Be An "MVP"!!!

Well....I've read. All year. I blogged. NOT all year...sorry folks. It just didn't happen. When the kids get up at 6:00am, it got to hard to do this BEFORE they got up. And then JJ to school and ...excuses, I know!! :)

But at least we were still reading. Every book, every chapter and every verse! HOW cool is that?! Not many people can say they've read the Bible cover to cover. Didn't read it for the "mileage" read it for the discipline. It was good!!!

On to other projects....hum.....how about memorizing scripture this year?! I think so. I'm writing a Bible study on HOW to read the Bible. When I finish the little worksheets, I'll try and upload them here. I start teaching it at church on the 17th. But....one of the components of the Bible study is memorizing scripture with a partner....an "MVP" if you will....Memory Verse Partner! :)

So.....Beth Moore did this last year on her blog and I thought I'd take the idea and do it myself this year. She didn't call it "MVP's" .....that's my twist! :)

But!! If you want to be an MVP(Memory Verse Partner) this year let's do it this way......

This is from Beth's blog--

Commit to memorize (or seriously meditate on) 2 Scriptures a month. See? Very, very do-able! Doesn't seem like much at first but imagine that, in exactly one year, you'll have memorized 24 new Scriptures! That, my dear sister, is a feat. The reason why I threw in the parenthetical "or seriously meditate on" part is this: a number of people have told me through the years - especially those in their 50s, 60s, and 70s or those of any age with chronic ADD - that they just can't memorize. OK, so meditate! Listen, the whole purpose of the process is to take our minds captive to the knowledge of Christ and demolish strongholds or nip potential ones in the proverbial bud. As long as those Scriptures are rolling around in your head, your mind is being held captive to Christ-centered thoughts and led away from destructive or carnal thoughts whether or not you're getting the words in the exact right order. At least three huge things happen when we memorize: our brains are bathed. Our brains are sharpened. Our ammunition is loaded.

Step Two:

Sign up on this post with your name and the city where you live. Really give it some serious thought before you jump on here and sign right up. Let's pull together a group that makes it all the way to next December! Do you really want to do this all year long? Will you commit to hang with it? Then sign up, you darlin' thing!

Step Three:

Watch for posts on the 1st and 15th of every month where I'll ask you to turn in the Scripture you're feeling led to memorize. (You'll write it all the way out in the version of your choice and put the reference with it because one of your Siestas might read it and want to memorize it next.) This is an important part of our process! We're NOT going to memorize the same Scriptures. I've learned through the years that we have the most victory with the verses that we each need most. Ask God to give you what He wants to prioritize for you this year then listen carefully through your quiet times, your Bible studies and your pastor's sermons for verses that really resonate with you or that you know you really need. He'll highlight one of those in your heart. Choose it with confidence. You'll most easily memorize what means most to you.

*To get started first: Buy a brand new set of index cards with a spiral that is only for this Scripture memory plan. I got mine at walmart...I bought the smaller one...fits in my purse! You'll need to have it by New Year's Day so that you can write your first verse in it. Keep it with you A LOT. The car is a really great place to practice your Scriptures. Also be sure to get them out and say them every time you're feeling tempted to obsessive thoughts. You will be amazed at the impact God's Word will have on your thoughts. This right here, Girlfriends, is how we learn to wield the Sword of the Spirit.

*Watch your prayer life change. Check out John 15:7-8. The more God's Word abides in us, the more the mind of Christ is developed in us. The end result will be that we will pray more and more of God's will and get more and more of what we've asked. Do not think for a moment that praying in the will of God narrows your requests. It blows them wide open! Ask Him in this Jesus-year to explode your effectiveness in prayer then watch it happen.

*Have fun with it! Scripture memory is some work but it's also really fun. Especially if we do it together!! Anybody game?

Soooooo....to learn HOW to memorize scripture, Beth did a tutorial video about HOW to do this and she's just so precious...you have to watch it. She uses the acronym R.E.N.E.W.

