Saturday, November 26, 2011

1st Day of Advent

Today is the first day of Advent.

You may be interested in some Advent resources. You can sign-up for a daily newsletter, for example, here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/newsletters/

~ Stacy Duplease

A Month of Praying the Word, Day 1 Continued

WELCOME TO "A LOYAL FAITH BIBLE STUDY SERIES"
This is Volume 2 of this series. 

It is highly encouraged you read Volume 1, if you want to get the most out of this series and develop and live a more loyal faith in the Lord and in his Word. However, if this title has you too curious to do so, that's all right. I would still go back in time and do the first book, though. It's the introduction and will give you information you wouldn't get otherwise. 

A Loyal Faith is focused on living for the Lord and the Lord. This book is another way to advance that goal. 

WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK?
I'm Stacy Duplease and am your tour guide for the journey of living a more loyal faith. 

I'm married to my best friend. We do not have the blessing of children yet, but have a beagle, an orange Maine Coon, and two turtles. I'm addicted to coffee, chai tea, and apple butter and enjoy reading. 

I have studied the Bible and have been a prayer warrior for 18+ years. 

My 6-word memoir is: "Living faithfully, in love, and writing." This describes my life in particular for the last 10 years and I hope will be what describe me for the rest of my life. 

I'm passionate about remembering the present. After all, if you don't live the best life today, you will miss out on opportunities and blessings. Thus, journaling is another one of my passions. In order to remember my journey with God, and get the most out of my faith, I find it essential to keep a record of what God says to me, what I say to him, what happens in my life, my prayers, what I learn from the bible, and how I apply the Word to my life. If I don't, I tend to forget it and that's where journaling comes to play. 

I'm a Colorado native, but also call Las Vegas and Virginia home. At the present, Virginia is home and is where we live. 

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THIS BOOK?
A BIBLE: You need a Bible. Find your favorite version or favorite versions. I have 7 I tend to use and they help broaden my understanding of every verse. However, I am an overachiever and write and do Bible studies for a living. So, you might not want to be as anal and as crazy as me. One will do. Anything more than that is just icing.
I recommend online Bibles since they are free. My favorite internet sites for Bibles are:
Those internet sites also have numerous other biblical resources (i.e. commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, and dictionaries). Love them! 

B JOURNAL: In an effort to save on bookshelf space, digital space, and money for you, I ask that you keep your own journal. What this means is you will create your own workbook for this Bible study and prayer book. In the first volume of this series, I referred to it as a journal workbook. I will simplify it in this volume and just call it your journal. 
It's up to you as to which type you want to use--paper or digital journal. Speaking as someone who has had movers lose 10 years of her journals, along with a hurricane within three weeks of one another, I cannot suggest the digital version enough. (NOTE: Take a look at this blog post for more information about this: http://aloyalfaith.blogspot.com/2011/11/format-of-your-journal-keep-it-digital.html ). I keep mine as a Google Doc. What that means is it's saved online and does not take up space on my computer. Also, I do not need my computer. Any internet equipped device means I have access to my journal. I journal with my PC, my cell phone, and my Amazon Kindle Fire on Google Docs. 
But, find what works best for you. These are just suggestions. 

C PLANNER: Make sure to have your planner on you.

D AN OPEN HEART AND MIND.

E TIME. 


HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF "A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD"
It's simple. Do everything this book says. Don't skip anything. Do all the suggestions and write as much as possible in your journal. 
Make sure to devote enough time to it as well. 
Half an hour is more than do-able for the journaling and Bible study portions. But, ideally, you will learn to Pray the Word 24/7/365. This book will help teach you to get to that point. 

~*~ = MAKE NOTE
Anytime you see the symbol ~*~ throughout this volume, this marks something to journal. 

GRAB YOUR JOURNAL
Grab your journal and let's start with the first set of questions:
~*~ Why did you start to read this book to begin with? Explain. 
~*~ What do you think of this book so far?
~*~ What do you know about Praying the Word?
~*~ What do you hope to gain from this book? What are your goals? 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

A Month of Praying the Word: Description

DESCRIPTION OF "A MONTH OF PRAYING THE WORD"
Do you want to have a deep intimacy with the Lord? How about more than you have ever known?
Is your prayer life lacking in any way? Does it seem stale, mundane, or not quite what it could or should be? 
Do you want your prayer life to take on a whole new dimension and blossom?
Does a more loyal faith in the Lord and in his Word appeal to you? 
Do you want to learn how to bring God glory?
Do you want to learn how to meditate on and ponder the Word morning, noon and night? And how to have the passion to do so?
Do you want to learn how to pray without stopping and do so 24/7/365?
If any of these things appeal to you, this book is for you. It is not a coincidence you picked up this book or read the description. The title might have caught your attention, maybe the book cover, or maybe a combination of the two. regardless, this book has the potential to bless you and utterly transform your life. It has the potential to help you grow a deeper, more loyal faith in God and in his Word than you ever thought imaginable. 
Praying the Word of God (the Bible) combines two of the greatest and most rewarding activities, and state of mind, we can do as a Christian. It is what we can do when we do not have the words, when we do not want to pray, and when we want to pray the most effectively. The spiritual discipline can help us learn the Word in a whole new, fresh, and more personal way while we communicated with the one who loves us so. Prayer takes on new meaning and we live our purpose: We bring God glory. 
Welcome to 30 days of learning how to Pray the Word. Let's begin the journey. It's guaranteed to take us to places we've never been and we will see and do things we would not have otherwise.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 
a loyal faith blog: Volume 2: A new book

