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Scribbles & Doodles & Reading Aloud

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Making Time to Study the Word

 

Life often moves at a breakneck pace. Whatever season you’re in, I imagine you’ve got a lot on your plate, calling for your attention. 

I am in a season of raising children (toddlers, teens, and a few in between!) and developing my career. The latter, I am grateful to admit, calls for some pretty dedicated time to study the Bible. But in this season of busyness (which is not so different from other seasons of busyness) I find I must make time to cultivate my relationship with Jesus. Like every other important relationship in life, I have to be intentional about how I spend my time and carve out opportunities to enjoy and engage with the One who is my Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. Thankfully, unlike other relationships, He is willing to meet me where I am. 

Here are three things I’m doing to make time and space in my heart and mind.

Scribbles

My first step when I approach a text, either for personal study or professional, is to read it with fresh eyes and rapid log, aka Scribble, my initial thoughts, questions, and impressions. Rapid log is a term from the Bullet Journal tradition. It means jotting down your thoughts, bullet-point style, as it occurs to you. 

This initial step serves to clear my mind of any assumptions or associations I have. I stress that it is an initial first step because it is essential to go back through those notes and seek out the truth about what those stories mean. As Ali mentioned in her post, sometimes all we have is a few moments to jot down our thoughts, but someday we will get the time to dig deeper. 

My scribbles are a way to engage with the text with an open heart. Sometimes I will paraphrase what I’ve read, to see if I’m understanding it. Sometimes I will write down the exact Scripture, and occasionally I will…

Doodle!

When it comes to art, I’ve always been better with words and speech. My ability to communicate visually is somewhat lacking. I can sketch a pretty decent snail when called upon to do so, but even that is hit and miss. 

Yet my hands love to be busy, especially when I’m listening to a sermon or podcast, or even going back over my scribbled notes.  I find my pen working over the letters, making shapes, and sketches of things that are standing out to me. 

What surprised me one day was realizing that what appeared to be mindless doodling was actually helping me remember and connect to what I was studying! The doodles help me to slow down and sit in the words. 

Like scribbling, doodling it is only a piece of Bible study, incomplete on its own, but part of a rich, intentional, process of growing closer to the Lord.  

Reading Aloud

Finally, another way I like to engage with the text is by reading it out loud.  I do this in my room or at the table while my children are eating breakfast. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t, but I speak the words anyway.  

In this text from Deuteronomy, the Lord instructs future kings to engage with Scripture by writing and reading it:

“When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes.” Deuteronomy 17:18-19

The Hebrew word for “read” (here and in many other verses) is “qara” (pronounced car-uh). It means “to call out, summon, invite, name, utter aloud”. It’s a hugely different picture than what I usually have in my mind when I think of reading, which is what I have always done when I want to be alone! 

Like scribbling and doodling, reading the words out loud helps me to slow down and take them in, allowing me to engage fully with whatever it is the Holy Spirit is teaching me. 

How do you engage with Scripture? #SnapshotsofBibleStudyClick To Tweet

I love the Word of God. I love learning the history and culture of the people in the ancient world. I love digging into the language and discovering how God is timeless and unchangeable. Mostly, I love that He chooses to engage with us, where and when we are if only we will take the time to engage with Him. 

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Are you willing to give one of these tricks a try? Here is a Three Ways to Engage Printable to help you incorporate scribbling, doodling, or reading aloud into your time with the Word. Share your experience with us in the comments or on the Facebook Community Page!

Life Long Learners: A New Series

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As a brand new homeschool mom (about five years ago) I devoured blogs and emails that shared personal snapshots describing how other home school’s operated. My favorite question for other homeschoolers was some version of “what does this look life for you?”

As I examined all the varied approaches, I grew to appreciate how vastly creative God is, providing so uniquely for each of us and allowing us our own opportunities to uniquely glorify Him.

Our experiences were often very different, but in sharing our stories, I found solidarity, inspiration, and connections to more resources than I could access on my own. I was not alone in my struggles! Veteran homeschool moms had lots of tips, tricks, and hacks about how to do things. Newer moms had fresh ideas and passion. Though I spent hours and hours researching different curriculums and methods, nothing was nearly as helpful as hearing the firsthand experience of those surrounding me in the trenches of parenting and schooling. Our kids varied in age. One person’s ideal day was another person’s worst nightmare. But in our goal for educating our children, we grew into a united community. We became the iron, sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17).

