Practical Resources for Being Doers of the Word

Suffering is hard for everyone involved—for both the person who is hurting and their friends who walk beside them. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by suffering, whether it’s your own or the pain of your friends, but the Lord will give you everything you need as you ask Him. Vaneetha Reisner, contributor to Desiring God Read More …

Lesson 1: Count it All Joy

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-priceless-gift-in-every-trial Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds . . . (James 1:2) In and of themselves, our hardships are emphatically not joyful. That’s part of what makes them hard. What could it mean, then, in circumstances like these, to “count it all joy”? When James charges us to “count Read More …

Chapter 30: Cultivating a Life of Worship

God’s Timing https://www.gotquestions.org/Gods-timing.html The first thing we need to understand about God’s timing is that it is perfect, just as all of God’s ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30; Galatians 4:4). God’s timing is never early, and it’s never been late. In fact, from before our birth until the moment we take our last earthly breath, our Read More …

Chapter 29 – Abiding in the Lord

The Work of the Holy Spirit in our Lives https://www.moodybible.org/beliefs/positional-statements/holy-spirit/ The Holy Spirit today plays a major role in the application of salvation to the individual. It is the Spirit who brings conviction to the unbeliever and causes him to see the truth of the gospel in a clear light. Those who respond to this Read More …

Chapter 28 – Understanding the True Meaning of Worship

Why Should We Worship God? https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/why-should-we-worship-god.html Before discussing why we should worship God, it would be good to understand just what worship is. For many Christians, worship is what we do on Sunday morning. Singing a few songs, listening to a teaching, sharing communion/Eucharist, and doing whatever else is scheduled for the Sunday morning meeting Read More …

Chapter 27 – Experiencing the Goodness of Praise

Praising God Gives Us Joy https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gospel-worship/excerpts/worship-we-get-joy-god-gets-praise Therefore, joyful, heartfelt, hope-filled delight in the God of mercy is the essence of worship. Not the totality of worship, but it is the essence. That’s amazingly good news, that he would say the aim of the gospel is that the Gentiles would glorify God for his mercy (Romans Read More …

Chapter 26 – Knowing When to Keep Praying

A Case-Study of Persistence https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-20/commentary-on-matthew-1510-20-21-28-5 Jesus’ response to her second cry for help includes a reiteration of his mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He even likens her status as a Gentile to the status of the small, pet dogs who long to be fed from the table (Matt 15:26). The Read More …

Chapter 25 – Transforming your Anxiety into Peace

Don’t Be Anxious For Anything https://www.gotquestions.org/Philippians-4-6.html What is the meaning of Philippians 4:6? “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” If discouragement over the problems addressed in the letter (or anything else) was robbing the Philippians of joy, then Paul gives Read More …