Stress LESS

Hello! It is so good to be back in A Good Bible Study with you!


Well, fellow love revolutionaries, we have completed our first mission - to transform. Now, we begin a new focus.


Today we will begin a study is based on a talk I give to corporate groups, employee mental health days, church groups, women's events - you name it, and why? Because we all let stress get the better of us at some time.


And, we all live more joy-filled, effective, and spontaneous lives when we focus on the same three areas of our lives that make a huge difference in reducing the effects of stress, and increase the experience of being in our blessings.


There are many names for these areas, but I call the areas Authenticate, Recuperate, and Activate, and to have real joy and peace, we need to address all three. And we will.


I call this study Stress Less, because that is what it is all about, creating, experiencing and living with less stress. It's a bible study because the source of stressing less is God. His desire is for you to love Him, love others, and to love yourself. Three areas, see?


Loving yourself, remember, is to treat yourself lovingly, which will in effect, decrease stress and increase joy. You can't love yourself without loving God (and receiving His love) and you can't love others without loving yourself. It's a circle and each area affects the other. So we are going to make this easy and make it second nature over the course of the next few weeks.


After the first time I presented this talk at a Tri-County Action/Head Start employee mental health day, I was amazed at how many people responded emotionally, and with such gratitude, for the fact that the talk is infused with scripture, and messages of God's love and intention for each of our lives. And this was a government agency, not a church group I was speaking to. Obviously, no matter what walk of life we are in, where we work, or what we even believe - we need this message!


So, we are going to learn exactly what God says about habits that increase stress, and how He provides the only answer that will create a life that is joy-full and stress-less. Amen to that!


I will leave you today with a quote and a scripture that will set the tone for our continuing series:


Whatever you are going through today, no matter what is leading you to focus on stressful situations, I want you to know that you are never alone, never without resources, never on your own. Read now Jeremiah 29:11-14.


'I know the thoughts that I think towards _____, says the Lord, thoughts of _______ and not _______, to give you a _________ and a __________. Then you will ________ on Me and go and ______ to Me and I WILL _______ to you. And you will ______ Me and _______ me, when you search for me with all your heart. I WILL be ________ by you, says the Lord." (New King James Version)


Is it easy to stop worrying? No, but it is a simple act to change your focus, if that's what you decide to do. Eleanor Roosevelt said "Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product." Meaning, you don't get to happiness without taking action that leads to happiness.


So, how do I change my focus when I am stressed? That's Jeremiah 29:11-14. Seek Him, tell Him, trust Him.


Do you remember what Joyce Meyer said about faith? She said we must choose to believe that God is working on it, even when we don't see an instant change in our circumstances.


Step one- seek God's help, advice, and comfort. Then trust He is working on it.


Until tomorrow - love, Karen


Photo by Andrey Kiselev, courtesy of http://www.photoxpress.com/

Finalizing our Love Revolution goals and dreams

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

Let's pray for God to infuse our time together with His Spirit, and His direction.

Father, these past weeks have been a blessing. We are learning about the greatest of Your gifts, and the greatest of Your expectations for us: love. I'm getting it, Lord. You love me. I love You. You love every sister and brother reading this study and those who are not. It's not a difficult concept, is it? My prayer today, our prayer today, is that You make it more easy for each of us to love, than it is to be indifferent. Make it so easy in our spirits that it is just like breathing, Lord. In Your name, Jesus, amen.

Let's look back for just a minute. We are nearing the end of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, but rest assured we are not ending A Good Bible Study. There is so much to share together, to learn with one another. So, keep coming back because we are moving into a study I wrote based on one of my most requested talks, "Stress-Less." What do you think that's about, hmm?

But, back in chapter 4 here, we learned our "love revolutionary war verse," do you remember? Look it up again. 2 Corinthians 5:15.

"He died for all people, so that those who live should no longer live ___ themselves but ___ the one who died and rose for them." International Standard Version

In chapter 6 we wrote our Love Revolution goals and dreams, along with some dates by which we would accomplish them. In chapter 7 we made adjustments to keep on the path, because obstacles are a part of any revolution.

Joyce asks us at this point: What challenges are you facing and what do you need to do to keep your Love Revolution goals and dreams moving forward?
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Also, in what specific areas do you need to continue to seek God's wisdom for your Love Revolution goals and dreams? Do you need more self-discipline or motivation; more of God's grace and power; help from a friend; or resources?
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We are challenged to develop the habit to review and update our lives as Love Revolutionaries! Don't let your love stagnate through business and distraction, or simple inactivity. Get out your calendar and write down when and how you will follow through on your Love Revolution goals!

Read John 13:17

If you know these things, _____ are you if you do them. American King James Version

Let's all get happy, yeah?
Let's meet tomorrow and after thinking over today's lesson, share about our goals. In the meantime, decide whether or not you need to adjust or revise your goals. Let's close with Joyce's final prayer:

"Father God, I come to you in Jesus' name. I thank you, Lord, for teaching me to be a Love Revolutionary. I know I have more to learn, and I am excited about You working in me each extraordinary day of my life! Teach me what love really means and how to apply that every day in my life and for others. God, I pray that this would not be a short-term thing I do for a month and then forget all about it. No, I want this to be life-changing - a permanent change in me by the grace and power of Your Word and Holy Spirit.

    

Father, I thank You for helping me to follow through, I desire more than good intentions, so I lift this up to You and ask You to empower me to love the way You love, each day, every day, as a way of life - a Love Revolution life! In Jesus' name, amen."

Love, Karen

Photo by Andy Newson, courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Who loves you, baby?

Hello! Welcome again to A Good Bible Study - let's pray and get into the Word.

Dear heavenly Father, help us to set aside our busy plans for just  few moments and spend time with You. Help us to remember that when we give ourselves this time, our whole day goes better, our moods are more stable and peaceful, and our family is able to see us at our best. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Way back in the first chapter of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, we looked at Matthew 22:37-39. Let's re-read that passage now.

There are two parts of Jesus' instructions. The first has to do with much of what we have focused on in this study: actively loving God (and as a result, His people.) The other is equally important: loving your neighbor as yourself.

Was that more than yourself? Was that instead of yourself? No. It was as yourself, the same as yourself, like you do yourself.

If you don't love yourself, care for yourself, protect yourself, how are you supposed to do it properly for anyone else?

Joyce Meyer says it this way, "You have to spend time loving yourself. That doesn't mean being in love with yourself; it means to respect yourself enough to take care of yourself."

In our society, we are told we need to work (at home, in business, at a job, to help others) in order to be valuable. God says you are of value, and that is why you need to have balance between work and rest. The standard God set is 6 days of work, and 1 day of rest.

How can you plan your week so that you are taking the 7th day for your rest and recuperation?
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I take care of my family Sunday through Friday, and while I don't ignore them on Saturday, that's the day I am "off-duty." We all eat cereal or sandwiches or whatever we want that day, and no one is allowed to ask me to take them to a friend's, go to the grocery store, help with a project, or do a load of laundry, because it's my day off, period.

