Do Not Depart

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Abiding Fruit :: Goodness :: Tasting the Real Thing

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I am not a big fan of sugar-free food. I cannot stomach diet soda (as much as my love-handles would love for me to make the switch.) And fat free dairy? Blech.

Give me the real thing.

Even if you do “like” diet soda or non-fat milk, you can taste a difference. Advertising companies would love us to believe otherwise, but the bottom line is: diet soda, skim milk, and fat-free snacks just do not taste like the real thing.

Good Stuff

The fruit of the Spirit is…goodness. Galatians 5:22

We looked at another portrait of the fruit-bearing life this week, through Proverbs 31:10-31. I love the picture painted in verse 12, “She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.”

Whether married or not, I think all of us desire to be one who does good to those around us.

The greek word used in Galatians 5:22, from which goodness is translated from, is agathosyne, which means: uprightness of heart and life; goodness; kindness

There are only three other places this particular Greek word is used in the New Testament.

One is in Romans 15:14. Paul talks of the Roman believers as being “full of goodness.” Then, in Ephesians 5:9, Paul teaches that the “fruit of life” is found in all that is good, right and true.

Good. Right. True.

The fruit of the Spirit filling our hearts will result in that which is good, right and true to His character. So, as we keep in step with the Spirit, we will become just like Spirit; we will become just like the real thing.

The Taste Test

When my husband Chris and I were engaged we were invited to have dinner with Dan and Sue. Dan would be performing our wedding ceremony, and they wanted to have us over to talk through the big day. We enjoyed a yummy meal and great conversation.

Being good coffee-lovers, they brewed a pot of dark brew, to go with our dessert. I watched as Dan pulled out the cold, white cream from the fridge and a sugar bowl from the cabinet. I put some sugar in my and Chris’ coffee, added some half-in-half, and just as the warm goodness was reaching my lips, I look up to see Chris’s puzzled expression.

“It’s not sugar.” he ekes out, trying to catch me before I take by own swig of caffeinated sea water…

Too late.
17-04-10 Splash II ~ Explored :)

Photo Credit

It looked like sugar, but it most certainly was NOT. Dan had grabbed a bowl of SALT, and offered it to us as sweetener for our coffee!

By His Power, By His Grace

I don’t think any of us want to be like that hot, salty nastiness to those around us—repulsive. We want to bring good to those around us, so how do we obtain goodness? How can we taste like the real thing?

Psalm 34:8 declares, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” He is the only one who is good, right and true. He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). His goodness is declared all throughout the Old Testament.

So, if God is the only source of all that is good, how do we access that?

Enter 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the forth time agathosyne is used, where Paul offers a prayer for the people of God:

To this end we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of his calling

and may fulfill every resolve for good

and every work of faith

by his power,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and you in him,

according to the grace of our God

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love this! God is the one who makes us worthy. He gives us the resolve for good, by His power, according to His grace! His desire is for us to be the real thing; for people to encounter us, His children, and taste a bit of Him—the all-good God. And this is all for His glory.

People can tell the difference. They can see right through our games of trying to be a good person. They know when we are faking it. But a child of God, who is walking in the power of the Holy Spirit? Fruit is dripping off of that dependent one. Good fruit—the real stuff.

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What did you learn from your study this week?

 

(As we consider the goodness of God…I am having a giveaway over at Living Devotionally. Just hop over and declare God’s goodness in the comments, for a chance to win! Giveaway ends on Tuesday!)

Introducing…

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…a new contributor!

I am so excited to announce the addition of Heather to our writing team. I have been stalking her blog for quite a while now, and I know you all will be blessed by her words and her teaching.

She blogs over at God Centered Mom and you can also follow her on Twitter.

See that cute orange flower I am wearing? Heather MADE IT for me. I love it!! (Thanks again, Heather!)

Here are some posts from her site you can visit, to get to know her and her heart:

When My Faith Fails

Broken Thanks

Competing Mums

Created in His Image

Misplaced Focus

Please join me in welcoming Heather to Do Not Depart!

Romans 8 Memory Challenge Starts Tomorrow!

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Wow! What an incredible response to the Hiding Romans 8 in My Heart challenge!

