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A few weeks ago Griffin went through this little stage of waking up from his nap way before he should have. I knew he was still tired but he would insist on getting up. I would set him on the couch and go finish up whatever I was doing. A few minutes later I would walk back into the room and find this. He is not one to fall asleep unless he is in his crib. But I’m pretty sure this happened three different times in that one week. A sleeping babe totally conked out in the middle of the mess. I was wishing I could take his place for just a few minutes. 😉

There is just something so sweet about watching your babies sleep. Even when they are supposed to be in their crib taking a nap. I guess napping on the couch works too.

Posted in: family , griffin
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So…how did your first week of study go?

Julie and I met with our community group on Tuesday night and it was so great. We really had no idea what to expect. We had heard maybe a few people would come but no real commitments. We wondered if we would be studying by ourselves. 🙂 But pretty soon there were twelve of us getting to know each other and ready to study Genesis together. I am so thankful that the Lord brought us together this summer. I can’t wait to dive into Genesis with these women and see how it fits into the bigger story of God’s plan for redemption. Are you ready?

Do you read The Jesus Storybook Bible with your kids? It is my favorite children’s Bible. I love how at the end of each Old Testament story it always points us back to Jesus, our Rescuer. This is how it describes the stories in the Bible:

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle–the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

I feel like this is exactly where Nancy is pointing us in this study through Genesis. Here is what she says it will take for us to see Jesus:

We don’t want to read little bits of Scripture and take away an inspirational thought. We don’t want to pluck out Scriptures that make us feel good regardless of whether we’re reading them in context. We want to understand the big picture of what God has done and is doing in the world. But more than that, we want our hearts to burn with recognition that this is not just a story outside us, but a story God is accomplishing in us through Christ.

We do not want to settle for dry doctrine or factual knowledge about the Bible. We want the Word of God to do its work in us, burning away the impurities in our hearts; we want sparks of new insights to fly; we want the flames of our passion for God to be fanned into a raging fire. We want our hearts to melt at the beauty of Christ.

How will this happen? We will go to the Old Testament and read it through gospel eyes. We will ask God to open our eyes to see Jesus, to give us the ability to recognize him in the people, the promises, the stories, the symbols, and the shadows of the Old Testament.

That is my prayer for us as we study Genesis together…that we would read the book of Genesis through gospel eyes.

So here are a few questions from lesson one for us to think about…

Jesus said that the Pharisees studied the Scriptures intently, thinking that their knowledge of Scriptures and tedious law keeping would put them in good standing with God. But there was Jesus standing in front of them, and they rejected him and had him killed because he infuriated them and threatened their power. How do we keep from being like the Pharisees as we study Scripture?

As we begin this study and seek to understand the Scripture, please share what you hope to gain from the investment you will make over the coming weeks and how you want to be different after you complete it.

If you are participating in the study we would love for you to leave a comment answering one or both of these questions. Or, just leave a comment sharing what the Lord taught you this week. Feel free to respond to comments and we will do the same. We can’t wait to hear from you all!

I’m sorry I got this first lesson posted so late today. In the coming weeks I will plan to always post on Friday mornings. This week the garage sale craziness got the best of me and I just didn’t get it done. Next week, I’ll see you on Friday morning. 🙂

Here is the schedule for the rest of the summer:

June 21 – lesson 2

June 28 – lesson 3

July 5 – lesson 4

July 12 – lesson 5

July 19 – lesson 6

July 26 – lesson 7

August 2 – lesson 8

August 9 – lesson 9

August 16 – lesson 10

If you still want to join us it is not too late. The first lesson was an introduction and you just have to do a little reading to catch up. The second lesson is when we will really dive into Genesis. We would love for you to study with us! You can find all the study information here and here.

Have a great weekend!

