Praying for a New School Year! (A)

Is Summer really already over? WOW! I can't believe our youngest is a SENIOR in HIGH SCHOOL and our oldest is a SENIOR in COLLEGE! I am going to do my best to pray specifically for Godly Character Traits this school year for my sons, children church kids, their teachers, myself...will you join me? If so, here it goes for day 1...A is for ATTITUDE!

When you have a child (or yourself) with "no filter"...attitude can be everything. Today I am praying his words will be filled with mercy and grace and seasoned with salt. Let him be the Light to the dark world around him. I pray that his words, when intended to be a joke will be interpreted that way... we both have a quirky sense of humor! Like the three Hebrews who chose to stand vertically, I pray that when given the opportunity to STAND for what is right, the chance will be respectfully seized instead of bowing down. Lastly, I pray he will have an attitude of respect for those in authority over him.

I am praying for the staff and employees to have positive attitudes and not be afraid to share the Gospel when given the opportunity. For them to have listening ears and hearts burning with desire to change the generation set before. them.

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips!" Psalm 141:3ESV

"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 16:14ESV

Michael PHS Senior 2020 (future attorney)

Lord, please put your arms around our shoulders and your hand over our mouths has we try to have an attitude pleasing to you today. #177moredays #SeniorYear #WelchCollege #PocahontasHighSchool 

 Matthew Welch College Senior 2020 (future Children's/Youth Pastor)

According to Gary Smalley's personality traits test my youngest son is a LION!!! Well, his mother's secondary trait is a lion also...as a lion we are very demanding and impatient along with being an impulsive and poor listeners, quick tempered and irritable and are constantly making efforts to make our personality productive and purposeful. My dominant personality trait is a "beaver" and this is the other part of my youngest son...The perfectionist nature of a beaver often makes such people prone to legalism and procrastination. Moreover, when there are unrealistic standards, we can also lack in expressing warmth within a relationship. (in the DISC personality test we are a D and S). My other son and husband are the opposites of us...makes for a balances household!  Curious about your or your child's personality? Take a free online quiz here: Smalley's Personality Profile Test

I live in a community where the retired teachers gather and pray every year for the school year...such a blessing!  

He Will Take Care of You ~ F260 Week 5

No matter where life takes us, the turns and detours it may make...we can never be lost to God's love. God always knows exactly where we are. His love is immeasurable. It is inexhaustible. God can do so much more than we can ask or image. As believers, we will always have hardships in this fallen world. However, it is impossible to be separated from the love of Christ. Jesus died so that we can have a personal relationship with Him, forever! We can feel totally secure with Him, not matter what or where life's detours take us. If we believe these promises, then we don't have to fear in overwhelming circumstances. As you continue reading about Joseph this week, you will see his life is still one detour after another; but also be sure to notice that the LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, the LORD BLESSED where Joseph was, and the LORD MADE all he did PROSPER...even in bad circumstances, God is still in control and can use those situations to ultimately bring Him honor and glory, or to serve a purpose in our lives, if we will submit and obey. Joseph may not have understood why he had to to be an Egyptian slave for 11 years while he was in the process; but when he had the opportunity to save his whole family from the famine, he was thankful. God can use what others mean for evil to fulfill His ultimate plan. Joseph was rejected, sold into slavery, and imprisoned. God meant all of the events in Joseph's life for good...Joseph just couldn't see the whole picture at the time he was walking through those detours. Don't ever question God's ability to take care of you...don't ever give up hope that God has wonderful things in store for you!

This week in F260 (January 28th - February 1st) we are reading through almost all the end of Genesis.

Monday: Genesis 39-40

Tuesday: Genesis 41

Wednesday: Genesis 42-43

Thursday: Genesis 44-45

Friday: Genesis 46-47

Our memory verses for this week are Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 3:20-21. 

Romans 8:28-30: 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Ephesians 3:20-21: 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Growing Strong in Faith

I hope spending time in God’s Word is helping you grow stronger in your faith! Abraham grew in faith and gave glory to God. He was CONVINCED God could do what he said. Do we have faith like this? Do we honestly trust God and believe He will do what he says or are we still growing and lacking in that kind of trust and faith? Stick with us as we journey through these foundational 260 passages and maybe all our faith will grow stronger, we will
be fully convinced, and no unbelief will make us waiver.

This week (January 14-18, 2019) we are reading Genesis 18-19, Genesis 20-21, Genesis 22, Genesis 24, and Genesis 25:19-34,26 at Sutton Church.  I’ve still been keeping my H.E.A.R. Journal every day to help me dig into my daily reading. If you missed what that is about you can go back and read about it here: F260 & H.E.A.R.

Memory Verses for this week are: Romans 4:20-22 and Hebrews 11:17-19 - I like to write my memory verses on index cards and carry them with me but I also write  them in a big notebook and keep them sitting out at home so our whole family can look at them. Hopefully we all pause for a minute and read the verses as we walk by the notebook each day. I save the photos I’ve posted below to my phone so I can flip through them during the day. Maybe some of these ideas will help you with your memorization!

