Creative Bible Study Blog

Welcome to our Creative Bible Study blog - a Christian blog dedicated to getting believers excited about God's Word and all it holds.

We will update you on any new and exciting additions to our site as well as highlight items you might otherwise miss.

Have you ever wondered if you were "creative?" Well, God is and we each were created in His image. Today is your day to be creative as you let the truth of God's Word impact your life and the lives of those around you.

The dictionary defines creative as: cre·a·tive 1. having the quality or power of creating. 2. resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.; imaginative: creative writing. 3. originative; productive (usually fol. by of). 4. Facetious. using or creating exaggerated or skewed data, information, etc.: creative bookkeeping.

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Side Note: My Windows browser has an orange RSS feed button on my toolbar that detects RSS feeds; I can just click it to subscribe to my favorite interest sites. It's so easy and fun!

May 7, 2008, My Time is in His Hands

Life is BUSY!!!! As you can tell, I haven't even had a chance lately to Blog. Whether it's the busyness of life or if time seems to stand still because of distress in my life, I need to remember what the Psalmist says in Psalm 31:15 - "My times are in Your hands..."

Let's remember today every time we look at our watch or a clock that God is in control - even of our time. I know that gives me a peace in my heart. If I can just keep Him as my focus, all will truly be well with my soul.

Have a great day...in God's timing!

Apr 28, 2008, "Monday Meds" - God Looks at the Heart

Meditate:

Our youth and education minister shared a great visual Bible lesson with us today. He was dressed in a nice double-breasted suit, but when he took off his jacket, his shirt was torn, dirty and had writing on it.

He was speaking on how God looks at our heart, not our outward appearance. 1 Samuel 16:7 -

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God {sees} not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

No matter how much we may "dress" to cover up our hurts, failures, or sins, God sees what's underneath - our hearts. His desire is to dress us in new clothing - His righteousness and His love.

On the other hand, do we take the time to see other people's hearts? Do we judge them by their outward appearance?

Activate:

Let's take time this week as we get dressed each morning to remember God sees our hearts, not our outward appearance. Also, let's take time to see others as God sees them; let's take time to see their hearts.

Apr 28, 2008, Great Children's Sermons and More!

We've added new links to some great indexes of free children's sermons which include new Christian object lesson ideas and more!

Find hundreds of children's sermons to use for your homeschool Bible lessons, Sunday school lessons, Children's church, and more!

Apr 23, 2008, Legend of the Dogwood

At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus' cross.

To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said. "Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals.

"In the center of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the center of the flower, stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns so that all who see it will remember."

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Apr 22, 2008, More Free Preschool Printables!

We've found even more free preschool printables to help you teach these precious little ones!

Find patterns and instructions for mini songbooks, Bible lesson lapbooks, memory verse cards, Bible games and activities as well as Bible coloring sheets and more geared just for preschoolers.

Have fun and continue to be CREATIVE!

Apr 21, 2008, Living Out Loud!

Meditate:

I'm sure most of us have seen the commercial for Sharpies - "Write Out Loud!" Yesterday, Pat Domange, the speaker at our Women's luncheon, spoke about us "Living Out Loud." Think about it; when you write with a Sharpie it makes a lasting impression. That's what I want to do for Christ.

We've been talking to our teenage daughter about her having more of an impact & influence for Christ on the world around her than the world has on her.

Paul testified of this in his own life again and again: Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. "

Webster's defines "living" as:

1. having life; being alive; not dead: living persons. 2. in actual existence or use; extant: living languages. 3. active or thriving; vigorous; strong: a living faith. 4. burning or glowing, as a coal. 5. flowing freely, as water.

Is that how we're living - active, thriving, glowing, flowing...? "Living Out Loud" doesn't have to be "loud;" it just needs to be REAL!

Activate:

Use a Sharpie or bold marker this week to write your grocery list, things to do, etc. Let it remind you to not only "write out loud," but to "live out loud!"

