WORD up!

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 1 Peter. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, early summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, and BP is taking a lot of heat over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 4 of 1 Peter. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 4:1 – We are to...

Walking “Under the Influence” Role models can be incredibly influential.   Christ is your role model if you’re a believer.   How much influence does He have over you?   Are you living a life of love just as Christ loved us?   You can do all things through Christ – including love like Him.   But you’re powerless on your own to accomplish this. Do you know what grieves God?   Are you avoiding that sort of behavior?   Are you sinning anyway and counting on His grace?   Are you ignorant about God’s likes and dislikes?   Study God’s Word so you know what pleases Him and what displeases Him. We should obey His Word.   That’s how we show our love for Him – through obedience.   The days are evil.   We need to know and understand God’s will and walk in wisdom and discernment so that we may glorify Him.   I don’t do it right all the time.   I don’t do it wrong all the time, either.   We must constantly be givi...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 1 Peter. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, early summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, and BP is taking a lot of heat over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 3 of 1 Peter. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 3:1 – Christian...

Tripping Over Your Tongue?   Talk Your Walk Ahhhhh!   The tongue!   The bane of many an existence!   How problematic is your mouth?   When God transforms us, it affects what comes out of our mouths.   Paul teaches us to quit lying and speak truth.   God means what He says.   Shouldn’t His people live the same way? A runaway tongue can damage like a runaway train.   We need to be truthful and loving at the same time.   Even when we get angry – and it will happen – we are told not to sin in our anger.   We are warned not to give the devil a foothold on any aspect of our lives.   What are some ways to keep from sinning with our mouths?   Praise.   Prayer.   Thanksgiving.   Encouragement.   Forgiveness.   Any questions? Personally, I’ve found the best way to maintain the illusion of control over my tongue is to keep my mouth shut.   And when my thought life goes South, I wash my mind ...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 1 Peter. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, early summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, and BP is taking a lot of heat over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 2 of 1 Peter. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 2:1 – How many ...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: David Hazelton and the book: The Simplified Guide: Paul's Letters to the Churches Deep River Books (September 5, 2013) ***Special thanks to Emily Woodworth for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Like Paul, David Hazelton's professional background is in the law and business. He is a senior partner in a law firm in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's five largest firms. Dave...

Sit Down to Walk Lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance are four essential qualities for unity.   We must consider others better than ourselves.   We must correct gently and forgive each other.   We must persevere and not give up.   Which of these qualities do you struggle with most? The Spirit brings unity.   We are one body, with one Spirit.   We have one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God.   Does your own body of believers agree with this? Even so, we are not all the same.   We all have different gifts that God gives us to use to perfect the saints, to use for ministry, and to edify the body of Christ.   Read Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and compile a complete list of those gifts.   Do you know what gifts Christ has given you?    How did you discover it?   If you still don’t know your gift(s), speak with a trusted Bible study leader or Pastor for resources...

First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to MaryLuTyndall for having me as a member of her Motley Crew of Influencers and for sending me a copy of "Elusive Hope" to review for her. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. MaryLu Tyndall’s “Elusive Hope” is an entertaining romantic adventure with a healthy dose of the supernatural.   Magnolia wants to leave the Brazilian community of New Hope to return to civilization in the United States and the fiancé she left behind.   Hayden is searching for his father to keep a promise made to his mother on her deathbed.   Their paths lead them to journey together and discover a mutual attraction that must be denied for their missions to be completed. Meanwhile, the community of New Hope is experiencing its own set of problems.   Mysterious visions are being seen by the citizens and an ancient temple ste...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the epistle of 1 Peter. I feel a great sense of urgency to publish them because I’m not sure how much time we have left on this big, blue marble. Thank you for reading them. I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, early summer 2010, things are still looking pretty bleak with the economy and unemployment, and BP is taking a lot of heat over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 1 of 1 Peter. Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… This epistle wa...

Sit Down Together The mystery of the Gospel is that Gentiles are grafted into the family of Jews.   Hallelujah!   We are called to unity in Christ.   Differences lead to conflict.   Petty issues that are preferential rather than core doctrine should be put aside to be unified. What are some of the barriers that divide families, communities, nations and the church?   What barriers exist in your own life?   What can you do to eradicate them?   How can we overcome our differences?   According to Ephesians 2:18, we have access to God through one Spirit.   If the same Spirit resonates in us, we’ve got the most important thing in common. Memorize:   Ephesians 2:22