Sometimes I snuggle with the kids and watch family movies all day long. Other times I read, or sit outside and brush my dogs or watch the kids play tag. I do whatever I don't have time for the rest of the week and wish I did.

I encourage you to find a way to re-fill your tank on the 7th day. You will find you are more productive the other 6 days, too. Taking care of yourself also means you have the energy and the desire to give to others. Respecting yourself enables you to know when to say "yes," and when to say "maybe, later."

Try it this week and let me know how it goes. It might be difficult at first. When I implemented Mom's Day Off about two years ago, I had to shut off my phone ringer to stop my husband and friends from calling on that day to ask me for favors or to join them for activities. At first everyone thought it was a little weird.

But, you know what? I didn't care. I was tired. I was run down from always giving and doing for others and never giving or doing for myself. I have more balance now, and it started with loving and respecting myself . . . as I do others.

Lord, thank you for giving us a day off. Thank you for always going first and showing us the way. Help us to be good to ourselves, because You love us and we are valuable. I thank you in the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo by Pavel Losevsy, courtesy of Photoxpress.com

Q-TIP (quit taking it personally)

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study! I hope you have had as wonderful a week as me - if not, we are going to change all that right now. Let's pray:

Father, we thank you for the beauty you have created in our world - it helps to offset the evil that tries to ruin the good for us. Help us to keep our eyes on You, on Your beauty, Your love for us. Help us to remember that hurting people, hurt. Give us hearts so full of love that all we can see in those who can't seem to get along with anyone, is their need for, and fear of, love. Let us be the key to unlock someone's heart to love. Help us to remember to use Q-TIP when we are tempted to quit it! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Let's dive right into chapter seven of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer. Read 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.

Sometimes all we get for our trouble to help others is mistreatment. Has that ever happened to you?
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Afterwards, are you tempted to just say, "forget you then, see if I care what happens?"
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In the above passage, Paul was not boasting about what a great martyr he was, in fact, he reluctantly boasted because he needed to remind his church of his true motives in defense of the charges false teachers were spreading about him.

There he was, having been beaten with whips five times, beaten with thick sticks three times, was stoned once (usually fatal), shipwrecked three times, and once survived a day and a night alone in the sea. Due to his traveling all around to spread the Word, Paul was always in danger from robbers, other Jews who sought to silence him, from wild animal attacks, and now false teachers seeking to profit themselves by discrediting him!

Could you continue to travel and preach under these conditions? Today, I think a lot of people would tell Paul that these hardships were a sign that God was not with him, didn't support him, or was trying to punish Paul for some kind of sin.

What would people tell you if all your efforts resulted in your being beaten, hunted, almost murdered, and frequently "torn apart" in the media, today?
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Paul was forced to recite all he had put up with in the pursuit of everyone else's happiness in order to demonstrate that he was not in this for money or for fame, and he really didn't care if it cost him his life, his freedom, or his health. He would not rest until everyone, even those who mistreated him, knew and believed in the love, the eternal love, of Jesus Christ.

Name one thing you believe in so strongly you would go through literally anything to promote?
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Would Paul go through all that if he didn't really, truly, in his heart of hearts, know that it was not only the truth, but it was worth anything to share? Otherwise, Paul would have sold us a feel-good bill of sale that would only break your commitment at the first disappointment. Been there, felt that, how about you?

Look, God isn't going to sell you a fairy tale. He doesn't lie to us and say if we believe in Him then He will take away all pain, all disappointment, and all critical voices . . . at least not during our earthly lives. Quite the opposite, in fact.

He promises others will laugh at our expense. He guarantees there will be hardships. He assures us there will be opportunities to take the easy way out in this life, and give up the life-altering rewards in the next. But He won't pull your leg and say do this, and everything will work out the way you have always wanted and everyone will just applaud your every move.

He does promise that with or without Him, life can be very hard. And He promises to be with you, and me, when it is easy and when it is unbearable. He promises that if we let Him, He will show us the way out. Finally, He promises to fill us up with hope, love, joy, and peace no matter what is going on in our lives if we ask Him, and if we choose to believe in His willingness to do so.

He even promises that no matter what happens, if we go thought hardships because of our dedication to Him, and others don't understand, others try to stop us, or in the worst cases, we or those we love lose our lives in order to stay faithful, it will . . . be . . . worth it.

But how can we help people that are not like us, or don't even like us? Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 to discover how Paul was able to relate to so many different kinds of people and share the love of Jesus:

"For though I am _____ from all men, I have made myself a ________ to all, that I might win the more, and to the _____, I become as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the ______, as under the law; to those who are without law, as ________ law (not being without law toward _____, but under law towards ________), that I might win those who are ______ law, to the ______, that I might ____ the weak. I have become all things to _____ men, that I might be all means ______ some. Now I do this for the _______ sake, that I may be _______ of it with you." New King James Version

My Nelson Study Bible says this commentary about the above verse:

    ~Paul was willing to conform to the customs of other people, whether Jew or Gentile, in order to bring      them to Christ. For example, in order to relate to the Jews in Jerusalem, he made a Nazirite vow in the temple. Around those who were under the law-the Jews-Paul obeyed the (Jewish) Law (traditions.) Around those who were outside the (Jewish) Law-gentiles-Paul did not observe Jewish custom.

     Paul clarified this, in case anyone misunderstood his actions. He obeyed God's law through obedience toward Christ. This was actually a broader law than the Law of Moses (which the Jews followed;) this was the fulfillment of Christ's will. ~

Read 1 Corinthians 11:1; Romans 13:8; and Galatians 6:2.

Lord, help us to remember that our differences don't have to be a reason to separate us from one another. Help us to let go of our rules, and let only Your commandments be our law. To love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, souls and bodies and to love one another as ourselves, for these are the greatest commandments. If we do that, we cannot help but be welcome in Your eyes and be welcoming, to all others. And when others reject our love help us to Quit Taking It Personally, and get out of the way so You can do what we cannot. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Remember: Q.-T.I.P.

Love, Karen

The next week's study lessons

Hello - welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

I am going to be out of touch for the next week - a long awaited trip with my husband - so, I have some verses and lessons for you to do on your own for the next seven days. You can do it - this will be good for you to look through the bible and let the Holy Spirit move in you. Come back each day, and just work through this post. Let's pray:

Father, bless each person reading this now. Open Your Word to them in an awe-inspiring, heart-pumping, Holy-Spirit-praising kind of way. I mean, knock their socks off, Lord! Let each person experience the joy of your living Word in a fresh way this week. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Day One: From The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer:
"When Kristen Hendricks and Jamie Scroggs heard Joyce say, 'What you can't stand, you are called to fix,' they decided to use the abilities God had given them. They created Purse of Hope, a program to gather funds to rescue, educate, and heal victims of suffering worldwide."

"I've never cried that much in my life . . . the second the video started, I just started crying and I didn't know why. I was really in shock because I didn't really know that stuff was happening . . . just the fact that it was everywhere, and in America . . . I had no idea. That's when we came together . . . and decided to do something about it." - Michigan Teenagers

"Five teenagers started Relentless Ministries to raise money for world needs. They organized a walk-a-thon and a benefit concert, sold T-shirts, and more. As a result of all their hard work, they raised more than $24,000!