Bible study is so important. It’s how God reveals Himself to us (John 1:1-5). But it can be intimidating too. I’ve been studying the Bible for most of my life and still feel like I’m only scratching the surface. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” 

This month on the blog we’re going to give you a peek behind the curtain of our processes. We’ll share our favorite resources for Bible study and how we use them. We’ll give you a glimpse of what it looks like to take a topic or a Scripture and turn it into a devotional.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” 1 Peter 4:10

I hope you will find encouragement, inspiration, and resources for your own times of study!

Be sure to share what you’re loving and learning with the Do Not Depart Facebook Community!

Tools to Take Heart

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“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

 Here are some posts we’ve shared in the past to help you take heart and remember He has overcome the world.

 

Fear

Ways to Move Past Fear and Learn to Love

Helping Children Who Fear – 5 Bible Based Tips

Surrendering Our Fears

When You Feel Afraid, God is Your Strength

 

Anxiety

A Daily Dose to Overcome Anxiety

Less Google, More God

Growing Faith in Uncertainty

What Not To Say When Anxious

 

God’s Promises

May the God of Hope Fill You

Lord of the Sabbath Series

The Armor of God Series

 

These are just a snippet of the tools available at DoNotDepart.com where we hope you will find Encouragement to Abide!

 

What’s Your Point? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself as You Lead {+ Printable}

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Are you preparing a lesson for a small group?

Want to be more equipped for the next time?

Stay on track by keeping your point sharp.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself - What's Your Point

Too Dull?

Have you tried cutting paper with dull scissors? Or peeling potatoes with a dull knife?

And surely you’ve sat in a dull class, wishing you were elsewhere?

What’s the point? When teachers (or let’s be honest, even friends) ramble on and on with no point, it can feel like a real time-waster.

So when it’s your turn to lead—whether a lecture in Sunday school or a discussion in a Facebook group or just at lunch with your friends—don’t be the dull one.

Be sharp. When you have something to say, whatever the forum, make your point clear and concise enough to be heard and felt.

All month we’re giving tips on how to be an effective small group leader, whether you’re a newbie or a pro, with our #LeadingEffectively series.

Today we’re giving you a free template to use.

Try these questions to uncover the heart of your lesson. To make a lasting difference, you must sharpen your point.

Make It Sharp

How?

Here is a proven method to discover the essence of your lesson (get the printable). I’ve used it again and again in ladies’ classes, in blog posts, in marketing materials for non-profits, and yes, even as prep work for important discussions with friends. It’s compiled from advice in Made to Stick and Presenting to Win.

Ask yourself this series of questions. With each level, dig deeper. Do it quickly (it can take as little as 5 minutes) or pray through it for days.

You’ll come out with the one most treasured nugget you want to share.

Then build your lesson around it. It’s as easy as A-B-C.

A – About

Identify the key players to be most effective.

# 1. Who is this for?

# 2. What is their need?

# 3. Why am I teaching this?

As much as possible, (# 1) pinpoint your audience before you construct your lesson. A talk to nonbelievers might be angled differently than to a group of lifetime believers. (# 2) Pray about the main thing your specific group needs. Answer with one sentence.

And then ask yourself, (# 3) Why me? Why does God have you here giving this message at this time to these people? What do you bring to the table that no one else does? As with all the questions, answer again with only one sentence.

Once you’ve defined your why, you can move on to the next set of questions to determine your what and how.

B – Bottom Line

If you haven’t consolidated your main point, your audience won’t take one home. As leader, ask yourself these questions.

# 4. What is my main point?

# 5. The single, most important way this can help them tomorrow is . . .

# 6. How does this glorify God?

Here’s an example.

(# 4) For our Bible memorization groups, despite what you might think, the main point isn’t to memorize words. Then why are we memorizing? To enhance our relationship with Jesus. We use the words to help us achieve that goal.

(# 5) What’s the single, most important way that memorizing can help us? It gives us a tangible set of words to study with, to pray through, to meditate on, to converse with God about. Memorizing provides the tangible process for our main goal of relationship-building.

(# 6) How does memorizing scripture glorify God? By getting closer to Him, we hope to become more like Him, revealing His love to those we encounter, which brings Him honor.

By nailing down your bottom line, you can stay on target when you’re tempted to drift toward undefined tangents.

Now you’re ready to have a conversation.

C – Conversation

Start an imaginary conversation in your head with your group, using the following questions and statements.

