UPDATE!!! 2-27-14

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to give a quick update as to how life in Guatemala is going. We got assigned locations for our 6 months of field time this evening. I'm going to Kenya!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Praise God, He is so good. Thank you for your prayers.

IBS Philippians 2:8 (2-28-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Philippians 2:8 (2-28-14)

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

This week, I touched on pride, denial of self, Jesus-Others-You, on being a bondservant, and this IBS is going to be about obedience. These all tie into each other, but they’re each distinct. Jesus laid aside His pride, denied Himself, put God the Father first, took the form of a bondservant, and obeyed to the point of death. 

John 3:16 gives Jesus’ motivation for coming to earth - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...” God loved us all so much that He gave up His Son in order to have a relationship with us. Our sins didn’t nail Jesus on the cross - He didn’t have to pay the penalty. We see here in this verse that He died on the cross because He was being obedient to God the Father.

Isaiah 53:10 & 12 say “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin... Because He poured out His soul unto death... And He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” The only way to save us was to die a criminal’s death, and He did it out of love and obedience. 

Even though it may not seem like it at times, God knows what I’m going through and His desire for me is to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. To love Him is to obey Him, as well as those He’s placed in authority over me. How often do I disobey authority - if not in action, then in my heart? It’s always a heart issue - every action and word proceeds from my heart. 

My application for yesterday was to write “bondservant” on my hand to remind me that I willingly chose to have God as my Master. I know that He is a good Master - that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I desire to love and obey my Savior, and by default, should want to love and obey those whom He’s placed in authority over me. I’m going to write “submit” on my hand to remember that I need to submit to my elders.

IBS Philippians 2:7 (2-27-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Philippians 2:7 (2-27-14)

“but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

Jesus did not come to this earth to build a Kingdom - He came to seek and save that which was lost. The disciples had this idea in their head that Jesus’ mission was to destroy the Roman empire and build His Kingdom on earth. Jesus did not make for Himself a reputation - in fact, there were several instances when Jesus told those He healed not to tell anyone, as Mark 5:43 says “But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it”. He also cast out a demon because He was annoyed with it for proclaiming His majesty. 

Christ’s main purpose is to glorify the Father - this is why He never gave glory to Himself. He is the great Comforter. Jesus came down from heaven, took the form of a bondservant and bore the sins of the world. When we repent of our sins and believe on Christ’s death and resurrection, Christ comforts us and shows us that we are cleansed by His blood.

Jesus came in the likeness of man to be able to relate to us, experience what we experience and be tempted in every way that we are tempted. He doesn’t sympathize with or feel bad for us, instead, He empathizes with us and understands exactly what we’re going through because He’s been through it. He needed to be able to represent us to God the Father, and represent God the Father to us. He was the bridge that crossed the impossible divide of sin between humankind and heaven. 

How often do I want to make a reputation for myself? How often do I choose to act like I’m above those around me instead of being a servant? Why in the world would I think that I deserve to have glory given to me when my holy and perfect Savior didn’t take ANY glory for Himself? I want to have a humble heart and a bondservant’s attitude. I chose to become Christ’s bondservant, so I need to ask the Holy Spirit for help so I can not only act like it but also so my heart will show it. I’m going to write “bondservant” on my hand to remind myself of the choice I made to serve Christ. 

IBS Philippians 2:5-6 (2-26-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Philippians 2:5-6 (2-26-14)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,”

This mind refers to a mind of putting others first. Jesus Christ was clothed in human form but was still fully God. He claimed to be equal with God and therefore saw Himself as having the same authority and power. God is omniscient - all knowing, omnipotent - all powerful, omnipresent - everywhere at all times, and perfect. Jesus said that He was all these things, and proved it by His miracles and raising from the dead. 

Having all authority and power, He chose to humble Himself to the level of a servant. Before He was betrayed, He washed all the disciples feet - even the feet of Judas. He stepped down from heaven to wash dirty feet, be beaten for our transgressions, and die a criminal’s death. John 1:12 says “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name...”

He did all of this so that we could become His children - so that we could have a right relationship with Him and not be separated from Him for all eternity. His focus was to do the Will of the Father. He didn’t question the Father, He didn’t complain to the Father, He didn’t whine to the Father and say that it wasn’t fair that He had to die when He was innocent. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He pleaded with God to take away the cup (Luke 22:42), but said “nevertheless not My Will, but Yours, be done.” 

How often do we make plans or even do things without asking God what He wants, and then ask Him to bless it? This is really convicting for me because I do that a LOT. I don’t really think about what God wants for me, I only care about what I want. I’m so wrapped up in myself that I don’t care what God says, but I also don’t care about other people’s needs. I’m going to write JOY on my wrist to remind me that the order of caring needs to be - Jesus, Others, You. 

IBS Philippians 2:4 (2-25-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Philippians 2:4 (2-25-14)

“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” 

My brain does not work this way. My brain wants to only be considerate of myself - I forget about God and those around me. I am a very selfish person. I tend to only think about what will benefit me, what will make me happy and how I can get the most out of whatever I’m doing or wherever I am. We are all born with this sinful mindset.

The struggle against the flesh is only a small picture of what the actual fight looks like. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” 

Yes, we fight our flesh daily - but Satan wants to render us useless so that we won’t advance the Kingdom of God. He desires for us to be either living off our own strength or feel condemned because of our sin and not do anything profitable either way. He wants me to stumble and damage my witness. He wants me to give into his temptations so that I’ll satisfy my desires in everything except Christ.

