Category Archives: Bible Study

A Daily Prayer

Posted on by
Reply

Faith comes easily to me. For as long as I can remember, I have believed down to my toes that God loves me, Jesus died for me, and the Spirit guides me.

And yet. As an emotionally-driven individual, my attitudes and actions may tell a different story. Too often, I don’t act like I believe a loving God cares about my life and the world I inhabit.

Life is good, and hard. Life is beautiful, and brutal. As Glennon Doyle puts it, Life is brutiful. Faith—trusting that we’re not alone or left to our own sometimes pitiful resources—helps.

But it’s easier declared than lived on the daily.

Of course I try. Yet as I think of seasons in life where we have faced significant challenges—illnesses and injuries, job stress which increased financial stress, losses of one sort or another—I know I prayed, and still what I felt smacked more of grief than hope. (Interestingly, I also recall several people telling me during one of those difficult seasons that I glowed with hope; God is good).

During desperate times, faith can be hard-scrabble, tooth-and-nail dug deep.

When one son vomited for weeks on end, repeat every few months for years, missing school and eluding (for a long while) diagnosis. When another son suffered a severe concussion that not only affected his abilities but changed his personality, again for too long. When help seems unavailable and despair unavoidable, then what?

That’s when I turn to one of my favorite biblical prayers:

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

God knows I believe, but I need to grow in asking Him to help me believe all the time, in life’s common nonsense and torrential storms alike. Pray with me?

Dig deeper…

Connect
Share about a recent power-full experience.

Study
Read Mark 9:14-29.
Describe the scene Jesus returns to (vv14-20).
What do you think the disciples and teachers might have argued about (vv14-16)? How might their argument have affected the disciples’ ability to help the child?
How does the crowd respond to seeing Jesus (v15)? How does the spirit respond (v20)?
Who do you think Jesus intends to include in His rebuke of the “unbelieving generation” (v19)?
Put the father’s interaction with Jesus in your own words (vv17-24).
Read Mark 3:14-15 and Mark 6:7, 12-13. Since the disciples have received from Jesus power to cast out spirits and have done so previously, what else might be going on (vv28-29)?

Live
What can we learn from this story about belief, prayer and power?
How do you hang on to faith in desperate circumstances?
How can others’ faith or doubt affect your own belief?
If you can, share about a time when you experienced Jesus’ power.
What might change in your life if you daily/regularly prayed the father’s prayer?
What is God saying to you through this passage, and what will you do about it?

Pray
Ask God to increase your belief.

Family Share Questions
Use these questions to reflect on Mark 9:14-29 individually and with your family.
When you think of someone “powerful,” who comes to mind?
How does Jesus help the boy and his father?
Ask God to help you believe.

 

 

 

Hot & Bothered

Posted on by
Reply

How do you feel when you are engaged in a surprising and passionate conversation?

Recently, I had an epic, hours-long, meandering and caffeinated conversation with some young women I absolutely adore. For a time, the chatter turned passionate…not at all bad, just intense. In reflection, I felt heard, loving and loved, supported, and I think they did too; walking through the chilly winter evening to my car, I realized I also felt a little bit sweaty.

Mark 9 records that Jesus had a miraculous, mountaintop conversation with two historic figures: Moses and Elijah. Interestingly, Jesus physically changed just before their arrival. Not just transformed, which could mean changing His clothes or mood or facial expression, but “transfigured,” shining bright like a diamond; “transfigured” implies spiritual transformation; something way beyond normal human experience is going on.

We can only imagine the content of their conversation since no one recorded it. Why Moses and Elijah? Both biblical action heroes, Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, through the wilderness for 40 years, and right up to the edge of the Promised Land, while Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal and called God’s heart-wandering people back to worship the One True God.

What would they say to Jesus, soon to take up His cross and die? Surely they couldn’t give the Son of God advice, which leads me to wonder if they were there for two reasons: to encourage Jesus with emotional strength for the grueling journey ahead; and for the sake of Peter, James, and John quivering nearby.

Talk about hot and bothered, the disciples were terrified! Only Peter musters up the courage (stupidity?) to speak, and he offers up their brute strength to build three shelters for their honored guests. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to build one, a meeting house of sorts for this divinely-appointed exchange? Does he expect they’ll all be moving to the mountaintop for the foreseeable future, in which case, the disciples might also need shelter?

Peter’s suggestion demonstrates his terror, for sure, but also his joint desires to serve and to tame the untameable. He’s desperately trying to make sense of a scene so startling he could never have imagined it in his wildest dreams.

