Love to Grow: What Jesus Finished |
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Genesis 3
I can’t imagine what life was like for Adam and Eve: living in the garden of Eden, walking daily with God, life with no sin.
I can relate to why they sinned. I’ve fallen for the same lie over and over again. I struggle with the same tendencies: doubts and insecurities, a desire to be more than I am. I get it. When I was in high school, I started reading the Bible on my own on a consistent basis. I would go strong for a few days, maybe even a week or two, and then life would hit. Late night volleyball games resulted in sleeping until the exact minute I had to get up before I’d be late for school. On those mornings, I’d skip my devotions.
Then the guilt would kick in. After a few days, I felt like I couldn’t go back to reading God’s Word. I mean, I had stood God up. Why would He welcome me back after I had treated Him that way? Because of the guilt I felt, I missed more mornings in God’s Word, afraid I would somehow have to face the consequences of my negligence. The guilt pushed me further and further away from God. Eventually, I found myself hiding from God, like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. From the time the first sin was committed, we have been struggling, fighting the urge to hide, to pull away, to distance ourselves from God.
The more Adam and Eve hid from God, the more distant they became to Him. And yet what do we see in these verses? God went to them. He met them where they were. Adam and Eve might have been hiding from God, but God knew exactly where they were the whole time. Not only did God go to them, but He also provided clothing for their nakedness. In the garden of Eden, God sacrificed an animal. Later, He would sacrifice His own Son.
Generations later, Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the ultimate price for our sins once and for all. He bore our shame and our humiliation. He bravely endured it all so that we could find our way back to Paradise with God in heaven. What Satan started in the garden of Eden, Jesus finished on the cross. He gave eternal life, a free gift of salvation for those who accept Him as Lord and Savior of their lives. Jesus is the only way. * |
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Love to Grow: You Are Not Enough Exodus 4:1–12 “You are not enough.”
That lie has taken on many variations, nuances, and forms throughout time. It’s the lie whispered to us by the enemy since the beginning of creation. It’s a lie meant to keep us from stepping forward in faith to the things God has called us to do.
Sometimes the lie comes coupled with shame, fear, or comparison. We feel unqualified, unprepared, and unfit to fulfill the purpose God has for us. Whatever the form, it tricks us into thinking that somehow, at our very core, we aren’t enough.
God created us with a purpose in mind. He does not view us as “not enough.” There is no limitation that exists in us that God isn’t ready to equip, fill, and empower. He prepared us in advance with everything we would need to do what He called us to do.
In Exodus 4:1–12 God told Moses what to do to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, but Moses wouldn’t stop bringing up his limitations. He felt afraid, unqualified, and inadequate. He offered up every possible excuse to get out of the assignment God had given him.
I can relate to Moses. A few years ago, I was invited to be interviewed on a podcast to share part of my testimony. I had never done anything like that before, and public speaking was not on my list of things I aspired to do. When the interview began, I sensed the Holy Spirit giving me the right words to say. He helped me articulate my thoughts in a way that didn’t come from my own public speaking ability. I didn’t magically become a polished, well-trained
speaker on the spot. His grace allowed me to do what He had asked me to do.
That’s why I know God meant it when He spoke to Moses in Exodus 4:11–12: “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say.”
I learned after that interview that if God calls us to do something, He has already put the tools in our hands, the words in our mouths, and the resources in our lives. It’s not because of who we are or what we are capable of on our own. It’s because of the living and active Spirit of God in us. We are enough because Jesus is enough. Excerpted with permission from Love God Greatly Bible. *
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We all can relate to Adam and Eve, right? In what ways have you hidden from God? Are you stepping out in faith even when the lie comes that you’re not enough? |
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A resource designed to help women grow in their faith and see God’s heart for the world. |
NET, Love God Greatly Bible/Journal Combo A SOAP Method Study Bible for Women |
$79.99 Sale Price: $55.99 (30% off) + Includes FREE U.S. Shipping! |
The Love God Greatly Bible and Love God Greatly Bible Journal combination is an ideal way to encourage and equip women to meet God on the pages of Scripture. Each feature in this Bible is beautifully designed to help women engage with God’s Word so they can know the abiding love of a faithful God.
Love God Greatly Bible features include:
Each book includes an extensive introduction to give context, followed by a reading plan that uses a simple, proven framework—Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer—to guide readers through the text. Additional reflection and challenge questions are provided to go deeper on particular passages, and wide margins are provided for taking notes.
Love God Greatly Bible Journal features:
This companion journal for the Bible provides a flexible, guided format for readers to walk step-by-step through the SOAP Bible engagement framework. Ideally suited to use with the reading plans in the Bible, this beautiful volume matches the dimensions of the Bible to provide a complementary set on the shelf or table. |
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Features include:
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Over 60 country profiles with nation-specific prayer guides, plus verses highlighting God’s promises to the nations
- Powerful testimonies from women around the world whose lives have been changed through engaging with Scripture
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More than 150 devotionals and memory verse list for deeper reflection
- 50 reading plans to guide you through the different books of the Bibles
- Bible book introductions provide a concise overview of the background and historical context of the book about to be read
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365 Day Bible Reading Plan guiding you through the entire Bible in a year
- Topical index, and original full-color, in-text maps
- Reflection and challenge questions included in each book of the Bible
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Original word art for each book of the Bible
- Two satin ribbon markers allows you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading
- Easy-to-read 9.5-point NET Comfort Print
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The Love God Greatly Bible Journal is included in this combo pack, and includes ample space to journal through the SOAP
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What Our Readers Are Saying |
This is a journaling Bible with nice print (love the font used) and places to write notes or draw in the wide margins on the outside edges of each page. Beautifully constructed. Focus on loving GOD is paramount.
— Pam C. |
Love this Bible! So well laid out & love all the additional information. —Elisabeth L. |
Just the new Bible I needed.
—Sandra G. |
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Look Inside the NET Love God Greatly Bible |
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■ 66 hand-drawn memory verses ■ |
■ 66 testimonies from women around the world ■ |
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NET, Young Women Love God Greatly, Comfort Print |
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