Archives for April 2009

Something New (And Better) For Your iPod!

April 11, 2009 1 Comment

mm1If you’re like me, you love good, clean, positive music, and whenever you find it, you listen to it over and over. But, like any song you really like, it eventually gets over-played. I’m always looking for new music that a young person in Christ can enjoy. However, I found something on iTunes that’s better than any song I’ve ever heard and it’s free!

The Memphis School of Preaching is one of the strongest Christian schools for young preachers that I have ever had the privilege to visit. (A friend of mine attended a training program last summer and I got to visit.) The men who work there are more dedicated to teaching the young men who go to school there than any other staff I have ever seen anywhere. I know that the students are able to get sound teachings of God’s Word, and I know they gain an in-depth understanding of it, as well.

Recently I visited their website and found podcasts! On iTunes, MSOP has 94 lectures available to download to your iPod (again–for free!). I only downloaded about fifteen to start out with; I’ve listened to three so far, each of which has been eye-opening, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and completely and solidly based on God’s Word. If you have the time (and an iPod)–especially if you are a young person looking for something worthwhile to listen to on your iPod–I strongly recommend you check out the lectures available. I promise you, you won’t be let down.

To download if you already have iTunes:

mm2-go to http://www.msop.org/
-click on “Podcasts” on the left-hand side near the bottom
-click on the “Click Here” beside “Already an iTunes user?”
-choose which ones to download!

If that doesn’t work, you can always:

-open the iTunes store on your computer
-type in “Memphis School of Preaching podcasts”
-click on the logo that appears at the top of your iTunes window
-choose what to download!

By Hannah Smith

Filed Under: Media Matters

Caringly Created

April 10, 2009 Leave a Comment

gg12Caring for God’s creation also involves caring for each other. This month we are going to learn how to sew several items that will bring comfort to people and demonstrate our love for them by using or discovering our own gifts (1 Peter 4:10). These service projects make both those receiving and those giving feel good! It can often lift our spirits when we focus on other peoples’ needs instead of just our own.

These items will be made with a sewing machine and involves very little money. We will be making stuffed bears for children in hospitals (or anywhere), and bibs and lap blankets for elderly people in nursing homes. Several congregations in my area make the bears and donate them to the local children’s hospital. They bring comfort to the little children in the emergency room or those who have longer stays in the hospital.

Getting Started

One idea is to get together with some of your girlfriends and make these items as a girls’ night activity. Meet at the friend’s house––preferably one who owns a sewing machine, or someone else needs to bring one––and get a production line going. Someone can cut out the patterns, another can sew, and others can stuff the bears, if that is your project. You could also do one or more of these projects with your mom or grandma, a sibling, or by yourself since none of them are difficult.

My sister’s congregation made the bibs and blankets for the elderly in the nursing homes. The bibs help the men’s and women’s clothes to stay clean while they eat. Sometimes as people age, they get cold easily, so the lap blankets that tie onto their wheelchairs are very helpful. The bibs are easily made out of new bathroom hand towels. The towels that I purchased were only $2.50 at the neighborhood superstore. The lap blankets are made out of cotton material.

The little bears can be made out of fabric remnants that you may have at home––any material can be used, but cotton works best. I have used fluffy material before, which makes really cute bears. I suggest avoiding silky material as it is difficult to work with.

Project materials and instructions
(Click on photos to enlarge images)

gg7Material needed for the bears:

Bear Pattern
Two square pieces of material, 12 inches x 12 inches
Small pieces of felt to make eyes, nose, and tongue (you can also draw them on with permanent markers)
Ribbon, optional for hair bow or neck tie
Stuffing (Polyester Fiberfill)
Thread to match the materials used
Straight pins and a sewing needle

Instructions:

Pin the bear pattern onto two pieces of material, wrong sides together. Cut out around the pattern. Cut out eyes, nose, and tongue from the felt material. Sew the colored part of the eye to the white of the eye. Sew the tongue and nose onto a rounded, triangle shaped piece of felt. Then sew all facial parts onto the face of the bear. For safety reasons, I recommend sewing them on securely and not using buttons or anything that a small child could choke on if it fell off. Make a small bow out of the ribbon and secure by hand- sewing it onto the bear.