"At the end of the video stories, Kristen Ohlman, one of the teenagers, says, 'This changed my life by showing me that I can do something bigger than myself. When you just give your all to God and just say, "God, use me to do something," He will really use you.'

What does the above mean to you personally?
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Is there something you are being called to fix?
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Lord, help us to respond to your call to fix things, even if all we can do is make a phone call, pack up some boxes of extra clothes, or even organize a fund-raiser. Help us to not do . . . nothing. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Day Two: Pray with me. Lord, today fill me up with ideas and give me the courage to act on my inspiration! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Since yesterday, what opportunities have presented themselves to you to be a help to someone, to be a part of a "fix," or to get involved in a cause that tugs on your heart?
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How can you use your talents and gifts to help in these areas?
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Look up three verses in your bible that have to do with helping others and write them here:
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Father, as I read Your Word, and discover Your thoughts, I ask you to make it change my heart. Give me a desire to help others, an opportunity to help others, and the resources to help others, in Jesus name, amen.

Day Three: Let's open our bibles and pray for a fresh insight from God: Father, as we read Your Word, change us! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Read Ephesians 4:16

He makes the whole body fit together ________. As each part does its own special _______, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is _____ and _______ and full of _______ New Living Translation

What does this tell you about yourself as a part of the body of Christ?
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Lord, help me to be a healthy, working, part of the body. Make me useful and give me a glad heart about it! In Jesus' name, amen.

Day Four: Lord, this week I want to develop a love for all people. It has got to come from you, Lord. Let your Holy Spirit fill me with Your Love this week, like no other time in my life. Thank you, in the name of Jesus, amen.

Read Philippians 1:6

And I am certain that God, who began the _____ ______within you, will ______ His work until it is finally finished on the day when ______ ______ returns. New Living Translation

If God has begun to stir something in your heart, will He complete it and empower You to do whatever He inspires in you? _______________

Father, thank you for assuring me that if You put it into my heart, into my vision and into my spirit, it will be accomplished! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Day Five:  Lord, we meet again and thank You for being here with us. You say that whenever two or three gather in Your name, You are with us! Matthew 18:20 There are many of us reading this, meeting here, and so You are here. We thank you in the name of Jesus, amen.

Read Psalm 138:8
The LORD will _____ His _____ for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the _____ of your hands. New International Version

If God gives you a purpose, you will feel it in your heart. If He does, who is responsible to fulfill it, you or God? ____________

Does that mean you should do nothing? ____________

God says we should do what we can for today, and trust tomorrow to Him. So what can you do today?
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Lord, help us to be sensitive to what You have given us to do, and give us the will and the excitement to do it! In Jesus' name, amen.

Day Six: Lord, we are nearing the end of this week of searching Your Word and searching our hearts. Help us to find meaning in both. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

Read John 14:26

But the ________ (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the _____ _____, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will _____ you all things. And He will cause you to _____ (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. The Amplified Bible

You are not alone. When Jesus left His earthly body, He gave us a mystical, magical, marvelous gift! He sent God's Holy Spirit to our hearts, to communicate with us, to Love us, to teach us, and to remind us of His Word. You are never alone if you have asked Jesus to forgive your sins, and to guide your life. If you have never done that, do it now.

Just ask, out loud or in your heart. "Jesus, I want you to lead my life. I am so sorry for the way I have kept you out of my life, and I want you now. I can't do this on my own. I give you everything and want everything You have for me. Amen."

If you prayed this prayer, welcome home beloved in Christ! We are all celebrating with angels for you!!

Father, help us all to renew our love for You, and we ask you now to forgive us our sins. Help us to be aware of when we are drifting away from you, and bring us home. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Day Seven: Lord, I can't wait to see what is in Your Word for me today! Thank you for getting all distractions out of my mind and filling me up with all the patience and understanding I need for the day ahead. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Today is the first day of Chapter Seven of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer. This chapter is about discovering what real love is about. Radical love, the kind that "God gives and Jesus lived." I like that!

Read Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own _____ toward us, in that while we were ____ sinners, Christ died for us.
New King James Version

God didn't wait to love us till we straightened up. Thank God!

How does this verse relate directly to The Love Revolution?
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How is this an example of radical love?
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God didn't have to send His willing Son to die for us. God doesn't have to love us. Jesus didn't have to give up His freedom for us. How did Paul respond to Jesus' act of love? Read 1 Corinthians 9:19

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. New International Version

Lord, give me the fervor of Paul to love those around me radically, so they might be won to Christ! In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo by Kavita, courtesy of Photoxpress.com

You've got talent

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

Today is an easy day, I think. We are going to talk about our gifts, talents, ideas, resources and skills! Hey, who doesn't like to talk about themselves, right? Let's pray and get right to it:

Father, we thank You for this day, the food we have shared, the friends and family we have around us, and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. We thank You for Your Holy Spirit directing this very study, and infusing Your Word into our thoughts and into our responses. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Think for a moment about your talents, gifts, ideas, resources or the skills that God has instilled into your being. What are you naturally good at, or deeply interested in? Who is around you daily, or in your circle of relationships? What education have you undertaken; jobs you have done; experiences that have increased your knowledge base? List them below:

My natural gifts, talents, and skills:
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My resources and possessions:
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My ideas and creative outlets:
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Now, which of the above have you used to serve God or help His children:
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Now that you have made your way through about half of this study, based on The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, which of the above will you now use to reach out to others in everyday life? Explain in detail:
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Pick one of your ideas and decide now to implement it tomorrow. Which will you choose and how will you put it into action?
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Read Romans 12:9-13

What is God saying here? Don't just say you love people, like it is a feeling or a personal virtue. Love them like you cannot do enough for them - love them like you think they are the most important person in the world to God!

The word for love in verse 9 is agape. It means the highest form of love, a self-sacrificial love. "Let love be without hypocrisy" [hɪˈpɒkrəsɪ] n pl -sies
1. the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety
2. an act or instance of this

I read this as: "Let love be without pretense of virtue! Hate evil, grab onto what is good like your life depends on it! Treat each other like your most beloved sibling, and let the others have their way instead of demanding your own all the time. Serve God with your kindness towards others with a passion!

Get so happy in the hope of Christ coming back and bringing you to heaven that you just about dance in joy! Keep thinking about God's love when things are difficult, hang in there and don't let yourself focus on disappointments because whatever it is, God is working on it! So, keep talking to God in prayer and keep on focusing on helping other people instead of complaining about yourself. Knowing you are important in their lives will lift you up and bring you joy."

We talked about getting real, remember? Stop being kind because it's the "Christian" thing to do, and start being kind because it's your thing to do. You are a kind person because God is kind to you.

If you are not feeling God's kindness, don't just assume His love is not for you, or that you haven't earned it. Get on your knees and tell Him you want His love and you are not moving until you get some of it! He loves you, do you hear me?

When I have not felt His love it has been because I wanted His gifts alone, I wanted money, I wanted things to work out my way, I wanted Him to do something for me. That is not love, that is obedience. God does not obey me, shockingly. But He does love me.