Volume 2: A new book

ANNOUNCING!
The next blog book we will do is:

"A MONTH OR PRAYING IN THE WORD: BLOG VERSION, VOL. 2" of A Loyal Faith Bible Study Series.






Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith


ROUGH DRAFT 1 of Vol 1 of this series is finished: Download final free copy

Volume 1 of the "A LOYAL FAITH SERIES" is now finished being written. Now, it's in the polishing and editing stages.

There will be no more updates of this blog book for free after the one I just downloaded. That's good news. You no longer have to download the latest version once you download this version. Of course, this free version will stay on http://www.smashwords.com indefinitely. 

My plan is to always keep the blog post version of each book for free and then make a polished version and charge for that one. I will stick with the $5 or less charge on all the books thereafter. 

This book will be sold at $5 for the polished version of: "A LOYAL FAITH BIBLE STUDY INTRODUCTION, VOL. 1." I will keep you updated about the release date. It will be somewhere around 01 February 2012. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Day 120: Last day

Day 120

Today is the Last Day of: "A Loyal Faith: An Introduction, Vol. 1."

Congratulations! Job well done! 

*~* Write in your journal workbook a final prayer about what you have done.

REARRANGED PRIORITIES
You just did the most work-intensive part of this series. Throughout the course of this study, you moved from 10 minute a day Daily Quiet Times to 2-hour days. In doing so, you have rearranged the priorities in your life. You have indeed grown a deeper, long-lasting loyal faith in the Lord and in his Word.

It's been a lot of hard work and has required a great deal of time and intentional thought and action on your part. That is why your faith has grown.

You now have a good record of your walk with God and your journey of faith for the last 120 days. Whatever you do, make sure to continue in that tradition. It's such a sweet record. You can see what God has done in your life and what you have done with him and his Word. You now have a story to share with others. Make sure that you do. You can help them on their journey. After all, you've been tehre and have done that, too.

You have done well. 

SO, NOW WHAT?
Now, this series will become "A MONTH OF...: A LOYAL FAITH SERIES."

The next book is: "A MONTH OF PRAYING IN THE WORD: A LOYAL FAITH SERIES, VOL. 2"

It will be a much shorter book and will be less intense. But, now that you know where you came from, have an idea where you are, and have an idea as to where you are heading, we can do these studies in more bite-size chunks. There is less physical work in the studies from here on, if you desire, or you can do a lot more. But, the goal is still the same.

The goal of these studies is two-fold:
A To get us meditating in the Word of God morning, noon, and night.
B To get us to pray all the time and without stopping. 

TAKE A WEEK OFF
Take a week off and then get back to this blog. Have a breather. Continue reading the Word, praying, and journaling, though during that time. Those three activities are that which you can never take a vacation from. It's when you step away from them that your life can easily slip form temptation to sin. Let's be real about that. But, you can spend less time in study over the next week. 

VICTORY!
Well done. 

See you next time! 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 


Days 116-119

Day 116 Do a Monthly Review of Days 60-115.

Day 117 Do a Seeking More Template of Days 60-115.

Day 118 Look at your reviews, PARTS 1 and 2 FINAL REVIEW from Days 56 and 57. Compare those to your Days 116 and 117 and do:
A A Monthly Review of all
B A Seeking More Template of all.

Day 119 Do a Loyal Faith Review Template now of Days 1-118.

Day 120 See the next blog post. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 


Hebrews 11 and the heroes of faith Days 95-114.

We will now look at the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11. 

Take a look at the Person Study Template at this time. You can find it on my blog under the 2-Hour Template Page/Tab--under the monthly section. 

Now, do a Person Study Template for the following:

Day 95 Abel and Cain

Day 96 Enoch

Day 97 Noah

Day 98 Abraham

Day 99 Isaac

Day 100 Jacob

Day 101 Sarah

Day 102 Esau

Day 103 Joseph

Day 104 Moses

Day 105 People/Israelites

Day 106 Jericho

Day 107 Rahab

Day 108 Gideon

Day 109 Barak

Day 110 Samson

Day 111 Jephthah

Day 112 David

Day 113 Samuel

Day 114 Look at all of the people in Days 95-113 and write a summary of:
A What you want to apply to your faith.
B What you don't want to apply to your faith. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 


A Person Bible Study Template

This is a study of a person of the Bible.

Grab your journal workbook, Bibles, study bible, concordances, and biblical encyclopedias for this activity.

1 Look at your passage or verse and read about the person in which you want to study. Write in your journal what it says about that person.

