Tag: fear of the Lord

Financial Freedom

Ok, so if I thought yesterday was a big day at the Phipps house, I was completely and utterly wrong.  Today’s events have been much, much more significant.   Are you ready for it??

Outside of our home loan, we are 100% DEBT FREE.

That is something to celebrate, people!!!  I’m going to get pretty personal with numbers here…and I feel no inhibition in doing so.  This has ALL happened at the hand of the Lord so to Him, we give every ounce of credit and glory!

When Wrex and I got married, we had a little over $100,000 in debt between the two of us.  Yes, you read that correctly.  $100,000.  YIKES.  (That honestly makes my stomach quiver now…)

How did we have that much, you ask?  Well….

  • We both had vehicles that we were still paying on…
  • He had bought a trailer house to live in during senior college, that promptly lost over half of it’s value once it turned 10 years old…
  • We both had student loans…some of which were for out of state tuition, which isn’t cheap…
  • We both had credit cards that had been used frivolously and whose balances were at their max…
  • We had signed up for a buyer’s club of sorts that was designed to rob young adults of membership money under the guise of savings lots of said money as they made big purchasing decisions…basically, an incredibly unwise decision…
  • We were simply living beyond our means…and had been for a few years…

I distinctly remember our breaking point…and it was ugly.  It came on the heels of a bad weekend anyways and it only got worse.  Long story short, Saturday night we ran to McDonald’s to get a quick supper, only to have our card declined.  Yeah.  It was that bad.  We couldn’t even afford to eat off of the dollar menu.  We.  Were.  Broke.  And?  Wrex still had to get to work Monday morning with a diesel truck that was sitting on E.

The Lord provided even in the midst of all of that reckless living.  I had won employee of the month at my job for the past two months and had been rewarded with “Downtown Dollars” – money that could be spent at any downtown business.  Thankfully, there was a Safeway grocery store downtown and we purchased gift cards with my “Downtown Dollars” and took those to a different Safeway that had fuel.  It wasn’t a very fun weekend.

It was, however, the turning point in our financial situation.  Wrexy had lots of windshield time between driving to work and driving the tractor, so he had been listening to Dave Ramsey quite faithfully.   (He’d been listening to Dr. Laura, too, but that’s another gag-inducing story).  He had come home several times telling me about the “debt snowball” and he thought we could do it, or should at least try.  I was quite hesitant because our situation just seemed plain hopeless to me.  I hadn’t even been tithing regularly because “we couldn’t afford it.”  (I remember conveniently leaving the checkbook at home on multiple occasions because the thought of handing over even more of our paycheck was terrifying).

After a lot of Scripture reading and a lot of pushing from Wrexy, we decided to do it.  What did we have to lose at this point??  I remember sitting in the pickup and listening with him one day.  On Fridays, people get to call in and tell about how they got debt free and they get to scream, “We’re debt freeeeeeeeeeee!”  I bawled at all of them because it seemed like such a wonderful goal…but one that was so far away…

To get started, we sold his old gooseneck trailer for $800 and paid off one of our smaller credit cards and then the snowball started.  We reigned in our spending and eating out and started tithing regularly…and it felt GOOD.

We moved soon after we started this process and the people he was working for provided our housing and utilities as part of his pay.  With this new situation, we opted for living off of my paycheck and paying off debt with his.

The Lord was soooooo faithful during this process!  Some things were cake to pay off and others felt like we were working for years…and we were.  We were dealing with the consequences of years of irresponsible living.  It hurt to think of all of the things that the money we were paying out towards debt could’ve been used for…

We took a break from our debt snowball when I was pregnant with Sawyer.  We only had Wrex’s largest student loan left and we went back to paying minimum payments for a number of reasons.  We had private health insurance and at the time, since we had gained enough financial freedom for me to quit my job and start the journey as a stay at home mom.   The state of Colorado didn’t require private insurers to cover maternity claims, so ours did not.  We knew a $10,000 – $20,000 hospital bill would soon be staring us in the face in a few short months.  (The Lord TOTALLY provided but that’s another story for another day.  Are you seeing a theme here??)