Ask Him for love, just love. Cry out to Him. Tell Him you need some Holy Spirit filled, angel-singing on mountain-tops, take-me-home-to-Jesus kind of LOVE!

Now, you better sit down . . . because it's coming.

Lord, help us to rejoice in our hope in You. Give us the ability to be patient in the middle of trouble. Give us a desire to pray, to help others when they need help and prayer, and an attitude of hospitality. Lord, make us excited to hang out with people who don't know you, but need to. When we feel slighted, let our first thought be to pray for that person, instead of ways we can hurt them in return.

(Now personalize this) Mostly, Lord, let every person who sees me say, "There goes a child of the Most High, for sure!" In Jesus' name, amen.

Love, Karen

What's your story?

Hello again! It's good to see you again in A Good Bible Study.

Lord, thank you for bringing us together to learn from Your Word and grow together. Help us to let go of distractions for just a few minutes and be with You. In the name of Jesus, amen.

As we begin chapter six of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, we are asked to think about our stories, what we have been through in the process of becoming who we are, today. "The power of your story, the reality and humanness of your life carries a great deal of weight and influence when you find opportunities to share it with others in their time of need."

Jesus used stories to help others see themselves in a new way. We can use our stories to do the same. Our stories help us to respond to someone in need with love and mercy, instead of judgement and condemnation. We can use our stories to show others that we understand what it is like to be alone, be afraid, be filled with regret, or to want to escape the mess we are in.

Your story can be a gift. Read Romans 12:6-8

Our personal histories can be a prophecy, a ministry, a teaching, an exhortation, a gift, leadership, and a mercy to those with whom we share them.

Think about your life, the mistakes you've made, the plans that didn't work out, and what made the difference. Decide to share part of your history with the person God brings into your life just for that purpose today.

Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us out of more messes than we would like to admit. Help us to bless someone else today with our history, our wisdom. Help us to learn from Your wisdom so we will make choices that bring us a joyful future. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

Get practical!

Welcome back! I am glad we are in the midst of A Good Bible Study, together.

Have you noticed anything different since you prayed the Love Revolution Prayer? Sometimes when you pray about something things will seem easier. Other times, it just seems like you have more opportunity to be aware of your need for God's intervention! It's like praying for patience, sometimes you feel more patient, sometimes you become aware of just how impatient you normally are!

Let's pray now: Father, thank you for being here with each of us in this study. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Give us the will to act on the desires you are placing in our hearts to help others. Open our eyes to who around us needs help. In the name of Jesus, amen.

We have discovered over the past weeks that there are people in our homes that need our love and appreciation, and there are people overseas who desperately need our resources. Who else needs help? How about the people we work with, sit next to on the bus, chat with at church - the ones who answer the question, "How are you?" with "Fine."

Who do you know who has not experienced a loss of some kind? Who do you know who is not secretly hurting about some relationship or other? Who do you know who is not worried about their finances, or their children, or their future?

What are some practical ways you can live out the Love Revolution with these individuals?
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Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for some ideas.

How about giving someone the benefit of the doubt before biting off their heads over a mistake?

How about letting someone else have the last word, or the last one-up?

What if we sat down at lunch with someone outside of our circle of friends and asked them about their lives?

Can we excuse ourselves when others begin to gossip without condemning them, or simply smile and say, "I promised myself to not listen to, or say, one negative thing about anyone for one day so help me out and change the subject!" ?

Think of one person you can take an interest in today and write their name here:
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Now think of one kindness you can do for them today:
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Vow to focus on that person tomorrow, and any chance you get, do something kind for them. If they ask you why, say "Jesus told me you needed a friend today, so here I am."

Tell me how it goes in the comments - I can't wait to hear!!

Love, Karen

Resources: The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer
Photo by Dmitri Mikitenko, courtesy of Photoxpress.com

The Love Revolution Prayer, by Joyce Meyer

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study!

Today we are simply going to take a break because we have been working hard all week with some difficult concepts, for a lot of us. Today I ask only that you join me in a powerful prayer written by Joyce Meyer. This particular prayer also completes chapter five, in The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal.

If this prayer is one you can say whole-heartedly, wonderful. If not, pray also that God will move on your heart so that in time, you will mean it. That's all it takes, a willingness to be changed by His strength, instead of our own.

Pray with me:

"Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I know that I can't live this lifestyle of loving other people, caring about other people, making them feel valuable if You don't help me. Lord, help me be less self-focused and more focused on other people. Holy Spirit, show me when I am not living God's way. Put things on my heart that I can do to show people that they have value. Help me understand that little things make a huge difference. Help ME be that difference. Help me live The Love Revolution in every encounter I have with the people around me. Amen."

What is the most important truth you are seeing in a Good Bible Study, over the past few days? Journal what you feel God's Word is speaking to your heart:
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Love, Karen

Photo by Lars Christensen, courtesy of Photoxpress.com

Pop your bubble

Welcome - I am so glad you are here at A Good Bible Study! This is an exciting time and if we have the courage to go forward and trust God to change in us what we find difficult to accept, or change ourselves, we will have immeasurable peace and joy - isn't that worth pressing on?!

Let's get the most out of our time by praying first:

Lord, this study has been challenging me, sometimes it is hard to face the way I have not loved myself as You do, or loved others the way You love. Help me to see that loving others does not mean becoming a person who others take advantage of, or putting myself in unsafe conditions, or any of the other conditions my fear wants to put up.

It just means changing my attitude from judging, to loving. To becoming concerned enough to pray for someone genuinely, or to do something to put them on the right path to help themselves, or to ease one burden today. Give me a kind heart. In the name of Jesus, amen.

I hope you are praying along with me, or praying what God puts on your own heart. We are all more alike than different, and I think often what God puts on my heart to print, is what He is putting on your heart to pray. What do you think?
___________________________________________________________

This lesson was harder for me than any of the others, and I was tempted to skip past it. That's right, I was tempted to just say, "Oh, we don't really need to go there, do we."

I read on because I remembered that God can change anything about me that I am willing to let Him have. I remembered that all He is asking is that I allow Him to soften my heart.

He merely suggested I become open to the possibility that even those who put themselves right into the pit in which they dwell, might want on some level, to get out. And based on that information, what could I do to make that choice a little easier for them?

Joyce Meyer said many churches pray for revival, but the truth is if we actually had one, a lot of people would come into the church who are nothing like us. We would rather stay in our bubble of comfortable homogeneity.

Do you know the history of The Salvation Army? The founders, William and Catherine Booth were born into poverty, and worked to help the poor all of their lives. He was never a rich man by any means, yet it is said that when William died, 150,000 people filed by his casket and 40,000, including Queen Mary, attended his funeral.

Literally millions of people have become Christ followers because of the Booth's love action. They didn't have a sports arena or massive church, they preached in tents, haylofts, and small rooms. Their motto was "Go for souls and go for the worst!" Today the Salvation Army continues to fight the good fight with 25,000 "officers" in 91 countries!