Satan wants me to put myself above all else. A line from Veggie Tale’s, King George and the Duckie is a perfect reminder for how NOT live - “Concentrate dear Louis, and I think you will agree. The most important person in the whole wide world is me.” How vain to think that we wretched sinful human beings are better than anyone else on this earth?

There have been many times when I thought I was better than all the people here - even though I know that we’re all believers. I’m no different than anyone else - a sinner saved only by God’s grace through faith. I truly love and care about each person here and I’m incredibly blessed to know all of them. I am so excited to see what the Lord has for each of us here, and I pray for everyone often. I’m going to thank everyone for what a blessing they’ve been to my life.

IBS Philippians 2:3 (2-24-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Philippians 2:3 (2-24-14)

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

We had a great example of how to do this in the team-building activity where we had to all stand on the board. If we acted in selfish ambition or conceit, one or more people would fall off and there would be bad consequences - staying frozen for a time. If we acted in lowliness of mind and esteemed others better than ourselves, we moved fluidly and had good consequences - we did things faster and more efficient than the guys.

The root of all of this sinfulness is pride. Pride says “I’m better than everyone here, I deserve better, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it”. In order to give preference to one another, we need to have our will submitted to Christ. JOY - Jesus, Others, You. God commands us to love Him with all we are, and to love each other as we love ourself. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we lived this out daily?

When we put Christ first and give preference to one another, we are humble and caring. We all know that loving God with all our being and loving our neighbor as ourself is impossible. There will always be times (and personally, for me it is more often than not) when our flesh gives no thought to God or others, and makes a beeline for our desires. 

Mark 8:23 comes to mind “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Denying self is probably the hardest thing to do on this planet. Even when we don’t follow through with our actions on the outside, there’s always inner turmoil going on and our thoughts are going everywhere. 

I really love Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill it’s lusts.” Make no provision - if you’re seeing how far you can get to the edge without actually falling off the cliff, it’s time for a heart evaluation. I should be running away from that precipice instead of tip-toeing on the part where it’s crumbling.

From the start - our mindset should be that we are wretched sinners and are capable of any sin. The only reason we are saved is because Christ’s blood cleansed us, and there was nothing we did to earn it. I want to put aside my pride, selfishness and conceit - I want to be lowly in mind, giving preference to others and esteeming others better than myself. I’m going to memorize Romans 13:14 so that I will keep in mind to put away my flesh and live for Christ by serving Him and those around me. 

IBS Hebrews 13:17 (2-21-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Hebrews 13:17 (2-21-14)

“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

We are commanded to obey and submit to those who rule over us - both obey and submit mean to yield to. This is the laying aside of our pride in thinking we know best or thinking that we should be in charge, and acknowledging that God put them in that place for a reason. 

Even though it may look like we’re obeying on the outside, if in our minds we are unwilling then it’s not true obedience. Colossians 3:23-24 says “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” No matter what we’re doing, our hearts should be willing and joyful. 

Those who are in authority must give an account for how they used their power of influence. People in leadership have a much higher responsibility than those under authority - every single person is responsible for their deeds and actions, but the people that are influences are given more consequences. 

Matthew 18:6 says “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” This is a very strong warning. Those who abuse their authority and use it for evil will have very severe consequences. 

We are to obey with joy and not grief. It is unprofitable for us to have an attitude or cause grief. If the person in authority is godly and is asking us to do something that glorifies God - why wouldn’t we want to do it? Also, why would we have a bad attitude about it and cause grief? 

I think a lot of the time - I do things half-heartedly or even with a bad attitude. I want to do everything as unto Christ - that means its not for the leader, its not for the people I’ll be serving and it’s not for myself. If I keep Christ as my focus during serving, I’ll have no issue whatsoever. I’m going to write “unto the Lord” on my wrist to remind me to not only have a good attitude, but also to remember that there’s no point in doing anything if it’s not for Christ.

IBS Ephesians 6:1 & Colossians 3:20 (2-20-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 (2-20-14)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

“Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.”

Ouch. These verses are very convicting for me. There have been SO many times that I’ve been disobedient to my parents - whether in action, word or thought. The way we did things in my house was as follows - my parents would sit us down and have us explain to them what we did wrong, then they would tell us that we needed to accept the result of our actions and get consequences. 

Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” My parents basically did that and yet, in a sense, I departed from that way in which they brought me up. By the grace of God, I’m following Christ, but that’s just me - I’ve got 3 younger sisters. They could deviate from following Jesus and my parents could do nothing about it.

Psalm 127:3 says “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Children are a gift from God and it’s the job of the parents to train the children. Of course, no one is perfect, so parents are always going to make mistakes. The point of being obedient to parents is not to follow perfect examples, but to be honoring to those that God has placed in authority over you.

In all honesty, I am afraid of my future children making the decision to live for this world instead of living for Christ. I’ve seen so many families that, even though they had amazing godly parents, they chose to reject Christ. I know that the only thing I can do is pray and be a good example, but pride keeps rising up inside me and makes me think that there’s something I can do to change someone’s heart. 

I need to call my parents and thank them for how they’ve raised me and tell them how much I love them. 

IBS Ephesians 6:1 & Colossians 3:20 (2-20-14)

Inductive Bible Study for Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 (2-20-14)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

“Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.”

