Do Not Depart

Encouragement and Tools to Abide in God's Word

You are here: Home / Archives for romans

Hiding His Word in My Heart {March Link-Up}

by 10 Comments

What have you been memorizing?

We’d love to hear about it. Your journey in scripture, one heart verse at a time, will encourage both those new to memorization as well as seasoned veterans who still love hearing the joys of Hiding His Word in our hearts.

I was spurred on to memorize more when I heard a lady at my church quoting scripture in a Bible class. I knew preachers did that, but hearing it from another woman fascinated me.

If she could do it, why couldn’t I? Why can’t you? It’s not easy, but it’s a blessing. The more you learn, the more you want to learn.

Now I’m decorating with it. In my Sunday class, we each embellish a portion of the wall with what defines us. I’ve bordered my area with first letters from Romans 8.


Link-up

So will you link up below? Share a blog post or a video about YOUR memorizations, either current or from the past. Grab a button here. Then visit a few other links. Come back anytime in March to add more.

You might also leave a comment about your successes or struggles with memorizing. Let’s proclaim together that we value God’s written words about the living Word.

 

Hiding His Word in My Heart {Link-up}

by 28 Comments

Welcome! Many of you are visting from Ann’s and we are so glad you are here! If you are looking for the latest link-up, CLICK HERE. We also have a vibrant community of Scripture memory kindreds on Facebook. We’d love for you to join us!

I have a treat for you today. My friend Kyndall and I have teamed up to bring you Romans 8:1-25. Kyndall has been rockin’ Romans 8, and is pulling this “old fogey” along with her!

Join in the fun!

Not memorizing Scripture? There are loads of great resources and communities available for you! Here are just a few:

Scripture memorization is an incredibly fruitful way to abide in the Word! It isn’t a race, but an intentional choice to dwell with Him through His Word. So, take the plunge with us, and join in the fun!

Share Your Journey

Are you memorizing scripture? We want to hear about it! Have a memorization tip to share? Are you stuck and need some help? Let’s chat in the comments!

Leave a comment, or link-up your posts, vlogs, and instagrams. Anything that shares about your Scripture memory journey!

This is a great chance to encourage one another, so be sure to visit and comment on the link before and after yours! Grab some flair for your post, so others can find us!

 

 

Hiding Romans 8 in My Heart

by 180 Comments

Do you want to memorize scripture, but just don’t think you can do it?

Do you lack a community which brings encouragement to keep going?

Do you need help with knowing how to get started?

We have just the thing for you!

Hiding Romans 8 in My Heart

This is part of Hiding His Word, a challenge to make scripture a life-long habit. We want to give you tips, tools and encouragement to get you started, and keep you going!

Here Are the Details

  • Start date: Sunday, November 6th
  • Finish date: March 31
  • Pace of 2-3 verses a week, with a 2-week “life happens” buffer.

Week 1 November 6th-12th Romans 8:1-2
Week 2 November 13th-19th Romans 8:3-4
Week 3 November 20th-26th Romans 8:5-6
Week 4 November 27th-December 3rd Romans 8:7-9
Week 5 December 4th-10th Romans 8:10 -11
Week 6 December 11th-17th Romans 8:12-13
Week 7 December 18th-24th Romans 8:14-15
Week 8 December 25th-31st Romans 8:16-17
Week 9 January 1st-7th Romans 8:18-19
Week 10 January 8th-14th Romans 8:20-21
Week 11 January 15th-21st Romans 8:22-23
Week 12 January 22nd-28th Romans 8:24-25
Week 13 January 29th-February 4th Romans 8:26-27
Week 14 February 5th-11th Romans 8:28-29
Week 15 February 12th-18th Romans 8:30-31
Week 16 February 19th-25th Romans 8:32-33
Week 17 February 26th-March 3rd Romans 8:34-35
Week 18 March 4th-10th Romans 8:36-37
Week 19 March 11th-17th Romans 8:38-39

This is only a suggested pace. You can go whatever pace works for you. We will be using the ESV and we will be providing LOADS of resources for you (which are coming soon!)

Anyone can join, just leave a comment to let us know you’re in! If you are on Twitter or Facebook, you can help spread the word about the challenge through a tweet or update like this:

I’m on the journey to memorize Romans 8 with @DoNotDepart Join me? http://ow.ly/7eTg4 #HideHisWord

 

We are excited for all that is to come! Be sure to subscribe to Do Not Depart so you don’t miss out on any of the great resources coming soon!

UPDATE: Be sure to check out the RESOURCES PAGE.

Walking in the Spirit {Book Review}

by 2 Comments

It wasn’t until my freshman year in college that I began to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in my life. Fifteen years later, and I still have much to learn.

