Glory {Art] Scripture Challenge for 2017

Merry Christmas! Did you get a new Bible or journal for Christmas? Well, how about joining me for another year of bringing glory to God through art. I have been sharing God’s word through my art and paper crafting for 9 years now. Can you believe this will be my 10th year leading Bible devotions and studies through art on my blog? I am so blessed that He continues to allow me to share His Word through words and art. For 2017, we will continue to study His Word as we have in the past. I will still be sharing 12 Bible teachings based on word studies. This will be similar to what we did in 2016 except we will be focusing on single word studies.

I will be sharing different pieces of art depending on where God leads me that particular month. Some weeks I may share an art journaling page, some weeks Scripture Art Cards, another week might be a card or a scrapbook page, and others a Bible Journaling page, etc. God is pleased with any of our art forms, and my greatest desire is to glorify God. I try to do that through everything I create whether it be paper crafting, mixed media art, etc., thus the birth of “Glory Art—Bringing Glory to God Through Art.”

Exodus 31:4-5 ". . .to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

First let's look at the types of art you might create in 2017. Following that, you can read all of the details on the study.

Scrapbook Album, Journaling Bible and Art Journaling Pages, Cards--What Will You Create?
So, what will you create for 2017? What have you done in the past? You may have noticed that last year I created all sorts of different art. Maybe you are new to these challenges and would like some ideas. You can:

*Create Scripture Art cards and put them in page protectors (top left and top right photos).

*Create any size scrapbook page and put the pages in an album (here are some 8 1/2 x 11 pages and an 8x8 page).

*Create an art journaling page (bottom right photo).

*Create a Journaling Bible page highlighting the verse you have chosen (top middle photo).

*Create a card and mail it to someone that might need to hear the words you have for them (bottom middle photo).

*Create a journal and put your 2017 study in this journal (bottom left photo).

*Or create anything else you can think of; let God lead you.

Wow, just look at all of the different ways you can worship and glorify the Lord through art! You can create anything you wish, and it can vary from study to study. These are just ideas! It is truly a blessing, and I hope you will join me! Now for more specific details.

If You Participate, Do You Have to Create Something?
Absolutely not! :) You can just study God's Word and keep notes. You do not have to create a thing! I personally love the creating part and someday my kids can have these creations too as part of my faith legacy. For those of you not creating, you may just want to keep a journal with your study notes. Those too will be treasures for the generations to come.

**NEW** To aid you in your journaling, I will include a journaling prompt with each study. You can also use some of the questions I include in each study as a journaling prompt. I hope those of you choosing not to create anything might enjoy this journaling option this year. See this post here for more information and ideas.

What if You Want to Study with People at Church?
Wonderful! Please have them study along. However, I ask that you not copy my work. I also ask that you have the participants print the study directly from my blog post each time. It takes me many, many hours to prepare these studies, and they are inspired by the Lord. The studies are copyrighted, and I pray that you respect that. Thank you! For more information, please see the section below titled "Will this challenge be hosted on other sites? What about posting on my own blog?"

Now let me share a bit about how this challenge will work.
**I will post one study a month beginning Sunday, January 15, 2017. Mark your calendars, and see the entire 2017 calendar below! :)
**Challenges will usually be posted by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on challenge Sundays.
**My post will also share some thoughts, scripture or scriptures that I chose (usually from the NIV), and a picture of my art for that week.
**Then you will study your Bible and find scriptures that are meaningful to you based on the study and truth posted for that week.
**I love using Biblegateway to look up single keywords in the Bible. It is a great resource for this study.
**Then you can create your art using your selected scripture and thoughts based on the study for that week.

Will you share any art tips?
Yes, sometimes within a post, I will share tips on how I created the art for that day.

Is there a time limit to complete the challenge?
No, there is not a time limit to complete the challenge. This is for you so that you can study and learn to apply God's truths to your daily life! You do what you can when you can. You may join this challenge at ANY time throughout the year! Encourage your friends to join along throughout the year!

Do I need to sign up?
No, you can just subscribe to my blog to get the updates e-mailed directly to you. Also join us on the Facebook page. See details below.

Will this challenge be hosted on other sites? What about posting on my own blog?
No, you will only be able to find the challenge here on my blog. Please do not copy the post to other websites or your own blog. You may certainly link the study but do not copy the study. Feel free to post a quote but not the entire study. Remember, this study is copyrighted. Thank you! And make sure you subscribe to my blog if you haven't already. :) If you have friends that you think may be interested in joining us, feel free to send them the link to this post! For more information, please see the section above titled "What if You Want to Study with People at Church?"

Will you have a Facebook page?
Yes, I have created a Facebook page for our discussion and sharing of art. You can find our page here. It is a closed group. Once you request to join the group, I will run through those request generally within a week or so.

Where can I share my work?
You can share wherever you feel led—your blog, Pinterest, our Facebook group, Flickr, wherever.

What Hashtags Should I Use?
You do not have to use hashtags if you are not interested; however, here are some ideas for hashtags: #GloryArt2017 and #GloryArt.

Where Can I See Sample Lessons?
All of the previous nine years of study are here on my blog. But I will link a few here from over the years to give you an idea. Just click on the title, and you will be directed to the study.

*He Knows my Name
*Something in the Water
*Come Thou Fount of Every Blessings
*Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
*Creator

Is there a blinkie for this challenge?
Yes, but let's call it a button instead of a blinkie. :) It's a miniature version of the picture at the beginning of this post. I did not make one that blinks. It is a "stand alone" button. You will find this button in the sidebar of my blog and below this paragraph. Right-click and save it to your computer to add to your blog. I also ask that you link it back to this post or my blog. Feel free to add it to your message board signatures too. I hope you like it.

2017 Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge Schedule:
Challenge 1: January 15
Challenge 2: February 19
Challenge 3: March 19
Challenge 4: April 16
Challenge 5: May 21
Challenge 6: June 18
Challenge 7: July 16
Challenge 8: August 20
Challenge 9: September 17
Challenge 10: October 15
Challenge 11: November 19
Challenge 12: December 17

To see all of the current challenges thus far for 2017, please click here. (Link will be active once challenge begins).

Please e-mail me if you have more questions, and I would love to know your thoughts on this upcoming challenge. New believers, mature believers, and unbelievers all are welcome and encouraged to join us! Remember, they don't have to createFeel free to leave comments here or on the Facebook page! Blessings, and see you January 15th with our first study for 2017!