A Year's Worth of Soap

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 KJV

Many of us are making or have made New Year's resolutions. Often, we think we will read through the Bible in a year or we look for a new devotional book to inspire our walk. Many people substitute a few words from a devotional for Bible reading because they say the Bible is too hard to understand. There's nothing wrong with reading a devotional so long as we are also reading the Word. Even the Apostle Paul praised the church at Berea because they read the scriptures daily to make sure what he was saying and writing was true (Acts 17:11).  

I use the S.O.A.P. method. It usually takes 20-30 minutes. Then I do a five-minute devotional. I'm often surprised how well they mesh together. 

Here's the journaling method I do with my Bible reading. 

S. Scripture - I prayerfully read a chapter and allow God to impress one or two verses on my heart. I copy that scripture as the heading of the day's reading. 

O. Observation - In my own words, I write my observations about the context of the verse. In other words, I retell the story. 

A. Application - How has God impressed upon me to apply these verses in my life? 

P. Prayer - I write my prayer asking the Lord to help me apply the things He is teaching me.

The verse I chose today was from John 12: 1-11 with an emphasis on verse 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 

My observation was that people came to see Lazarus because he knew what it was like to be dead and then come back to life. They probably had questions like; "Did you go toward a light? Was it scary? Did you hover around and watch people as they mourned for you? Did you go to paradise or heaven?" One of the biggest takeaways I had was that Lazarus was a man just like the people and they wanted to see someone whose life God had resurrected from death to a new life.

My application became my Christian walk. I say I am a Christian and people watch me every day to see how God has changed me, how He has delivered me from a lost/dead state to a new/resurrected life in Christ.

Usually, folks don't really come to church looking for God. They come because someone invited them. People want to see how God can change us in such a way that we are new people/creatures in Christ. They've never known what it is like to have their lives completely changed. They are curious to see how it works. Am I a good demonstration? 

My prayer was of course personal and individual but here are my thoughts.

Heavenly Father, help me demonstrate my life in Christ every day so that others might see the wonderful change Jesus has made in my life because I have asked for forgiveness and salvation. May others be so affected by the change that it would cause them to turn to Jesus as well. In Christ Jesus's name. Amen

A Year's Worth of S.O.A.P.

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 KJV

Daily Devotional? Read through the Bible in a Year? How much time will these take out of my busy schedule? I thought I might take into account how much time I spend watching TV. I thought I'd also see how much screen time I use daily. Out of 16 waking hours, I spend ____  WHAT???WOW!!! 

If I give 10% of my income, could I not give 10% of my time? WOW again, that would be over an hour and a half each day. So maybe if I skip 15-30 minutes of TV or screen time that would give me time to do a little Bible study. 

I use the S.O.A.P. method. It usually takes 15 -20 minutes. Then I do a five-minute devotional. I'm often surprised how well they mesh together. 

Here's the journaling method I do with my Bible reading. Reading and journaling is usually about 20 minutes.

S. Scripture - I prayerfully read a chapter and allow God to impress one or two verses on my heart. I copy that scripture as the heading of today's reading. 

O. Observation - In my own words, I write my observations about the context of the verse. In other words, I retell the story. 

A. Application - How has God impressed upon me to apply these verses in my world? 

P. Prayer - I write my prayer about applying this scripture in my life.

The verse I chose today was from John 12: 1-11 with an emphasis on verse 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 

My observation was that people came to see Lazarus because he knew what it was like to be dead and then come back to life. They probably had questions like; "Did you go toward a light? Was it scary? Did you hover around and watch people as they mourned for you? Did you go to paradise or heaven?" One of the biggest takeaways I had was that Lazarus was a man just like the people and they wanted to see someone whose life God had resurrected from death to a new life.

My application became my Christian walk. I say I am a Christian and people watch me every day to see how God has changed me, how He has delivered me from a lost/dead state to a new/resurrected life in Christ.

Usually, folks don't really come to church looking for God. They came because someone invited them. People want to see how God can change us in such a way that we are new people/creatures in Christ. They've never known what it is like to have their lives completely changed. They are curious to see how it works. 

My prayer was of course personal and individual but here are my thoughts.

Heavenly Father, help me demonstrate my life in Christ every day so that others might see the wonderful change Jesus makes in my life because I have asked for forgiveness and salvation. May others be so affected by the change that it would cause them to turn to Jesus as well. In Christ Jesus's name. Amen

Hey Kids:

Paul wrote these words to young Timothy. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

II Timothy 3:15.

You can use S.O.A.P. You can do your own study or find out where your parents will be studying each day. God may reveal something different that you can share at the family altar time. God has something for each of us no matter how old or how young. We'd love for you to share with us, but most importantly, share with your family and demonstrate Christ to others.  

