This week we learned about God’s heart for marriage. It truly is to be a picture of our Lord’s covenant relationship with us.
In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus said, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
Once again the Pharisees and teachers of the law had twisted a passage from the law (Deut. 24:1-3) and given men license to divorce their wives for any reason as long as they issued the wife a certificate of divorce. The law actually required that there had to be something indecent about the woman in order for the man to do this. In Matthew 19:8-9 Jesus explained that the only reason God had even allowed for divorce at all was because of the hardness of men’s hearts. The passage goes on to reinforce what was said in Matthew 5, “anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Laurie also pointed out that in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, Paul talks about another biblical reason for divorce, which is when an unbeliever leaves a believer.
Laurie talked about God’s covenant love as pictured in the Old Testament book of Hosea. God actually told Hosea to go out and marry a prostitute named Gomer. Hosea’s forgiving and patient love for Gomer was to be a picture to the Israelites of God’s forgiving and patient love for Israel despite their unfaithfulness to Him. The way of God should be the way of His people. We are called to a high standard of love and forgiveness.
Marriage is
1. A divine union—God ordained and institued it
2. A complete union—heart, soul, spirit and body
3. A permanent union—what God has joined, let no one separate
4. A covenant union—we are to live for one another
We are to be our Husband’s Covenant Lover. In I Samuel 18, it describes the covenant that Jonathan made with David. It explains that Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s, that Jonathan loved David as himself, that he gave David his robe, sword, bow and belt. We are likewise to commit ourselves to our husbands completely. See page 72 of the homework for more information on the marital significance of exchanging robes, belts, weapons, etc.
Philippians 2 talks about how Christ humbled himself, not considering equality with God something to be grasped. We are to be like Christ, not vying for position in our homes, but humbly and lovingly revering our husbands.
Lastly, we are to remember that it isn’t possible to live like this in the flesh, but we have all that we need in Him. After all, HE is our covenant partner! He is our advocate, friend, strong tower, all in all, sustainer, helper, rescue, deliverer, husband, father, beloved, and our hope!!!! See page 79 of the homework for scripture references for these.
Saturday
Lesson 3: The Pathway to Intimacy
This week Laurie emphasized the importance of our marriage relationships. God created us male and female in His image, and He designed us to be one flesh. (Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:20-25) Our marriage is to be a picture of Christ and His Church. (Ephesians 5:32) A godly marriage glorifies God and is a shining light to the world.
We have learned in this study that the most important thing we are to do is love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Laurie told us today that the other primary thing we really need to do is revere our husband and our marriage above everything else. It is not unlike when Jesus says: ‘Seek first the His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you, when you put your husband as your highest, primary, and ultimate earthly priority, all other things will fall into place, i.e. your children will be radically, cared for and positively impacted and others will 'see' Jesus in you, your marriage, and your family. Don’t let your marriage be mediocre. God wants your marriage to be over the top and amazing! In this way God is mightily glorified and enjoyed.
Our text for this week was Matthew 5:28-30, “You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
When Jesus refers to the right eye, he is talking about the “primary” eye, in other words, our focus. When He refers to the right hand, he is talking about our “primary” hand, or our activities and energies. As a woman, we are less prone to lusting after other men physically, but are we focused on things we shouldn’t be? Are we spending time doing activities that are taking away from our marriage relationship? Laurie gave the example of tennis in her life. She felt like the Lord led her to “cut off” and “throw away” tennis because it was taking her away from being focused on her marriage.
I. In order to help bond our marriages together in oneness, we need to remember that we are
A. The helper/completer. God gave us this role. He wants us to provide encouragement and comfort and seek to please our husband.
B. The prayer partner. Pray fervently for your husbands. You are never wasting time when you pray for your husband and your marriage. Pray through Ephesians 5, 2 Timothy 2, 1Thesalonians 5, Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2: 20-25 for your husbands.
C. The guardian and keeper of the marriage. We are to create an environment of intimacy. We are to find ways to communicate love to our husbands.
D. The avoider of evil. We are to get rid of bitterness, critical thinking and speaking, comparing our husband to other men, and avoiding intimacy.
Remember that there are many forces working against your marriage: Satan, the world’s way of thinking, our flesh, sin, guilt, etc. However, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-4) and given us everything we need to live righteously by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Action Steps for this Week:
1. Right Eye: Focus on what you like about your husband and seek to please him. Cut out anything that needs to be cut out.
