Jane and I welcome you to Lesson Eight of Wounded Lives. Healed Hearts. We are very excited to join you during this journey into encouragement  and healing. Jane and I are praying that this week you trust in God as you tithe of your time, energy, talents and resources.

Weekly Homework

Each week we will add your assignments to a password-protected post. Look for the password every Tuesday evening in your email. Below you will find homework for each level of study. Feel free to change from Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3  as your schedule allows! Remember, there is no pressure to complete every activity. These are just options for your growth. They can be accessed at any time, even after the study ends

Level 1, Study: Weekly Goals 

• For Lesson 8, watch the video posted below: Generous Giving
  
• Complete pages 111-124 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Feel free to do any of the other activities from Levels 2 and 3 as your time allows.

Level 2, Community: Weekly Goals                                                                              

• For Lesson 8, watch the video posted below: Generous Giving
  
• Complete pages 111-124 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Join the Community Call, Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST on Talk Shoe (information on TalkShoe is in your weekly email.)

 Level 3, Opportunity: Weekly Goals

• For Lesson 8 watch the video posted below: Generous Giving
  
• Complete pages 111-124 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post,  and join the Community Call on Wednesday night on TalkShoe.
• Complete the Digging Deeper questions in the margins of each lesson.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Take advantage of the Help for Healing resources by clicking on the links below:

Giving Your All, Bible Study

Self Denial

 Video for Luke 8: Generous Giving

Please take a few moments to worship and express your gratitude to God through music for His many blessing and gifts.

Questions of the Week (Please respond in the Speak Your Mind section at the very bottom of this page).

How can you give of yourself this week? Think beyond the usual.

Jane and I welcome you to Lesson Six of Wounded Lives. Healed Hearts. We are very excited to join you during this journey into encouragement  and healing. Jane and I are praying that this week you will make some changes that will enable you to live simply in Christ.

Weekly Homework Each week we will add your assignments to a password-protected post. Look for the password every Tuesday evening in your email. Below you will find homework for each level of study. Feel free to change from Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3  as your schedule allows! Remember, there is no pressure to complete every activity. These are just options for your growth. They can be accessed at any time, even after the study ends.

Level 1, Study: Weekly Goals 

• For Week 6, watch the video posted below: The Wailing Wall
  
• Complete pages 85-98 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Feel free to do any of the other activities from Levels 2 and 3 as your time allows.

Level 2, Community: Weekly Goals 

• For Week 6, watch the video posted below: The Wailing Wall
• Complete pages 85-98 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Join the Community Call, Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST on Talk Shoe (information on TalkShoe is in your weekly email.)

 Level 3, Opportunity: Weekly Goals 

• For Week 6, watch the video posted below: The Wailing Wall
• Complete pages 85-98 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post,  and join the Community Call on Wednesday night on TalkShoe.
• Complete the Digging Deeper questions in the margins of each lesson.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Take advantage of the Help for Healing resources by clicking on the links below:

Early Will I Seek You Blog

What is the Simple Life? Blog

 Rest Prayer

Week Six Video

Please take a few moments to worship and express your gratitude to God through music for His many blessing and gifts.

Questions of the Week (Please respond in the Speak Your Mind section at the very bottom of this page).

In what ways is God asking you to simplify your life?

Jane and I welcome you to Lesson Four of Wounded Lives. Healed Hearts. We are very excited to join you during this journey into encouragement  and healing. This week Jane and I pray that you will speak God’s beautiful Word into your life and the lives of those around you.

We are at the halfway point of this study, and just in case you need a bit of encouragement to keep going, we’ve recorded a lighthearted video to spur you on with your study!

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Weekly Homework

Each week we will add your assignments to a password-protected post. Look for the password every Tuesday evening in your email. Below you will find homework for each level of study. Feel free to change from Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3  as your schedule allows! Remember, there is no pressure to complete every activity. These are just options for your growth. They can be accessed at any time, even after the study ends.

Level 1, Study: Weekly Goals 

• For Week 4, watch the video posted below: Find Your Voice
  
• Complete pages 57-70 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Feel free to do any of the other activities from Levels 2 and 3 as your time allows.

Level 2, Community: Weekly Goals 

• For Week 4, watch the video posted below:: Find Your Voice
  
• Complete pages 57-70 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Join the Community Call, Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST on Talk Shoe (Information on TalkShoe is in your weekly email.)

 Level 3, Opportunity: Weekly Goals 

• For Week 4, watch the video posted below: Find Your Voice
• Complete pages 57-70 in Luke: Discovering Healing in Jesus’ Words to Women.
• Answer the question on the Speak Your Mind comment section at the bottom of this post, and join the Community Call on Wednesday night on TalkShoe.
• Complete the Digging Deeper questions in the margins of each lesson.
• Don’t forget to check out our private Facebook page. Leave your comments about this week’s study, post your prayer requests, or share any insights/questions you may have. Only members of our Bible study group will see these posts.
• Take advantage of the Help for Healing resources by clicking on the links below:

You Are What You Speak

Speaking the Truth in Love

 Words

Week Four Video

For your listening pleasure please listen to Ancient Words by Michael W. Smith:

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Questions of the Week (Please respond in the Speak Your Mind section at the very bottom of this page).