Apr 14, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Take a SON Shower

Meditate:

I had never heard of a Sun Shower until a few months ago when I picked up a book off our bookshelf (one of many!); it's called A Passionate Life by Mike Breen & Walt Kallestad.

Breen begins by telling the story of when his daughters encouraged him to enjoy the Sun Shower at their health club. They said it feels like standing on the beach in North Carolina. He obliged them and stood there for three minutes in a small booth with goggles on and his eyes closed listening to clicking and whirring sounds. He explained to them that it just wasn't for him, but at their request he tried it again and again until finally during a nine minute session he decided to open his eyes. He looked around and finally saw another doorknob. When he opened the door he then experienced the most wonderful sensation of standing on a sunny beach enjoying the ocean breeze. It was then that he realized he had been standing in the dressing room all that time!

Jesus says in John 10:10b: "I came that they may have life, and life more abundantly."

Are you enjoying the joy on the journey of your Christian walk - the "life more abundantly?" Don't just stay in the "dressing room" and miss out on the "Son Shower" of His love! Enjoy His presence today (and every day)!

Activate: This week as we step out into the rays of sunlight, let it remind us of how God's Son, Jesus Christ, showers us with His presence and blessings!

Apr 12, 2008, Free Bible Studies

Get actively involved in Bible study with free Bible Studies that are interactive. Free, printable Bible lessons for personal use, Bible study groups, or Sunday School.

Apr 4, 2008, "God's Toolbox" - a Christian object lesson

This past week I used this as our children's Bible lesson for our chapel service.

I had heard our youth minister use an object lesson using tools and showing how God gives us different gifts to use for Him.

As I was preparing it though, I decided to also put some unusual tools in the toolbox to demonstrate how God not only wants to use pastors, deacons, & Sunday school teachers, but He wants to use each and every one of us in His work.

Mar 31, 2008, "Monday Meds" - The Fragrance of Life

Meditate:

Have you ever hugged someone that was wearing a strong perfume or cologne and walked away smelling like them? We had a wonderful gentleman at one of our churches that faithfully greeted people as they came into church. He always had a smile on his face and smelled wonderful. Even after you walked away, you could still smell the fragrance.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 says:

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life."

______________________

The New York Times reported:

Kate Greene, the vice president for marketing fine fragrances in North America at Givaudan, said that 800 new fragrances are expected to make their appearance in 2007.
____________________

It seems like false religious beliefs are being manufactured at the same rate. Our world is becoming desensitized to the Gospel of Jesus Christ to where it is just another choice of fragrance. In reality, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only "fragrance of life."

What about us? Are we spending time close enough to Christ each day that as we walk away in the midst of people in our lives they can sense His presence, His fragrance, this fragrance of life?

Activate:

Take time this week to "smell the roses." Actually, take time to notice all the things you do smell and how they affect you - your thoughts, your emotions, your physical senses. Let each smell remind you of noticing Christ's presence in your life. Cling close to Him so that when you walk through your day, others will come to know His fragrance of life.

Take time right now and smell the sweetness of the "Rose of Sharon." (Song of Solomon 2:1)

Mar 29, 2008, The "Face of Christ" - A Bible Picture Lesson

The "Face of Christ" by Joe Castillo is amazing.

Use this wonderful pen and ink drawing as a Bible picture to creatively teach a Bible lesson about the life of Jesus and how to seek His face.

Mar 29, 2008, Children's Bible Lessons

A treasure chest of Children's Bible Lessons including Bible stories, activities & games, Scripture memory, fun links, Christian book recommendations and children's books that teach values!

Mar 25, 2008, "Books of the Bible" Song & other Creative Bible Memory Tools

Help children of all ages, including preschoolers memorize the books of the Bible with memory tools like the "Books of the Bible" song, free printable books of the Bible flash cards with pictures and names, as well as many other creative Bible verse memory tools.