As a believer, up to this point, have you gone for souls and gone for the worst? Whatever your answer is, it's just the truth, not a judgement on your faith or salvation. My answer was certainly not a "yes."
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Open your heart and ask yourself this question. Don't consider "shoulds" just be open to "coulds."
What could you do to positively change your answer?
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Here is another tough one. If they walked into church Sunday or Saturday morning, would you really be willing to help different types of people, those who have face jewelry, who do not shower, who have a past (or a present), who are a different color, or come from a different value system and don't know how to behave in church?
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In what ways do your heart and mind have to change to pop the "bubble," and love without judgement?
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Which classes and categories of people have you shut out? I have always had difficulty staying in relationship with those who seem unwilling to do anything to help themselves, to change their circumstances, or to change themselves instead of complaining about everyone else.
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How can you reach out to that type of person, to actually bring them into God's kingdom where He can help?
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If we are a part of the Love Revolution, we choose to make a heart change. Say out loud with me:

With your strength and love Lord, instead of judging them, I will meet them where they are and help them get to where they need to be. I will let you guide my help, so I am truly a help, not a hindrance. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Leave a comment or email me and tell me what has changed for you, or what you struggled with during this lesson. Do it now before you talk yourself out of it. Love, Karen

Photo by Friday, courtesy of photoxpress.com

Show me I have value

Hello again. Thank you for meeting me for A Good Bible Study today!

We are entering chapter five of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer. Let's pray for our hearts to be changed by today's message:

Lord, thank you for bringing us together today, to share in Your love and Your wisdom. We ask you to strengthen our love for You today, and for those in our families. Help us to bless someone in our own home today. In Jesus' name, amen.

Let me ask you: has this study brought about any real change in you so far? ______

Are you more of a love revolutionary now, than when you began this study? ________

John and Abigail Adams wrote more than one thousand letters to each other over the course of their lifetimes. They encouraged each other during our nation's most challenging time. In regards to the Revolutionary War, John Adams wrote: "The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations."

His wife, and our second 1st Lady wrote: "You cannot be, I know, an inactive spectator . . . We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them."

What are some things you have done, or begun to plan to do, to move from being an inactive spectator to a love revolutionary?
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During the next week, we will focus on ways to make others feel valuable. Don't you love it when someone does something for you that makes it clear they see you as valuable?

Read Philipians 4:8-9

Based on these verses, what are some qualities in your loved ones that you can compliment?

Is there anything true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent,
absolutely anything worthy of praise - find it and make a big ol' sloppy deal over it! God says to practice these things, and the peace of God will be with you.

Want some examples? Here are some examples of the way our family shows value to one another.

• I love it when my husband has paid attention to my likes and dislikes. He usually buys me flowers to show his love, and I feel especially important when he buys me my favorites, instead of his.
• On birthdays, I make the special person breakfast in bed, their choice, and they also get to choose the dinner menu.
• We pray over each child every night thanking God for their presence in our home and family, and asking for help with any particular problem that child is experiencing.

I look forward to hearing what you do to make the people in your family feel valuable. Put them in the comments section, below, or email them to me.

Love, Karen

Photo by AndreyPS, courtesy of Photoxpress.com

Guard your heart

Welcome again to A Good Bible Study!

If you are here, it's because you are  meant to read today's message. It's the right message for you, at the right time. Let's get ready to receive it with prayer:

Lord, You arrange no coincidences, no chance occurrences, nothing happenstance. You brought me here at this time, for this message. Open my heart and mind to understand what You would have me know in this moment. Thank you. In the name of Jesus, amen.

I was reading my copy of Enjoying Everyday Life magazine, this morning. If you don't already receive it by mail, you can get it for free by signing up for it at Joyce Meyer Ministries. Here is the link.

As I read, I began to circle and underline certain passages, a sentence here or there, marking good quotes and adding my own notes as insights were sparked along the way.

Dr. John C. Maxwell, leadership expert and founder of EQUIP, is a contributor to the magazine, as is Stasi Eldridge, of Ransomed Heart Ministries, and author of the excellent book and bible study "Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul." A common theme through out this issue was attitude -  good or bad, everything begins in the heart!

Read one of my favorite verses, Proverbs 4:23. Here are a few different translations:

NLT: Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. [Hebrew for from it flow the springs of life. ] (NLT - Tyndale House)

NIV: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (NIV - IBS)

ICB: Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life. (ICB: Nelson)

Joyce Meyer says one of the biggest revelations she has received from God is that our real lives are not the ones everyone else sees, our real lives are the lives we are living inside. I would say that's in our hearts and in our attitudes.

Read Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the _____ in ______, for they shall see God.

The Greek word for blessed is maka/riov or makarios and it means both blessed, and also, happy.

The word for pure means "without corrupt desire," and the word for heart, means the "center of physical and spiritual life."

"See" means not only to see with our own eyes once we have left this earthly life, but it also means to "know from personal experience! "

So, you can also read it "If you want to be happy, then focus on good desires and do not dwell on negative and envious temptations, and you will know God personally, and will see Him face to face!"

How do we walk that out? For one thing, Dr. Maxwell says we have a choice each time we interact with anyone else: we can lift them up, or we can limit them. Are you a lifter or a limiter? _______________________

He adds that the most important asset we can develop is a teachable attitude. Our attitude is the thoughts that springs from our heart. If you're willing to be taught, you can learn something from everyone you meet. If you walk away from any relationship having learned nothing, you wasted a lot of time and energy, don't you think?

Read Mark 4:24 and pay attention to the second part where it talks about those who will hear.

It means that if you are willing to hear God's Word and learn from it, more insight and understanding will be given you. Likewise, if you go through life willing to learn, it's not surprising that you will continue to grow in wisdom and understanding overall.

Sometimes we go through periods of life when we feel like we are the last word on pretty much everything. No one we meet has anything of value to offer us. We are not interested in anyone's opinion but our own. I spend a lot of years like that. I'm sure my family, and probably my friends too, were relieved when God starting working on my attitude of superiority.

Now it seems the more I learn, the more I learn how much I need to learn. Anyone else on the same page?

Andrew Murray was one of the chief promoters of the call to missions in South Africa, and is now best known for his devotional classics. Among these are Abide in Christ, Absolute Surrender, With Christ in the School of Prayer, The Spirit of Christ and Waiting on God.

He said, "Our humility toward others is the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real."

Father, soften our hearts and our attitudes. Make us to be humble and teachable. Above all, continually remind us to guard our hearts, our thoughts, and our motives because we want to be happy, and to know you in a real and personal way. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo by Luigi Diamonti, courtesy of Photoxpress.com

If you love me, feed my hungry children

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study! I’m still thinking about yesterday’s post: being God’s friend. What a cool concept!

Let’s get our hearts activated with some Holy Spirit prayer:

Father, give us the courage today to ask you to change our hearts to really desire to help hurting people. Help us see our prejudices as keeping us away from real friendship with You. Let us at least be willing to be changed by You, even if we don’t feel we can change on our own. In the name of Jesus, amen.

I can’t believe it, but we are almost half-way through The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer.