# 7. This lesson is important to you because . . .

# 8. Who cares? You should care because . . .

# 9. Here are the rewards for you (state benefits clearly) . . .

# 10. Here’s what you can do right now . . .

I have this conversation with you, the reader, as I write this article.

(# 7) Why is this article important to you? Because you truly want to help others see and love God more. (# 8) Why should you care? Because you’re either leading a small group now or you will later, and you want to make a difference. (# 9) What rewards will you get? You’ll have another tool to hone your future lessons more efficiently and effectively. (# 10) What can you do right now? Download the template and work through these 10 questions.

Don’t Waste Your Message

After your heart-work is done and you’ve centered your lesson around a theme, remember to release it all to God.

Just as He worked with you in preparing it, He’ll continue to work through you as you deliver it.

Allow His Spirit to breathe through it. He can enhance what you’ve already set up and make it even sharper. He can prick hearts in places you can’t reach.

One of my favorite classes at church was a Wednesday night series called Oasis. Each week we gathered in a well-prepared setting to celebrate a specific theme of God’s promised rest, an oasis in our week. Every song, video, scripture reading, and discussion focused our attention on one main aspect of God.

The message was easy to remember after we left. We were given practical suggestions to practice throughout our week. Years later, I still recall certain lessons and how they blessed me.

As a leader of a small group (your family counts!) or a large group, you have an opportunity every week to make an impression through the love of Christ. Don’t waste your moment.

Don’t be a dull blade.

Stay sharp.

Download your printable PDF here.

What's Your Point? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself

Leading a group? Ask yourself…10 Questions to Keep Your Point Sharp #LeadingEffectively

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What helps you stay on topic when leading or participating in a small group? Do you have a favorite tip for preparing a lesson?

Please share your thoughts with us.

Uncommon Gifts Wrap-Up and Review

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Were the Christmas gifts given and received in your life all you hoped for? Sometimes earthly gift leave us feeling surprisingly … disappointed. Not so with #UncommonGifts. The best gifts are uncommon, given out of sacrifice for the love of giving. They outweigh the love of self, loving both to be given and received.

Uncommon gifts wrap-up and review

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

The Do Not Depart team prays that you have been encouraged by this month of celebrating our Savior and reflecting on the uncommon gifts we each have to offer Him. As we peer into the dawn of a new year, let’s give Jesus our best.  Our #UncommonGifts.

A Wrap-up of Uncommon Gifts

The best gifts are #UncommonGifts

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Uncommon Gifts Christmas

No voice like yours: An uncommon gift

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Christmas-Caroler

The gift of “Voice” is not trending on this year’s Hottest Holiday Gifts list (well, unless you count My Friend Cayla, who uses speech-to-text software).

But consider this: Isn’t your voice one of the most sacred gifts you can offer?

Just ask Zechariah. When the angel Gabriel materialized in the temple, announcing that Zechariah and Elizabeth would have a child (at last!), Zechariah answered back with discouraging words. Luke 1:5-20

So for the next nine months, he was unable to speak at all. And how much he had to tell!

Not until the baby was born and Zechariah scribbled to his community, “His name is John,” was his tongue untied. Now his words were of praise to God and confidence in all God had done and was going to do. Luke 1:63-64

You can use your voice the same way this Christmas.

But you can’t wrap it inside a Christmas box and tie it with a bow.
So how can you give your voice?

  • Through your in-person conversations
  • Through your emails
  • Through your Christmas cards
  • Through your social media updates
  • Through your songs
  • Through your blog posts
  • Through your Facebook comments
  • Through your phone calls

Like Zechariah, use your voice to give hope to those needing deliverance, to assure others of God’s faithfulness, to relay how God has worked in your circumstances, to promise that God gives mercy, and to remind that He transforms the unrighteous into His righteousness. Luke 1:67-79

Your spiritual voiceprint is as unique as your physical fingerprint. You have an exclusive perspective, a different angle, another tongue to add to the celestial choir singing of God’s love.

No other voice can substitute for yours, nor yours for another.

God used His voice to call the universe into existence. He sent Christ into our world as the Word. Now He continues to send His love into the world through your voice and words.

So designate your voice to be a divine gift this Christmas.
Entrust it as a beloved present from God through you to others.  

Consider the following questions for these last two weeks before Christmas.