Children have an amazing ability to memorize at an early age. Let's not miss an opportunity to help them hide God's Word in their hearts!

Mar 24, 2008, "Monday Meds" - The Refiner's Fire

Meditate:

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit here in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left only a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it"

Activate:

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Mar 22, 2008, Free Christian Scrapbooking Printables

I'm sad to say that I'm not a scrapbooker as of yet. I absolutely love to take pictures, but don't take the time to do something creative with them. I do have friends that are fabulous at it though - Julie and Beth and think it is wonderful how they include God's Word in their beautiful creations. What an awesome way to share the beauty of the Scriptures!

I know there are so many other wonderful Christian women that express their God-given talents through scrapbooking too. It's a beautiful Christian legacy they are creating for their children full of Scripture and wisdom.

For all of you - here are some great free Christian scrapbooking printables including Bible verses, backgrounds and more in .pdf format from Printables4Scrapbooking.

Mar 19, 2008, His Sign of Promise - Hebrews 10:23b

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Mar 17, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Agape' Love

Meditate:

I am blessed to have been called to teach a young women's Sunday school class. I truly believe I learn more from them than they do from me! Today as we studied about God's love - agape' love (a sacrificial and unconditional love), one of my ladies gave us a profound lesson.

We were talking about how when you become a parent, the depth of this type of love becomes a reality. Julie shared that when she had her little boy, God revealed to her that this type of love can't be learned; it's given to us by God. She said she looked down at her old white tennis shoes and realized she had become like her mother - always putting the needs of her children above her own.

How wonderful! We don't have to learn how to love like that; that would be too hard - impossible with our self-centeredness. Yet God gives us this love - His love, with which we are to love others.

In John chapters 13 and 15 Jesus gives us the following command:

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

Also in John 15 He tells us how to accomplish such a great task - by abiding or remaining in Him. Like a branch is connected to a vine and draws all its nourishment and supply from the vine, so are we as we stay connected to Jesus. His love will flow into and through us out to others.

John 15:9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

By remaining in His love, God's Holy Spirit enables us to love with an agape' love. We don't have to "work up" this kind of love. We have access to it by abiding in Him.

Activate:
Break off a small branch from a vine, bush or tree. Keep it in a prominant place where you will see it often during the day - on your desk, by the kitchen sink, in your car. Let it remind you to remain in His presence and thereby allow His love to flow in and through you to others.

If you've never experienced the agape' love of Christ, visit our page - Know Christ page and find out how much God loves you!

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Mar 16, 2008, Free Bible Memory Books for Children

The Awana Clubs International has now made available free downloads of several Bible memory books for children of all ages - preschool through 6th grade. Each book deals with a different Scripture theme.

There are also free printable Bible verse cards available in the King James Version, New King James Version, or New International Version.

Don't miss these great Bible memory verse tools!

Mar 12, 2008, A Southern Snow

Job 37:5-6 "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'"

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Mar 10, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Making Time to Listen

Meditate:

Listening is an important life skill. It's more than just hearing. It takes focus.

Giving someone our complete attention and listening to them shows them we believe what they have to say is important. They are worthy of our time and focus.

This should be a priority in our relationships with our family, friends, and most of all God.

Psalms 85:8-9 "I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints-- but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land."

How often do we take time to sit still and really listen to God?

Psalm 46:10 tells us - "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Activate:

Take time now (about 3 min.), close your eyes, and listen to the following song "My Heart, Your Home" by Watermark and worship Christ. Hear His voice. Then take time this week each day to be still and know that He is God and wants to speak to you.

If you enjoyed this song, visit Watermark's website and listen to more of their music!

Or their music may be purchased through Christianbook.com here:

A Grateful People, Compact Disc [CD] By Watermark

Mar 9, 2008, Dr Seuss Books

Horton Hears a Who and other Dr Seuss Books can be used to teach creative Bible lessons for children and youth of all ages. These free Bible lessons include Bible verses & fun activities.