In the center of the workbook, there are photos of some of the millions of people the Joyce Meyer Ministry is trying to reach with practical help, like food, clothing, water, and bible resources. She lists some shocking statistics that I almost passed by, not wanting to feel anything about something I can’t do much about, but realized my ignoring it didn’t mean it wasn’t happening.

Praying for God to help me set aside my judgements, and have compassion for people regardless of how they got there, I read every caption. What I found was staggering.

I won’t list them all, but at least have the courage to read the few I share with you, and understand, no one, no matter into what life they were born, wants to stay hungry, be forced into sexual slavery, drink from bacteria and feces-contaminated water, or abandon their children to live off trash in a garbage dump.

If you are living in comfort above what I just listed, you are among the richest 1% in the world. You can afford a few minutes of discomfort to read this:

•Of the 2.2 billion children in the world today, 640 million do not have a sturdy roof over their heads, 400 million don’t have clean or safe drinking water, and 270 million do not have any access to medical services, whatsoever.
•Every two minutes a child, aged 5 and up, is being prepared for sexual exploitation and 1.2 million children are trafficked as new sex slaves every year, adding to the millions already held captive!
•One child across the planet dies from hunger every 5 seconds, about 10 million die before their 5th birthday each year.
•The “Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)” in Uganda has abducted more than 30,000 children to force them to serve as soldiers and sex slaves.
•In Thailand, girls as young as 6 years old are forced into prostitution, with children making up a third of the at least 200,000 prostitutes.

Where is our outrage?

God cares about each of us, from the wealthiest to the poorest, from the strong to the weak and infirm, from the believer to the most arrogant sinner, from the greatest, to the weak. He cares for you.

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. Proverbs 14:31 English Standard Version

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord — and he will repay you! Proverbs 19:17
New Living Translation

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
New International Version

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ Isaiah 58:7 The Message

What are we supposed to do with all this information?

This is real love - not that we love God, but that He loves us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
1 John, 4:9-12 New Living Translation

God, make us love each other, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo by Renata Osinski
Courtesy of Photoxpress.com

Do you know what to pray for?

Welcome back fellow seeker. What an exciting message we are going to share today! I'm so glad you are with me on this journey of A Good Bible Study. Let's pray for our time:

Lord, I am being changed from the inside out because of You and I want to shout to the world, "Finally!" I spent so many years trying to get what I wanted from You, and feeling like a failure. Now, I just want to receive whatever You want me to have and guess what? You are giving me exactly what satisfies me! We are hungry, Father. We pray for what You want to give us. Open our hearts and fill us till we are overflowing with Your good gifts. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Questions used to rule my mind. "What does God want from me? What am I supposed to do? How should I react?" Sound familiar?

As I work through The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer, I realized we all ask these questions, sometimes in earnest, sometimes in anger, sometimes in defeat.

The irony of it all, is that God has told us in a million and one ways what He wants, what He expects, and what He requires from us, in His letter to each of us: the Bible. Let's answer those questions today, once and for all.

Do a search with the term "Define Justice" (or look in your dictionary) and write your answer below:
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Have you ever had a disagreement with someone and said, "It's not the _______, it's the principle of the thing?" We all want what is fair, right and balanced, do we not? It offends us to be treated in a manner that seems unfair. We are outraged when we see those who are innocent, underprivileged, or incapacitated, mistreated.

Your heavenly Father feels the same way. Since we are each created in His image, does it surprise you?  We're going to journey to the Old Testament today, in the last few books before the New Testament begins.

Read Micah 6:8 for a very simple, straightforward explanation of what God wants from you. Put your name in place of "O man," which means all mankind.

"He has shown you, ____________, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do ____________, to love ___________, and to walk __________ with your God?" New King James Version.

Is this our human nature? Not really. But all we have to do is ask Him for the strength, courage, and ability to be fair and just, be merciful and kind, and live humbly with God, remembering that all good in us and for us comes from Him. If you still believe there is anything good in you that is of you, and not of God, you are in for a rude awakening.

Not convinced? Ask God to open your eyes to yourself. Go on, if you are sincere, He will. When God showed me probably just a small slice of my selfish nature, I was heartily ashamed and sobbed for more than an hour. You know what else I was? Grateful. I am a better wife and mother for knowing what I am without God's Spirit working in me and empowering my love.

It's a lot easier to be merciful, forgive the failings of the people we love and even those we hate, when we get a good eyeball on the measure that God has been giving us.

Jeremiah 22:16 quotes our Lord describing a man named Josiah and says:
"16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD." (New International Version)

To defend is to seek justice: right, fair, and balanced treatment. God says to seek right, fair, and balanced treatment for the poor (no matter the cause of their poverty) and the needy. Who do you see around you that is poor in some way? Are they poor financially, or poor in spirit (unhappy)? Who around you is needy? Do they need a ride to the doctor, help in caring for their children, their next meal, or a good home?

This is where our flesh rises up indignantly and justifies our doing nothing by declaring," I can't save everyone. (You can save one.) It's not safe to bring strangers into my home! (You can find out where the homeless shelter is, and pay for a cab ride, or notify a Pastor or social worker of the need.) I don't have enough money for my own family. (You have clothing you no longer wear that can be donated; you have extra garden produce that can go to a food shelf; you have some time you can give to deliver Meals on Wheels.)

And if there is truly not one phone call you can make, one item you can give, one dollar you can spend, one place you can help, you can sincerely pray for the hungry, the needy, the homeless, the poor. Pray for help, pray for resources, pray for a change in their circumstance and in your ability to help.

What does God want? He wants you to care about the situation of those in your field of vision and awareness, and to act. He wants to you to find out who is poor and needy, and to act. That's it. If you know Him, if you believe Jesus came to save all, if you have let Him sacrifice Himself for you, then God says your heart cannot help but feel compassion for the poor, the needy, the widow and the orphan.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8 (NIV)
 
It can't get any plainer than that.
 
Lord, help us to know You so well, that we cannot help but act when we see a need. We pray for wisdom so we know how to act with justice and mercy, and to live humbly before You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Love, Karen

Photo  of people praying in St. Peter's Basilica, by the photoholic. Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

When "I surrender" is the weapon you need to conquer fear forever

Welcome back to A Good Bible Study! What changes in your emotions and heart have you been experiencing over the past couple of weeks? Make a comment, or email and share privately what's been happening. I promise, if you sincerely want change, God will perform a radical selfish-ectomy on your heart!

You might have also been experiencing a feeling of fear, or dread, about what might happen if you really give your heart to God, and give His Son, Jesus full access to the innermost recesses of your heart. I know that is what happens to me, all the time. But, what I have learned is that fear of any kind is always from Satan, not God. Satan wants to keep you distracted so you won't experience the power and strength that comes from real love, God's love. I have taken some really good advice from Joyce Meyer and that's "Do it afraid!"

The moment you are tired of being afraid that God is going to change your whole world, (He is, you know, but it's the best ride you will ever have!) and say "Yes, God, I'm afraid but I am more afraid of staying the same, so yes, I want You, I want Your love, I want to love others the way You love!" that is when joy begins for you.