Posted in: bible study , nancy guthrie
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  • Mindy - I find myself growing closer to God as the years pass.But,if I am honest I will admit that my knowledge of WHO Jesus is has been limited.I know who he is and what he did and made the decision to have faith in him and love and live for him BUT, I am not always overwhelmed with emotion when I just think of what he did for me.I am just not content with that anymore.I want to KNOW Jesus as deeply as I can.I want to be so overwhelmed with what he came to do and who he is that I am FILLED with joy and excitement every time I think of him ( I am to some extent now,but want more ) I just love him so much and want to know and understand him completely.THIS is just a little of what I hope to get from this study.I hope it makes sense to all of you like it does me.It’s kind of late and I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep 🙂 Thank you Jess ! Your the only blog that I go to everyday.I think God brought me to you last year for a reason and love your passion ! I can’t wait to hear everybody else and their insights during this study.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 17th, 2013 at 11:15 pm

    Mindy – What a great desire! I long to know Jesus and His character in a deeper way too. I’m praying that we would all see Jesus in Genesis this summer. And that as we see Jesus more clearly, our lives would be changed!

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    • Jess - Mindy – What a great desire! I long to know Jesus and His character in a deeper way too. I’m praying that we would all see Jesus in Genesis this summer. And that as we see Jesus more clearly, our lives would be changed!ReplyCancel

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  • Kim B - I hope to gain a better understanding of the bible. I feel as my daughter gets older it is harder for me to answer her questions. I want to have answers for her and not fear talking about The Lord with her. I want to gain confidence in my beliefs so I can be a role model for her.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 17th, 2013 at 11:23 pm

    Kim – I love how God uses our children to draw us closer to Himself. I think that it is important to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15)” and that includes as we talk with our kids. It is important to know what we believe and why. But we won’t always have all the answers. I think that it is also good for our kids to know when we aren’t sure of the answer to their questions. They can see us go to the Word for answers…and hopefully learn to do the same.

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    • Jess - Kim – I love how God uses our children to draw us closer to Himself. I think that it is important to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15)” and that includes as we talk with our kids. It is important to know what we believe and why. But we won’t always have all the answers. I think that it is also good for our kids to know when we aren’t sure of the answer to their questions. They can see us go to the Word for answers…and hopefully learn to do the same.ReplyCancel

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  • Linda - Was wondering how your study hands the Genesis Six issue? My daughter and I are teaching an in-depth study on the Nephilim from from Genesis Six, along with Revelation and Daniel. Just curious how your leader handled the issue.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 17th, 2013 at 11:31 pm

    Linda – Our study is just touching on the big ideas in Genesis. We aren’t at chapter 6 yet, but I studied it in BSF this past year. In my BSF notes they covered several possible interpretations of “sons of God” noting that the context is not completely clear. In other words we will probably never know for sure. I think the point is that there was major corruption going on with these people that represented the total depravity of man before the flood.

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    • Jess - Linda – Our study is just touching on the big ideas in Genesis. We aren’t at chapter 6 yet, but I studied it in BSF this past year. In my BSF notes they covered several possible interpretations of “sons of God” noting that the context is not completely clear. In other words we will probably never know for sure. I think the point is that there was major corruption going on with these people that represented the total depravity of man before the flood.ReplyCancel

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  • Deb H. - I am hoping to be able to look at these Bible stories in a new light as they come up in my curriculum this fall. I have taught most of these stories every year for the past 12 in my classroom, but never really thought much about them. I am looking forward to reading what Nancy has written and hoping to be a better teacher of these stories because of this study.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 17th, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    Deb – I teach Sunday School at my church and am hoping that this study will help me teach the kids how to see Jesus in these stories too. What a blessing it is that you can point your students to Jesus!

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    • Jess - Deb – I teach Sunday School at my church and am hoping that this study will help me teach the kids how to see Jesus in these stories too. What a blessing it is that you can point your students to Jesus!ReplyCancel

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  • Jody R. - I think what we have to remember is the Pharisees were coming from a religion of law. Keeping the laws were of utmost importance. When Jesus came, he shook things up by changing a law-based religion into a religion who’s basis is grace and love. Before Jesus, the way to salvation was through following laws (and there were lots of them) and offering sacrifices for forgiveness. Jesus’ once and for all sacrifice on the cross brought us into a period of grace. Following the laws is not going to save us. Only Jesus can provide forgiveness of sins and make us righteous before God. The Pharisees were consumed with the law. We need to be consumed with love. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and to love each other. I do believe that there are people in the Church today who are like the Pharisees. They failed to recognize the Messiah when he was right there in front of them. I am so thankful to be living in the age of grace. I don’t think I would have done well living under the Law.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 17th, 2013 at 11:39 pm

    Jody – Though the Pharisees were coming from a religion of law, I so often find myself acting like them. My quiet time becomes a check mark on a long to-do list or I read the Bible because I think it is the Christian thing to do, just looking for ways I can live in obedience. I sometimes forget to read the Bible to embrace Jesus…I want to embrace Jesus and be changed by Him as I read God’s Word.