Mar 7, 2008, A Great Children's Book for Easter!

Those that know me, know that I "love" children's books! After years of reading hundreds though, my ultimate favorite has to be The Tale of Three Trees.

This is a wonderful American folktale! The origianl author is unknown, but Angela Elwell Hunt has brought this story to the pages of an amazing children's book along with the beautiful illustrations of Tim Jonke.

I used it this past week for our children's sermon during our school chapel. It's a timeless story for any time and any age, but it is especially perfect for the Christmas or Easter seasons.

Here you'll find how I used it to teach a Bible lesson about God's special plans for our lives.

Mar 7, 2008, Tale of Three Trees

Use this free book lesson for The Tale of Three Trees to teach a wonderful Bible lesson. This Christian children's book is ideal for a children's sermon or devotional talk for any age.

Mar 3, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Synergy

Meditate:

Have you heard the "buzz" word in the business world - "SYNERGY?" It's really a cool word that refers to the phenomenon in which the interaction of two or more agents or influences creates a greater combined effect than the sum of their individual effects working alone.

When I heard this definition, it made me think of how God has placed us (Christians) here together as one body - the Church because of this truth of synergy. When we use our gifts, influences, knowledge, talents, etc. while working together, we are able to achieve so much more than any one of us can do alone.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 " The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many."

Activate:

Next time you hear the word "synergy," let it remind you of God's family and all we can do to further His kingdom together.

Feb 27, 2008, Footprints in the Sand

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

Mary Stevenson, 1936

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Feb 26, 2008, Christian Easter Activity Ideas

Easter is coming early this year; it's only a few weeks away! Keep Jesus as the center of your Easter celebration with these free Christian object lessons, crafts including Resurrection eggs, recipe for Resurrection cookies, Jelly Bean prayer, and so much more!

Feb 26, 2008, Christian Easter Celebration Ideas

Easter is coming early this year; it's only a few weeks away! Keep Christ at the center of your Easter celebration with these free Christian Easter activity ideas, Christian object lessons, crafts, recipes and more!

Feb 26, 2008, The Boggy Bayou Honey Co. of Arkansas City

Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

For those that didn't read about these special folks in my previous blog, I wanted to repost this:

This past fall at our local festival, I met Judy & Rick and was introduced to their wonderful products. Judy has used her God-given gifts to create a special gift for others that is really neat and useful, but also holds a spiritual message. The Boggy Bayou Honey Co. of Arkansas City, Arkansas not only sells delicious honey, but also "lotion in a bar" - a lotion in a solid form. It mosturizes unlike other lotions I've tried. They come in a variety of frangrances for both women and men, and also unscented.

Each little tin also holds a word of encouragement from God's Word. One special fragrance - "Frankincense & Myrrh," encourages you to let the fragrance of the lotion remind you to draw near to God. It's the kind of fragrance that whispers for you to slow down and make time for worship all during the day.

When speaking to Judy about her product, she shared with me how she was looking for new ways to share Christ. God told her to look around at what she had. She and her husband, Rick, own and operate a Bee Farm that has been in their family for five generations.

At their daughter's suggestion, Judy began adding fragrance to her "lotion bars" along with special messages from God's Word. These are not only affordable, but also a great little gift to pass on the love of God and the hope found in Christ. The "Frankincense & Myrrh" lotion bar tin also contains the plan of salvation.

Since The Boggy Bayou Honey Co. doesn't have a website right now, I wanted to share this with the rest of you here on mine. For more information, you can contact the Boggy Bayou Honey Co. at 870-877-2469. By the way, their honey is delicious too!!!

Feb 25, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Family Time

Meditate:

Yesterday, I shared about our family's use of the "technology craze" to stay connected. One way we use it is to continue our "Family Time" even though we live miles apart now.