In what area of life or significant relationship do you need to speak the truth of God’s Word? How will you accomplish this?

Imagine doing your Bible study with your small group without ever having to leave the comfort of  your home, dorm room — or back deck (if you live in a warm clime!). If this sounds like your kind of study, we would love for you to join our eight-week online Bible study, Wounded Lives. Healed Hearts  by Sue Edwards, which begins February 19th.

This Bible study will:

• help you realize your incredible value and worth in Christ;
• challenge you to seek and receive the healing Jesus longs to give you for your wounded life and injured heart;
• empower you to spend face-to-face time with Jesus;
• inspire you to do the work  that God wants to accomplish through everyday people like you and me.

Order Your Materials and Register

In order to participate in the study you must 1) order the book at CBD or Amazon, or purchase it at the Grace Church counter at Mary’s church and 2) sign up through the registration link below (registration is only $5).

Once you have signed up, you will receive an email link to confirm your registration. You must click on the link to be enrolled in the Bible study. Each week, for the duration of the study,  you will receive an email that contains the weekly Bible study page password and Community Call information. Look for your email every Tuesday night.

Thanks so much for your participation. Feel free to invite your friends! Please click on the link below to register and pay. You will be given the option to pay either with Pay Pal or with your credit card. If you don’t have a PayPal account, simply click the option that says “Check Out.” Clicking on that will then open another screen and one of your options will say: “Don’t have a PayPal account?” Click on this option, which will bring up a screen that will let you either pay with a regular credit card or open a PayPal account.Questions or problems with registration? Click on this contact button to email Jane. God bless you and thank you!

Register for the Bible Study on this Buy Now link:

We’ve included a link below to the CBD online bookstore if your prefer to purchase your materials this way.

Luke: Discover Together Bible Study By Sue Edwards / Kregel PublicationsHave you ever felt undervalued, unappreciated, or just “little”? We all have. The Gospel of Luke was written especially for us to show that God does his great work through people like us. Join Sue Edwards on this inductive study of Luke. As she focuses on particular encounters Jesus had with first-century women, you will have your own encounter with Jesus and learn how truly valuable you are to him. The video lessons are on YouTube and can be accessed through the website www.discovertogetherseries.com or by using the QR codes found in the study guide. Free leader’s guide also available on website, www.discovertogetherseries.com.

The summertime is one of my favorite times of the year, especially fresh, sunny mornings on the deck with my Bible. For me, prayer seems easier when I’m surrounded by flowers, singing birds and a warm breeze. I love to start the day this way–before I’m consumed by the distractions of my to-do list and job.

My morning time gets me grounded and ready for whatever the day may bring. However, I’ve noticed how easy it is to “lose” God in the busyness of the day. It’s not that He goes anywhere–He’s still there; it’s just me who has moved away. Lately, I’ve decided to be more purposeful about bringing God into all of my day–not just the mornings. As I was thinking about how to do this, I came across the Jesus Prayer in a book I was reading on spiritual disciplines. The Jesus Prayer is not a new idea; rather, it’s been around as a practice since the 5th century and has its origins in the Bible.

The Jesus Prayer is a simple, short prayer that says, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” or “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It probably sounds familiar to you if you’re read the gospel of Luke lately where the tax collector is praying in chapter 18, verse 13 “God be merciful to me a sinner!” Or perhaps you’ve read the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who called out to Jesus in Mark 10, “ Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd tried to shush Bartimaeus (I wonder; have I ever discouraged anyone from following Jesus? I hope not!), but he just yelled all the louder. Jesus blessed his faith by healing him and giving him his sight!

The Jesus Prayer is explained in an ancient book called the Philokalia, which had hundreds of pages of ideas on how to practice this prayer–rather surprising when you consider the brevity of the prayer! An anonymous Russian pilgrim in the middle 1800s also wrote a book about his experiences with the prayer and how it changed his life. This book is called The Way of a Pilgrim. Both books are still on the market, so if you want to read more about the Jesus Prayer, these would be some in-depth reading for you.

But, if you’re ready to jump in and start practicing this discipline, it’s very simple. To help you focus, start practicing this prayer in a quiet place. Breathe in and pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,” and then breathe out and pray “have mercy on me, a sinner.” Try to tune out any distractions, thinking about the words and praying them from your heart. The whole idea is to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Reminding ourselves that we are sinners is not meant to put ourselves down, but rather to help us not take for granted what Jesus has done for us and continues to do for us. Some people like to use prayer ropes to keep track of how many times they pray the prayer each day. To me that seems to become almost legalistic, but do what feels comfortable to you. As you become accustomed to praying the prayer, you can pray it wherever you are throughout your day to ground you and draw you closer to God.

That’s what I like about this short prayer. I think that praying the Jesus Prayer will help me not “lose” God as I go about my day, but rather help me to focus on Him–wherever I am.

What do you think? Do you think the Jesus Prayer is a practice you’ll try? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Pray on!