Sunday, January 10, 2016

Glory {Art 2016} Scripture Challenge #1, Limitless

Note: Please scroll down after reading this post to see the second post for today. The post below is one you will want to bookmark since it will contain all of our challenge links for this year.

Welcome to the first Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge for 2016. I am so excited to have each of you studying and creating with me! I pray that God will use these words to help you grow in your relationship with Him this year. If you have not seen the introduction to this study, please see that post by clicking here. Also please note that all scripture references are taken from the NIV unless otherwise noted. Now let's see what God has for us today. 

The Study
As I was watching the morning news one day in December, Colton Dixon was on the show. He sang one of his songs called "Limitless." You can listen to by clicking here. Here is the chorus followed by part of the lyrics:

"We are limitless, limitless 
Limitless, limitless 
The power of love 
Alive in us 
Is limitless, limitless 
Unstoppable and nothing less 
No nothing can hold us down 
We're limitless 

Take away the limitations 
When we fix our eyes on You 
Flood our hearts with expectations 
Lord, there's nothing You can't do."

I really spent many days singing this song, thinking about the words, and realizing that with God all things are possible. Without God, we are limited.

Matthew 19:26 "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"

With God, all things are possible! We need to be careful, however, about seeking our own desires; we must be in His will. We can certainly ask but it may not be His will for us. He sees the big picture, and we do not. Let's look at how God is limitless.

His Understanding has No Limit
Psalm 147:5 "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit."

Have you ever thought to yourself "Why did I do that?" "Why am I like this?" There are so many more 'why' questions that we ask about ourselves but we shouldn't. We should trust our Father and Creator God who understands us completely and fully. If you are confused, concerned, or whatever you are going through, go to Him because His understanding has no limit.

He Loves Without Limits
When something is repeated in the Bible, it shows its importance. Look at Isaiah 6:3.

Isaiah 6:3 "And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.'"

The repetition of the word 'holy' three times in that verse shows the unsurpassed nature of God's Holiness. He is Holy all of the time. And if you search the phrase "His love endures forever" in the NIV, you will find that it is stated in the Bible 43 times with 26 of those being in Psalm 136. I encourage you to read Psalm 136. The repetition of this phrase in Psalm 136 shows it's an important lesson that we need to remember. The Life Application Bible says "We never have to worry that God will run out of love because it flows from a well that will never run dry." His love it limitless!

1 Chronicles 16:34 "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."

He Gives the Spirit Without Limits
John 3:34 "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit."

The believer is filled with the Holy Spirit who empowers us each and every day. Are you limiting yourself by just relying on 'self' or are you limitless each day because you are relying on Him and seeking His will? We triumph only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

He Has No Limits
Nothing restricts Him. He has no limitsnone! He is all-knowing, all powerful, all-sufficient, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Psalm 62:11-12a "One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: 'Power belongs to You, God, and with You, Lord, is unfailing love.'"

Isaiah 26:4 "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is the Rock eternal."

1 John 3:20 "If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything."

Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Stay fixed on Him daily. He lives in the believer, and we can experience Him along with His power daily. Will you, this year, fill your heart daily with Him and live limitless with Him?

The Art
This past week, I created 14 ACTs for a group swap. Since I was in that mode, I decided to continue and create four Scripture Art Cards for today's study. I used 7Gypsies Ordre Du Jour paper. I decided to use a ruler on each card to show that there is no beginning or end to the Lord. He is limitless! The ruler comes from the 7Gypsies Blessed Beyond Measure stamp.




Papers: 7Gypsies Ordre Du Jour 
Stamps: 7Gypsies Blessed Beyond Measure and Distressed Words, Paper Bag Studios Journal Impressions
Stamp Ink: Hero Arts Hues India ink and Shadow Ink red royal
Paints: Tattered Angels High Impact paint (tan and hot pink)
Embellishments: Pigma micron 0.3mm pen, sari ribbon, misc. wood veneer, correction pen, sewing machine


Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. We also have some discussions that will be going on there too about the study. If you don't use Facebook and want to share your creation here, do so below by using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Enjoy your time with Him, and I look forward to studying again with you this year! Live limitless!

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11 comments:

Paper Therapy Ponderings said...

beautiful cards - great use of the paper and stamps

Barb Housner

maryrose said...

Hi Patter! Waiting for approval on the FB page. Thanks!
maryrose

alifefullofpassion said...

Your cards are so beautiful! and love the message. Until when can we link up here?

Patter Cross said...

Thank you everyone. :) Mary Rose, you have been approved on the FB page. And Clemencia R, it is a never-ending link up so there is no end date. Hope that helps. Blessings,

Aimeslee Winans said...

Hi Patter. I am thankful to have found this study challenge, and I've requested joining the Facebook group as well. I am a slow worker and still trying to digest it all. Thanks, Amy "Aimeslee" Winans

Aimeslee Winans said...

Also, I love your scripture cards and sending prayers for your daughter. xoxo

GranthamLynn said...

Oh I love your post. I plan to join. Not sure when I can get to work on it. I love these verses and have some ideas. I loved your heart and copied it. Hehe. It's cut with my scripture ready also.
Hopefully I can work on it tomorrow. Thanks for this wonderful study and including the linky!
XXOO.

Kyriakos said...

Very beautiful cards. Love the colours used.

Anne-Marie said...

Patter, thank you for a great start to our year of monthly challenges. I do like your artwork. It is always so very inspiring and your teaching so very uplifting, encouraging and at times challenging. God Bless you and your family as you face all that is ahead of you this year.

Amy Pitts said...

I was cleaning up my blog today and editing what tags I want to show. I came across "scripture challenge" I noticed these where from 2010. I also had one of my goals for that year as Get more into the Word and study my Bible. Well flash forward to 2016 and I have failed at that each year. I did do a tiny bit of Bible Journaling last year (read one page) and really enjoyed it. I searched and searched for some type of Bible Study and came up with one with an App "She Reads Truth" I get a daily reminder but I am not doing the best at getting into the word. So now that I have told you exactly how lazy I am when it comes to something I feel is very important let me just tell you how super excited I am to find that you are still doing a study each month! Thank you thank you thank you!!! I am going to do my best to follow along and I think that 12 is a great place to start that is only once a month. I hope and pray that I make this a priority this year. I really would like to nourish my relationship with God and study the Word on a regular basis. Thank you so much for still being around as you know the blogging world ebbs and flows.

Patter Cross said...

Thank you all again for your sweet words, and I pray you are enjoying your study time as well as creating. And Amy Ricker, your message really touched me. So thankful that God led you back here. It's posts like yours that confirm to me that this is exactly what God wants me to continuing doing. I pray that you will be able to stick with us this year. So excited to have you joining in again. Blessings,

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