Following is an example of one of our family emails written by Jeff. "Family Time" emails don't have to be very long or theological. Just share your hearts with each other - your love for each other and your love for God.

Our Family Time Email
I got to thinking about Mom being sick and all the other sickly people right now, and 1 Corinthians 15:50-51 came to my mind. Here's what it says:

"These perishable bodies of ours are not able to live forever. But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed."

Our ole bodies that we have right now won't live forever. We know that! But our soul is immortal and it is the soul that gives each of us uniqueness and personality. Hey guys! That's the part of us that is going to live forever and ever!

I joke around a bunch about getting old and not being able to get around like a once did when I was you guys' ages! I see the senior adults in our church show up every morning at the church gym to walk and use the exercise machines. Why? Because they want to live longer! It's hard for us to accept the fact that life is passing by quickly. You laugh, but it just seemed like yesterday that I was in trouble for burning the church field up in Shreveport. I was 11 years old then. (oh my, that's 35 years ago....I'm sick!)

The exciting part to me is that each one of you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and have asked Him to forgive you of your sin. I am so proud of that! And because of that, the Bible says that you will go immediately into the presence of God in heaven when you take your last breath! Look up John 10:10!

I'm so glad that we'll spend eternity together AS A FAMILY in heaven. But just remember that there are many who are around you who do not have that same hope. Use the opportunities today that God gives you to share a testimony for Jesus!

Activate: Let's take time this week to connect, to communicate, to spend time with God and with our family!!! Share your faith with each other, share memories, share thoughts and prayer concerns. One of the greatest gifts we can give our family is ourselves through our time and efforts to connect.

Feb 24, 2008, "Family Time" through Email

Over the last few years our family has begun to spread out. We now have two children in college (one about to graduate), another that will be off to college next year, and our youngest about to be in High School! Where have the years gone...the days of family worhip time together in the den playing Bible baseball and singing choruses?

If your kids are anything like ours, they're constantly communicating with friends whether it's by email, IM, or texting. In fact, the Christmas gift that was the biggest hit in our family this year was our signing up for unlimited texting! Who knew that one person could send/receive over 4,000 texts in one month?!!! LOL!

I say all this to say - as families, let's use this to our advantage. Keep the communication lines open - with your kids, your parents, your siblings, etc. My sisters and I try to keep a continuous email going to keep us involved in each others' lives.

We've even used email to start up our family worship times together again. We include prayer requests, thoughts about Scripture or Christian devotions, and ask our kids to "reply to all" if they get the chance. In this way we hope to use the "technology craze" to keep our family closer even though miles separate us.

Feb 20, 2008, Word-Filled Wednesday - Looking UP

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Feb 16, 2008, Creative Bible Study - One Year Anniversary!

CreativeBibleStudy.com has been blessed to be on the World Wide Web for one year now! We wanted to say thank you to all who have visited. We hope that this site has been a blessing to you. If you have a moment, please use our Contact Page; we'd love to hear how Creative Bible Study may have ministered to you.

Also, we'd like to say thank you to Ken Evoy and "Site Build It" for assisting us in making our site available. They have made it so easy and fun to build a website on the Internet!

Feb 16, 2008, A Penny for Your Thoughts

We always hear stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, etc.

Here's a Christian object lesson that will cause a penny to bring our thoughts back to God in a day in which there is such a strong push to remove God from our schools, government, etc.

Feb 11, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Whatever!

"Whatever..." Have you heard this expression lately or even used it? If so, you may have been showing an indifference towards making a choice. This is a correct usage using it as an interjection. You, like me, may have also used it in a voice of disgust - "Whatever!"

Meditate:

It does, however, have other meanings including - "everything and anything." This is how Paul used it by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he wrote:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
Philippians 4:8
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Colossians 3:17
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Colossians 3:23

Activate:

Wow! What if every time we said or heard "whatever", we let it remind us of these verses to think and do "everything and anything" for His glory?! Try it for yourself this week!

