Ephesians 1:7-10

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:7-10)

Monday, June 22

Go Into the World



Over the past several weeks, we have gone over ways that you can expand your daily Bible study time to deepen your walk with God.  Today, as we wrap up this series, I’d like to give you some practical ways to make yourself more mobile in your Bible studies and what you then do with your greater knowledge and deeper faith.


And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”  (Matthew 28:18-20a)



Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.  (1 Peter 3:13-17)



Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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.  (2 Timothy 3:12-17)


So what are we to do?

We are to go and make disciples (followers of Jesus not just converts).  We are to study and stand firm on God’s Word which has been given to us in the Bible — all of the Bible.  We are to be able to talk about our faith and live our faith.  We are to be honorable and respectable, even though others may slander us because they do not understand why we do what we do.  We are to be prepared to encounter persecution for living how we live and believing what we believe.

So let’s be prepared to go out into the world!  There are some great resources that are available to take with you on the go, but first let me tell you about one of the ways that I make my Bible study time portable.  I have my Bible-go-bag.  In it has:
  • my Bible
  • a small Bible I highlight or write in (I don’t like having my main Bible all marked up because it becomes to distracting and also because I don’t just have one Bible to read anymore, see below the “On the Go Resources”)
  • my hymn book
  • colored pencils, the woodless twist kind
  • pens, one specific for writing in my small Bible and a regular pen
  • some extra paper

And like I mentioned earlier, there are some great resources that are very portable nowadays thanks to smart phones and tablets.

On the Go resources
  • Bible apps for tablets, smart phones, and computers.  ESV has one for both iOS and Android.
  • John MacArthur’s Grace to You website and corresponding app has sermons and blog series.
  • Answers in Genesis Website (and app that isn’t so great) has not only creationist articles, but they post up many general theology articles from other theologians that you can search on their website.
  • e-Sword has many translations and Strong’s concordance.  I have the free version for the computer but there is also a paid app on iOS (I do not have that so I cannot speak to how good the app is).

 I hope you have enjoyed this blog series and that you have been challenged to be more purposeful in your daily Bible study time.  If you have any comments or suggestions on good resources, please let me know in the comments!

through His grace alone!
Sarah

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