Testimony Bible Study

 Tonight I want to talk about the word Testimony. I want to start off with sharing a song with all of you. The lyrics of the song say this: This is My Story, This Is My Song, Praising My Savior All The Day Long, This is My Story This is my Song, Praising My Savior All The Day Long. I wanted to share the lyrics of this song because I wanted us to remember that God gives us a song to sing, and a story which is our testimony to tell others about. I would like us to look at some scripture now that talks about Testimony. The scriptures we are going to look at are Luke 8 verse 39, 2 Timothy 1 verse 8-9, Psalm 66 verse 16, Psalm 71 verse 15-18, 1 John 5 verse 11, 1 John 1  verse 1-4, Matthew 5 verse 16, Hebrews 2 verse 12, John 15 verse 27, 1 John 5 verse 10, Hebrews 4 verse 12, Acts 1 verse 8, and the last scripture we will look at tonight is Jeremiah 51 verse 10.

In the scriptures we see how God has given us a story which is our testimony to tell. We see how God continues to work in our lives and we see how God has a plan for each of us. Now that brings me to Jeremiah 29 verse 11 that says, For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future. It also brings me to a song by Leanna Crawford called The Truth I'm Standing On and it says: All the pain had a purpose your plan was worth it all along, This is The Truth I'm Standing On. We can stand on God's Truth in knowing that the purpose behind our pain and our suffering is all apart of God's plan because just like in another song by an artist named Glendil Griffin it says: It Is Through Suffering I find the strength I need, It is through Suffering I know that you're faithful, so even when I don't see the change around me, God I know you're changing me, your changing my heart, cause Your the Only Way. When we think of that, we think of how in Philippians 4 verse 13 it says: I can do all things through Christ that gives me strength. Remember how I talked about What It Means To Be Warriors In Faith? Well this applies to that, because as Warriors In Faith and Of Faith we can be a warrior by sharing our Testimony with others and we can be the light and be the change that God created in His Image. We are uniquley, fearfully, wonderfully made children of God who have purpose in this world. A purpose to be the ones to share our Faith, but our Testimony with others too. I'm going to share a song with all of you and it comes from Matthew West and the song lyrics say this: Is This The End or Only The Beginning? Cause It's A story worth telling. Now I shared those two lyrics because I want us to get a sense of purpose, a sense of knowing and understanding what we are learning about tonight. I would like to share a quote with all of you. The quote says this: What God is Bringing You through at this very moment is going to be the testimony that will bring someone else through. No Test. No Testimony. I like to share another quote that says: There is no Testimony without the Test. 

What are some ways we can share our testimony?

What are ways we can be a light to others in their time of need and how can they be a light to us in our time of need? 

How are we able to shine through God's eyes with sharing our testimony?

In moments like this we see how God does not give us a Spirit Of Fear but Of A Sound Mind.

We see that our stories which are our testimonies are from over and how God is still using us greatly to be able to be there for one another and help share not only a testimony of Faith, but help us share a testimony of who we are called to be and who we were made to be in His Image.

There are some things I would like to share with you guys tonight in hope that whoever needs to hear it, will take away something from tonight and learn from this.

The first thing I would like to share says this: Your testimony is the story of your encounter with God and what role He has played throughout your life.

The purpose of sharing a testimony is to glorify God's sacrifice and His grace, not our sin or even how we  respond to God. It's all about God.

Never Underestimate the Power of Your Testimony.

Here is the last thing I would like to leave with tonight. The quote says this: The struggles of your past were not without purpose. God is building your testimony. You have to have a message to share about how He is a deliverer. 

What The Bible Says About Compassion

 Tonight we're going to look at what the Bible says about Compassion. We're now going to look at some scriptures that talk about Compassion. The scriptures we are going to look at are Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12-13, Matthew 14:14, 1 Peter 3:8, Colossians 3:12, Psalm 86:15, 2 Peter 3:9, Romans 12:15, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 103:13,

1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 78:38, Exodus 33:19, Psalm 103:2-4, James 5:11, Psalm 51:1, Jude 1:22, and Mark 8:2.

I want to share a song with all of you before I continue to tell you what we have learned from the scriptures we read. The song says this: Everyone needs compassion a love that's never failing, let mercy fall on me. Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior, the hope of nations. Savior He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. Forever, Author of Salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave. 

When we talk about Compassion, what are some things we think of? What comes to our minds when we think about Compassion? One of the things that comes to mind for me, is to be able to show love but kindness toward others who need to be shown God's love to them.

How can we show Compassion to those who don't know God because they don't know what Compassion is and how we can let the Compassion God puts in our hearts be shown to them? What comes to mind for me is the way we can show Compassion to them is by doing something that is an unexpected give back moment where it is a random act of kindness, and we can let the Compassion that God put in our hearts be shown to them, but just being there for them and listening to what they have to say. We all go through the different struggles that we face where it could be something we have dealt with and we don't always know how to explain what we go through that is when we give it all to God and let Him handle it. Although we can just let the Compassion that God puts in our Hearts and show it to them, by sharing God's Word with them and we can be the one to pray with them if they would like prayer so that they can know they're loved and so they know that they are not alone.

I would now like to share a quote on compassion with all of you and the quote says this: We can't heal the world today but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, an act of kindness.

A song I would like to share is by Matthew West and it's called my Own Little World. The lyrics I am sharing from that song, say this: I'm going to break my heart For what breaks Yours, Give me open hands And open doors, Put Your light in my eyes, And let me see, That my own little world Is not about me

What if there's a bigger picture

What if I'm missing out

What if there's a greater purpose

That I could be living right now

I don't wanna miss what matters

I wanna be reaching out

Show me the greater purpose

So I can start living right now

Outside my own little world

My own little world

(Yeah) My own little world

Here is what I would like to leave with all of you tonight: Awareness brings compassion and compassion brings acceptance.

Do We Belong?