To add to the intensity, God speaks, saying much the same thing He said at Jesus’ baptism, except this time addressing our small, tremulous crowd: Listen to my beloved Son, Jesus. The heroes of old vanish as suddenly as they appeared, and first thing Jesus tells His buddies to keep mum about what they just witnessed. James and John might have been stunned silent, but bumbling Peter might have had just a wee bit of trouble keeping his trap shut with the rest of the gang.

These poor guys witnessed a mind-blowing event, and they can’t even begin to grasp what Jesus means by “rising from the dead.” He can’t die, their glowing Friend to whom God sends friends from long-ago; despite having just now seen people who haven’t been alive for forever, they can’t wrap their brains around life after death.

It’s too much, way too much. Thank God He doesn’t disqualify us for not understanding His ways!

When was the last time Jesus blew your mind, surprised or terrified you, left you hot and bothered? Have you been watching, listening? Have you tried to tame the untameable? What journey are you on with Him now, and what might He say to you along the way?

Dig deeper…

Connect
If you could have a conversation with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

Study
Read aloud Mark 9:2-13.
Describe the scene in vv2-8. Who is present and what happens?
Merriam-Webster defines “transfigured” as “to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance to; transform.” Discuss in this context.
What do you remember from Scripture about Moses and Elijah? Why is their presence with Jesus significant?
Besides fear, what motivates Peter’s response to the situation (vv5-6)?
Compare Mark 1:11 with Mark 9:7.
God’s voice commands the disciples to listen to Jesus (v7). What does Jesus tell them (v9) and why?
Read Malachi 4:1-6. Explain the conversation in Mark 9:11-13.
What impact do you imagine this event had on Peter, James and John?

Live
How has Jesus recently surprised or awed you?
Why do people want to “tame” Jesus? How do they try to tame Him?
What helps you retain a sense of God’s glory and keeps you from getting too lackadaisical?
How have you recently been listening to God? What have you heard?
What is God saying to you through this passage, and what will you do about it?

Pray
Thank God for revealing His glory in Jesus Christ.

Family Share Questions
Use these questions to reflect on Mark 9:2-8 individually and with your family.
When have you recently been surprised?
How does Jesus surprise His disciples? What does that tell us about Him?
Thank God that Jesus is more surprising than anyone we know.

 

Featured image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Two Words

Posted on by
1

What’s your most spectacular New Year’s resolution fail?

To get healthy, eat clean, lose ## pounds? To stop swearing, or drinking? To fall in love, or find a new job you love?

I gave up on resolutions years ago. Why set myself up for failure…again and again, year after year? If I’m going to set goals, I can do that any ol’ time, and not just at the turn of a new year (although, admittedly, there is something about January 1, or the start of a new school year, that I find motivating). Not surprisingly, 80% of people who make New Year’s resolutions break them, and most resolutions get trampled in the rain-soggy February mud.

Five years ago, I joined the ranks of the One Word movement, where people choose a word to inspire their actions and decisions over a year. My first foray, 2015, was my most successful, interestingly not because I chose a word but because I chose a phrase: Put yourself in the way of beauty.

Beauty was my word, but the phrase required dynamic action. It motivated me to get out of the car to play in the cold, wet snow with my kids. So I shivered, but I also hiked up a hill (exercise!), took a picture of vivid red berries contrasted against the white snow, threw a few snowballs, and saw some train tracks that inspired moments of wonder.

You can read more about my one word experience over the last few years here, where I share why one word just wouldn’t be enough for 2019.

Honestly, at the dawn of 2019, I didn’t realize how unhappy I was. I had, little by little, painstakingly over years, folded into myself until I no longer resembled my best self, who I am or want to be. My origami life wasn’t a unicorn or a crane; it held no magical reflection of the beauty within me. I had unwittingly entered myself as “paper” in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors and, in this version, rock and scissors beat paper every time.

Last New Year’s Eve, I didn’t know if or how or when I would make the changes necessary to love myself back into three-dimensional wholeness. Thank God for His guidance and strength, and the renewed health I’m enjoying now.

Having braved up also freed up time to invest in a project with my favorite creative collaborator, Nancy. Together we created a set of devotional cards: To Do Cards//take two. Each card has a two-word invitation from Jesus, found in Mark’s gospel, beautifully hand lettered by Nancy. On the reverse, you’ll find the corresponding Scripture from Mark and a prayer written by me.

If you’ve been around my blog this month, you’ve seen them. Nancy and I used and promoted them as an Advent calendar. There are 25 cards in this set, and they worked nicely as a way to daily check in with Jesus in a season that can get more than a little hectic, even among the twinkly lights and festive gatherings.