Feb 8, 2008, Award of Excellence!!!

We were so honored this week to be awarded this Award of Excellence!

from The PMS Club

“By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people who’s blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…”

We would like to honor these blogs with this award of excellence:

1. Paper Blessings
2. Home Sanctuary
3. Creative Youth Ideas
4. Children's Church Ministry
5. The 160 Acre Woods
6. Life Is Not a Cereal
7. Christian Children's Book Review
8. Dandelion Seeds
9. Christian Preschool Printables
10. 5 Minutes for Mom

Thanks again, Amy!

Feb 6, 2008, Be Still and Know...

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Feb 5, 2008, Free Spiritual Gifts Inventory

FREE Spiritual Gifts Inventory

See what other great Christian resources we have found!

Feb 4, 2008, "Monday Meds" - The Lost can be Found

Meditate:

Compare these two words:

loss lost

What do you immediately notice the difference in the two? You're correct if you noticed the obvious - loss as an "s" and lost has a "t". Many times we use the word "loss" when someone we love has passed away. They won't be returning; hope is gone. But if we have someone we love that is "lost," they can be found because of the beautiful "t". Our hope is found in the "t" or cross of Jesus Christ.

Jesus assured us of the love of His Father for ones that are "lost" and need to be found. Luke 15 gives us three parables Jesus told - the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. God pursues us when we're lost and wants us found and returned. Like the lost son though, we are all given a choice to return or not. Will we choose the love of the Father?

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Activate: Take time this week to pray for someone that is lost. Also, make the most of every opportunity to share the hope that is within you.

1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

Feb 2, 2008, Reflecting God's Image - Object talk with digital camera/photo & a mirror

My husband mentioned last night that he needed to ask "someone" to fill in for him doing some of the children's devotions during the Upward Basketball Games tomorrow.

So...I got busy thinking of what I'd be most comfortable doing. They all know I'm always running around with my camera; therefore, I decided to build a children's Bible talk around it.

Jan 30, 2008, Bible Truths in Pictures - 1 Peter 5:8

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

(Don't worry; the cat didn't catch the bird!)

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Jan 30, 2008, Sand Dollar

Use the legend of the sand dollar, to teach a Bible object lesson that shows how God's creative fingerprints are everywhere!

Jan 29, 2008, Christian object lessons for Valentine's Day & Easter!

We've added new object lessons including some for Valentine's Day and Easter! Check out our Object Lesson Page.

We've also found more free themed Children's Bible lessons! These can be found on our Children's Page.

Jan 28, 2008, "Monday Meds" - 1 John1:9 - Daily Cleansing

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Meditate:

Have you had a shower or bath today? What about spiritually? Most of us take a physical bath or shower daily. Even though most days we don't go "wallering" in the mud, we've still picked up enough dirt and dust to make us feel the need to get clean.

In the same way, we need to spiritually become clean each day by confessing our sins to our Father daily and turning from our own way back towards Him. God promises that if we will be honest with Him about our sin and turn from it, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Wow, what a promise! Our Heavenly Father provides all we need to be in a right relationship with Him; it's our choice to choose to act on His promise though.

Right now ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area of your life that is hindering your relationship with God. Sin is sin; it doesn't have to come in what we think of as "big packages" like murder or theft. It can be in nice neat "self-righteous" packages like unforgiveness, disobedience, or pride. Don't wait until your covered with "muck"; stay in a close relationship with your Father as you continually ask for His cleansing. He is faithful!

Activate:

This week during your bath or shower take time to also become spiritually clean before God. Face it, time alone is hard to come by! Time taking a bath or shower can bring dual benefits - physical cleansing as well as spiritual cleansing!

Jan 28, 2008, Creative Prayer Ideas

Whether it's praying for our families, praying for our pastor, or ideas for effective prayer meetings, let's be creative! Prayer is not to be repetitive phrases or careless spoken words, but rather communication with the One True God!

