1 Corinthians Bible Study: Week Three Update

Hi my friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I definitely did - Precious time with family, lots of great food, and a trip to the mountains with friends this weekend to chop down our Christmas tree.  Now I just have to find time to decorate it!  My husband actually allowed me the honor of picking out our tree this year and has already announced that I have lost the privilege of ever picking out another tree from this point forward.  I promise it didn't look that scrawny in that big ol' field!

Let me get to the important stuff: 1 Corinthians Bible Study.  I have heard from several people participating that this week has been extremely busy and they are not caught up on Week Two.  Due to the busy holiday weekend, I am going to give everyone an extra week to finish up Week Two's Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 1:18 - 2.  We will do this same thing the week of Christmas, but I will be sure to send out a reminder closer to that time.

For those of you who may be right on target with all of your reading and studying, I would like you to take this week to reflect on all you have read.  A friend suggested that this would be a good week to read through 1 Corinthians chapters 1 & 2 in another translation.  For example, if you are doing your study in the NIV Bible, then perhaps you will take your time this week reading through these chapters in The Message paraphrase or the New American Standard Bible or the New Living Translation.  I have included links here for 1 Corinthians 1 & 2 at the Bible Gateway website.

We will pick back up next Monday with the video summary and the new Reading Guide for Chapter 3.

Also, if you would take this week to leave a comment on last week's video session post regarding what the Lord showed you through your study of 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 (Week 1), that would be awesome.  Or you can comment on this particular post with what God has taught you so far through your study of the first 2 chapters of 1 Corinthians.

I love you all and am blessed by each one of you.  Praying each one of you will find time to rest in the Word this week.

"For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

(1 Corinthians 1:18, NASB, emphasis mine)

1 Corinthians Bible Study: Week Two

1 Corinthians Message One: Consider Our Calling from Heather Neese on Vimeo.

UPDATE: If you would like, comment on this particular post with one thing that God showed you, a favorite verse, or an application that God taught you through your Week 1 study of 1 Corinthians 1:1-17.


Hello my sweet friends [and family]!

Happy Monday! And Happy Thanksgiving week! I love this time of year more than any other. I want you to know that I have thanked my God for each one of you already this morning. What a privilege it is to serve the Lord along side of you. I am so blessed by your dedication to study the Bible together with me. I pray you were blessed by your personal study of Scripture this week.

I have listed our reading for this week below, as well as the outline for the message on the video today.  This outline is just for your reference.

"Consider Our Calling" Text: 1 Cor. 1:1-17

I. God is calling us to remember our identity ... (Verses 1-9)
    A. In the Person of Jesus.
    B. In the Promises of Jesus.

II. God is calling us to restore unity ... (Verses 10-13)
   A. In our relationships.
   B. With our Redeemer.

II. God is calling us to retain humility ... (Verses 14-17)
   A. As we serve the Lord.
   B. As we speak of the Lord.

Week 2 Reading Guide
Day 1 - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Day 2 - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Day 3 - 1 Corinthians 2:1-9
Day 4 - 1 Corinthians 2:10-13
Day 5 - 1 Corinthians 2:14-16

And again, here are the 3-steps for each day's reading:

Step One: Learn from the Word.
Simply list the facts from the Scripture you read. Do not paraphrase, using your own words. Simply list the important facts.

Step Two: Listen to the Word.
What do you believe God is saying to His people through this Scripture? Is there a warning, a promise, a command, a challenge, an encouragement? Draw a spiritual truth out of this passage.

Step Three: Live out the Word.
Take the spiritual truth from Step Two and make it personal, by turning it into the form of a question -- a question directed at yourself, leaving time for personal reflection.

Additional Study Questions:
Day 1: Am I holding fast to the wisdom and power of God, as necessary components of my life?
Day 2: What inadequacies or weaknesses has God used in my life to display His greatness?
Day 3: Am I relying on the Spirit's power or my own ability?
Day 4: Do I believe that the wisdom I have in Christ far surpasses the wisdom of this world?
Day 5: Am I letting God be God, or do I become frustrated when His thoughts are not my own?

I tried to go a little lighter on the reading for Thursday and Friday of this week, but we're still going to get all the way through Chapter 2 this week. Notice that we end the week with 3 verses to read on Black Friday ... You're welcome. You know I'll be at the mall too! But, I believe it's best we start it out right and get in the Word. I believe people wake up with an extra dose of crazy on Black Friday, and it's best that we really tap into the Spirit of God before we hit the stores. Y'all know I'm serious! :)

Blessings to you as you dive into Week Two!

Video Update

Just an update.  The video is on it's way.  I had NO idea that it would take 4 whole hours to upload onto Vimeo!  My goal in the future will be to have it uploaded on Monday mornings by 8:00 a.m.

While we're waiting, I thought I would put a verse up that I read this morning.

"My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord; And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever." (Psalm 145:21)

With Thanksgiving this week, will our mouths speak the praises of the Lord?  Will we bless His name?

Just realizing this week how very much I personally have to be thankful for. 

What will you speak praises to the Lord for this year?? 



1 Corinthians Bible Study: Week One

Hints of Hope - 1 Corinthians Intro from Heather Neese on Vimeo.

Hi Friends!