There are over 50 people—and counting—taking up the call to memorize the book of Romans 8 over the next 5 months.

We start on Sunday, and we would LOVE for you to join us! Just leave a comment over here to let us know.

Be sure to check out the new resources page! You’ll want to bookmark this page and check it often, as it is where we will be adding audio, wallpaper for your computer, memory cards, and other memory helps.

If you are still teetering, thinking about join the challenge, please join in! I know that it seems like such a huge task—I feel the fear of failure with you.

Our only hope in accomplishing this huge goal is through His grace as we walk in obedience, as He leads. Let’s cling to the truth that He will enable us to do what He calls us to!

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
(Psalm 119:9-16 ESV)

Hiding His Word {monthly linky}

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Many of us, who have been Hiding His Word together, got to meet this past weekend at The Relevant Conference.

Heather, Christine, Lara, Me, Kristi, Stefanie, Kris, and Heather

What a treasure!

Photo courtesy of Kris

It’s link-up time.

Have you written a post this past month about Scripture memory?

Have an instagram to share?

And, of course you know I LOVE VLOGS! Seeing you all reciting what you have learned…a joy!

So, grab a button, link-up, and do some blog-hopping.

I know you’ll be encouraged!

Hiding His Word :: We Need Your Help!

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We’re excited to announce the next Hiding His Word challenge! Are you ready for it?!

Drum roll, please……

I am excited for this scripture memory challenge. There are many essential truths found in these 39 verses. Truths that I need engrained into my mind.

There are more details to come, but we have some fun ways YOU can be involved in the behind the scenes work of this challenge.

Audio Recordings

We want to offer recordings of the verses, but instead of them all being in my boring voice, I would love to hear your beautiful voices instead!

Would any of you be willing to record yourself reading a section of Romans 8? It doesn’t need to be anything special or dramatic, just you reading scripture! I will compile the recordings and make them available here at Do Not Depart for anyone who wants to take up the challenge.

UPDATE: We have the recordings set!  Thank you!!

Computer Wallpaper

Having the verses available around the house is a great help in your memorization efforts. Many of you are super creative with things like this. Would anyone be interested in making up some pretty screen savers for us to use? It can be a photograph you have taken, with the verses added to it, or just the words creatively displayed.

Verse and “First Letter” Cards

Being able to review throughout the day is essential, and the first letter memory tool is extremely effective. I thought it would be fun to have some cute cards made up. Something simple and small that can be hung up in key places around the house.

Anything Else?

Do you have any ideas for other ways we can resource you in scripture memory? Leave us a comment, and let us know!

You can email us, or leave a comment if you are interested in helping out with this challenge.

We are looking forward to all you are going to come up with!

Abiding Fruit :: 1 Corinthians 13 :: This Most Excellent Way

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Ah, 1 Corinthians 13. A well-known, well-loved passage of Scripture. Often seen on coffee cups, wall hangings, and apparently shoes.

Source: pinterest.com via Colleen on Pinterest

 

I wonder how many who proudly display their love for love understand the true meaning of these verses?

The Context of 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians is a letter written by the apostle Paul, in response to a letter he had received full of questions from this immature, divided church. Paul had also received reports of great immorality and divisions in the church in Corinth, and saw the need to correct and encourage the church.

After Paul addresses their lack of unity, lack of discipline, and lack of purity, he begins to answer some of the questions they had sent him. One of these questions was about spiritual gifts, specifically which ones were to be regarded as highest. 1 Corinthians 12-14 is His answer to that particular question.

In chapter 12 we find the great teaching on how believers are “one body, many parts”. He ends chapter 12 with “But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

Fast forward to chapter 14:1. Paul commands them to “pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts.” He tells them that their desire for spiritual gifts is good, but they were missing the point. They had things out of order.

Tucked between these two truths is a great teaching on this most excellent way—living a life of love.

An Eternal Perspective

Out of 13 verses, Paul spends 9 of those (vv. 1-3, 8-13) making the point that love is eternal.

God has given me a role in the body of Christ, but my giftings, positions, and influence here on earth mean nothing if not done in love.

“If I {fill-in-the-blank with all the things I find my significance in}…but have not love, I AM nothing”. 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

My actions without love are worthless. All my service to the church, my giving to the poor, my “sacrifice” of doing dirty dishes and mopping nasty floors done without love is worthless, if not done out of love.

