Women in the Word

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3/26/2017 6:08 pm  #31


Re: Luke

Luke 10

10:27-28 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."  And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."
 
We can live like we love ourselves more than God. That is hard to hear, but sometimes it seems that way when I choose my own way because it is what will make me “happier” instead of submitting to God. Or when we justify our actions instead of unquestioning obedience. Or when we choose our recreation over worship and prayer.
Even feeling guilty over past forgiven sins is a form of self-love because it is as if we are expecting ourselves to be holy and so are surprised by and cannot accept the fact that we are sinners while simultaneously minimizing Jesus’ power to atone for our sins.
 
Note, Jesus says to do this, not feel this. So, it is not having emotional feelings of “love” for others but living love for God and others.
 
10:41-42 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
 
It is so important for us to listen to Jesus. To fill ourselves up before we serve or our service will be frantic and anxious. I am finding I need to spend time in refreshing, not study, but just sitting with God in the quiet and worshiping and praying.
 
GMG Discussion Question: Who in your life needs more of your love and care today?
 
Just got back from a Women’s Retreat. It was a sweet time of fellowship, community, and relationship building as we mutually encourage and supported each other and felt safe enough to be vulnerable and genuine with each other. It was really a blessed and precious time.
 
But it reminded me of the importance of not allowing myself to be to “busy” to prioritize relationships and active love towards others. (Left Friday and was running around all Friday morning finishing up things for my husband before I left. So I did not have time to get this post up earlier)

 

3/26/2017 6:10 pm  #32


Re: Luke

Week of March 27
This Week’s Reading Assignment

Post your input below this post.
S.O.A.K. any verse of your choosing.

Monday
Reading: Luke 11
Verse of the Day: Luke 11:1
Good Morning Girls: Introduction to the Week
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Learning to pray is of utmost importance! Jesus did not teach his disciples how to preach, but He did teach them how to pray. The prayer in Luke 11, is not meant to be recited as a ritual, but rather as a pattern for our prayer life. After Jesus gave the pattern, He then gave an example of the boldness and persistence He wants us to have in our prayers.

Pause and pray through the Lord’s Prayer today. Then consider, is there something you have given up praying for that you need to boldly and persistently begin praying for again? Write your prayer below.

Tuesday
Reading: Luke 12
Verse of the Day: Luke 12:15
Optional GMG Discussion Question: The world system tells us that success and possessions deserve a high five, but at the end of the parable in Luke 12, God calls the rich man a fool! The only way to conquer a greedy heart is to believe that life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions.

Do you struggle with this? Jesus tells us to “be on guard.” How can you guard and protect yourself from falling into the temptation of desiring an abundance of possessions?

Wednesday
Reading: Luke 13
Verse of the Day: Luke 13:30
Optional GMG Discussion Question: To God, it does not matter what our standing in this world is. Money, titles, status, beauty, lineage and good works are not what God looks at. Salvation is based on Jesus’ grace alone.
Do you, at times, feel jealous of others whose standing in this world is higher than yours? One of the great mysteries of the gospel is how those who are first in this world are last in the next. How does this truth bring you comfort today?

Thursday
Reading: Luke 14
Verse of the Day: Luke 14:11
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Jesus was the ultimate example of one who deserved the highest exaltation but He was humble. True humility does not have too high of an opinion of oneself and is others-centered rather than self-centered.

We are promised that those who humble themselves will one day – in eternity – be exalted. In what area of your life, do you need to work on humility?

Friday
Reading: Luke 15
Verse of the Day: Luke 15:10
Good Morning Girls: Devotional and Video
Optional GMG Discussion Question: The parables in Luke 15 show us that God goes after the lost and heaven celebrates when they are found. Nothing is more precious to us as when it is lost. Think of your car keys – if they are lost – you search until they are found. And when they are found – you rejoice. In the same way, the angels rejoice when a sinner repents.

Who have you recently shared the love of Jesus or the gospel with? If you haven’t had this opportunity, write a prayer for someone who is lost and ask God for boldness.