We are going to be talking about belonging and what it means to fit in. I want to talk about what it really means to fit in and belong. We know that in our hearts and through God's eyes that He accepted us and loved us from the very first day that He brought us into this world. I first want to start off with two quotes before we get into the verses of scripture we will read. The first quote I would like to share with all of you is this: That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings, are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong. The next quote I would like to share with you comes from someone named Suzy Toronto and the title says: Pretending to be Normal, and underneath that it reads: William Shakespeare wrote, ''This above all, to thine own self be true.'' Boy, did he nail it on the head! A lot of us go through phases Where we we think we have to be, act, and look Like everyone else to fit in. I tried it, and it didn't work. Now I realize that God doesn't want an orchestra Of identical instruments all playing the same tune, So I let go of the status quo And decided to just be me. Besides, Pretending to be A normal person Day-after-day is exhausting.

The scriptures we will be reading tonight are Deuteronomy 10:14, Colossians 3:14, Romans 12:5, 1 Peter 3:8, and Acts 1:14.

When we read the scriptures we go back to how when we first realized that we were created in God's Image, how we have talents and gifts to use for the Purpose that God has for us. We know and we trust that the Purpose and Plan for our lives is greater than what we know and even when we don't see the things that we should see, God is opening our hearts, our eyes, and our minds to know that we have to Trust God, and Trust God and let go. When we trust Him we can see that we belong and fit in, and where God shows us how we're His beloved. 

I would now like to share some song lyrics with all of you, because I feel the song lyrics I'm about to share, fit perfectly with what we've heard and what we read. The first song comes from a band called Land Of Color with a song they have called Running.  The line that I want to share from that says: Do I belong because I want to belong, so why I am running from the one I need the most?  The second song comes from Casting Crowns that has a line in their song featuring Matthew West called Nobody which says, Why You ever chose me Has always been a mystery All my life I've been told I belong At the end of the line With all the other not-quites With all the never-get-it-rights But it turns out they're the ones You were looking for All this time Moses had stage fright When David brought a rock to a sword fight You picked twelve outsiders nobody would have chosen And You changed the world Well the moral of the story is Everybody's got a purpose So when I hear that devil start talking to me saying "Who do you think you are?" I say I'm just a nobody Trying to tell everybody All about Somebody Who saved my soul Ever since You rescued me  You gave my heart a song to sing I'm living for the world to see Nobody but Jesus I'm living for the world to see Nobody but Jesus

The next song called Belovedness by Sarah Kroger featuring Corey Voss says, And He says your mine I smiled when I made you, I find you beautiful in every way and my love for you is fierce and unending, I'll come to find you whatever takes my beloved.

Finally the last song I would like to share with you is a song that I feel can help encourage us all.

The last song I would like to share with you is a song that I definitely take to heart when I hear it, and it's a song by Matthew West called Broken things that says, All the misfit heroes you chose tell me there's hope for sinners like me. When we take songs like this, and we hear the lines from each song, we realize that even though the lyrics are different, the message in each song is the same. You may wonder, well each artist has a different message on why they wrote the song, so how could the message for the lyrics be the same? What do they have in common? Well when we look at Broken Things and it talks about misfit heroes, then Nobody by Casting Crowns when it mentions 12 outsiders, along with the song by Land Of Color and Sarah Kroger, we see that what the songs have in common are this, we know that we're God's beloved children who were uniquely and wonderfully made by Him to know that when He made us, we are people who don't have to be perfect to know that all of us are misfit heroes, and the people who may not have wanted to choose us to do stuff with us in school, because they saw us as outsiders, well this is where in the song by Casting crowns reminds us that God chose 12 outsiders in the Bible that nobody would have chosen and He changed the world. Why? Well, because we all have a purpose to love one another, to be who God calls us to be and to remember that when we feel like we don't belong, or fit in, that's when we stop and Be still and know that God is letting us know right then and there that we do belong and we do fit in, because we're loved and we are His Children.

I would now like to ask these questions to all of you. Is there a moment in your life, whether it be growing up when you were in school or now that you felt that you didn't belong or fit in?

Is there a time in your life when you were growing up, or even now, that you felt like you didn't belong of fit in?

How would you say knowing that when you felt that way, God helped you overcome and see that you have always belonged as a Child Of God?

When you felt that way, were you able to overcome it?  Has God helped you see that you belong and that you are His child and have a rightful place in this world?

Has there been a moment when you saw someone that you didn't know, who felt alone and felt like they didn't have a friend to talk with? If so, how did you help that person and how did you help them know that they were never alone because they had a Place In This World?

Has there been a time when you saw someone who was having a hard time fitting in or was feeling alone?  Did you choose to help that person?  How should we handle those situations?

Finally, if you were one of the misfit heroes that we read about in the Bible like David, and all the others that God chose to be a light in this world, to do His Will, who would you say is the person you relate to most and why do you relate to them and their story?

Finally, if you were one of the misfit heroes that we read about in the Bible like David, and all the others that God chose to be a light in this world, to do His Will, who would you say is the person you relate to most and why?

I first want to say that as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to talk about, I called one of my aunts and told her how my last study went, and from there I expressed how I could share different things, along with talking about fitting in and how we belong and do we belong. We were talking about that for awhile, and it just seemed that was God's timing to know that He was revealing all of that right then. When I try to think of what I'll share, I often at times go to my Bible for inspiration and let God help me find my next topic. Last Wednesday night, God helped me by sharing what was on my heart to my aunt, but also was helping me in the process of knowing what to write and what the title for tonight should be. God works in mysterious ways, but He works in amazing ways to show us that anything is possible and we just have to keep believing that the plans He has for us, are greater than anything we can imagine. There are many songs that talk about what we've learned tonight, but what my hope is for all of you is that what you learned tonight, is what you'll take away because I hope that it gives you encouragement in your week ahead.

Suffering and How God Helps Us Have The Peace That Surpasses All Understanding

 I would like to start off with a quote that says, Every trial of Suffering is an opportunity to grow in the Faith. 

