to do when we were young was to read a chapter of Proverbs a day through a month. So on the first day of the month, you would read Proverbs 1, and by the last day of the month, you would be at Proverbs 31. I decided to pick up on this for the rest of May, and this morning was encouraged by considering the blessings of wisdom in Proverbs 8. After reading it, I took a nice walk around our neighborhood and reflected on those words.

“The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil (8:13a); riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold (8:18-19a); I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries (8:20-21).

Then it talked about the LORD possessing wisdom at the beginning of his work; wisdom was set up before the beginning of the earth. That was an interesting section to read. I hadn’t thought about it before.

It ends with, “For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death” (Prov. 8:35-36).
I’m reminded today to seek wisdom and thankful that we can ask God for wisdom in faith, and He will give it to us (James 1:5-8).

Studying God’s Word

Carolyn

There is nothing like spending time in God’s Word! I have been enjoying studying the gospel of John, just little chunks each morning and then wherever that leads. What a blessing to study the life of John the Baptist (a different John than the author of the gospel of John), to think about the call on His life as the forerunner of Christ, and to consider how he must have felt with how his life ended (with imprisonment and beheading).

It took me on all kinds of extended study to find out how he knew about the call on his life (the angel visiting his father in Luke 1 and the word of the Lord coming to him in the wilderness – Luke 3). I explored his question once imprisoned as he wondered then of Jesus, “Are you the Coming One?” Can you imagine how he felt, making the way for Jesus and expecting certain things, only to end up in prison confused. And Jesus replied to him “blessed is he who is not offended because of me.”

There were all kinds of practical applications as I looked at John the Baptist and his father Zacharias. I laughed to think of Zacharias who – after this angel appears to him in the temple and announces John’s birth – says, “How shall I know this?” Hmmm… maybe because an angel is standing before you!

And yet how could I criticize poor Zacharias or John when my own faith is oftentimes so similar. God says something to me through His Word or His Spirit and it’s all so exciting, but later when it is hard, I wonder “did I get that right?” or “how do I know I can trust You, Lord?”

This week I’ve also looked at how Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. It was a divine appointment! My Bible says that when Jesus left Judea to depart for Galilee, “He needed to go through Samaria.” I love seeing how personal Jesus is. He knew exactly who He would find at that well and what would transpire because of it! I prayed for my home and family, “Please need to come through our household, too! Make a stop here and draw us all to Yourself.”

To read God’s Word, to observe and study, to make personal application, what a treasure, what a gift, what a blessing.

He gives such encouragement and fills me with such hope. He’s shown me so much about purpose and meaning and wrong conclusions I’ve had over the last couple of weeks about the brevity of life. It’s in seeking Him that we find. His Word does not return void.

I hope you know the joy of reading and studying God’s Word. If you are looking for a place to start, try John. I think you’ll be blessed.