20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 

Romans 4:20-22 ESV

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 

Hebrews 11:17-19

Detours

Joseph and his life of DETOURS (see Genesis 37 for where his “detour” began) 

What a crazy turn his life is about to make...I can’t imagine being in his shoes. However, we all have had situations when life doesn’t make sense. It's okay, go ahead and trust God when things don't make sense. He's got you. And He has a purpose in every twist, turn and detour we find ourselves facing. In life, as when traveling, detours exist because construction is taking place somewhere. When you are on a highway and there is a detour, it’s usually because workers are trying to fix, build, correct, or improve something (ughhhh the Pocahontas bridge). Similarly, God will take us on a detour because He is constructing something in our lives as well. Granted, detours are anything but convenient. Detours take us out of our way, mess up our agenda, throw us behind our timeline. They are LONGER than we originally had planned to travel, but they are necessary.  Think about this excerpt from Dr Tony Evans book, “Detours”:  

"God didn’t keep Daniel from the lion’s den; He met him in it. He didn’t keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace; He joined them in it. He didn’t keep Joseph from being a slave to Potiphar; He gave him favor in it. And He met him in the prison as well. The proof in knowing you are where God wants you to be in your detour is that God doesn’t deliver you from it but rather joins you in it."

If you like books as much as me— read Detours by Dr Tony Evans —-it’s a quick read about the life of Joesph. I have read it 3 times it’s so good! 

http://detoursbook.com/

But without Faith it is Impossible!

I hope you were uplifted by starting the new year in God's Word all of last week! Memorizing verses is a challenge the older I get, but it is worth it to be able to pull out His Word when we need it, instead of having to go search for it. In Children's Church our kids memorize a verse each month and can do it so easily...aaahhhh to be young again.  I pray that they will continue hiding God's Word in their hearts all of their lives. 

Week 2 in F260 we are reading: Job 38-39 - God Speaks to Job,  Job 40-42 - What Can Job Say? Creation Shows God's Power, Genesis 11-12 - The Towel of Babel & The Call of Abram, Genesis 15 - God's Covenant with Abram, and Genesis 16-17- Abram & Sarai/birth of Ishmael. 

Our Memory Verses are Hebrews 11:6 and Hebrews 11:8-10. 

These memory verses make me think of the few times in my life I have had to step out in faith and follow God. When Kevin surrendered to ministry, I told him, just as Ruth told Naomi, "where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16). I wholeheartedly believe that God calls our WHOLE family when He calls us. When Kevin felt led to different churches, the boys and I knew that meant a lot of change, but we knew with faith in God it wasn't impossible and that the new people God gave us would become our people, our family, our new land where we would grow and prosper. He has never failed. Was it always fun to have transition?  Of course not...at first, most people don't like changes in their lives, but we are not called to be comfortable, God wants us to GROW! Like Abraham, God calls each of us, we must choose to obey (or ignore Him), then take action, get up and obey! Only after we take action are we truly in a growing relationship with Christ.  If we want to grow as a Christian then we need to be moving forward.  One day we can look forward to our city of promise, to our heavenly homes we will receive!...Hopefully, one day it can by said, by faith, the Barnetts obeyed! "By faith, Abraham obeyed."

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6KJV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Hebrews 11:8-10ESV

F260 Bible Reading Plan

Harvest Day

Suppose Jesus declared today “harvest day” in our lives, and He asked us to gather up the yield of our everyday choices over the past year. What would we have to show Him?

"Things of the world often pull at my heart,

But, Lord, help me see the end from the start;

Open my eyes to where my life’s going,

What I will reap from all I’ve been sowing."

—K. DeHaan

The seeds we sow today 

determine the kind of fruit we’ll reap tomorrow.

Help us to see a world bigger than our own lives. Help us to make a difference each day in the world around us. May we be the hands and feet of Jesus every day. May we see the world as He does.  Brandon Heath's lyrics in Give Me Your Eyes says: 

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see,

Everything that I keep missing,

Give your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the broken-hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.

Give me Your eyes so I can see.

Perhaps, if we have His eyes each day we will have a bountiful harvest. It all depends on the seeds we are sowing! What are you planting daily?

Galatians 6:1-10: Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ...Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Through His Word in 2019 with Robby Gallaty's F260 & HEAR Plan

The F-260 is a two hundred and sixty day reading plan that highlights the foundational passages of Scripture that every disciple should know. The plan expects believers to read 1 or 2 chapters a day for 5 days each week, with an allowance for weekends off - if you use the YouVersion Bible App you will get ahead unless you intentionally skip each weekend to study your verses and/or catch up on reading.  You can use the weekends to study lessons for church instead!  Then start the next week OF each Monday. 