Last edited by TBG (3/31/2017 9:10 am)

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3/27/2017 7:05 am  #33


Re: Luke

Luke 11

S: Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 11:1
 
O: The disciples had spent their lives hearing the religious leaders pray, and they knew that there was something different about how Jesus prayed.
 
A: I grew up Catholic, so praying, for me, consisted of a set of prayers that you prayed and never deviated from.  As a child it was even a race to see how quickly I could pray them, and I never really gave much thought to what I was praying.  Since getting saved in my twenties, prayer has always been a struggle.  I didn’t want to pray meaningless, rote, prayers, but I didn’t know how to do anything else.  The past couple of years, since I’ve made prayer more of a conversation between me and God, I’ve seen a great change in my prayer life, and, as a result, I feel closer to God.
 

 

3/27/2017 8:20 am  #34


Re: Luke

Luke 11

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."


Observation:
The disciples did not know how to pray. John apparently did, he was of course the greatest of all prophets, and he must have prayed frequently also for it to come about that he would teach his disciples.

It is interesting that one needs to be taught to pray. You would think it would be natural. Perhaps because they did not yet have the Holy Spirit.

It is also interesting that Jesus waited until they asked Him to teach them and that He did not just pull them aside and tell them they needed to learn to pray.

Jesus did teach them to pray; He did not tell them to just talk to God and that there was no particular way to pray. So, it must be that there were some parameters and considerations when praying.

Application:
When we pray we should be focused on what God wants to do in His work and in and through us. We should trust God daily for our needs. Sometimes I want to look ahead too far and get the entire picture and be told the whole path, when God just wants me to think about what He has for that next day. It is a matter of daily trust and learning to trust God daily.

James 4:3 says, "And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures."

I am guilty of praying and asking God to do what He knows will be best for me and best fulfill me instead of praying what will be best to fulfill His purpose and to contribute to His kingdom.

Last edited by TBG (3/27/2017 8:20 am)

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3/28/2017 7:01 am  #35


Re: Luke

Luke 12

S: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (12:34)
 
O: God wants our hearts and He knows that whatever is important to us is what will have it.
 
A: Treasures can be anything, and I think that what our treasures are changes over time.  And treasures aren’t necessarily bad things, either.  It’s not wrong for me to treasure my husband, but when he becomes my number one treasure, problems can ensue as I put unrealistic expectations on him.  It’s not wrong for me to treasure my career, but when it becomes number one I forsake other things for it.  When God is my number one treasure however, I find peace and quietness of spirit.  Everything else in life, my relationship with my husband, my career, everything, goes so much smoother and better when I put God first.
 

 

3/28/2017 8:39 am  #36


Re: Luke

Michelle wrote:

A: Treasures can be anything, and I think that what our treasures are changes over time.  And treasures aren’t necessarily bad things, either.  It’s not wrong for me to treasure my husband, but when he becomes my number one treasure, problems can ensue as I put unrealistic expectations on him.  It’s not wrong for me to treasure my career, but when it becomes number one I forsake other things for it.  When God is my number one treasure however, I find peace and quietness of spirit.  Everything else in life, my relationship with my husband, my career, everything, goes so much smoother and better when I put God first.
 

Excellent point. Even good things can become idols in our lives. I noticed in Heb 12:1 it says to put off everything, and the sin which entangles us. The "and" indicates that the "everything" is not identical to the "sin" but that there are two different things: sin, and everything that hinders. So the "everything that hinders" may not necessarily be sinful.

This has been a lesson that I thought I learned when I was younger, but it has come back around for me in a different way and I have realizing this over the last few weeks. There is something good, and godly, and even pleasing to God, but if I make that my idol, my source of fulfillment, purpose and value that above God's purpose - that is an idol.

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3/28/2017 8:40 am  #37


Re: Luke

Luke 12

12:4 "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
 
O: This is referring to being afraid to stand for Jesus or to be faithful to God because of fear of martyrdom or being killed for your faith.
 
A: This makes me think of how, even if it is not fear, we value the approval of man more than God and so focus more on gaining approval or avoiding disapproval more than serving and honoring God.
 
