COMING SOON!

 

Have You Met Hagar?

Spring, 2021 found me studying the life of Hagar, a slave found in Genesis 16 and again in chapter 21:8-21. I recognized her name, but knew very little about her.

10 articles and 9 books later I found Hagar to be an extraordinary woman and well worth sharing her life with you. I think you'll be amazed how her story relates to the women of today.

Come back soon and I'll take you to Canaan ten generations after the flood.

Selah (think on this),

Connie

Noah Study: Lesson 3

The story of Noah is about faith, obedience and grace. Let's begin by looking at what faith is.

Faith Quotes to Ponder

Faith in God is the rarest of things because we only have “faith” in our feelings. 

"I do not believe God unless He will give me something in my hand whereby I may know I have it. Then I’ll say, “Now I believe.”  

There is no faith in that.

-      David McArdle

Scottish Bible Scholar

When we are motivated by what Jesus needs- not what man needs and not what we think we need- then we are on the path of continual and perpetual blessing [through obedience based on faith.]

-      Chip Brogden, author

The life of faith is not a life of mounting up on wings, but a life of walking and not fainting… faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.

-      Oswald Chambers

True faith involves the whole of the inner person: the mind hears God’s instructions; the heart ponders the possible outcomes then acts in obedience to God’s Word.

-      Unknown

     

 

     Selah - think on this 

      

     Connie

     Next post: "Faith Defined"

Noah Study Lesson 2:

The Sunday group did not meet due to several not feeling well. However, I want to share what was on my heart. I ran across this on Pinterest:

I am guilty. Read, write, talk... no problem, but I haven't listened well. Overall I know what God expects from me, but right now? This moment? I don't know specifically. Thus, the temptation is to do my own thing. That may lead me where I don't want or need or shouldn't go. So...

First,

Next...

 Working on that.

Then...

 Now, with gratitude, I'll listen! 

Is there something in your life you need to change or to say I'm sorry for?

Salah ~ think on this

Connie

NEWS

Moody Publishing announced today that they are releasing two new Bible Studies for Women.

Moody asked women what they were looking for in Bible studies. Their response was "something in-depth with no fluff...something to feed the mind not just the heart."

I am delighted that publishers are listening. I've been saying that for years; and why I studied then wrote this study and several more.

My in-person group meets Sunday afternoon. Prepare your heart and mind... I am!

Remember to submit- in the box to the right- your e-mail address so you won't miss a post.

As we begin...

Bruce Feiler, author of Walking the Bible, wrote:

          "This ability of the Bible to continually reinvent itself is matched only by its ability to make itself relevant to anyone who encounters it... The chameleon-like quality is what makes the Bible so vital." (p. 408)

That's why we can read a portion of Scripture many times, but each time it is as if it is brand new. Because our level of understanding grows/changes that we're ready to go to the next level in our comprehension.

In Dr. Bob Utley's "Opening Statements on the Study of Genesis1-1," he reminds us that even though "it is beyond our mental capabilities... we must be able to comprehend it in order to be able to properly respect it. Believers interpret it differently (some poorly), but all are responsible for the truths they understand.*" (p. 2)

Remember the onion's many layers? Each of us is accountable for what we understand in God's Word...and that's different from person to person. What a just God we have.

I also agree with Dr. Utley's opening statement in each of  his "Study of Genesis" sessions:

          "A commentary is a guide, which means you're responsible for your own interpretation... You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretations... You must not relinquish this to a commentator. [pastor, priest, rabbi, Sunday School teacher or Bible study leader*] The questions are meant to be thought-provoking...not definitive."

Please remember these words as we begin our study of Noah.

Selah,
Connie

* emphasis & additions are by this writer

Studying Scripture

Looking for the perfect way to study and understand God's Word?

The answer is whatever works best for you, but help is available. I searched  Google and perused Pinterest and found hundreds of options. In reality, they are variations of a simple format.

First, you must make a commitment to study. Set a time; inform your family so you won't be interrupted.Write it on your calendar and to-do list. Get a simple notebook or journal to write in. Choose a place where you are comfortable- I chose a specific rocking chair in the corner. When I was there, my young son never distracted me.

Optional, join an established study group to see if that's best for you.

Choose a version of the Bible that is easy for you to read and understand. Later, you will want to do comparisons. I own about 12 versions/paraphrases that I have purchased over the years. However, I find I use BibleGateway.com and blueletterbible.org, which are faster and  less cumbersome. 

           

            Pray with an open heart and mind for God to bless your study with understanding,

            Read selection/passage/chapter slowly. Savor the words and ponder its meaning.

            Interpret and evaluate... use helps, but remember this is between you and God. 

            Listen to His instructions.

            Apply the concept  to your life.

    

Think of onions and their many layers. That's a good mental picture of our understanding of Scripture. God teaches us layer upon layer that's why the Bible is never stagnant. He builds on our unique foundation.

What you need to know...

Where you are at this moment.

Next time it will be new again.

Lysa TerKeurst wrote, “If I were able to keep it all figured out, I would start to lose that sense of reliance on the Lord.”

Personally, going deeper in God's word fills me with great joy and draws me closer to Him. When I'm not studying I feel a huge gap in my life. I pray and start again...

Charlie Brown has the right attitude:

For those of you who have studied Scripture for a long time, the above has already happened in your lives.Stick to what works for you. Embellish or expand it. Do that Google search or Check out Pinterest to freshen your approach. Consider Bible Journalling. Share your wisdom and encourage the new study-ers.

Encourage your churches to go deeper in their Scripture studies. 

One final suggestion: stay hydrated. Drink water, tea or your favorite beverage to keep your brain cells operating at full speed.

As always Scripture says it best:

Selah ~ Think on these things.

Connie

New Year Crash & What's up?

Began 2015 with a dead computer, but now I'm ready to share GemLode with you.

GemLode is for those who want to delve into Scripture, who want to get beneath the surface of God's Word, who want to study and increase their knowledge and then apply it to their lives.

My name is Connie and I met the Lord in a very personal way over 50 years ago. Over those years, I have been dismayed by the lack of in depth Bible studies. Now that I am retired, my greatest joy is the study of Scripture. Thanks to the internet, resources are readily available plus I have built a small Bible reference library.

Currently, I am writing a Scripture based book.

Max Lucado wrote, "Blessed are the available. Blessed are the conduits, the tunnels, the tools. Deliriously joyful are the ones who believe that if God has used sticks and rocks [and donkeys] to do His will, then He can use us."

I am available. I desire to be a conduit into God's Word. For our first study, I have used over 40 references and spent over 6 months studying and writing on Genesis 6-9. I have a student PDF for those who e-mail me at constancegilbert@gmail.com.

It is with joy that I begin next week sharing what I discovered about Noah and the Ark. I am praying for you, the readers, as we embark on this verse by verse expedition.

Selah...think on this

Connie

Coming January 2015

You are invited to join me as I take a deep look into Scripture. It is my heart's desire to understand God's Word and to apply it to my daily live.

But you may ask, "There are thousands of Bible studies available. Why one more?" Because I believe we are all responsible for the truths found in Scripture. Although much of God's Word is beyond our mental abilities to understand, He promises us in 1 Corinthians 2 that we can be taught:

"...the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory... as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined,are the things God has prepared for those who love him.” God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God... that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit." [NET Bible]

Some friends are joining me... all seniors who have grown gray-haired and gained wisdom through our years of walking with the Lord. Thus this blog will be a weekly commentary of our spiritual discoveries, which is meant to stir your gray cells, to provoke new thoughts, to take you closer into the presence of God.

We will begin mining for the greatest of all gems with Genesis.