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    • Jess - Jody – Though the Pharisees were coming from a religion of law, I so often find myself acting like them. My quiet time becomes a check mark on a long to-do list or I read the Bible because I think it is the Christian thing to do, just looking for ways I can live in obedience. I sometimes forget to read the Bible to embrace Jesus…I want to embrace Jesus and be changed by Him as I read God’s Word.ReplyCancel

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  • Karis - I was a little late joining, but I’m here now! I love you blog Jess, and what I’m hoping to get out of the study is connecting with the Word to be able to be a better role model for my kids (I have a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old). Side note: I had seen your post about the study, and was considering it, and then in church last week our pastor said, if you haven’t read Genesis recently, go read it again! I took that as my sign that I should do this study. I’m excited to see what God has in store for me as He opens my eyes further.ReplyCancel

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  • Amy - I’m late in posting too due to a computer crash. 🙁 I’m back up and running now and excited to do this study! I’ve read your blog for a long time, Jess, and I enjoy it so much. Your comments about making our quiet times an embracing of Jesus vs. checking off a to-do list really resonates with my heart of late. As for this (last) week’s study, my favorite part was, “the Bible is not primarily about WHAT God wants us to do but about WHO God wants us to see.” I think that answers the question of “How do we keep from being like the Pharisees as we study Scripture?” I think keeping that in mind would avoid some of the controversy that creeps in at times about which pieces of the law apply today. We need to see Jesus and stay close to Him as we read and learn the Word. Thank you for leading; “see” you Friday!ReplyCancel

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  • Amy - Feeling very behind right now but have been wanting to do this study so here I am. :)I am still in the first chapter but hope to catch up within a couple weeks. What I hope to take out of this is more personal knowledge of who Jesus is and apply it to my life as mommy. I desire for my children to grow up with hearts that love Jesus and I know that what they see modeled in me will be a huge foundation for them as to who they choose to follow. And I want for them and me to choose Jesus. Love your blog, Jess. I am often encouraged by you. Thank you for using your blog to encourage people towards Jesus.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    July 11th, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    Amy-Don’t worry about being behind. We are so glad you are joining us! I love your heart and desire for your kids to love Jesus. I long for that too. And yes! I think it is so important for our kids to see us having an intimate relationship with Jesus and living out our love for Him. I pray that as you study Genesis your eyes would be opened to a clearer view of who Jesus is and that you would grow to love Him in a deeper way!

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    • Jess - Amy-Don’t worry about being behind. We are so glad you are joining us! I love your heart and desire for your kids to love Jesus. I long for that too. And yes! I think it is so important for our kids to see us having an intimate relationship with Jesus and living out our love for Him. I pray that as you study Genesis your eyes would be opened to a clearer view of who Jesus is and that you would grow to love Him in a deeper way!ReplyCancel

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  • Amy - In this day and age where we can see so clearly how people are rejecting the Bible or reinterpreting it to fit their lifestyle, I think one of the things I need to remember is that I was not called to judge the world but to love. I have enough trouble with doing that all the time so it is best if I not add something to my list that I was not even called to do. God will judge and that means everyone, myself included. For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Pharisees were quick to judge according to their own list of do’s and don’ts and yet how quick am I also to do the same? One of the things that Nancy said that stuck out to me was “And sometimes we think we have Jesus figured out when really all we’ve done is create in our own minds the Jesus we want, the Jesus we can be comfortable with”. And then I think I use this Jesus, this partly made up one, to alienate others or to build up my own self.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    July 11th, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    Amy-Thanks so much for sharing. I do the same thing! And I underlined that quote too…I wish I didn’t do this, but I know I do! I long to embrace the fullness of who Jesus is…not just the parts of Jesus I am comfortable with.

