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Colossians 3:1-2

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Let’s read the verse in context:
Colossians 3:1-17 (NIV)
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 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.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

Today’s verse helps us to remember what is really important. We need to set our hearts and minds on “things above”, not on “earthly things”. Unfortunately, because we live surrounded by “earthly things” it is easy for them to become our focus. Make it your goal today to keep your focus on Jesus. Let His peace rule in your hearts and let His word dwell in you richly. You will be blessed as you do!

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Check out our latest feature on God’s Daytimer, Fifteen Minutes With God. This is an opportunity for you to spend fifteen minutes with God by following the Lord’s Prayer as a model. Click here to go to the Fifteen Minutes With God page. This will help you to develop a consistent daily prayer time.

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

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Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

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The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.

Hebrews 12:3

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Hebrews 12:3 (NIV)
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Let’s read the verse in context:
(Today’s verse is part of a group of scripture in Chapter 12 that starts with a therefore. Remember that a therefore applies to what has come before. In this case the therefore applies to all of Chapter 11. Chapter 11 is such an awesome passage on faith that I have included the entire chapter)

Hebrews 11:1-12:3 (NIV)
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. 23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated– 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 12) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

I had you read a lot of scripture today, so I won’t add much here. Just this: Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross and opposition from sinful men so that we could have LIFE. As you do, no matter what situation you face, you will not grow weary or lose heart, and you will be blessed as you do!

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

Get a Free Subscription to God’s Daytimer

Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.

2 Timothy 4:7

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Let’s read the verse in context:
2 Timothy 4:1-8 (NIV)
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

I think today’s verse is what we should all try to move towards. To live our lives in such way that as we near the end of our time here we can look back and like Paul say “I have fought the fight”. I have finished the race”, “I have kept the faith”. Life often feels like a fight or a race. Last weekend they ran a 50 mile race on the side of the highway in the Florida Keys. It was over 90 degrees outside. All day I long I saw runners (I was in my car with A/C) in all sorts of different conditions. Some were doing pretty good, some were barely moving, some had stopped, some were walking. I thought about the Christian life and how these runners reminded me of ‘running the race’. Sometimes we are doing pretty good, moving along, breathing well. Other times it feels like we can’t take another step. Sometimes we are moving but we are certainly not running, just walking trying to put one step in from of the other. Sometimes we stop. It is here that we have to make a decision. Will we stay stopped, or will we enter the race again. Will we do the next right thing, or will we choose to sin, to quit the race. Don’t ever quit. Even if you have stopped, or started moving backwards, choose right now to do the next right thing. That way at the end of YOUR race, you can look back like Paul and say “I have kept the faith”. Keep your eyes on Jesus as you run today, you will be blessed as you do!

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

Get a Free Subscription to God’s Daytimer

Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.