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 9.  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) Hospitality/ministry  -- call Rebekah and Jennifer, prepare Sunday School lesson, blogging, host Wednesday tea with friends; bake some special treats for a friend's birthday.

2)  Creating -- finish the felt s'mores and send them off; maybe finish some mitten coasters, a long-standing UFO project.

3) Planning and preparation--  freezer cooking, cleaning, decluttering, and zone missions 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.   

Joys: Getting together with friends on Thursday will be a joy.  Actually, I can take joy in everything on my list this week.

Worries: No real worries going into this week.

Desires: To glorify God in the events and activities of this week.  To be an encouragement to others this week.  To get a lot of housework, decluttering, and creating done.  To have the abundant good health and energy to carry out all that God has for me to do.

Stressors:  Limited energy for whatever reason.  All of the limitations of aging.  Time constraints.

🌿 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 ... in full control of this week and all that it will hold.  You are able to help me accomplish all that needs to be done.  You are aware of all the stressors and You are able to overrule them.  You are so good to give us delightful days with friends and a visit to plan for with family coming here. 

* Lord, I feel ...  tired and a little overwhelmed.  Grateful for the opportunities You give for fellowship with friends and family and for things You're helping me to accomplish.  I feel a bit discouraged though at my low energy levels despite all the healthy things I'm doing.

* Lord, help me with ... everything on my plate this week.  Help me especially to have right priorities to do what must be done.  Help me find more time for Etsy listings and to use my time very wisely to accomplish whatever is necessary.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I so easily fall into sin.  Times when I pray about a particular issue and then catch myself doing that very same behavior again.

* Make a note of 4 or 5 people you are specifically praying for.  I listed friends dealing with a cancer diagnosis; an older couple dealing with health issues; a young mom and her daughters dealing with a hard situation.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Luke 6:35, 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= "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the sons of the Highest; for He is kind unto the unthankful and the evil."  (Luke 6:35)

O=  So this verse is saying:

🌿 Love your enemies
🌿 Do good 
🌿 Lend without expecting anything in return,

AND

🌿 Your reward will be great

🌿 You will be sons of the most High

BECAUSE

🌿 He is kind to the unthankful

🌿 He is kind to the evil.

Cross-reference for "Love ye your enemies" -- "Love worketh no ill to its neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."  (Romans 13:10)

Cross-reference for "do good" -- "But to do good and to share forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."  (Hebrews 13:16)

Cross-reference for "lend" -- "And if thy brother hath become poor, and cannot support himself among you, then thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner, that he may live with thee.  Take no interest from him, or profit, but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor lend him thy food supplies for profit."  (Leviticus 25:35-37)

Cross-references for "reward" --  "And he said unto him, Well done, thou good servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities."  (Luke 19:17)

"And they that be wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever."  (Daniel 12:3) 

"If any man's work abide which he hath built upon it, he shall receive a reward."  (1 Corinthians 3:14) 

"God, in the New Testament Scriptures,  offers to the lost, salvation; and for the faithful service of the saved, He offers rewards ... Salvation is invariably spoken of as a free gift, whereas rewards are earned by works."  C.I. Scofield

Cross-reference for "you will be sons" -- "That ye may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."  (Matthew 5:45)

Cross-reference for "of the Most High" --  "He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David."  (Luke 1:32)

Cross-reference for "He is kind" -- "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."  (James 1:5)

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 Most High God.  He is kind, even to the unthankful and the evil.  He has specific ways in which He wants His children to live, which will display a "family resemblance" to Himself. He rewards obedience to His standards; obedience always results in blessing.

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

I am a child of God and a subject of His kingdom.  I am in need of His clear instruction as to how to live my life, and I am blessed to have His Word and His Holy Spirit to instruct me.

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

 I should love my enemies, do good, and lend generously, without hoping for anything in return.  Living in such a way will eventually bring eternal reward, but honestly I feel that living in a way that pleases God brings its own rewards on a daily basis.  Showing the world a "family resemblance" to my Lord is of great importance and I need to consider if I am doing that throughout each day.

P= "Lord,  I am so very thankful for Your Word, which so clearly shows me how You would have me to live.  The instructions in this verse are clear and simple, and yet they can only be carried out in your strength and with the help of Your Spirit.  I thank You that there is great reward in obeying Your Word -- not only eternal rewards, but blessings here in this life as well.

    "I pray that You will help me as I seek to love my enemies, to do good, and to give unselfishly.  Help me to be conscious of the need to show a "family resemblance" to You, my heavenly Father.  I thank You for how You are working in my life, 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) Being able to send off some cards and thank-you notes that will hopefully be an encouragement to the recipients.  Finding time for this is always a challenge, but I think it's important.

2) Getting some good solid planning done for a family visit.

3) Being able to prepare and freeze many main dishes and meal components for the visit.

4) Answered prayer for our young friends looking for a church in Minnesota.

5) A delightful tea time with Jennifer and the children.

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

We planned a refreshing day out with friends for the Thursday.  And God Himself placed rest into our week by having our Wednesday tea time canceled.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

God rewards those who show undeserved grace to others.

What an encouraging and motivating thought to take into our week ahead!

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!