I wanted to start with that quote because it brings me to the first scripture we are going to be looking at in 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 12. 

The next scripture we will look at is James chapter 1 verse 12.  The last two scriptures I want us to take a look at are Hebrews chapter two verse 10 and 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 21. 

In the scriptures we see that even though we go through suffering, and trials, these are things that God puts in our paths so that we can have our hearts, eyes, and mind open to know that with Him nothing is Impossible and all things will come and work together for His good and for His Glory.

I would like to share a song with you called Through Suffering. The line I would like to share says this, It is through suffering I find the strength I need, it is through suffering, I know that you're faithful so even when I don't see the change around me, God I know you're changing me. You're changing my heart, because you're the only way.

So as we look back at the scriptures, we see God is the only way to help us through difficult times and the struggles that we may not always want to face. 

Last week we remember the scripture that says, For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future. 

When we take a scripture like that, and we look back at what we read tonight, we begin to see that the trials we face in life are not to harm us, but to give us hope for a future that God is planning for our lives. 

We are warriors, and we were made in His Image for a purpose. So while we may think the things we go through are difficult, God reminds us that He has a plan for every single one of us.

I would like to share another quote that says, In the midst of the storms and suffering... God Is Working.

My question for all of you is, how have you seen God work through you in your life when you were facing a difficult trial and how did God help you overcome it?

Thank you all for sharing, before we pray I would like to share three last things with you.

Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, It is the presence of God.

The prayer of faith is a prayer of trust. The very essence of faith is trust. 

The Peace Of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Salvation

 Tonight I want to talk about Salvation. We're going to look at different scriptures that talk about Salvation, but before we look at those scriptures I want to share some quotes. The real beauty is in the heart. The real treasure is in heaven. The true salvation is in God. The real joy is in serving God with all your heart and sincerity. Salvation is: By GRACE alone, FAITH alone, in Christ alone. We are going to now look at some scriptures. The scriptures we are going to be looking at are Romans chapter 10 verses 1-13, John 3:5, 2 Peter 3 verse 9, Hebrews 6 verses 4-6, 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 9, Psalm 25 verse 5, Acts 11 verse 18, Philippians 1 verse 6, Titus 2  verse 11, Revelation 3 verse 20, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, and Romans chapter 8 verse 38-39. When we think of  Salvation, we think back to some of the scriptures that we read tonight. While there are many and a lot more that talk about Salvation, there is something that reminds me of a scripture that relates to what we have read already. The scripture says this: For It Is By Grace You Have Been Saved. One of the reasons, I decided to share that, is because we now go back to the quote I shared earlier which said this: Salvation is: By GRACE alone, FAITH alone, in Christ alone. When we think about those three words, Grace, Faith, and Christ Alone, we think of how God shows us with our Faith, we can stand, with Grace we can begin to help understand what it is with God's help, and In Christ Alone we can stay faithful to Him by telling others about His Word and who He is. I would now like to share a song with all of you.

In Christ alone, my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save  'Til on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

I like to share another song that says this. I Will Call Upon The Lord, Who Is Worthy To Be       Praised, So Shall I Be Saved From My Enemies I Will Call Upon The Lord. The Lord Liveth And Blessed Be My Rock, Let The Lord Of My Salvation Be Exalted, I Will Call Upon The Lord,   Who Is Worthy To Be Praised, So Shall I Be Saved From My  Enemies, I Will Call Upon The Lord. The Lord Liveth And Blessed Be My Rock, Let The Lord Of My Salvation Be Exalted.

When we think of these songs, the scriptures we read, some of the quotes, and what we have been learning about so far, we go back to how God shows us throughout our walk with Him, and in His Word that when we call on Him, when we Praise Him, when we pray to Him, and when we tell others about Him, we can see that God shows us Love, Mercy, and Grace. I like to share some other things that I found, when I was preparing for this study. Psalm 62:1 says: My Soul finds rest in God Alone; My Salvation comes from Him. Isaiah 22 says: Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.

The last thing, that I want to leave everyone with is this.

What It Means to Be Warriors In Faith

I would like to talk about What It Means to Be Warriors In Faith. We will look at different scripture of what the Bible says about being a Warrior. 

I want us to look at some scripture now and the scripture we are going to look at tonight is John 16 verse 33, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Psalm 144 verse 1, Matthew 6 verse 6, Isaiah 41 verse 10, Psalm 24 verse 8, Hebrews 11 verse 1-40, Philippians 4 verse 13, 1 John 4 verse 1, Psalm 127:1-5, Zephaniah 3:17, Isaiah 9:6, and Job 16:14.

In the scriptures we see what it means to be a Warrior, and what a Warrior is. I wanted to do a study based off my study name. I at first didn't know how to do that. I asked two different people on how to go about it, and one person was reading different scriptures based on being a Warrior and the word Warriors itself. I thanked them for helping me in this because it gave me a little bit of clarity. It helped me know that God uses us to be Warriors In Christ, Warriors for Him, and more importantly Warriors In Faith. When we think about being Warriors we think of Strength, we think of Hope, we think of Faith, we think of how we can continue to be who God has called us to be.

I want to share a song by Land Of Color called Warriors. Now before I share the lyrics of this song, I want to say how this song has helped me grow in my own relationship and Faith walk with God because before I started my study back in July, I was thinking of a name and there was something that I wrote back in February that had that word and then I also thought of the song, and mainly what I had written where I put Warriors In Faith in it. So that is how the idea for the name of my study came to happen.