Ouch. These verses are very convicting for me. There have been SO many times that I’ve been disobedient to my parents - whether in action, word or thought. The way we did things in my house was as follows - my parents would sit us down and have us explain to them what we did wrong, then they would tell us that we needed to accept the result of our actions and get consequences. 

Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” My parents basically did that and yet, in a sense, I departed from that way in which they brought me up. By the grace of God, I’m following Christ, but that’s just me - I’ve got 3 younger sisters. They could deviate from following Jesus and my parents could do nothing about it.

Psalm 127:3 says “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Children are a gift from God and it’s the job of the parents to train the children. Of course, no one is perfect, so parents are always going to make mistakes. The point of being obedient to parents is not to follow perfect examples, but to be honoring to those that God has placed in authority over you.

In all honesty, I am afraid of my future children making the decision to live for this world instead of living for Christ. I’ve seen so many families that, even though they had amazing godly parents, they chose to reject Christ. I know that the only thing I can do is pray and be a good example, but pride keeps rising up inside me and makes me think that there’s something I can do to change someone’s heart. 

I need to call my parents and thank them for how they’ve raised me and tell them how much I love them. 

IBS Romans 6:16 (2-19-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Romans 6:16 (2-19-14)

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

Every single person who has ever lived is a slave to something or someone. Whether that be to sin or to Christ, you simply can’t get away from serving. When people choose to serve sin, it leads them to death. When people choose to serve God in obedience, He leads them to righteousness. 

Before I believed on Christ, I had the false perception that once I was grown up, I could do whatever I wanted, live however I wanted, and do anything whenever I wanted. I had all these hopes and dreams that I thought I could make come true simply because I willed them to happen. I see now that I was really wrong. In and of myself, I can not make anything good happen. 

The only thing that comes from my heart is evil, continually. I was deceived in thinking that I could have a good life without Christ. I knew that He was holding His arms out to me, but I was afraid I wouldn’t have fun if I repented of my sin. Sin is fun for a season but there are always consequences. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

What I get from sinning is remorse, heartbreak, sadness and brokenness. It awes and humbles me to know that Jesus died on that cross and bore all my sins. He sees every single sin everyone has ever committed, yet still offers each and every human being eternal life. Romans 2:4 says “...the goodness of God leads you to repentance...” His kindness is what draws us near to Him - we hated Him and He still loves us.

I’m only at this point today because Jesus Christ changed my heart. I now worship and serve Him, and He is leading me to righteousness. I presented myself as a slave to obey God. I willingly gave up possession of my life and placed it in His more-than-capable hands. 

I am going to write slave on my hand to remind me that I need to do all things to glorify Christ rather than myself or others. I want to remember that I made the choice to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him, and I want to live that out. 

IBS Acts 5:29 (2-18-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Acts 5:29 (2-18-14)

“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.””

In this section, the apostles had just been freed from prison by an angel. This angel commanded them to go into the temple to teach even though they were thrown in prison for doing just that. They obeyed and were found in the temples, teaching, the next day. The apostles were brought before the council and asked “Didn’t we just tell you to stop teaching in the name of Jesus?” 

This is when Peter spoke up and told the council that their duty was to obey God, not men. He then told them about his God, the true God - the God who gave His Son to be murdered on a tree so that people could be set free, the God who forgives sins, the God who gave the Holy Spirit as a helper to those who obey Him. After this, the council plotted to kill them because of the apostle’s accusations.

God tells us to respect authority in Romans 13:1 - “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” God is in control of who is placed in authority, and He knows everything that happens. The only time we are not to obey the government is when they are telling us to do/not do something contrary to what God says.

This took great faith for the apostles to deny the authorities. They did not hang their heads in shame when being rebuked, rather they blatantly and boldly proclaimed the Name of Christ, even though they knew there would be consequences. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We should be getting our strength from Christ and fully relying on Him. Our choice is either to conform to the world, or obey when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do or not do something.

Romans 12:2 says “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” When we are seeking God, letting His Holy Spirit lead us, deriving our strength from Christ and continually being transformed by the renewing of our minds - we will have the discernment to know when we should obey men and when we should obey God. 

While I was at home, a lot of people told me that I had the right to be angry at my life situation and I accepted that and believed it. I see now that Jesus doesn’t want me to be angry, He forgave my sins and now I should forgive other’s sins. My application is to go against what the world tells me and to obey what God tells me. I refuse to believe that I have the right to be angry, and choose to give up my anger and let the Holy Spirit give me peace.

IBS John 14:15 (2-17-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for John 14:15 (2-17-14)

“”If you love Me, keep My commandments.””

Jesus tells us here that if we truly love Him, then we will obey Him. What is love? In this context, we know that love is a choice. Love does not force itself on another. God does not tell us flat out to keep His commands. He says IF you love Me, keep my commandments. So, if we love Christ and desire to please Him, we will WANT to obey Him. 

A few years back, I read a book called None of These Diseases. This book opened my eyes to the fact that God really does want the best for His people. I’ve heard it my whole life that “God doesn’t make rules to be mean”, but this book gave example after example of how the commands God gave to the Israelites saved many of their lives. 

Something that seems so simple to us - like washing your hands - came from God. Many people have died from all sorts of disgusting things, when a LOT of this could be prevented by putting God’s laws in place. The reason God has commanded us to do and not do things is not so that He can be a killjoy, but so that we are being set apart from the world and being safe. 

