“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NLT) The heart of this ministry is to inspire a love for God’s Word and encourage the discipline of daily Bible reading and SOAP journaling. These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish.
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A woman of her word | Kelley Deases
S~ When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. Numbers 30:2 (NIV)
O~ Moses is speaking to the head of the tribes of Israel, imparting what the Lord has commanded.
A~ I used to have a friend whose signature move was to bail on a commitment to get together. I mean, more often than not when we had set a date for a coffee or a lunch or whatever, whether she initiated or I did, that date would never come to pass. Sometimes she’d call at the last minute to say something had come up. Other times, she’d just be a no-show. I have wondered over the years whether she suffers from a touch of depression, which leads her to make plans in an “up” moment but not be able to follow through when she’s “down.” Or she just over-committed. Or I was not her favorite person to meet for lunch (ouch!). Whatever the reason, I came to expect that she would probably not honor a commitment to spend time with me. Let’s just say our coffee dates were written on the calendar in pencil!
P~ Father, You have commanded that I keep my promises and honor my commitments, just as You do and just as I desire others do toward me. I want to represent You well by being a woman of her word.
Not All My Responsibility | Kim Chipman
S~ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Acts 18:6 (NIV)
O~ Paul was preaching to Jews about Jesus being the Messiah. They don’t want to hear it.
A~ Sometimes witnessing is hard. I have 2 types of “lost” people in my life right now. 1. People who don’t know You and don’t see a need for You in their life. 2. People who knew You and have walked away from that relationship.
It’s hard to know how hard to push and if/when to pull back from sharing You. It’s actually freeing to know that Paul got to a place where he could walk away knowing he did all he could.
With the people in my life I don’t feel You telling me to walk away (yet). I do feel You encouraging me to just live it out, pray for them, and continue to reach out.
P~ Thank You for Paul’s example. Thank You for the power of prayer. I love You.
Open your home | Marisa Hartman
S~ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. Acts 18:26 (NIV)
O~ Priscilla and Aquila first opened their home to Paul when he arrived in Corinth. Paul stayed with them and helped with their trade, tent making, which was also his trade. As they worked beside one another Paul taught them more about the life of Jesus. When Paul decided to leave Corinth for Ephesus Priscilla and Aquila went with him. While in Ephesus they heard Apollos speaking “with great fervor” about the Lord. They invited Apollos into their home to further educate him about Jesus’s life, just as Paul had taught them.
A~ Just like Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila I am called to disciple others. I hold a Bible study in my home on Wednesday nights. I love having people over, but am I truly discipling them or are we just reading The Bible together? Some nights, they disciple me. To disciple someone is to help them grow in their faith and learn more about Christ. When I open my home and live out my faith I reach people in ways that they cannot get on a Sunday morning. God created us to live in community. How is my community affected for Christ? I would love to think that I make a difference as a Christian but truly I am not so sure that I do. Am I doing everything I can to point others to Christ? I think I do here and there but I’m definitely not doing everything I can. My selfishness and laziness and apathy can easily dissuade me from starting a conversation or having someone over or even just reaching out via text message. My life is so much better with Christ in it. Why am I not shouting that from the rooftops? I’m outgoing and love people and I desperately want to be loved. Sharing my true faith with acquaintances or strangers, can be a scary thing. Will they laugh at me? Will they think I’m a Bible-thumping lunatic? When I brave enough to risk it, and I speak from a real and authentic place, it turns out well. God is so good! When I’m real about His grace through the trials of life I give others hope. When I talk about my faith, the real things that God has done for me it also strengthens my own faith. It’s affirming to remember all of the ways that he has provided or all of the times where I was devastated by a No that ended up being better than a yes.
P~ Father thank you for all of The Times that you’ve prompted me to speak and I’ve listened. Help me to hear you in ways that I have it. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace for The Times I’ve ignored you. I’m so grateful to be called your daughter I’m so grateful that you would even consider using me in small ways. Lord I want to help make your Kingdom great. I want every corner of the world to know how loved and accepted they are. Thank you for loving me when I felt unlovable. Thank you for giving me a home to share with others. Thank you for the women that you bring into my life that stretch me and grow my faith and walk me closer to you. Amen
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I enjoyed everyone’s sharing today.