{SCRLLC14} Scripture Lesson #1, You are the Lord

First, I want to welcome all of the new subscribers to my blog! I am blessed and excited to have you joining me. Welcome!

Today begins our first Scripture Lessons and Lyrics Challenge. And what better way to begin our new study than by first looking at God and who He is. If we have a right view of God, it creates a desire in us to pursue godliness. If we don't have a right view of who God is, then our thinking is faulty and our views don't line up with His.

Let me begin by telling you where I came from. I did not know the Lord until I was 33 years old. Our identical triplet girls were 3 at the time. My best friend kept talking about this Bible study called Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). She never told me what it was, and she never invited me. One day I was curious and asked "What is this Bible study? Can I come?" She was shocked and of course said that I could come. I really think because she knew that I was not a believer, she didn't think I would be interested in a Bible study or learning about God and who He is. Well, I am here to tell you, it is never too late to get to know Him! I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior through my studies at BSF. My girls also began studying God's Word when they were 3 1/2, and they too know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Do you know someone that does not know the Lord? Invite them to your church or Bible study. Share the Lord with them as He leads. But please don't assume they don't want to know. They could be like me and hungry for something I didn't even know about! If they reject what you have to say, that's okay. It's God they are rejecting, not you! We will be discussing this topic throughout the year but you can always e-mail me if you have questions. And if you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that's okay too!!! Stick around and learn about my precious Lord and Savior! He created you and loves you too! Now, onto who God is.

"For You are the Lord that is Your name"
As our Creator and Lord, He has authority over His creation. We are always in His hand and under His watchful eye.

Leviticus 20:7 "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God."

Jeremiah 31:18a "Restore me, and I will return, because You are the Lord my God."

Psalm 36:7 "How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

"You give life to us all"
He is Creator and gives life to all—both life through physical birth and eternal life through our spiritual birth when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. God created us in His image so that we might glorify Him and have fellowship with Him forever. We may lose our way but we are never lost to God. He created us, and He doesn't lose us!

Genesis 1:27 "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."

Isaiah 43:7 "Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made."

Acts 17:25 "And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else."

Acts 17:28 "For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.'"

Romans 8:10 "But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness."

"We're bound in Your love"
As His creation, His love for you is immeasureable! He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me and for you. Do you recognize His deep affection for you? Do you serve out of love for Him or because of an obligation? You are heavily prized, and God has a deep affection for you (see the Isiah passage below).

Psalm 86:5 "You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You."

Isaiah 43:4 "Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life."

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."

"If God is for us who can be against us"
Our friends, co-workers, and even family may fail us but God will not. Christ gave His life for you! And out of that tremendous gift of love and grace, you can know that He is always there. He if faithful, caring, loving, giving, comforting, etc.

Romans 8:31-32 "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"

"Your Word is a shelter strong within"
He has given us the gift of His Word. Written by men but inspired by God. And when you pick up the gift of the Bible, you are energized. It never needs batteries, and it always keeps giving. It guides you, strengthens you, sustains you, comforts you, and shows you His love and grace.

Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
('Your Word' is mentioned 13x in this chapter. I encourage you to read this chapter.)

Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him."

All of the phrases above are actually a few of the lyrics from our song for today—"You are the Lord" by Jeremy Camp. This song focuses on the Lord, His love, and His mercy. There are so many other great words in this song.  Click here to listen to Jeremy Camp sing this song and read the lyrics along with it. Watch for the lyrics and scriptures we have studied today. Soak it in. Ask God to show you who He is as you listen.

Father, I pray that as each person reads this study today and listens to this music, that You might open their hearts to know who You are and that they might be drawn to live for You and glorify You daily. If they need to restore their relationship with You, help them to do that today. If they don't know You, I pray they would come to know You as their Lord and Savior and that You would surround them with people that love You and will help show them who You are. We ask that you grow and shape each of us into Your image. It's in Your Son's precious name I pray, Amen.

For my 6x6 page today, I used a sketch from Flying Unicorn. The scripture I chose was Jeremiah 31:18a shown above. It was so simple yet speaks volumes—He is the Lord of my life! I also have several pieces on my page to represent Christ and my life in Christ:

*Key—He is the key to my daily life; without Him guiding me each day, I fail on my own.
*Cross—His blood shed for me so that I might have eternal life and fellowship with Him daily.
*@—at the cross I see His tremendous love for me and see His gift of grace.
*Love frame—just another representation of His love for me.

I used two Blue Fern Studios pieces on this page—the chipboard love frame is from the Memory Frame set, and the leaves I cut from the Leaf Frame chipboard. I put gesso on both pieces then covered with green acrylic paint. I then added various Neocolor II crayons to vary the colors a bit.

Papers: Webster's Pages Best Friends
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Memory Frames and Leaf Frame (both pieces painted with gesso then green acrylic paint followed by Neocolor II crayons)
Stamp Ink: Colorbox Fluid Chalk blackbird
Sketch: Flying Unicorn Mojo Monday Sketch January 2014
Embellishments: Prima Delightful Day and Corine flowers, Prima resin key, wood veneer from Diana McRae, Thickers Hardcover, May Arts twine, Wild Orchid Crafts leaves, Hobby Lobby doily, misc. cheesecloth, sewing machine

Note: Be sure to look at the post below. I have posted two things today, and the one below is the one you will want to bookmark for this study.

Remember to use Keyword SCRLLC14 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Blessings to you as your study and enjoy His word!