The set definitely has a life beyond Advent, however, and they are still available for free download. We recommend you print them double-sided on card stock for best results.

I’m looking forward to steeping 2020 in these two-word invitations from Jesus. And, as it turns out, I have a two-word response that will be my prayer throughout this year: Transform Me.two words

Advent 4: Stand Firm (2019)

Posted on by
Reply

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. How are you doing in the whirl and swirl of holiday preparations?

Our tree is up, lit, and half-decorated. I was at work when Guy and Q15 got that much done; C21 still has his box of decorations to add, if he gets around to it.

The mantle is decorated, but the boxes that hold the decorations eleven of twelve months clutter all the corners while awaiting their return to the attic.

Later today the boys and I will brave the mall for one last gift. The college kid had finals one week, the high school kid had finals the next, and either I or the college kid have worked most nights…coordinating our schedules has been ridiculous, holidays aside. Honestly, I had stress dreams about trying to park amidst the holiday crowds, only alleviated this morning when I realized my son who works as a valet can park my car.

No presents have been wrapped. I’m not even sure what we’ve purchased.

My refrigerator looks like an explosion went off and we haven’t finished shopping for the holiday meals. Guy called an hour ago to say we’ll have four extra guests for Christmas Eve, all good and now it actually does matter if a) the house and b) I am ready to receive guests.

I tried to make a list of all the things that need to be done by tonight so I can enjoy tomorrow, and it’s incomplete because I’m not even sure what needs to be done. It’s that overwhelming. I will just do one thing and then another until I collapse into bed.

Oh, and Q15 fell asleep with his glasses on his face, which tweaked the frames, so we have to fit in an emergency visit to LensCrafters. Meanwhile, he’s wrapped them in scotch tape.

So, no surprise that the Advent mediation I’d meant to write yesterday didn’t happen. Instead, I took the dogs on a walk, cleaned myself up, and went to a lovely holiday party to connect with friends for an hour. Both the walk and the party felt more important to the state of my soul than the sorry state of our house or my self-imposed deadlines.

(Having read about my disorganization, does anyone feel better yet about their own life? You’re welcome!)

Yesterday’s Advent invitation was to “Stand Firm.” The beach is my favorite place to wiggle my toes, and I love the feeling of shifting sand under my feet as the flowing water pulls at the grains. I love less the metaphorical feeling that the sand beneath my feet is shifting, that change is coming and is now here and I don’t know what that means for today let alone tomorrow.

How to stay calm, how to stand firm and resist the all-too-easy temptation to worry? Jesus. Yes, it sounds cliche, but it’s also true. I have been hanging on to the prayer I wrote last summer, that Jesus would plant my feet on solid ground. And the only true solid ground is the knowledge and experience of His grace and love. I don’t deserve it. I can’t earn it. And still, He offers Himself. As Max Lucado writes, “…when the world goes wild, He stays calm.”

What matters most is not that I get my house perfectly clean and organized, or that I put on the best-ever holiday meal, or that the presents are beautifully wrapped. I am not a Pinterest-perfect mama. What matters most is that I take a few deep breaths, do what I can do, and then enjoy the company of Jesus and my family and friends.

May we all, today and this week and into next year, allow Jesus to set our feet firmly on the solid rock of His loving presence with us. Merry Christmas!

For your own set of the cards I’ve used as an Advent calendar, which can be used throughout the year, please click here.

Advent 3: Preserve Peace (2019)

Posted on by
Reply

True confession: I worked on this post yesterday and got confused on my dates. I thought today would be December 14 and so the invitation should read: “Preserve Peace.” My partner in creativity made two beautiful images, only recognizing my mistake after she had them ready.

Thing is, I think Jesus does that sometimes. He directs us to what we need even if it’s “out of order” from our expectations. I needed to dwell on peace this weekend, and so that’s what God gave me.

May God always give you what you need, and may you have ears and eyes to receive His truth! Side note: we put our devotional cards in biblical order, but please feel free to shuffle the deck to get what you need from Jesus (to get your own set of cards, click for your FREE download).

Cranberries are one of my favorite holiday season tastes. They’re in everything: cheese, salads, pastries, savories and sweets. I typically make cranberry sauce the Monday before Thanksgiving and Christmas, always making sure we have more than enough to go around the table for a few days. My recipe includes lots of ginger, orange juice, and orange marmalade to finish. The results taste sweet and tart-bitter and never fail to please the pucker.

I’d never thought to wonder why jam can be called “preserves.” It seems obvious that the fruit has been “preserved” in a different form, right? Yes, and because early cultures used sugar as a preservative to keep fruit from spoiling.