An important thing to touch on here is the fact that this verse could be misinterpreted to say that in order to please God, we need to simply keep His commands. We cannot be saved by obeying God’s commands. We are saved by God’s grace, through our faith in Christ. As a result of repenting and believing on Jesus, the desire within us should be to pray to God, read His Word, fellowship with other believers, spread His Gospel to the ends of the earth and obey what He’s commanded us to do.

I’ve been reading in Exodus and Leviticus lately, and these books are full of commands that God gave the Israelites - to set them apart from the world and prevent them from getting sick and dying from preventable things. My application is to write down 10 of these commands He gave them and give an example as to how they apply to our modern day society. This is so that these laws come alive to me and aren’t just something God says to be mean.

IBS Psalm 17:15 (2-14-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Psalm 17:15 (2-14-2014)

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

In this Psalm, David asked God to deliver him from the hand of the wicked. His heart had been tested by God and the Lord found no transgressions or deceit. David knew that God would hear his pleas for help because God is full of lovingkindness and saves those who trust in Him. He said that his enemies surrounded him and lied in wait for his life.

David requested that God deliver him from the men of the world who had their portion in life on earth. These men worked all their lives and ended up leaving their treasures to their children because they didn’t have any treasures stored in Heaven. David then goes on to say that he will see God’s face in righteousness. He will be satisfied when he awakes in Christ’s likeness.

Psalm 116:1-2 says “I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” God’s ear is inclined to our mouth, waiting for us to call upon Him. He’s not in some far-off place that we can never reach - He’s literally one prayer away. The hardest part of calling on God is laying aside our pride and admitting that our best isn’t anywhere near good enough.

Those men who had their treasures stored up on earth were wicked and lied in wait for David’s life. They wanted to make a name for themselves on earth because they had nothing else to live for - they chose to not call on God’s Name. They made the decision to worship the creation rather than the Creator. As believers, our worship should all go to Christ - yet so many times in my own life, I’ve worshipped people, objects and my hopes for the future. 

David said that he would be satisfied when he saw God’s face and awoke in His likeness. Christ should be my satisfaction and I should be looking towards the day that He will transform me to perfection. Anything this world has to offer me will only become a failed attempt to fill the God-shaped vacuum in my heart, if I choose to chase anything other than Christ. 

My goal in life should be to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. I shouldn’t strive after fleshly wisdom, possessions or relationships because they will only lead me away from Christ. I should be content in knowing that God is all-knowing and has the perfect plan for my life. 

I should keep my mind focused on the things of heaven and to not be satisfied with any worldly thing, but be satisfied only after being perfected in Christ’s likeness. My application is to draw the world on one wrist and the cross on another wrist, to remind me where my focus, contentment and worship should be.

IBS Philippians 4:11 (2-13-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Philippians 4:11 (2-13-2014)

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:”

Here are verses 10 through 13 in my own words. Your care for me has come alive, though you cared before but didn’t have opportunity. I’ve learned to be content no matter where I am, what I have or who I’m with. I can empathize with you - I’ve been full and hungry, I’ve had plenty and have suffered. I can do anything because Christ gives me strength. 

Paul thanked the Philippians for supporting him in his time of need. He said that they did care for him but lacked the opportunity to support him. He’s thankful for what they were able to give. He told them that he knew God would take care of him, regardless of the circumstances.

He learned to be content with what he was given. When he had much, he used it for God’s glory, and when he had very little, he still used it for God’s glory. He can empathize with them in what they’ve gone through because he’s been through all kinds of circumstances and was still able to praise God. He knew that the Holy Spirit enabled him to do all things, and that he didn’t need to worry about what his abilities were because Christ would give him power.

Just as the Philippians supported Paul when they could, we should also support each other when we can. This includes bearing one another’s burdens, lifting one another up in prayer, and being encouraging and edifying, in love. To be content in supporting one another means to not be greedy with someone else’s time when they’re encouraging you. It also means that I, myself, give freely of my time to love on others. 

Paul learned to be content with whatever God gave him. I also want to be like this. I want to praise Jesus when I am in the oasis and when I’m in the desert. I want to use my resources wisely because God has blessed me with them, and I don’t want to covet when there’s something someone else has that I want. I want to encourage others to praise Him at all times also. 

Paul says that he can do anything - not in his own strength or power, but through Christ Who strengthens him. Am I relying on Christ’s power to be in me instead of relying on my own reserve? Am I suppressing the Holy Spirit when He tells me to do something because I’m afraid that I can’t do it? Am I content with the gifts He’s given me and content in the fact that He will enable me to do things even when I’m scared?

I want to rely on Christ to give me strength, love and contentment. I want to give others encouragement and compassion. I want to be joyful in the Lord during the good times and during the bad times. I’ve been learning that nothing is in my control anyway, so the only thing that worrying does is hurt me and damage my faith in Christ. I want to be content in the gifts He’s given me and keep in my heart that only because of Him can I do all things. 

I’m going to volunteer on KP for dinner tonight so I can do dishes. I’m going to put into practice being grateful to those serving me, serving others with a happy heart, and being thankful that I’m in the “oasis” with 3 meals a day among everything else God has blessed me with.

IBS Hebrews 13:5 (2-12-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Hebrews 13:5 (2-12-2014)

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This verse says to let your conduct be without covetousness. Coveting is a sinful act of the heart. Matthew 15:18 says “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.” If my heart is full of envy, jealousy and covetousness, then my actions are going to show those things - no matter how hard I try to hold it inside. 

