Scripture and ...

I love this old hymn in the original version, but also like the modern version in "The Wonderful Cross.  To see it on YouTube click here . When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, Acts 5:30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross." My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Luke 9:24-25   "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! Galatians 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. All the vain things that charm me most, I sacr

The very familiar phrase "Rock of Ages" is not found in the Bible, although Isaiah 26:4 is awfully close ( " Trust  in the  LORD   forever , For in  GOD  the  LORD , we have an  everlasting   Rock .") .  The words written in 1763 were apparently taken from a personal experience by the author, A.M. Toplady.  In a letter published in the London Times in June 1898, Sir William Henry Wills says: "Toplady was one day overtaken by a thunderstorm in Burrington Coombe, on the edge of my property, Blagdon, a rocky glen running up into the heart of the Mendip range, and there, taking shelter between two massive piers of our native limestone rock, he penned the hymn, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee." It is possibly also an illusion to a story about Moses seeing God: Exodus 33: 20-23  But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live !" Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stan

I had planned to post an older hymn today, but this song was on my mind this morning.  While it is a contemporary Christian praise song, it really is more of a hymn with a regular meter and deep theological content.  I included a YouTube version for those of you who are not familiar with this gem. In Christ Alone  by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ , Colossians 1:27  to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory . this Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. Acts 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefi

I planned an awesome outdoor Bible verse scavenger hunt .  Unfortunately, the weather said there was a chance of rain.  My husband said "Do you have a backup plan so that you can do the scavenger hunt inside?"  And so it began ... an indoor version of our Bible scavenger hunt.  Thankfully, it didn't rain and we were able to use the outdoor version, but now I have this version for another time. Here are the clues for the indoor version and their answers (again in KJV): Proverbs 3:3 Let not   mercy   and   truth   forsake   thee:   bind   them about thy   neck;   write   them upon the   table   of thine   heart: Luke 5:7 And   they   beckoned   unto their   partners,   which   were   in   the   other   ship,   that they should   come   and help   them.   And   they   came ,   and   filled   both   the   ships,   so   that   they   began to   sink . Acts 3:11 And   as the lame   man   which was   healed   held   Peter   and   John,   all   the   people   ran   t

We recently had a Sunday School picnic at our house and I needed a large group game.  I wanted to do a scavenger hunt and decided to include Bible clues.  So I used biblestudytools.com (or I could have gotten old school and pulled out my concordance) and searched in the Bible for objects that were in my yard.  I started with door, tree, and table.  Then, I remembered sand, steps, porch, flowers, and even herbs.  Finally, I got a little creative and used "shed" and "mail." To play the game, give the teams their first clue.  They should fill in the blank in the Bible verse.  The word in the blank is where they should go next.  When they get there, they should find the next clue.  They should continue following the clues until they get to the final location. Here are my clues (in KJV, because that's what I thought the people at our picnic would be most familiar with) and the answers:  John 10:9 “ I   am   the   ________:   by   me   if   any   man ente

So what does a baby shower have to do with Scripture?  Well, after trying to come up with so many different games (like remembering what they call different baby animals) for church baby showers, I created this game.  You are given names of parents in the Bible and you have to think of the name(s) of the child(ren).  Give one point for every correct name.  Obviously, this game could be used anywhere (like Sunday School) not just for baby showers. If you want to test you Bible knowledge, here are the parents (they are in chronological order to help you): Adam and Eve Noah and his wife Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebekah Jacob and Leah Jacob and Rachel Joseph and Asenath Nun and his wife Elkanah and Hannah Boaz and Ruth Saul and Ahinoam David and Bathsheba Hosea and Gomer Zachariah and Elizabeth Zebedee and Salome Alphaeus and his wife Eunice and her husband Here are the answers so you can check how you did: Cain, Abel, and Seth Shem, Ham, and

While listening to Christian radio today, I heard Aaron Shust's "My Savior, My God" taken mostly from a hymn called "I Am Not Skilled to Understand" by Dorothy Greenwell (1873).  I love how Aaron Shust took a hymn more than a 100 years old and made it into a modern praise song.  I love even more that he saw value in an old hymn. Click here for a link to "I Am Not Skilled to Understand" in hymntime.com to hear the original song. I am going to connect Greenwell's version to scripture.  It has one verse that Aaron Shust does not use, though Shust adds a chorus. I Am Not Skilled to Understand I am not skilled to understand What God hath willed, what God hath planned; The Lord says in Isaiah 55:9 (NASB) "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." I only know that at His right hand Is One Who is my Savior! About Jesus in Hebrews 10:12 (NASB)