2. Heart: Incline your heart towards him. Pray and thank God (Philippians 4:8)
3. Right Hand: Make a plan. Be intentional about revering him and honoring him. Do something today that expresses your love and respect for him
We have learned in this study that the most important thing we are to do is love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Laurie told us today that the other primary thing we really need to do is revere our husband and our marriage above everything else. It is not unlike when Jesus says: ‘Seek first the His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you, when you put your husband as your highest, primary, and ultimate earthly priority, all other things will fall into place, i.e. your children will be radically, cared for and positively impacted and others will 'see' Jesus in you, your marriage, and your family. Don’t let your marriage be mediocre. God wants your marriage to be over the top and amazing! In this way God is mightily glorified and enjoyed.
Our text for this week was Matthew 5:28-30, “You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
When Jesus refers to the right eye, he is talking about the “primary” eye, in other words, our focus. When He refers to the right hand, he is talking about our “primary” hand, or our activities and energies. As a woman, we are less prone to lusting after other men physically, but are we focused on things we shouldn’t be? Are we spending time doing activities that are taking away from our marriage relationship? Laurie gave the example of tennis in her life. She felt like the Lord led her to “cut off” and “throw away” tennis because it was taking her away from being focused on her marriage.
I. In order to help bond our marriages together in oneness, we need to remember that we are
A. The helper/completer. God gave us this role. He wants us to provide encouragement and comfort and seek to please our husband.
B. The prayer partner. Pray fervently for your husbands. You are never wasting time when you pray for your husband and your marriage. Pray through Ephesians 5, 2 Timothy 2, 1Thesalonians 5, Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2: 20-25 for your husbands.
C. The guardian and keeper of the marriage. We are to create an environment of intimacy. We are to find ways to communicate love to our husbands.
D. The avoider of evil. We are to get rid of bitterness, critical thinking and speaking, comparing our husband to other men, and avoiding intimacy.
Remember that there are many forces working against your marriage: Satan, the world’s way of thinking, our flesh, sin, guilt, etc. However, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-4) and given us everything we need to live righteously by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Action Steps for this Week:
1. Right Eye: Focus on what you like about your husband and seek to please him. Cut out anything that needs to be cut out.
2. Heart: Incline your heart towards him. Pray and thank God (Philippians 4:8)
3. Right Hand: Make a plan. Be intentional about revering him and honoring him. Do something today that expresses your love and respect for him
Hello Thistlebend AHF 2 Moms!
We have created this blog for you. It will be a place to add your thoughts, questions, discoveries, praises and prayer requests. We have posted the lecture notes.
I am praying for you and your family - can't wait to dig into our next topic - MARRIAGE!
With love in Christ -
Laurie
We have created this blog for you. It will be a place to add your thoughts, questions, discoveries, praises and prayer requests. We have posted the lecture notes.
I am praying for you and your family - can't wait to dig into our next topic - MARRIAGE!
With love in Christ -
Laurie
Lesson 8: Worry or Worship
Notes from Laurie's Lecture on Worry or Worship
I. Hear His Voice
Our scripture text for this week was Matthew 6:25-33, specifically verses 25 and 33, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Laurie noted that the “therefore” at the beginning of verse 25 refers back to the passage before it where Jesus tells us that we can’t serve two masters. If we are worried, we may need to check ourselves to make sure we aren’t bowing to something or someone other than Jesus Christ.
II. Know His Heart
1. He has commanded us not to be anxious, worried, or fearful. There are hundreds of verses on not being fearful and worried. Some of them are: Gen. 15:1, Gen. 26:24, Deut. 1:21, Joshua 1:9, Phil. 4:6, Psalm 37:7
2. There is no need to worry. He will never leave us or forsake us. Even when we are unlovely, He is still our faithful Father. Just as we would never abandon our children, He will never abandon us. See Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:7-9, Psalm 23:1
3. Worry and fear are not pleasing to the Lord. Remember that God did not allow the Israelites into the Promised Land because they were afraid that they could not defeat the giants that they saw there, even after he had rescued them from Egypt, caused them to walk through the Red Sea on dry land and destroyed their enemies. He made them wander in the desert for forty years because of their worry and unbelief. Worry is a big deal! It is a sin!
Laurie compared fear of God, which is a godly reverence for Him, and fear of everything else, which is ungodly. There are many scriptures regarding God’s blessing on those that fear Him. However, we are not to fear loss, man, rejection, failure, danger, or even death. Worry is the opposite of faith. Something awesome happens when we choose to worship Him instead of worry.