2 Grab your concordance and look up all of the verses about that person. (Yes. All.) With every verse that mentions them, write a note in your journal workbook what you learn about that individual.

Here is one example of a good concordance to do this with: http://www.studylight.org/con/tcr/ and is "The Thompson Chain Reference," (Copyright Statement: These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition provided to StudyLight.org by Online Bible.)

3 Write a summary of what you learned about that individual. 

4 How does this shed more light into the passage in which you are studying?

5 What have you learned about this person of what to do regarding your life of faith?

6 What have you learned not to do from this person?

7 What has God said to you?

8 What have you said to God? 

9 List four things you can apply to your life form what you learned about them:
A
B
C
D

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Passage Study of Hebrews 11:3-40: Days 63-94

Here is the Plan for Days 63-94 for Hebrews 11:3-40

Day 63:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:3.

Day 64:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:4.

Day 65:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:5.

Day 66:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:6.

Day 67:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:7.

Day 68:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:8-9.

Day 69:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:10-11.

Day 70:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:12.

Day 71:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:13-14.

Day 72:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:15-16.

Day 73:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:17-18.

Day 74:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:19.

Day 75:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:20.

Day 76:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:21.

Day 77:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:22.

Day 78:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:23.

Day 79:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:24.

Day 80:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:25.

Day 81:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:26.

Day 82:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:27.

Day 83:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:28.

Day 84:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:29.

Day 85:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:30.

Day 86:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:31.

Day 87:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:32-33.

Day 88:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:34.

Day 89:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:35.

Day 90:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:36.

Day 91:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:37.

Day 92:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:38.

Day 93:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:39.

Day 94:
Do the Passage Study Template for Hebrews 11:40.

Next, we will look at the heroes of faith Days 95-114. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

a loyal faith blog: Thanksgiving

What are you still thankful for today?

It's the second day after Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving is something we should offer the Lord every day. It helps us to keep perspective, lowers depression, and reminds us of our blessings. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanksgiving

Since today is Thanksgiving, I wanted to mention a study of Thanksgiving in scripture. It's a good one.

It's found in "Torrey's Topical Textbook" and can be found here:

http://www.studylight.org/con/ttt/view.cgi?number=T562

Again, may you have a wonderful, memorable, and blessed Thanksgiving! 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

a loyal faith blog: Happy Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving




Happy Thanksgiving!

May your time be blessed as you think of your Creator, your country, and your family.

Don't forget to count your blessings and spend some time with the Lord today.

Many Blessings and Prayers,

~ Stacy Duplease

Download the latest

At this point, I highly recommend downloading the latest copy of this book on the link below. It will be much easier for you to see it and wrap your mind around it. It's more convenient. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Passage Study Template: Morning, noon, and night

This is what you will use for every verse for the rest ofthis study on Hebrews 11. When we get to the people study, we will use anothertemplate.  Refer back to this pagehereafter—or online under the template tab.

*~* So, now do this template below with Hebrews 11:2 (or with whatever passage or verse you are studying at this time). 

PASSAGE STUDY TEMPLATE:  

MORNING:


CROSS-REFERENCES:
With every verse, it is important to check out what it means, according to the Bible--and not through our 21st Century eyes, which understand things differently. Consequently, cross-references come to play. They are what help most with this endeavor. 

There are several resources you can use, However, the one I recommend most is: "THE TREASURY OF SCRIPTURE KNOWLEDGE."

Here's the copyright information for the resource:
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on Hebrews 11". "The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge". <http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/view.cgi?book=heb&chapter=011>. 

Another way of finding this is from:

You look under each verse in the Study Resource List and find where it says, "TSK." Click on it and you are there. 

Here is where to find it online: 

You can also use a study Bible and they are usually listed there. 

HOW MANY CROSS-REFERENCES:
Ideally, you would never work, eat, exercise and sleep and then you would be able to look up every one of those verses listed--and take notes. Whenever you can, please do so.

However, if you have moderate time, you can look up 5 verses each time.

If you have minimal time, look up 3. Try to get them from different books from the Bible. Do at least one Old Testament and one New testament verse. then, whichever testament your passage is in, look up another in that. 

See how time works for you each time you go to do cross-references. You may be able to do more than you think. But, once again, aim for at least 3.

HOW TO DO CROSS-REFERENCES:
A Look up the first verse you choose.
B When you look up a verse, rewrite it in your own words in your journal workbook. 
C Go through all the verses you want to look up and journal them.
D Then look at the verse from the chapter you are studying and see what more you glean from the verse. Make note of your new understanding--or your solidified understanding.
E What has God said to you? 
F What have you said to God?
G How can you apply it to your life today? 

WORD STUDIES:
Now, we move to word studies of the verse. 

Look up at least two words from the verse--even if you have looked them up before. (Remember, memory is faulty.)

OLD VS. NEW TESTAMENT: HEBREW VS. GREEK:
When looking up words, remember this:
Old Testament = Hebrew
New Testament = Greek

WHERE AND HOW?
Where do you look the words up and how?

