All Entries Tagged With: "focus"
Matthew 20:14a
Welcome to Online Bible Studies
Today’s Bible verse is
Matthew 20:14a (NIV)
14 Take your pay and go.
Let’s read the verse in context:
Matthew 20:1-16 (NIV)
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Today’s Quiet Time with God
Today’s verse was the main point of the message I gave on Sunday. In the story of the landowner, there were some angry workers because they didn’t think it was fair that people who only worked an hour got paid the same amount that they got for working all day. But, when you read the story, you see that those workers got paid what they were promised. It was only as they compared themselves to the other workers that they got upset. When we start comparing ourselves to others, the same thing happens. The advice from today’s verse is to “take your pay and go”. We all need to get our focus on God’s plan and will for our lives, because that is where we will find life!
Check out Fifteen Minutes With God
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.
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.
Ecclesiastes 1:2
Welcome to Online Bible Studies
Today’s Bible verse is
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NIV)
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
Let’s read the verse in context:
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (NIV)
1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
Today’s Quiet Time with God
When I read today’s verse I always think that Solomon must have been having a really bad day. And then I think about the times when I have felt just like that. I think we can probably all relate to the feeling. Fortunately, when we are feeling like nothing makes sense, all we have to do is stop and get our focus off of the craziness and chaos and fix our eyes on Jesus. In Christ, everything begins to have meaning again. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace! Be blessed!
Check out Fifteen Minutes With God
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.
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.
Psalm 31:14-15
Welcome to Online Bible Studies
Today’s Bible verse is
Psalms 31:14-15 (NIV)
14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.
Let’s read the verse in context:
Psalms 31:9-16 (NIV)
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends– those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Today’s Quiet Time with God
When I read the first part of today’s context reading (verses 9-13), I always think that David was having a really bad day. I love the way his focus changes when He gets to verse 14. “I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God….My times are in your hands;”. Our times are in His hands. When I begin to get unsettled about anything, this is one of the verses I think I about. My times are in His hands. In that simple truth I am reminded that He is in control. Life seems to go along a lot better when I remember that He is control and that He is my Shepherd. It is only then that I really am able to rest and be at peace. When life starts to get a little crazy this week, just take a moment and remember that your times are in His hands. You will be blessed as you do!
Check out Fifteen Minutes With God
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.
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.
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