Sunday Scripture

 

As I explained several weeks ago, I'm making some changes to  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'm 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 April 21, 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. But 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.  [Maybe you would like to use this same checklist if you are following along with us.]

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 think it would be so helpful.  For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Homemaking.  I have a lot I'd like to catch up on.

2) Family -- two local birthdays to prepare for, and a phone call with my younger daughter.

3) Ministry -- cleaning at TWNE, plus preparing for a ladies' Sunday School class beginning this week,   Blogging too.

🌿 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, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week, though I do have concerns about grandchildren traveling solo to other states.  I know God will take care of each one..

Joys: Looking so forward to teaching a ladies' class again!  Also to celebrating two grandkids' birthdays, which will be special.

Worries: I really do try not to worry.  We do live in somewhat of a scary situation now with all of these intruders in our country,  Again, God is in control and nothing touches our lives without His knowledge and purpose -- but the concerns are real.

Desires: To get my homemaking into a better routine.  To reach out to others -- to those who don't yet know the Lord and need our witness as well as to fellow believers who need encouragement and mentoring.

Stressors: Sometimes just feeling a little bit pushed.  I've read too that any unfinished task becomes a stressor..  I can absolutely see that.

🌿 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 ... fully aware of all that I need to accomplish this week.  You are more than able to help me accomplish what is truly needful.  You are omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and able to care perfectly for every person and every concern in my life.

* Lord, I feel ... overwhelmed by all that there is to do and the many needs in the lives of my friends. I feel grateful and thankful that You would choose to use me in the lives of people, but I often do feel overwhelmed and overextended.

* Lord, help me with ... everything that's on my plate this week.  Help me to use my time wisely to accomplish all that you'd have me to.  Help me with my worries, fears and concerns about the kind of world we are living in.

* Lord, forgive me for ... the sin of worry.  Forgive me too for those times when I don't use my time wisely, and help me to do better.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a young couple who need God's direction, our former pastor grieving the loss of his wife, a friend grieving the loss of her mother.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Philippians 4:8, 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.]

I had spent some time meditating on this verse back in 2011, so I will be including some of that study here.

S= "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

O=  One great way to make observations about a verse is to ask questions.  

Who wrote it? Paul

Speaking to whom? The believers in the church at Philippi

What are the major ideas? The verse enumerates the sorts of things God wants believers to be thinking on.

When was this written? 60 A.D.

Why was this written? To encourage the Philippian believers, a group of people especially dear to Paul's heart

This verse, along with verse 9, is part of a section, titled by C.I. Scofield "The presence of the God of peace."

Verse 9: "Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you."

Paul concludes with "finally, brethren", and tells his listeners, 

Whatever things are :

TRUE

HONEST

JUST

PURE

LOVELY

OF GOOD REPORT

VIRTUOUS

PRAISEWORTHY

to think on these things.

The word translated “think” in Philippians 4:8 is the Greek LOGIZOMAI. In this verse, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, this verb means “make these things the subjects of your careful consideration”, or “carefully reflect on them.”

J. Dwight Pentecost explains, “The word translated ‘think’ really means to meditate’ -- to dwell on, to give continuous attention to, to mull over, to be occupied with, to continually focus attention upon.”

The things that the Philippian believers had learned and received from Paul, the things they had seen in him,  they were to do, and as a result the God of peace would be with them.

Cross-reference for "true" --  "Wherefore, putting away lying, let every man speak truth with his neighbor; for we are members one of another. "  (Ephesians 4:25) 

Cross-reference for "honest" -- "Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men." (2 Corinthians 8:21) 

Cross-reference for "just" -- "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."  (Deuteronomy 16:20) 

Cross-reference for "pure" -- "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17)  

For "lovely" we are referred to the verses describing love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

"Virtue" means "excellence".  

Cross-reference for "God of peace" (v.9) points to "the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, though the blood of the everlasting covenant." (Hebrews 13:20)

A= To help with my application of these verses, I used the following prompts: 

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

Verse 8 tells me that He is a God who cares about our thoughts and wants me to care about excellent and praisew0rthy things.  If I read on to verse 9, it tells me that He is the God of peace.

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

I am a person in need of right thinking, which does not come naturally to me or to anyone.

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

It should definitely affect the way I think, as I seek to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy.  Just the command to think on what is true  covers a lot of ground.  Speculation, jumping to conclusions, "what if"and "if only" thoughts are not true, for example.  There is a great deal in this verse about how God would have us to think.

In addition, I considered these questions:

* What should I do? How does this truth apply to my life? I need to obey this command and think on these worthy things.

* In view of this truth, what changes need to be made in my life? I must actively think on what is true about God and His Word-- and not on things that are displeasing to Him, including "what if" and "if only" thoughts.

* What practical steps can I take to apply this truth to my life?

• Pray and ask God to help me think only on things that are pleasing to Him.

• Spend time studying the character of God as revealed in His Word.

• Memorize verses which emphasize important truths about God.

• Turn to God's Word (and to Him in prayer) when tempted to think about things that do not please Him.

P= "Lord,  how thankful I am for the clear instruction to be found in Your Word!  I'm thankful that You tell us so specifically the kinds of things you would have us to think about.  As one who has struggled with untrue thoughts of many kinds, I know that this instruction is so important.  I pray that You will help me to follow these guidelines and to seek to think biblically each and every day.  I thank You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to us 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) Health and strength to serve at TWNE and to clean the church

2) The opportunity to stay at our little camp overnight.  We continue to be so thankful for this little place that God provided -- a place we didn't even know we needed!

3) The opportunity for a lengthy, uninterrupted phone conversation with my young friend Jennifer.  The way that worked out was something only God could have orchestrated.

4) Safety in traveling many miles

5) The blessing of remembering our former pastor's wife who recently passed away.  I was so privileged to be informally mentored by her just in doing life and ministry together.  What a godly example she set for me, and how much I learned from her!

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

  We had a lovely time of fellowship with church family on Easter, time with R. and her little ones at the park on Wednesday, and  fleeting times of sweet fellowship with TWNE staff.  On Saturday we'll attend a dinner fundraiser for our local pregnancy center.  Also two grandchildren will celebrate their birthdays on Sunday -- and we'll be there!

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

 *I choose to think on what the Lord calls true and praiseworthy.*

Let's  take this challenge into the coming week!