I lost day 8

Opps I lost day 8... I'm sorry, I do have day 9 ready and will post it later tonight.

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Never mind I found it and am posting it now.. its title is ... Are you a slave?

Your Identity Through Christ day 8 of 30

Are Your A Slave?

Adam's single act of disobedience flung open the door for sin to enter into the world. Sin has now infected and affected everyone and everything.

God made everything out of nothing. He created the universe, the stars, the earth and everything in it. He even created our first two parents, Adam and Eve. Then, thinking about what He had created, God said that it was "very good"(Gen. 1:31). Unfortunately, things didn't stay that way for long.

Our first parents - in particular, Adam -rebelled against God and did what he was told not to do. Adam's single act of disobedience flung open the door for sin to enter into the world. Sin has now infected and affected everyone and everything.

Thankfully, that isn't the end of the story. Though we may be sinners in this life, that's not all we are. We are the image bearers of God, who are made saints in Christ.

Read 1 John 1:8; 3:9-10

How do we deceive ourselves? (By believing we have no sin.)

Can someone born again continue in the same sin as before? (No. Someone who is born of God does not make a practice of sinning. He or she will be convicted of it and be led to repent of it.)

Discuss the difference between having sin and being in sin. (A saint does sin. But when a Christian sins, he or she is convicted by the Holy Spirit and is led to repent. This is the difference between having sin and being in sin).

Discuss with your family whether there are sins they struggle with on a regular basis, and pray for one another to find freedom from sin in Jesus.

Prayer

Thank God that he has defeated the power of sin in your life. Ask for his help in having your identity be that of a saint, not a sinner.

I John 1:8 NKJV

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

I John 3:9-10 NKJV

9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Genesis 1:31 NKJV

31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Accidents happen i guess

Well apparently I'm guessing the day 1 entry never made it to get published so I just now republished it.. anyways.. things happen and usually they happen for a reason.

My blog isn't just about scripture as I have been posting today by the way, it's just that is what I have been doing on here the past couple days.

In all honesty, I really couldn't tell you at this moment in time what my blog is truely about.. I used to use it when I was depressed or down. I think I have deleted a lot of those posts in the past. I decided to post these bible studies for 2 reasons though, first off I use the blogger ap on my phone to keep information for myself and just save things as drafts.. so as I was entering the info from my mail I had this feeling or voice or rather just a urge that others that doesn't know about this kind of study or who really havnt gotten to know Jesus or God, that they too could hear the word and learn along side me.. I know there are people who need encouragement, I am one of those very people at times. I haven't been a Christian very long myself, I am still learning. I do talk to an old friend of mine who is a minister, and we try to encourage each other.. I wish we lived closer than we do, but hey distance is there for a reason I guess. Ok so I'm guessing I've went on forever this time around and you're probably tired of reading what I have to say tonight.. so enjoy the next day of both of these bible studies and feel free to add a comment or something to let me know you were here..

God Bless you all
Thanks for reading...
~B~

Quest for God's Purpose day 8 of 27

Purpose Clue #5: Caring about something special is a part of my purpose.

You might like a lot of things, but God put something very special in your heart to care about. That special care can make your whole heart bring glory to God. You might care about animals that are sick, or people who are sad. You might care about fixing things that are broken or even inventing new things! Try to find out what your heart really cares about. When you think about your special care, pray about it and praise God that He put something special in your heart!

Tell Someone: What is something special God gave you to care about?

Psalms 103:1 NKJV

1 Bless the Lord , O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Psalms 103:10 -19 NKJV

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

Your Identity Through Christ day 7 of 30

The Saint In Black

Though many in the church of Ephesus would have been drunks, gossips, or just downright mean people, Paul didn't choose to identify them that way.

Johnny Cash is a monument of the music industry. He is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Though he was a successful musician, Cash wrecked his first marriage and struggled at points in his life with drugs and alcohol. In spite of his sins, Johnny Cash was a saint. Why? Because he was in Christ.