“If I {Fill-in-the-blank with all the things I am busy doing}…but have not love I GAIN nothing.” I Corinthians 13:3

Then, in verses 8-12 Paul makes the case that only love remains. My gifts will pass away. The things I find my significance in will be gone. All I have now is imperfect, impartial, and immature.

An Evaluation

After giving a solid argument for the eternality of love, Paul gives some evaluators. Some ways to know if we are people characterized by love.

  • The Essence of Love. The first test Paul gives is how to know what love is and what it is not. 

Love is patient and kind…it is not arrogant or rude…it is not irritable or resentful. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Patient, as it is used here means “to persevere the offenses of others.” The word kind means “to show one’s self mild”. These are reactive words. The challenge here is not to “go out and be more patient and kind”. The command here is to persevere the offenses of others, and show yourself mild.
Conversely, love is NOT arrogant (to be puffed up), rude, irritable (easily provoked to anger), or resentful; even if I have every right to be.
This word resentful comes from two greek words. The first is logizomai, meaning to count up, like you do when you balance your checkbook. Nothing is let go without an account. The second word, kakos, means wrongdoing. Put these two together, and you get resentment- counting up wrongdoings and not letting anything go.
The evaluation question here is: What do people receive from you when they wrong you?
  • The Evidence of Love. The second test Paul gives is seen in what love does and does not do.
…love does not envy or boast…It does not insist on its own way…it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
The word bear (stego) means to cover, or protect like a roof does to our house. Believes (pisteuo) implies to have confidence in and commit to. Hopes (elpizo) suggests we are to wait for with joy and full confidence. Endures (hypomeno) means to remain, not to flee, to bear bravely whatever comes our way.
The evaluation question here is: Is there enough evidence in your life to show that you love others?

A Reminder

I cannot love well on my own. Love is a fruit of the SPIRIT. In those split-second crazy moments of life, I can not make myself to love. It is only through dependance on the Holy Spirit, as He provides heart change, can I find the ability to react well, and to actively choose love.

What did you learn from your week of studying 1 Corinthians 13? What application is God leading you to?

Let us know in the comments.

Walking in the Spirit {Book Review}

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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

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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.


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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.


 

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Hiding His Word Link-Up

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Once a month we have a chance for you to share about your memorization journey. We want to hear about your successes, failures, tips and encouragement. It is a blessing to know you are all out there, striving together with us, treasuring God’s word in such a tangible way. So, post your heart, stories, pictures and v-logs (kids are welcome, too)! Whatever you have to let us know about your memorization efforts.

If you link up, be sure to do some blog-hopping and use the button so readers can find us! If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment about your memorization efforts.

Subscribers, click here to see the link-ups.

Abiding Fruit :: Galatians 5:16-26 :: The Secret to Fruit-Filled Living

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Are you looking for the secret to fruit-filled living? Well, look no further, here’s your answer.

Walk by the Spirit.

My annoying shoes

That’s it folks. Galatians 5:16-26 does not tell us “Go, be more patient. Learn to be more self-controlled. And, would you stop those fits of anger already?”

There is just one central command. Walk by the Spirit.

In verse 16, the Greek word used here is peripateo, which is derived from the word peri (all around) and pateo (to tread). So, the meaning here is to walk around.

Everywhere, all the time, walk by the spirit.

But Paul uses a different greek word in verse 25. Stoicheo, which means to keep in step with. Like those following their military orders.

“Left, left, left, right, left.”

The Spirit of God is moving and active. We are to follow Him, listening and waiting for our marching orders, ready to conform to His plan for every moment of our days.

If we do not keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we do not just stand still. By default we walk in the flesh.

Walk by the power of the Holy Spirit, and fruit will come. 

Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

Oh how I get this backwards! I like to focus on the “to-do”s, as if I can produce patience or love through working hard for it. But trying to keep up with any sort of list is exhausting, and ultimately a futile pursuit. My “to-do” list is ultimately the way of the flesh.

I can never do all the “do”s and don’t all the “don’t”s. There is only one thing I can do that will bring any hope for change. Stay needy.