There is no way that I can have a grateful, thankful, content heart without the help of the Holy Spirit. My flesh lusts after so many things and the only way to stop is to do what 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to do - “...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...” If it doesn’t stop at the thought process, then where does it stop? I love the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. One of my favorite lines is: The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you’re thinking, be careful if you think you stand - you just might be sinking.

Jesus said that He will never leave us nor forsake us. This is incredibly comforting. No matter what I do, where I came from, how much sin has ensnared me - His blood cleansed all of my sins and now He won’t ever abandon me. This doesn’t mean that we can sin all we want and He’ll have to stay with us - Romans 6:1-2 says “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”

I am prideful in thinking that I could never do certain sins - but all it takes is one sinful thought. This thought leads to more thoughts, which leads to words, which leads to actions. Everyone knows Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pastor Mike said (I’m paraphrasing) “Staying scared of falling into sin is the only way to make sure we don’t.” If we sin, it’s not the end of the world - but if after that happens, we don’t repent then our conscience will be hardened and we’ll resist the Holy Spirit. 

This study cut straight to my heart. I sat down to work on this IBS this morning and in the middle of a sentence, the Holy Spirit asked that I share my testimony today. I have known since I arrived at Ignite that I would have to (get to) share, but I’ve been dreading it and struggling with what I should say. I pray that my testimony will be one that shows how much Christ has changed my life from what it once was. I pray that this gives glory to Jesus - my God can do anything. 

My entire life, I’ve been told by my parents that whatever I put into myself is going to come out eventually. I got hooked on pornography at 13 - I knew it was wrong yet I ignored the Holy Spirit’s tugging on my conscience. I hardened my heart for 4 years, and refused to give it up. I contemplated suicide a few times because of the hopeless cycle of trying to change myself and constantly failing. I knew in my spirit that I couldn’t fix the problem myself, yet in my flesh, I didn’t want to be held accountable. 

When I couldn’t go on any longer, I gave up. I told Jesus that I needed serious help. I told my parents and their reaction was not at all what I expected. I feared that they wouldn’t love me anymore and that they would look at me differently. They told me that they loved me no matter what and they helped me by keeping me accountable. 

Even though I repented and was being held accountable, I fell into sin a few months ago. What’s in the heart ends up coming out of the mouth and in actions if you’re not extremely cautious. I thought I was above sinning and therefore stumbled. I had my first boyfriend in November of last year and we fell into sin by being intimate - emotionally and physically. We were forced to break up by both sets of our parents a month before coming here - but I am SO thankful that it ended when it did. 

I wish I could take back those years of rebellion against God. I was saved, but my heart was hardened. I see now that God makes beauty from my ugliest ashes. If those things hadn’t happened, I would not be dependent on God and I would not be broken. I used to have a false mentality of myself - that I really wasn’t that bad of a person. Seeing that I am capable of any sin has humbled me and has given me SO much awe and love for Christ. I will never know how much it cost for Jesus to pay for all my sin and I am growing closer to Him every day. 

He has been showing me that He needs to have my whole heart and that He truly wants the best for me. He wants me to be content in Him. There’s a void in my heart - and in every human being’s heart - that only Christ can fill. I need to stop trying to fill that with things other than Him. He needs to be the sole reason I live. I am going to thank Him every morning for cleansing my sins and ask Him to be the reason I live.

IBS Luke 3:14 (2-11-14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Luke 3:14 (2-11-2014)

“Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.””

The verses preceding this one tell of John the Baptist and how multitudes of people came to be baptized by him. He told them to bear fruits worthy of repentance. He saw that they took comfort in the fact that they were Abraham’s descendants and rebuked them, saying that God could make children of Abraham from stones. God doesn’t have grand-children, regardless of the fact that they were Jews - they were either a child of God or not. 

John emphasized that every tree that didn’t bear good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire. This is not to say that we must bear good fruit in order to be saved - rather, our lives should bear evidence that we have been rescued from our sin by Christ. The people then asked John what they should do. He told them to share what they have with those who have nothing. 

A few specific people asked John what they should do to avoid being “cut down and cast into the fire”. To the tax collectors, he said to not collect more money than was owed to them. Tax collectors were known for taking a lot more than was owed to them, and John told them to be honest when it would have been so easy and common for them to manipulate and be dishonest.

To the soldiers, he said to not intimidate anyone, to not accuse falsely, and to be content with their wages. Soldiers had power over the people and it was common for them to intimidate the people into giving them money, food or goods. The soldiers could easily falsely accuse people in order to have things work out in their favor - like blackmail, extortion, etc. John told them to be content with their wages, and like those soldiers, I also sometimes think that I deserve more than I have or am given. 

I was reminded of the verse that talks about the workers that came at different times of the day, yet all got paid the same wage. The ones who had worked longer were upset that they didn’t get more than the ones who only worked for a few hours. I need to be content with the gifts, blessings and possessions I have been given by God. He determines who gets what, not me. He doesn’t play favorites, so why would I be discontent with anything I have or anything that happens to me?

Somehow, every heart issue God convicts me about comes down to pride. I get prideful in the gifts God has blessed me with, and then think I deserve better this or more of that. Contentment for me is simply putting aside my pride and being thankful for what I have. I am going to write “contentment” on my arm today to remind me that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes from the Father of lights” (James 1:17) and that these things, gifts and blessings are only for the purpose of giving glory to Jesus Christ, Himself - not to glorify me or even to bless others. 