With right sides together, machine stitch around the edges of the bear, leaving part of the outside of one leg not sewn so that you can stuff it. Turn right-side out, and using an eraser end of a pencil, stuff with the Polyester Fiberfill. Then hand stitch the opening.

gg5Material needed for bibs:

1 new hand towel
bias tape
thread to match
Velcro

Instructions:

Cut a deep circle from one end of the towel, being sure to keep the two ends large enough to attach the Velcro (see picture). Pin bias tape to area just cut. Machine stitch in place. Sew Velcro onto the loose ends, making certain to put the Velcro on opposite sides so it will fasten easily.

gg10Material needed for lap blankets:

2 pieces of material, 1 yard x 1 yard; can be a different color or pattern on each side
thread
yarn – optional

Instructions:

Put the right sides together and machine stitch all 4 sides of material, leaving an opening to turn it right-side out. After turning it right-side out, press with iron, making sure that the seam is turned inward. Machine stitch, width of presser foot, from seam edge. Press again.

Optional: Throughout the blanket, pull pieces of coordinating yarn through with a large sewing needle, tying ends on just one side of the blanket (you will want to do this especially if you make a patchwork blanket). Sew a piece of material or yarn to one end of the blanket so it can be attached to a wheelchair.

A pretty, alternative way to make a blanket is to make it a patchwork blanket on one side. Just cut out whatever size squares you want, and sew them together; proceed as above. You will tie the yarn to each edge of the squares.

If you can’t sew…

These are really simple projects that can make a big difference to someone. And don’t worry if you don’t have a sewing machine––you could make a no-sew tie blanket. Check your local Jo-Anns or other sewing/craft store for kits, or ask an employee for help.

This month, let’s focus on caring for God’s creation––specifically the sick and elderly. No matter how young or old, sick or healthy we are, we all appreciate thoughtful things others do for us. Let’s lovingly give to the ones He loves so much who are often unable to give back (Matthew 25:34-46).

By Carol Gartman

Gifted Girls is featuring cooking next month, so please send recipes or photos of baked goods to Info @ PierceMyHeart .com (remove spaces) by April 28 for use in next month’s article.

Filed Under: Gifted Girls

April 2009 Desktop Image

April 9, 2009 Leave a Comment

If you’d like to have our theme image on your desktop this month, simply click on “standard” or “wide-screen” underneath the photo, then right click on the image and select “set as background.”  Note: laptops are generally wide-screen, and desktops are usually standard images.

Pierce my heart to care for Your creation, Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen…”

desktopapr09thumbnail

April 2009, Edited by Davonne Parks – Standard or Wide-screen

Filed Under: Desktop Delight

True Sacrifice

April 8, 2009 Leave a Comment

jft6“But [King David] replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’” 2 Samuel 24:24

True sacrifice. What is it? The above verse, one that I only recently discovered, is one that most often sticks out to me in Scripture when I think of sacrifice. In the context of chapter 24, King David, the man after God’s own heart, goes to Araunah to buy his threshing floor to build an altar to God. However, Araunah offers King David whatever he wants for free. This is when David states the above quote.

How often do we really sacrifice something to God? Many times I think that I’m sacrificing something for Him, or for time with Him, when in reality, it costs me nothing to do it. I think it’s important for us to remember that true sacrifice costs us. When the Israelites sacrificed in the Old Testament, they did so of the best of their flocks. One of the greatest tests of sacrifice was when Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his only son. “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love…. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about’” (Gen. 22:2). Now that is a cost to think about! And, of course, God Himself made the greatest sacrifice so that we might be redeemed to Him. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

I challenge you to think about the cost of spending time with Him and serving and obeying Him. Although I hope we ultimately enjoy serving and obeying Him, He never told us it would be easy. On the contrary, He said that we would often be persecuted and hated for it “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matt. 24:9). Let us all pray that God will work in our hearts to desire to give Him the best we have to offer, whatever the cost.