I would like to now share Warriors by Land Of Color. The lyrics of the song say this: Thought I had to be stronger

And keep my fists clinched so tight, Hide all these cracks in my armor, A soldier is not meant to cry, But would you lead us and give us your heart, A king who for sinners would die, You stripped off your glory to lay down your life, And showed us a new way to fight, We don't have to win, We don't have to lie, We don't have to always get it right, Even when we fall, The battle's not our own

We will find the strength when we let go, To be your warriors

Now I would like to share a song from Sons Of Korah called Psalm 127 and a lyric from that song says this: Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

The reason I shared these two song lyrics is because there is a movie called A Warriors Heart, that not only made me think of the song Warriors by Land Of Color but it made me think of the lyric from the song Psalm 127 by Sons Of Korah, where again it says Like Arrows In The Hands Of A Warrior. We can have a Heart of being a Warrior for Christ, and being a Warrior with showing our Love for Him to others who may not know who He is. We can see how God uses His Timing to show us that we have true strength that comes from Him, we can overcome anything as Warriors for Christ and importantly Warriors In Faith.

No matter what we do, we can live our life to the fullest. We can be who God made us to be as children of God and as Warriors In Faith. We can be the light we are called to be and we can shine a light for Him, as we praise Him, and as we give Him the Honor and we pray to Him.

There are different types of Warriors. There are Warriors that fight for our country, there are warriors that we read about in the Bible that God chose to not only follow Him, but be a Disciple for Him. We also see Warriors as people who pray for others, this is what is known as a Prayer Warrior. There are many examples of what being a warrior is and what we can do as God's Warriors to keep living for Him.

What are some ways we can be a Warrior for Christ daily?

How can we show examples of what it means to be not only a Disciple but a Warrior for God to others?

Thank you for sharing. I would now like to let anyone share any prayer requests and comments they may have.

Thanks for sharing, and here are the two things that I would like to end on tonight. The first thing says this: ''When God's Warriors Go Down On Their Knees, The Battle Is Not Over. It Has Just Begun.'' 

The last thing I would like to share is some lyrics from a song called Warrior Spirit by Sam Day. The Lyrics say this: Warrior Spirit Don't Mean I'm Looking For A Fight It Just Means I Can Finish One. When I think of these lyrics, I think of how we all have a Warrior Spirit as a Child of God that doesn't give up, and that even when we feel like we can fight some battles on our own, it's God who finishes the battles we face because God is always fighting them. God never gives up on us, and He helps us see that we can be Warriors For Christ, and Warriors In Faith because it is our Faith that makes us strong, and it's our Faith that can help us be overcomers that realize and see that when we have God we can do all things through Him that gives us the strength we need to do anything because just like a song from earlier, even when we fall the battle's not our own, we will find the strength when we let go to be your warriors. 

Baptism Bible Study

 I would like to share that this was something that I wanted to talk with all of you about but I also wanted to end this year with a study on Baptism because this is something that I felt God laid on my heart but it is something that I have thought about doing because I have wondered what it would be like to be baptized now that I'm older. I was baptized as a infant, later on I did profession of faith and then sometime after that I thought of being baptized because I feel that by me being baptized now, would help me grow stronger in my relationship with God and in my Faith walk with Him. I am thankful for God who has helped me, and continues to help me. I'm thankful for everyone that God has put in my life to help me grow spiritually but to also make me feel I belong. I'm grateful and humbly thankful to know that in God's Timing, He will help me see that no matter what I go through in life, that He will keep revealing things to me.

I would now like for us to look at some scriptures. The scriptures that we are going to be looking at are 1 Peter 3:21, John 3:5, Acts 22:16, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 6 verses 3-4, Ephesians 4:5,Acts 2:41, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:16, Acts 8:36-38, John 1:33,  Acts 10:47, Acts 10:48, and the last five verses that we are going to look at are Titus 3:5, Mark 1:4, John 3:16-17, Acts 16:1-40, and Romans 6:11.

I would like to share two different songs with you. The first one comes from Aaron Shust with his song titled My Savior My God. The lyrics say this: I am not skilled to understand

What God has willed what God Has planned

I only know at his right hand

Stands one who is my Savior

I take him at his word and deed

Christ died to save me this I read

And in my heart I find the need

Of him to be my Savior

That he would leave his place on high

And come for sinful man to die

You called it strange so once did I

Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves

My Savior lives

My Savior's always there for me

My God he was

My God he is

My God is always gonna be

Yes living, dying let me bring

My strength my Solace from the Spring

That he who lives to be my king

Once died to be my Savior

The next song is from Benjamin James with a song of his called Baptize Me and the lyrics say this: Baptize me where the wind sings new songs

And flows deep in my lungs, to breathe Kingdom come

Baptize me when the rain falls on the sea

And stairs back at me, baptize me

Baptize me in the heat of the burning sun

That causes all growth to come, where death and life are one

Baptize me with the birds in the morning

With the leaves in their turning, baptize me

In what was, in what is, in what's coming

Baptize me

Baptize me up in the mountains

Through rivers up fountains,

Through the forest surrounding

Baptize me in the eyes of my brother

In the love of my mother, baptize me

I would like to share something I found on Google where the title says A Chosen Child and the rest says: You're a chosen child

You're ours, but not by birth

But just the same, we feel

You're the greatest child on earth

You're a chosen child

Sent down from God above

Chosen to fill our home 

With laughter and love

You're a chosen child

You've given us so much pleasure

Chosen above the rest

A precious, priceless treasure

I would like to share some quotes with all of you

“Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart.”

“Baptism is faith in action.”

"In order to live a life of holiness, we must first receive new life from God — we must be born from above."

Here is what I would like to leave all of you with tonight: The rain on my chest is a baptism- I am born again.

What the Bible says about Anxiety

 I want to start off with a song from Rebecca St James that features Brandon Lake and the song is called The Battle Is The Lord's. The lyric I want to share says: Come be still, oh, anxious heart. Find rest here in the Father's arms. In His presence, there is perfect peace. In His power, there is victory, yeah.

I would now like us to look at some scriptures. The scriptures we are going to be looking at tonight are John 14 verse 27, 1 Peter 5 verse 6-7, Philippians 4 verse 6-7, 2 Timothy 1 verse 7, Psalm 55 verse 22, Matthew 6 verse 34, Psalm 34 verse 4, Psalm 56 verse 3, Psalm 94 verse 19, Isaiah 41 verse 10, and the last two scriptures we will look at are Proverbs 12 verse 25, and Jeremiah 29 verse 11.

