January 5th Study Material
Is Anything Impossible for the Lord?
Remember Sarah...she did a modern day LOL~
By Shelly Thompson
Remember Sarah...she did a modern day LOL~
By Shelly Thompson
Welcome to our FIRST Bible Study in our four-week 'Heart of a Warrior' January study together. I am super excited to see what God will do with our time together during this first month of 2021! But, I know for certain, that being in His word and presence with my sisters in faith, is the perfect start to the New Year. Please don't feel like you have to read the material in the link below. You may even find it more beneficial to read it AFTER our time together, or event not at all. It's not required. I know schedules are busy. If you can just be part of our 30 minute Facebook LIVE each Tuesday at 7:30 in January...that's what God has planned for you. After all, He will use every second we devote to being with Him in His word for His glory and our good...that's a promise He makes to us.
Although we don't like to hear 'No' in response to most questions. There is one question in the Bible, that we still ask often, and God's answer has not changed over thousands of years...it's always the same...NO...NO...NO! What question is that? For our first night together, we're going to discuss the question I am sure we all ponder - "Is anything to hard for the Lord?"...answered multiple times throughout the Bible with a resounding NO! We'll be discussing the challenging things we feel God is calling us to...for me, it was writing 'Heart of a Warrior'. My own heart was so wounded from the loss of my mom, and I didn't see how I could possibly write a book. My own heart wasn't into it. BUT GOD (my two favorite words, literally sat beside me day after day...after day...gently giving me the words to pen, while at the same time...healing my own heart. In my small step of obedience...God did an Ephesians 3:20, providing more than I could ask or imagine. In so many ways, unless I spent the next year writing them each down, I could never adequately explain everything He did during that time...as we wrote together and He took me back to where I grew up...a little house in Highland Park on 5th Street. Back to where my foundation of faith was laid. Had your heart ever visited where your foundation of faith was planted? Perhaps an old Sunday school room, a grandparent who read you Bible stories, a friend who showed you the path to Jesus Christ, an event...that perhaps as horrible as it was...you found God through it.
And yet, somehow as we journey through life...we began to buy into the lies of our culture and the enemy...somehow we don't see God as powerful as we once thought He was. Maybe we've been disappointed, lied to, abused, rejected, or suffered the loss of someone very close to us...and we begin to wonder...'Is anything really too hard for the Lord?" We may not laugh like Sarah, or run away like Jonah...but our relationship with God can be hindered, if we don't believe His answer is always NO. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Need proof? Just look at the book we're about to journey through tonight, 'Heart of a Warrior', and the other book we'll be opening...the Bible. Spiritual proof and personal proof/testimony. I hope some of you will share your thoughts and testimonies in the comments tonight. That's one of the reasons this is a closed group.
That's where we'll start tonight and we'll see where God leads us. I am super excited (although my husband says there is no need to put the word super in front of excited...how else can I describe how anxious I am to meet with you tonight!). So, let's pray and ask God to give us each open hearts to hear His word and really be open to His prompting as we begin the adventure to 5th Street and meet a few of the neighbors, and share some time with our Father, who is always present with us...wherever we are.
Blessings to each of you. Get ready for an adventure! See you tonight at 7:30 on Facebook LIVE!!! Shelly
Although we don't like to hear 'No' in response to most questions. There is one question in the Bible, that we still ask often, and God's answer has not changed over thousands of years...it's always the same...NO...NO...NO! What question is that? For our first night together, we're going to discuss the question I am sure we all ponder - "Is anything to hard for the Lord?"...answered multiple times throughout the Bible with a resounding NO! We'll be discussing the challenging things we feel God is calling us to...for me, it was writing 'Heart of a Warrior'. My own heart was so wounded from the loss of my mom, and I didn't see how I could possibly write a book. My own heart wasn't into it. BUT GOD (my two favorite words, literally sat beside me day after day...after day...gently giving me the words to pen, while at the same time...healing my own heart. In my small step of obedience...God did an Ephesians 3:20, providing more than I could ask or imagine. In so many ways, unless I spent the next year writing them each down, I could never adequately explain everything He did during that time...as we wrote together and He took me back to where I grew up...a little house in Highland Park on 5th Street. Back to where my foundation of faith was laid. Had your heart ever visited where your foundation of faith was planted? Perhaps an old Sunday school room, a grandparent who read you Bible stories, a friend who showed you the path to Jesus Christ, an event...that perhaps as horrible as it was...you found God through it.
