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I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”‭‭
It’s day ten of “Mark, one chapter ad day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!
Today, I’d like to set a challenge before you.
A challenge to have WILDLY CHILDLIKE FAITH.
A faith that looks like the faith a child has in their parent at a young age, before their eyes are disillusioned and see that we human parents are sinners.
We see this kind of faith in chapter ten of Mark. Jesus calls the children close, and uses them as an example of the way we are to receive the Kingdom of God.
So today, I leave you with this challenge: talk to God like he is your good, good daddy, even if your earthly father left you or was far from the image you’d like to have of a good parent.
Help us embrace your design for childlike faith. May we never outgrow a faith in our Father to just take care of us. You never cut ties and turn us loose to try and do life by ourselves without you. You ask us to keep childlike faith. Help us to stay wildly childlike, to never grow up and think we’ve got it all figured out and can do it on our own. Help us keep a childlike trust in you that helps us to never worry, but to only trust you.
What’s the Lord speaking to you today? Trust his word like it’s from the Father that will never let you down, because it is! ❤
April 11, 2022 AmyTerry Leave a comment
Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.”
It’s day nine of “Mark, one chapter ad day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!
Today while I was reading I was mostly drawn to verses 2-13,  honing in on verse seven.
Once again, I’ll be sharing today using the quiet time format for this reading plan, an acronym for M.A.R.K. (see image below). Patterning your time in the Word with a structure similar to this one will help you interact with it and not merely read it and forget about it. The Word of God is so powerful, and the Lord wants nothing more than to see you ask him to be your teacher so he can guide you into his truth, I am just here to encourage you along the way!
My verse: “Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.”
Application: Listen to Jesus. A few nights ago at dinner, my husband was talking to my kids about listening more than they speak, and being slow to speak and quick to listen. He showed them how we have two ears, but one mouth.
It takes practice and commitment to listen to Jesus; to really hear his voice. We have to be in his word and in tune with him in prayer. Praying to him before and while you are reading your bible is a great place to start asking him to speak to you. Write down what you hear. Make sure it aligns with the rest of scripture. God stills speaks to his people. We just have to recognize his voice.
Review: Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain. Jesus’s appearance changed, and Elijah and Moses appeared there with him. Then, a cloud came over them and the voice spoke this verse.
Kneel in prayer: Lord, I pray we will seek your voice in your word and in prayer. We believe you still speak to us. Please help us hear you and follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’d love to hear your verse of the day! Comment below!
April 10, 2022 AmyTerry Leave a comment
“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”‭‭
It’s day eight of “Mark, one chapter ad day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!
Today verses 34-38 stuck out the most to me, especially verse 34:
This command from Jesus comes after he tells his apostles he must suffer and die. He rebuks Peter when he he says, “never!”
Jesus was willing to do whatever it took to fulfill his calling and assignment.
Isaiah prophesied this about him:
“Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭50:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Then Jesus himself declared:
“As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:51‬ ‭NLT‬‬
His face set like stone.
Determined to do God’s will.
This is the way Jesus was ready to endure suffering to fulfill his mission because he loved us.
Because he loves us.
Let’s just sit right there for today, meditating and marveling at his determination to bring us salvation.
May it spark an organic desire in us to follow him with the unselfish determination he calls us to have.
What was your verse of the day?
April 9, 2022 AmyTerry 2 Comments
Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It’s day seven of “Mark, one chapter ad day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!
Today while I was reading I was mostly drawn to verses 1-23, honing in on verse six.
Once again, I’ll be sharing today using the quiet time format for this reading plan, an acronym for M.A.R.K. (see image below). Patterning your time in the Word with a structure similar to this one will help you interact with it and not merely read it and forget about it. The Word of God is so powerful, and the Lord wants nothing more than to see you ask him to be your teacher so he can guide you into his truth, I am just here to  encourage you along the way!
My verse: “Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I love how Jesus cuts straight to the heart when the Pharisees try and convict the disciples of not performing the ceremonial hand washing  ritual before eating. How dry and surface level the religious people had become back then! Jesus used this opportunity to explain to them how they had been side-stepping God’s law and substituting their own man-made traditions.
