Sunday Scripture

As I explained a couple of weeks ago, I'm shifting gears on my Sunday Scripture posts ... stepping away from the study of Psalms for awhile.  This is something God has placed on my heart to do, and I hope others are finding it as helpful as I am.

I am using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of March 17, but I will be working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. Since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this week-at-a-glance 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 attention to every week.  I think it would be so helpful.  For this week, my top three priorities are:

* Ministry (cooking and cleaning for me, carpentry and painting for my hubby) at our volunteer jobs

* Ministry to church family (cooking, church cleaning, encouragement)

* Ministry to blog readers

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to journal about 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:

"Let's talk about stressors!  Headed out Tuesday afternoon for another stint of cooking and serving at my volunteer job.  It's always a bit of a puzzle trying to fit all the food ingredients into the existing fridge/freezer/shelf space, but this time space is at even more of a premium than usual.  A bit of a headache trying to figure out where we'll store everything.  That makes much more stress,   I'm trying to package things much more compactly to take up less space, strategizing ways to thaw foods without using, the fridge, etc. etc.  Packing is a stressor as well,  hoping we remember everything we'll need personally and for our work.

"Joys ... of course, serving people is absolutely a joy.  But more and more I see the need for recharging time.

"Worries ... see stressors.  I try not to worry, however, as I know it's unproductive and exhibits a lack of trust.

"Fears ... see stressors.

Desires ... to serve God and His people well.  To improve my health and stamina to be able to serve better.  To nurture my own spiritual life and creativity, to fill myself so I can pour out/overflow to others."

* And I must just add here on Wednesday morning that we remembered almost everything, and that an extra fridge was made available only a short walk away, so that concern was alleviated also.*

🌿 The second 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 ... able to resolve every one of my concerns about the day ahead, and the entire week.  You are able to provide all that is needed, from equipment to energy.  You are sovereign over all of the events of this week.

* Lord, I feel ... completely inadequate in my own strength to carry out any of this week's responsibilities.  I also admit to feeling a tiny bit frustrated that I have a lot to do at home which isn't getting done.  But it's okay!

* Lord, help me with ... using my time wisely throughout this busy week.  Help me to know exactly what resources or assistance will be the most helpful for my young friends.  Help me with planning meals for future ministry.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I stress over potential problems and snags before taking them to you in prayer.

Here we were to list 4 or 5 people we are specifically praying for.  I listed two young couples (each with a new baby), a seriously ill friend and her husband, and friends whose young adult son has just died.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Romans 12:12, 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= "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing diligently in prayer."  (Romans 12:12)

O= Romans chapter 12 begins a section that continues through chapter 15:13 -- a section that C.I. Scofield has titled "Christian Life and Service for the Glory of God."  Romans 12:12 is included in a section within this, titled "The Christian and those within God's family."

So this verse is part of a section teaching believers how to live and serve for the glory of God along with others in the family of God.  According to Romans 12:12 we are to be:

* Rejoicing in hope

* Patient in tribulation

* Continuing diligently in prayer.

Warren Wiersbe notes in Be Right, his Bible study of Romans, "Serving Christ usually means Satanic opposition and days of discouragement.  Paul admonished his readers to maintain their spiritual zeal because they were serving the Lord and not men.  When life becomes difficult, the Christian cannot permit his zeal to grow cold."

The Phillips translation of this verse reads: "Base your happiness on your hope in Christ.  When trials come endure them patiently,  steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer."

Wuest paraphrases it, "rejoicing in the sphere of hope" -- in the atmosphere of hope is the idea.

"Rejoicing is the Greek CHAIRO, and means "to be in a state of happiness and inner sense of well being (often independent of what is happening) when the Source is the Spirit."

"Rejoicing is present tense which pictures us as living life with a habitual attitude of inner joy and outer rejoicing-- something not possible naturally but only possible supernaturally as we are enabled by the Spirit."

Cross-references for "rejoicing in hope" include the following: "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  (Romans 5:2)

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit."  (Romans 15:13)

Cross-reference for "patient in tribulation" -- "For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."  Hebrews 10:36)

Someone has written, "Paul exhorts us as new creatures in Christ who are possessors of a new 'power supply' to continue steadfast in the time of trouble. The realization that life is to some extent an obstacle course keeps a person from being surprised when things do not go as planned. Afflictions are to be borne patiently in His power."

Cross-reference for "continuing diligently in prayer" -- "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren." (Acts 1:14)

"Whenever your hope seems to fail you and your joy begins to sink,” said Spurgeon, “the shortest method is to take to your knees. By remembering the promise in prayer, hope will be sustained and then joy is sure to spring from it.”

Rob Morgan writes, "An open Bible and a bowed head create a powerful atmosphere in which God’s will is brought to bear upon the distresses of life."

A= To help with my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for Romans 12:12.

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

It does not make specific statements about God.  However, I can infer the following: 

*. Because He is the God of hope, I can rejoice in Him.  My hope in Him is a surety-- an anchor of my soul.

* Because He is the God of patience, and His Word tells me He wants.me to grow in patience, I can be patient in affliction knowing this is one way he helps me grow in this quality.

* Because He hears and answers prayer, I can continue diligently in prayer.

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

Although as a human I will experience difficulties in life in this fallen world, I can rejoice in hope because of who God is.  I'm a person in need of patience, and I can learn patience through these difficulties as well.  I'm God's child and because of that relationship I have the privilege to communicate with Him in prayer.  He wants me to be diligent and consistent in doing that.

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

It's pretty self-explanatory: I should be rejoicing every day because of the hope I have in Christ.  I should maintain a patient attitude even in afflictions, being mindful that God wants me to grow in patience through difficulties.  I should be diligent and persevering in my prayer life.

P= "Lord,  I am so thankful for the instruction found in Your Word!  I praise You for all that it reveals about who You are, about my role as Your child, and about how You would have me to live each day of my life.  I pray that You will help me today and every day to rejoice in hope, to be patient in affliction,  and to be diligent in my prayer life.  I thank you for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 The next prompt is for GRATITUDE.  We were encouraged to reflect on the ways God has shown His faithfulness to us over the last week, and then to list 5 things we are thankful for.  [So, you who are reading along, do the same!]

Here is my list: 

* Energy for ministry.

* Wisdom for planning ministry meals and even shifting gears and menus on the fly as needed,

* The blessing of encouraging younger women.

* The restorative quality of sleep.

* Being able to use practical skills like cooking and cleaning (and carpentry for my hubby) to serve in support roles in Christian ministry.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next thing to consider.  As I mentioned earlier, there are four different aspects of this that we will be rotating through.  The one for this week is FAST.

For this prompt, we were asked to consider fasting from something this week in order to focus on our need for God.What could we fast from?  What would be the duration and frequency of our fast?  We were to make a plan for how we would replace our fasted item with the pursuit od God and His Word.  [And if you are one of my Sunday Scripture readers, please consider this challenge for yourself!]. Here are my thoughts :

I was so slow this week (or so busy, take your choice!) that ut was Sunday evening before I finished journaling for the week.  I din't fast as much as I would have wished.  We do intermittent fasting, so  I did fast from around 6:30 or 7 at night until at least 10 in the morning -- so about 15 to 16 hours,  I did use some of those hours to study additionally in God's Word.

Lastly is 🌿 a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION to take with us through the week.  This week it was: "I can patiently and prayerfully endure hardship because my hope is in Jesus."  

And there is our third Sunday Scripture using Fix Your Focus.  I know it's quite different from what we have been doing, but I trust the Lord is using it to encourage you.  Please let me know!