[print here]

My-voice-is-a-divine-gift-DoNotDepart

What’s the most unusual gift you are giving this Christmas? Please share in the comments.

Related:

No voice can substitute for yours. How will you give it this Christmas? #UncommonGifts

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Free printable as you prepare for Christmas: My voice is a divine gift. #UncommonGifts

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6 Love Notes from Scripture to Print and Share

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6-Love-Notes_DoNotDepart

Where were you thirteen years ago on 9/11?

I was at Domino’s Pizza on a field trip with my daughters. As the children were making their own pizzas, we moms noticed the workers flocking to the kitchen, gathering around a small TV. They were in shock. Shortly we were, too.

And we all wanted to be with those we loved.

Remember the great displays of love and faith that followed, passing through families, our nation, and around the world?

Let’s not wait on a huge tragedy to prompt us to love. All of us need a little extra love on a daily basis to get through even the small bumps of life.

We’ve created 6 Love Notes from scripture for you to print and share with someone this week. Cut them out, sign your name, then pack one in a lunch bag, tuck in a sock drawer, mail in a card, click a pic to Instagram, or Facebook one to a friend.

Here are some suggestions on who to send them to and why.

  1. Someone who has forgiven you or who longs for your forgiveness
    1 Peter 4:8
  2. Someone who needs your support or who is supporting you through a hard season
    Proverbs 17:17
  3. Someone you need to thank for how they’ve loved you
    1 John 3:18
  4. Someone whose service to others needs a pat on the back
    Hebrews 10:24
  5. Someone you’re trying to love better and honor more
    Romans 12:10
  6. Someone who is working hard to love their enemies
    Matthew 5:44

Remember that YOU count as that “someone” as well. If you need to be reminded of that word from the Lord, put the love note in a place you can see often.

We learn about love in the scriptures so we can experience love in real life.

The more we believe and receive God’s love for ourselves, the more we can spread it to others. Ready . . . set . . . love!

Download and print:

6-Love-Notes_DoNotDepart_sm

Where were you on 9/11?
Who did you need to talk to first?
Is there someone you can spread love to this week with a love note?
We’d love to hear in the comments.

Free printable! 6 Love Notes from scripture to spread God’s love. #EncouragingWord

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We learn about love in the scriptures so we can experience love in real life. Printable Love Notes

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WRAP UP of Purity for Today’s Christian Woman

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Does purity really matter? That’s the question we considered this month. As we said when August was just getting started, “If we’re going to talk about God’s truth, we have to talk about Purity for Today’s Christian Woman.”Wrap Up Purity for Today's Christian Woman

We hope the Bible study tools this month have challenged and helped you as they have us. Before the month slips away and we turn the page on the calendar, let’s wrap up with a look back at resources to help us apply truth to our need for living pure, holy lives.

Purity for Today’s Christian Woman WRAP UP

We hope this month helped you know what God has to say about our purity. Our team loves to share tools and resources for personal growth and for use with others in your circle of influence.

May God be glorified as we live more holy lives to reflect Him to the watching world in our homes, places of work, neighborhoods, and communities!

Check out this WRAP UP of tools & resources for Purity for Today’s Christian Woman

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15 Verses to Pray for Personal Purity

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Our personal purity has a purpose.  To live God’s way in an ungodly world, we need to engage the power of prayer in our lives. Not only do we need help to resist temptation, but we need God’s work in us to give us a truly pure heart. We only have to look to God’s own Word to find powerful verses to pray for Personal Purity.  At the end of this post you’ll find an easy printable list to make these verses part of your prayer time.

Purity for Today's Christian Woman

  1. I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. (Psalm 101:3a) ~ Help me choose things of value for my learning and entertainment.
  2. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) ~ May my words & thoughts please You.
  3. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23, 24) ~ Please show the true condition of my heart and lead me to being pure of heart.
  4. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9,11) ~ Help me to know, remember, and obey the truth of Your word.
  5. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Ephesians 4:19) ~ Keep me from becoming callous to sensuality and impurity.
  6. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
    (Romans 12:2) ~ Renew my mind daily so I will know what is acceptable to You.
  7. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
    (Psalm 119:37) ~ When I am tempted to look at worthless things, help me turn away and find life in Your ways.
  8. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
    (Proverbs 16:2) ~ Please weigh my spirit and show me how to be pure in Your eyes.
  9. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
    (2 Timothy 2:22) ~ Help me flee temptation & pursue righteousness, faith, love & peace.
  10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10) ~ Create a clean heart in me.
  11. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) ~ Give me a desire to glorify You with my body.
  12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.
    (Romans 6:12) ~ Help me to be obedient with my passions.
  13. A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28) ~ Teach me to have self-control that comes from your Spirit.
  14. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 16:41) ~ Give me a desire to be a person of prayer so I will refuse temptation.
  15. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) ~ When I am tempted, show me clear ways of escape and show me Your faithfulness.