Do all of these steps with each word:
A Do STRONG'S at: http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/ and type in the passage reference. When it turns to the passage, at the top of the passage, make sure to check the box that says "Strong Number." Then, click on the three words you want to look up. 
B Take notes of each word definition. 
C Write down the Strong's number. 
D Write down cross-references (write at 3 to 7).
E Go here and look up Strong's number here. You get far more information here. Make note of cross-references and any new understanding. http://concordances.org/strongs.htm
F Then, look up English word here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewEntries.cfm and write down any new understanding.

REVIEW & APPLICATION:
A Write a summary of what that verse means now, taking the cross-references and word studies into consideration. (i.e. Hebrews 11:1).
B How can you apply this verse to your life? List four ways:
B1
B2
B3
B4

NOON:

COMMENTARY AND PASSAGE:
Again, do at least 3. 5 to 7 is even more ideal. Most ideal is to look up all possible options.
Here are the steps. Do the steps with each commentary:
B Click on one of the commentaries listed there. It says 'commentary' so it should be easy for you to find.
C Read what that commentary has to say.
D As you read, take notes about what you learn and what you want to remember.
E Do this with all of your commentaries--steps A-D.

REVIEW AND APPLICATION OF COMMENTARIES:
REVIEW & APPLICATION:
A Write a summary of what that verse means now, taking each commentary into consideration. (i.e. Hebrews 11:1).
B How can you apply this verse to your life? List four ways:
B1
B2
B3
B4

NIGHT:

REVIEW AND APPLICATION OF ALL:
A Write a summary of what you learned from the reading of your passage, from the cross-references, the word studies, and the commentary reading. This should be a fairly lengthy summary (at least 2 long paragraphs).
B Look at all of your applications and list the top four here. 
B1
B2
B3
B4
C What did God say to you?
D What did God say to you? 


Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Day 62: Morning and Hebrews 11:1 continued

Now, we will move to the commentary portion of looking up Hebrews 11:1.  

COMMENTARY AND PASSAGE:
Again, do at least 3. 5 to 7 is even more ideal. Most ideal is to look up all possible options.
Here are the steps. Do the steps with each commentary:
B Click on one of the commentaries listed there. It says 'commentary' so it should be easy for you to find.
C Read what that commentary has to say.
D As you read, take notes about what you learn and what you want to remember.
E Do this with all of your commentaries--steps A-D.

REVIEW AND APPLICATION OF COMMENTARIES:
REVIEW & APPLICATION:
A Write a summary of what that verse means now, taking each commentary into consideration. (i.e. Hebrews 11:1).
B How can you apply this verse to your life? List four ways:
B1
B2
B3
B4

REVIEW AND APPLICATION OF ALL:
A Write a summary of what you learned from the reading of your passage, from the cross-references, the word studies, and the commentary reading. This should be a fairly lengthy summary (at least 2 long paragraphs).
B Look at all of your applications and list the top four here. 
B1
B2
B3
B4
C What did God say to you?
D What did God say to you? 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith


Day 62: Hebrews 11:1 Morning

We have a great deal to get done today. If you didn't take a look at the blog post before this one about our Plan of Attack, you may wish to do so at this time. (I highly recommend it. It gives you a resource and other information that are highly valuable. Moreover, it lets you know what to expect. 

There are only a few days where we will look at two verses in one day. Today just so happens to be one of those times. Hence, we have twice as much to get through today. Nonetheless, it's less than you did the last couple of days.

CROSS-REFERENCES:
With every verse, it is important to check out what it means, according to the Bible--and not through our 21st Century eyes, which understand things differently. Consequently, cross-references come to play. They are what help most with this endeavor. 

There are several resources you can use, However, the one I recommend most is: "THE TREASURY OF SCRIPTURE KNOWLEDGE."

Here's the copyright information for the resource:
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on Hebrews 11". "The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge". <http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/view.cgi?book=heb&chapter=011>. 

Another way of finding this is from:

You look under each verse in the Study Resource List and find where it says, "TSK." Click on it and you are there. 

Here is where to find it online: 

You can also use a study Bible and they are usually listed there. 

HOW MANY CROSS-REFERENCES:
Ideally, you would never work, eat, exercise and sleep and then you would be able to look up every one of those verses listed--and take notes. Whenever you can, please do so.

However, if you have moderate time, you can look up 5 verses each time.

If you have minimal time, look up 3. Try to get them from different books from the Bible. Do at least one Old Testament and one New testament verse. then, whichever testament your passage is in, look up another in that. 

See how time works for you each time you go to do cross-references. You may be able to do more than you think. But, once again, aim for at least 3.

HOW TO DO CROSS-REFERENCES:
A Look up the first verse you choose.
B When you look up a verse, rewrite it in your own words in your journal workbook. 
C Go through all the verses you want to look up and journal them.
D Then look at the verse from the chapter you are studying and see what more you glean from the verse. Make note of your new understanding--or your solidified understanding.
E What has God said to you? 
F What have you said to God?
G How can you apply it to your life today? 

