Beach Lessons
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Personal Treasure or Free Handout?
I am one Bible study student who loves to use workbooks and videos. I also teach a women’s life group and lead a D-group (discipleship group) at my church. Usually I have specific curriculum to use for those as well. This has helped me to be disciplined in my study of the Word. It has led me to a regular time daily with the Lord as I’ve sought to know and love Him more. The one thing that has pushed me even deeper and led me to reading extra commentary is teaching the Word. Even though I have lots of information and questions in the studies written by others, when…
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Loving the Word
Have you ever hunted for something a long time before finding it? Did you rejoice and appreciate what you found? God impressed this upon me during my month at the beach last fall. Here’s how He spoke. Shells were few on the Gulf Coast shore last year. Since this is my favorite thing to do at the beach, I continued to hunt and hope. Thinking a beautiful shell would be in the very next wave. Even though I came away almost empty each time, I continued to look. Isn’t that how it is sometimes when we read God’s Word? During some seasons we just seem to come up empty, but…
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Perfect, Broken or Perfectly Shaped?
How often do you hear someone say (or perhaps you have said it), “I’m broken and unusable.” Or “I can’t be forgiven for what I’ve done.” Or perhaps, “I know God has forgiven me, but I know He can’t use me after what I’ve done.” Maybe even you have thought these things. As I’ve mentioned, I LOVE beach time. And I love what God teaches me when I’m at the shore. One of the sweetest messages He’s given me relates to how I look for big, perfect, whole shells. Perhaps like this shell I found. It was big and perfect. I wanted to find more! Then I came across this one…
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Go It Alone
Have you ever felt alone in obeying something God called you to do? Did others look at you as though you were losing your mind when you shared that assignment with them? There are times God leads us to lead others into an assignment but sometimes He will lead us there alone. God speaks loudly to me when I am spending time at the beach. Maybe because I am listening more closely, or that I’m anticipating His voice more (and that should be EVERY day I do that!). A recent lesson from last fall was about how sometimes and at times even as a leader of others, God will call…
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Beach Blessings Big and Small
Every time I go to the beach, God uses the time to teach me principles about who He is and how He works. In fact, because He is so faithful to do this, I have begun looking forward to each trip in part, for what He will teach me, and what He will allow me to teach others. I anticipate He will teach and I am ready to learn. One of my favorite things to do at the beach is look for seashells. I LOVE shells and our home attests to that! I comb the shore for daily treasures. Because the shells were not so plentiful or as large on…