Does it excite us that through Jesus Christ we are able to commune with our Heavenly Father?! It should! Our excitement will then excite others too. We can become contagious Christians!

Jan 23, 2008, Take Daily Doses of God's Word

Proverbs 17:22

Word-Filled Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Jan 23, 2008, Christian Children's Books

Teach creative Bible lessons & Christian values using Christian children's books as well as other popular children's books. See how to combine Scripture with fun read alouds to impart Bible truths.

Jan 21, 2008, "Monday Meds" - Meditations for Your Week

Something new for Mondays - "Monday Meds"

Proverbs 17:22 says: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

If you're anything like me, usually my heart is not cheerful on Mondays. It's like the whole work week looms ahead- the hustle and bustle of every day living.

Believe me, I know it shouldn't be like that; so what are we going to do about it? We're going to take our "Monday Meds" (meditations) and keep our focus on Christ!

My goal is to make available "Monday Meditations" or devotions that will fill our heart with His Word and put feet to our faith. Don't get me wrong, we need to feed on God's Word daily! What I hope to offer is a jumpstart to our weekly devotions and daily living for Him.

I'm always open for ideas, and if you would like to share, please just email me at susan(at)creativebiblestudy.com. (You'll need to replace the at with @ of course; this is to prevent spam mail.) I would love to hear from you and share your ideas with our readers!

Monday Meds for Today:

Meditate:
Ps 77:12 - "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."

Monday Meds are about meditating on God's Word and actively applying it to our daily lives. In this Psalm written by Asaph (the collector; a Levite priest that led the music during the time of David), he encourages us to meditate on all God's works and mighty deeds. Take time to read this complete Psalm in your Bible.

This week, beginning with today, begin to focus and reflect upon God's works - His creation, His mighty deeds throughout history, His work within your own heart and life. When you enjoy the sun's light, realize the Creator of the universe placed it there and desires for you to be a light for Him. When you look into the face of your child, thank Your Holy Father for his goodness and blessings. Think about the great men and women of history such as Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, Mary, Abraham Lincoln, Corrie ten Boone, and millions of others that trusted the one true God. Meditate on how He used each of them to make a difference in this world, and know that our Soveriegn God has a plan and purpose for you too.

Activate:

Each day this week, jot down at least five things dealing with God's works and mighty deeds that you have taken time to think about. Also take the time to share a few of these with your children, your coworkers, your spouse or your neighbor.

Jan 21, 2008, How to Lead a Creative Bible Study

Lifeway has posted an article on how to lead a creative Bible study. They offer some great ideas to help "spice up" our Bible study groups!

Jan 20, 2008, Children's Bible for Early Readers!

Growing Reader Phonics Bible By Joy MacKenzie / Tyndale Kids The ideal blend of sound Bible teaching in a phonics-learning format, this bestselling hardcover Bible covers 62 stories from Genesis to Revelation, with colorful illustrations, and a phonics lesson built into each story. Introductory notes are included for parents and kids separately, and the delightful rhymes, rhythms, sounds and pictures make this an appealing method of learning to read. For beginning readers, maturing readers, and all growing readers, this comes with a word of "warning": This book is likely to result in a life-long friendship with words--AND with the Word of God! Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

Zondervan has combined phonics skills with the most important reading material in the world - the Holy Bible! One of my students brought the Growing Reader Phonics Bible to school this past week. Since we use the A Beka Reading Program, he was excited about how his Bible highlighted the phonics sounds. Each story highlights a different phonetic sound such as "ch" or "th".

If you're helping your child learn to read, this will provide them with great reading material that will not only build their phonics skills, but also feed their little souls!

Jan 17, 2008, Cooking/Recipe Bible Object Lesson - Proof is in the Pudding

One of our readers wrote in asking for a Christian object lesson for a Baker following a recipe that teaches how we can know what we believe is true. Following is what I've come up with: