I'm Back and Blogging About a New Study...

Hello everyone!! I have taken quite a bit of a hiatus from blogging. I've missed blogging and now I am ready to get back and hit the road running. I thought I'd start things off by sharing my thoughts on the summer Bible study being hosted by Good Morning Girls.

Courtney, Angela and the rest of the team have made some wonderful FREE materials for the study. By subscribing to their email feed you can download the materials. There is also a book to go along with the study. It is called Anything by Jennie Allen. It can be purchased at Lifeway at an awesome discounted price or at Amazon for instant download.

I had my copy of the study bound at Staples for less than $5.



Scripture - Today's reading was from John 8:1-11. It was about a woman, caught in the very act of adultery, who was brought to Jesus. They wanted to trap Jesus so that that they might accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses. They wanted to stone her for breaking the law. However, they were breaking the Law themselves because the Law required the man to be brought as well [Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22]. The response of Jesus was not one of condemnation but compassion. He wrote on the ground with his finger [what we do not know] and Jesus said to the Pharisees, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." One by one the rocks fell from their hands and they turned to leave beginning with the oldest first. There were none left to condemn the woman. Jesus told her he did not condemn her either but instructed her to leave her life of sin.

Observation - The Pharisees were not following the Law themselves but wanted to condemn someone else by it. There is no one without sin. Rather than condemnation, Jesus showed compassion in dealing with her sin.

Application - We need to follow God's word ourselves before pointing out the flaws in others. We need to get the plank out of our own eye so we can see clearly to help a fellow believer get the splinter out of their eye. Because I sin and would like compassion when someone corrects me, I should do the same for others.

Prayer - Father, help me to know your word and apply it correctly in my life. I want to correctly handle your word of truth [2 Tim. 2:15]. I don't want to use your word to "beat" people but to show them love and compassion. In Jesus name, amen.