Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Change in plans--again

I'm having a change in plans again. For the next six years, I am going to re-read the 4 gospels every month. This blog is my journaling memoir thereof, and will be a Bible study as well.

Also, I am going to start to write a "Bible Study Fiction" Series about the life of Jesus at this upcoming blog. (It's not set-up yet. Bear with me. It will be by end of day 3/26/2014.):

http://biblestudyfiction.blogspot.com/

I will write both blogs each day.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Week 1 And 2 Additional Material: Jesus 1

Every now and then, I’m going to give you an extra study to do about Jesus, if you want. This is an optional day of material.

That being said, I cannot recommend it enough to find time to do it. After all, the more you do, the more you’ll get to know Jesus Christ and learn how to live a life of Jesus.

Ephesians 1:17 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[a] would give you a spirit[b](A) of wisdom and revelation(B) in the knowledge of Him.

Footnotes:

Ephesians 1:17 Or the Father of glory
Ephesians 1:17 Or you the Spirit

Cross references:

1:17 : Ps 51:12
1:17 : 1Pt 4:13

-- HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

-- Source From: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph+1%3A17&version=HCSB

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions to ask of each verse individually and then of the passage as a whole (a passage is one or more sequential verses): Ephesians 1:17:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

Ephesians 1:17 / The Message (MSG)

15-19 That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions to ask of each verse individually and then of the passage as a whole (a passage is one or more sequential verses): Ephesians 1:17:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

Ephesians 1:16-17 / New Living Translation (NLT)

16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom[a] and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

Footnotes:

1:17 Or to give you the Spirit of wisdom.

-- NLT: Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

-- Source From: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph+1%3A16-17&version=NLT

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions to ask of each verse individually and then of the passage as a whole (a passage is one or more sequential verses): Ephesians 1:17:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

Ephesians 1:16-17 / New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 (A)do not cease giving thanks for you, (B)while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the (C)God of our Lord Jesus Christ, (D)the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of (E)wisdom and of (F)revelation in the[a]knowledge of Him.

Footnotes:

Ephesians 1:17 Or true knowledge

Cross references:

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions to ask of each verse individually and then of the passage as a whole (a passage is one or more sequential verses): Ephesians 1:17:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

THIS IS MY PRAYER FOR ALL OF US: WILL YOU JOIN ME?

Ephesians 1:16-17 is my prayer for all of us as we do this Bible study.

Will you join me in praying these verses in your favorite version of the Bible for yourself first, then for everyone else taking part in the “6+ Year Four Gospel Project”—now and later, and for me as I write this study for the next 6+ years?

NOTE

There will be times I share my prayer journaling with you, and the 15 prayer journaling questions. I will share mine with you regarding the study we just did in this ADDITIONAL MATERIAL section. Take a look at Week 2, Day 1 and see what I have to say there.

Updated last on 3/25/2014, 1121 a.m.

Week 1, Day 7: A Review Day

SUNDAY

Read everything you prayer journaled since the last weekly review and summary. Then, answer these questions:

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

Now, read the next page after this, for there is additional material you can do for this week and next.

Week 1, Day 6 Catch-Up and Review

CATCH-UP

If you missed a day, make sure to go back and do that day or section.

NOTE: Please do not read ahead until you catch-up. Then, do the review for today and tomorrow.

WEEKLY REVIEW AND SUMMARY TEMPLATE

Every weekend, it’s important to review. I will assume your weekend is Saturday and Sunday. If not, adjust this study to suit your needs as far as when you will do your two Weekly Review and Summary Days.

Use this template on your weekends:

SATURDAY OR DAY 6 REVIEW

Review everything this book, or blog post series said. Re-read everything from the last review up to this point. Then, answer these questions.

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

Week 1, Day 5, Luke 1:1-4

HOW THIS STUDY IS SET-UP

Have you noticed yet how I haven’t written too much commentary or personal prayer journaling? Nor have I added too much commentary. There is a reason for it.

Actually, that isn’t entirely true. There are a few reasons for it. One of the reasons is because I do not want to shape your thoughts or perceptions about what you study. I want your personal, and group, Bible study to be between you, the Holy Bible, and God—not me. After all, I am more of a Bible coach than a teacher. I help direct where you go initially, but I leave room for God to steer you where and how you need to go. We need to pay attention far more to God and His Word than what any human says—and this is how I will conduct this “6+ Year Four Gospel Project.”