Download your printable copy of 15 Verses to Pray for Personal Purity

Come thou Fount: a song for wanderers

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Mighty truths and stirring melodies often meld in the forge of pain. Englishman Robert Robinson wasn’t the first boy to habitually wander from the narrow path. He only went to a meeting to hear George Whitefield so he could mock it, but instead, he changed. As a young adult trying to etch out a new path for life, he wrote down the anthem of his heart. It’s an invitation, a declaration, and a confession that resonates with anyone likely to drift off course and long to return.

Invitation to COMECome Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Having learned Jesus is the Fountain of every blessing and the changer of hearts, Robert invites Him to “Come” tune his heart to produce a song of God’s grace and mercy. Though writing in the 18th century, Robert recognized that God’s character calls “for songs of loudest praise.” This is the chorus of those who want more Jesus, who long to have the Living Water fill them to an overflow of praise. Robert longed to produce a song of praise.

“Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace.”

Declaration of FAITH

“Jesus sought me when a stranger,” Robert admitted, but he declared recognition of how God helped him in his times of trouble. He had been wandering and in danger, but the blood of Jesus rescued him. In the Old Testament, Samuel set up an “Ebenezer stone” after God delivered the nation of Israel. Robert’s hymn was an “Ebenezer stone” of God’s rescue in his life. If you’ve experienced personal rescue, the words to this song may give your heart the voice of expression you long for.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” (1 Samuel 7:12)

Confession of NEED

Truth and music often meld in the forge of pain. This hymn is no different, revealing the writer’s desperate need for grace and his struggle not to wander from His Lord. No matter how much I want to cling to the Fount of every blessing, I know that I have a tendency to leave the Lord I love, to wander from the close fellowship I’m meant to have with Him.

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love,” he wrote.
Robert Robinson did stray from the Fount of every blessing after he wrote this hymn. He later recognized his folly, and in reflecting on the words he once penned, he confessed, “I would give a thousand worlds to enjoy the feelings I had then.”

Mighty truths and stirring melodies often meld in the forge of pain.

  • Every day must bring a fresh invitation for the Fount to “Come” tune our hearts to his praise.
  • Every day must resound with a declaration of our faith in God’s help for our trouble.
  • Every day must bring us down on a bended knee, where we beg God to come.

“Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wand’ring heart to Thee. Here’s my heart; Lord, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.”

Download a printable Worship Worksheet: Come Thou Fount  Bible Study Tool.

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Praising God… Just As I Am

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Praising God... Just as I Am DoNotDepart.comI love music.  I guess I come by it naturally.  My paternal grandfather (who passed away well before I was born) was a musician who started out playing for his preacher-father’s tent revivals and later played with Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra.  My father, being the son of a professional musician, began playing guitar at the age of four.  He and my mother, who also grew up singing in a musical family, introduced my siblings and I to music before we were even born.

And, I grew up singing.  Lots and lots.  I’ve always loved the intricacies in the sounds of chords, harmonies, and arrangements, but nothing reaches in and touches my heart like lyrics.  I’m a word girl… a logophile at heart.

Just As I Am

As Julie wrote recently, “Songs speak to our hearts when only music can be heard above the noise, the pain, the questions, or the confusion. God uses worship music to help us grow.”  One song that makes me feel completely overwhelmed and humbled by God’s grace is Just as I Am, by Charlotte Elliott.  I especially like the version by Brenton Brown that includes a new chorus.   I love the reminder of God’s graciousness in reaching out to this sinner just the way I am.  He loves me far too much to leave me where He finds me, so I am ever journeying this path of sanctification.  But the good news is that He will accept my repentant heart (and yours, too) even when it’s grimy with fresh sin.  It’s absolutely overwhelming how much God loves us, isn’t it?