III. Walk in His Ways
Laurie compared worry and worship as follows:
W: wringing your hands
O: overwhelmed
R: rehearsing scenarios
R: rehearsing more scenarios
Y: your will, your way, your perspective, your strength
W: With us – Remember He is with us and we are his daughters.
O: One purpose - We are called for one purpose: to glorify Him
R: Rejoice, again I say rejoice.
S: Surrender your life, will, children, wants, and way to Him.
H: His Name, His word, His will. Recall who He is!
I: In Him, in the Spirit, We have to abide in him (John 15)
P: Prayerful
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55: 8-9.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” When we let go of our life and trust it to Him, He is glorified!
I. Hear His Voice
Our scripture text for this week was Matthew 6:25-33, specifically verses 25 and 33, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Laurie noted that the “therefore” at the beginning of verse 25 refers back to the passage before it where Jesus tells us that we can’t serve two masters. If we are worried, we may need to check ourselves to make sure we aren’t bowing to something or someone other than Jesus Christ.
II. Know His Heart
1. He has commanded us not to be anxious, worried, or fearful. There are hundreds of verses on not being fearful and worried. Some of them are: Gen. 15:1, Gen. 26:24, Deut. 1:21, Joshua 1:9, Phil. 4:6, Psalm 37:7
2. There is no need to worry. He will never leave us or forsake us. Even when we are unlovely, He is still our faithful Father. Just as we would never abandon our children, He will never abandon us. See Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:7-9, Psalm 23:1
3. Worry and fear are not pleasing to the Lord. Remember that God did not allow the Israelites into the Promised Land because they were afraid that they could not defeat the giants that they saw there, even after he had rescued them from Egypt, caused them to walk through the Red Sea on dry land and destroyed their enemies. He made them wander in the desert for forty years because of their worry and unbelief. Worry is a big deal! It is a sin!
Laurie compared fear of God, which is a godly reverence for Him, and fear of everything else, which is ungodly. There are many scriptures regarding God’s blessing on those that fear Him. However, we are not to fear loss, man, rejection, failure, danger, or even death. Worry is the opposite of faith. Something awesome happens when we choose to worship Him instead of worry.
III. Walk in His Ways
Laurie compared worry and worship as follows:
W: wringing your hands
O: overwhelmed
R: rehearsing scenarios
R: rehearsing more scenarios
Y: your will, your way, your perspective, your strength
W: With us – Remember He is with us and we are his daughters.
O: One purpose - We are called for one purpose: to glorify Him
R: Rejoice, again I say rejoice.
S: Surrender your life, will, children, wants, and way to Him.
H: His Name, His word, His will. Recall who He is!
I: In Him, in the Spirit, We have to abide in him (John 15)
P: Prayerful
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55: 8-9.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” When we let go of our life and trust it to Him, He is glorified!
Wednesday
Lesson 7: God, Mammon, and Mocha
I. Hear His Voice
Our scripture text for this week was Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus’ words were pretty clear. Do not store up treasures on earth. Store them in heaven. The Greek work for “store up” here literally translates “stockpiling” or “hoarding.”
II. Know His Heart
A. Jesus wants us to accumulate Kingdom Treasure
Luke 12:33-34, Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:15-16
B. Jesus wants us to have His Kingdom Vision. Our eyes are to be fixed on Him. We are to see people and circumstances the way He see them. Many things can affect your vision: materialism, greed, self-centeredness, temporal thinking, trying to measure up to the world’s expectations, pride, our culture, etc. Satan can use very small things in our lives to distract us and get our vision off of Christ and living our lives in oneness with Him.
Matthew 6:22-23, Eph. 1:18, Luke 12:35, Acts 28:27, Romans 3:18
C. Jesus wants us to be Kingdom Servants.
Matthew 6:2-3, Exodus 33:24, John 15:14-15
D. Jesus wants us to live with a Kingdom Purpose.
John 15:16, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (this passage talks about how Christ bought us with his death and put us into a right relationship with God. It is now our purpose to help direct others into a right relationship with God by sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ)
Ask yourself some questions:
1. Where are you investing your treasure?
2. What treasure has He entrusted you with?
3. Where are your eyes fixed?
4. What pulls you to the left or right?
5. Who is your King?
6. What do you find yourself bowing down to or serving?
III. Walk in His Way
Think about the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the ways God can use your life to accomplish great purposes.