When reading the different letters of the New Testament, we tend to either read the greetings at the beginning quickly or just skip over them altogether, as if they're not important. If we treated Paul's greeting in Ephesians this way, we would miss something really important. Paul referred to everyone in the church as 'saints . . . in Christ Jesus' (Eph. 1:1).

Though many in the church of Ephesus would have been drunks, gossips, or just downright mean people, Paul didn't choose to identify them that way. He knew that if we're "in Christ Jesus", then we're saints. This is why he chose to greet the church in this way.

Read Romans 7:13-25 NLT

Why did Paul not understand his own actions? (He found that he did the very things he hated, and he didn't always have the power to do what was right.)

To whom did Paul look for help in not sinning? (He looked to Jesus Christ to set him free from his prison of sin.)

In Christ, Paul was a saint. Yet in Christ, Paul struggled with sin and doing what was right. In Christ, Johnny Cash was a saint. And yet, in Christ, Johnny Cash also struggled with sin and doing what was right. What can you learn from their experience? (In Christ we can still struggle with sin, but Jesus Christ - not being good -will deliver us from its punishment and power.)

Prayer

Thank Jesus Christ that he redeemed you from the penalty and power of sin.

Romans 7:13-25
13But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
14So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.
15I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
16But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.
17So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
18And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
19I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
20But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
21I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
22I love God’s law with all my heart.
23But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Ephesians 1:1-2 NLT

1This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Your Identity in Christ day 6 of 30

The Metamorphosis

We, too, are changed into new creatures through faith in Christ.

Butterflies are beautiful creatures. From the design on their wings to all the colors they display, they are spectacular. Before any butterfly can be a magnificent creature, however, it must begin its life as a caterpillar, which is quite ugly.

Caterpillars transform into butterflies through a process called metamorphosis. Their old nature passes away, and they turn into a completely new creature. Just as caterpillars are changed into butterflies, we, too, are changed into new creatures through faith in Christ. We transform from ugly sinners to beautiful saints.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

What does it mean to "regard no one according to the flesh"? (It means that we don't think of someone from the world's point of view, but rather, from Christ's point of view.)

What are we "in Christ"? (We are new creations with new identity rooted in him.)

What has passed away "in Christ"? (Our old identity apart from Christ.)

Prayer

Have everyone in your family memorize 2 Corinthians 5:16-17.

II Corinthians 5:16-17 NKJV

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Quest for God's Purpose day 7 of 27

No reading today! Write three things you are good at.

Quest for God's purpose day 5 of 30

Purpose Clue #3: I keep my eyes open for clues to my purpose!

Put God’s word in your heart and in your mind. When it is there, you will remember to look for ways you can help others and make them think about God. Play a game to help you put this week’s memory verse in your heart and mind.

Bible Verse Search Game 1. Write the memory verse on 5 pieces of paper. 2. Crumple the memory verses up into balls. 3. Ask someone to hide the balls around your house. 4. See how fast you can find all five copies of the memory verse!

Can you say the whole verse without any help yet?

Psalms 115:1 NKJV

1 Not unto us, O Lord , not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord ; He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord , trust in the Lord ; He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord , Both small and great.
14 May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord , Who made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord ’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord , Nor any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord !

Your Identity in Christ day 5 of 30

Stay Put!

Apart from faith that is rooted in Jesus, we are each like a spiritually dead tree that produces yucky fruit.

A tree can tell you a lot about the Christian life.

A healthy fruit tree will grow and bear fruit. But not just any fruit. A hale and hearty tree will bear fruit that you can pick and enjoy eating. A diseased tree, on the other hand, is quite different. It's likely that it won't grow any fruit. If it does bear fruit, it will taste disgusting. Unlike a healthy tree, a diseased tree can never grow good fruit.

Just as the fruit we harvest grows based on what the tree is, the fruit we produce in our lives grows based on who we are. Apart from faith that is rooted in Jesus, we are each like a spiritually dead tree that produces yucky fruit, what we call sin (see Matt. 7:15-20).