As you and I walk by the power of the Spirit, it is only then we have hope for the fruit we long for in our lives. Because, it is only then we are in step with the only One who can bring fruit.

Seeing the fruit of the Spirit in my life brings assurance of my salvation.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God…And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:21,24

The nastiness of the flesh comes easy. I don’t have to exert much effort to have fits of anger when my children push my buttons. The outbursts just happen. I don’t tell myself to be jealous of another’s waist size, most days it seems innate.

But there are days when I can see the fruit and I know that it came from outside of myself. When I get a paycheck, and I want to give as much of it as I can to gospel causes. When I pick up the messes in my house one more time, and find joy in serving my family. When I shut the computer down and get to bed on time, so I can wake at 5:30 to spend time with my God.

My sinful flesh wants to sleep in (and does), it constantly craves more stuff, and it certainly does not want to serve others. So it is in these moments, when I do contrary to what my flesh desires, that I see fruit. It is through seeing this fruit in my life that I can know that there is an all-powerful God who loves me and is working in me to produce this fruit, because I am His child.

Walk by the Spirit = Abide in Christ

This coming week we will be studying John 15:1-11, a passage all about abiding in the Vine. This is just another metaphor for the same thing- stay in His presence.

What did you learn this week through Galatians 5:16-26? Feel free to share any links to posts you’ve written!

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Abiding Fruit :: Introduction

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It all starts with a seed. The gospel message, planted in the hearts of His people.

From a tender shoot to a strong trunk, the faithful Gardener nurtures this precious seedling. He has a great plan for this seed in us; to grow, strengthen, and bear fruit.

For those of us who have received this good news, we have been given an incredible treasure. While the gospel-seed brings joy inexpressible and life eternal, it is not mainly for those who receive it.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news…that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1,3

All for His Glory

God’s ultimate plan for you and I is not just to receive, through faith, this seed of the gospel. He intends for this seed to grow into a strong, fruit-bearing, God-glorifying tree.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:8

As we grow into a firmly-planted tree, fruit will come and this fruit will bring more seeds. Gospel-seeds will be planted into more hearts and these delivered disciples will bring glory to God.

Facing Reality

I don’t know about you, but there are days when I don’t feel like a strong, flourishing tree. Seasons come and the fruit on my branches is small and tasteless. There are plenty of moments where there is little proof of discipleship in my life.

God’s plan for me is to bear fruit, and I want to bear good fruit. But I can’t just resolve to be more fruitful and force the fruit to come. I’ve tried that; it doesn’t work.

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:17

I cannot bear good fruit on my own. I am diseased and, on my own, powerless to bear good fruit. Yet, God has charged us to bear good fruit. So, there must be a way!

The Secret to Bearing Fruit

Today we kick off our Abiding Fruit study series. This week, the study guide will lead us to take a deeper look at how we can bear the fruit of the Spirit. As we look at the different layers of Galatians 5:16-25 each day, let’s see if we can find the secret to becoming a healthy, fruitful tree.

…I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide… John 15:16

What are you looking forward to in our study this week?

How is your fruit-bearing lately?


Come back next Monday, when we will take a deeper look at Galatians 5:16-25 together.

 

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Welcome to the Story {Book Review}

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When you read the Bible do you wonder how all the pieces of scripture are related to one another?

Do you struggle with understanding how the whole of God’s Word can apply to your life?

Are you a bit intimidated by theology? Do the words soteriology and eschatology make your head spin?

If so, I have just the book for you!

Welcome to the Story: Reading, Loving and Living God’s Word is an easy-to-read, enjoyable book which hits on the big picture of what the Bible is all about.

Creation. Fall. Redemption. Restoration.

These four pieces to the plotline pop up all over the pages of Scripture. Getting the big picture of this biblical narrative helps make sense of all the various details in Scripture, as well as all the details of theology.

If you are unfamiliar with these major themes and how they are weaved throughout all of the Bible, this will be a helpful read for you. As we understand better how all of Scripture fits into these themes it affects our reading, studying and applying of the Bible.

In Welcome to the Story, Nichols also hits on important doctrines such as “already/not yet,” the cultural mandate, incarnational ministry and more. If these are foreign concepts to you, this book will be a great introduction for you.

