Glory {Art} 2017 Scripture Challenge #1, The Bible

Note: Please click here to see the post below. You may want to bookmark it as it will have the links to every study for this year.

The Study

Welcome to our first Glory {Art} Scripture Challenge of 2017. We are going to look at the Bible in today's study. So, why did you join this study? Why are you here today? God wants to be in the midst of your life right now. He doesn't want you looking in the rear view mirror at the past or looking through binoculars at what could be in the future. He wants you to focus on today. What does He have in store for you this year? How can you truly know His will and His love for you? The answers to those questions are through knowing Him through His Holy Word in the Bible. What is the Bible? Is it true? Do you believe it is imperative to your life? Let's first look at the basics.

The Bible is comprised of 66 books; 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. There are more than 40 human writers. God chose people to write His words down; therefore, because the words were inspired by God, He is the author. It's God's special and unique revelation of Himself to us; therefore, the message is authentic and reliable. And because of this, we need to read it and apply it to our daily lives.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 "And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

2 Peter 1:20-21 "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

The Bible is truth, and it is without error since God cannot lie.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?"

2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him."

John 17:17 "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth."

The Life Application Bible says this about John 17:17 "Scripture points out sin, motivates us to confess, renews our relationship with Christ, and guides us back to the right path." See why reading it and applying it to our daily lives is so important?

The Bible is the best selling book of non-fiction. The Guiness Book of World Records says:

"Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world's best-selling and most widely distributed book. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion."

His word is living and active, and it endures forever. I have seen examples of that over and over in my life. For instance, because I was in Bible Study Fellowship leadership, I was blessed to take part in several of the studies multiple times over the years. I have been through many of them at least twice. I remember one year as I was studying Matthew for a second time, I said to one of my fellow leaders "I am so embarrased to say that maybe last time I did not study. I don't remember any of this." The reason was because my season in life had changed. God was speaking to me differently as I went through the same book again. So when you read that familiar scripture, don't just glance at it quickly. Ask God to show you something new. What does He have for you as you read it today? Remember, it is living and active. He will always have something for you even if you have read it over and over your entire life. Don't miss out on the blessing by skimming over His familiar word.

1 Peter 1:23-25 "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you."

The Bible consitantly shares one great theme--the story of redemption, and it does not contradict itself. God promises to work through the Bible to accomplish His purpose including saving the lost.

Isaiah 55:11 "So is my word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119; and the shortest is Psalm 117. And the middle verse of the Bible is (depending on the version; I use the NIV):

Psalm 103:2 "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

When you are complaining or down, read Psalm 103. David gives us a whole list of blessings in which you can praise God! Sounds like the perfect verse(s) to be at the center of the Bible!

He is not forceful in what He has written, and He doesn't force it on us. God's word is perfect and true. He desires to communicate with all of His people through His word. Can you imagine that? He desires to have a conversation with you. So, do your daily conversations include your dependance on God? Do you look for Him each and every day?

This year is a fresh start. Live your daily life by the Book--His Word. Do you need a new beginning? Where do you need to grow? How will you move forward in your faith daily? Fill your daily life with Him, and look to His word!

Romans 15:4 "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

Journaling Prompt

I have decided to add something new this year for those of you that do not want to do any art. I am going to include a Journaling Prompt with each study. You can use this prompt to journal. For today's study, I am actually including four journal prompts for you. You can do one a week until our next study if you like. I will not always have four prompts, and you certainly don't have to use them all. You can just pick and choose the one you want to use.

• What Bible version is your favorite to use and why?
• When did you get your first Bible? Do you still have it?
• Do you write in your Bible? Why or why not, and what do you write?
• Do you know the order of the Books of the Bible? How did you learn them? If not, how do you find what you are looking for?

The Art

Today, I am going to share my journal. I thought it would be a fun alternative for those of you that don't want to do art. I also wanted everyone to see the "journaling option" this year. While you will see a bit of art in my creation today (because I just can't create without some color), I hope you realize that you don't even have to do this. This study is for you. Do whatever you feel led to do which could be just reading today's study and that's it!

Note, this journal is from amazon.com, is 7"x5", and is available in an 8"x6" size also. Click here to order this journal or see more details. 

So, how did I create this page? First, I typed out the question on book paper. Then I put a wash of watercolor at the top of the page. Once that dried, I used a glue stick to adhere the question and scribbled around the box. I then created one flower, cut it in half, glued to the page, and doodled around each portion of the flower. 

To create the flowers, I use flower stencils. For this particular page, I used the Stencil Girl Nonsensical Bloom stencil. My favorites are in the photo below. I use book paper, apply a bit of acrylic paint with a makeup sponge, let dry, then cut out. I do not doodle on or around the flower until it is on my piece. I use these flowers in my written journal like above, on my art journal pages, on ICADs, Journaling Bible pages, etc. You can use them anywhere. They are truly my favorite to do. Watch closely because you will notice they are on a lot of my work.

Stencils: Stencil Girl Nonsensical Bloom, Imaginary Bloom, Playful Bloom, Let Yourself Bloom; Delta Daisies

This year is a fresh start. Will you move forward in faith and live your life by His Word? He is the first in all things, and He should be first in our lives. Thanks for joining me today. Feel free to join us on the Facebook page where some people will be sharing their creations. To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. May He bless you as you dive into His word each day!

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