Let's Study the Book of Thessalonians Together

hAndmAde knits by trAcy

Hello Friends!

Are you looking to start a new bible study? 

Well starting February 1st I will be hosting the study of Thessalonians in the Knit the Gospel into your Heart FB Group   This is private group of women who love Jesus and want to grow in their walk through bible study together. 

If you would like to join us feel free to go request to join. (You must answer the two questions before being accepted) Thanks so much! 

This study will be of the whole book of Thessalonians. It is an inductive study which means you only need a study Bible to read and study with.  There are no other book requirements. Just bring yourself to the group with a eagerness to learn from God's Word.  I believe the best way to learn is to let scripture interpret scripture asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the rest.  Of course as we dig deeper, we can check trusted commentaries and do word studies for further study.  

The point of the group is to spur one another on in our walk with the Lord,  to encourage one another and to pray for one another.  

The study will be 4 weeks through the book of 1, 2 Thessalonians with a Live discussion every week. 

I am also sharing my method of studying books of the Bible with you if you want some extra guidance through your study.  The reading plan will be posted as well in the group.

I am excited to start and hope to see you there February 1st! 

blessings -

trAcy

How do we love God more?

Hello there friend-

Have you wanted to love God more?

I have asked this question because I have said I love God but really didn’t have that desire for Him that I longed for.  I saw other women write about God and heard other women talk about God in a way that I had not felt before.  I too wanted that deeper love that I saw in other women walking with God but how?

Sometimes we ask ourselves why we don’t have a deeper desire for God than we do right now because we can often think of loving God as a feeling but it isn’t an emotional feeling.   I first had to learn what is true about God before I could truly say that I love Him and this love and character of God I had discovered in His Word then turned into a desire to know Him more.  I started to realize I had a lot to learn about God and that desire grew for inside me and then my relationship with God grew deeper and more intimate.

Often my first response is to my feelings and in that we have a faulty view of love.  I believed it was conditional feeling that you earned from others.  God tells us the Truth about love. 

We know that God loved us so much that He gave His only son Jesus Christ to die for us so that we could have eternal life. (see John 3:16)  The Bible also tells us, He loved us first and commands us to love others as ourselves (see Luke 10:27) which by the way is something we have to do first before we can even begin to share the love of Christ.

I know this because I have struggled with loving myself through the years.  I don’t think I am alone in that I had lived with guilt and shame of my past sins even though I had repented.  It is the enemy who wants to hold us back from receiving God’s love and sharing it. So begin today and pray for God to break the bondage the enemy might have you in.  Begin loving yourself as the woman God made you to be.  Loved by Him and set apart! (see 1 Thess 1:4)

If you need help beginning a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ…

Start with prayer and repent of any sins in your life or baggage you might be holding onto. He has already forgiven you Sister if you have asked Him.  Then begin by asking God to give you a heart to love and forgive others in your life.  He is a good God and only has good intentions for us. 

Next, begin a daily walk with God by reading your Bible and learning about who God is and His character. As you are spending time in His Word ask these questions, What does this tell me about God? and How should this change me? Simple questions to start learning about God and as He deepens your love and desire for Him. 

I use to think it was difficult to understand and how could I understand the Bible. You can do it! It is not hard just start reading and God will guide you to understanding I promise. He wants to illuminate His Word and open your eyes so you as a woman of God can hide His Word in your heart.  

From here your desire to love God will start. It takes time to grow anything like a plant but little by little we see growth.  That is the same for our spiritual growth, our love for God grows deep roots the more we feed on the Word of God and spend time in prayer with Him. 

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." ~ Proverbs 3:3-4

The love of God is what begins our journey with Him and our faith will grow from there into a hope of a bright future with Him.  God never changes and neither does His love.  His love is unconditional, steadfast, and eternal.  We can never be separated from his love as a believer.  That is amazing and something we can take comfort in. 

What characteristics of God are encouraging you right now?  Have you started getting intimate with your Savior by reading His Word and learning more about Him? 

Blessings my friends!

trAcy

Is my behavior reflecting my beliefs?

Knit the Gospel into your Heart
 wearing a Custom Knit and Stamped Bracelet

Hello there friends! 