WORD STUDIES:
Now, we move to word studies of the verse. 

Look up at least two words from the verse--even if you have looked them up before. (Remember, memory is faulty.)

OLD VS. NEW TESTAMENT: HEBREW VS. GREEK:
When looking up words, remember this:
Old Testament = Hebrew
New Testament = Greek

WHERE AND HOW?
Where do you look the words up and how?

Do all of these steps with each word:
A Do STRONG'S at: http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/ and type in the passage reference. When it turns to the passage, at the top of the passage, make sure to check the box that says "Strong Number." Then, click on the three words you want to look up. 
B Take notes of each word definition. 
C Write down the Strong's number. 
D Write down cross-references (write at 3 to 7).
E Go here and look up Strong's number here. You get far more information here. Make note of cross-references and any new understanding. http://concordances.org/strongs.htm
F Then, look up English word here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewEntries.cfm and write down any new understanding.

REVIEW & APPLICATION:
A Write a summary of what that verse means now, taking the cross-references and word studies into consideration. (i.e. Hebrews 11:1).
B How can you apply this verse to your life? List four ways:
B1
B2
B3
B4

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 


Day 62: Action plan

PLAN FOR THE NEXT 58 DAYS
Do these steps every day:
A Open up praying Psalm 19:14 to God. 
B Then, converse and pray with the Lord for a few minutes. Write it out. Reminder: Listen more than you talk.
C Prayer requests
D Daily Bible reading as you go through the Bible
E Morning, Noon, and Evening of this study. 
F Extended prayer time. 

PLAN FOR DAYS 62-94
We will study during these days each verse of Hebrews 11. We will study each verse in 3 parts.
A Cross-References
B Word Studies
C Commentaries and what others say

The final segment of the day will be application. 

PLAN FOR THE DAY
Morning will be Hebrews 11:1
Noon will be Hebrews 11:2
Evening will be conclusion

REMINDER: www.studylight.org Resource: 
If you are doing an online bible, I HIGHLY recommend this resource. I have everything set up for you--where there are resources mentioned as well for even deeper study. Check it out:

Stacy Duplease

Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

a loyal faith blog: Day 61: Evening


Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

a loyal faith blog: Day 61: Evening

Day 61: Evening

EVENING:

Don't forget to pray to God Psalm 19:14 and then read Hebrews 11 from your next Bible version. 

*~* What differences do you see with this version?

*~* What stands out to you from this version? Explain.

*~* List 5 people you want to learn more about. Explain why you choose them. (If you want to list more people, feel free to do so. For me, I am curious to relearn about all of them so that I can apply the lessons they learned about faith to my life. I know how to learn vicariously.)
A
B
C
D
E

*~* What new information have you learned about faith?

*~* Write a summary about what all you have learned from Hebrews 11 through all 5+ versions. 

*~* List all the applications you listed from all 5 versions. (Eventually you will apply all to your life.)

*~* Pick 4 of those applications to work on applying to your life today.

*~* What has God said to you? Today and yesterday.

*~* What have you said to God? Today and yesterday.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Day 61: Noon and Hebrews 11: Translation 2

NOON:

NEW NUMBERING SYSTEM
In an effort to make things easier, I am just going to put a *~* every time a number is supposed to go there. It will be easier for the days that I put two of a number or decide later to add a question.

NOON STUDY
Before you look at your journal workbook or Bible...

*~* Why don't you write out what has been going through your mind about Hebrews 11 since your last reading? 

*~* Why did that go through your mind, do you suppose?

*~* Is God working on something in your life?

Now, please grab your next Bible version and read through Hebrews 11.

*~* What differences do you see in this version that you didn't see in your morning version?

*~* Now what stands out to you? Explain.

*~* Do you have any new questions or problems about what you read?

*~*  List the top 5 verses that spoke to you the most and why:
A
B
C
D
E

*~* Take each of the verses you just listed and figure out one application you can do with them:
A
B
C
D
E

*~* What have you learned now about faith?

*~* Can you learn from the Bible heroes more about how to, and how not to, lead a faithful life? The reality of the situation is most of the people listed had their faults and the Bible lets us know what they are. But, they are still considered spiritual giants. 

*~* Start to memorize Hebrews 11:1. Write it out now. (Type it out, if you do it digitally.)

*~* What is God saying to you now?

*~* What are you saying to God?

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Day 61 Morning: Hebrews 11 and 3 Bible versions

MORNING:

Good day. I hope you are rested and are ready for a rather intense day of looking at Hebrews 11 from three different versions of the Bible. The good news is that this will be the busiest day we have until Day 115. (Whew!) 

As usual, you might think about grabbing your Bibles and your journal notebook (or readying your computer or other electronic device) for what is to come. 

Let's start with Psalm 19:14 and take a moment to prepare your heart, mind, and pen for what is to come today. 

SIDE-NOTE: I add the "and pen" part so that my journal workbook will be as he desires and is not what I want or make it. It's all about him, after all.