If you want to get very little out of this study, give very little. Rush through, skip the prayers, just read without writing down your responses.

If you want to be changed forever, and love the changes, and have people around you talk about the fact that they don't know why, but there's something different about ______, there's a lightness, something that just makes them want to be around you, how you just don't get upset about the small stuff so much, and how you have something in you that they want, too . . . then start out this bible study time by just telling God you want to be a better person in some way at the end of this 15 minutes or half an hour of spending time in His Word.

Tell Him to not let you waste even one session reading through like it's a task to check off! Try reading the prayers aloud and meaning them. This is not rote prayer, traditional prayer that has lost it's meaning and become something you recite ritually. These prayers are powerful if you agree with them, and you also pray them as your own prayer and request from God. God looks at our hearts, not our outer actions. It is so important to understand the difference.

You can also say your own individual prayer before starting the day's study, asking for what you want to get out of it. Even a simple prayer of "God, overcome my human tendency to rush through Your Word, and help me to get everything out of this study today, that I can. In Jesus' name, amen," is so, so powerful if you mean it.

You don't have to pray feeling some emotion. You just have to pray with honesty. You can even pray for a genuine feeling of desiring to get more out of it. What do you have to lose by trying? Believe me, when God moves on your heart to change it, it is exhilarating, never fearful. Satan tries to block us with fear, because he knows fear is the most powerful weapon he has to distract us from God. Your only way out is to surrender, but to God, not to fear. Tell God how afraid you are, and then surrender.

God tells us the way to Life, is to lose your life. This means the way to His eternal Life of joy on earth and eternity in heaven, is to let go of the things in our life, like pride, selfishness, fear, greed, etc. that we think give us so much, and make room for real power - His strength in us. It's like in all the movies, where the hero realizes that he must sacrifice something he really, really wanted, to save his friends or help someone he loves get what they want and deserve, and he finds out that the rewards of that sacrifice end up being so much better than the prize he thought he wanted!

So, don't let fear keep you from your happiness! God promises if you seek Him first, all you have to do is tell fear (yep, try it out loud) to leave in the name of His Son, Jesus - fear and all other spirits of Satan are required to obey. It might sound weird, and you will never know unless you try it.

Let's pray together:

Lord, I admit I have been holding back because of fear. I'm not going to be controlled any more. I want what You have. I would rather follow You even though I am afraid of what You might change, than stay the same and live with no power at all in my life. I say now, out loud, that I resist fear and all other evil spirits in the name of Jesus, and I know that You promise me that these spirits are required to leave me now, in the name of Jesus. I don't want to leave any doors open for those spirits to return, instead I want Your Holy Spirit to be everywhere in me that fear used to reign. Take me Lord, I am yours. In Jesus' name, I will never be the same, in Jesus' name! Amen.

Stay by yourself awhile and feel whatever it is you are feeling, let it sink in, you are a child of God, and the more you give Him of yourself, the more He gives you of Himself. Love, Karen

Photo by JoLin, courtesy of photoxpress.com

Love: What's in it for me?

Hello, dear friends. I am so glad you have come back to a Good Bible Study. We've covered some challenging topics together inspired by The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, by Joyce Meyer. No, you don't have to have your own copy to follow along, but if you want one, click on the link above.

Well, are we brave enough to continue? Let's pray for courage!

Lord, I am grateful for everyone reading this today. Give us willing hearts to continue searching for Your kind of love. Fill us with insight and aha! as we open our bibles. Let us be truly changed by what we learn. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Do you ever consider helping someone out and then immediately wonder "what's in it for me?" or "am I going to enjoy this or not?" I used to follow those kinds of thoughts with something along the lines of "well, I am earning God's favor or pleasure by what I'm doing so chalk up another heaven point for me." Even in striving to serve God, I considered the benefit to myself as a reason to take action.

As we discussed yesterday, God's love is not earned and is not contingent on our behavior. Neither is our salvation. God loved us before we were even born. Our salvation has nothing to do with our gifts or sacrifice, it has only to do with accepting Jesus' gift of sacrifice. If we are seeking to obey God for our own glory, we are still off-track.

I still struggle with wanting others to know when I am doing something good. It's my daily prayer for God to help me let go of the approval and acceptance of others, and seek only His. People are fickle: what's good today is bad tomorrow. Only God remains the same.

Read Mark 10:29-31. Jesus promises what kinds of rewards for anything we must sacrifice in order to follow Him? __________________________________________________

Did you include the "reward" of persecutions? Are trials and troubles a reward any of us would enjoy?

Why is it that Jesus amended His descriptions of all that God would provide for those who gave up the comforts of home and family in order to follow Him and be at His service, with being persecuted for their trouble?
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Have you ever heard the term "nothing worth having comes easy?"

In the journaling section of chapter three of The Love Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Guide,we are asked to imagine having a conversation with Jesus about rewards and servanthood, like he did with his disciples in Mark 10:42-45.

Read those verses and ask yourself what might Jesus say about your life in regards to servanthood, sacrifice, and your current plans for life? Would he lovingly correct? What scriptures come to mind?

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I look forward to reading your comments as you honestly explore your own motives for helping others, and begin to understand that with great reward, comes great responsibility, and all too often, great sacrifice. Still want to be great??

With love, Karen

Photo by djcodrin, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Feelings first, solutions second

Welcome back to a Good Bible Study! We are here because we are supposed to receive exactly this message today. What have your discovered about yourself since yesterday? Have you already gotten excited and put any steps into action? Before we go further, let's begin with power, through prayer:

Thank you Lord for bringing us exactly the people we need to be in relationship with at this time, exactly the opportunities that we need to grow and to develop, and exactly the message today that we need to hear. Give us hearts to love you, Lord! In Jesus' name, amen.

At this point in The Revolution Devotional Workbook and Field Journal, Joyce Meyers suggests we think about what things we have prayed over and asked for a solution, for which we can actually be the solution? Is there anyone in your life that needs help, and you just haven't wanted to get involved, or be inconvenienced by? Sometimes God brings us people in need not just to pray, but because we are the help He intends to provide.

Who are some people that you have prayed over, that you can physically help right now?
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What do you now plan to do about it?
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If you can't think of anyone, ask God to reveal who He has put in place for you to help, and for you to bless, and ask Him for wisdom in discerning how to best do that. Sometimes it's an obvious answer. If someone is hungry, buy them some groceries; if someone needs help with repairs, get your hammer out and do what you can; you can fill in the blank. Sometimes it's less obvious, but if we spend some time talking it starts to become clear why we are in the path at this particular time.

We often get caught up in not wanting to enable someone with a history of dependence. That's why it's always good to pray first. Listening to someone talk is never a risk. Often, people can come up with their own solutions if we stop trying to fix it and forget it, and just give them a chance to work it out, out loud. Most of us just want to be heard. I always try to remember: feelings first, solutions second.

Lord, if you have given us the opportunity to help others this week, help us to be sensitive to the urging of your Holy Spirit. Help us to help in wisdom and discernment, and most importantly, with generosity. You bless all that we do with a sincere motive of showing love. In the name of Your Son and our Savior, Jesus, amen.