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    • Jess - Amy-Thanks so much for sharing. I do the same thing! And I underlined that quote too…I wish I didn’t do this, but I know I do! I long to embrace the fullness of who Jesus is…not just the parts of Jesus I am comfortable with.ReplyCancel

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  • the promised one :: lesson eight » The Macs - […] Past lessons can be found here: lesson one […]ReplyCancel

Good morning! We have been busy preparing for our garage sale that starts TODAY! It is amazing to me how much stuff I can accumulate. Sheesh. De-cluttering feels so good. The boys have been busy helping me too as you can see. 🙂 With all this garage sale stuff going on I didn’t get my post for the Bible Study finished for this morning. I am still planning on posting…it will just be later today sometime. So make sure to check back…thanks for being patient! I look forward to hearing about what God taught you in the first lesson! Happy Friday!

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  • Heather L. - Dear Jess,

    I stumbled across your blog through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. I have been reading your posts about Cora and crying through each one. What a precious little girl that the Lord gave you, even for such a short while and with so much sadness.

    I want to thank you for opening your heart here not just to friends and family, but to strangers like me. I just suffered a second miscarriage and have felt so, so alone in my sadness and struggling so much with not just sorrow, but deep fear and a feeling that the Lord really isn’t on my side and I really can’t trust Him after all.

    Your grace-filled words in a time of the worst pain that I could possibly imagine has been more comforting and instructive to me than any other. You were the sister that the Lord knew I needed.

    Thank you.

    Love,

    HeatherReplyCancel

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One thing I love about this stage in my boys’ lives is watching them play together. There is something so sweet about their relationship as brothers. And I love just sitting back and watching their imaginations unfold. They are creative!

Don’t get me wrong. There are days when I wonder if they could possibly play together for even five minutes without fighting. Days when I wonder if they will ever learn to be kind and share. It’s hard to learn to be generous and think of others before yourself…even for me! But then there are these days when I just sit back and watch them be best friends and it erases everything else. Their conversations (Levi talks, Griffin grunts :)), the things they pretend, and their little giggles are the best.

Last week we tilled our garden and all of a sudden the garden became a construction site. The dump trucks came out and the working began. They went up and down the corn rows and around the garden over and over and over. I am trying to teach them that they have to go around the plants and not step on them or plow over them with their trucks. They really do a pretty good job. Only a few corn causalities happened…I have a feeling plant casualties will just be part of my life from now on!

I think they played dump trucks for close to and hour. They were having so much fun. Thank goodness for a garden full of dirt!

Oh that face. It cracks me up every time. I will miss those determined pursed lips someday.

I never quite figured out what they were working on but they would stop and fill up their trucks with dirt, drive them somewhere else to dump the dirt and occasionally stop to work on their engines or fill up their trucks with gas. Levi was usually in the lead and Griffin just followed behind doing everything his brother did.

They did such a good job just playing in the dry dirt for a long time and then they realized that playing in the mud might be more fun. Of course mud is more fun.

I know that some moms have a hard time watching their kids get so dirty, but I think it is just part of being a boy. They need explore and they need to get dirty. And I figure I can either follow them around as they play, making sure they stay clean…which is both impossible and makes all of our lives miserable. Or I can just let them get dirty and muddy and wet and give them lots of baths and do lots of laundry. Laundry isn’t my favorite but it is totally worth it to me.

I mean…look at Levi. There is just something that brings him so much joy when he is covered head to toe with mud. So here is my motherly advice for you today…let your kids get dirty every once in awhile! It’s messy but so fun. You just might want to make sure they aren’t wearing their nice khaki shorts before you let them outside! Oops. 😉

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  • Debby Graber - I agree! You can always hose them off! What fun they are having! And I love those lips too! Zoom!ReplyCancel

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  • GB Jost - My mom (and I also said this to my kids) used to say, “Dirt and sunshine make kids grow!” So when my kids got covered in dirt, we would celebrate how much they were growing…ReplyCancel

