Recap Week 6

Chapter 6 was titled "Balancing Love and Obedience"   
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" - John 14:15

Have you ever used a phrase like "if you really loved me" on your husband? Do you have a list of expectations, whether reasonable or not that your poor husband is always trying to live up to? Or, that he's given up on because of your way of handling things when your expectations aren't met? Have you ever tried to manipulate him with tears or pouting? Shame on the female species (or as the book states "manipulative little minxes" :) ) for treating our husbands this way. What kind of example of love is manipulation?  

Even if manipulation is wrong, we are right about one thing, "if you really loved me"  is scripturally sound; if you use it correctly!  Real love is demonstrated in John 14:15  God commands us to show our love for Him with our actions. (Who else read "American Girl Books" growing up and flashed back to 2nd grade and Samantha books - "Actions speak louder than words" and pictures a cross stitched pillow illustration? Just me? Okay then!)

Section 1 reminds us that you can see love. It's actions are tangible.  God gave the ultimate example of this by sending His Son to die for us. (Romans 5:8) He sacrificed His Son so we could be with Him forever. He loves us that much.

In return, chapter 2 instructs us on demonstrating our love in return.  Deuteronomy 11:1 tells us that the best way to show our love in return is to live our lives according to His will for us and keep His commandments.

Have you ever been around someone who tells you to do one thing and immediately does the opposite themselves? There's no point in saying one thing and doing another, it's completely hypocritical and gives a bad witness.  If you're going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. Isaiah 29:13 also cautions against going through the motions. If you really believe something, you can't just talk or do, both will match up and work together to create a solid, believable, tangible witness.

Section 4 gives us two illustrations from John-
John 14:24 -"He who does not loves Me does not keep My words."
and
John 15:10 - "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abided in His love."

Love is HANDS ON! God shows us that in His promises in Deuteronomy 7:9 and Nehemiah 1:5.
He loves us and keeps His promises, forever and for everyone.  His love and mercy never end.

"The more I investigated God's love through the Scriptures the more I relaxed; the safety of His love untied the knot of anxiety and perfectionism within me."

 -Patsy Clairmont

From the book-

"Ponder through the practical aspects of loving and maybe even start a list! How can we demonstrate our love for God?" To Him and others?

Recaps weeks 5 - Sorry! REALLY LATE!!

Sorry ladies!  I'm running just a bit (ALOT) behind!  We're moving this weekend and I've been pulling extra hours at work and getting the 45 minutes I need to type all this up every week has been a pain the past two weeks.


Chapter 5 was titled "Balancing Faith and Sight" and the key verse was Colossians 1:16 which talks about how even the things we can't see were created  by God.  

For anyone who's seen "When in Rome" the idea of a pitch black restaurant is pretty easy to imagine, (if you haven't seen it, rent it/netflix it/whatever - it's really cute, fairly cheesy and very clean!) though very creepy in a comical way. In the case of the chapter's analogy, the servers are all blind and totally comfortable in their pitch black surroundings. They've had to put their trust in basically anyone but themselves for alot of things and therefore they aren't phased at all by not being able to see or control what's around them.

Romans 1:20 (and 21 & 22) Paul talks about how even those that choose not to live for God, know that there is a God.  One of my favorite verses in highschool (while doing several missions trips and outreach events) was Romans 1:21 - For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him and their thinking became futile and hearts darkened. (total paraphrase!) And that's so true.  How many relatives and friends do you have that will talk to you about your faith, support your church endeavors, but never apply any of it to themselves?

Section 2 reminds us in Psalm 145:4 that we're called to pass on our faith. Our witness is evidence of God's power and faithfulness.

Section 3 quotes Colossians 1:16 again. Sheila Walsh is quoted in saying -

"It is easy to believe that God can use our lives when we see immediate results, when positive feedback encourages us to push on.  It is hard to keep walking when we see little sign that what we are doing makes a difference."

The thing is, all creation, everything we see and can not see is created by God, and since we can not see everything, we can not possibly see the results of all of our actions.  And, since everything was created by God, there is a purpose for everything, because everything was created for Him.

Taken directly from the book-

"Christianity requires many of us to ignore the evidence of our eyes.  Instead we learn to rely on other senses to navigate. We trust an unseen God to gently push us in the right direction.  We tune our ears to the Spirit's promptings. We walk according to the wisdom of the Word. We put out trust in unseen realities."

Section 4 through 6 use Job 17:15, Hebrews 11:1 and 2 Corinthians 5:7 to remind us that by trusting in God all things are possible, as nothing is impossible for Him. (cue WOW song and motions!)

"Prayer isn't magic. Jesus did not come to make our suffering disappear in an instant. Instead He came to fill it with His presence."

- Barbara Johnson

Section 7 orders us (through Psalm 31:14 and 73:28) to

1) Trust in God

2) Get close to God

3) Declare His works

The "Digging Deeper" verses for this chapter are

Psalm 10:17

Psalm 77:1 

and

Isaiah 65:24

"We walk by faith and not by sight"

2 Corinthians 5:7