Disappearing Words

 

In the backmatter of The Keeper of Wild Words Brooke Smith says she was inspired by an article that said the Oxford Junior Dictionary removed over 100 natural words because they felt the words no longer held relevance. They replace them with words like Chatroom, Analog, MP3 Player, Database, and Vandalism. 

What wild words did they replace? What are wild words? 

Some of the words no longer of relevance were:

• wren
• violets
• poppies
• blackberries
• acorn
• minnows
• beaver
• brook

Why were these words no longer relevant? Perhaps because children are rarely taken on walks or allowed to explore the Creation, to ask questions, to research the natural world. Most of their life is centered around technology. 

Words disappear if we don't share them when we talk.

If we don't write them in our stories.

If we don't read them in our books, 

If we don't use words, they can be forgotten. 

And if they are forgotten...

they disappear. 

~Brooke Smith

(emphasis mine)

In Deuteronomy 6:7 the Lord commands us to teach his word to our children. How? 

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them

diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  ~Deutoronomy 6:6-9 ESV (emphasis mine)

Are we guilty of replacing God's word with other words? Are we teaching technology over the Word? What about sports words? Do our children know more about TV and movie characters than the real men and women, boys and girls whose true stories fill the pages of scripture? 

Maybe our answer to these questions is, "We take our children to church. Shouldn't they know?"  I know adults who have been in church all their lives but cannot retell a Bible story other than Christmas and Easter. Ask your children to retell the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors or the story of David and Goliath. 

As parents we are the keepers of God's words. The grandmother in The Keeper of Wild Words took her granddaughter for a walk and showed her the wild things that were being forgotten. With all the political correctness in today's world, it's not just the wild words that are being forgotten. It's God's word that is being forgotten. 

Father God, thank you that your word is settled in heaven and will never disappear. But we know it may be forgotten. Help us show this generation your word, your truth as we talk about it, read it, write it, and use it in our daily lives. 

In Christ Jesus name,

Amen

Hey Kids:

What is your favorite Bible story? How can you share it with others? Here's a few ideas.

• Retell the story to a friend, sibling, or perhaps a grandparent. 
• Draw a picture of the story.
• Write the story from the perspective of one of the characters.
• Read a story you are not familiar with.
• Apply the story to your life.

Do you know these real people with real stories to share? 

• Daniel
• Esther
• Moses
• David
• Noah

Share your favorites with us and others. 

Blessings,

Gail

Hidden Treasures

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 

Amazing what a little investment will produce! Last spring I found purple sweet potato slips at the farmers' market. They were three dollars for twelve plants. 

I brought them home, dug a trench, placed the slips, watered them and that was pretty much all I did. The vines spread everywhere. By the time the bush beans were finished the sweet potatoes were taking over their spot. They were climbing into the rose trellis and creeping into the squash vines. Finally, in September, they began to bloom pretty purple and white morning glory type blooms. 

Yesterday was my only free Saturday left in October to harvest the potatoes. Wow, was I surprised! Under the first hill were huge potatoes that more than paid for the investment. As I dug the hills, I was rewarded with lots more. I wonder how many more I would have found if the ground had been softer or if I had taken the tiller to the area and turned the soil with the turn plow. 

Digging all these potatoes got me thinking, as it always does. Just a little effort in God's word will turn up some "hidden treasures" if we only invest a few minutes of our time. 

I was saved as a teenager. From that time I began to invest a few minutes each day in reading my Bible. I would only read one chapter each day when I came in from school before I started my homework. 

I started with the New Testament and in the next 5 years, I read the New Testament 4 times and the Old Testament 3 times. There were some dry years I didn't read, but for pretty much all my life, a chapter a day has been my reading plan. 

Though I have read the Bible many times, each time turns up something new and interesting that I missed before. I often wonder why I never saw that before. God gives us what we need when we need it and if we are willing to invest a little time and do a little digging. 

Hey Kids:

My grandkids love digging root crops! It's like finding hidden treasure. 

Carrots, sweet potatoes, and other root crops also hold hidden treasures for our health. The carotenoids in these vegetables help keep our vision strong. 

God's word has its hidden treasures as well. It will take a little digging to find them, but it will improve our spiritual vision.  Reading is like eating. Eating the best foods makes us strong. Reading the Bible makes us spiritually strong. 

Digging root crops won't do us any good unless we eat the vegetables.

Reading the Bible won't do us any good unless we think about it and then do whatever it says.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22

Sharing God's word is like sharing your garden crops. It helps everyone, good food, and good fellowship. This week, find a friend who will be a spiritual treasure hunter with you.

Blessings,

Gail