1. Who are you? God has given you your personality, experiences, skill set, etc., and He wants to use those things in accomplishing His purposes.
2. Where are you? God has placed you in His kingdom, first and foremost. God has placed you in your specific home, with your husband and children, in your neighborhood, workplace, etc.
3. What has He entrusted you with? The gospel of Jesus Christ, access to his throne through prayer, resources of time, money, talent, etc.
4. When can you give of yourself? Look for little opportunities everywhere.
5. Why? To reconcile those around you to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)
6. How? He will show you how!
Think of what God can do with the money He has given you combined with all of the other resources listed above. Remember, it is not the amount that matters (ex. the poor widow from day four of our homework and the boy with five loaves and two fish from day five of our homework). A good modern day example of this is a 39-cent stamp on a letter that you write to someone in need of encouragement.
We need to surrender everything to our Lord: all of our life, including our money!
Our scripture text for this week was Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus’ words were pretty clear. Do not store up treasures on earth. Store them in heaven. The Greek work for “store up” here literally translates “stockpiling” or “hoarding.”
II. Know His Heart
A. Jesus wants us to accumulate Kingdom Treasure
Luke 12:33-34, Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:15-16
B. Jesus wants us to have His Kingdom Vision. Our eyes are to be fixed on Him. We are to see people and circumstances the way He see them. Many things can affect your vision: materialism, greed, self-centeredness, temporal thinking, trying to measure up to the world’s expectations, pride, our culture, etc. Satan can use very small things in our lives to distract us and get our vision off of Christ and living our lives in oneness with Him.
Matthew 6:22-23, Eph. 1:18, Luke 12:35, Acts 28:27, Romans 3:18
C. Jesus wants us to be Kingdom Servants.
Matthew 6:2-3, Exodus 33:24, John 15:14-15
D. Jesus wants us to live with a Kingdom Purpose.
John 15:16, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (this passage talks about how Christ bought us with his death and put us into a right relationship with God. It is now our purpose to help direct others into a right relationship with God by sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ)
Ask yourself some questions:
1. Where are you investing your treasure?
2. What treasure has He entrusted you with?
3. Where are your eyes fixed?
4. What pulls you to the left or right?
5. Who is your King?
6. What do you find yourself bowing down to or serving?
III. Walk in His Way
Think about the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the ways God can use your life to accomplish great purposes.
1. Who are you? God has given you your personality, experiences, skill set, etc., and He wants to use those things in accomplishing His purposes.
2. Where are you? God has placed you in His kingdom, first and foremost. God has placed you in your specific home, with your husband and children, in your neighborhood, workplace, etc.
3. What has He entrusted you with? The gospel of Jesus Christ, access to his throne through prayer, resources of time, money, talent, etc.
4. When can you give of yourself? Look for little opportunities everywhere.
5. Why? To reconcile those around you to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)
6. How? He will show you how!
Think of what God can do with the money He has given you combined with all of the other resources listed above. Remember, it is not the amount that matters (ex. the poor widow from day four of our homework and the boy with five loaves and two fish from day five of our homework). A good modern day example of this is a 39-cent stamp on a letter that you write to someone in need of encouragement.
We need to surrender everything to our Lord: all of our life, including our money!
Lesson 6: Private Powerfilled Prayer
Matthew 6:6-8 was our text for this week, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Know His Heart
I. He chose us to be a part of Him. See John 15:16 and I Peter 2:9-10. In the days before Christ came, there was one high priest for the entire nation of Israel. He would go into the Most Holy Place once per year on behalf of the people. Now, God appoints each believer in Christ as a priest. We are given the privilege of going before his throne on the behalf of each person He has placed in our lives.
II. He is with us, in us, and for us! See John 16:23, John 14:20, John 14:12, Matthew 28:18, and Luke 11:9.
III. He wants to reveal Himself and His will to us! See John 14:21-23, John 15:14-15, Exodus 33:11, and Isaiah 41:8
Walk in His Ways
The following is a list of elements that work together to make prayer effective. It coincides with the model prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13.
I. In Him: We are first and foremost to be abiding in Christ, being obedient to His Word. We are His. He is our Father.
Our Father who art in heaven
II. Praying in His Name: We need to know His character, who He is. We are to remember who He is as we pray to Him.
Hallowed be Thy Name
III. Vision: We must ask Him to give us a vision of His glory, of His will being done. Ask Him to transform our thinking so that we have His mind, not the world’s.
Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
IV. Tent of Meeting: We are to be in private daily communion with Him. It is such a privilege and blessing that we are able to approach God’s throne of grace at any time because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, especially when you consider how it had been before Christ died for our sins. In the Old Testament, God designed the tabernacle and instructed the Israelites to build it accordingly. It was an earthly representation of a heavenly place. At the entrance was the altar where sacrifice for sin was made. Next there was the basin for cleansing and purifying oneself. Next was the Holy Place and further in was the Most Holy Place, which only the high priest could enter, and only once per year. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil to the entrance of the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom, which was God’s way of telling us that Jesus made it possible for us to approach Him at any time.
Give us this day our daily bread
V. Pure and Loving Heart. We must get rid of any lack of forgiveness, bitterness, and selfish ways.
Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
VI. Boldly. We can come boldly before His throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16. We must be persistent and unceasing like the man knocking on the door asking for bread in Luke 11:1-13.
Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
VII. Standing Watch. We must be alert and sensitive. We must be on the lookout for ourselves and others.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
VIII. Believing. We must take God at His Word. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6.
For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever, Amen.
Laurie went through an exercise with us where we prayed according to the ACTS model, which is Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. She also encouraged us to pray using Scripture. Write the Scripture down in your prayer journal to help you focus on it.
I. Adoration: Praise God for who He is!
II. Confession: Ask Him to reveal any areas of sin.
III. Thanksgiving: Thank Him for all He has done.
IV. Supplication: Make specific requests.
Know His Heart
I. He chose us to be a part of Him. See John 15:16 and I Peter 2:9-10. In the days before Christ came, there was one high priest for the entire nation of Israel. He would go into the Most Holy Place once per year on behalf of the people. Now, God appoints each believer in Christ as a priest. We are given the privilege of going before his throne on the behalf of each person He has placed in our lives.
II. He is with us, in us, and for us! See John 16:23, John 14:20, John 14:12, Matthew 28:18, and Luke 11:9.
III. He wants to reveal Himself and His will to us! See John 14:21-23, John 15:14-15, Exodus 33:11, and Isaiah 41:8
Walk in His Ways
The following is a list of elements that work together to make prayer effective. It coincides with the model prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13.
I. In Him: We are first and foremost to be abiding in Christ, being obedient to His Word. We are His. He is our Father.
Our Father who art in heaven
II. Praying in His Name: We need to know His character, who He is. We are to remember who He is as we pray to Him.
Hallowed be Thy Name
III. Vision: We must ask Him to give us a vision of His glory, of His will being done. Ask Him to transform our thinking so that we have His mind, not the world’s.
Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
IV. Tent of Meeting: We are to be in private daily communion with Him. It is such a privilege and blessing that we are able to approach God’s throne of grace at any time because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, especially when you consider how it had been before Christ died for our sins. In the Old Testament, God designed the tabernacle and instructed the Israelites to build it accordingly. It was an earthly representation of a heavenly place. At the entrance was the altar where sacrifice for sin was made. Next there was the basin for cleansing and purifying oneself. Next was the Holy Place and further in was the Most Holy Place, which only the high priest could enter, and only once per year. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil to the entrance of the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom, which was God’s way of telling us that Jesus made it possible for us to approach Him at any time.
Give us this day our daily bread
V. Pure and Loving Heart. We must get rid of any lack of forgiveness, bitterness, and selfish ways.
Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
VI. Boldly. We can come boldly before His throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16. We must be persistent and unceasing like the man knocking on the door asking for bread in Luke 11:1-13.
Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
VII. Standing Watch. We must be alert and sensitive. We must be on the lookout for ourselves and others.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
VIII. Believing. We must take God at His Word. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6.
For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever, Amen.
Laurie went through an exercise with us where we prayed according to the ACTS model, which is Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. She also encouraged us to pray using Scripture. Write the Scripture down in your prayer journal to help you focus on it.
I. Adoration: Praise God for who He is!
II. Confession: Ask Him to reveal any areas of sin.
III. Thanksgiving: Thank Him for all He has done.
IV. Supplication: Make specific requests.
Monday
Hearts Like Playdough
Below is an email sent by Susan Sampson to her small group - I thought you all would enjoy it!
I think I have told you all before how much I love the scripture, Ezekiel 36:26, which Laurie taught us last semester. It says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." I seem to be making this my prayer quite often these days as I really struggle with hard-heartedness.