When we look at the scriptures and we look at the song lyric, we see that in God's presence there is perfect peace, so we are able to be still and know that we can find rest in His arms because in His power there is victory, and we think of that we think of how amazing it is to know that God is in control. So our anxious hearts can be calm because God will calm our hearts that feel anxious, and He will help us feel the peace that surpasses all understanding. He will remind us that as long as we trust in Him, we don't have to be afraid of what the enemy tries to get us to believe because the enemy will try to steal, kill and destroy our joy and make us feel anxious about certain things, but God shows us that as long as we have Hope, Faith, and Trust in Him, we don't have to be afraid because God shows us that with Him, He will help us through any storm or trial that we face in life.

I would now like to share some quotes with all of you.

Worship.. Until the worry is absorbed into the Presence Of God

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of it's sorrows, but only empties today of it's strength

Lord, please calm my heart and take away my anxiety

I am no longer a Slave to

Fear

Anxiety

Loneliness

Anger

Hatred

Worthlessness

Brokenness

Depression

I Am A Child Of God

I would like to ask these questions.

In what ways do we see God help us overcome our anxieties and how does He help us through them?

When we see someone who is afraid and feeling anxious, how can we help them feel less anxious and afraid?

Finally this last question, is one that I think of as a reflection type question and so with that, How can we take what we learn from this week to not only let God help us through the storms and trials, but to help others in need?

 I now would like to share one more song with all of you before I share what I want to leave with.

The song is called Eye Of The Storm by Ryan Stevenson and the line I want to share from it says this: In the eye of the storm

You remain in control

And in the middle of the war

You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor

When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me

In the eye of the storm

Here are the three things I would like to leave all of you with tonight. The first thing comes from someone named Dhar Mann who does inspirational videos that have life lessons, and I get inspirational quotes in my email from Him and so the quote says this: If you find yourself going through a  hard time, please remember that life always gives you the lesson before it gives you the blessing. You might not see it right away, but better things are ahead! Stay Strong! The second thing I would like to share says: Fear is only temporary. Regret lasts forever. Finally, the last thing I would like to share says: Anxiety and fear are like baby tigers: The more you feed them, the stronger they grow.

What the Bible says about Injustice

 We're going to look at different scriptures. The scriptures we are going to be reading from tonight are

Exodus 23 verse 7, Romans 12 verse 2, Isaiah 1 verse 17, Psalm 82 verse 2, Luke 16 verse 15, Psalm 12 verse 5, Proverbs 14 verse 31, Luke 18 verse 1-8, Exodus 23 verse 1-3, Proverbs 22 verse 8, Amos 5 verse 11, Zephaniah 3 verse 5, Luke 16 verse 10, Isaiah 26 verse 10, Lamentations 3 verse 34-36, Ecclesiastes 3 verse 16-17, Psalm 94 verse 15-16, 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 6, Ezekiel 22 verse 12, Jeremiah 6 verse 15, and the last two scriptures we will be looking at are Genesis 50 verse 19-20 and Luke 3 verse 14.

From the scriptures we read tonight, we see how God shows us that there can be a lot of bad, but we also see the good. God shows that when we have Faith, we can see that Faith in Him is not only what we need, but it has the power to connect us to what we need. There is a quote that said: Faith is like Wi-Fi it is invisible but it has the power to connect us to what we need. When we think of this quote and how it could relate to what we read and just the title in general of what the Bible says about it, we see that we don't always need to worry about what we need because God provides but when we think of Injustice, we think of these examples in our own lives. We think of how sometimes people in school treated us unkindly because they didn't understand what we have been through. This first example can be hard to process especially when we were in school, because there can be kids that may have treated us unkindly because they didn't know how to treat others with how they may have wanted to be treated. We can also think of how there can be those who may treat unkindly toward others by taking advantage. This example, we see that this injustice is just like the first example given but it's the kind of injustice that doesn't make you feel good because when we see people take advantage of a friend or someone close to us, we want to be there for them, we want them to get justice in what is right, and we want to make sure that people in our lives that are close to us are treated, not only how they want to be treated, but with respect and fairly. When we think of these first two examples, we take what we learn and try to do better so that we can continue to make a difference in this world, and stand up for what is right. Remember the question I ended with from last time, when I did the study on Justice? Well, I wanted to leave with that question because here is something I want to share in a way that I hope can give a better understanding of what we have been learning and talking about.

This quote comes from a show called Boy Meets World and the quote is this: Try Do Good. The reason for sharing this quote is because when we look back to the study on Justice, and then tonight's study on Injustice, we always want to try and do good and do our best so that we can be the best examples of how God made us to be in His Image.

We see that God gives us the opportunities to lead not only by His example but by Faith. When we walk by Faith, and lead in Faith, we see that we can do all things through Christ that gives us strength. God helps us know that no matter what we go through, He will help us by showing us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. That scripture came from Micah 6 verse 8, from when we learned about it last week. I wanted to share it again, because it also goes with what we have been learning.

We should always want to walk humbly with God and lead by the example He wants us to lead. There's one scripture that I felt leads into what we have been talking about and that scripture is John 10:10 where it mentions how the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy but how God has come so that we may have life and live it to the full and live it more abundantly. 

Before I share my final comments and prayer requests with all of you, I would like for anyone to share their prayer requests and comments they may have. Thank you all for sharing. Here are the things I would like to share with all of you and leave all of you with tonight.

Malachi 3 verse 5 says: So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me, says the Lord Almighty.

Psalm 58 verse 1-2 says: Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

Deuteronomy 27 verse 19 says: Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow. Then all the people shall say, Amen.