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  • Danielle Albini - Sweet photos! I agree, getting dirty is just part of being a kid! Not just a boy:)ReplyCancel

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  • Mary Ann - Adorrrrraaable. Your boys are sure cute and your baby is almost not a baby any longer. I love their smiles and the pursed lips are precious. My little grandson is 3 and it is certainly an adventure. Have a fun summer!!!ReplyCancel

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  • Michelle from Australia - LOVE this post Jess. Love, love, LOVE it! We live 3.5 miles from the centre of Brisbane city. Which is home to over one million people. Our back yard measures 33 feet wide (exactly). And about 20 feet long. And the rest of it is our pool. I can not begin to imagine having a paddock at my back door. One of these days I am determined to get to Kansas just so I can take in the wide open spaces 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Tina - I have 4 boys. I remember hearing at some point, when my oldest was about 2, an interview with Jeff Foxworthy. At some point he said, “When I was a kid, any day that required a bath was a GOOD day!” And I’ve held onto that and love letting them get dirty and muddy! 🙂 And I’m glad to see other mom’s encourage it as well! 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Allison - “God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt”ReplyCancel

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  • Cindy - You are so right. Boys and clothes are only dirty a short time and can be cleaned up but these memories last forever. What a good mom you are!ReplyCancel

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  • Alice H - My older son would have bathed in mud if I would have let him. LOL! He was always digging holes and filling it with water and digging up worms. He loved the dirt!! And I totally agree with you, let them get dirty, let them play. Invest in a bottle of good stain remover and do those extra loads!!ReplyCancel

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  • Allison - My brother was a grass-stains kind of kid, and my mom learned to keep his “play clothes” (the ones that were already faded and torn) separate from his “school clothes.” She’d make him change when he got home from school before heading outside. That way, there was less pressure to get the grass stains out.ReplyCancel

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  • Sherry - Hi Jess! I love reading your blog. The photos of your boys in the corn fields make me worried. Is your farm organic? Chemical farming and cancer may be linked. 🙁ReplyCancel

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  • Jen - Hi Jess, your boys are so very adorable! I love all the pictures you post of them and was wondering what lens you used on your camera while taking these? I’m in the market for a new one and love how crisp yours come out! Thank you!! 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Brittin Olson - Haha I was just thinking I wonder if she ever got those khakis clean. If you did, share your secret!ReplyCancel

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  • Stefanie - I absolutely love these pictures!!! They are so cute playing together!ReplyCancel

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  • Kiley Buttacavoli - This is too precious! Remind me how far apart Levi and Griffin are? Seems like a great gap to be great playmates.ReplyCancel

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  • mud babies » The Macs - […] If you thought my last mud post was bad this is way worse. Stop reading now if you can’t handle […]ReplyCancel