After giving us a bird’s-eye-view, Nichols then gives us helpful tips on how to read and apply God’s story to our lives.

Included are tips on how to learn to love the Word of God, steps towards a transformed mind, and a “cheat sheet” for reading the Bible.

Welcome to the Story is available for purchase over at Crossway.

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

Abiding Fruit

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I long for my life to be one which bears the unmistakable mark of a Christian. When people interact with me, I want them to see Christ and His characteristics in me.

But when the baby is crying, my oldest is trying to tell me every detail of his very important dream, my toddler is…well, being a toddler, I’ve lost track of time and we need to be in the car, like NOW, but no one seems to carry the same urgency that I have, and, oh my gosh, I’m still in my pajamas…well, I’m not sure there is much evidence of Christ in me in those moments.

Why is it so hard to do what I desire to do?

If you know this familiar struggle then I’m glad you are reading this. Not (only) because it makes me feel less alone, but because this Fall we are going to take a journey through the Bible to find out how we can have the abiding fruit of Christ in our lives.

We’ve partnered yet again with Inspired to Action’s Maximize Your Mornings Challenge, and have hand-picked thirteen different passages of Scripture to help us understand how the fruit of the Spirit can become evident in our lives. Each Monday, beginning September 19th, we will have weekly Bible study posts for you!

If you are not already diving into a specific study in the Word, we would LOVE for you to join us in making the Abiding Fruit study part of your time with the Lord. You can download the study guide here. Anyone is welcome to join in the study, regardless of whether or not you are doing the Maximize Your Mornings challenge.

This study guide is unique in that we will be guiding you to new passages and YOU will be doing the studying! Each week we will read and study the same passage over the course of five days. Using different study questions, we will observe the passage with a new set of “glasses” each day to help us dig through another layer of Scripture.

If you will be doing the study we’d love to hear from you! Just give us a shout out in the comments and let us know what you are looking forward to as we dive into the fruit of the Spirit. And, if you haven’t already, go ahead and subscribe to Do Not Depart so you can receive the Bible Study posts straight to your inbox!

We are excited about getting to dig into the Word with you!

_______________

P.S. Don’t forget about the AMAZING giveaways over at To Overflowing and Living Devotionally. We’re having a party to celebrate the release of our ebook Savoring Living Water: How to have an effective quiet time. Here is a list of all the greatness you can win:
Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman (a signed copy!)
A “HelloMornings” coffee mug (I LOVE that the verse on the back is Psalm 143:8!)
Parenting from the Overflow by Teri Lynne Underwood
Two “Clipsie Daisy” super-cute hair clips
ESV Study Bible
31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae
Classic Bible Commentary
Warrior Prayers, with Leader’s Guide by Brooke McGlothlin
An embroidered tote bag

The party ends Friday night, and nine winners will be chosen, so run and enter while you can!

Dwelling of the Lord {Guest Post}

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David, a man after God’s own heart and a man of war, was not going to be the man to build the First Temple. That task was given to his son Solomon. However, David drew up the plans. He said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands; I will therefore make preparation for it.” David understood the importance of building a dwelling place for the Lord. He dedicated the end of his life to gathering a great quantity of building materials for the Temple.

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The building of the First Temple was a monumental task. It was built by 30,000 Israelites; 150,000 Canaanites & even Phoenician artists. Construction began in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign and took seven years (specifics from L. Dolphin).

After reading about the details of the Temple in 1 Kings 6, we learn in the next chapter that it took 13 years to build Solomon’s personal palace.

Did you catch it? I almost missed it the first time I read it.

Solomon spent twice as long building his own palace then he spent building the dwelling of the Lord. He used twice as much of his time, energy, & resources for HIMSELF than he did for His Lord.

This was the beginning of the descent. For many years Solomon pursued a self-centered (proud) instead of a God-centered (humbled) life. He wandered away from fellowship with His God, returning only much later, near the end of the life, to record for us in his book, Ecclesiastes, what he had learned about the emptiness of all of life apart from God.

But can we really judge him? How much of our time, energy, & resources are allocated to our own interests? How much is allocated to serving the Lord?