And yet, somehow as we journey through life...we began to buy into the lies of our culture and the enemy...somehow we don't see God as powerful as we once thought He was. Maybe we've been disappointed, lied to, abused, rejected, or suffered the loss of someone very close to us...and we begin to wonder...'Is anything really too hard for the Lord?" We may not laugh like Sarah, or run away like Jonah...but our relationship with God can be hindered, if we don't believe His answer is always NO. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Need proof? Just look at the book we're about to journey through tonight, 'Heart of a Warrior', and the other book we'll be opening...the Bible. Spiritual proof and personal proof/testimony. I hope some of you will share your thoughts and testimonies in the comments tonight. That's one of the reasons this is a closed group.
That's where we'll start tonight and we'll see where God leads us. I am super excited (although my husband says there is no need to put the word super in front of excited...how else can I describe how anxious I am to meet with you tonight!). So, let's pray and ask God to give us each open hearts to hear His word and really be open to His prompting as we begin the adventure to 5th Street and meet a few of the neighbors, and share some time with our Father, who is always present with us...wherever we are.
Blessings to each of you. Get ready for an adventure! See you tonight at 7:30 on Facebook LIVE!!! Shelly
Below is a button to open a PDF to accompany this study. Here are some things to ponder and perhaps answer as God directs -
1. Has God called you to do something in the past that you felt it would be impossible to do? (This doesn't have to be writing a book, going to Nineveh like Jonah, or having a baby at ninety like Sarah. God calls us to do what can seem impossible...forgiveness, overcoming an illness, divorce, raising a family, remaining quiet and praying instead of giving an opinion...the list of what might seem impossible can be quite lengthy).
2. How did you handle God asking you to do something you felt was impossible? Jonah ran as far as he could, Sarah did what we now call LOL, and I half heartedly sat down and began to write having no clue. How about you?
3. Has God placed something on your heart that you feel is impossible now? It could even be dedicating some time each week to participate in our January Bible Study, or just time for Him in general in the busyness of life.
Let's dive in tonight and see what God has for us!
1. Has God called you to do something in the past that you felt it would be impossible to do? (This doesn't have to be writing a book, going to Nineveh like Jonah, or having a baby at ninety like Sarah. God calls us to do what can seem impossible...forgiveness, overcoming an illness, divorce, raising a family, remaining quiet and praying instead of giving an opinion...the list of what might seem impossible can be quite lengthy).
2. How did you handle God asking you to do something you felt was impossible? Jonah ran as far as he could, Sarah did what we now call LOL, and I half heartedly sat down and began to write having no clue. How about you?
3. Has God placed something on your heart that you feel is impossible now? It could even be dedicating some time each week to participate in our January Bible Study, or just time for Him in general in the busyness of life.
Let's dive in tonight and see what God has for us!
About Shelly Thompson, Author, and Publisher of The Notebook Cafe
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The Notebook Cafe -- Inspired Words for the Journey is an online cafe brewing up words of inspiration and encouragement to equip us for this journey. The Cafe (and The Vault Mercantile) is located in the quaint historic town of Walnut, Iowa. 'The Cafe' offers a place where women gather to share a time of fellowship, devotion, and a tour of the circa 1875 historical bank building restored by Shelly and her husband. Shelly is the Publisher of The Notebook Cafe and coauthor, Entwined, now in it's fourth printing; and Heart of a Warrior; in it's fourth printing. Shelly has a passion for writing what God places in her heart. Taking a giant leap of faith she left the corporate world to pursue a dream God gave her of developing a monthly inspirational faith based online reading café in February 2015. Today, The Notebook Café reaches over 500,000 people each month. She has found the road in unknown territory is not always easy, BUT GOD always finds a way to bring about what He has promised. Shelly has also developed The Notebook Cafe Annual Woman's Conference. The Notebook Cafe has hosted five women's conferences since October 2015. She's also passionate about all things vintage and interior design, owning The Vault Mercantile, a vintage and home decor shop. Shelly and her husband, Dave, spend time with their family and many weekends working on home renovation projects…that thankfully never seem to end.
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