Recently I was eating lunch with some friends and one of them asked me out of the blue, “What is your passion?”. I was a little caught off guard because, really…that is a huge question! What is my passion? What is the one thing that is driving my life right now? I thought I would be stumbling all over myself to answer but immediately the Lord brought to my mind something that He has laid on my heart. Something that He has been growing inside me since Cora died. A passion for His Word. Not just a passion to know His Word. But a passion to understand it and apply it to my life in a way that changes me. And I long to encourage others, especially moms, to do the same.
Don’t get me wrong. I struggle just like the rest of you. I would like to say that along with this passion has come a daily discipline to be in the Word and that I have never struggled since. I do struggle. Even just this past week I have been struggling again. I struggle to keep my time with the Lord a priority. I get selfish and lazy and allow other things to creep in and fill my time…things that definitely aren’t as important. I make excuses and listen to the excuses that others make for me. After all, I am a busy mom, right?! It is just about impossible to have any quiet time by myself, let alone time to study God’s Word. But really, I need God’s Word desperately. Especially as a busy mom. His Word is where I find joy and strength and purpose as I struggle to raise my kids and function on not enough sleep. I need His Word to guide me as I learn how to discipline my boys, and pray for them, and train them, and teach them about this God that I love with my whole heart.
While I still fail all the time, I get tired of hearing so many people make excuses for me…for moms. That it is just impossible to make time to study the Word at this stage in our lives. That reading a verse here and there and praying is good enough for now. I agree, some days it does seem nearly impossible to find any alone time. But somehow I manage to find time to do a lot of other things (you know, like instagram and reading blogs) that are far less important than filling my life with God’s Word. It seems like we are minimizing the power of God’s Word when we live out these excuses…myself included. Moms, we need the power of God’s Word in our lives.
Today at church our pastor taught from Nehemiah 8. Building on the Word of God was his theme. We have to hear the Word, respond to the Word, and apply to Word to our lives. Without the Word of God we can’t build anything that counts. I wrote down this quote from Dr. B.B. Warfield,
The Bible is the Word of God in such a way that when the Bible speaks, God speaks.
I love that. I want God to speak into my life and into the lives of my children. That won’t happen by wishful thinking or by just reading a random verse here and there. I need to be in the Word…reading God’s very words to me. And I need to allow His words to transform my life.
A good reminder for me as we plunge into these summer months.
What about you? Are you needing some accountability to be in God’s Word?
We are starting our online Bible study, The Promised One by Nancy Guthrie, this week. It is a study that has grown out of this passion that I have been talking about. A passion that I am so thankful that my friend Julie shares with me. So, will you join us? Grab a friend to do the study with you. There is still time to get your book. You can find it on Amazon here. You can find all the Bible study info here and here. The first week is mainly reading and discussion questions. We will dive into studying Genesis the second week.
If you are joining us you can grab our Bible study button that my friend Katy designed for us (thanks Katy!). I tried to figure the whole scroll box thing but I could only get this gray box to show up. Technology is not my passion. 😉 But I think you should be able to grab the button the same way by copying the html code in the gray box. I am so excited to study Genesis together this summer and be changed by God’s Word!
The Promised One at the Macs
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.jessmcclenahan.com/category/bible-study/" title="The Promised One at the Macs"><img src="https://jessmcclenahan.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto5/images/blank.gif" data-lazyload-src="https://jessmcclenahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/jessbutton.png" alt="The Promised One at the Macs" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
Posted in: bible study , nancy guthrie
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  • Mindy - Ordered my book today 🙂 looking forward to being in God’s word this summer.I find that I NEED that time with God,especially with 6 kiddos 😉 My days always go so much better.I am very excited about this and what God is going to do THROUGH this.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:55 pm

    Mindy-Yay! So glad you are joining us. Yes! My days always go better when spend time with Him and allow Him to direct my time too. You are a busy lady!! 🙂

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    • Jess - Mindy-Yay! So glad you are joining us. Yes! My days always go better when spend time with Him and allow Him to direct my time too. You are a busy lady!! 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Kimberly Dial - Jess, I had to laugh as I read your post. I got up this morning before the alarm went off and had every intention on having extra time with the Lord, in His Word. I made coffee (resisting the urge to unload the dishwasher … “No Kimberly. You need to get in The Word”), poured a cup, sat down … “I’ll put in that load of towels” … got back up & did that, checked on the dog I’d put outside earlier … sat back down and ended up on the computer instead of in the Bible (imagine that!). The reason I laugh is that, while yours is not the first blog on my reading list, it is the first one I clicked on and read … the title was thought provoking. Imagine my surprise! I’m getting off of here right now but I couldn’t before I thanked you for letting Him use you. My children are grown but now I’m a Nana to four grandgirlies (after raising two sons!) and I still need the influence of God’s Word in my life. Actually I believe in today’s world we all need it more than ever before. Thanks again sweet lady for sharing your passion. Have a great day!ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Kimberly-So thankful God used these words to encourage you to be in His Word today. Yes! We always need the influence of God’s Word in our lives, no matter what stage we are in. Thanks for sharing your heart!

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    • Jess - Kimberly-So thankful God used these words to encourage you to be in His Word today. Yes! We always need the influence of God’s Word in our lives, no matter what stage we are in. Thanks for sharing your heart!ReplyCancel

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  • Erika - Jessica, thank you so much for sharing. I, too, feel a deep need for the Word and struggle to be disciplined. And I do think that there is grace for different phases of life. But, yes, I GET TIRED OF PEOPLE MAKING EXCUSES FOR ME. I often feel that very same thing. Him and His Word will fill me more than any “me” time I can conjur up. I affirm your ideas here. Thank you!ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    Hi Erika! I think we all struggle with discipline if we are honest. Yes! I am so thankful for grace too. While our time in the Word will look different as we pass through different seasons, it will always be true that we desperately need His Word speaking into our lives. That means we need to be IN His Word, right? Thanks so much for leaving a comment and encouraging me too!

