SLPRH7 wrote:

Hello! 

I am very excited to begin this new bible study in Acts. I love starting things but have a difficult time finishing things. I just finished a GMG bible study on Loving like Jesus 2 weeks ago and it took me over a year and a half. I am praying that God will help me stay close to him and complete this bible study every day while participating on this forum. I am 28 years old and recently made a career change from a teacher to being a speech language pathologist. I'm looking foward to what God brings into our lives each day and I hope I will listen to Him. Thanks for letting me join the group!

SLPRH7,

We are glad to have you with us. Just keep persevering. This is not a race. I took you a over a year, but you did finish it and you did get God's Word in you. God's work in us is a process. Over the years He keeps working to bring us closer we just have to take the next step. So, just keep trying and watch how in God's time He transforms you.

Blessings!
 

Mimi wrote:

Hi,
My name is Mimi, am 38 years old and am a single mother of 3 children. I live in the UK and I am very passionate about God but find that I get distracted with so much 'to do'. I desire to build and strengthen my relationship with God and want a to be a part of a bible study group that will continually remind me and keep me focussed on Jesus. Thank you for letting me be part of this group.

Welcome Mimi,
Glad to have another from the UK with us.

I can very much relate to the distractions. I used to like to pray a lot. I kept a prayer journal and would throughout the day pray, when I wake up pray, when I lay down pray.

But, lately, things have been very difficult for me, we have a profoundly disturbed foster child with both mental illens and emotional distrubance who is just more than I can handle and I just feel sapped too much to even pray. Is not that terrible.

I realize that prayer is the one thing I need to do more than anything now. But, I feel so wiped out that I just can't silence my thoughts to focus.

So glad you are with us and I hope that we can encourage each other to stay in the Word and close to God.
 

Cdlindley4 wrote:

Hi. My name is Christy. I have an amazing husband an 11 year old son at home, a 23 year old son out on his own, a 26 year old step son and an amazing step daughter who will be spending her 22nd birthday in heaven. I am still adjusting to the passing of Paige. She was truly a gift from God to our family & I was blessed to be in her life for 11 1/2 years.

This is my first Bible Study. I have bought studies before, but never actually started them. I feel that I am at a different place in my life and ready to fill my thirst for a better relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Christy thank you for sharing your heart. I really have found that in doing this study I am seeing things I have not seen before and seeing God as I never have seen Him. It is definitely challenging me about my life and my heart. I pray that it will impact you as well.

Melissasibi wrote:

Hello. My name is Melissa. I have a husband and 4 kids ranging from 19 to 28. I also have 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters that keep me pretty busy.
My youngest has graduated from high school and this has left me with some unexpected "me time", so I am hoping to get back into my Bible Study routine which I have neglected for quite some time. I just really want to deepen my relationship with God and reconnect with Him. I feel like I have become stagnant in my study and prayer life, so I really need the interaction all of you who are walking this path to encourage me and hopefully so I can encourage you as well.
I am looking forward to studying James with all of you and hopefully building some lasting friendships as we try to become more like Christ.
 

Welcome. We are glad you joined us. I do find the other comments and insights to be encouraging. I also just find the entire set up of reading, sometimes books I don't regularly read or have not read for a long time, as slowly as Courtney's schedule lays out to give me a chance to dig in and see things in a fresh way. It has definitely been deepening my relationship. I used to spend a lot more time in prayer, but that has slipped by the wayside and I am definitely looking to get back to that.

Look forward to studying along with you!

RCSS wrote:

Hi there.  My name is Rebecca.  I am a wife and mother of 2 (9 yo boy, 13 yo girl).  I am in a small group at church and we are on summer break.  We have been studying discipleship and books on living a Christ centered life.  Which is all good but I really wanted to get into studying the Bible on a regular basis.  I really enjoy when there is an exchange.  I learn things that I might not have thought about.  I am hoping to have some exchange here.  I have never done an online study group before.  Looking forward to studying with this group.  

So glad you are here. Yes, I really get a lot out of good books, for example, I have been reading a book on holiness that is very convicting. But you are right, there is no substitute for digging into the Word.

Timothy says to study to show ourselves approved a workman that does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing truth. How we need insight into rightly dividing the truth in these days.

2 Tim 3:16 says that Word is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness

Hebrews 4:12 also says that the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Wow, nothing better than digging into the Word if we want to be really transformed.

I really appreciate the exchange as well. It is harder online because it requires people to take the time to type their thoughts. But I hope we get some good interaction this session. James is such a great book.

Welcome