Tag: Bible Study Tools

What does the Bible have to say about Unity?

On Tuesday’s show, The Morning Thing faced election day by digging into the Bible. What does the bible have to say on Unity?
We encourage you to spend some time reading these bible verses. We pray that they can provide some insight and encouragement as we face today, tomorrow and the future of our country.

This complication of verses is provided by biblestudytools.com

(from https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/unity-bible-verses/)
Bible Verses About Unity – God calls his people to live in unity with one another, so it is important to make every effort to live together in harmony with everyone. Regardless of beliefs and differences, God commands us to do all in love. We have gathered this collection of Bible verses about unity to inspire you toward hope for the future.

Life is messy, relationships are messy. Times of stress can strain relationships and we end up hurting each other and destroying the unity we have worked hard for. Satan’s goal is to destroy our unity. Let’s fight together toward living in peace and harmony. God has given us the ability to be patient, kind, and loving through actions and words. Scriptures remind us that it is our responsibility as Christians to lead the way for unity among all nations and people.

1 Corinthians 1:10 
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

2 Corinthians 13:11
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Acts 4:32
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

John 13:35
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Philippians 2:2 
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Philippians 2:3
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Romans 14:19
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Matthew 18:19-20
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Ephesians 4:11-13
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Colossians 3:13-14
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

John 17:23
23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Psalm 133:1
1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Ephesians 4:1-6 
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

1 Peter 3:8
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

1 John 4:12 
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Ephesians 4:3
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Romans 12:16 
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Philippians 2:1 
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.

Ephesians 1:10 
10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

2 Chronicles 30:12 
12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.

Ephesians 2:14 
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

Romans 12:4 
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function.

A Prayer for Unity: God, We need you. Some days feel so broken and uncertain. We’re hurting, we’re struggling, and we’re aware, more than ever, of our own weaknesses, and of the dark forces that constantly surround us, fighting to gain ground in our lives and families. We choose to stand our ground today and say, “no more.” We ask for your help to set aside our differences and look to the greater cause, the cause of Christ. We ask that you would help us to truly live a life of love. We ask that you surround this country and cover us with your mighty hand. We pray for unity in our land, that in spite of our differences, we would be willing to stand strong together and live out our days with compassion and grace. Remind us to live aware, to redeem the time, listen to your words, and be willing to make a difference in this land. Give us courage to speak out. Amen.

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Trusting in God. How do we do it?

Today, The Morning Thing tackled the topic of trusting God. How do we do it? Especially when life is hard?

We shared 7 daily steps from www.biblestudytools.com that we can take to trust the Lord.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Follow these 7 daily steps to make sure you’re leaning on the Lord:

1. Don’t Depend on You

We live in a world where trust must be earned and seems to be in short supply. But Solomon, the famous king who wrote Proverbs, knew that trust is exactly where we must start:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)

2. Cry out to God

Surrendering to God begins with our lips and our thoughts. We need more than a commitment to depend on Him; we need to cry out to Him to show that dependence.

“in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6)

3. Run from Evil

So much in this world can clutter up our relationship with God. John, the writer of the fourth gospel, describes them as the desires of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride in our lives (1 John 2:16). In other words, our blessings can easily become our stumbling blocks when we think of them as what we deserve or what we need to be happy.

Instead, life works best when we remember the true source of our blessings—God—and focus on the things that please Him:

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” (Proverbs 3:7)

4. Put God First in Your Life

It’s easiest to put ourselves first. When something good happens, we want to congratulate ourselves with a reward. When something bad happens, we want to console ourselves or find someone to blame. In other words, we often have a “me-centric” starting place.

