Bible study here at our church. We met every Wednesday morning during the school year. I liked the routine of those meetings. We would enter the sanctuary where piano music was playing. We’d sing a few hymns. Part of the morning was spent in small discussion groups going over the week’s reading and study questions. The morning finished with a detailed verse-by-verse lecture on that scripture. There were monthly fellowships where we got to know the ladies in our small group. This was my introduction to Bible Study Fellowship. I am forever grateful to be involved in this method of spiritual growth. Through this God has given me true Christian friends and life-long mentors.
The year we were considering relocating from Charlotte to Myrtle Beach I was reluctant. We’d had a visit where George checked out the job and I spent the day with a real estate agent looking at neighborhoods. He really liked the job offer and the idea of living at the beach. He could tell I was not excited to make the move. So he pulled out his phone, googled Community Bible Study near me and found a local group! That is what made the difference for me to accept moving. In God’s generosity, He provided an instant connection to the CBS Group that met at First Presbyterian Church North Myrtle Beach. I was given a lateral transfer from leadership in NC to leadership in SC. To confirm that God was giving me the desire of my heart, the greatest need in that group was in the nursery! So, for two years I got to live at the beach and talk Bible to the babies. When we returned home to Coeur d’Alene, I found that Women’s Daytime BSF had outgrown the classrooms at our church and now met at Coeur d’Alene Bible Church. We maneuvered through online meetings during Covid, which might have been a catalyst for strengthening the participants. Now, there are so many children involved that we offer home school classes while the moms are in their study groups. I want to invite everyone to consider joining BSF this fall. There are multiple women’s class times offered. The men’s group meets in the evening. We will be going through the book of Revelation! You can get information at bsfinternational.org This is how the website describes the study of Revelation. “Discover Faith, Hope, and Joy. For centuries, people have attempted to unlock the mysteries of Revelation. In Revelation: the Hope, we will discover that Jesus Christ is central to every prophecy, promise, and passage. Revelation gives us hope of a world made new by the redemption and restoration that Jesus offers today and for eternity.” In His Name, Heather
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educator and expert in history and current affairs, to our Summer Coffee House Conversation. Jeanette will guide us through an exploration of how understanding history can illuminate our present realities and inform our actions as Christians today.
In these times of uncertainty and rapid change, it is crucial for us, as a community of faith, to stay informed and engaged. Through Jeanette's insightful presentation, we will delve into current events through the lens of our Presbyterian values, seeking to discern how we can contribute positively to our community and beyond. As we embark on this journey together, let us reflect on the words of James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (NIV) This scripture reminds us of our call not only to hear the teachings of Christ but also to act upon them in our daily lives. We encourage each of you to attend this enlightening event and to invite friends and neighbors who may also benefit from this discussion. Let us come together in fellowship and learning, seeking to grow in our understanding of God's world and our role within it. Please mark your calendars for Saturday July 27th at 11am and join us in welcoming Jeanette to our church. Together, let us explore how we can actively live out our faith in today's world. Blessings to you all, Donna Community Outreach Committee Chair Mikal has compiled meaningful quotes and Bible verses that describe what love is. As we strive to always Love 1st, these are beautiful reminders of how we can show and feel love.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” I Corinthians 13:1-3 “There is only one who is all powerful, and his greatest weapon is love.” Stan Lee “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” I Corinthians 13:4-6 “The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements but rather with the things we do for the people we love and esteem.” Walt Disney “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” I Corinthians 13:7 “Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” Vincent Van Gogh “Love never ends.” I Corinthians 13:8(a) "Listening is where love begins." Fred Rogers So now abide these three; faith, hope, and love… and the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13 “When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade…" Fred Rogers “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12 “If every single man is not an individual, deserving respect, simply by being human, then all is lost and it is not worth the trouble to hear about the great world-historical events and the achievements of mankind are meaningless.” Søren Kierkegaard “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 “That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.” Stan Lee “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” John 15:17 “I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” Vincent Van Gogh “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 “We speak with more than our mouths. We listen with more than our ears." Fred Rogers In His Name, Mikal
As I faced my Maker at the last Judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles.
An Angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that was our life. But as my Angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares were. They were filled with giant holes! Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I had endured, (which were the largest holes of all). I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Others had a tiny hole here and there, other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My Angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air. Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light and the scrutiny of truth. The others rose each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My Angel looked upon me and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully; each time offering it up to the Father, in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me. And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been. I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes wide. Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded through the many holes, creating an image. The face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you...Welcome Home My Child" -Author Unknown
single prayer that seemed genuine and encouraging for today. Then I felt like God turned on a spotlight to highlight a few things for me. Those prayers were all public prayers, they were not the quiet prayers of a man talking with their Heavenly Father. They were prayers of a leader as a crowd watched their every move. These prayers had been written out and every word scrutinized for any offense or any potential political hot button. The language Washington used to emulate the greatness of God probably had a lot to do with him feeling humbled at being our first president and wanting to communicate that to the crowd as well. After all, no one wants a proud first president when there could have been another, more humble man. Likewise, Lincoln’s prayers for unity when our nation was facing war or FDR as our world faced dark times calling for an end to evil. I started to see a layer of necessary political wording in these prayers. My attitude, as well, was political in how I viewed the public prayers of these men based on their political party. Then the spotlight became blindingly bright. These presidents were elected to be political figures, not pastors. God invites all of us to prayer. Some prayers may be public such as an event or Sunday service. Some will be routine, like family dinners. Some will be desperate prayers, like those times when we are at the hospital or about to be in an accident. However, the prayers God values most highly are the quiet times with just us and Him. There is no book of these kinds of prayers written because they are often personal and not meant for the public. In a way, thank goodness, because many of us would not wish our personal moments with our Father in Heaven to be on display. I think God does not want these tender moments on display either because they are precious to Him. He calls us to those inner times of prayer so we can be honest and vulnerable with a Father who loves us. In those private moments we find the courage and resolve we need to face the public with the grace that God gives each of us. My beautiful coffee table book with our president’s prayers is not meant to be a devotional book. I cannot testify to the spiritual condition of each of our presidents, nor can I trust their words to be the spiritual guidance I need. They were elected for a certain task for a certain time. I have only to look to God and all of my needs will be met by Him, and thankfully He is always ready to listen to my prayers.
In His Name, Bonnie |