We need to take our focus off of approval and get consumed with going about our Father’s business, serving God as a pattern of our day, and working towards His kingdom.
 
12:32 "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
 
It pleases God to take out my stony heart and to give me His heart, to rule and reign in me, to translate me into His kingdom, to give me salvation, and to restore my relationship with Him.
 
He does not do this because of anything about me. In fact I don’t deserve it at all; I deserve punishment and damnation. He does it because it pleases Him! That is astonishing. That He should have such great love for me that it is His pleasure to show me mercy and grace, to give me what I don’t deserve and withhold punishment from me.
 
It is so beautiful and moving to think of love that great.
 
12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
 
Invest in things of God, not just with money, but with my time, my focus, my energy, and my priorities. If we do this, then our affections will be there and not on this earth and with things of this earth: the ease or struggle of life, or the approval of others.
 
We invest so much into how we want this life to go and so little into the eternal kingdom, no wonder we are obsessed with our daily life and cannot keep our eyes eternally focused and de-value the eternal in favor of the temporary.

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3/29/2017 6:52 am  #38


Re: Luke

TBG wrote:

Luke 12

12:4 "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
 
O: This is referring to being afraid to stand for Jesus or to be faithful to God because of fear of martyrdom or being killed for your faith.
 
A: This makes me think of how, even if it is not fear, we value the approval of man more than God and so focus more on gaining approval or avoiding disapproval more than serving and honoring God.
 
We need to take our focus off of approval and get consumed with going about our Father’s business, serving God as a pattern of our day, and working towards His kingdom.
 

Very good point, especially in this day and age, where, as a society, we seek approval so much.

 

3/29/2017 7:13 am  #39


Re: Luke

Luke 13

13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
 
O: This almost makes me cry. Jesus longed to save and protect them but they rejected Him. God sends them His truth and His direction. He sends them people to call them back to Him and they kill them. So sad.
 
A: I see so much of that with both unbelievers, and yes, even us as believers sometimes.
 
Unbelievers are hostile to salvation, truth, and light God offers and so reject His offer of salvation and reject the good news.
 
Even believers can reject God’s love and protection when the direction He wants to send us in does not suit our desires or goals, or causes us trials or suffering. We don’t trust Jesus’ heart, don’t trust Him as our good shepherd, and don’t trust His protection.
 
I ran into that today when I was pushing back emotionally, being upset, that my husband agreed to do foster care respite for a couple of kids later this week. After all, I have things to do and I had my week completely planned out.
 
Now, I just came back from a retreat where I had this beautiful time of prayer admitting to God that I was seeking things according to what was pleasant or easier for me and what I wanted to do. I prayed how I instead wanted to be committed to seeking whatever would further His kingdom and further His purposes.
 
You can’t get any more about God’s purposes than caring for the orphan and yet my immediate response was to be annoyed that I did not want to do this this week. Oh, yes, gotta love the Holy Spirit who spoke to me and corrected my attitude.
 
But is this not an easy pattern to get into? I needed to trust God with my agenda and trust God’s direction. Is Jesus incapable of properly leading me? Is He going to shepherd me in the wrong direction? Can I trust His guidance?

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3/30/2017 7:11 am  #40


Re: Luke

Luke 14
 
14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
 
Observation
The word translated “hate” here is miseó which when looking up in the Greek dictionary means: to love someone or something less than someone (something) else, i.e. to renounce one choice in favor of another.
 
So, Jesus is not telling us to not have love for our family, in fact we know we are to love others as ourselves, mutually submit to one another, and that a fruit of the Spirit is love.
 
But, He is telling us that we need to prefer Him above all others and that any love we have for others must be subordinate to our love for Him.
 
Application
Christians must be on guard against valuing these relationships more than we value our relationship with Christ. We can make idols of relationships. And then when there are troubles in these relationships or when they are lost it shakes us and destroys our joy and peace, it rattles our faith, or at minimum distracts us in our walk.
 
We need to keep these in proper perspective and not place our hope, our fulfillment and our sense of being, belonging, source of joy in human relationships, but in our relationship with God.

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