HUMOR ME?
Will you please humor me for a moment? Will you act like you didn't look at Hebrews 11 yesterday (or earlier today, whatever the case may be)? Will you act like this is your first time reading the chapter? Then, look at the journal workbook questions and thoughts to ponder. 

Now, grab your first of the three new versions we are going to study today. 

375 What did you not understand or did you have questions about? Make sure to list all of them. (We will search for these answers over the next 54 days.) 

Let's face it. This chapter has people, events, and terms which might not be known or might be confusing to understand completely. That's why it's important to make note of answers you need. 

Even today, as I do the same, I realize how much I need to learn. There are components of every verse I think I understand, and recall, but I want to make sure my memory isn't faulty. I have learned in the past I might think I remember something... Then, I discover I remembered it wrongly. So, I know not to trust my memory (and that's why I write stuff down!). Memory is faulty--and I know it's not just me.

376 What jumped out at you and spoke to you the most? List as many as possible. Explain. 

377 Do you want to emulate any of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11? Who? Explain. 

378 What does commended mean? How would you define it? (Is this what the biblical Greek means?)

379 What does verse 39 mean to you?

380 What does verse 40 mean to you?

381 What did God say to you as you read this chapter in this translation of the Bible?

382 What did you say to God?

383 Do you have any new applications? If not, which ones have you already listed were cemented only more through this reading?

384 Write a summary of what you learned about faith through this reading and through your journal workbook. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Day 61: 3 parts

Welcome to Day 61 of striving for a more loyal faith in the Lord and in his Word.

As of right now, this study will be divided into 3 parts: Morning, Noon, and Night.

If you don't have the time to divide it up in such a way, that's perfectly acceptable. Do what works for you. If it's all in one setting, go for it. If you can do several chunks throughout the day between baby feedings and naps, then do that. Find a system that works for you. Ideally, it would be morning, noon, and night. But, it simply isn't always possible. Life can tend to get in the way.

Now, I wanted to share a verse with you that I suggest you pray to the Lord every day, every time you approach the Lord. It is a perfect way to put us in the right frame of mind.

TO DO
Grab your Bibles and read Psalm 19:14 in at least 4 versions and write your own summary. Then, pick a favorite translation. 

MEMORIZE PSALM 19:14
Yes. Memorize Psalm 19:14. Let this be your goal this week. Write it on a card or piece of paper and carry it with you at all times. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 
a loyal faith blog: Hebrews 11 1st and 2nd reading

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Hebrews 11 1st and 2nd reading

Now is the time to get to our actual Bible study potion of Day 60. Up until now, it's been all about explanations and planning. Let's get to the real Bible study portion of today and of this Bible study book. (It's about time. Hee-hee.)

HEBREWS 11

As usual, please grab your 5 Bible versions (at least). Yes. 5 this time. After all, we are now going to do some heavy and deep study. the only way to do it is through repetition and through lots of study. These are the five translations (versions) I recommend, but use what you feel most comfortable with:
A NIV (New International Version)
B HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
C AMP (Amplified)
D NLT (New Living Translation)
E MSG (the Message)

Here are the others I recommend if you want to do more Bible study:
F NASB (New American Standard Bible)
G GW (GOD'S WORD)
H CEB (Common English Bible)
I NCV (New Century Version) 
J NKJV (New King James Version) 

Today, we are going to go through 2 versions of the Bible. Tomorrow, we will look at 3 versions. 

Read all of Hebrews 11 out of your favorite version of the Bible first. 

361 Jot down some notes.

362 What verses jumped out at you and how did they? Explain.

363 What did you learn about faith?

364 How many of the stories do you know well of the 20 people mentioned in Hebrews 11?

365 What do you hope to get out of studying Hebrews 11?

366 What did God say to you about Hebrews 11?

367 What did you say to God?

368 What four things do you hope to apply to your life regarding Hebrews 11? Make sure to include one for each of the following:
A Your eternity
B Your thoughts
C Your prayers
D Your actions

Now, grab the next Bible version of Hebrews 11.

369 What differences do you see between the two versions?

370 What do you know about faith now from Hebrews 11 and both versions?

371 Did God say anything more to you?

372 Did you say anything more to God?

373 Do you have new applications now? 

374 Write out about what stuck out to you the most about faith from either, or both, versions. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Hebrews 11 plan and the rest of this book plan

HEBREWS 11 PLAN
We are going to study Hebrews 11 for 55 days.
We will read the entire chapter Days 60-61. 
Days 62-94 will study all the verses. That's 32 days for 40 verses. So, we will study one per day except for 8 of those days, we will study one verse. 
Days 95-114 will study the 20 people below.
Day 115 will be the recap, analysis, and review of Hebrews 11.

PART 3 OF BOOK
Part 3 will be Days 116-120 and will be review of this Bible study book.
Day 116-117 is the review and analysis of all reviews from Day 60 to 115.
Day 118-119 is the review of Days 56-57 against Days 116-117. 
Day 120 will be synopsis and what to do from here. 