You may think, “It’s unrealistic for me to spend twice as much time on the Lord’s work as my own!” Is it? Or are we so self-consumed that we choose comfort and convenience over sacrifice and service for His glory?

I’m just as guilty. I’ve found over the last few months that even the small amount of my day that I spend in the Word and in prayer has been cut in half. Yet my time on Twitter and Facebook as more than doubled.

What is a “realistic” solution?

  • Take note of how you spend your time during the day.
  • Evaluate your thoughts throughout the day.
  • What percentage of your thoughts and action on directed toward the “Lord’s dwelling” vs. your personal palace/kingdom?
  • Make one change today:

    • wake up early to spend time in His Word
    pray throughout the day
    find a new ministry opportunity within your giftedness
    teach your children how much God loves them
    encourage a friend with God’s hope
    count your blessings (1000 gifts)
    memorize a section of scripture

    The place in my home designated to meet with Him each morning.

    “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain… It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Ps 127:1-2

    Lastly, with the new covenant (Christ’s death on the cross), the Temple curtain was torn. We were given access to the Holy of Holies, the One True God. His Spirit dwells within us…the dwelling place of the Lord.

    Choose today where you will allocate your time, energy & resources…On the dwelling place of the Lord. Or on building your own personal, comfy palace.

     

     

    Heather MacFadyen has been married for 12 years, is the mother of 3 young boys (pregnant with a 4th child) and, in her “free time”, writes for her blog, www.godcenteredmom.com. Her goal is to encourage other moms (and herself) to daily clothe themselves in humility by placing God in the center, so they can serve their families with joy and to bring God glory.

     

     

    Maximize Your Mornings Fall 2011

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    Another session of Maximize Your Mornings is around the corner!

    If you are looking for encouragement and accountability towards getting up early to meet with the Lord, this is the challenge for you. There are email, Facebook and Twitter accountability groups. You can read all about the challenge details here.

    And, once again, Do Not Depart will be hosting a Bible study to go alongside the Maximize Your Mornings challenge. This Fall we will be doing a study on the Fruit of the Spirit. More details coming soon. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Do Not Depart so you don’t miss a thing.

    So, go! Now! Sign up for the challenge. Registration closes on Friday!

    (I’m also guest posting over at InspiredToAction.com today, so come and say “hi” while you are there!)

    Free Online ESV Student Bible

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    Happy Monday! Here are some fun tools I wanted to share with you today.

    ESVBible.org

    Have you checked out esvbible.org yet? It is an online Bible where you can add notes, highlights and bookmarks and access free daily devotionals, reading plans and study tools.

    Through esvbible.org you can also purchase the online versions of different study Bibles and study tools which can be accessed online from any computer, through your esvbible.org account.

    I love the potential here. I have a few favorite Bibles but if I want to do some studying those big Bibles pile up quick. And forget bringing them all with me on my “retreat” days. Having them all online, in one place, is a very attractive thing! Plus, each Bible module is a fraction of the cost of a paper copy. I’ve been looking into getting an ESV Study Bible with my birthday money, and am seriously considering getting the online version instead of the paper Bible. However, if I do decide to go with the paper version, access to the online version also comes with the purchase!

    I’ve also had my eye on the ESV Greek Tools module that can be added…decisions, decisions.

    Free Online Study Bible

    Ok, so there is an new module out on esvbible.org. It is the ESV Student Bible, and Crossway has a great offer which I am super excited about. You can get the ESV Student Bible for free! All it takes is sharing it with five of your friends or family. I’ve already shared the offer with friends and family and immediately received access to the online version of the study notes, maps and other study tools.

    I thought many of you might be interested in this! This free offer is a great chance to try out the ESV Bible and the great study tools in the student version for yourself. Hop on over to Crossway’s blog to read about all the details.

    More About the English Standard Version

    If you are unfamiliar with the ESV, or the English Standard Version, it is a wonderful translation of the Bible.

    The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. – About the ESV Translation, esv.org

    The bottom line here is that it is a great translation to use for studying while still being very readable. When you want to get into the nitty-gritty of what the author intended the verse to mean, it is important to use a version that was translated word-for-word. The ESV is also the trusted, go-to Bible of most of my favorite preachers and teachers.

    ESV Trusted By Leaders from Crossway on Vimeo.

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