By Lisa Grimenstein

Filed Under: Just for Today

Strength

April 7, 2009 Leave a Comment

ts2For the topic for this month I decided on something that is very personal and close to my own heart. I decided to talk about the month of April. To you this may just be another month in the year. But to me it is so much more. No, my birthday isn’t this month and there are no special holidays, yet it is still incredibly important to me. The reason I love this month so much is because it is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Every day I will put on a small blue ribbon that represents my pain and my freedom. As a little girl I was abused by my father, and that is my pain; but as a growing Christian woman I have been given my freedom. There are a lot of approaches that I could take when talking about this subject, but what I’d like to do is encourage you and show by example that good can come from evil if you ask God for direction.

Today I am part of a strong, confident, and God-centered family, but we didn’t come this far on our own. It was my mother’s unbelievable strength and faith in God that helped us through. Mama never once questioned us when we first told her what was going on; she trusted us and immediately got the three of us out of that situation. Every now and then I will try to imagine how she must have felt during those difficult times. I imagine fear, confusion, anger, and hopelessness, but when I ask her what it was like she rarely mentions those emotions. She tells me with honesty that yes, sometimes she felt some of those feelings, but she was never hopeless. Instead, she drew strength and comfort from her family and her faith in God, and without their help we would not have been able to get through it all.

ts1Mama passed her strength and wisdom on to her children, and we were able to grow up and have a relationship with Christ despite our past. She taught us that we had nothing to be ashamed of and that we should never, even for a second, think that we deserved to be abused. Our past was something that was always open for discussion, not something we should hide. She helped us see that God loves us and never wanted that evil to happen to His innocent children (Matt. 18:6).

If it wasn’t for my family and their faith in God I probably wouldn’t be writing this article for you today. It is likely that I would have become the typical statistic of an abuse victim. Possibly acting out or running away and doing many things wrong. It wasn’t by luck that I became the content Christian I am today but by God’s grace and healing. It was a daily effort to reassure myself of God’s unfailing love. There was a time, not long ago, when I was constantly angry and confused about everything. I had issues trusting and seemed to doubt others’ sincerity. But one day I came upon a great chapter of the Bible that began my transformation. It changed how I saw my relationship with God and caused me to start trusting Him and looking for His permanent place in my life. Psalm 34 is the chapter that I so fondly remember.

ts3I will not include the chapter in its entirety, but will instead share my favorite verses. “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (4). “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him” (8). “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (18). These three verses are just highlights of the chapter and I sincerely urge you to read the rest of this chapter. It was so amazing the think of God as an everlasting shoulder to lean on. He allows us to give Him our burdens (Matt. 11:28). This was a turning point in my life and made me seeing everyone and everything differently. It didn’t cause me to automatically stop fearing life but it gave me the courage to begin to live. It gave me the courage to look at myself as someone deserving of love.

I hope those words touch your heart and help you to feel loved by God and know you are special in His eyes; after all, the good news is for all of us (Matt. 28:18-20). Those were the words I needed to hear to make me truly understand that God loved me. He doesn’t think I’m ugly, but beautiful. He desires my obedience as well as my happiness. I am His child and He is my Father. There are still times that I cry because of the pain I feel inside but it’s okay because now I know God is by my side. He is with me always (Matt. 28:20). I hope you realize that God wants you to feel the same way and that if you have not begun the right relationship with Him that He will pierce your heart. There is no greater comfort in this world than to know that you can always draw strength from God!

By Shelby Garrett

Filed Under: Tough Stuff

Flirting: Innocent or Not?

April 6, 2009 Leave a Comment

aag1I have a lot of guy friends. We hang out and flirt with each other a lot, even though we’re not dating. One of my friends said that I’m tempting and leading them on. I think we’re just having innocent fun. Who is right?

Coming from a guy’s perspective, you very easily could be turning your guy friends on and sending them the wrong messages. Guys are very visual and respond to touch very easily. In fact, I think guys, as myself, respond to touch much like girls do. For example, if one of your guy friends frequently gave you back massages, you might be likely to want to be closer to him in all the wrong ways. It is very similar with guys when you give them the attention they might be needing and the sensual or sexual touch they might be desiring, even though you think it is innocent and playful. For example, sitting in his lap would definitely be a bad idea, as well as frontal hugging.

You should never let your body get too close, intimately, to another guy’s body. You should keep it pure until marriage, no matter what the cost, even if it means going against your feelings and controlling your flirting and playing. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Self-control is very important here. Whatever you’re thinking may not always be the right thing or the pure thing to do. Think of what pleases God. Pray for discernment. If you think there is any chance your actions or comments could be sending your guy friends the wrong messages or introducing impure thoughts, they probably are. Paul says in I Corinthians 10:32: “Do not cause anyone to stumble.” Therefore, you should control your feelings and spontaneous actions. Think before you act. Consider how much control you have over guys’ thoughts, and keep God’s word in mind when it comes to your behavior with the opposite sex.

It’s fine to have close guy friends who you can have fun with, but remember that your actions and decisions not only affect you but others as well.

By Adam Grimenstein

Filed Under: Ask a Guy

Caring for a Friend

April 5, 2009 Leave a Comment

friends2Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” We are told that from the beginning of creation, God intended for us to rule over and care for the animals He created. The creatures we’ve learned to love ever since we were young are not just family, they are a part of God’s creation. There are many things you learn from caring for animals, such as responsibility and friendship. They require you to take care of them in feeding, watering, and playing with them on a daily basis. Pets bring warmth and joy to their owners, and can also comfort during the trying times we all come across.

Responsibilities in having a pet

As the owner of an animal, your job is to make sure your pet has the security, comfort, and love it needs. Like people, animals need to be supplied with food and water daily. Though you may not always have time to pay extra attention to them, you can still be a good owner and feed and water them. When training animals to do what you want them to do, you need to be very patient with them. They will most likely not use the bathroom where you want them to, and they may chew on your favorite pair of shoes (so don’t leave important items where an animal can get to them!), but be patient, because with hard work and dedication, your pet will eventually learn how to act.

If you’re trying to decide on a type of pet to fit your lifestyle, do some research (before committing!) about the kind of animal you’re thinking about owning, and be sure to receive your parents’ permission if you’re still living at home.

Ups and downs of having a pet

Pets can be very delightful to have, but they still have their downfalls, such as having to clean up after them every time they make a mess, or having to take them outside 3 or 4 times a day. But there are often many more upsides than downsides to having a pet. When you first get a pet you may think you can handle the responsibility, but after having them awhile, you may get used to them being there and forget to feed them, take them out, or play with them. They will soon realize they are not getting the attention they want and they’ll start acting out––chewing stuff up again or using the house instead of the yard as a bathroom.

Companionship

friends1Your pet can be your best friend. They often know when you’re sad, sick, or happy, and they’ll react to however you feel. I, myself, have a dog that will be two on June 11th; to me, she is a great friend. When she was only three months old she became sick with parvo, and I fought long and hard to nurse her back to health; it took me three weeks of non-stop care. Several weeks later, when I had the flu, she comforted me, slept beside me, cuddled with me, and, of course, licked me every chance she got. It meant so much to me that she was right there beside me. It’s times like those when you realize how much your pets really mean to you.

Ways you can help

Many people think that they need to own an animal to help an animal. However, there are a variety of ways you can help, from volunteering at an animal shelter to picking up an animal on the side of the road and taking it to a shelter. Don’t know where to go or what to do to volunteer to help? Visit the Humane Society or Charity Guide for more information.

God put animals on this earth as a special part of His creation; however, people often abuse and neglect them. Be a friend to animals by caring for your own or volunteering to care for ones who have been forgotten.

Michelle Jane

Filed Under: Friends

Organic Cleaning Supplies

April 4, 2009 2 Comments

jft2Since this month’s theme is about caring for God’s creation, I thought I’d mention organic cleaning supplies. Whether you’re cleaning the kitchen for your mom, or scrubbing the bathroom in your dorm, you can help care for the earth, and your lungs, by using a few environmentally friendly cleaning products. Organic cleaners can be purchased at most stores, but since they tend to be expensive, I’ll include links to recipes for homemade products.

The Money Saving Mom has a great article about homemade cleaning supplies, including information, recipes, and links. Care 2 has recipes for glass cleaner, furniture polish, and more. Pioneer Thinking describes how to clean ovens, cobwebs, carpet, and hairbrushes with homemade supplies.

If you’re going to use homemade cleaning products, you may want to make your job more fun by putting your most used item in a pretty bottle! You can either make one yourself (along with a pretty cleaning rag), or purchase one.

