Hello Ladies! Sorry to be so delayed in a post...I was without internet last week! Thank you for your comments and honesty as you journey through Galatians, I continue to be encouraged and taught through you! I think Dinika's question for thought was a great one to reflect on.... In regards to how we handle of truth of the gospel, "as Christians we reflect God's image and inconsistent conduct would tarnish this reflection to the detriment of others?" This was a very challenging thought for me to think over about how I am living and am I being a proper reflection of God's truth and grace to the world around me!
I can also resonate with Julia's difficulty with the study during week 4, I would say that it was so far the most challenging to understand. But I think these season come during Bible study and it is a call to seek and cry out to God for Him to teach us through his Spirit and for us to be faithful. It also can be a time to evaluate our actions and our thoughts to see if there is any sin that is hindering us from hearing from God, and to lead us to confession and repentance. I can struggle many time with even my worries distracting me from Bible study and it is a time when I must surrender to God and cast all my anxieties upon him. Also when things get heavy and it is just hard to understand, check out some commentaries or do some word studies. I like to use Blueletterbible.org
Like for me, this week, I wanted to learn more about the idea of the law being our tutor, and this is what I learned from the Thayer's Lexicon on blueletterbible.org. "The law arouses the consciousness of sin, preparing the soul for Christ because those who have learned by experience with the law that they are not commended to God by their works, welcome more eagerly the hope of salvation in Christ." This helped me to understand how God uses the law to reveal to us our desperate need for a savior because are so fallen and can not save ourselves! Praise be to God, who sends the Spirit of His Son into the hearts of those who receive him crying, "Abba, Father." That word Father means, "of Christians, as those who through Christ have been exalted to a specially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as a stern judge of sinners, but revere him as their reconciled and loving Father" How amazing!!!
thank you! that was completely what i'd just logged on to say...or well, you much more eloquently than i...but i was wanting to ask for guidance re: my study becoming less regular, going from each night, to two nights at once, to three, to four...it became, across the past week, more about getting the study done...a "supposed to." i recall Bobby teaching on this once and i had two reactions myself, though a third after reading Mel's post: first, perseverence...i may not always feel so driven, but persevere anyway...second, be wary of becoming shallow soil...and then third, from Mel, don't yield to the stagnation and wait for it to pass; dig into it, push harder, go above and beyond to easily combat it...thanks, Mel!
ReplyDeleteI wrote this nice long heart felt post on week 5, but apparently my phone didn't finish the job so it didn't post! Alas, it is gone forever :(
ReplyDeleteI love week 6 though and will blog more later!