I don't know what happened.
I got distracted and one overwhelming week led to another. There is no real good excuse. I think I did what any Christian does--sway
from the path.
I want to thank my friends and our Heavenly Father for so
many blessings. I had two loved ones
going through thyroid problems during my absence of the posts. My sister ended up having thyroid cancer and
received the proper treatment. Another
friend, had a huge scare that will be monitored.
My aunt moved to Georgia and that is such a blessing to my
mom and my aunt. Mama and her two
sisters are now together in the same state.
Summer break happened and where did that time go?? Our bible study also had a very challenging
discussion--life after death: soul sleep versus instant eternity with God. Our study group, I feel, benefited from the
dialog and many of us dug deeper into his word and contributed to the
discussion for days after that study.
Thank you God!!! That was your
ultimate plan for our group!!!
Oh, and I want to thank our Father for getting me through
three breast biopsies; one of which was surgical. All of the Atypical Ductal H. cells have been
removed and I go back for a check up in June--ugh, yes I should schedule
that. I found out that my chances of
developing breast cancer is more now that it was before this diagnosis-add to
that family history--but I know that God is in control. I really became so much closer to my friends,
family and coworkers. I was a blubbering
mess from October through December of 2014.
I am thankful for all of them and for my time with God.
So, "I'm back Jack."
Okay, so, also, and, therefore, haha, j/k. This is what I mean: I encourage you to study
the in-between chapters that I did not document here. I have the notes and you can email me if you
want me to read them to you. I hope to
be able to document them someday but for now I will pick up where I left
off!!! I can't do more than that with
the craziness which is life. I did
however attend the meetings and write my notes. My email is
buffington.christine@gmail.com.
With this week's study I enjoyed Chapter 21, Rebuilding the
Walls.
We began our meeting with prayer and watched this Chapter's
recap at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGqFeWQZMB0
On page 137 of the Participants Guide I will only go over
the questions I have notes for...some of the questions you will have to answer
for yourself as they may be personal to you.
Chapters in the bible to reference include Ezra 7; Nehemiah
1-2; 4; 6-8 and Malachi 1-4.
1. Ezra had devoted himself to studying God's Word and
following what it teaches (Ezra 7: 1-10).
How did Ezra's commitment to God's Word shape his life and ministry?
When one commits their life to following God's Word and His
teachings, he himself becomes a Godly role model. How can one teach others how to obey God's
teachings if he doesn't follow them himself?
Ezra became a great role model through real life application.
Why is it important that we do more than just know the
content of the Bible but actually obey what the Bible teaches?
If you don't personally practice the teachings of God's
Word--you do not reflect as a person a follower of Christ to others. How confusing it must be to a
"lost" individual if they hear one thing or rule but the person
witnessing to them does not practice it.
If it becomes important to you, others Perception of you will be what
God wants each of us to represent as followers--one who knows Christ and
follows His teachings.
2. Randy noted that throughout The Story God calls his
people to 1) refocus on God, 2) recenter on His plan for our lives, 3) remember
who God is, and 4) rebuild our relationship with him. Tell about what you have learned in the past
twenty weeks about one of these four weeks.
One item mentioned was this: Obedience to God requires
Discipline. This is a constant challenge
for me and probably most Christians!!!!
3. God worked through King Artaxerxes to send the exiles
back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and reestablish worship (Ezra 7:
11-28). How have you seen God use
surprising people and circumstances to accomplish his will in this world? Think about this for yourself. One scripture mentioned in this for our group
was Isaiah 58: 10. Feed the hungry, and
help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and
the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
Helping others in need surely is a way to surprise others
and let them see God shine through you.
4. Nehemiah was a man of prayer (Nehemiah 1, 4, and 6). What situations led Nehemiah to pray and what
do we learn from his example?
Before Nehemiah even decided he would go to the King to ask
for permission to leave his post to help his people rebuild the wall, he asked
God. He prayed to God FIRST. He was very important to the King as he was
responsible for being the cup bearer for the King. How many of us forget to consult with God
prior to our decisions? That is the
obedience and discipline we need. Turn
to God. First. Period.
It really is hard to do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. Nehemiah not only prayed hard but he worked hard. How do you see this balance in Nehemiah's
life? What is the danger of praying hard
but now working hard? What are some
possible consequences of working hard but forgetting to pray? No notes.
Good discussion. Please think of
this; dig in His Word-- being a Christian is NOT easy. Pray Hard.
Work Hard. The easy road ain't
THE road.
6. As the people were
seeking to rebuild their relationship with God, they got very serious about
reading the Bible. They even had a team
of people available to help everyone understand the meaning of God's Word. In what ways can we help the next generation
learn to know, love, and follow the teaching of the Bible (in our homes and our
churches)?
I have no notes. But
yes, we need to be there for our next generations to help them know God's
word. We all have seen the disadvantages
and punishments in the previous chapters of the bible when we, God's creation,
have drifted from God and His Word.
7. Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament and
this movement of The Story. He
challenged the people to give God their first and best and not their last and
leftovers (Malachi 1:6-10; 3: 6-12). What are some ways we give God our leftovers
rather than our first and best? Why is
it so important that we give God the first and best of all we have? What are examples of how we can do this? Group discussion. For you to consider.
8. When the people of God heard the Word of God rad and had
it explained to them, they moved into action.
In this case they reestablished the feast of tabernacles. Tell of a time you read the Bible and were
quickly moved to action because of what God had taught you.
Personal.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s session. Randy's video is found at the following
weblink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ota5UNJUoOI
Enjoy. God bless. :)
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