Sunday Scripture

 

Time for another Sunday Scripture lesson from Fix Your Focus!

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of February 23.  Here goes ...

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this checklist first. This checklist offers us four points:  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I've been finding it so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Ministry  --phone calls, tea time discipleship, Sunday School lesson prep, Ladies of Grace devotional prep, blogging.

2)  Etsy and creativity -- send any orders, list 5 items, finish off some projects, change table decor.

3) Planning and preparation--  freezer cooking, cleaning, decluttering, zone missions, winter decor refresh, add sugaring decor at both home and camp in preparation for a March visit from family.

[If you are following along with our study, this is the place to make a Week-at-a-Glance checklist and/or priority list for yourself!]

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week except the fear of not preparing well enough for the family visit.   

Joys: Almost everything I'm doing this week is something that brings me joy in one way or another.

Worries: I do seek not to worry.  Jesus commands us not to worry and it's my intent not to worry.  Certainly I have concerns about how smoothly everything will go with the visit and our family's travel.

Desires: That God will be glorified and others encouraged throughout the happenings of this week.  That our home and cottage will be warm, welcoming havens to our family and that we will have a joyous time together.

Stressors:  Cobwebs, peeling wallpaper, the constraints of time, energy, and aging. 

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ...not bound by time, and I know that You are able to expand my time (and my energy levels) to help me accomplish all that is necessary.  You are aware of all my stressors and You are able to help me manage them.

* Lord, I feel ... more relaxed than I often do before a visit.  Yet still, as usual, a little overwhelmed at how much I still have to do.  And how little time and energy I have available.

* Lord, help me with ... the details that need to be wrapped up this week.  Help me to put together a devotional that will be edifying and encouraging to the ladies at our LOG meeting.  Help me with "just everything" that needs to happen this week and give me the necessary strength, energy, and wisdom for each task and event.

* Lord, forgive me for ... any time I'm tempted to act in my own strength and wisdom.  Times when I become so easily frustrated, discouraged, or even hurt by a loved one's hearing issues.

* Make a note of 4 or 5 people you are specifically praying for.  I listed friends dealing with a cancer diagnosis; a friend trying to recover from a case of the flu;  some specific needs for a missionary couple.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Mark 9:23, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  (Mark 9:23)

O=  This section (Mark 9:14-29) is titled by Scofield "The powerless disciples: the mighty Christ."  This account of healing follows Jesus' time with Peter, James, and John on the mountain of transfiguration.

When they came down from the mountain, they found the rest of the disciples surrounded by a multitude of people and being questioned by the scribes.  Upon seeing Jesus, the multitude ran to Him.  One man explained, "Master, I have brought unto Thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit.  And whereever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away.  And I spoke to Thy disciples, that they should cast him out, and they could not."

Jesus asked for the boy to be brought to Him.  When the spirit saw Jesus, it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground "and wallowed, foaming".  As Jesus questioned his father as to how long the boy had been like this, the man replied, "From a child.  And often it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him; but if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."

And that's when Jesus spoke the words recorded in verse 23: "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."

Jesus then went on to cast the foul spirit out of the boy.

Believer's Bible Commentary reminds us that the father of the boy "asked the Lord to please do something if He could -- a heart-rending cry, wrung from years of desperation.  Jesus told him that it was not a question of His ability to heal, but of the father's ability to believe.  Faith in the living God is always rewarded.  No case is too difficult for Him." 

This account is also recorded in Matthew 17 and Luke 9, but neither of those include the words of Jesus we see here in Mark 9:23.

Cross-reference for "If thou canst believe" -- "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"  (John 11:40)

Cross-references for "All things are possible" --"When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come to Him, He saith unto Philip, Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?  And this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do."  (John 5:5-6)

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20)

(The above verse follows the Matthew account of healing the same boy.)

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the three questions from Fix your Focus:

* Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is the God of the impossible, who tells us that all things are possible when we believe.  He wants us to believe in Him and to trust Him to do the impossible.

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

Thankfully, I'm a sinner saved by grace.  Were I not, I would likely doubt that all things are possible.  But as a believer I know without doubt that God can do anything..

* Throughout the week, consider how this verse should affect the way you live.

 I should live and pray in absolute faith that nothing is impossible with God.

William MacDonald notes, "The father [of the afflicted boy] expressed the paradox of faith and unbelief experienced by God's people in all ages.  'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!'  We want to believe, yet find ourselves filled with doubt."

P= "Lord,  how I praise You that nothing is impossible with You.  Your Word tells me that You are the God of the impossible, and here in this verse You tell me that all things are possible to those who believe.  As one who believes in You, I know beyond any doubt that You can do anything.  You can work in huge, powerful, visible ways but You also do the quieter, even more dramatic work in people's hearts.

    "I pray that You will help me to live every day in the absolute surety that this is true, and that as I pray for others, as well as for needs in my own life, I will trust You to do the impossible.  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) Getting to bring a meal to friends going through a hard time and getting to stay and enjoy the food and fellowship with them.  This was my husband's idea and it was such a blessing to all of us.

2) Having tea time at Jennifer's house rather than at ours.  The joy that she, Grandma, and the children took in providing a special meal for us.

3) The little boys accompanying us to the bottom of their snowy driveway, and the sweet group hug they initiated before we left.

4) Time to do a little crafting and to get the felt s'mores send out to granddaughters in Nevada.

5) Time to get some cleaning and decluttering done.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FELLOWSHIP.  We were to make a plan to intentionally rest this week.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

Our Ladies of Grace meeting on the 28th will provide wonderful fellowship with other women.  It's always such a joy and I am so thankful to the Lord for His prompting two younger women to get this started for our church ladies -- and even showing them what the most effective format would be.  Tea Time with Jennifer and Deanna always provides good fellowship too.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

I believe that anything is possible for the Lord.

What an encouraging and uplifting thought to take into our week ahead!  What a motivation for us to pray for the impossible in our own lives and the lives of others!

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!