If my behavior doesn’t reflect my beliefs, How much value do I hold in them? I read this in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  by Stephen Covey, "We are shaped by what we love."

My status was that I love Jesus and He saved me but my behavior did not always reflect my belief in God. In a God who saved me, who has forgiven me of my sins and lavishly loves me.

My actions were a reflection of what I was still believing about myself not of what God says about me. 

I had walked for years in shame and guilt of my past that in my own strength I tried to forgive myself of.  I had repented to God but why didn't I immediately act like it?

Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation. I felt others would reject me if they got close and knew me.  

I was locked in chains because I wasn’t living out what I claimed to believe about God. I had repented years ago and God had forgiven me from my past sins. I was also living with a lot of fear in several areas of my life. I had some legalistic thinking going on that kept me following man made rules and never finding God's grace and truly nurturing an intimate relationship with God. So I could lead my heart from listening to feelings toward Gods Truth. I had not thought at this time reading my Bible was that important but that’s further from the truth.
How else are we to know that the "feelings" and our hearts we listen to can lead us astray.

Genesis 6:5 says," The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

My relationship with Jesus went from a “Jesus is my God and saved me"  to  “Jesus is my everything."

My thoughts changed because I was replacing those lies with biblical Truths. I stopped listening to the world. The enemy wants us as believers to be inactive and to listen to him  more than God's Word.  I had not taken the discipline of reading my Bible and hiding God’s Word in my heart seriously but when I did my actions started changing once I started taking God at His Word. Believing Him. Trusting Him. Praying to Him. Loving Him more than anything else. I learned the hard way like most of us I am sure but I am grateful God never gives up on us.  

Soon my actions started to follow my beliefs. I began the discipline of scripture reading and studying God’s Word for myself. Then I realized, if I believed God then His scripture commands me to be a doer of the Word not just a hearer.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22

God wants me to claim His promises and proclaim the Gospel to others and bear fruits of our faith. So others will see that Jesus heals the broken sinner, takes our shame, and gives us right thinking.  God never leaves with shame or guilt and no rules will ever make us good enough. God’s grace and power in our lives is real when we pray fervently.

Friend, I pray you find that change of heart by changing your relationship status with Jesus and listening to His Word more than anything else.  Our hearts are continually thirsty and Jesus is the living water to fill it.

2 Corinthians 12:9  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."


I pray this encourages you today my friend!  You can always leave me a comment because I love hearing your stories walking with the Lord.

knit the Gospel into your heart❤
trAcy

God’s Word Changes Us

The Word of God didn’t always come alive to me.  I didn’t grow up reading the Bible. I wasn’t even taught to read it all.  It wasn’t until as an adult that I became interested in reading it as I matured in Christ.  Little by little God watered the seeds that He had planted as a teen when I became a new believer. 

The desire still wasn’t that strong even though I claimed to love God.  My obedience to God wasn’t as strong as my obedience to the world for a long time.  Yet the Lord through His mercy and grace gave me a desire little by little because when I “thought” I had control I really didn’t.  It’s a struggle I had in parenting, thinking you can always decide for your children. Boy was I wrong.  Through that time of parenting and fighting the enemy for my family.  I became dependent on the Only One who could control my situation;my family struggles. 

I heard this quote today by Billy Graham, “when we get to the end of ourselves that’s when we come to God.” 

You may know what that feels like.  I did during that time. I still get chocked up remembering but it’s good to remember what God has done in our lives and what He has brought you through.  For me, it was through the storms He places a passion for more of His Word which is more of Him!  Jesus Christ is waiting in those pages my friend. He provides help, hope, deliverance, saving and so much mercy and grace than we can imagine.  God uses us and strengthens our weak hearts and changes our hard hearts.

Long story but it’s my story of why I love God’s Word and why there is a growing desire for more of it inside me everyday.  Have you found that desire too? .

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*Illuminated Scripture Journals shown are my favorite gift from husband💗

Knit the Gospel into your hear t FB group will be studying 1/2 Thessalonians soon! (I don’t have all the details yet but feel free to join us anytime! 

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BELOVED BRACELET  shown is from my Shop

Much Love 

trAcy