"The F-260 encourages believers to read less and to keep a H.E.A.R. Journal. Here is a sample H.E.A.R. entry. While many plans for memorizing Scripture are effective, a simple system has been effective for me. All you need is a pack of index cards and a committed desire to memorize God’s Word. It’s easy: write the reference of the verse on one side of the card and the text of the verse on the other. Focus on five verses at a time, and carry your pack of Scripture cards with you.  Throughout the day, whenever you have a few minutes, pull out your pack of Scripture cards and review them. Read the reference first, followed by the verse. Continue to recite the verse until you get a feel for the flow of the passage. When you are comfortable with the text, look only at the reference side of the card in order to test your recall. The H.E.A.R. journaling method promotes reading the Bible with a life-transforming purpose. No longer will your focus be on checking off the boxes on your daily reading schedule; your purpose will instead be to read in order to understand and respond to God’s Word. The acronym H.E.A.R. stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. Each of these four steps contributes to creating an atmosphere to hear God speak. After settling on a reading plan and establishing a time for studying God’s Word, you will be ready to H.E.A.R. from God." ----Robby Gallaty

So today we are reading Genesis 1 & 2 - before reading the text, pause to sincerely ask God to speak to you. It may not seem necessary, but I always try to ask God’s guidance in order to understand His Word. I try to remember to ask Him to open by eyes to understanding, so that I may comprehend and gain knowledge and wisdom.  

David prayed in Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law (God's Word).

Gallaty teaches in his H.E.A.R. technique, after praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, open your notebook or journal, and at the top left-hand corner, write the letter H. This will remind you to read with a purpose. While reading, one or two verses will usually stand out and speak to you. After reading the passage of Scripture, Highlight each verse that speaks to you by copying it under the letter “H”. Write out the following: (twist up crayons are great to mark in your Bible!)
H -HIGHLIGHT

The name of the book - Genesis
The passage of Scripture - Genesis 1 and 2
The chapter and verse numbers that especially speak to you - (verses 3, 10, 12, 18, 21 and 25) - multiple times during the re-telling of the creation  we are told "and God saw that it was good", then in verse 31 "and behold, it was very good"

A title to describe the passage - Creation

(This practice will make it easier to find the passage when you want to revisit it in the future.)

After you have highlighted the passage, write the letter “E” under the previous entry. At this stage you will EXPLAIN what the text means. By asking some simple questions, with the help of God’s Spirit, you can understand the meaning of a passage or verse. This can be short or as lengthy as you feel led to journal at this point! Here are some sample questions you may want to ask yourself: 

Why was this written? To whom was it originally written? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Why did the Holy Spirit include this passage in the book? What is He intending to communicate through this text? 

E - EXPLAIN

This is to give us a recording of the creation of the world.  It didn't just happen by accident. Genesis was written by Moses for us to have a recording of the beginning of history.

After writing a short summary of what you think the text means, write the letter “A” below the letter “E”. Under the “A”, write the word APPLY. This application is the heart of the process. Everything you have done so far culminates under this heading. As you have done before, answer a series of questions to uncover the significance of these verses to you personally. Sample questions: How can this help me? What does this mean today? What would the application of this verse look like in my life? What does this mean to me? What is God saying to me? 

A - APPLY

God created everything and it was good! He placed man in a position to care for all of it. We need to take care of the people and world He has placed around us until He calls us to our eternal homes. We are created in His image so we should act as much like Him as possible.  

These questions bridge the gap between the ancient world and your world today. They provide a way for God to speak to you from the specific passage or verse. Answer these questions under the “A”. Challenge yourself to write between two and five sentences about how the text applies to your life.

Finally, below the first three entries, write the letter “R” for RESPOND. Your response to the passage may take on many forms. You may write a call to action. You may describe how you will be different because of what God has said to you through His Word. You may indicate what you are going to do because of what you have learned. You may respond by writing out a prayer to God. For example, you may ask God to help you to be more loving, or to give you a desire to be more generous in your giving. Keep in mind that this is your response to what you have just read.
R - RESPOND

We should imitate Him, not the fallen world around us. It was good...do we reflect GOOD in our daily walk? I will strive to reflect GOOD, VERY GOOD, every day.  I want to be the salt and light that I am called to be!
Notice that all of the words in the H.E.A.R. formula are action words: Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. God does not want us to sit back and wait for Him to drop some truth into our laps. Instead of waiting passively, God desires that we actively pursue Him. 

Jesus said, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, 

and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).

What is God going to speak to us in 2019? I'm not sure, but I know if we spend time in His Word and put forth effort to learn from it, we will end 2019 with more knowledge and wisdom than where we are today!  Jump in on this journey with me and start F260 and your own HEAR journal today!  Also, try to memorize the weekly Bible verses...I know it's hard, but we can do it!

WEEK 1 MEMORY VERSES: Genesis 1:27 and Hebrews 11:7

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, 

in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. 

By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness 

that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7

F260 Reading Plan     Follow Along Using the YouVersion Bible App    

 Join Sutton FWB Church Reading Together on YouVersion

The H.E.A.R. journaling method promotes reading the Bible with a life-transforming purpose. HEAR entry F260 Day1.