PEOPLE OF HEBREWS 11
We will study each person as an additional daily lesson. They are:
Abel and Cain
Enoch
Noah
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Sarah
Esau
Joseph
Moses
People/Israelites
Jericho
Rahab
Gideon
Barak
Samson
Jephthah
David
Samuel

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

What's to come with this study?: A chapter study and plan for days 60-120

Day 60 Continued:

We are now going to start to take a look at Hebrews 11 and do a chapter study on Hebrews 11:1 for days 60-115. I think that you will find in all actuality, you could do an in-depth study on Hebrews 11 that lasts 365 days. However, we will attempt to do ours in 55 days.

Days 116-120 will be the final review and analysis of "A LOYAL FAITH: AN INTRODUCTION, VOL. 1."

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Part 2 and what commitment is required

We learned in part one how we are to pray without stopping. Therefore, we are going to continue to pray. We will learn more ins and outs of prayer and different types as we continue. 

We also learned in part one how we should read the Bible all the way through every 2-3 years. If it takes us 2-3 years to get through, we should not take any time off in-between. If we get all the way through the Bible in a year, we can do more in-depth reading of different books of the Bible for 1-2 years. So, we should spend some time in the Word--just reading and pondering it every day. 

Studying the Word is critical as well. When we read it, we can gloss over and skip several important facets and lessons without even realizing it because we might not fully understand the text. Bible study makes us go deeper with the Word. 

Applying the Word to our lives helps us grow our faith as we learn to depend on God and be obedient to him and his Word. 

It's important to keep track of the interchange we have with God and his Word. It's also important for us to remember what we have decided to apply to our lives regarding the Word. It's also important to remember the memories of our lives and of our walk with God. Most importantly, we learned our faith cannot grow as much unless we review and analyze our faith periodically. Hence, we keep a journal workbook. 

What commitment is being asked of you now that we have moved to Part Two?

Daily:
A Pray without stopping.
B Read and ponder the Word night and day.
C Study the Word. 
D Apply the Word.
E Write it down.

Weekly: 
Review of A-E.
See templates. 

Monthly: 
Review of A-E.
See templates. 

Quarterly:
Review of A-E.
See templates. 

Yearly to 4 Years:
Review of A-E.
See templates. 

Every 5 Years:
Review of A-E.
See templates. 




Today marks day 60 in our study and day 1 of part 2 and 'where we are headed'

At this point, if you are on a 5-day week of doing this Bible study, we are on:

Week 12: Day 60

Good job, by the way! 

I am sure that at this point, your faith is becoming even stronger and that you are much more aware of the importance of a well-rounded faith. It's critical that our faith be more than actions and a checklist faith. While we might have some things on our planner, it is only to make sure we have the time to devote to what is most important in our lives. 

I think you will be happy to know that this blog and Bible study is now moving to the real Word and Bible study focus. Before now, we needed to establish a baseline as to where we were in our faith. We also needed to start to develop the daily habit of prayer, Bible study and reading, along with writing down our interactions with God though these foundational faith disciplines. The first 59 days of this Bible study were meant to bring that purpose to fruition. You now have room on your calendar and know that every day, at least 7 days a week, you are to:
A Pray without ceasing.
B Meditate on the Word night and day. (Read, study, pray it, and ponder)
C Write your interactions with God as you do A and B. 
5 days per week are for more extensive Bible study. 

You now have a foundation. Everything else builds up from here. If your foundation is weak, your whole faith house will fall down around you. (Look at Matthew 7:24-27 in reference to what I just said.) That is why it took the 59 days of hard work that might not have made sense to you. You might have even wondered if I was just giving you busy work. No worries. That's not the way I roll. Everything I ask of you, I would ask of myself first (and I hate wasting the gift of time), and has a purpose. Now, are you starting to see why I asked the previous days of you? If not, you will! 

Today marks a transition where we go from foundation building to building the structure of our faith house (metaphor). We are going to dive into the word and study a passage about faith that has been done many times before. However, we will do it in our own way, in our own style, and will learn how to actually apply it to our lives today. It will mean for some pretty intense Bible study. However, you have built your foundation. You should be ready for this new challenge. 

Let's move to the portion of the Bible study where we learn about the foundations of the Christian faith and learn how the heros of the Bible were faithful. Then, we can apply what they experienced to our lives today. 

Shall we get started?

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

You might want to download the latest copy of this blog book and Bible study

You might want to download the latest version of this book. It's easier to see the Days broken out from the blog and already there is a little more material than with the blog. It helps to make it easier and explains things a little more.

You can download the latest copy for free at the link listed below.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

So, what is Part 2?

Part 2 is: "Where We Are Headed."

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Part 2

Whew! Congratulations! You've made it! 

You survived the baseline period of this Bible study. We needed to establish where we came from before we could figure out where we are and where we are headed (and want to head). 

Today is a freebie day. Take the day off! You deserve it.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Part 1 is closing

We are now at the end of Part 1 of this Bible study blog book, "A LOYAL FAITH: AN INTRODUCTION, VOL. 1."