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou biddest me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou will receive,
Will welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promises I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Jesus take all of me
I run to You, I run to You,
I lay everything at Your feet
Let my life be Yours

God wants His children to come to Him.  He doesn’t expect us to go and get cleaned up and picture perfect before we come running to Him for salvation, for forgiveness, for help, for love, or even for service.  The truth is that we could never do that anyway.  We aren’t capable of cleansing our own sin.  We need the blood of Jesus to do that!  And that’s why He bids us to come to Him.

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psa 51:7)

“…and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Heb 9:22 b)

 

Yes, we need the precious blood of the Lamb to remove the dark spots from our souls and wash us whiter than snow!  He meets us where we are, and pardons, cleanses, and relieves us of the heavy burden of sin.  Christ covers all our ugly sinfulness with His beautiful righteousness.  To get that, all we have to do is come in faith.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

And this sacrificial act of love is exactly why we can raise our hands in praise and cry out,

“Jesus, take all of me… I run to you, I run to you!  I lay everything at your feet.  Let my life be yours!”

I’m praising God for His grace today and how such beautiful lyrics can illustrate His Holy Word!  Thank you, Lord, for the love that reaches out to your children wherever we are!  And, thank you that I can come to you… Just As I Am!

How does God speak to you, and even enrich your Bible study, through music?

Tweetables:

“Just as I am. We don’t need to get picture perfect before we come to Him.” http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2So @DoNotDepart #SingPraise” ~ Click here to tweet this.

“Just as I Am. Christ covers all our ugly sinfulness with His beautiful righteousness.” http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2So @DoNotDepart #SingPraise”  ~ Click here to tweet this.

“Just as I am.  Beautiful lyrics can illustrate God’s Word.” http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2So  @DoNotDepart #SingPraise” ~  Click here to tweet this.

 

Songs, hymns & spiritual songs as Bible study tools

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So many events in our lives are accompanied by a background track. Songs speak to our hearts when only music can be heard above the noise, the pain, the questions, or the confusion. God uses worship music to help us grow. Has God used a song to help you find Him, know Him, follow Him, or worship Him?

Songs Hymns Spiritual Songs

The Do Not Depart team knows what it is to experience songs, hymns, and spiritual songs as powerful tools for truth in our lives. Our Bible study is better because of the faith-filled music playing in our lives.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

This month join us as we look at how God uses music to richly plant His word in us. We’ll share songs that teach and admonish us through the depth of their true messages. We’ll talk about the lyrics and sounds that have given gratitude a means of expression in our own lives. As we do, we pray you will be inspired to use songs, hymns, and spiritual songs as Bible study tools in your own life.

#BibleStudy is better because of faith-filled music playing in our lives. http://bit.ly/1i1mgzk @DoNotDepart #SingPraise < Click to TWEET & share!

What the world needs now: WISDOM

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I dropped off my teenager and went to look for a parking spot. The place was packed. A man sat with his bottle and bag of books on the curb, staring at the pages as if they were empty. I wormed my way inside the store and past a long line of customers who looked like they’d been out all night. A swarm of humanity pushed each other aside to rifle through video games, movies, and gadgetry as if the store would close any minute … but it was mid-afternoon. From the upper level, a child screamed and ran away from an adult yelling obscene words to recapture him, and a man walked past me displaying an equally obscene t-shirt like a billboard on a highway. A couple sat on an old couch, groping one another as they watched the parade of people, but their gender was a mystery to me. Jesus once saw a throng such as that and “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36)

I ducked into the first aisle to search for my son, only to find myself in “Erotic Fantasy,” just on the other side of “Children’s Fiction.” With bookshelves towering over my head across the length of the warehouse, I thought, there must surely be a book containing answers for wise living that the crowds with me so desperately need.

  • Today’s world thirsts for wisdom that comes from God alone.
  • Today’s church is malnutritioned when it comes to vital wisdom for living out our faith in an obscene world.

After navigating my way through the world, the Bibles were in the back corner of the store.  God’s book of truth holds the key to wisdom we so desperately need, and it was there all the time, waiting to be opened and read and obeyed. We only need to see what’s trending, check the Facebook feed, turn on the news, or open our front door to see our world buckling under the weight of sin and begging for the underpinnings of wisdom to give us strength and structure.

This month at Do Not Depart we’re taking a look at Wisdom Literature. We’ll give you Bible study tools to understand the rich resource of wisdom God has given us. Wisdom is calling out to us, and God’s blessings await those who listen. Come with us as we explore tools for unlocking Wisdom Literature.

Are you feeling the need for wisdom in your life?