So when the opportunity came along to review Walking in the Spirit. I jumped at the chance. Walking in the Spirit, by Kenneth Berding, is a great resource for those who long to know better how to keep in step with the Spirit of God.

Walking in the Spirit provides solid, Biblical teaching with helpful application tips to help us understand exactly what walking in the Spirit is to look like in our own lives.

Walking in the Spirit is the central metaphor for describing what it means to live as a Christian. Life lived according to the Spirit is not simply trying to do the right thing. Nor is it simply trying to live according to God’s Law. Life as a Christian is cooperating with the Holy Spirit in a daily walk. p. 19

Filled with real-life examples and other great analogies, Kenneth Berding teaches on practical doctrines like how to be led by the Spirit, how to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and how to set your mind on the things of the Spirit, to name a few.

If you want to be someone who brings glory to God (and I pray that there is nothing you desire more!), you must learn what it means to walk according to the Spirit. p. 16

If you are, like me, desiring to figure out how you can better depend on the Spirit of God on a daily basis, this book is for you. It is also a great complement to our Abiding Fruit study!

You can head over to Crossway to purchase your copy.

You can also enter for a chance to win a copy of Walking in the Spirit over at Inspired to Action, where I am sharing about how to experience the abundant life Jesus promised.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Walking in the Spirit, in exchange for my review. Opinions stated are mine.

Abiding Fruit :: Romans 7:15-24 :: The Reality of Our Struggle

by 15 Comments

I identify with Paul in Romans 7. There are so many moments in which I feel completely confused and helpless.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

I want to live a disciplined life. Yet I find myself eating way too many cookies, letting the laundry get completely out of control, and staying up hours past a decent bedtime.

It is my desire to be a good mom, but then I do the very thing I hate. I yell at my kids. I act demanding and impatient towards them.

I set out to be a better wife only to find myself creating excuses to avoid connecting with my husband. I put my desires over his needs. Instead of being his biggest helper, I become a nagging leech.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7:19

This is a completely defeating reality.

I. Am. Wretched.


Photo Credit

But, this is not the end of the story! Did you catch the hope Paul finds in the mess of his struggle? I see three glimpses of victory amidst the first-glance defeat.

It is no longer me.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Romans 7:20

If I am in Christ Jesus I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was dead in my sin, a child of disobedience, and an object of wrath. But God chose me, rescued me from my sin, adopted me as His child, lavished on me grace, given me new life, and sealed me with His Spirit. (Ephesians 1 & 2)

Before I came to Christ I had no choice but to sin. I was a slave to the passions of my flesh, a follower of the law of sin. Now, though my flesh still lingers in me, I have a choice. The Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) By the power of the Holy Spirit in me, I can choose obedience.

I have a powerful weapon.

For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, Romans 7:22

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

The law of God, the sword of the Spirit is my offense against the flesh. (Ephesians 6:17) A sword is no good if it sits at home, lying on a shelf. We are bombarded by our flesh ever corner we turn. The word of God must be readily available for us to kill the flesh.

There is a relationship between delighting in God’s law and not walking in the way of the wicked. Our only offense against the flesh is reading, studying, knowing and delighting in the truths of the Bible.

…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life… Philippians 2:15-16

I have already been delivered, but not yet.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25

In a sermon on Galatians 5, John Piper describes our flesh like a dragon, to whom Christ has given a mortal blow. Although it is destined for death, it is still living; our flesh is thrashing it’s tail and spewing fire at us in hopes to do as much damage in it’s final days.

Christ has taken possession of our soul. Our old self has been dealt a mortal wound and stripped of its power to have dominion. The Christian life, the fruit of the Spirit, is a constant reckoning of the flesh as dead (piling stones on its tomb) and a constant relying on the present Spirit of Christ to produce love, joy, and peace within. – John Piper, Sermon: Walk by the Spirit

Though my dragon of flesh lashes out and tries to take me down as it breathes it’s last, I have hope amidst the struggle. My sin nature is dead…it is just a matter of time before I am completely delivered from it’s presence.

So, yes, you and I struggle. The Christian life is not easy. But it is important to understand why we struggle, keep a tight grip on the truth of our victorious destiny, and fight the dragon.

What did you learn from this week’s study? 

Written a post about the Abiding Fruit study in the last few weeks? Link it up below! Be sure to comment on a few other posts, and use the Abiding Fruit button so others can find us.


 

Photobucket

The Virgin Birth

by 4 Comments

The virgin birth. It’s not really a hotly debated topic in Christian circles. We learn it, we accept it, we almost forget about it. But each Christmas, we’re reminded that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by the seed of a man.

Even though Christians accept this as truth, the world does not. It’s often debated this time of year. Magazines Newsweek and Time have run articles in the last decade claiming the virgin birth is a myth, and even quoted “Christians” who say it’s a myth, or that it’s not necessary to believe in the virgin birth to be a Christian.