Application: Let God do a heart checkup on you every morning to get rid of anything that will hinder you from fulfilling the greatest commandment:
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 2:29-31 NLT
There are some beautiful scriptures that the forerunners of our faith recorded long ago which are perfect to pray during these heart checkups. Here is my favorite:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Then, ask the Lord to help you to love him and others more than you did yesterday. Because of what Jesus did, we don’t have to clean ourselves up before we come to him. We come as we are and trust that his blood covers the sin that easily entangles and threatens to harden our hearts and keep them blocked off from his love. We come everyday, and everyday, he melts away the hardness and makes our hearts soft and loving.
Review:  The ceremony the Pharisees loved was supposed to be an outward symbol of an inward process that wasn’t taking place in their hearts, and Jesus saw right through it. When the religious people tried to condemn Jesus and his followers for not following the age-old hand washing ceremony, Jesus used it as an opportunity to rebuke them for their hard hearts that cared more about man made ideas than God’s commands.
Kneel in prayer: Lord, we praise you for being more concerned about our hearts being close to you than our religious traditions. As we approach your throne this Easter, please help us all spend time with you, letting you search the deepest places in our hearts that only you can see. Bring out and excavate all things that are taking your place there. Replace it with the love your Holy Spirit produces for you and all people, so we can fulfill the greatest commandment in your strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
We are almost halfway through the book of Mark! I’d love to hear which verse spoke to you today!
April 8, 2022 AmyTerry Leave a comment
Come away and rest
Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.””
It’s day six of “Mark, one chapter ad day for Easter.” here at Refocused Bible Study. If you missed the details of the study, you can find them here. We’d love for you to join us!
Today we are reading chapter six, and I was mostly drawn to verses 30-32, where the apostles have just returned from their ministry tour and Jesus tells them to come with him to get away and rest for a while.
30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.  32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
I’ll be sharing again today following the pattern for quiet time for this study. It’s based on the acronym for M.A.R.K. seen in the picture below. Try it out in your own personal time with God and see if it helps you hear God through his word more clearly.
My verse: There were amazing miracles in this chapter, like Jesus feeding five thousand from five loaves and two fish, and when he walked on water! What a powerful Savior we have! Even with those amazing moments in today’s reading, I was compelled to write the verse when he asked the apostles to come away with him and rest all over my forearm to help me remember and do this!
As women in 2022, we are pulled in so many different directions, and we can relate to Jesus and his apostles’ problem of needing rest. As the crowds kept pressing in on Jesus and his apostles, the scripture says they were so busy serving and meeting needs that they didn’t even have time to eat. Does that sound familiar to any of your lives, busy mamas? I think it is important that we see how Jesus felt it imperative to have the apostles get away with him to rest just as necessary as meeting all the immediate needs of the crowd.
Application: Intentionally get away with Jesus to rest. This thought is so counter culture in a world where “the hustle” has become a catch phrase. But if we neglect time to refuel and replenish with our Savior, our living water, then our cup is going to run dry and we are not going to be the women we are hustling around striving to be. Create a rhythm of rest into your day. Ideas are short walks or runs, a ten minute rest where you close your eyes, stretching, etc. When you are taking these “rests” from serving others and working hard, invite Jesus. Practice an awareness of his steadfast presence. Acknowledge that he is the trustworthy One in control, making it possible for you to truly rest in him, knowing he’s got everything under control.
Review: In the thick of a season of ministry and spreading the gospel, the apostles returned to share their experiences with Jesus. He responded by telling them to come away and rest with him for a while.
Kneel in prayer: Sweet Jesus, thank you for knowing that we need time to rest in you. Please help us to abide in you, working hard at whatever good work you have for us to do, but to also listen to your voice calling us away to rest and refuel with you. You do the miracles, Jesus, and we trust that you are always working, even when we are resting. Amen.
I love how Jesus speaks personally to each of us through his word, giving us what we need to abide in him. I’d love to hear what he spoke to you through this chapter!
April 7, 2022 AmyTerry Leave a comment
Hi, I'm Amy and I'm glad you're here. I hope you join me as we journey to live a life refocused on Jesus. I love meeting other women who desire to go deeper with the Lord and narrow their focus through his word to see the abundant life he has for us. I'd love to connect! Send me an email and join our sisterhood group on Facebook!