If you are in Christ, then you are a new creation, and over time you will produce good fruit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:16-24). These are known as the "fruit of the Spirit". How do we get them?

We abide in Christ.

Oftentimes Christians go to Jesus for forgiveness of sin so they can go to heaven, but they leave the gospel behind when it comes to living daily life. Yet Jesus says we must abide in Him (John 15:4). What does that mean? It means that we stay put! That we are fed by Him daily and that we flourish as we remain in Christ.

Read John 15:4-5

Our good works are not produced by our own efforts apart from Jesus. They are produced by God's work in you by abiding. Do you seek God's help in living for Him -are you abiding in Him - or do you try to do it on your own?

Prayer

Thank God that in Christ you are a new creation. Ask for his graceful empowerment to live for and enjoy him forever.

John 15:4-5 NKJV

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Galatians 5:16-24 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

A Quest for God's Purpose day 4 of 27

Day 4 of 27

No reading today. Ask God who you can help with what you are good at.

Changes and mess ups...

Earlier today I was working on here and was trying to make things a bit more ledgeable and kinda messed things up a little bit.. including my system set up to diquss .. I really liked how that worked because it would email me info daily as to stats and when people replied.. any ways I'm working to make things work a bit better, but kinda limited doing all this from my phone.. anyways..  I will continue even if my disquss part isn't working right now..

I hope you enjoy the new look.

Your Identity in Christ day 4 of 30

Is Your Life A Testimony Or Biography?

Testimonies are very different from biographies. A testimony is about Jesus.

Who's your hero? Have you read his or her biography? We love stories about heroes who accomplished amazing things, don't we?

In every biography the hero rescues him-or herself, or someone else, from a terrible fate. As we read such tales of heroism, we look for sources of hope and examples of courage, dedication, sacrifice, and triumph. Biographies are great, but testimonies are even better.

Testimonies are very different from biographies. A testimony is about Jesus -His life, His accomplishments, and His determination in an individual's life. In a testimony, Jesus is the hero who rescues us from the terrible fate of sin, death, hell, and the just wrath of God.

What's your testimony? How has Jesus rescued you?

Read Revelation 12:10-11

What are the two ways the accuser, Satan, is conquered? (By the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.)

How do you defeat Satan in your life? (By testifying about the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf for the penalty of our sins.)

This would be a good time to have each member of the family share a testimony.

Prayer

Thank God for being the hero in your life and rescuing you from Satan, sin, and death.

Revelation 12:10-11 NKJV

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Your Identity in Christ day 3 of 30

Are You Defined By What You Want?

To live for what we long for is like being a small boat on the raging sea - we are always being tossed about.

What do you long for? To be popular? To get your driver's license? A new gaming system? What we long for can give us a false hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

To live for what we long for is like being a small boat on the raging sea - we are always being tossed about. If our plans go well, we feel great and hopeful, as if nothing could ever go wrong. When things go bad in our plan, we feel terrible and hopeless, as if nothing is ever going to work out.

Who you are is not based on what you long for. Your identity is based on what Jesus Christ has done for you. Look to him and to what he has already done for you, and find your satisfaction in him.

Read James 4:13-17

What are your plans for the future? What does James say about making plans and talking about them? (See James 4:14.)

Discuss with a group or your family if there are situations and plans that they are expecting to work out in a certain way. Ask them what they would think and how they would feel if things didn't work out the way they expected.

Prayer

Pray that God will direct your longings in line with his longings for your life.

James 4:13-17 NKJV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Quest for God's Purpose day 3 of 27

Purpose Clue #2: Something I am good at is part of my purpose.

God can use what you are good at to glorify Himself in amazing ways. Think about Bezalel. God made Bezalel a great artist. Bezalel used his art skills to work with artists to make beautiful decorations, furniture, robes, and fragrances. These artworks were placed in God's special tent called the tabernacle. When people visited the tabernacle, the beautiful decorations, furniture, robes, and fragrances made them think about how wonderful and mighty God is. What Bezalel was good at was part of his purpose to bring glory to God.