We are beginning a Bible Study this week on 1 Corinthians, as this video explains [I feel so ridiculous doing this video, FYI ... ].  I would love for you to join in!  For this week, we will be reading the following Scripture together:

Week One Reading Guide

Day 1 - 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Day 2 - 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Day 3 - 1 Corinthians 1:10-12

Day 4 - 1 Corinthians 1:13-16

Day 5 - 1 Corinthians 1:17

For each day, I would encourage you to follow this particular Bible Study format:

Step One: Learn from the Word.

Simply list the facts from the Scripture you read.  Do not paraphrase, using your own words.  Simply list the important facts. 

Step Two: Listen to the Word.

What do you believe God is saying to His people through this Scripture? Is there a warning, a promise, a command, a challenge, an encouragement?  Draw a spiritual truth out of this passage.

Step Three: Live out the Word.  

Take the spiritual truth from Step Two and make it personal, by turning it into the form of a question -- a question directed at yourself, leaving time for personal reflection.  

Additional Study Questions:

Day 1: Am I setting myself apart from the world?  Am I available for His work? 

Day 2: Is my life enriched by knowing God?  Do others see that?

Day 3: Am I following Christ or more concerned with following man?

Day 4: Is my service rooted in His ability or my own?

Day 5: Is sharing the Gospel a priority in my life?

On Mondays, we will have a summary of the previous week.


So: Read the Word, Do the 3-Step Study Method, then reflect on the Additional Study Questions.  Then, come back each Monday for a summary on the Scripture studied and the next week's reading guide.  

Please comment on this blog post or email hintsofhope@gmail.com if you are participating in this study!  

The Seriousness of Scripture

"For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

1 Corinthians 1:18

Disclaimer: This is me sharing my heart.  This post is rather ... Honest? I humbly submit to you as the reader, praying that you will not be offended with the harshness of my words, but rather encouraged by the Truth of Scripture. 

For the past month or so, I have had a heavy awareness on my heart regarding the seriousness of Scripture.  [Perhaps that is why I have not written in over a month.] Realizing how sacred the Scripture of God is, I have found myself almost reluctant to speak Truth without significant prayer and study.  What I am not saying is that I have dismissed sharing the Word of God with others out of fear that I do not know it all.  Because after all, when will we ever know it all while on this sin-cursed world? 

1 Corinthians 2:11: "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God."

[Can you tell I've been studying 1 Corinthians??]   

What I am saying is that I have been overcome with an acute awareness of just how serious Scripture is, and just how often I am guilty of flippantly throwing passages and verses around without understanding the full knowledge behind those very words.

How very aware I have become that in our humanity we have the tendency to take a passage of Scripture and fashion it to our own circumstance, benefit, or liking, only to diminish the true meaning and seriousness of that particular word from the LORD.  I am in tears as I think of how self-absorbed I have become.  And at the demise of the seriousness of Scripture.  Ouch. 

Once again, I feel the need to defend my case here.  I am not saying that God does not use specific Scripture passages to teach us and to instruct us, to relate to our present circumstances - Of course He does!  I believe that God speaks to us primarily through His Word in this day, along with His Holy Spirit which resides in us through salvation.  But along those very same lines, I am suggesting that we must remain cautious, attentive, careful and reverent as we use His Word to relate to our circumstances. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads: "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." 

"All Scripture is inspired by God," as the New American Standard Bible puts it (emphasis mine).

Our actions and decisions MUST be in alignment with the Word of God in order for us to apply the Scripture directly to our circumstance.  Am I making sense??   Let me make an attempt at breaking this down.  

God is not OK [for lack of a better term] with us using His Word to justify our own self-made opinions or belief system.  Nor is God is OK with us using His Word to justify our personal sin or tolerance of evil.

These thoughts are all a work in progress, though a few recent happenings have spurred them:

Just yesterday I had a conversation with someone who was adamant in telling me that the writers of the Scripture -- the actual transcribers -- were mere humans and therefore Scripture is erred and is not the total inherent Word of God.  In that case, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is null and void.  Which needless to say, I do not believe is the case.  God's Word does not give us authority to pick and choose our Gospel.  God's Word is our Gospel as Christians.  Take it or leave it.  I'm annoyed with our own piousness. 

I have also been astonished by the number of believers who will justify one or another particular controversial action in the name of the Lord.  I'm talking stumbling block actions here, people.  I'm not divulging details.  Sorry.  What I will tell you however, is that I have personally been told that these actions are OK with God, as long as _____.  Newsflash: God's Word is not conditional.  If God's Word warns against a particular something, then it's not OK.  It's not just OK sometimes, or with some people.  It's not OK, ever.

To the first situation, my solution was for this particular individual to read the Bible.  All of it.  Then get back to me.  And to the latter, I called them out and told them they were wrong.  Probably not in the most merciful way possible, which I deeply regret. 

And as a caveat to that last comment ... I think it's important to note that I am fully aware that I have not always lived righteously, nor have I always had it all together.  Nor do I right now.  And perhaps that is why God's Word has become so very serious to me.  Because I have personally used God's Word to justify my own opinions and actions for far too long.  I have misinterpreted the Bible [at times, even purposely] to cater to my own benefit and comfortable lifestyle for far too long.  And it's the least freeing place to be.  

I want to know true freedom in Christ.  I want to die to myself and live for Him.  I want to know and love His Word.  His true Word.  With the best attempt I can make in my human flesh to put selfish ambition aside, I want to strive to know ...

The Seriousness of Scripture. 

Because in It's truest form, it really is ...

The Power of God.