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Live a Question-Stimulating Life in View of Your Neighbors
Several years ago, I read the book Dwell: Life with God for the World by Barry D. Jones. The author of that book challenged every reader to live a question-stimulating life. What is a question-stimulating life? It is a life that those around us notice and are drawn to ask us why we live that way.
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Never Too Old to Have Impact for Christ
Don’t forget Anna! As you recount the Christmas story and tell about the angels, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, the baby in the manger, and the wise men, don’t forget Anna. Who was she? Anna was an 84-year-old woman who also brought gifts to the parents of the Christ-child and others around her. No one is ever too old to have impact on others for Christ. Anna, an old woman with impact on others This is what Luke wrote about Anna, “Now when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…There was also…
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Knowing Your Father God
What is God like? How does anyone get to know the true God, not all the substitute gods out there, but the God of the Bible? The God of the Bible is the one who declared, I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. (Isaiah 45:5) Our God is the one true God. God Wants You to Know Him Jesus declared to his disciples and to us, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do…
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When Heaven Comes to Earth
Listen to this as a similar podcast: “The LORD reigns! Let the earth be happy! Let the many coastlands rejoice!” (Psalm 97:1) The declaration that the LORD reigns is common in the Psalms. I know in my head and believe in my heart that God is ruling His creation. It is hard to see in real life, though, in a practical sense. He tolerates more rebellion and disobedience than any earthly king or dictator I’ve read about in history or current events. If left to evidence alone, we could easily think that God’s rule is “hands off” and passive and that Satan is really the ruler. I have to remind…
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Right Thinking When Facing Evil
Listen to this blog as a similar podcast: “Why, God?” The question that always comes up when something evil happens. Yes, something evil is happening in many places around the world, including right here in the United States. God does not do the evil. Evil humans do it. The next question is usually, “Why didn’t God stop it?” Now you are at the bigger questions, which are “Why does God let any of us do evil? Why doesn’t He stop it if He is capable of doing so?”
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Women’s Bible Studies Available Online
Are you looking for a quality women’s Bible Study for yourself or for your group? One with study questions that can be easily read online or that can be freely downloaded and printed? We have so many available for you right here on Bible.org! Check out the studies listed below according to the topic and what comes along with it—a study guide to download, any audio files that coordinate with the studies, and teaching aids. Many of them are also available in print form for those who have limited access to a printer. Ready to explore?
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Helping Bible Study Newbies
I recently heard a new Christian woman say, “I just get lost in our small group Bible study especially when people start throwing out Greek words and what they’ve learned in other studies. I just want to understand the words that are actually printed here. They lose me. I feel so ignorant like I can never understand the Bible.” My heart just hurt for her. And, from my experience, I know this precious new Christian, who is also new to the Bible, is not alone in how she feels in our typical Bible study groups. Bible Study Newbies Get Lost without Nurturing In our current culture, it is not wise…
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Are You Lamenting or Whining?
We live in a culture of complainers. Everywhere we turn, we hear complaints. The culture’s bad. The neighbors are bad. Life’s not fair. Why can’t we have what we want when we want it. You know what I’m talking about. I listened to a sermon series1 recently on the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk looked around him, seeing all the injustice, and challenged God on why He wasn’t doing anything about it. Habakkuk asked God a bunch of “why” questions and “how could you let that happen” questions. The speaker asked this question, “Was Habakkuk lamenting or just whining?” That question struck me. The answer has stuck in my brain for…
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Defeat the “Mean Spirit” Button
Just as the children of godly, loving parents don’t always take on the loving characteristics of their parents, God’s children can also choose to be unkind and sometimes just plain mean. And, those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior point to those unkind Christians and say, “Why should I join your team? I’m nicer than she is!” Engaging unbelieving co-workers This topic came up in a class I was teaching about intentionally engaging unbelievers in your life to show them who Christ is as they observe your own life. The hope is that you will be able to lead them to faith in Christ and help them to grow…
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God Makes Ugly Beautiful
Listen to this blog as a similar podcast: Isn’t springtime delightful? The landscape seems to go from ugly and barren to beautiful as new life emerges. Practically every day, I go outside to my garden, pushing aside dried leaves to see what is coming back up from the ground after the cold winter. The contrast from the ugly barrenness of winter to the beauty of new life emerging in the spring inspires worship. Easter belongs in the spring, doesn’t it? Spring reminds us that God makes ugly beautiful. One Friday, almost 2000 years ago, something very ugly happened. Jesus, the sinless God-man who walked among us people, was hung on…
