The other night I got clear direction from God. His voice isn’t always this clear to me, but that night it was. “Go deep.” He said, “Read your Bible, train, and discipline yourself. You must be ready, and you must be disciplined if I am to use you.”
And so I’m committed to doing that as I dig deep into the Word to bring you the best Bible studies I am capable of producing.
It means I’ll be turning off email, logging off of Facebook, and closing the door to my office for hours at a time, in order to read and absorb. This is going to take more discipline and concentration than I have, but I know that God equips the ones He calls.
I’m ready to step forward, if He’s willing to use me. Will you whisper a prayer for me please?
My daughter Madison is married now, which is why I had a little break from blogging these past several weeks (that and Christmas). For the past three years she’s been assisting me on a part-time basis. This year, she’ll be my right-hand girl, taking on the things that distract me like email, paperwork, scheduling blog posts, updating the website, creating images, and designing journals, in hopes that I’ll gain a deeper focus for both this ministry and the Bible studies we’ll be concentrating on.
The first study we’ll do is the completion of Exodus. We went through Exodus 1-15 before Christmas. In part 2, we’ll work through chapters 16-40. This is a longer study than the usual four weeks (we’ll study three chapters/week), but it’s going to be an incredible time of learning for all of us. If you didn’t participate in the first part of Exodus just jump in at chapter 16 with us and study chapters 1-15 at a later date. Trust me, you won’t feel like you’re behind.
Following Exodus we’ll be studying the book of Esther. This is one of my favorite books, and so I really can’t wait to get started on that one! I wish I had more eyes so I could read the Bible faster some days (LOL) but man was created with limits and God’s timing is everything, isn’t it?
** Next Monday, January 16th ** I’ll have a study guide ready for you. We’ll also be starting that day. If I can get it up a few days earlier I’ll try my best. I’ll also have resources for you that you can print out like scripture cards and coloring pages.
If you haven’t subscribed to my blog yet, you might want to do that to ensure that you don’t miss a post. Sign up is free (Click here) the study guide is free, and the printable resources are free too.
I won’t have a journal for this study, but I plan to have an exceptional one for the book of Esther complete with study questions.
If you haven’t picked up a copy of my 6-month Bible study journal yet, you might want to pick that up for 2017. It’s a diary of sorts, in which you record your daily Bible study notes. There’s also a 6-month prayer journal, both available at Amazon:
6-Month Bible-Study Journal (affil link)
6-Month Prayer Journal (affil link)
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife
Thank you for the update and looking forward to the next two studies. Your daughter looks beautiful and congratulations!!!!
Thank you!
Thank you for your generous gift of sharing your time in God’s word. I am so touched always by your vulnerability and your dedication to serving God. I have lifted you up to the Lord in prayer and thanked him for you and your obedience, as well as, prayed for those of us who will be benefiting from your focused time of study. Looking forward to the upcoming studies.
Thank you, Jessica!
I want to jump in! But I JUST purchased my new journal for 2017, a brand new leather bound journal with unlined pages, that I look forward to filling. Do I have to purchase your journal for the Esther study, or can I use my own?
You never have to purchase anything for these studies. You can use whatever journal you have. I’ll supply the questions in a printable format you can use alongside your journal.
So looking forward to the finish of Exodus. Thank you for your faithfulness to this. Love these studies. I have been working on Matthew during our break time from this. And ESTHER. I love Esther. Such a good teaching on “God’s sovereign hand”. It is life changing.
Our pastor is awesome. He has the gift of teaching and application. I wanted to share my favorite sermon from last year. God formed (garden) Satan deformed (garden) religion tries to reform, education tries to inform and only Jesus can transform. What an insight. What a way to approach others with the gospel.
Luv ya, thanks for all your hard work.
Love that!
Looking forward to it! This verse was in my inbox for verse of the day, thought you’d enjoy it.
And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NLT)
🙂
I want to jump in. I have a journal with no lines,can I use that?
Perfect. Any piece of paper will do. 🙂
I am so excited that you are g oing to finish Exodus! I purchased the Gratitude Journal and will continue using it for this study. Also thank you for tackling Esther. I understand it’s the only book in the bible where God is never mentioned by name. Praying God will lead and direCT you in a all consuming study of the Word.
Yes, but I remember there was also something really interesting about that. Oh–wish I could remember it! I’m sure it will come to me.
Congratulations on your daughter wedding!
I’m looking forward to doing exodus and I just order my books. First time doing your Bible studies.
Lm
So glad you are joining us. And thank you!
Thank you for ALL you do! Quick question: will the Esther study be different than the one you did before? I LOVE the story of Esther so will be participating anyway, just curious.
Yes. I probably won’t even look back at that one. I want this one to be more in the style of questions for each chapter like we started doing at the end of 2016. I also think that if I don’t rely on the old one, I’ll learn new things myself. 🙂
It’s been days now the Lord has been telling me about studying his word,I’ve seen bible journaling on scrapbook.com and since then I hear that voice constantly,I came across this and I know it’s time to hear his word and get to know him better,and get closer to him,thank you very much for taking his word in your heart to deliver it to us. I’m starting tomorrow and excited as a beginner.
So excited for you Blanca!! Keep listening to that voice. I was just reading last night about how God’s law is written on our hearts and our minds. When we ignore that voice, we sear our conscience, we drown that voice out and miss out on the blessings that come with following Him.
My husband and I’s new year’s resolution is to become closer to God together. We also want to expose our son to God more together. It is usually me telling him the stories and encouraging him to pray. I don’t know what has gotten into my husband, but I am glad it did. He used to say if I walk in to a church it will burn and I only go to church for weddings and funerals. He has done a complete 180. We haven’t gotten to church as a family but we are reading the Bible more together. He feels that God is everywhere and we don’t have to go to church to show we are worshipping him. I can’t wait to get started with this.
I thought that I had signed up for the first part, but I don’t know what happened, but I would really like to be able to do the second and go back a do the first later I also love the story of Esther Thank you I am glad that you are having more time to do the things that you feel God is telling you to do
I have been needing something to help me grow in my faith and relationship with God. Your bible studies are exactly what I need. I pray the burdens on my heart are lifted as I get closer to him. Thank you for sharing these bible studies!
I am enjoying this study, I love the color pages too. I saw a link for free i phone wall paper verses, but I have a Samsung phone. Do you have wall papers for them too? Thank you for your time and effort. Right now I am a broken woman, of course everyone thinks I have my act together, but I am quite broken inside. It actually took my health and nutrition coach to bring that to my attention. I have been a child of Christ for over 20 years, and have put my prayers for everyone else first so much that my prayers for myself have been put behind. I am hoping that through this study I can re-gain insight of the power I can have through the Lord, by believing that I am important in Him, just as the nation of Israel was, and is.