And when it comes to money, the struggle is even harder. But Solomon, who had quite a bit of wealth himself, knew that his money didn’t belong to him:

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9–10)

5. Check Yourself by God’s Word

Let’s be honest. We aren’t so good at evaluating ourselves. We will go to great lengths to excuse our behavior, our actions, and our sins. Who needs a defense attorney when we can pretty much find a reason for any bad thing we do? The prophet Jeremiah captures this very well:

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

6. Listen to the Holy Spirit

When Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to the church, He told His disciples that this Counselor would be their spiritual compass or GPS:

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

7. Rest in God’s Love

When we face a difficult world each day, we can sometimes wonder if God even cares. Why do bad things happen? Where is God when I need Him? Solomon reminds us that God never takes a break or leaves us to fend for ourselves:

“because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:12)

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Get more out of your bible study – some tips from www.biblestudytools.com

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We all know that bible study is vital for our lives. If you are like us, you are always looking for ways to enhance your bible study time.
Good news! The Morning Thing team found some great tips from www.biblestudytools.com

Mark Altrogge, the senior pastor of Saving Grace Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania shares 8 tips to get more out of your bible study. He has written hundreds of songs for worship, including “Stand in Awe” and “Forever Grateful”. Mark and his wife, Kristi, have five children and five grandchildren. Find out more on his blog, http://www.theblazingcenter.com

Click HERE for the full article.

1. Prepare the night before

Every night before going to bed, I grind some coffee, put a filter in my Aeropress coffee maker, put my coffee cup on the counter and fill my Hot Shot with water, so all I need to do is push a button to heat the water for my morning cup o’ joe. I make sure everything I need – Bible, marker, journal, Kleenex – is on the stand next to the couch in the den. This saves me having to scramble around wasting time in the morning, and I can get reading more quickly.

2. Pray

I usually spend a couple minutes praying before I read. I thank my Father for his love and the gift of sleep, and for protecting my family and me during the night. I also thank him for his gracious invitation for me to enter boldly into his presence through the merits and blood of Jesus. Then I often pray John Piper’s I-O-U’S: “Incline my heart to your testimonies,” “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law,” “Unite my heart to fear your name,” and “Satisfy me with your love.”

3. Same time, same place every day.

Find your best time, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions. For me, it’s first thing in the morning. The house is quiet and no one else is up. If I start in on projects or reading the news, I never get to reading the Bible. In the evening I’m too distracted and tired. For some, evening is their best time. The important thing is to find a time when you are least distracted and can concentrate.

I read in the same place every day. As I said earlier, I keep my Bible, marker, journal and prayer notebook on the end table next to the couch in the den. That way I don’t have to waste time searching through the house for things before I read.

4. Keep track of what you read

After reading, in the back of my journal I write the day, date, and the passage I read. That way I don’t have to try to remember where I left off the day before. You can use a bookmark as long as it doesn’t fall out and you lose your place.

5. Write in your Bible

Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words. Underlining and writing helps us concentrate more on what we’re reading. My favorite marker is a light blue Sanford China Marker. You can underline lightly or darker and it never bleeds through the page.

6. Read consecutively

Don’t skip around or play Bible Roulette. Finish one book before going to another. One way to consistently read through the Bible is to read through Matthew, then Genesis. Then Mark, then Exodus and so on. If you are keeping track of what you’ve read, you’ll eventually work through the whole Bible. Nothing is more discouraging than picking up the Bible and reading at random every day.

7. Use a journal

I’ve used journals for years in my devotions. I like Moleskine lined journals. As you read, write down any verses that stand out to you or any thoughts you have about the passage. Writing slows you down and helps you focus. I usually try to look for one key verse or passage that stands out to me from that day’s reading to record in my journal.

8. Respond to what you’ve read

After recording one key verse or passage in my journal, I usually write a prayer in response. This prayer will sometimes be worship and praise to God for the truth I’ve just read about him or it may be supplication for him to change me to conform with his word. I keep the prayer to one, maybe two pages at the most. It takes me about ten minutes and propels me into my prayer time.

Whether you use these approaches or you have your own, try to build consistent habits of reading the Bible. There’s no better way to fellowship with Jesus and delight in him.

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