There are a couple of short videos that she made and posted on her blog.

Click here Tutorial videos to see them.

Now then.......go get your spiral cards! ASAP! Listen to a Word from the Lord about which Scripture you need to start with and write it out...on your cards AND on here!!!!

Check tomorrow for my first Scriptures that I'll memorize. :)

Grace & Peace!! Happy New Year!!!!!

Christ Bell

This was in our Choir Newsletter. Thought it was neat. I hadn't ever seen this!

Peace & Grace!

THE BELL
I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with hrist in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 B )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col: 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph : 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
Who you are!?

"Deeper Still" Bible Study Notes

OMS!!! That was all I could think.....OH MY STARS!!! I just knew that I was sitting close enough to the stage that Beth would just tell me HI! :) Just knowing that I could see Beth Moore in the flesh, and in person...cute clothes, hair, nails and tan....I was in awe...forget the Word I was about to learn and receive from the Lord....I was awestruck to chills and tears to SEE Beth Moore! And I have come to love Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer even more! But, still, when I grow up....I wanna be my own version of Beth Moore! :) DO IT LORD!! :)

Just wanted to process the weekend a little more...let it all sink in "deeper still" into my heart and soul....thought I'd just type out my notes and share them. Thank you sweet Kristi for listening to me talk all morning and read YOU my notes!! You are the best!! Thank you Jamie for being there with me. Could not have cried, giggle or laughed harder! And thank you to my sweet husband who took care of kids so I could go! I love you!!!

You can just "observe" or you can "enter in." Life is heavy, heavy, heavy...when you "enter in" you have nothing to lose....but the heavy, heavy, heavy.

Songs: Travis Cottrel was the worship leader!! WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! iTunes, my friends...iTunes!

"Great is thy Faithfulness"

"come running to the mercy seat....have mercy on me....."

"DO IT LORD!"

"I WILL SING OF MY REDEEMER"

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KAY ARTHUR: BOOK OF HEBREWS

have a relationship....not a religion

be sassy and bold! (I call it "holy boldness"!!)

Hebrews 1 for this reason, do not drift away.

God has spoken through His Son...we MUST listen to him...or else...we will drift away...we will drift away from the Word of God.

We need to devour the Word...(not just food to try and fill us up--my OWN personal note).

Jesus is the radiance of God's glory.

His Throne is forever, and ever, and ever and ever.....

God, search my heart and show me where I am. God...search my heart and show me where you want me to be.....

One day, you will answer to God.....

You have spoken. We are hearing pure truth--Your Word. Come down into us. Pour out wisdom and knowledge of God.

Be convicted of the power and saving grace of Jesus.

1 Samuel 4 "Ichabod" -- means the glory has disappeared....has this been written over America???????? We cannot follow God with a divided heart.

THE WORD of God...no doubt! no other! Only & One Sovereign God. Know it and understand it!

Sitting in the garage does not make you a car.

Sitting in church does not make you a Christian. Not religion...but a relationship.

Living by the Word takes time

do you have time to read a novel? then you are choosing human writings over the Word of God.

take time to discipline our lives so that we know the Word.

Hebrews 5:13-14 milk vs. solid food = it is time to grow up!!!!!

What are you going to tell God? That you time for shopping? time for a vacation? time for working out?? What about THE WORD!???

Bible in hand....proclaiming to over 9,000 women "THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD!!!!"

Hebrews 11 what is faith? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of what we do not see."

Hebrews 2:17 life by faith!! The Israelites wandered in the wilderness because of their unbelief!

Be cleansed of a guilty conscious....3:18 -- rest = the activity of faith; for this anxious moment, for this trial, for this test, for this tribulation...WHAT DO YOU DO? we have to know God...we can't rest and trust in what we do not know....we are to live by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Word..

PRISCILLA SHIRER:

Be successful in all areas of your life, but start with your family.

Rest is the activity of faith.

Swimming goggles story....little boys had goggles but under water still kept eyes close. Dad told them to open them up under the water.. They came up out of the pool, "we can see!!" God is there....we have to open our eyes! God is able to do whatever we do dream of, hope for, and pray about...He goes beyond our beyond.

Ephesians 3:20-21

"NOW" (timing) --not tomorrow; not yesterday...get into the now-ness of your life. God IS ABLE!! We serve a God who is the Master of Impossibilities; Paul's situation was impossible--he was in prison; wrote this while in prison; even in the midst of our personal prison - we- Paul can have an outpouring of praise for God--a prison doxology. God can and WILL give you everything you need in your now-ness. connect your now-ness with God's ability; we need the Holy Spirit to be and do what WE cannot be and do! What is your "now?" GOD IS ABLE!

"TO HIM" (turning) -- fix your eyes on Jesus; not the problem or the situation; not the person, but on Jesus! Shift your attention purposefully, intentionally.

"IS ABLE" (truth) greek word "dudamous" = dynamite--alters the structure; make changes. THIS is God's power; inherent ability and resources; not what God has, but it is who HE is; the inherent ability of Go--he is power--what He gives to others, there is still a reservoir of power for every situation; you cannot out dream God's ability in your life. Don't disconnect the power of God from your "stuff." Trust him with the stuff of your life.

"IMMEASURABLY" (transcendence) God does what is way past, your "way past". He does PAST what you can ask for. He goes "beyond, beyond!" Pray for God to do what you ask and then pray for Him to go beyond, beyond. He exceeds our expectations; He is dynamite power. Get a grasp of Who God Is! We are limited. Illustration of gift boxes...allow God to use your box, but do NOT put God in a box!! Our boxes limit God.

"ALL WE ASK" (totality of God) the best a human can do is sympathize with you...but even that will run out; God will sympathize....God cares about every "tweet" you send (twitter); Facebook status...who cares about the "status" update...God is concerned.

"ACCORDING TO HIS POWER" (turbo-power) when you received the Holy Spirit you didn't receive a "portion" of it because "it" is a person...you can't receive a portion of a person; The Holy Spirit IS the third person of the Holy Trinity; just like the water and electricity is in our house, we have to turn it on to use it! The Holy Spirit is within us...but we have to use it!!!!

connect NOW; do a 180 degrees turn and LET it work in you.

"GLORY TO HIM" (our tribute) believing that God can do it is our business; DOING it is His business.

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OH!! AND the windows that we wrote on.......the phrase "I need a Word from God about..." how will you answer that?? I think on there also was written the phrase, "God has spoken to me about...." HUm....gonna use those in my next Bible study!!

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I could hardly take notes from Beth...I think I just mainly sat and took it all in....but!!

God can do what He says He can do....but how stubborn are WE gonna be??

He is Sending forth His Word to heal me.....

IT IS WITHIN ME! (repeat it again) IT IS WITHIN ME! IT IS WITHIN ME. SAY IT AGAIN....IT IS WITHIN ME!!!

The Holy Spirit is not to act; not to do....but it is a supernatural power to KNOW. To know what we cannot know.

I have the mind of Christ within me....if I let Him activate it in me.

If you are walking in the Lord and have a vibrant relationship with the Lord....you have a spiritual GUT! Listen to it! Have spiritual discernment.

HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO GO WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL GUT:We need divine revelation in our human encounters.

4 NO's make a yes when discerning about when to follow your spiritual gut:

1)Am I a critical or suspicious person by nature?

2)Am I jealous or do I feel threatened?

3) Do I have anything selfish to gain from this?

4)Are my emotions clouding my discernment?

If you answer NO to ALL four questions, then it is a YES to listen to God. These are our options:

1) RUN! (2 Tim. 3)

2)Take a step back (Prov. 4:23)

3)Ask questions (possibly confront....but NOT on the phone, email, text...in person, in the name of Jesus! :)

4)Learn to love with eyes wide open!!

Final quote from Beth Moore : "DON'T BE DUMB AS DIRT....READ THE BIBLE"