So why is it important to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin? What is the implication for us today?

Before our conception we did not exist. But Jesus existed before Mary was with child. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son…” God didn’t create His Son, He sent Him forth. The virgin birth was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  This prophecy was fulfilled when the angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus and she answered, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34).

Romans 5:12 says that through one man sin entered the world and through him, sin spread to all men, because all sinned. But Jesus was born without sin. He lived a sinless life. Paul goes on to write in Romans, “…through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life (5:18).

The world doesn’t want to believe in the miraculous conception of Jesus because then they want to deny every miraculous detail of His life. Pastor John MacArthur writes,  “[A}ny rejection of Christ’s supernatural origin leaves His supernatural life and His supernatural death and His supernatural resurrection inexplicable. You gotta have it all, or any of it to make sense. And if Jesus wasn’t virgin born, then the claim that He can save is highly questionable.”

Remember this Christmas not to just read over the fact that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus. She gives all praise to God for the gift of Christ, and we can as well when we pray with Mary, “For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name” (Luke 1:49). His name is holy because Christ is without sin–at birth, in life, and when He conquered death!

image source: ArtBible

Truth, Justice, and the Congregation’s Way?

by 8 Comments

Superman With two younger brothers, much of my childhood was filled with superhero role-playing.  In fact, when we were all under five, my brothers’ room was decorated in the various heroes of the day – Superman, Batman, and good ol’ Spidey.  I, of course, was always Wonder Woman.  (Hey, it was the 70s, y’all, we all thought Lynda Carter was IT!)

Whenever we played, we always knew our hero’s catch phrase … and the favorite of both boys was Superman.  If I close my eyes tight enough, I can still see two tow-headed little boys running about in towel-capes with one arm forward and one back yelling, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.”

Now, as a pastor’s wife, I’ve learned the new rallying call in many Christian circles … Tradition, Judgment, and MY way. There are moments in ministry when I feel as though my heart will break.  We have lost sight of important principles and replaced them with personal agenda.   In doing so, we have also forsaken the priority of God’s Word and His standards regarding our behavior as individual believers and as the Church collective.

We have replaced Truth with Tradition.

Far too many churches have gone far too long without asking the question, “Is this activity, ministry, or function grounded in the TRUTH of God’s Word or in the comfort of our TRADITION?” Paul spoke clearly to the church at Colosse,

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ” (Colossians 2:8 NIV, emphasis added).

While traditions of themselves are neither good nor bad, when we allow traditions to take priority over proclaiming the truth of God’s Word, we have elevated them to an ungodly and sinful place.  In all things, we must be willing to ask if the tradition is rooted in and bringing forth truth … or if it has become hollow and focused on celebrating the past rather than crying out the grace of the Gospel.

We have replaced Justice with Judgment.

Oh that we could trust in the justice of God without feeling the need to exact judgment on one another! Again, we find that Paul speaks to this idea,

“Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive.  Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others … So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (Romans 10:23-24, 31 NIV).

We look around our sanctuaries and worship centers finding reasons that we are better than others – from choices regarding the education of our children to holiday traditions, from socioeconomic factors to generational prejudice, from our own insecurities to others’ previous lifestyles – we can be a judgmental lot!  And in being so quick to judge, we lose sight of this simple yet eternal truth:  We serve a just God.  The reality is while we focus on judging one another the world around us is dying without hope and salvation. We prefer to focus on the loving, forgiving part of God’s nature – but we must never, ever forget that we are called to “Go ye therefore and make disciples” … for the God who has offered us salvation is just and the “wages of sin is death.” (References to Matthew 28:19 and Romans 3:23)

We have replaced God’s Way with My Way.

Churches are filled with people who have been conditioned to “Have it Your Way!”  We are consistently guilty of giving corporate worship and fellowship far less devotion that the Lord intended.   We come when we feel like it, serve when it’s convenient, and give what we feel we can. Again, we find that Paul has a word for us,

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV).

Paul reminds us that we are called to live in the manner of Christ … not of the world.  And Christ’s life was marked by humility (Philippians 2:5-8), service (John 13:2-17), and sacrifice (Hebrews 10:8-10).  And so, if we are to live in God’s way, our lives must bear witness to those same qualities. We must lay aside preference and personal taste and focus instead on serving, on forgiving, on giving grace, and on true worship.

Fellow believers, will we be the generation that lays down tradition and self-righteousness, judgment and self-fulfillment, and  pride and selfishness?  Will we stand up for the TRUTH of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Will we recognize the JUSTICE of the God we serve?  And will we submit to GOD’S WAY in all things big and small?  Will we?