Soon after, Wrex left his job in an obedient leap of faith and we were soon jobless and homeless so the minimum payments continued.  Then, we found a job, found a house, made lots of improvements, had another baby and never really finished….until today.

The Phipps’ are DEBT FREE.  And?  You better bet your bottom dollar we’re calling big Dave on Friday! 

I’m not sure I can fully express the freedom that comes from owing no one.  The Bible talks consistently about the borrower being slave to the lender and it is so true.  When you are strapped for cash and saddled in debt, you can’t do the things that the Lord calls His people to do!  We love to give, and give abundantly, but when the money’s not there because you owe so many people, you can’t do that.  You can’t stash away for emergencies…you can’t bless people on a whim…you can’t afford a car breakdown or birthday gift or a broken leg…you just can’t.

But when all of those unnecessary expenses are gone and you budget and live within your means, you’re able to save for the future and you’re able to give in abundance and you’re not blindsided by unexpected expenses.  Your whole lifestyle changes!  Your thoughts shift from your bank account and “how in the world am I gonna pay for that??” to “what is the Lord asking me to do with this excess now?”  Financial issues are one of the top five reasons for divorce but when there is financial security, there is FREEDOM.  You don’t have to think about money all of the time…you can think about each other.

The benefits to being debt free far outweigh the sacrifices you have to make to get there.  Of course there were times when we just wanted to throw in the towel and call it good enough and just go buy a new car or go on vacation…but we knew we didn’t want to go back to living like we were that fateful Saturday at McDonalds.

The Lord’s heart for His people is FREEDOM…and that includes financial freedom.  He took our measly efforts and our $800 trailer check and helped us blow the door wide open on our debt.

I’m so thankful for my husband’s obedience, yet again.  Getting out of debt has changed our family forever – we don’t even own a single credit card – and we are MORE THAN FINE WITHOUT THEM.

I say all of this one, to brag on the Lord.  It is only by His hand and His provision and His prompting that we are here and two, to encourage you!  If you have a mountain of debt and it feels insurmountable, may I just say that IT IS NOT.  We have unburied ourselves from over $100,000 in a little over seven years (thanks to that two year sabbatical).  It can be done. 

If you have questions or want to know more or want help with a budget or a plan, call me, message me, track me down – we are more than willing to help!  Financially free IS the only way to live…

Next goal?  Ten year house payoff – ow ow!

Now show us some debt-free love, would ya!?  WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!

How in the World Did We Get Here: Epilogue

As much as we love our cute little farmhouse, leaving Denver wasn’t necessarily easy.  We have so many incredible friends (who we consider family) that we had to leave behind and that part was heartbreaking.  We’re still in Colorado and we’re only three hours away, but we knew things wouldn’t be the same anymore; we can’t just run down the road for every birthday part or baby dedication or weekend get together.

We grew up a lot while we were in Denver…in a lot of different ways…

We worked hard, got out of debt and discovered the freedom that brought…

We found a church home that we loved and the Lord used it to grow us and challenge in so many ways…

I went on my first missions trip and that changed my worldview forever…

We went on our first missions trip together and learned that poor doesn’t just involve your bank account, but your spirit and mindset, too…

I left the working world to become a stay-at-home wife and mom…

We got to be involved with a huge Christian music festival that sought to make Jesus the headliner.  We got to see it through from conception to actualization and we learned more than could be put into words…

We had our first baby…

I was involved in several Bible studies with some amazing women whose knowledge and fervor for the Lord forever changed my life…

We just got to do life with people who walked with us, and allowed us to walk with them, through the nasty storms of life – death, divorce, infertility, debt, unemployment, illness, infidelity…and the beauties, too – restoration, redemption, birth, life, success, marriage, freedom.  Our bonds with these people were developed and strengthened and intensified and leaving them was hard.  Still is…

Some days, my heart still longs to be there instead of here.  There are days when the road is muddy and I need milk and I don’t want to load up two kids and drive 20 miles just to pay $5 for a gallon and then pay $4/gallon for fuel to get back home and then get stuck in the driveway and have to haul two kids and two gallons of milk through muck and mire to get to the front door.  Yeah, those days, I wish I were in the city.

Or the days where I just wish I could call up a few friends, whose hearts I know and trust because they’re more like sisters, and we could meet at Starbucks or someone’s home and our kiddies could play while we talk about what the Lord is doing and how we need to adjust our lives accordingly and we don’t have to preface anything or explain anything, they just know and get it and understand.  Yeah, those days, I miss Denver.

It’s hard moving somewhere new- especially to a small town, where most people are already established, and have been since birth.  While we’ve met some incredible people who’ve been more than good to us out here on the plains, it doesn’t always feel the same.  And maybe it won’t…ever.

The days when I start questioning or feeling frustrated or lonely or nostalgic, I have to go back to the summer of 2011 and remember His oh-so evident hand in this and it’s there that I find peace that this IS where we’re supposed to be.  That’s one of the beauties of obedience…I have the pleasure of understanding that we know that we know that we know that this IS where the Lord called us to…this IS His doing.  We were obedient to His urging and calling so we can stand on that.  We did what He asked us to do… 

When we obey God, we can trust that He will display His goodness and love to us.  And He has.  Oh, He has…and will.

Luckily, the Denverites still call and come visit and invite us out and our new friends do the same.  One of His blessings, indeed.

How in the World Did We Get Here: Part 4

To catch you up to speed…Wrex stepped out in faith and quit his job and got a new one that required a move and the search for a new home and community.   That lands us outside of Holyoke, Colorado…….

As we drove into town, there was the cute little vet clinic sitting off to the south, so Wrex went in to get the needle. While he was in there, he visited with the staff and asked them about houses for sale/rent in town.  The vet tech told him about a house outside of town that sat on seven acres and had a few outbuildings.  Well, obviously that piqued our attention, though we weren’t sure we’d even be able to afford it (or want to), but we got the guy’s number, called him and he agreed to meet us that evening, after we met with the realtor in town to look at a few house inside the city limits.

The town of Holyoke itself had nothing we were interested in and we had mentioned that we were going to look at this place outside of town.  The realtor seemed pretty skeptical of the whole situation, because she thought that something out in the country with acreage for the price he was asking would 1.) already be gone or 2.) must have some major problems.

We were kinda bummed and cautious but went to check the place out for ourselves.  The minute we got there, I was already sort of in love, as was Sawyer.  The gentleman selling the house was incredibly kind and Sawyer immediately wanted him to tote her around, which he willingly did.

The house was a cute, typical old farm house.  It had four bedrooms and one bathroom with  a lot of improvements – new stucco, windows, water well, pressure tank, septic system and furnace.  There was a mudroom (a necessity for rural living), small basement (have I mentioned I hate tornadoes??), a detached garage, two barns and a chicken house (that might’ve sealed the deal).  Nothing incredibly fancy but it had all of the things we were looking for:

1.) it was far from civilization.  We didn’t really live IN town when we were in Brighton, but close enough for our taste.  We had both grown up seeing the value of rural life and had always hoped to raise our family in that setting.  Wrex and his family had lived in town for a while growing up and they all so desperately wanted to be back in the country.  After six years of saving and scouting and waiting on the Lord, they finally got the opportunity to build a home outside of town.  When they moved in, they heard coyotes howling in the night and he and his sister proclaimed, “We’re finally home!”  (How cute is that?!)

2.) it had room to roam.  We wanted a place where the kids could go out and play uninhibited; a place where they could learn about nature and crops and animals while eating dirt and not worrying about HOA’s and road traffic and high crime.

3.) it had buildings and pens for livestock.  We have huge hearts for production agriculture and regardless of what the mainstream public believes, it is the backbone of this nation.  There are many valuable lessons to be learned in caring for a creature and we wanted our kids to be able to experience that firsthand.

4.) it was well within our price range.  We didn’t have plans to buy a house for fear of living under the slavery of debt.  Maybe that’s why we hadn’t even really considered anything on an acreage, as they’re often not affordable for a one-income family.  This one was.

It was everything our little hearts desired, but that we had never even asked the Lord for during this process.  He just knew…and He likes to give good gifts to His kids…should we jump?!  The guy had several people that had already looked and several more coming, so felt a sense of urgency (on several different levels) but we couldn’t make a decision just then.

We left the property feeling more confused than ever.  We really liked the place but were so unprepared to buy anything, so we left; we just packed up and went back to Texas with our heads spinning.  We spent a week in prayer and on the phone and seeking counsel and getting pre-approved for a loan.  I remember sitting in bed one night just holding onto the details of this situation (have I mentioned I struggle with control and wanting solutions to problems quick-quick-quick?!) and feeling so tired and stressed and I just said, “Lord, you are gonna have to do this; it is beyond my capacity.  If this is the place, you want us to live, then you’re gonna have to take care of it.”

After continuously thinking that this place just seemed to good to be true, the Lord firmly showed us that HE is good and true and that He loved us and that He chose this place for us.  What else did we need?!

That sealed the deal for us.  We called the home owner and asked if we could come look one last time.  We drove up and looked again and we signed a contract over a home-cooked lunch with our new neighbor and his wife!  They even allowed us to move in earlier than the official signing date so that we could begin painting and making improvements.

Our home is nothing fancy but we love it!  It’s comfy and peaceful…

We love that we can raise our kids out in the middle of nowhere and teach them about livestock and farming and a slower pace of life.

We love that we have totally made the home ours, in every little fun, innovative and quirky way possible.

We love that we have made such good friends with the sellers.  They are our most trusted friends and neighbors in the area, hands down, and our lives have interwoven in beautiful ways.

On the practical side, we love that we didn’t break the bank and could sell it today for more than we paid.

We love that we bought it on a 15 year note at 2.5% interest and we pay less for our mortgage than any rental around.

We love that for as old as it is (we’re talking almost 100 years, people!) that it’s incredibly energy efficient and comfortable.

We love that it still has lots of promise and possibilities for changes and growth…just like our family.

The Lord took our obedience to Him and just blew our lives wide open.  He has answered so many of the desires of our hearts through this process.  Our family needed more time together and this job has definitely given us that.  Our relationships with each other and our relationships with the Lord are stronger because we have time to learn about, and be with, Him together.  We have a home that we love that was gifted to us by Him, that we pray we use for His glory.  Now that we are on the other side, I have a husband who can speak to the sin of workaholic-ism and to the blessing of finding the right priorities and balance between family and careers.

The night we moved in, the Lord really brought me full circle in the whole process in an incredibly sweet way.  We had been in Denver getting more of our things and we pulled into our new home about 10 o’clock that night.  I had gotten Sawyer out of her car seat and we were all standing on the sidewalk stretching when we heard the howl of several coyotes in the distance.  Wrex and I just looked at each other and said, “We’re finally home!”

We are indeed….

How in the World Did We Get Here: Part 2

We tossed the sheets in the wash, locked the doors and headed eight hours south to Booker, Texas.  One of our good friends from college worked as the head cattle buyer at the plant and had told the owners about Wrex.  With the drought hitting so hard in Texas, they knew cow numbers would soon be short and that they’d need to expand their buying circle.  They wanted to get a northern buyer trained and in place, but weren’t in just a huge hurry to do so; they wanted it to be the right kind of person.  Unfortunately, the cow buying business has it’s fair share of crooks and traders and this company had worked been working for a few years on cleaning up their buyer staff.