Even if you just trade one normal cleaning product for homemade (such as using Club Soda instead of Windex), you’ll be doing something to help the environment. So roll up your sleeves, make a product, and get to work so you can enjoy an organically clean home!

By Davonne Parks

Filed Under: Just for Today

Caring for His Creation

April 3, 2009 1 Comment

devo1April is here! This is the month we see flowers bloom, feel the temperature warm up, and enjoy being outside again. We may have picnics with our church family, play ball with our friends from school, or just take a walk. This month we are focusing on, “Pierce my heart to care for Your creation.” Romans 1:20 states, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen…” Where do we see His creations? Everywhere! In fact, a few were just mentioned: nature, our church family, and our friends. Let’s talk about some things He has created, and how we can better care for them.

Nature

Probably the most obvious of His creations is…nature! The very first Scripture in the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” He made the earth we live on, as well as the stars and planets above us. You can read in all of Genesis 1 about how God created the whole earth and everything on it––by simply speaking it into existence; that is a wonderful example of His “eternal power”!

If you have ever taken a trip to the mountains, the beach, or a canyon, it is easy to see God’s power in creating these beautiful places. Even in our hometowns there are places of much beauty and serenity. Cities often have lush gardens to visit or landscaped parks to play in and enjoy. You can see God’s beauty in rays from the sun beaming on gently rolling hills, and lovely wildflowers while driving through small-town countrysides.

Having these blessings in nature are wonderful, but what if we do not take care of them? When people begin to throw trash out of their cars, stop caring for the parks, and forget about our places of peace in nature, we will lose that beauty in our lives. But, we can help! If you live near a park or garden, volunteer to help plant flowers, trees, or shrubs. Pick up the trash you see on your walks in the park. If you live in a smaller town, get a group of friends and clean up a road during the weekend. Or, pick a place in town and ask if you can plant flowers! There are many simple, easy ways to care for the spectacular nature God allows us to find joy in. Let’s take care of these places to show God we appreciate them!

People

devo2Often when we think about God’s creations, we forget about people! In the latter part of Genesis 1, God created man (male and female). We know that God loves man (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9,19), and does not want any to perish in the end. However, we know few follow the narrow path, and not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter that eternal kingdom (Matt. 7:13–14, 21–23). So how can we care for people, whom God created? First of all, we can simply be kind (Ephesians 4:32; Galatians 6:10).

When our actions toward others are kind, caring, helpful, and loving, people will recognize there is something different about us––we are the people of God! (John 13:35). When others trust us, they may be more willing to listen when we tell them about God! Share with people the love of God, and study with them about the salvation He offers, so that they might ultimately be with God one day! As young women, we are in a position to study the Bible with our girl friends. Have a girls’ night, watch a clean movie, make snacks, and study the Bible! By caring for people who do not know God, we are doing what He has commanded––sharing Him with others! (Mark 16:15).

The church

After we become a Christian, we also become a member of Christ’s church. Our church family is a huge blessing from God! In Acts 2:42–47, we read about the fellowship of the early church. They would pray together, eat together, praise God together, worship together…they were just glad to be with one another! We should love the church in the same way. How can we care for the church? Encourage one another (1 Corinthians 15:58; Hebrews 10:24–25; Ecclesiastes 4:10). Pray for one another (James 5:16). And, just as you read in the paragraph above, it is wonderful to be kind and helpful. It is truly a divine blessing that we have the church as a family, and we should care for it continuously.

Taking Action

Caring for our physical world, the people in it, and our church family may seem like a big responsibility at first glance. But with so many little ways to help, Christians can make an enormous impact by working together!  I want to encourage you to ask God to help you see the opportunities you have to care for everything and everyone around you, and how you can let God’s love shine through you each day! Let’s never forget every blessing is from above (James 1:17) and we must care for the blessings He has so lovingly and willingly allowed us to enjoy during our time here on this earth.