Cultivating the Habit of Prayer

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Disclosure: Affiliate links are present in this post. Please see the Bookstore page for full disclosure details.

If you are convinced of the importance of prayer you may already have strategies for making prayer a more regular part of your daily life.

But perhaps you still need ideas for ways to incorporate prayer into the ebb and flow of each day. Having a plan can help you develop the habit of praying regularly.

Cultivating the Habit of Prayer - donotdepart.com

Associate prayer with an activity

If you associate prayer with something else you do regularly, you may find it easier to remember to do, and soon you will develop a habit.

  • pray as soon as you wake up
  • pray before meals
  • pray while folding the laundry
  • pray while riding the bus
  • pray while walking or jogging
  • pray in the shower
  • pray while washing dishes
  • pray as you are falling asleep

Use a prayer calendar

Weekly or monthly prayer calendars can help you remember to pray consistently for certain things. You can create your own, or find one online.

Pick up a topical book about prayer

There are many books on prayer in general, but for developing a habit of praying, you might find helpful one of these books with specific topics and scriptures to pray through:

  • [amazon_link id=”0805444203″ target=”_blank” ]Praying God’s Word Day by Day[/amazon_link]
  • [amazon_link id=”0736919260″ target=”_blank” ]Power of a Praying Woman[/amazon_link]
  • [amazon_link id=”0736919244″ target=”_blank” ]Power of a Praying Wife[/amazon_link]
  • [amazon_link id=”0736919767″ target=”_blank” ]Power of a Praying Husband[/amazon_link]
  • [amazon_link id=”0736919767″ target=”_blank” ]Power of a Praying Parent[/amazon_link]
  • [amazon_link id=”0736920862″ target=”_blank” ]Power of Praying for Adult Children[/amazon_link]
  • [amazon_link id=”031027351X” target=”_blank” ]Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens[/amazon_link]

Pray with others

Making a plan to meet with someone else to pray, whether at home or away, helps hold you both accountable.

  • Find a prayer partner and set a regular schedule for praying together in person or over the phone. If you can’t think of anyone, ask God to show you whom you might ask. You don’t even have to live in the same country! My prayer partner and I live in different countries and have prayed together weekly via Skype for the past three and a half years.
  • Make family prayer a normal part of every day. Most Christian families say grace before meals, but what other family prayer times could you add to your day?
  • Pray with your spouse. For ideas on making prayer with your spouse a reality, check out Lisa’s post Five Tips for Praying with Your Spouse or Friend
  • Join a prayer group. Your church may have a prayer group, or you can join one like Moms In Prayer that has groups around the world. If you can’t find a group, start one!
  • Start a prayer triplet. Pray regularly with two other people, each of you choosing three unsaved people for whom to pray. Learn more about prayer triplets from Evelyn Christenson here.

Keep a prayer journal

Keeping track of prayer requests in a dedicated journal can be a huge blessing. Not only does a journal help you keep track of requests, it will serve as an amazing encouragement in days and years to come. I sometimes sit with my prayer journal, reading prayer requests from years ago, and marvel at what God has done!

  • Buy a blank notebook. I use a pocket-sized Moleskin-like notebook that I keep by my bedside. It looks a lot like [amazon_link id=”8862930003″ target=”_blank” ]this[/amazon_link], except pink, because pink makes me happy!
  • Create a prayer mini-album. Julie shares instructions, as well as a free printable for divider tabs, in her post Prayer Album for Women on the Go.
  • Create a prayer jar. For a twist on the prayer journal idea, make a prayer jar. Keep the jar in a prominent place in your home and add scraps of paper with prayer needs to it. Set a daily time when you pull a prayer need out of the jar to pray over. This is a prayer activity that especially appeals to children.

 There are many more ways you can help grow the habit of spending time in prayer.
What tips would you add to our list?
Do you use a prayer calendar or book that you would recommend?
We love to hear from you – please share in the comments!

Studying the Bible {for Little Learners}

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(Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this post. Please see the end of the post for details. Thanks for supporting this site!)

That lovely spring day, as I was sitting in the lecture hall, the professor was saying something about COGS (that’s “Cost of Goods Sold” to you non-finance majors), income statements, cash flow statements, equity, and all that fun stuff. While the professor lectured, I, of course, was looking around the classroom, checking the time, doodling on the margin of my notebook–anything but taking in the words that he spoke. It wasn’t that I was bored with the subject (what can be more fun than studying finance!), but I was not and am still not much of an auditory learner! (I did pass the class, and go on to get my business degree.) I can’t even listen to audiobooks. Once I got home and I read through the chapter, it made more sense to me. There were charts and numbers to look at on the pages.