Watch: Bible Theater: Exodus - Moses Leads the People/ Building the Tabernacle

Tell Someone: What skills do you have that will make others think about God?

Exodus 31:1-11 NKJV

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle— 8 the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base—10 the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, 11 and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”

Quest for God's Purpose day 2 of 27

Day 2 of 27

No reading today! Ask God what He made you good at.

Your Identy in Christ - 2 of 30

Do You Find Your Identity In Your Job?

Your duties do not define you as a person. You are defined by who you are in Christ. Life is filled with duties, starting with chores when we are young, then homework in school, job requirements in the workforce, ministry obligations in the church, relational duties in marriage, and parental and grand-parental responsibilities in our families. Our duties are endless. Often they are noble, but when they become the source of our identity, they can destroy our souls.

At the end of the day, you are not what you do. Your duties do not define you as a person. You are defined by who you are in Christ.

Read Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:24

By what and through whom are we saved? (By grace through faith in Jesus.)

Why is salvation considered a gift? (We cannot work for it. It is given to us by God, through Jesus.)

What type of work is prepared for us? Who prepared this work, and why did he prepare it? (Good works are prepared for us, and it is God who has prepared them, so that we may walk in them and be blessed. God's good works beat any earthly duty that we could ever worship.)

On which duties do you base your identity? Discuss.

Prayer

On the cross, Jesus defeated every idol in your life, including those duties that you pay too much attention. Pray that God will help you see your idols and then turn from them in repentance to God. Ask him to help you remember that your identity is who you are in Christ, not what you do.

Ephesians 2:8-10
8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 4:24
24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Starting a journey... you can follow if you wish

I'm trying to take this new journey to get closer to Jesus.. I singed up for the dayly devotionals via Youversion bible. I don't use the ap itself because it is too combersome for my phone, but their devotionals and learning guides seem pretty great. I know I havnt stayed on par with my blog ever, but this will give me a chance to do this right.. I will post the daily sets, and here I am already 2 weeks behind. I have a lot of catching up to do, please feel free to join me and comment as we journey together and walk this path...
~B~

Your identity in Christ - day 1 of 30

Day 1 of 30

Who Do You Worship?

Idolatry occurs when we make a created thing a god thing, which is a bad thing.

You and I were created as worshipers. As worshipers, we are divided into two categories: those who worship the Creator and those who worship created things. Because of sin, we are prone to worship anyone and anything other than the God who made everyone and everything. This is what the Bible calls idolatry. In our own lives, then, idolatry occurs when we make a created thing a god thing, which is a bad thing.

Rather than worship these created things, God calls us to worship him. This doesn't mean we don't enjoy his creation; we just do so as an act of worship to Him for His good gifts and not as an act of worship of His good gifts.

Read Romans 1:21 -25

How do we become guilty of not honoring or giving thanks to God? (The answer can be found in verses 22-23.)

What are some things that you put before God? (Consider those things to which you devote your time and money.)

On what do you spend your time and money? What does this say about who or what you worship?

Prayer

Ask God to reveal idols in your life so you can repent for worshiping them and worship Jesus wholeheartedly.

This devotion is excerpted from the Who Do You Think You Are? Study Guides with Daily Devotions resource by Pastor Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Church. Get more devotionals and resources at www.marshill.com

Romans 1:21-25

Quest for God's purpose - Day 1 of 27

Day 1 of 27

Purpose Clue #1: My purpose makes others think about God.

Think about it. You can choose to bring God glory, or to bring yourself glory. When you bring God glory, you help others first and make God’s heart happy. When you bring yourself glory, you put yourself first and other people cannot learn about God from you. It’s good to think about how God has made you special, but remember not to think about yourself all the time!

Tell Someone: How you can help others think about God’s mighty name?

Psalms 115:1