IBS 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (2/10/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (2-10-2014)

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”

The verses that come before this one are saying to stay away from those people who are obsessed with fighting and arguments over words. The reason these people are the way they are is because they are full of envy, strife, reviling, and evil suspicions. They have corrupt minds that have no truth in them, and they falsely think that godliness is a means of gain. 

The verses that come after this one are continuing along the same lines as the ones previous - the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The people who’s goal in life is to be rich will fall into all kinds of temptations, snares and lusts. Verse 10 tells us that some believers have even strayed from the faith because of their lust for money and wealth. This doesn’t mean that they’re no longer saved - it just says that they pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

I relate that last part about being pierced with sorrows to the fact that believers have been freed from the chains of sin by Christ’s blood, yet choose to put those chains back on. This is a vivid picture of what my life has been in the past. I was cleansed with Christ’s blood, yet I was walking in sin. I seared my conscience by not giving up those fleeting lusts, and I couldn’t fully live for Christ until I denied myself, picked up my cross and truly followed Him.

Our verse for today really speaks to my heart - godliness with contentment is great gain. Am I content with what I have? It seems like it, until I see something that someone else has and I want it. Do I find my greatest treasure in the fact that my Savior loves me and died for me so that I can have a relationship with Him? I want to be grateful for what I have, I want to thank God for the blessings He’s bestowed upon me, and I want to lay aside my desires for earthly treasures.

1 John 2:17 says “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Sin is pleasurable for a season - and I’m not saying that having money or possessions is a sin - but if I love my stuff more than I love God, it’s definitely an idol in my heart. No matter what I gain in this life, if it’s not for the glory of God, it’s all for nothing.

I want to find my joy in Christ. I want to be content with what I have, where I am and who I’m around. I am going to memorize 1 John 2:17 so that I can have the right perspective on where my treasure should be.

IBS Hebrews 6:12 (2/7/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Hebrews 6:12 (2-7-2014)

“that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each on of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:10-12

God does not turn a blind eye to anything we do. He sees the things we do in the flesh to please ourselves, and He also sees the things we do in the spirit to please Him. We do not labor in vain when we work and minister to the saints. I sometimes catch myself thinking “Why am I even doing this?” 

It’s extremely comforting to know that God knows and cares about everything I’m doing. It sounds really elementary and that I should know this already, but its really come alive to me that I can do everything for Jesus. Obviously, this is not going to happen a lot of the time, but its an awesome reminder that I can take something like mopping the floor and have the same joy as when I’m singing during worship because it’s all for the glory of God. 

Colossians 3:23-24 says “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” We should show diligence until the end with full assurance of hope. The end is death. Sluggishness is the fruit of not being diligent in our faith. I don’t want to be sluggish - I want to be on fire for Christ. 

We are to imitate those who inherit the promises through faith and patience. The biggest promise we have is salvation, everything else after that is a bonus. The only way to have salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Christ. The inheritance and promises that come after are a result of faith and patience. I lack in patience and faith, and every other fruit of the spirit, but especially those two.

My application is that I am going to ask the Lord for patience and faith. I realize that I shouldn’t ask for virtues unless I really want them, because God will work on those areas of my life. Its not going to be fun, but I desire to follow hard after Christ.

IBS Revelation 1:9 (2/6/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Revelation 1:9 (2-6-2014)

“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

John is writing to the seven churches in Asia. He begins the book by stating that the letter was written for the servants of Jesus. God the Father gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ, who in turn gave the Revelation to John. John bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus, to all the things he saw.

John starts by explaining to them that he is their brother and companion in the tribulation, kingdom and patience of Christ. He tells them that he was on the island of Patmos for the word of God and testimony of Christ. He then goes on to say that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he had the vision of Christ.

John empathizes with these churches by calling himself their brother and companion. He is telling them that he is their brother in Christ and companion through rejoicing and suffering. He is also letting them know that he understands what they’re going through. 

John tells the churches that he is their companion in the tribulation, kingdom, patience. He had been through a lot of suffering and trials, and wanted them to know that he understood what they were going through. He was awaiting Christ’s kingdom as they were. He was learning patience through all these things as if he were alongside them. 

I love how, as believers, we are able to be companions to one another in tribulation, awaiting the kingdom of God, and being patient. James 1:2-3 says “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” This really relates to today’s verse - in tribulation we are to be joyful, in awaiting the kingdom of God we are to be glorifying God, and in having our faith tested we are producing patience. 

My application is to continue in the witnessing the testimony of Christ by reading the Word of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. I also want to memorize James 1:2-3 to remember to be joyful during trials and faithful while learning patience. 

IBS Colossians 1:11 (2/5/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Colossians 1:11 (2-5-2014)

“strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy;”

Paul is writing a letter to the people of Colosse. Paul found out that the Colossians heard of the Gospel, had saving faith in Jesus and loved the Spirit. He is encouraging them in their walk with Christ, giving them his testimony, telling them that he hasn’t ceased to pray for them, and telling them all about Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

This is the section this verse is taken from, in my own words. Since the day we heard that you had become believers, we have been devoted to praying for you. We have been asking that you be filled with God’s will, His wisdom and understanding. Walk worthy of the Lord, being pleasing to Him, being fruitful by your works, and growing in the knowledge of Christ. Be strengthened with His power, having patience and perseverance with joy. 