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    • Jess - Hi Erika! I think we all struggle with discipline if we are honest. Yes! I am so thankful for grace too. While our time in the Word will look different as we pass through different seasons, it will always be true that we desperately need His Word speaking into our lives. That means we need to be IN His Word, right? Thanks so much for leaving a comment and encouraging me too!ReplyCancel

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  • Jenae - I love this, Jess! I totally agree with your thoughts on needing to be in the Word (although I struggle MAJORLY with staying consistent). I once heard Kay Arthur say that she gets so tired of young moms saying they don’t have time for an in-depth Bible study. She said, “You don’t NOT have time…this is of eternal significance and very few things matter in comparison.” I need to keep this perspective daily when I am tempted to be doing a million other things instead.

    I also love that you mentioned Nehemiah…I just started Kelly Minter’s study on Nehemiah this week (after waiting far too long to get into the Word after our Community Bible Study ended).ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    Jenae-Hi, friend! So fun to see you at chick-fil-a. I love that quote from Kay Arthur. Thanks so much for sharing…I need to keep that daily perspective as well. I haven’t heard of Kelly Minter before. You will have to let me know how you like the study!

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    • Jess - Jenae-Hi, friend! So fun to see you at chick-fil-a. I love that quote from Kay Arthur. Thanks so much for sharing…I need to keep that daily perspective as well. I haven’t heard of Kelly Minter before. You will have to let me know how you like the study!ReplyCancel

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  • Erica G - Yes! I’m in! I’m really excited about this study. I thought I was too late, but I didn’t realize that there is a Kindle version. Yay for instantaneous transfer! I have not been in God’s Word much outside of church in many months. Life got crazy, but that is a terrible, terrible excuse. Thank you for this opportunity.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    Erica-Yes! The kindle option is so great. So glad you are joining us. Praying that your time in God’s Word will transform your life this summer. I know it will because God’s Word is living and active!

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    • Jess - Erica-Yes! The kindle option is so great. So glad you are joining us. Praying that your time in God’s Word will transform your life this summer. I know it will because God’s Word is living and active!ReplyCancel

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  • Denise - Oh Jess, that really is a great question. At about your age, I realized that I had been praying for my kids to have a passion for one thing. See, I am kind of a scattered person and have lots of interests. I thought if they could develop a passion for one thing and concentrate on that, their lives would be easier. I think God gave the insight that I had a passion for Him and therefore, I loved and took joy in the things He brought to my life. So, since then, I have prayed that our children would have a passion for their Creator, that they would fall deeply in love with Him and learn that He cherishes them, pursues them, and loves them even more than their dad and I do. So thankful for your heart and the passion that our amazing God has given you for him in his Word. May your Light continue to shine brightly!!ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Denise-Yes! So true and what a great thing to pray for your children. When we love Jesus and have a passion for Him, His passions become our own. I long to have passions that reflect our Creator!

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    • Jess - Denise-Yes! So true and what a great thing to pray for your children. When we love Jesus and have a passion for Him, His passions become our own. I long to have passions that reflect our Creator!ReplyCancel

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  • meg duerksen - im in.
    and that lunch has been bugging me for a week! my answer???
    i still don’t have a clear answer.
    i am working on it… with God.ReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    Megan-I keep checking my email for your answer! 😉 So glad you are joining us. I’ll be praying that God makes that answer very clear to you.

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    • Jess - Megan-I keep checking my email for your answer! 😉 So glad you are joining us. I’ll be praying that God makes that answer very clear to you.ReplyCancel

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  • Sunshine - I got my kindle copy yesterday! Cannot wait to start. SunshineReplyCancel

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    Jess Reply:
    June 13th, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    Sunshine-Yay! So glad you are joining us.

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