The quote I want to end with tonight is this and it comes from a show called Girl Meets World and the quote says this: Is there something you would believe in so strongly you fight for it? Now this quote came from the episode where they were talking about beliefs and Ben Savage who played Corey Matthews in both shows, was talking and telling the story about Joan of Arc, so how does this apply to what we read and what we've learned? Well when we truly think about it, God helps us through any storm and trial we face in life and He fights for us. He always has and always will. The enemy wants the opposite. The enemy doesn't want to fight for what is right, but fight for what isn't. We don't have to be afraid as long as we know God is with us no matter where we are. 

A lot of us know Rebecca St. James and a lot of us know Veggie Tales, well there was a song called Hope's Song that Rebecca St James did in the Veggie Tales Easter Carol, where one of the lines said this: He hated Injustice, He taught what is Right, He said I am the way, the truth and the light.

When we take a lyric like this, we see how God is not only our Way Maker, our Promise Keeper, but He is a light in the darkness and He always makes a way for us, no matter what and He fights for what is right because He never lets go and He will continue to fight even if we like giving up.

What The Bible Says About Justice

 We're going to be talking about what the Bible says about Justice. I want to start off with a scripture before I go further into what I want to share, 

The scripture, I am sharing tonight comes from Micah 6:8 and it says: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

When we think of this scripture we think of how God shows that when we act justly, love with mercy, kindness, and to walk humbly with Him, then we see how the plans He has for us can help us all throughout our life and not just our weeks. I would now like for us to take a look at different scriptures that talk about what the Bible says about Justice. Who is able to read tonight? The scriptures we will be looking at tonight are Amos 5:24,  Psalm 106:3, Psalm 33:5, Deuteronomy 16:20, Matthew 7:12, Isaiah 42:1-9, Proverbs 29:7, Deuteronomy 10:18,  and the last two scriptures we will look at is Hosea 12:6 and Hebrews 10:30. Thank you all for reading. As we look at these scriptures we can see how God shows us Justice, to not only do what is right, but to also act kindly to one another.

My first question to all of you is, how can we show mercy and walk humbly with God and show compassion towards one another?

My last question for all of you is, how do we show the Justice God shows us throughout scripture to others who don't know Him? How can we be the light, they need?

I would now like to share some quotes with all of you.

We cannot begin a conversation about Justice anywhere but at the Cross Of Jesus.

The God Who Gave Us Life, gave us liberty at the same time.

Let God Be Your Judge. Your Job Today is to be a witness.

Without Justice In The World, We cannot have Peace- The Two are Intertwined.

We see that God shows again that when we walk Humbly with Him and We seek Him, we can help see the Biblical Justice that God shares in His Word. We see the Wisdom and the Reverence, we see the Humility that He puts in our Hearts. The Humility that He gives us in what we need.

These are the three things I want to leave all of you with tonight before we pray.

Ecclesiastes 5:8 says: If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.

God clearly says those are not My Values. I Value Justice, Mercy, and Humility.

From what we take away, how can we live Faithfully in God's Word and show Biblical Justice, along with seeking Justice for those who feel left out and need someone to stick up for them, when they can't stand up for themselves?

What The Bible Says about Music

 I want to share a quote with all of you. I am no longer a Slave to Fear I am a Child Of God. I would like to now look at some scriptures that talk about what the Bible says about music. The scriptures we are going to take a look at tonight are Psalm 95 verse 1, Psalm 105 verse 2, Colossians 3 verse 16, Ephesians 5 verse 19, Hebrews 2 verse 12, Psalm 71 verse 23, Philippians 4 verse 8, Acts 16 verse 25, Ecclesiastes 7 verse 5, Amos 6 verse 5, Proverbs 25 verse 20, Psalm 57 verse 7, Revelation 14 verse 3, and Exodus chapter 15 verse 1. When we think about music in the Bible and we think of the music of Christian songs that we hear on the radio or somewhere else, how is it different now to what it was like in Bible times?

When we think of the people that God chose in the Bible to have gifts for music and to play music for those He called to share music in Bible times, we think of how there are many different Bible stories of who they were but we also look at different scriptures that talk about some of the instruments and the people that God chose. I found a site where someone put a lot of scriptures as well as descriptions of these things, and so what I would like to do right now is take a look at Revelation chapter 18 verse 22, before looking at some other things relating to this.

I would like to share the description of what they wrote for David and the description for Him says this: It is said King David played the harp to soothe Saul's anxiety. He was an accomplished musician in his time and an instrument maker. A poet by nature, David charmed others with the songs he wrote and played for them. He was a wise and creative king and is the Biblical figure most remembered for his musical abilities.

Now I will share the description of what they wrote and found for one of the instruments: Most harps in Biblical days had 10 or 12 strings. Harps were played to worship as well as to soothe and entertain. It was often played with the hand while walking and sometimes had a sounding board.

We take a look at this and so we now ask ourselves how does this and how can this compare to Christian songs and Christian Music today? 

Well, I like to think that it compares by seeing how God shows us that we can make music by playing an instrument, singing, writing poetry, dancing, and there's so much more. One of the greatest things is the songs that we hear now to what we may have heard if we were there in Bible Times to hear David play for a king, because when you hear people whether it be on the radio, in church, at an event, at school, on tv, in a movie, or on YouTube and even Facebook live, the instruments of the sounds and the voices of what is spoken or said or however God has given them the gift to share what He places on their hearts or on ours, we see that it's different. 

We see how it's grown over time, but it is different because we don't really know what type of songs that David played. The reason I say that is because when we stop and I mean stop and think about it, people in Bible times did not write what an artist or you or I would write down to share with others, they played their instrument and David is an example of that because He played for a king who was sad but became happy again after hearing the music that was played. 

Now we go to that story of David who played for a king, now the king who enjoyed David's music, also was jealous of David, and He didn't want David living. God chose David to later on take over as king for someone who turned His back on God and didn't do as God wanted or instructed.

This story can be hard to read sometimes, but what we get from it is impactful and a blessing.

