The Holy Spirit helps us to gain self-control, and once we have developed self-control, the Holy Spirit can use us more effectively.

it is our origin story, and you see Gods love for us

yes, and I try to relate my story to theirs and how Jesus came in and changed my life through that experience.

I grew up loving going to church because there was always other kids to play with and food. As an adult I enjoy checking on people and catching up with them.

Obedience! Obey God!

Psalms 46:1-2

¹God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

God’s help is stronger and more reliable than anything else, even when everything around us feels unstable.

Adoration cannot be taken away because the Lord said to enter his courts with praise. Confession cannot be taken away because in James’s 5:16 God says that if we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another we would find healing. But repentance allows us to realign with Gods purpose for our lives. Thanksgiving takes the place of…

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I have used bible-in-a-year plans, but without trying to finish it in a year and I go at my own pace. I have just read the bible straight through in order and watching bible project videos. I have used daily devotional books, but those have been the least interesting to me because I want to have my own creative thoughts from the scripture each day

Spiritual formation molds us more and more into the likeness of our creator. Studying the bible helps our minds understand our creator. Fellowship carries the presence of the Lord in varying attributes and gifts that build up the body of the church to look more like Him. And prayer realigns us with his will, and helps us regain perspective that…

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honestly, part of me feels a sense of dread because of the pain I endured that still sometimes does not make much sense to me but i guess that is why I am here. for the Lord to make sense of it all.

I’m still a bit fuzzy about which books contain wandering and which the 10 commandments, but I think it will settle in as I read more. What stands out more than anything is Yahweh’s’ loving kindness and mercy to us, generation after generation. He truly is in it for the long haul, and humans could never obey like they needed to without Christ’s…

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God models all of the fruit of the spirit as He meets with us in prayer. It is how He begins to mold and grow us into becoming more like His Son who was obedient in all things.

I am a staff member with FCA and discipling some students one on one. I think as I am building a relationship with a student that all of models come into play.

Jesus would often use adaptive leadership by answering people’s questions with a question. He did this to make them think on their own. An example could be his conversation with the woman at the well in John 4.

Hard experiences shape false perceptions when painful events are interpreted through fear rather than truth. When harm occurs, the mind often concludes that the world is unsafe, that protection is unreliable, and that self‑reliance is necessary. These conclusions feel protective in the moment but distort reality, becoming false perceptions that…

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6 goals:

1. Conviction of sinfulness

2. Create faith in the triune God, to understand God as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier

3. Create response of faith in prayer

4. Immmerse the Christian in the Word of God in his historical and cultural setting, sacramental forms of the words coming to us

5. To structure the response to God in the pattern of…

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The 10 Commandments are intended in the law to crush and instruct the learner. The burden of the law would weigh weightily on the sinner.

With the creed Luther is saying this is the broader counsel of God in tight summary form. I live under Him in His kingdom and I serve Him. I am His child. The creed helps to recognise where the sinner has…

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I often times use “The Four” to share the Gospel with others. I have shared my relationship with Christ and the way he has changed and challenged me to live a life for him.

It has been mixed for sure. I have long appreciated and been part of a local church. The positives have been the fellowship and the encouragement and shaping for the edification of the brothers. I have appreciated the time with my believers. But, the negative nature points to the way that sin does remain and we are broken people with…

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I have tried to use ACTS in my prayer time for sometime now because I recognize I often fail to praise God for who he is and all he does; I need times of regular confession because of my sinful nature; my God deserves all praise and he provides all I have: I must give thanks to the One who provides it all; I have others in great need in my…

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I most frequently use a chapter a day and allow my time with the Lord to be intentional, studying through the passage and studying the intention behind the writing. I have allowed devotionals to open my time as well as using the Bible in a year guides. I want to return to more intentional book studies because these are most impactful…

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In each of these, we communicate one with another or with the Almighty. In our fellowship we can share the light of Christ through a meal or time of necessary confession. Our prayer leads us into the presence of the Lord, while also allowing us to call on him and commune with him. Time in Scripture does the same.

