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3 Ways to Gain Greater Understanding of Old Testament Books
It’s the beginning of the year and you are determined to read the Bible from start to finish. You get through Genesis, perhaps even Exodus, but then Leviticus appears. And if, by sheer resolution you get through Leviticus, you trudge into Numbers which seems like another version of Leviticus. Your determination wanes until the next year when you try again…only to find yourself once again stopping when understanding Old Testament books is confusing. Sound familiar? Or maybe it’s just me. I think I’ve read Genesis and Exodus over 10 times, before coming to a screeching halt at Leviticus. Or I’d skim Leviticus just to grow weary in Numbers because none…
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How To Do a Biblical Word Study | Step-by-Step
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How To Do a Biblical Word Study | Step-by-Step
My understanding and knowledge of the Bible grew tremendously when I learned how to do a Biblical word study. Focusing on the context and meaning of a single word in the original language opened my eyes to discover more about God’s character and what the verses actually mean. Resources You Need for a Word Study Bible Notebook Pen Computer or Device (we will be utilizing the Blue Letter Bible App and BibleStudyTools.com) Step-by-Step Walk Through on How to Do a Word Study 1. Identify the Word Identify the word or phrase you would like to know more about. I was curious about what “Be Still” meant in Psalms 46:10, so…
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3 Ways to Gain Greater Understanding of Old Testament Books
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Sabbath from a Trying Too Hard Life & Faith
A couple years ago I adopted the practice of picking a word for the upcoming year. In the last weeks of December a word appeared over and over again in various ways. Different variations, but still the same resounding meaning. Stillness. Rest. Sabbath. Not pure solitude, not self-care, and not silence – but the Psalm 46:10 kind of stillness. The raphah kind of stillness. The lowering of the hands, ceasing to strive stillness of rest. Sabbath rest, not found in numbing or escapism of television and social media, not even in a good book. Rather, the kind where one communes with God in a moment of pure ordinary life. The…
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Modern Witnesses: An Interview
Recently, I had the opportunity to be featured in an interview for Modern Witnesses, a blog dedicated to spreading the stories of God’s faithfulness and inspiring women to live extraordinary lives. As twenty-first century believers, we too are called to witness – to share who God is and what he has done.
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5 Secrets of Discipleship | Giving Jesus Away
In the Christian community we hear a lot about discipleship. But what is it really and how do we actively do it? Is it just a Christian buzz-word or is it a Biblical way of doing life together? The answer is found in the Greek. What is a Disciple? Jesus issues what Christians call the Great Commission in Matthew 28 as he ascends into Heaven. “Go and make disciples.” As his last commandment, this must be pretty important. In Greek, the original language used in writing the New Testament, disciples is translated from matheteuo, which means be a disciple of one, teach, instruct. The root word for matheteuo is mathetes:…
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Why I Write: A Grace Story
A Dream Come True Once upon a time stories filled a little girl’s mind. She’d sneak away with pencil in hand and write of daring adventures: of a young family braving the Oregon Trail, of a princess narrowly missing an assassination attempt, of a sibling duo who were superstars by night and students by day (this was before Hannah Montana, mind you). The little girl would steal her mom’s floppy discs and story after story began to fill her binders. She never did finish a full story though. Just after she’d get started, new characters from another time would introduce themselves. The binder was in fact, a binder of story…
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3 Benefits of a Bible Study Tray & How to Make Your Own
I discovered it sitting on an end-cap aisle at Marshalls. It quickly found its way into my cart. Since then, it’s called various places in my house “home.” On the nook table holding a centerpiece. On the ottoman containing remotes. On the side-table displaying books. And then, one day, it found its purpose. It transformed from an ordinary end-cap display tray into my Bible study tray. Why You Should Consider Using a Bible Study Tray 1. Limits Time Stealing Distractions Before my simple brown tray found its real home, my Bible study materials were scattered throughout my house. When I did make time for my quiet time, I usually spent…
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Chasing Rest
It was mile 769 out of 1,041 of our drive across the west, when I dared utter the words. “Do you ever wish we could live a slower life?” I asked my husband as we drove across the rolling plains and red clay mountains of Utah. He turned his head slightly and I offered clarification. “Do you ever wish we could move to someplace like this? Live slower. More intentionally. Not as hurried or rushed. You know, more at peace.” I turned my eyes to the countryside, letting my imagination play. I pictured a little house in the meadow of the mountains in a small town like the one we…
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Overwhelmingly First | An Anthem for My Journal & Soul
I opened the floral cover and paused. It shouldn’t have been a hard question, but it was. A Verse to Pray Over This Journal is what caused such contemplation. Sounds simple, right? Just pick one of the 31,102 verses from the Bible. To a girl who has grown up in church, this should’ve been an easy thing and yet it gave me such hesitation that words did not come for weeks. Why did this challenge me so? Why didn’t I just write one of my favorites? (Hosea 6:3 is one of my favorites, by the way). I was waiting for a particular verse. For a verse that the Lord hadn’t…
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Create Your Own Bible Study Binder {Free Printable Templates}
The Create Your Own Bible Study Binder includes a title page, a context sheet, an outline sheet and a notetaking scripture sheet for you to utilize when studying a book of the Bible. It is a free printable template that I hope will be as helpful and beneficial to you as it is to me.
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Building Those Muscles | Spiritual Lessons Learned While Working Out
A couple months ago I looked at a picture of myself and had enough. Over the course of a year after stopping breastfeeding, I had gained weight. I winced at pictures of myself, it wasn’t full vanity, it was also unhealthy…and I felt it. With vacations approaching, I determined enough is enough and dusted off the spin bike that sat in my master bedroom (I moved it there months ago to “encourage” me to work out and it just became another clothing rack #keepingitreal). Over the course of the past two months, I have lost almost 10% of my body weight. But that isn’t the purpose of this post. There…
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Cultivate a Learner’s Heart | Who is a Teacher Like Him
The other day something happened that shook me to the core and encouraged me at the same time. I was in the middle of my Bible study when Fletcher grabbed my Bible and started to stand on it. I quickly picked him up off of it, so he wouldn’t damage it. “Let’s go get your Bible,” I said. As I handed him his children’s Bible he said, “Bible.” He points to the cartoon picture of the person on the center of the cover. “Jesus.” Clear as day he said Jesus. At 21 months, he is a sponge. Things are clicking in his mind like never before and he impresses us…
