The Word

Scripture is - God’s Word. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 


Scripture also tells us that God’s Word is unchanging and truth itself. None of this “my truth, your truth” of today. But truth itself - Words we can stand firm on in an ever changing world. 


As we read John 1, we see that Jesus Himself is the Word of God. Jesus/the Word was with God from the very beginning. When God was creating the earth and all that is in it, the stars and planets… Jesus was there. All things were created through Him. 

Verse 14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” This is the Christmas story when God became Emmanuel, God with us. Check out Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 to read more details about the birth of Jesus. 

Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”


So as we walk through John and dig deeper in our re:gen books, let’s rest in the truth that our faith grows as we hear and sit with the Word of God. 

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing,, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Scripture tells us that God’s Word never returns void, but it accomplishes His purposes. So whether we feel it or not, God’s Word is active in us and our faith is transforming when we sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to the Word.


Look up scriptures using Google or a Bible app. Search “scriptures about God’s Word.” Pray through those this week as we begin our study on John, and be ready to watch God’s faithfulness. 


I’ll close by praying over Ps 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”


What Are You Seeking?

In John chapter 1, verses 35-42, we see the interaction between two of John the Baptist’s disciples with Jesus. As the two men were following Jesus, Jesus turned to them and asked, “What are you seeking?”

“What are you seeking?” That’s a question I often ask myself. What is my heart desiring and my mind chasing after? What are my deepest longings or the fears or thought patterns driving those longings? What am I seeking?

Sometimes before I can figure out what I’m seeking, I first have to ask myself what state my own soul is in - deep within me, what’s stirring in my own heart and mind. 

What is the State of Your Soul?

Rested Weary Whole

Lost Wanting Thirsty/Hungry

Peaceful Tired Wandering

Delighting Broken Abandoned

Content Dissatisfied Busy

Distracted Forgotten/unseen Healthy

Engaged Wounded Hopeful

Hopeless Unsettled Trusting

Joyful Known Flourishing

Daring Disillusioned Encouraged

Discouraged Seeking Agitated

Free Numb Thankful

Apathetic Confused Fragile

Anxious Fearful Hurting

Grieving Fulfilled Overwhelmed

Alive Connected Isolated

Nourished Loved Wondering

What other words or images would you use to describe the state of your soul right now?





Once I know where I’m at, I can then better start to see what it is I’m seeking. Sit with the Lord and talk to Him about where you are, and what you are seeking. Remember there’s no shame or condemnation in Christ Jesus. We are free to be completely honest with the Lord, even if what we seek isn’t very pretty or ‘ideal’. Ask Jesus to begin to show you how to view this through His eyes. 

John 1:38-39, after the two men tell Jesus what they are seeking, Jesus tells them, “Come and you will see.” Jesus invites us to come and follow Him. And as we follow Him, watch Him (learn who He is and what He does in Scripture and in other’s lives and our own), talk to Him and listen to Him, He gives us eyes to see. Through the years, God has sometimes redirected my longings, or revealed to me a stronghold or struggle which affects what I’m seeking. But 100% of the time, the Lord has been true to His word when He says to me, “Come and you will see.”


______________________________


“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” ~Matthew 7:7-11~


“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek Me with all your heart.” 

~Jeremiah 29:11-13~


“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33~


“And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” ~Psalm 9:10~


“I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently, find Me.” ~Proverbs 8:17~


“Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!” ~1 Chronicles 16:11~

Click here for an easy print version.

The Good News - A Scriptural Study for Families of All Ages

This Lent, our family is walking through Lent using The Good News - A Scriptural Study for Families of All Ages that I put together a few years ago. It’s been on my heart to recreate this in a more user-friendly format and share with others. I have adapted it to be used at any time throughout the year, not just Lent. Inside, you will see that I have left room on each page for any artwork or word-art that you and your family might want to do as you walk through the Scriptures together.

My prayer is that these truths fill your souls and homes with the love, joy and peace of Jesus.

Making Room For God

In Seven Realities for Experiencing God, Henry and Richard Blackaby write, “When Almighty God encounters a life, it’s always a time of rejoicing and expectation for the future. Isaiah described this experience as similar to that of a child born to a previously barren woman. (Isaiah 54:2) The child’s arrival changes everything. Whereas the dwelling place might have been large enough for two, it must now be made bigger. The child’s presence causes the parents to completely rearrange the way they’e been living. Isaiah proclaimed that when God comes, you must make room for Him in your life. You must ‘enlarge the place of your tent’ because God’s presence will add new dimensions to your life, your family, and your church. You don’t simply add Christ to your busy life and carry on with business as usual. When Christ is your Lord, everything changes.”

How has God’s presence changed your life?

How are you making room for God?

"The offerings we give to God reveal the condition of our heart. A heart that overflows with gratitude for God’s love responds in selfless devotion. If we’re unwilling to sacrifice our time, our possessions, our money, or our energy, we indicate that we don’t fully love God… Trust Him and give Him the best you have because you love Him with all your heart… God won’t lead you beyond your present level of trust and obedience to Him. He will return you to your area of unfaithfulness until you’re prepared to trust Him.”

Questions to Ponder - Part 1

As you go through this week, find some quiet spaces to sit with at least one of these questions. What could God be trying to whisper to your heart? Where there is thirst and hunger, curiosity and questions, great joy, sadness, anger, peace, and even in the mundane - God is there calling out to us in the midst of it all.

  • If you imagine your life with God as a picture, what would that picture look like? Where are you? Where is God? What else is happening in the picture?

  • If you imagine your life with God as a season, would you be walking with Him through spring, summer, fall or winter? What makes you feel this way?

  • When are you most aware of God’s presence and His truths throughout your day? How do you typically respond to this awareness?

  • When are you least aware of God’s presence and His truths throughout your day?