As believers, we are to be filled with the Spirit of God. In having the Holy Spirit dwell in us, we can seek God’s will and gain His wisdom and understanding. Last week’s IBS’s were all about wisdom, and even after seeing what wisdom was and how to get it, God still just wants us to ask if we lack it. James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

We are to walk worthy of the Lord, to be pleasing to Him and to be fruitful by our works. This can sometimes get misconstrued as needing works to earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8-10 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in Him.” 

I use this verse a lot, but it applies to a LOT of areas in my life. It’s nothing that we did to earn salvation - it’s only by God’s grace through faith. If we are saved and have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the result should be good fruit in our lives. Works does not equal salvation, salvation bears good works. 

When we are allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives, we are strengthened by God’s power - not our own. When we are in the flesh, we are operating by our own strength and wisdom. In my life, I have seen so many times where I acted in my own power and although God used it for His glory in the end, it was always sinful and never honoring to the Lord. 

Lastly, believers are to have patience and perseverance with joy. I’d like to leave those last two words out of this, “with joy”. Unfortunately, we are to have joy in everything we do unto the Lord. I lack in patience and perseverance, so when I see that I’m supposed to have joy in those things, I’m even more overwhelmed by the fact that I can’t do anything without God’s help. 

The point here is not to strive to do these things in my strength. The point is to acknowledge to God that we are nothing without Him. Its hard, but I have to face the music every day that I can’t live this life without Him. I need His help for every single thing I do. I try to take the small things and tell God I can handle it, but I can’t even do THAT. This is part of surrendering to Christ every day, to tell Him that I need Him. 

My application is to ask Jesus for His joy, strength and patience in addition to surrendering my life to Him every day.

IBS Luke 21:19 (2/4/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Luke 21:19 (2-4-2014)

“By your patience possess your souls.”

I looked at the verses in this section previous to this verse, and this is what they were in my own words. You will be persecuted and be brought before rulers for Jesus’ Name’s sake. It will be a testimony for you. Don’t figure out beforehand what you will answer to these kings, Jesus will give you a mouth and wisdom on what to say. By His words through you, the adversaries will not be able to resist or contradict. 

However, because they won’t be able to refute you - they will put some of you to death and all will be hated for Jesus’ Name’s sake. Not a hair on your heads shall be lost. By standing firm you will win and gain your life. Possess your souls by being patient and trusting in God. Take captive your words and let God give you the words to say. Don’t be afraid of being hated or martyred - Jesus has everything in His control and is doing this so that you can be a witness for Him.

Pastor Gary taught us part of Acts 7 today, and the verse he gave us in parting was Joshua 1:9. It says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” I think this goes perfectly with the study today. 

We are commanded (it’s not a suggestion) by God to be strong and of good courage. We are not to be afraid or dismayed. God is with us wherever we go, no matter what. Even when we are persecuted, brought before kings, hated by all, and even to the point of death - Christ is right there with us. He will give us the words to say, He will comfort us, He is worthy of our trust and praise. 

Jesus needs to be the reason we live, the reason we speak, the reason we have a testimony, and the reason we stand firm on our faith. Jesus needs to be the reason I have breath - and with that breath He’s given, I need to honor and glorify Him through my actions, words and thoughts. 

My application is to keep in mind the verse about taking your thoughts captive - to submit my thoughts, words and actions to Jesus.

IBS Luke 8:11-15 (2/3/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Luke 8:11-15 (2-3-2014)

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among the thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasure of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground and those who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

In this parable, Jesus gives an illustration pertaining to the different ways the Word of God is received. Circumstances play a huge role in how people receive the Gospel, but an even bigger role is faith. We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. All of these heard the Word of God but made different decisions on what to do with it based on their amount of faith. Romans 12:3 tells us “... God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Each human being has been given a measure of faith, and for this everyone is held accountable for what they did when they were given the Gospel. 

God has given us not only a measure of faith, but evidence all around us that He is God. He’s given us Creation, our Conscience, Christ’s testimony, and the Canon of Scripture. Even for those who haven’t heard of Christ’s testimony or read the Canon or Scripture, they’ve still seen Creation and at the very least have been given a Conscience. Romans 1:20-21 says “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” 

The ones who were by the wayside had the Word taken out of their hearts so that they could not believe and be saved. I relate this to people I’ve come across that seem so close to salvation - they have heard the Word and they have a head knowledge but don’t have the heart knowledge. 

Those who were on the rock did not grow roots, so when temptation came they fell away. This is when people are not founded on the Word - they are easily swayed by temptation. They have no desire to resist temptation. James 4:7 says “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Those who were in the thorns were choked by the cares of this world and didn’t bear fruit. This is similar to instances where I’ve seen believers have a very shallow relationship with Jesus and when supposedly “better” things come along, they follow after the things of this world instead of the things of heaven. They bear no fruit because they’re not surrendering their will to Christ.

The last ones were on good ground and bore fruit because they had a noble and good heart. This is related to people who have repented of their sins, placed their faith on Jesus Christ and are daily surrendering their lives to the Holy Spirit. They bear fruit because God is working in their hearts and lives.

I don’t want to have a shallow relationship with Christ and I don’t want to get caught up in the things of the world. I want to be the last one - the one that bears fruit and can resist temptation from my flesh and the devil. I am in the process of giving up control of my life daily. I want to live every day for Jesus. 