I did a quick google search on preservatives when I saw the Advent invitation to “Preserve Peace.” Jesus made peace between God and humanity and, as we follow Him, we are called to be peacemakers, to make peace where conflict reigns and to keep peace when it is fragile.

We are the sugar preserving the fruit, the marmalade in the cranberry sauce. In other words, Jesus invites us to be delicious and make life tastier for everyone.

 

Advent 2: Be Content (2019)

Posted on by
1

Get a modest place and be content there… Mark 6:10

Jesus invites us to be content, an invitation we struggle to receive. The focus of Advent is our longing for the Savior, but instead we make it about longing for the perfect gifts. Santa may be making a list and checking it twice, but we hit the malls more than twice. I read that the average American household spends over $1,000 on Black Friday sales alone.

I like the advice on shopping for children: something they’ll want, need, wear, and read. Now that my kids are young adults, we’re all about experiences. Tickets and gift cards and memberships they can enjoy with friends or family. Experiences that will create memories and won’t clutter up their rooms with more stuff to manage, clean, organize.

A good question during this season (and throughout the year): am I content with what God has provided? Am I content with my home, my job, my neighbors and friends, my hobbies? Another helpful question: Where do I notice grumbling and dissatisfaction, and what will I do about it? For example, if I’m frustrated with housework, I can clean up, even if that means delegating tasks to less than enthusiastic young people.

One way to cultivate contentment is to practice gratitude. I am grateful for the people living under our roof who also make messes. I am grateful for the healthy food consumed on plates that mean more dishes. I am grateful for the clothes we wear that make piles of laundry. I am grateful for the appliances that make cleaning dishes and clothing easier. I am grateful for the holidays and the opportunity to decorate and celebrate even though, at the moment, my home contains a hodgepodge of both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Jesus, help me be content with what you have provided. Amen.

Want your own set of these devotional cards? FREE download right here. Perfect for stocking stuffers, or feel free to share the link so others can get their own set.

Advent 1: Follow Me (2019)

Posted on by
3

Come, follow me…and I will send you out to fish for people. Mark 1:17

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the church season in which we remember our longing for the arrival of the Messiah. My friend The Creative Resource and I have created a set of devotional cards you can use in any order all year long, or you can use them in order during Advent as an Advent calendar. This set of cards all feature two words spoken by Jesus as found in Mark’s gospel; you’ll find Nancy’s artwork on one side, and the corresponding Scripture and a prayer written by me on the reverse.

FREE download, available here.

Also during Advent, I will post a longer meditation on Sundays using the words on that day’s card. We’re not following the traditional themes—love, joy, peace, and hope, or the characters of Jesus’ birth narrative—but the way the two word themes of Jesus play out chronologically in Mark’s Gospel.

The First Sunday of Advent: Follow Me

Jesus met people where they were: the seashore, the tax collector’s booth, in a tree, caught in sin. He went to them, gracefully interrupting their lives in progress. He didn’t expect them to clean themselves up before they came to Him, holy and ready. Truly, He loved but didn’t much like those who considered themselves holy; those were the ones who thought their own goodness could save them; they didn’t need a Savior.

Sinners who recognized their need for a Savior, that’s who Jesus looked for. And Scripture shows us so many beautiful scenes of sinners recognizing their Savior Jesus when He arrived.

Simon and Andrew, James and John, fisherman at work casting and preparing their nets, Jesus called them first. Was it a crisis? Did they wonder at this stranger who walked up with an unlikely invitation to follow Him? Though they did, at once and without delay. Maybe they had heard of Him, this One who had strolled their town, Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: God’s kingdom has come near. Repent and believe!

Maybe they were intrigued by His words: I will sent you out to fish for people. Fishing for fish, they knew; what could it mean to fish for people?

We still think we have to get cleaned up for God. We gussy up for church, out of respect, perhaps, but also to fit in. We wouldn’t want anyone to look askance. Would they, would we, look askance if we knew the truth of one another’s lives?

The first disciples must have reeked of fish. They didn’t shower and change before following Jesus, before He put them to work fishing for people. He accepted and loved them just as they were, and began immediately to show them what God’s kingdom looks like: healing, teaching, praying, loving: restoration.

That’s the journey Jesus still invites us on. Wherever we are today, this moment, Jesus appears to us if we have eyes to see Him. He wants us, just as we are, to follow Him. To learn from Him what His kingdom looks like. What love looks like.

Jesus, thank you for inviting me on the adventure of loving others. Amen.