I also wanted you to get used to the format and figure out how to do this study thing before I filled your heads with more data and information. In other words, I wanted to start you off slowly and not hit you with everything at once. I figured this was the kinder, gentler way to do this Bible study—to a point.

My favorite teachers and coaches when growing up were the ones who pushed me beyond my comfort levels and they expected more of me. They helped me see I was made for more than what I thought or imagined. Through their expectation of hard work on my part, and pushing myself, I learned far more from them than anyone else.

This is why I have this Bible study set-up in the manner it is so far—and later. I want to stretch you, help you see you were made for more, and can do more, than you know or imagine. In doing so, you’ll learn about Jesus, get to know Him far more intimately, and learn to live a life of Jesus—more than you could have or imagined.

I will push you. I will expect great things of you. Because God does. It is the prompting of God that drives me to ask this of you—of us. We were made for so much more.

You will not be coddled in this “6+ Year Four Gospel Project.” This will not be easy. It’s meant to help you/us go deeper than ever before. It’s meant to help us learn the text and know it in a deep, personal, intimate way. We will become experts on the Four Gospels in our own right, as God intends. This takes time. And hard work.

Welcome to a Bible study that isn’t for wimps or those who want the easy route. It will help you listen to God and apply His Word to your life in a way you’ve never done before and it will be the most enriching. After all, you’ll listen to God and His Word—not humans, pastors, scholars, or authors. You’ll listen to God alone (and least of all to me, a sinner).

Philippians 2:13 / New King James Version (NKJV)

13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

ETC. ETC. ETC.

REMINDER: Don’t forget that you are to do at least the 15 Minute Study each and every day. Then, if you have more time, of the 30 Minute Study. Keep adding more of the minute studies as time allows.

TIP: Work on each day’s study all day and night long. Steal a minute or two (and of course more, if you can) and work on it. The more you do it throughout the day, the more you will get out of it, and the more you’ll actually accomplish.

15 MINUTE STUDY

Part 1: Luke 1:1-4 / New Century Version (NCV)

Luke Writes About Jesus’ Life

1 Many have tried to report on the things that happened among us. 2 They have written the same things that we learned from others—the people who saw those things from the beginning and served God by telling people his message. 3 Since I myself have studied everything carefully from the beginning, most excellent Theophilus, it seemed good for me to write it out for you. I arranged it in order, 4 to help you know that what you have been taught is true.

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions after having read the NCV version of our passage:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

BIBLE STUDY STEP 2: EMPHASIZE

Go ahead and emphasize each of the verses, one by one (one at a time), and answer these questions about what you learn from each emphasis:

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions after having read a new version or translation of our passage. So, for example, you would start with verse 1:

“MANY have tried to report on the things that happened among us,” (NCV).

Now, answer the questions below as you focus on what MANY brings to the forefront and the understanding of the verse.

Then, you will do HAVE—and then prayer journal the questions below. Do this to each verse and each emphasis for the entire passage of Luke 1:1-4.

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

Then, when you are finished, answer these questions:

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

Answer each of these questions:

1 What jumped out at you?

2 What did you learn?

3 What can you apply to your life?

4 What did you say to God?

5 What did God say to you?

6 What did you learn about Jesus, if anything?

7 Who is Jesus?

8 What did He do, think, feel, say?

9 What does He want us to do, think, feel, say?

10 What does He not want us to do, think, feel, or say?

11 How can this passage deepen your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

12 What does this mean for me and my life?

13 How can I apply these lessons learned, and answers received, to my life?

14 How can all of this help me live a life of Jesus?

15 Write out a summary prayer.

NOTE: Make sure to read each day the rest of each chapter, even if you are not going to do any of the other 30, 45, or 60+ minute studies.

30 MINUTE STUDY

Do this for another version of the Bible.

45 MINUTE STUDY

Do this for another translation of the Bible.

60+ MINUTE STUDY

Do this for yet another translation of the Holy Bible.

In two days, we will continue with the study of Luke 1:1-4. The next couple of days are review and catch-up.