I like to share a quote with all of you. It came from a book I've been reading on and off called There's No Such Thing As Can't. Now you may wonder why I would share this type of quote on a study about music well let me share the quote first, and then I will explain why I did. 

The quote says this: All you can do is be you, be okay with how God made you, and do the best with what you've got. Alright so the reason I shared this quote on a study like this tonight, is because we need to remember that it's okay to do things that we may normally not do wether it be playing an instrument, singing, writing poetry, dancing, whatever it may be, God created us differently and we are going to be the light that God made us to be. So we go back to that quote and remember, all we can do is be us, we can be okay with how God made us, we can do our best with what God has given us and know that He's in control of it all.

I am going to share something the person wrote and shared on this site, that I did a little while ago about the culture for some of these things that we've learned about.

The Greeks - The word "music" comes from the "muses", the daughters of Zeus and patron goddesses of intellectual and creative pursuits. Music was very important to the Greeks and an integral part of ancient Greek society. Music was always present at marriages, religious ceremonies and funerals. Epic poetry was turned into ballads and staged musical dramas were common.

When we look at this, and we look back to what we have been learning about, we see and we know that there is so much history and knowledge, but we also see how God continues to use us each and every single day to tell our testimonies which are our stories. We see that God gives us strength, we see that God puts things on our hearts so that we can share it with others and not hold back from sharing it. God wants us to share our gifts through music, writing, poetry, dancing, playing an instrument, singing, no matter what the gift may be, we can be sure that God will help us through it and show us that we are so much more.

Here are the things that I want to leave all of you with tonight. When walking through the valley, I know I am not alone. The Lord is my strength and my song.

Where words fail, music speaks. Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. 

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.

Psalm 21 verse 13 says: Rise Up, O Lord, In all your power. With music and singing we will celebrate your mighty acts.

What the Bible says about Zacchaeus

We are going to be looking at what the Bible says about Zacchaeus. The scriptures we are going to be looking at tonight are Luke 19 verse 1-10, 1 John 1:9, Romans 3:23, John 20:10-18, Revelation 3:20, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Mark 10:25, Psalm 42:1, John 1:14, John 14:8-9, Luke 3:13, Colossians 2:9, Luke 5:30, Luke 11:1, Luke 13:22, John 5:1-47, and the last one is, 1 John 1:8.

When we think of Zacchaeus, we think of who He is and what He did in order to see Jesus. Although, do we really know more about Him and His Story and Testimony? Well, let's take a look at some of that, and to do that I am going to share some things from a website called Christianity.Com where the question is: Who is Zacchaeus? Let's take at some things the author who asked this question on Christianity.Com

Zacchaeus is a very important character in the Bible because he is a concrete example of a sinful man who was changed by Jesus Christ’s compassion over sinners. Luke 19 describes Zacchaeus as a tax collector in the City of Jericho.

He was known as a corrupt tax collector who collected more than he should have collected.  Because of this, he had a negative reputation in the community.

When Jesus was passing through the City of Jericho, Zacchaeus became very excited to see Him. However, since he was very short, he could not see Jesus from the crowd.To solve this, he climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view of Jesus. Jesus saw this and called at Zacchaeus to come down from the tree. Jesus then added that He intended to stay at Zacchaeus’ house to which Zacchaeus happily accepted.

However, this did not please the crowd and made them question Jesus’ decision of associating Himself with a sinful man like Zacchaeus.

Nevertheless, Jesus stilled pursued staying at Zacchaeus’ house and, as a result, changed the course of Zacchaeus’ life.

Before I continue to share more of what the author of this site had to say, I want to share a song with all of you.

Zacchaeus was a wee little man

And a wee little man was he

He climbed up in a sycamore tree

For the Lord he wanted to see

And when the Savior passed that way

He looked up in the tree

And said, 'Zacchaeus, you come down!

For I'm going to your house today!

For I'm going to your house today!'

Zacchaeus was a wee little man

But a happy man was he

For he had seen the Lord that day

And a happy man was he;

And a very happy man was he

I would like to share more from the site that talks about Zacchaeus. 

Zacchaeus’ story is a very inspiring story to everyone both young and old. Based on the story about him in the Bible, there are three perspectives about Zacchaeus that could help us understand him.

1. Zacchaeus: From the Perspective of the Crowd

If we look at Luke 18:11 as written, “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector,’” Zacchaeus, as a tax collector, was thought of as a sinful and greedy man by the Pharisee.

Historically, collecting taxes was a career that had a negative reputation. People hated tax collectors because they asked for money from people and also, they were known to ask for more than they should.

Roman taxes were very excessive, and the Jewish people were not happy about that situation especially since they were the oppressed and paying taxes for a nation that was not their own.

In the Bible, Jesus also compared tax collectors to pagans, as written in Mathew 18:17, “If they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

Based on this, the crowd’s perspective of Zacchaeus was really just the societal norm about tax collectors and the fact that tax collectors used their position of power for the benefit of themselves and rendered people powerless in their situations.

This is where the crowd was coming from. Zacchaeus was sinful because he was basically a huge thief. With the excessive taxes that were being imposed from their hard-earned money, it is not surprising that the Jewish people had a strong stance against those that collected them.

But just as the crowd saw Zacchaeus’ sin, we tend to see others’ mistakes and sins especially if they are more obvious. We are quick to judge others but forget to look at our inner selves if we too are sinful.

So before I share the last two perspectives with all of you, I would like to share a quote with all of you.

Long before Zacchaeus couldn't see Jesus, the tree was already planted to meet his need.

Let us now look at the last two perspectives.

2. Zacchaeus: From the Perspective of Zacchaeus Himself

Zacchaeus knew about Jesus the whole time and was excited to finally see him. Because he was very short, he tried to find other ways in order to finally see Jesus. He did this by climbing a sycamore tree.

Based on this story, we can easily see Zacchaeus’ character. He was a go-getter and possibly one of the characteristics and attitudes a tax collector should have because their job entailed asking and, sometimes, taking money from others.