Part 1 was called, "Where We Came From."

Now, I hope you understand why we went template crazy. 

That being said, we are going to do two final templates. 

Grab all of the Review Templates that this blog post had you do on the date 21 November 2011 and do these templates in the following order:
A Do the Monthly Review Template with all of the templates from 21 November (Days ??? to ??? in the book of this blog). Call this the PART 1 FINAL REVIEW: 1 OF 2.
B Do the Seeking More Template from all of them, along with the PART 1 FINAL REVIEW: 1 OF 2. Call this the PART 1 FINAL REVIEW: 2 OF 2.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Tuesday is our Memorize the Word and Deeper Study Day

Today, we are going to study verses about faith. We are going to see more of what the Bible describes as faith, being faithful, and so on. After all, our goal is to develop a more loyal faith day to day until the time he calls us to our eternal home.

Please prepare your journal workbooks and your Bibles and let's get started.

With each verse, answer the following questions:
A Verse
B 1st version of the Bible: What do you learn about faith?
C 2nd version of the Bible: What more do you learn about faith?
D 3rd version of the Bible: What more do you learn about faith?
E Write a summary in your own words. 

HINT/TIP: You might want to read a couple of verses before and after the verse we are studying so that you make sure to get the proper context.

341 1 Samuel 12:24
342 2 Samuel 22:26
343 2 Kings 20:23
344 2 Chronicles 19:9
345 Psalm 4:3
346 Psalm 31:23
347 Psalm 37:28
348 Psalm 51:6
349 Psalm 78:8
350 Psalm 78:37
351 Psalm 78:57
352 Psalm 97:10
353 Psalm 101:3 (read 3 verses before and after in roder to get proper context). 
354 Psalm 119:30 (remember any time you read the word 'law' you can tell yourself the 'Word of God'.
355 Psalm 132:9
356 Proverbs 2:8
357 Proverbs 3:3
358 Proverbs 14:22
359 Proverbs 28:20
360 Proverbs 31:26

Pick 8 of those you want to apply to your life. Make sure you cover the 4-dimensions of application--twice.


Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 
a loyal faith blog: One-sided prayer

One-sided prayer

337 Do you talk and ramble on and on with God?

338 Or do you ignore him all together? 

339 Is your prayer life one-sided (where you do all the talking and no listening)?

340 What do you think God thinks of this?

~ Stacy Duplease

Sent from my Kindle Fire

Prayer's importance and fruitfulness

Prayer is the most important part of our lives. 

Yes. Literally. Stop and re-read the first sentence. 

336 Do you act like faith is the most important thing in your life? 

Why do I say prayer is the most important part of our lives? 

We are supposed to pray without ceasing. In other words, we are to pray 24/7/365. That, along with meditating on the Bible morning, noon, and night are two activities we are supposed to do all the time. But, meditating on the Word of God is actually a type of prayer. So, it is the same. 

How many things are you supposed to do all the time? Does that not show the importance?

Conversing with God is essential for our faith and relationship with the Lord. 

If our prayer life suffers in any way, so will our faith and our intimacy with God. However, if our prayer life is fruitful, our faith will be as well. 

~ Stacy Duplease

Sent from my Kindle Fire

Application How-to

How does the Bible, written thousands of years ago, apply to our lives in the 21st Century? 

Let me rephrase the question:
How does an ancient text apply to our lives today? 

That question was meant to get us thinking and shift our focus. Now, why don't you prepare your journal workbook to answer the following questions:

334 Was this a concern of yours before this study?

335 Has this study helped you to look at application with a new perspective? 

At this point, you might think this blog post about how to figure out proper application within proper biblical context to our lives today. However, there is no time like the present. Now that you are familiar with thinking about living the Word of God, the Holy Bible, you are ready to understand more of the tips of the trade, so to speak.

All of the books of the Bible was written for a specific person or group of people in mind--at the time. The book meant something specific for them then in history. It is important for us to remember how it applied to them does not necessarily apply to us in the same manner. What we need to ask of what we read is this:

How does this verse or passage apply to my eternal life?

If it does not apply to your eternal life, then ask yourself if it applies to you at all. Make sure to read the entire chapter and then the book and ask yourself the question again. If it doesn't, then ask these dimensional questions:
A How does this help me grow in faith?
B How does this help me glorify God?
C How does address my inward life? My being life? My thought life?
D What behavior change does this ask of me? 

Now, if your application options did apply to your eternal life, still ask questions A-D to see if you can get an application for each of those points. It helps you to have a more rounded faith--where you are not all about doing or all about being.

Asking those questions should help you come up with 4 applications at least... if the verse of passage applies to your eternal life, of course. 

So, all of the questions to ask in order to figure out how a verse or passage applies to your life, in recap, are: 
How does this apply to my eternal life? 
A How does this help me grow in faith?
B How does this help me glorify God?
C How does address my inward life? My being life? My thought life?
D What behavior change does this ask of me?

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 
a loyal faith blog: Application Template
Sent from my Kindle Fire