Kids are exactly the same way when it comes to learning. Some learn better through reading, and others by doing. Although there are serious topics that we can discuss about in the Bible, we also have to make it fun and interesting for kids (and adults) to want to learn it.

As a former Child Development student (yes, I almost also was on my way to getting this degree), we were taught about all the different learning styles. There are even combinations of the learning styles too. Today, I want to share with you three learning styles, and a few resources that are available for those types of learners.

Visual Learners

Visual learners learn best through seeing things. Maps, charts, sign language/hand motions, videos, outlines, flashcards, notes, and highlighting are all things that are helpful for visual learners to absorb the information. Jesus Storybook Bible cover image

Resources for visual learners

  • DVDs – [amazon_link id=”B00BBJ63IM” target=”_blank” ]What’s in the Bible DVD series[/amazon_link]
  • Bible Storybooks – [amazon_link id=”1414348304″ target=”_blank” ]My First Hands-On Bible[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B007UQ46P2″ target=”_blank” ]The Beginner’s Bible[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B007WRPUFE” target=”_blank” ]The Jesus Storybook Bible[/amazon_link]
  • Game –  [amazon_link id=”B000CR7J32″ target=”_blank” ]Superbook[/amazon_link]

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners learn best through hearing things. They like things read out loud or set to music. Audiobooks, videos, and discussion are great ways to engage auditory learners.

Resources for auditory learners

Seeds Family Vol 7 album image

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners

Tactile/kinesthetic learners learn best through through experiencing/doing things. Games, sports activities, experiments, role-playing, building models, crafts, dance, adventure books, field trips, and memory games are great for teaching a tactile learner.

Resources for tactile/kinesthetic learners

    • Awana clubs – Leaders teach creative Bible lessons using skits, visual, puppets, object lessons
    • Art – [amazon_link id=”B004PZWV08″ target=”_blank” ]See the Light[/amazon_link] (Drawing Children to Him), Mike’s Inspiration Station
    • Vacation Bible School during the summer
    • Putting on a play
Here are a few other resources and ideas that help guide kids in learning about the Bible or Biblical character:
What resources have you found useful in teaching kids about the Bible? Share your ideas in the comments!

Joyce is a business major turned PreK teacher turned stay-at-home mommy to 2 little girls (ages 5 and 2.5.) She likes to dabble in a little bit of everything, from writing newsletters (for our family and for MOPS) to crafting to trying out new recipes…basically just trying new things.

She loves God, family and friends, date nights, board games, books, and blogging. You can visit her over at Keeping Up with the Moys.

Disclosure: Some affiliate links are present. If you click on those links and then purchase the item, we will receive a small commission. Regardless, we only share products we personally support, love, and think you would benefit from, too. Thank you in advance for supporting this ministry!

A RECAP of Tools for Truth While You Travel

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Thanks for coming on vacation with us this month at Do Not Depart! We’ve had a rich month of sharing practical, often printable, tools to help you weave God’s word into your travel plans. We pray these tools and ideas have nurtured the holy habits in your life’s journey. Here’s a recap of the road we’ve traveled together.

Tools for Truth While You Travel

  1. The heart behind our team sharing Bible study tools for vacation & travel season
  2. 6 Tips for keeping your quiet time on track in the Simple Summer
  3. 7 Days of devotions for your family vacation
  4. Memory verses for trips, with a printable
  5. A printable Family Vacation Faith Journal
  6. Fitness and Faith:  Keeping on Track While You Travel – 7 tips that work for fitness and travel!
  7. Traveling truths: Bible verses for safety and travel in printable memory cards for your next trip
  8. Tips for packing scripture by Losing the Weight When You Travel

Like any great vacation, this month has been refreshing and inspiring, taking us to beautiful places. We’ve also savored words from the heart of a traveling shepherd in Psalm 23 in our Memory Verse Classics, and we’re reflecting on the richness of God’s plans for our life’s journey in Jeremiah 29:11.

Our team prays that this month has been a help to you as we aim to abide in the Word together!

Have you enjoyed a vacation or time of travel this summer? How did you experience God’s truth in your journey?

 

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