Additionally, we can see that Zacchaeus was trying to find meaning in his life through Jesus. He was eager to know the truth about life.

Being a tax collector was not an easy job for him because of the nature of his business and because of how the crowd perceived him and for this reason, he climbed the tree to see Jesus and find the meaning in life.

When Jesus told Zacchaeus that He was to stay at his house, Zacchaeus became very happy and opened his doors right away. This is also an attitude that tells us that Zacchaeus was a man ready to be saved and to serve. He opened his doors for Christ and was willing to listen to His advice.

We can reflect a lot on the perspective of Zacchaeus. In this busy world full of noise in every area of life, we tend to want to find meaning in our lives to fill in the gap that we are experiencing. We try to “climb trees” to extend our eyes’ reach of a quieter yet better tomorrow.

Jesus is our better present and future. There is no need for us to climb a tree to be seen by Jesus. In fact, Jesus already saw Zacchaeus and knew Zacchaeus even before he climbed the tree.

But what really caught the attention of Jesus was Zacchaeus’ passion to be seen. It is important that we try to show ourselves to Jesus even if we know that He already sees us.

It is important that we acknowledge Him at all times. And finally, it is important that we show repentance for the sins that we commit.

After all, it is written in Luke 3:12-13, “Even tax collectors came to be baptized. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’ ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them.”

3. Zacchaeus: From the Perspective of Jesus

Jesus decided to come to the house of Zacchaeus even if though he was a sinner, a tax collector that everyone despised. Jesus did not care about how the crowd reacted. Instead, He continued on and stayed at his house.

How Jesus obligated Zacchaeus in Luke 19:5-6, “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly,” is an example of how Jesus obligates us to focus on Him during the times that we need Him the most.

His words “I must stay at your house,” were not a request, but more of a command that He needed to be invited and to stay with Zacchaeus.

Jesus already knew that Zacchaeus needed to invite him to stay, not just in his home, but in his heart. After all, Jesus came to the world to save us from our sins so we could stay with Him forever.

Our Takeaway

Zacchaeus was portrayed in the Bible as a sinful tax collector and despised by the crowd. He was also portrayed as someone who, despite his height and inability to see Jesus, found his way by climbing a sycamore tree.

And finally, he was the person that Jesus saw and demanded to stay in his house.

We are Zacchaeus and yet, we are also the crowd. There are moments in our lives when we can tend to be judgmental by stereotyping people based on worldly criteria.

And yet, there are moments in our lives when we know we have sinned, and we need to repent our sins by talking to Jesus. Jesus must come to our house.

He must come to every house whether it’s the sinful tax collector, Zacchaeus, or the judgmental crowd. He is the only person that sees us and our true nature.

Here is what I would like to leave all of you with tonight: The story of Zacchaeus is not just about figuring out how to get a glimpse of Jesus. It's about Him getting a glimpse of you. The Devil knows your name but calls you by your sin, God knows your sin but calls you by your name. Lord in those difficult times, give us great courage, faith, wisdom, and humble dependence on you. Isaiah 41:10.

What The Bible Says About Being A Disciple

 What The Bible Says About Being A Disciple. I would like to talk tonight about What The Bible Says About Being A Disciple. 

I want to start off with two song lyrics, one that is from Matthew West and the other that is from MercyMe.

The first lyric comes from a song called World Changers by Matthew West. This is what the lyrics say:  In a world full of dirt, you're a diamond, In a world full of hurt, you're smiling, In the darkest dark, you're shining, Shining like a shooting star, You live your life like you're here on a mission, Yeah, you're not afraid of being different

You hear the doubters, but you don't listen, 'Cause you know who you are, Yeah, you know who you are

This is to all the world changers, Keep walking on, don't you ever Lose that fire in your soul, Lose that fire in your soul, This is to all the world changers, You know you are history makers, This world's never gonna change you

You're gonna change, You're gonna change The world (yeah) The world

The next song is by MercyMe called Greater and the lyrics say: I am learning to run freely, Understanding just how He sees me, And it makes me love Him more and more

He's Greater, He's Greater, 'Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed, When others say I'll never be enough

And greater is the One living inside of me, Than he who is living in the world, In the world, In the world, And greater is the One living inside of me, Than he who is living in the world

I want us to take a look at some scriptures now and the scriptures that we will take a look at are Matthew 16 verse 24, Luke 9 verse 23, John 12 verse 26, Luke 6 verse 40, Matthew 4 verse 19, James 2 verse 18, 1 Peter 2 verse 21, John 13 verse 35, John 15 verse 16, 2 Timothy 2 verse 2, and the last one we'll look at is Matthew 28 verse 19. 

In scripture we see how we are called to be God's Children but how we are also called to be His Disciples. When we think of being Disciples for Him, something that comes to mind is who God chose as His Disciples to follow Him.

There is a song I want to share that fits well with what we are talking about. The song is called Twelve Disciples.

The lyrics say this: There were Twelve Disciples Jesus called to help him.

Simon Peter, Andrew, James, his brother John,

Phillip, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alpheus,

Thaddeus, Simon, Judas, and Bartholomew.

Jesus calls us, too. Jesus calls us, too.

We are his disciples. Jesus calls us, too.

Jesus calls us, too. Jesus calls us, too.

We are his disciples. Jesus calls us, too.

When we take a song like this we think of how we can be a Disciple for Him, and how we can serve Him.

I want to share a quote with all of you and the quote says this: Discipleship is living everyday to the Glory of God in front of other people and inviting them to join you on the journey.

Here is a quote I would like to share with all of you that I felt goes along with what we've been learning on tonight, and here is what the quote says.

When I look at this quote I see how God can help us lead by example and be an example in our Faith and Relationship with Him. I see how God can take any situation, and turn it around for good and help us encourage one another because that's what a love of a family can do, and that's what we can do as not only Children of God but as Disciples for Him. God is Love, and because of that He shows us how to be Disciples and continuing to be Disciples for Him each and every day.