June 30. Revelation 4 There are other passages in Revelation less strange and marvelous than this one. I love to read about how Jesus will someday wipe the tears from my eyes (Revelation 21:4). I get so excited to read about the Wedding Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9) and I love imagining the river flowing through the city of God with the trees that have new fruit every season (Revelation 22:1-2). But Revelation 4 is SO full of majesty and awe and the Bigness of God that I had to choose it as our final example of poetic and descriptive writing in the Bible. How does one describe the throne room of the living God with human words? John does his best and […] Read more »

June 29. James 3 I initially chose James 3 because of its poetic analogies, comparing the tongue to a spark that ignites a forest fire, a rudder that guides a huge ship, and a small bit that controls a strong horse. But there’s so much more in this chapter. It starts with a sober warning to teachers. As I am a teacher of sorts, I sit up and take notice when I read James 3:1!! We who share our words with others have a great responsibility to try to get the words right. Immediately after this warning, we are reminded just how HARD it is to always get the words right. May I put in a little plug for grace being given to speakers? It’s […] Read more »

June 28.  Hebrews 11 This might just be the longest passage you have been asked to read. Just as I Corinthians 13 had a singular theme—LOVE—Hebrews also has a theme: FAITH. I Corinthians 13: 13 says, Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. So, faith is one of the “top three” and definitely worthy of our time as we read the great passages of the Bible. This is not really poetic, nor is it a prayer. However, the listing and defining of faith is beautifully done, and we pray more often when our faith is strong. Let’s learn about faith from these heroes of the faith so that we may come to God in greater faith ourselves. We […] Read more »

Just three days left to our study. What will you be studying next? DO let me know. I'd love to hear from you. You can comment below or email me: sharon@sweetselah.org. It's always fun to discover just who was doing the website Bible Study. Please email and share. And enjoy your last little video, friend! Read more »

June 27. Colossians 1 This great chapter in the Bible contains more lessons in prayer and one of the richest descriptions of Jesus ever written. Paul wrote to the Colossians from a prison cell. He had heard that they had false teachers among them who were denying the deity of Jesus. It’s hard to grasp, but Jesus was both fully human and fully God. All through history people have erred in either thinking he was all God with no humanness or merely human with no deity. The truth is Jesus is fully both. It’s a mystery because we are finite beings with tiny brains, but it’s true. Paul wants the Colossians to know and believe this and not stray from the truth of it. We […] Read more »

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June 26. Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21 These two prayers in Ephesians are so helpful to me as I pray for my beloveds. Have you noticed how little Paul prays for those he loves in mundane ways? I don’t see a lot of praying for success in their jobs or raises in their salaries. Nope. Paul prays for the character and hearts of the ones under his care. I love seeing this modeled. You see, I am often so caught up in asking God to keep all my dear ones ‘safe and happy” that I don’t realize how sometimes God wants more for them than just that. He wants them to grow and mature in Him. He wants them to bear fruit for His kingdom. Sometimes that […] Read more »

June 25. I Corinthians 13 If you are looking to memorize a chapter in the Bible, you might consider this one. I can’t tell you how many times just these six words— “Love is patient. Love is kind.”—have altered my response to a friend or family member. My first thoughts when someone says something that I interpret as combative are not nice ones. Remembering what Paul says in this chapter helps me respond so much more politely. Haha! In the end, I am always glad when I am able to be patient and kind. Don’t we all want to be treated that way? The first portion of this chapter emphasizes the supreme importance of love. No matter how amazing we might be in action or […] Read more »

June 24.  Romans 8 Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of the most theologically rich chapters of the Bible. Romans 8 in my Bible has SO many highlighted verses! It’s rich with encouragement and truth. It starts out with a huge reassurance that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus. I can’t tell you the number of times this has helped me recognize an attack from the enemy of our souls, Satan. When I start feeling condemned and hopeless and beyond redemption, this verse reminds me that there is no condemnation for me. It’s the enemy making me feel that way. I can recite the verse and feel the burden lift. Paul goes on to remind us of what God did […] Read more »