I think I have told you all before how much I love the scripture, Ezekiel 36:26, which Laurie taught us last semester. It says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." I seem to be making this my prayer quite often these days as I really struggle with hard-heartedness.
As I was thinking about this, the Lord brought to my mind a can of Playdough. Really, if you think about it, our hearts are a lot like Playdough. Think about a brand new can of Playdough. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor. 5:17 I love when I first open a new can. I always smell the Playdough before I take it out of the can; I love the smell of Playdough; to me it smells fresh and clean (I know I'm a little crazy :)) Second Corinthians 2:15 says, "For we are to God the aroma of Christ."
Now think about taking that Playdough out of it's can for the very first time. It feels so soft and squishy. It's pliable, moldable. It can be made into anything in the right hands and as long as it's cared for properly. The bible mentions several times that we are like clay and our Father is like the potter.
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
"Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand." Jeremiah 18:6
"Remember that you molded me like clay." Job 10:9
"Your hands shaped me and made me." Job 10:8
Of course to keep our precious Playdough pure and pristine it needs to be taken care of; just like our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." And Philippians 4:7 commands us to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We have to be careful what we expose our Playdough to and how we treat it. If we start to mix it up with different colors, the true color is no longer identifiable. It is no longer pure. It is no longer set apart. 1Timothy 5:22 says, "Keep yourself pure." And 1John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." And in 1Peter 3:15 the bible says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord."
Now, what happens to the Playdough when it's left out of its container; uncared for; untouched; neglected? It begins to dry out. It begins to crumble. Although it may not happen overnight, if neglected long enough, the Playdough will become hard as a rock. The bible repeatedly warns us against hardening our hearts. "Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Proverbs 28:14
And Psalm 95:8 says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..."
We must protect our Playdough, we must guard it from drying out and becoming a rock. How do we do this? It's simple. Keep your Playdough in its' can with the lid on tight! We must guard our hearts! Remember, "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."Proverbs 27:19 And in the book Song of Songs 8:6 it says, "Place me like a seal over your heart." Ladies, we must "yield our hearts to the Lord" Joshua 24:23. When we do this, by staying in the Lord's will and in His word, our hearts will remain soft and moldable and responsive, ready to be shaped by our Maker into whatever He wants. 2Kings 22:19 says, "Because your heart was responsive...I have heard you, declares the Lord."
Just this week Laurie reminded us that "if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."Matthew 21:22 Girls, let's pray together and ask the Lord to make our hearts like that brand new can of Playdough; sweet smelling, soft, tender and moldable! It is worth it. Remember, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8. What could be better than that!!
Sunday
Thank You for Your Questions and Comments!
Moms and Abigails -
Please post any questions or comments you have! They are very much appreciated. You may post your comments anonymously if you would prefer. It really helps me know what may have been unclear or what you would like to have elaborated.
You may also post "Dear Abigail" questions here. We will try to address them during the 'Just Between Us Girls' portion of Moms Bible study during the end of April and May.
Thanks again!
Laurie
Please post any questions or comments you have! They are very much appreciated. You may post your comments anonymously if you would prefer. It really helps me know what may have been unclear or what you would like to have elaborated.
You may also post "Dear Abigail" questions here. We will try to address them during the 'Just Between Us Girls' portion of Moms Bible study during the end of April and May.
Thanks again!
Laurie
Thursday
AHF2 Lecture 5 Notes: Inside Out
Lesson 5: Inside Out
Matthew 5:33-48 was our text for the lesson this week. In verses 43-44, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Laurie emphasized the importance of “you have heard” and “but I tell you” in the verses above. The Pharisees had taught the people a lot of ideas that simply weren’t true. Nowhere in God’s law had he told the Israelites to hate their enemies. Likewise, we might have listened to parents, teachers, and even preachers who have given us wrong ideas or information. We need to grow in our relationship with our Lord so we can hear His voice speaking to us through His word.
I. “Be perfect”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We know that no one is perfect except Jesus (Romans 3:10-10-12). However, Job and Noah are good biblical examples of what Jesus is referring to here. Job 1:1 describes Job as a man who was blameless, upright, fearing God and shunning evil. Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, a man who walked with God.
Is it your heart’s desire to hit the bull’s eye on the target of pleasing God? Are you living by God’s standard in His word? Do you fear the Lord? Are you avoiding doing evil? If yes, that is being righteous, or blameless, or perfect. Pray through Psalm 119:1-16 and ask yourself if this describes you. If not, pray that you will become such a person who seeks after God and His Word.