IBS James 1:5 (1/31/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for James 1:5 (1-31-2014)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

This week I’ve: seen the differences between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom, thought about how little time we have left on this earth, been awed that all we have to do to gain wisdom and understanding is fear the Lord and obey His commandments, and learned about the ways in which we apply wisdom. Now this verse is giving direction to those who lack wisdom. 

After seeing all these things in Scripture, I am so grateful that God isn’t like “I’ve given you everything you need in order to discern between the different wisdoms, realize that there’s not much time left to serve Me, gain wisdom and apply it - and you still don’t get it?!” Instead, He is full of grace, mercy and understanding. He offers wisdom to those who just ask. 

So often, at least in my case, I think that wisdom is some far-off place of enlightenment that I could never attain. This is pride on my part - to think that if I work hard enough and long enough, God will see how worthy I am and will give me wisdom. It doesn’t seem like pride when I’m in the moment though. I relate this to leading people in worship - I get scared out of my mind and think that it’s nothing more than that, but its actually pride welling up in me. 

The key to both of these instances - wanting wisdom and leading God’s people in worship - is to get out of the way and let God work. I have to submit myself to the Authority of Christ, Who says that I am a wicked sinner and can do nothing good apart from Him. Whenever I try to do things in my own strength, I end up flat on my face when I should have stayed down on my knees in the first place. 

My application for this verse to, once again, ask God for His wisdom and understanding tomorrow morning. He says that if I do this, He will give liberally and without reproach. I am so undeserving of His love and grace. Yet He just wants me to come before Him with a humble heart, make my requests known to Him, and He will give me the desires of my heart. 

IBS Colossians 3:16 (1/30/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Colossians 3:16 (1-30-2014)

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

There are several verses from earlier this week that are helpful in drawing interpretation and application from this verse:

James 3:13-17 asked “Who is wise and understanding among you?” then proceeds to challenge those who are wise to show this is true by their actions and fruits. James also explains the differences between worldly wisdom (confusing, bitter, envious and self-seeking) and godly wisdom (gentle, meek, willing to yield and pure). 

Psalm 90:12 was about how God is outside of time (infinite) and we are inside of time (finite), and also that if we ask God to teach us to number our days then we will gain a heart of wisdom. 

Psalm 111:10 gives a very concrete statement “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.” For someone who does not have a fear of the Lord or who does not do His commandments, they will not have a good understanding to gain wisdom. 

Adding today’s verse to this - We should: let Christ’s Word dwell in us in all wisdom, teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and having the grace in our hearts be an overflow to sing to the Lord. I see a progression in these verses - it goes from asking who is wise? (James), to learning how little time we have left (Psalm 90), to seeing how to gain wisdom (Psalm 111), and now how to carry out living for Christ.

In order to have the Word dwell in us, we need to be reading, studying and memorizing it. When we’re consistently in the Word, we’re able to teach and admonish one another (share what we’ve been learning from the Word and can then gently correct one another using the Word as our basis), we’ll have Christ’s grace in our hearts and it will be overflowing onto everyone around us.

My application for this study is that I need to keep up on my devotions, take more time to do these Inductive Studies in the Word, continue to memorize Scripture, and continually be in prayer along with just being quiet before the Lord to hear what He has to say to me.

IBS Psalm 111:10 (1/29/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Psalm 111:10 (1-29-2014)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”

This weeks theme is wisdom. James 3:13-17 is about how to discern between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom and then explains what the fruits of godly wisdom are. We can see the difference between the two kinds of wisdom by judging their fruits: the wisdom that comes from the world and Satan is full of selfishness and confusion, and wisdom that comes from God is pure, willing to yield, meek and gentle. Psalm 90:12 is about one of the ways we can gain wisdom - by asking God to teach us to number our days. This concept of time is very important, as it allows us to dedicate every day we are alive to God and see the value of every breath we take.

Before we can become meek, gentle and pure, and before we can value our time - what needs to happen? How do we have the right mindset before God? This verse says that in order to practice wisdom and thereby produce the fruits of wisdom, we must first have a healthy fear of God and do His commandments. No one is forced to fear and love God, no one is made to keep His commands - so the only way we can do these things if if we want to. 

Before I was saved, I thought I was a good person and felt I kept His commands. I didn’t feel the need to repent and surrender to Christ because I didn’t see how truly wicked I was. The Holy Spirit kept convicting me of my sin and one night I finally gave in. I broke down the walls I had put up around my heart. I confessed with my mouth that Jesus was Lord and believed in my heart that God had raised Him from the dead - I was saved. With my heart I believed unto righteousness and with my mouth, confession was made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

After this, I loved and feared God. I desired to keep His commands but knew that because I was a fallen, sinful human being, I never could do this. The point of telling us to keep His commands is not to see if we can, but for us to see that we can do nothing good apart from Him. It requires us to lean fully on Him and not on ourselves. It keeps us humble, meek and pliable. When we try to do what He tells us to do in our own strength, we fall and are needing to be under His grace and mercy.

This verse in Psalms tells us that having a fear of God is the start of having wisdom - wisdom is applying knowledge - and those who do His commandments have good understanding - understanding is knowledge. Do His commands - gain knowledge and understanding - then apply this understanding to life and fear the Lord - begin to gain wisdom. Godly wisdom is not something that comes overnight, it begins with the Lord and (hopefully) doesn’t stop until we’re dead.

My application is to ask the Lord for wisdom tomorrow morning during my daily prayer time.