Till tomorrow, love, Karen

Are you getting tested?

Hello fellow seekers,

It's a beautiful day outside, one of those days in which you need only look around and see evidence of God's creative mastery in the sparkle of last night's rain on the grass, in the bright, vast, array of colors embellishing flowers and leaves, and even in good, dark, earth! Let's pray.

God, what you have made is good. Thank you for the gift of beauty in nature. There is more mystery in one bloom dusted with life in the form of pollen than in all the volumes of books man has written. I thank you for the bees spreading your creative spark this morning in my garden, and for the rain you sent last night to quench the thirst in my tomato and corn plants. I thank you for the blessings of summer, a sweet respite from the harshness of our cold, Minnesota winters. Who can take in the splendor of your mountains and canyons, your storms and gentle rains, your snow-capped peaks and grassy valleys, and not know there is a God and He is Good! Give each of us more of your goodness today, Lord. Let our hearts be overwhelmed with the generosity of your love today. In Jesus' name, amen.

Did you know, dear friends, that Satan loves to hear us pray for more of anything from God? Oh yes, because it gives him great insight as to how he can tempt us and discourage us. However, God promises that even before the temptation comes, our Father has already given us a way out. Remember the scripture, first "submit to God;" and then,"resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7.


Look up all the scriptures you find on temptation. Write down what you learned about where temptation comes from and what God wants us to do in response to temptation. I'd love to benefit from your insights in the comments section.
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It is Satan who tempts us with sinful desires, seeking our downfall. It is God who tests us, giving us opportunity to grow in our faith. Trials and tests are to help us grow stronger and more powerful against temptation. Read James 1:2.

I listened to a wonderful teaching this morning called "Heart Test," by Joyce Meyer. Let me tell you how that came up. As usual, on Sundays, there comes on our family difficulties in getting to our church. Does that happen to anyone else? It makes it more tempting not to go because we live about a half an hour's drive away.

Well, last night my little boys would not settle down and go to sleep until midnight. So, that meant I couldn't start my own settling down to relax and unwind either, and ended up getting to bed about 3 a.m. Now, the thought of taking three tired, grumpy boys to church, then trying to listen to the sermon while poking drowsers, moving quarrelers away from each other, and then having to go home instead of visiting with friends because a certain five year old was going to be determined to be obstinate, well, let's just say I turned off the alarm. I just said, "Well, Lord. If you want us up for church I guess we will be up and pleasant, and if we don't get up, we will just have church right here at home."

Now, I am not saying sometimes we don't just need to press on past our own tiredness and get ourselves to church. Most of the time, that's just what we should do. Just about every time I skip church, the next week I hear what a great message I missed from someone who was there to hear it, and of course, it's always on a subject I would have really been glad to hear. That's why Satan does everything he can to keep us out of church, because that's where we are going to hear the Word of God and get to hang out with positive, God-loving friends.

The long and short of it is that I've just had about 4 nights in a row that I haven't been able to get to sleep before two or three in the morning, and so, I decided I wasn't going to fight it last night and I would trust God to order my day in the morning. This morning I got up about 11 a.m., and the first thought I had was, "O.K., we're going to have church right here."

I got the boys up and surprisingly, everyone got up without complaining and sat down in the living room for "church." While I cooked up pancakes, we popped in the latest CD I received from Joyce Meyer Ministries. It was called "Heart Test." (If you'd like a free CD every month with about an hour or so of Joyce teaching on it, she sends them out with a donation of any size.)

I'm going to share with you the main insight God gave me in that teaching, and let you ponder on it today: How many of us pray for God to 1. let us love everyone; 2. make us to forgive those around us; 3. prosper us; or maybe, 4. let me be Your servant, Lord; or 5. my favorite, CHANGE ME, LORD!

These are good prayers! Which one is yours? Or is there something different you always seem to desire? Write it here: __________________________________
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Does He answer  these prayers? You bet He does. But think about this: What happens when you go into to talk to your boss and ask for a promotion or for a raise? You have to demonstrate your qualifications for that promotion or raise, right? You have to have already learned what you need to know to do the job or justify the increase in salary, am I right? You have to pass a test, before you get the prize.

Whether it's a degree in school, a promotion to a higher position, or being given more responsibility, we first need to demonstrate the ability to handle the challenges of that position. We don't typically get the job first, then get the training to do the job. Yes, there are some exceptions, but there always is another cost in those situations, like a reduction in pay until we come up to snuff, right?

So, think about this, if you want to be a loving person, get ready to be exposed to some un-lovable people. If we want to be forgivers, we'll get the opportunity to be hurt so we can practice that skill. May be God will ask us to start with some folks who hurt us in the past, like those who abused or bullied us, as children. Still wanting to be blessed with more? If we want to be prospered, God says we've first got to obey Him with the little we've got.

Let me tell you, He is working me OUT on this one right now, and I don't mean with being a good steward with what I've got because He already did that number on me, but He's leaning on me with trusting Him enough to be generous right now, not when I'm wealthy, and it hurts . . but it hurts more to resist. Anyone out there know what I mean?

The minute I submit, and say, "O.K. God, take it all, take all my resistance, I just want your love, I'm going to trust you because I can't take for one more minute knowing you are speaking into my heart to obey you in this matter, and turn my face away in fear, again."

Now, I'm a crier. Some of you who know me might be surprised to know that, because I love to laugh and I love to make other people laugh with me. But when the Holy Spirit starts working in me, I'm going to be bawling, that's just me. My heart doesn't know what to do with all the love that comes with God. Even when He is letting me know I need to make a change, it's done with such love I can't help but just start blubbering. It's a mixture of sorrow for knowing I've been wrong, and at the same time so full of that tingly, soaring love that I want Him to give me something else to obey in, too. "Change me some more Lord while my spirit is willing!" Please now, give me a comment and tell me you know what I mean by all this!

So pray for growth, but remember there are going to be some growing pains. As we get more comfortable with obeying, the growing gets easier and easier. My five year old has a really hard time obeying right now, so he gets lots of opportunity to practice. Since he is a small child, I shape the behavior I want with plenty of rewards for obedience: points towards PlayStation or computer time, trips to the playground, Popsicles after a successful shopping trip.

My nine year old has much more experience obeying and he does it more gracefully. He no longer needs physical rewards to shape his behavior, and seeks to please me more and more often. Sure, he gets Popsicles, too, after all, who doesn't like Popsicles?! The point is he is not in training on the issue of obedience so much as my younger children, and he has learned his life goes along much more peacefully as a result. 

We are like little children. At first obeying is hard and we struggle, needing lots of confirmation from God that we are doing the right thing. We need lots of instruction in His Word, and lots of promises of His rewards. As time goes on, we learn that life goes more peacefully and joyfully when we choose to obey God, and that the greatest reward is feeling the Holy Spirit pat our backs and say "Well done!"

So, pray! Then gird your loins for the test ahead. The good news is that we only have to pass each test once! But, we do have to pass it, or simply take it again, and again, and again. Welcome the test, because "after the test comes the promotion!" (Joyce Meyer)