By Judy Wallace

TOOLS

No matter the task, activity, or job, almost anything we do requires tools. If you like gardening, you will no doubt use a hoe, a spade, and some gloves. If it is music that is your forte, you will need pages with the notes, a metronome for keeping the correct rhythm, and a clock to make sure you spend the right amount of time practicing!

We have been using the phrase, ‘building a legacy’ throughout these blogs. That tells us there is something we must use to develop a Christian worldview while living in a very non- and even anti-Christian culture.

The key factor we have all shared in our writings is that THE tool for this task is the Bible. There is no way we can establish the truths and principles we are to live by within our own hearts and minds without reading and partaking of God’s inspired Word. We must develop such a Bible-study legacy for our own lives before we can pass it on to someone else.

Do you have a method of studying the Scriptures? Are you familiar with different plans and guides that will direct you in this journey and keep you focused? Do you have anything that would help you teach your children or teens to learn this important practice early on in their lives?

We all learn in different ways. As educators we were taught that there were three major types of learners: the visual learner who must see it, the auditory learner who must hear it, and the kinesthetic learner who must do it. Know then that not all methods of doing a Bible study will ‘fit’ each person.

One that needs to be showcased as both a visual and kinesthetic method and is excellent for teens and tweens is the book, “Seven Arrows: A 52 Week Devotional for Teens,” by Matt and Sarah Rogers. Though written for teens, the Adult Connect Groups at our church used these for one year’s study.

Using arrows going different directions, the authors show what to look for and what questions to ask as a certain passage is read. It is basically the Inductive Bible Study method that covers observation, interpretation, and application, just in a more visual form. I still form these arrows in my head at times to guide my personal readings.

What is the passage about? (the reload arrow)

What does it tell us about man? (down arrow)

What did it mean to the original recipients? (back arrow)

What does it demand of me? (forward arrow)

What does it tell us about God? (up arrow)

How does it relate to relationships? (two ended arrow)

What does the passage prompt me to pray to God? ( the “amazon smile” arrow)

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 19:7-11

RESPONSE: Use this scripture or another to go through the passage with this method. Then teach it to another person.

PRAYER: Father help us use the many tools you provide for us to go deeper into your word!

If you would like more information on this book and other resources, go to www.sevenarrowsbible.com

Hi friend,

After a year like we’ve just experienced it may seem impossible to believe you could smile at the future without fear. You may look forward to the day we turn the page to a new calendar year, hopeful that 2021 will bring something new, something to hope for, something to smile about. The truth is there’s no guarantee a new year will bring new, more secure circumstances. It takes work to stay one step ahead of the future. Meanwhile in the present, we live paralyzed by fear, unable to enjoy the blessings right before us—much less engage in God’s prearranged purposes for our lives. Maybe you need someone to tell you everything is going to be okay. You need someone to tell you the future won’t be filled with your worst-case scenarios. The only place I’ve found an answer for my fear is in God’s Word, and I want to share it with you. Instead of merely crossing your fingers and hoping that 2021 will be different, I want to offer you a reason to believe 2021 can be the year you smile without fear. Join me for my new Bible study, She Smiles without Fear: Proverbs 31 for Every Woman. In this study you’ll learn to trade your fear of the future for joy in the present. With the Proverbs 31 woman as a guide, we’ll learn:

• The very first step to security in the midst of uncertainty
• Fresh perspectives and decisions that bring us relief when facing fears
• Practical ways to transfer the burden of figuring out the future from our shoulders to God’s
• How to see prayer as a time of trust rather than a time of worry

You can pre-order the Bible study right now and begin watching video session 1 immediately! When you pre-order, you’ll also receive a small group leader guide to help you facilitate this Bible study with other women in your church or community.

Here’s what I’ve discovered, I can’t change the future, but the fear of the future can change me. It can twist me into something God never intended me to be and render me unavailable to invest in the assignments right in front of me. I’ve decided I’m not okay with that.

What about you? Together, let’s trade the what-ifs of tomorrow for God’s purposes today. Together, let’s become women who smile without fear.

Sincerely,

Katy McCown

Pre-order link: SheSmilesBibleStudy.com

Pre-order bonuses:

• Mobile phone lock screens
• Video Session 1
• Sample Chapter
• Small Group Leader Guide
• Access to join the She Smiles without Fear Countdown to 2021

Cindy Allen

Devotional Books by Sarah Young

These books have been around for a while but I have just discovered them. I am reading a daily devotional out of Jesus Always and I can’t remember the last time a devotional book spoke to me every day the way this book does. After I started talking to people about it and looking around I realized Sarah Young has several books and I plan on reading another one next year. I think they would be great gifts also. The books I have seen are written as if Jesus is talking to the reader and it is very impactful. If you try one I can guarantee you will enjoy it.

Books in the set.

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence

Jesus Lives: Seeing His Love in Your Life

Jesus Always: Embracing Joy in His Presence

Dear Jesus: Seeking His Light in Your Life

Jesus Today: Experiencing Hope Through His Presence

Many of these books have also been adapted for children and teens.

Cindy Allen

Tow Sacks by Buddy Johnson

Buddy Johnson is no stranger to many in the BMA. He spent most of his life on the mission field in Mexico, planting churches and loving people. In this autobiography, he shares the call that God placed on his heart during an event filled trip to Mexico in 1971. The road was not always easy but the blessings were abundant, not only for Buddy but for many, many villagers in Mexico. You will meet interesting characters, fall in love with the family, and learn some great history. But most of all, the book will remind you that God has some task for all of us and if we have the courage to follow him, he will certainly “lend us Tow Sacks” too. And as Buddy reminds readers at the end of the book, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matt 9:37-38

I joined the prayer team at church, and I will be honest, it wasn’t because I am the greatest prayer but because I wanted motivation to do better in this area. The leader of our group bought each member a book by Priscilla Shirer, Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer. This is one of the most exciting books I have read in a while. It is broken in to 10 strategies to a better prayer life. Each strategy is combating a device the devil uses to weaken not only our prayer life but our Christian walk. I have not made it through all the strategies but I am soaking in the ones I have read and trying to apply them to my life. I think this book would be a great study for any individual or group. It will be a great addition to this study to view the movie War Room.