II. “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’”
In Matthew 5:37, Jesus tells us to simply let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no”. We need to be accurate in what we say and avoid exaggerations. Our actions need to match our words. Do you say you are a Christian? Your actions need to coincide with that claim. We need to be like our Father. He is who is says He is. See James 5:12 and Proverbs 6:16-17.
III. “If someone strikes you on the right cheek”
In Matthew 5:39, Jesus tells us, “if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Laurie gave the example of Moses when the Israelites were complaining against him after they left Egypt. Moses did not retaliate against them; he took it to God. We can be an amazing witness for Christ when we don’t retaliate and demand our rights.
IV. “Love your enemies”
In Matthew 5: 44, Jesus tells us “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” We are to remember that love is a verb. Luke 6:27-36 explains more about loving your neighbor as yourself.
V. The Four “P’s” of Walking in His Ways
1. Purpose: Our purpose is to be Christ wherever we are. We must be purposeful and deliberate. If we don’t aim our bow, we aren’t going to hit the target.
2. Plan: We have to have a plan; we must be deliberate.
3. Practice: Live it out day by day, decision by decision
4. Please: Our goal must be to please Christ alone!
Closing Comment from Laurie:
I really did run out of time this week in all of the lectures so I didn't give you the full picture but I hope you understood. Block out your time with your Lord, your husband, and your children. DON'T feel like you have to do everything!:)
We will revisit 'Planning to be Purposeful, Persistent and Pleasing:)' in lecture 6!
Matthew 5:33-48 was our text for the lesson this week. In verses 43-44, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Laurie emphasized the importance of “you have heard” and “but I tell you” in the verses above. The Pharisees had taught the people a lot of ideas that simply weren’t true. Nowhere in God’s law had he told the Israelites to hate their enemies. Likewise, we might have listened to parents, teachers, and even preachers who have given us wrong ideas or information. We need to grow in our relationship with our Lord so we can hear His voice speaking to us through His word.
I. “Be perfect”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We know that no one is perfect except Jesus (Romans 3:10-10-12). However, Job and Noah are good biblical examples of what Jesus is referring to here. Job 1:1 describes Job as a man who was blameless, upright, fearing God and shunning evil. Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, a man who walked with God.
Is it your heart’s desire to hit the bull’s eye on the target of pleasing God? Are you living by God’s standard in His word? Do you fear the Lord? Are you avoiding doing evil? If yes, that is being righteous, or blameless, or perfect. Pray through Psalm 119:1-16 and ask yourself if this describes you. If not, pray that you will become such a person who seeks after God and His Word.
II. “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’”
In Matthew 5:37, Jesus tells us to simply let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no”. We need to be accurate in what we say and avoid exaggerations. Our actions need to match our words. Do you say you are a Christian? Your actions need to coincide with that claim. We need to be like our Father. He is who is says He is. See James 5:12 and Proverbs 6:16-17.
III. “If someone strikes you on the right cheek”
In Matthew 5:39, Jesus tells us, “if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Laurie gave the example of Moses when the Israelites were complaining against him after they left Egypt. Moses did not retaliate against them; he took it to God. We can be an amazing witness for Christ when we don’t retaliate and demand our rights.
IV. “Love your enemies”
In Matthew 5: 44, Jesus tells us “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” We are to remember that love is a verb. Luke 6:27-36 explains more about loving your neighbor as yourself.
V. The Four “P’s” of Walking in His Ways
1. Purpose: Our purpose is to be Christ wherever we are. We must be purposeful and deliberate. If we don’t aim our bow, we aren’t going to hit the target.
2. Plan: We have to have a plan; we must be deliberate.
3. Practice: Live it out day by day, decision by decision
4. Please: Our goal must be to please Christ alone!
Closing Comment from Laurie:
I really did run out of time this week in all of the lectures so I didn't give you the full picture but I hope you understood. Block out your time with your Lord, your husband, and your children. DON'T feel like you have to do everything!:)
We will revisit 'Planning to be Purposeful, Persistent and Pleasing:)' in lecture 6!
Wednesday
Lecture Notes from Lesson Four: Marriage Minded
This week we learned about God’s heart for marriage. It truly is to be a picture of our Lord’s covenant relationship with us.