There are several owners and shareholders and only a few of them live around the Booker area.  As the Lord would have it, Wrex got to meet several out of staters, including a fellow Nebraskan.  That pretty much sealed the deal!  HA!  Kidding…but I’m sure it didn’t hurt.  Those Huskers gotta stick together…  It wasn’t a formal interview, but he was there most of the morning; a good four hours or so.  We ate lunch, said our goodbyes and then continued on to visit my side of the family.

For years, we’d talked about the possibility of him buying cows for an outfit; it’s a job that he’d been groomed for his entire life.  We didn’t have any doubts that he’d enjoy the work and he felt like things went well, but we left not knowing exactly what they were thinking.

We had a good time seeing my parents and brother and then traveled further south to see my mom’s extended family.  We don’t get down there often enough just because of time, money and distance, so it was nice to be able to have a few extra days with them.  It’s hard to have “time off” when you help run a farming/ranching operation so this was, by far, the longest visit we’d had with them since we’d been married.

They were all so sweet and were scurrying around trying to find Wrex a job down there, which would’ve been a-ok with me, bearing I could hack that heat and humidity.  I have gobs of incredible memories tied to their little area of Texas.  At the time, my grandma had already been moved into an assisted living facility and her house was on the market, as she wouldn’t be going back.  We got to stay there for what would be the last time – an incredibly bittersweet thing for me.  Talk about memories being bound to a place…we spent every Christmas and summer there since I was born and Wrex and I were married on their acreage.  It was hard to leave and at the time, every fiber of my being was just screaming for a job there so we could buy the house and keep the place alive, but it wasn’t meant to be.  I’ll always cherish that piece of our trip and I most definitely view it as a sweet little gift that the Lord gave me in the midst of an erratic time in our lives.

Once in Oklahoma, the Lord was so faithful!  We were really beginning to wonder what our next move was.  We knew we had to go back to Colorado for a few days, but then what?  He just showed us time and time again that He wasn’t absent from the process.  From people calling with words (rhemas) for us or the message at church we felt led to attend one Sunday morning that was titled, “What to do in the time of transition.”  Yeah.  That was us…and He was with us.

That Monday, Wrex got a phone call that ended in a job offer from the packing plant in Booker; they wanted him to come on as their northern cattle buyer.  He’d train in Texas for three months and then move up north and establish himself…somewhere.  They would give him a set of barns he was to buy in on a weekly basis, but he would be able to determine the specific community in which to settle.

After a day’s worth of prayer, we felt full release for him to take the job!  It felt so right and like a huge, heavy weight had been lifted off of our shoulders.  They settled on a start date, we hit the road back to Colorado to tie up a few more loose ends and grabbed a few little necessities out of storage – like a crib and a bed and a kitchen table – so that we could make ourselves at home in Texas….again.

****Part 3 is my favorite – stay tuned!****

How in the World Did We Get Here: Part 1

Our little, ole farm house is all tucked snuggly under a blanket of snow this morning as fresh flakes are starting to fall again.  Let it be known that I don’t mind that one bit.  In my book, if it’s gonna be cold it might as well snow.

Not a creature was stirring...
Not a creature was stirring…

We’ve lived here two and a half years although it doesn’t feel near that long.  Earlier this morning, I was reflecting on how exactly we got here.  It was all Him, friends.

Wrex worked for a family company in Denver that had their fingers (successfully) in quite a few niches; ear tags, farming, purebred cattle, show goats, horses.  He had an active role in each of those endeavors and thus worked A LOT.   The situation wasn’t ideal and became less so after Sawyer was born.  A lot of mornings, Wrexy left before she was awake and came home after she was in bed and that was definitely not how we wanted to raise our family.  It would’ve been different if it was our land or our cattle or our company and we were investing this time and energy into something for our future generations, but that wasn’t the case.