History repeats itself

by 12 Comments

I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t like me, and I know I wouldn’t like myself. “How can I know this?” Well, I’m a history buff, and my love of things ancient stirred my curiosity to explore my own history… “pre-me.”  I hoped to find noble, compassionate, wise, and gentile habits. After all, I’m a “Virginian,” the state that produced 4 of our first 5 presidents and was settled by Europeans in 1607. Since my family arrived in the first quarter of the 17th century, shouldn’t I find something worthy of a page in history? I did. Perhaps that’s why famous Virginian Thomas Jefferson said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”


As I explored my heritage, I discovered some shining moments, but mostly sin. Instead of a story destined for greatness, I confirmed what the Bible said all along, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” Isaiah 64:6.  Translation:  Instead of enduring heirlooms, my inheritance as a human being was just filthy rags. The generations before me walked a sinful path, with few turning to God. Since history repeats itself, I was clearly destined to follow in their footsteps. The further back I went, the more certain I was I’m cut out of sinful cloth.

My own story took a turn when my parents’ marriage skidded dangerously close to the edge and my mom went to church as a last resort. A woman in a stairway noticed she “needed a friend” and said so.  Doing more than smile, though, she took my mom to where she could hear the truth, to where God’s Word could change us one at a time. Until then, we repeated patterns of generations of empty people who defaulted to anger, abuse and addictions. I was on track to fit into THAT family album, and as a history lover, I KNOW I would’ve become just like my lost ancestors. But God changed our story (MY story) as we heard the gospel.  Our home was transformed by His truth. I’m so glad that “where sin increased, grace increased all the more,” Romans 5:20.


His grace changed generations of ugliness and rerouted my future. At five, I knew I wanted Jesus’ gift of life for me. Before I even understood my future was guaranteed to be bleak, God set me on a new course and spared me much of the pain I read in my history.  My heavenly Father offered me a future as His daughter, with a heavenly inheritance, so Thomas Jefferson was right! I really do like the way the future looks “post-grace” rather than the past history without God.

If you accepted Christ as a child and ever wonder “how bad it could’ve been,” just check out your family history.

I’m still a history buff. It’s evidence of who I’d be without Christ Jesus, and it’s evidence His sacrifice can change lives. The more I learn about the past, the more I know sin has always increased, but God’s grace increases all the more! What’s your history?

Our Rescue

by 11 Comments

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14, NASB

I spend one morning a week volunteering at our local crisis pregnancy center.  Over the past seven years, I have had the honor of spending time with hundreds of women and sharing with them the hope we have in Jesus.  One of my favorite parts of what I do is the privilege of sharing the gospel message with people who are hurting, hopeless, and desperate.  The beautiful truth of our rescue from the “domain of darkness” is one I never tire of repeating.

Yesterday, Julie reminded us of the sweet truth of our Rescuer’s love for us.  Today, my heart is to share with you what our rescue involves … what salvation gives us.

In John 3, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that we must be born again.  Not literally, of course, though Nicodemus did require some further explanation.   It’s our spirit that must be reborn … that part of us that was created for fellowship with God, in His image.  Our spirit that rejected God and chose self in the Garden … and every day since.  Our spirit is reconciled to Him through salvation.  And through that rescue, through salvation, we are changed.

Salvation gives us new life.

“What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone.  A new life has begun!”  ~ 2 corinthians 5:17 NLT

Salvation gives us new certainty.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate from his love.  Death can’t and life can’t.  The angels can’t and the demons can’t.  Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.  Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  ~ Romans 8:38-39 NLT

Salvation gives us new direction.

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession.  This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”  ~ 1 Peter 2:9 NLT

Have you experienced that rescue? Paul explains in Romans quite simply what this salvation requires:  “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (10:9).  Confession is that awareness of your need for rescue, for a Savior, for Jesus.  Belief is the understanding that He is the only way, nothing you could ever do would be enough.    And so salvation results from this: Confession of your need and belief that He is the only Need-Meeter.

Maybe you know Him, you belong to Him … Today, won’t you praise Him for rescuing you?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

But maybe you don’t … Maybe you are unsure what all this means or uncertain of His love for you.  Perhaps you want to know more.   We’d love to share with you about this great Rescue that we have experienced. Email us … ScriptureDig {at} comcast {dot} net.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Recommended Listening:

Jesus, Messiah {At this point in my life, in the midst of chaos and change, I find myself clinging to the beautiful truth that HE IS “Jesus Messiah, the Name above all names, Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel.  The RESCUE for sinners, the Ransom from Heaven, Jesus Messiah, Lord of All.”}

Rescue {Another sweet song of promise … “I need You, Jesus, to come to my RESCUE! Where else can I go?  There’s NO OTHER NAME by which I am SAVED, capture me with GRACE!”}

Image via flickr

Find Us on Facebook


Recent Posts

Archives