By Hannah Smith

Filed Under: Devotionals

Lord of All Creation

April 2, 2009 Leave a Comment

dbr2Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen…”

This month, our daily study will be packed Scripture demonstrating and confirming God’s sovereignty over His creation. It is easy to forget that we are such a small part of His creation, and yet He knows everything about us and cares as much for each individual as He does another. Luke 12:7: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Psalms is overflowing with praise and acknowledgement that God is Lord over all creation. Not only that, but this book contains many songs that use nature and creation when glorifying Him. “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep” (Ps. 36:5–6). While many of the Psalms remind us of what a small, temporary part of creation we are (Ps. 37:20), it also reminds us of how important we are to God (Ps. 37:7), telling us to wait patiently on Him to carry out His sovereign will for us. Psalm 46 encourages us that we don’t need to fear, even in troubling times (vs. 1–3). “How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! . . . for the kings of the earth belong to God” (Ps. 47:2, 9b). There is a bigger picture, and God already knows it all!

This month’s Old Testament reading is abundant in men who acknowledged God as Lord over their lives––sometimes in the midst of the most difficult trials and pain. Job was such a man of integrity, refusing to curse God, even in the middle of unbearable pain and torment, and very unsupportive friends. It amazes me that even though we know from the first few verses of Job that he is being used by God as an incredible example to Satan, Job himself does not know it! And still he remains faithful to God! Job 27:3–6: “as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit. I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.”

Jeremiah is another Old Testament character who is forced to rely on God’s authority amid trials. “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer. 27:3–6).

dbr3One of our more well-known Bible characters, David, enters our reading this month––a man after God’s own heart. From fighting a giant (1 Sam. 17) to running for his life from a jealous king, he continually relied on God and inquired of the Lord. Not only that, but he gives God the glory, instead of trying to take it for himself. 1 Samuel 17:46: “ ‘…and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.’”

Moses was a man who also chose to follow God’s will for his life, giving up his place in the Egyptian palace to wander and lead a group of people through the wilderness. Not only that, but he was up against someone who had no regard for the God of Israel––Pharaoh. But even though Pharaoh did not consider God’s power and authority “Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go’” (Ex. 5:2), God was still sovereign––even over Pharaoh’s own heart! It is mentioned numerous times in Exodus that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 7:3–4; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10). He is sovereign even over those who disobey Him and show Him no regard. God’s purpose? “That [He] might show [us His] power and that [His] name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Ex. 9:16).

Of course, the New Testament is also filled with God’s sovereignty, often demonstrated by His Son. Mark writes of many miracles that Jesus performed, all showing His power and authority. Paul tells us in Corinthians that we have access to this incredible power through the Holy Spirit. “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3). It is awesome to consider that even though we are not walking around on earth with Jesus, we could not be any closer to Him, as believers, because of His gift of the Holy Spirit living in us.

As you read through this month’s study, I encourage you to meditate on God’s sovereignty over His creation. He is ultimately in control of everything, and nothing can surprise Him or catch Him off-guard. He is able to make all things work for good (Romans 8:28), and He has a plan for all of it, and for all of us. Pray that His plan for you will be revealed in your life and that you will be open to it.

By Lisa Grimenstein

Suggested Reading for April

dbr1APR 1 Ps 36-38
APR 2 Job 25-26
APR 3 Jer 1-6
APR 4 Mark 5-6
APR 5 1 Cor 11-12
APR 6 Ex 1-4
APR 7 1 Sam 16-20
APR 8 Ps 39-41
APR 9 Job 27-28
APR 10 Jer 7-11
APR 11 Mark 7-8
APR 12 1 Cor 13-14
APR 13 Ex 5-8
APR 14 1 Sam 21-25
APR 15 Ps 42-44
APR 16 Job 29-30
APR 17 Jer 12-16
APR 18 Mark 9-10
APR 19 1 Cor 15-16
APR 20 Ex 9-12
APR 21 1 Sam 26-31
APR 22 Ps 45-47
APR 23 Job 31-32
APR 24 Jer 17-21
APR 25 Mark 11-12
APR 26 2 Cor 1-3
APR 27 Ex 13-16
APR 28 2 Sam 1-4
APR 29 Ps 48-50
APR 30 Job 33-34

This year’s Bible reading plan was borrowed from BibleReading.com.  (To correspond with the 2009 year, we have included actual dates for your referral. You may choose to use the above site, instead.)

Filed Under: Daily Bible Reading
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