In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus said, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
Once again the Pharisees and teachers of the law had twisted a passage from the law (Deut. 24:1-3) and given men license to divorce their wives for any reason as long as they issued the wife a certificate of divorce. The law actually required that there had to be something indecent about the woman in order for the man to do this. In Matthew 19:8-9 Jesus explained that the only reason God had even allowed for divorce at all was because of the hardness of men’s hearts. The passage goes on to reinforce what was said in Matthew 5, “anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Laurie also pointed out that in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, Paul talks about another biblical reason for divorce, which is when an unbeliever leaves a believer.
Laurie talked about God’s covenant love as pictured in the Old Testament book of Hosea. God actually told Hosea to go out and marry a prostitute named Gomer. Hosea’s forgiving and patient love for Gomer was to be a picture to the Israelites of God’s forgiving and patient love for Israel despite their unfaithfulness to Him. The way of God should be the way of His people. We are called to a high standard of love and forgiveness.
Marriage is
1. A divine union—God ordained and institued it
2. A complete union—heart, soul, spirit and body
3. A permanent union—what God has joined, let no one separate
4. A covenant union—we are to live for one another
We are to be our Husband’s Covenant Lover. In I Samuel 18, it describes the covenant that Jonathan made with David. It explains that Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s, that Jonathan loved David as himself, that he gave David his robe, sword, bow and belt. We are likewise to commit ourselves to our husbands completely. See page 72 of the homework for more information on the marital significance of exchanging robes, belts, weapons, etc.
Philippians 2 talks about how Christ humbled himself, not considering equality with God something to be grasped. We are to be like Christ, not vying for position in our homes, but humbly and lovingly revering our husbands.
Lastly, we are to remember that it isn’t possible to live like this in the flesh, but we have all that we need in Him. After all, HE is our covenant partner! He is our advocate, friend, strong tower, all in all, sustainer, helper, rescue, deliverer, husband, father, beloved, and our hope!!!! See page 79 of the homework for scripture references for these.
In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus said, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
Once again the Pharisees and teachers of the law had twisted a passage from the law (Deut. 24:1-3) and given men license to divorce their wives for any reason as long as they issued the wife a certificate of divorce. The law actually required that there had to be something indecent about the woman in order for the man to do this. In Matthew 19:8-9 Jesus explained that the only reason God had even allowed for divorce at all was because of the hardness of men’s hearts. The passage goes on to reinforce what was said in Matthew 5, “anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Laurie also pointed out that in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, Paul talks about another biblical reason for divorce, which is when an unbeliever leaves a believer.
Laurie talked about God’s covenant love as pictured in the Old Testament book of Hosea. God actually told Hosea to go out and marry a prostitute named Gomer. Hosea’s forgiving and patient love for Gomer was to be a picture to the Israelites of God’s forgiving and patient love for Israel despite their unfaithfulness to Him. The way of God should be the way of His people. We are called to a high standard of love and forgiveness.
Marriage is
1. A divine union—God ordained and institued it
2. A complete union—heart, soul, spirit and body
3. A permanent union—what God has joined, let no one separate
4. A covenant union—we are to live for one another
We are to be our Husband’s Covenant Lover. In I Samuel 18, it describes the covenant that Jonathan made with David. It explains that Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s, that Jonathan loved David as himself, that he gave David his robe, sword, bow and belt. We are likewise to commit ourselves to our husbands completely. See page 72 of the homework for more information on the marital significance of exchanging robes, belts, weapons, etc.
Philippians 2 talks about how Christ humbled himself, not considering equality with God something to be grasped. We are to be like Christ, not vying for position in our homes, but humbly and lovingly revering our husbands.
Lastly, we are to remember that it isn’t possible to live like this in the flesh, but we have all that we need in Him. After all, HE is our covenant partner! He is our advocate, friend, strong tower, all in all, sustainer, helper, rescue, deliverer, husband, father, beloved, and our hope!!!! See page 79 of the homework for scripture references for these.
Tuesday
WELCOME TO THE AHF2 BLOG
Hello AHF 2 Moms!We have created this blog for you. It will be a place to add your thoughts, questions, discoveries, praises and prayer requests. We will update it frequently and post the lecture notes, announcements, photos from class and small group outings - you name it!
Our newest and most exciting news is this week's lecture will - God willing - be posted on iTunes this weekend. I am so psyched! Many people have been praying for an inexpensive and easily accessible way to be able to catch up on the lecture if they or their children have been sick or have just been unable to come.
I am praying for you and your family - can't wait to dig into our next topic - MARRIAGE!
With love in Christ -
Laurie
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