People are certainly drawn to Revelation because it speaks on what is to come. Us humans have always had thoughts about the future. In Revelation, there is much imagery, symbolism, and the telling of Christ’s returnand what will happen in this future. With this, it can be a difficult book to breakdown and understand. Which seems why so…

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The practical benefits we can get from Acts and the early history of the church is the level of reliance they had on the Holy Spirit and the finished work of Christ. I think we, in our modern Christian lives, have a knack for disregarding God and turning to distractions that are meaningless. In the early church they are praying…

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Understanding the historical and cultural influences on the New Testament helps us with the context of these scriptures. In order to grasp the fullness of the New Testament we have to understand the culture it was created in, the ruling authorities at the time, and the current state of Israel. Without this we can become lost in reading through…

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In both of these men’s lives, they had the classic pitfall of a leader not relying on God for leadership. That leads to pride in their lives, which so easily ensnared them to become distant from God. As leaders we must be diligent about spending time with the Lord rather than leading form our own understanding and knowledge. That is an…

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In the section, I saw more clearly God is in control of all while also not compromising on His Character. if he did, He wouldn’t be God. It amazes me to see how God is at the same time most majestically lovingly forgiving while upholding justice and mercy simultaneously. It frames the cross to see our God is not passive but of character…

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I can certainly attest that life here and now is hard. I have not had childen, but work is hard and never ending. I can see the purpose Yahweh had when he sent us out of the garden, to see what life was like when we didn’t follow His rules. I also see Yahweh’s absolute supremecy in His decrees to Adam, eve and Satan. But I also see His mercy,…

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It is necessary to govern the behavior of your group and to establish trust as the group are some of the reasons.

Visionary helps the followers see the bigger picture of things. Situational helps the person become better at the task at hand in the area they need help. Transformative leadership helps the person’s soul to be transformed and become a better person God has called them to be.

It is complicated because it is so multi-faceted. There is no one way to lead it requires knowing how to lead in different ways for different needs.

Working for not profit ministry I have told many people about the goodness of God. Listening is a spiritual gift that gets looked past quite a bit. You need to let others share and ask questions about the gospel and Jesus.

Being together at church with other believers has helped my faith. Accountability comes to mind.

These all four work together to show the goodness of the Lord. You cant get far in your faith walk if you are missing one. Like in the game of football you have all the players but the center, well the play is never going to happen cause the center has to snap the ball.

Devotional methods that work for me is actually listening to music after I read a verse or bible passage and then mediate on it for a while.

In the future I would like to be better about journaling.

He modeled it for them because so they could understand it is different than what they had seen in the Gentiles or even in other religious leaders. He took the time to serve them by teaching them. He states in His Word he came not to be served but to serve.

Biblical servant leadership is leading others to lead and take responsibility and initiative in their actions. Traditional approach leads with only one person making all the decisions and lording it over them with authority only. There will be no initiative for the followers they will become passive.

A bible study is a study for and too God and learning his goodness. Fellowship is brothers and sisters of Christ working and communicating together. Prayer is our talking/working out personally with God.

I love attending church and grow from the experience.

Leaders lead others to somewhere they can’t go on their own, somewhere they are not currently. Management is helping others do what they are already supposed to be doing.

I would have said a good leader is a good servant to others. I still believe that but I would add that they are servants who want to lead others somewhere they don’t know how to go on their own. It is an action not just a title.

we wouldn’t have the full expression of intimacy we could!

Because of the unknown and the return of Jesus Christ our King. Our brains can not fully comprehend Revelations. I have learned that reading this book and studying it with people help me so much.

Yes. Asking questions to understand where a person is at and what they believe is vital in knowing how to start sharing with someone. It is important to share from the heart of Christ and not just to check pat oneself on the back or see them as a project. They are a person made in the image of God. There have been times where I have…

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I love to read the psalm and the proverb that correspond with the day of the month.

Some practical benefits from understanding Acts is it establishes a solid foundation of our faith. It gives us direction on the testimony of Jesus.

Bible study is us being communicated to by God, fellowship is fellow believers communicating with each other and prayer is our communication back to God.

Understanding this is crucial to allowing us to see how certain texts relates to our time time and how we can learn and know that God’s power is not defined by times or places.

Overall we need to avoid ourselves. We are our worst enemy. Pride is the biggest enemy and Saul and Solomon both struggled with this.

Seeing that the challenges we go through God will use for his glory. Amen, the valleys we go through gives us a great view of the Cross.