*This post is coming to you a few days early as our staff travels with Beth, which you will read more about below.
Hey, Everybody! It’s May! We are making progress, Girls! By now you are getting some verses down in your bones. I was thrilled two weekends ago when we had our clandestine Siesta picture after the end of our Albuquerque Living Proof Live and a bunch of them brought their spirals. Talk about teacher’s pets! Here they are:
OK! I’ve done a little video – a really, really short one this time – where I say my verses to you while I’m on a walk in our woods so this stands as my official entry for Verse 9! I’m doing memory work right now out of Ephesians Chapter Four and it is so powerful. As you’ll hear in this segment, God seems to have a tremendous partiality to the number ONE.
Y’all, I love doing this with you. I love an SSMT year. You are so dear to us. By the time you’re submitting your verses, I’ll be speaking in London at Hillsong Colour Conference. Our whole LPM staff is coming and many of our volunteers. Melissa is with me and will be heading up a short tour with our volunteers after the Hillsong conference ends, giving emphasis to several figures in Christianity who had tremendous influence on Spiritual formation. We are looking extremely forward to it. Her suitcase weighed 10 whole pounds more than mine strictly from books. Made me grin. The girl is a book nerd if you’ll ever meet one. We were so sad Amanda couldn’t come on this trip but she needed to be home with her very busy family this round. We miss her like nobody’s business. Would all of you please pray for us as we labor in this gorgeous field of harvest? Please ask Jesus to pour out His Holy Spirit lavishly upon us and to give us such hearts of love for every person we serve.  When I say, ask Jesus to pour out His Spirit, I mean like GUSHES. FLOODS, TIDAL WAVES of Living Water. Understand what I’m saying? PRAY BIG. Get in there with your faith if you’d be willing and ask God to be enormously present among us here. Ask for many to be saved, many to be delivered from strongholds, healed, and made whole in Jesus. Ask for multitudes to awaken to the breadth and length and height and depth of the borderless love of Jesus. Thank you! I owe you a debt of love which I gladly, joyfully pay.
Ok, Girls! Hit it with those verses!
Bel Air, MD
John 3:27 NKJV John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”
Joyce Davidson, Big River, Saskatchewan, Canada. “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (â€2 Peter‬ â€1‬:â€8‬ NIV)
Jackie, Noblesville, IN
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT
Gina, Olathe, KS
Romans 12:2 NAS
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 NIV
Joy Martin, LaGrange, GA
who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:21 NIV
Jenni Neal, Dunn, NC
“May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” Ephesians 3:18 (KJV)
Malorie Elrod, Sharpsburg Ga – But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. (â€Hebrews‬ â€10‬:â€39‬ NIV)
emi, white house,tn: “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6 ESV
Hurricane, WV
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
NIV
Tami, Louisiana
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17, NIV)
Woodstock, Ontario
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
Kris Braun, Shakopee, MN
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV
Kelly Sonderby
San Clemente, CA
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.
â€1 Peter‬ â€3‬:â€3‬ NLT
Heather Michalec, Valparaiso, IN
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:19 NIV
Linda Smith, The Woodlands, TX
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
James 1:13 NASB
Let no one say when he is tempted “I am being tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
Jill Knight Fort Ashby, WV
Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! (â€Deuteronomy‬ â€5‬:â€29‬ NKJV)
Sally H., Ocala, FL. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1
Angela T., Albuquerque, NM
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1: 4 NIV
Jody, Sarcoxie, Mo
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Dear Beth: My ladies from church and I have been doing your Bible Studies for about 6-7 years now. We are having so much fun learning more about God and ourselves. My favorite (and most of the ladies) has been The Fruit of the Spirit which we just finished the beginning of April. We do them during the winter from Jan – April at my house. I saw God in a new way and it floored me to learn that God sings!!! I don’t know why I never thought about Him singing but I know we have His characteristics and I love to sing!! Just really saw Him so much as my Father in such an intimate way. My father passed away 4 years ago from ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease) and my mother passed away 17 years ago, so it was awesome to see Him as my parent loving on me! 3 of the ladies and I are coming to see you in Cincinnati in June and we are all so excited!!! I realize that you can’t meet personally with everyone but I am so thrilled to get to see you in person at this seminar!! Have I put in enough !!!!!!!’s, lol! Have been praying for you and your family for all these years and am so glad that you have been commissioned by God to do these studies. Thank you so much for being willing to be used by Him. See you in June!! ‘ON YA!! LOVE IN CHRIST, Deb Sarver
Dorelle Hogan, Hot Springs, AR, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
Leanette, Atlanta
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zeph.3:17 NIV
Leslie G-Warner Robins, GA
2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.”
rlene Coshocton,Ohio [NLT]Psalms 100:4-5 Enter His gates with thanksgiving;go into his courts with praise.Give thanks to him and bless his name.For the LORD is good.His unfailing love continues forever and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Erin G., Columbus, oh
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
â€â€John‬ â€10:27‬ â€NIV‬‬
I am in a deep season of discernment … How can I listen to his voice better?
Shelly Albertville MN
Philippians 2:13 NIV
for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose
Beth Reid, London, ON
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV
Kim, Euless, TX
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (â€Ephesians‬ â€3‬:â€16‬ NIV)
Sherie
The Woodlands,TX
So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need. Hebrews 4:16 TLB
Rhonda Beck, Winston Salem, N.C. 4..for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5 ( NIV)
Megan from Salisbury, MD. Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Psalm 143:8 NLT
Audrey, Ohio
Psalm 15:3 TNIV
who have no slander on their tongues,
who do their neighbors no wrong,
who cast no slur on others;
May 1. My spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid! Haggai 2:5 NLT
Teri, Lakeway, Tx
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.
Psalm 94:19. NAS
Teresa from Georgia
“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”
Ephesians 3:17 ESV
Denise, Gardners, PA
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
Tangila, Pearland TX
But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.” (â€Jonah‬ â€2‬:â€9‬ NLT)
Val Parker DeQuincy, LA
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. (â€Proverbs‬ â€23‬:â€18‬ ESV)
Emily, Lugoff, SC
Romans 8:31-32 (ESV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[i] against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Amanda Aikin, Pittsburg, KS
Create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Ps 51:10 ESV
Sallie Russ, Greenwood, SC
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 NASB
Wendy
Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
This completes Psalm 139 for me
8220 Partridge Bend Cove
“But the Lord God helps me, therefore I have not been disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a flint so that I know I shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 50:7)
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provisions for the flesh to gratify its desires” (Rom.13:14)
But the Lord is faithful; He will make you strong &
guard you from the evil one.
2 Thess. 3:3 NLT
Diane S., Macungie, PA
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. (â€1 Corinthians‬ â€4‬:â€5‬ NIV)
Cheryl – Houston, TX
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Colossians 4:6 (ESV)
Jackie Watson from Marietta, Ga. “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31. God’s Word Translation
Ellaville, Ga
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 NIV