So after lots of intense prayer and discussion, we knew that the Lord was calling us away from there.   On his 29th birthday, he gave his one month notice and we stepped out in faith…no job lined up, no place to live (as we were living in company supplied housing), no idea where to go…we just knew that working there was no longer obedience, but that stepping away was. 

We spent our evenings together praying and job hunting and packing.  Our house was nothing fancy but we had made a lot of special memories there.  It was the place we celebrated our first five anniversaries…the place we brought our first baby home to…the place where we hosted friends who became our roommates for a season…the place where we threw card parties and goat dehorning work days and family get togethers.  Even though we knew that our leaving was the right thing to do and that it was what the Lord was asking of us, it still stung a little.  Obedience isn’t always easy…

W spent his days tying up as many loose ends as possible.  By the end of the month, the contents of our home were moved into a storage container and we?  We were jobless and homeless…but not hopeless. 

The job part never really concerned me for several reasons.  One, I knew that we were walking in obedience so I had no doubt that the Lord had something lined up for us; He wouldn’t call us away and then hang us out to dry.  Two, Wrexy has more skills in more different areas than any person I’ve ever met.  I often tell him that he’s handicapped me as a do-er.  If something breaks or isn’t quite right or needs a little finesse, I don’t even try anymore – I just wait for him to get home because he’ll fix it in a jiffy and in a way better manner than I ever could.  Plus, he’s the most loyal, hardest working, social genius on the planet.  And three, I knew that if he had to, he would work two jobs slopping hogs or serving french fries before we ever went hungry.  Before we ever left, he was offered two different jobs, but neither of them had the stamp of the Lord and as hard as it was to say ‘no’ to them, knowing that if we said yes we could stay in the same area, ‘no’ was what we said.

During that first week of our new found homelessness, some of our favorite friends were on vacation and they allowed us to stay in their home.  This was such a huge blessing to us as we finished taking care of last minute business things and fully getting a plan in place for what was next.

We spent a lot of time in the quiet together that week.  It’s a weird feeling, especially for a type A planner to not have a plan…but to know that THE plan was to be obedient to the Lord. There is blessing in obedience – I’ve experienced that richly! I’ve also experienced the consequences of disobedience and I didn’t want to venture there again.

We prayed continually that the Lord would make our schedule for us and that He would provide us with the job that Wrex needed to say ‘yes’ to…wherever that may be.  We knew that He knew our hearts in wanting more family time and He knew our hearts in wanting Wrex to have a job that was rooted in agriculture; a job that wouldn’t find him stuck behind a desk and a job that he enjoyed.  This whole process had happened so fast and was so outside of ourselves that we had no other option but to have hope; confident expectancy in the goodness of God.

As the week was coming to a close, we made plans to visit my family in several parts of Texas and then Wrex’s sister and grandma in Oklahoma and Kansas before heading back to Colorado to finish out a ministry event we were a part of.  We had cleaned up behind ourselves and packed what we needed for a few weeks on the road with a 10 month old, when Wrex got a call that we needed to stop at the tip-top of Texas before we ventured further south; a meat packing plant wanted to meet him and see if he was a fit for their company.  Maybe, just maybe, this was it?

Knocking it Out of the Park

I cleaned out my desk this morning and I made it out alive!!  Phew.  It had gotten a little out of control and I’m proud to report that my laptop can fit on it’s surface again.  Ahem.

In that process, I was organizing some preschool stuff and some Bible study materials and I forgot that I had gotten out two old journals the other day, searching for some notes on a study we’d done a few years back.  I was browsing through them…which can be quite humbling, mind you.  It’s a little gut wrenching when you’re still struggling with some of the same thing you were struggling with in 2011.  Keep pressing in, Lord.

One of those journals was Wrexy’s and I was browsing through it and I came across a list he made in May of 2011 titled “Top 15 Goals for My Marriage/Family.”  I was gonna just skip right over it but I felt the Lord asking me to dwell there for a minute, so I read through them.

  1. Create a loving, God-fearing environment.
  2. To be someone Stef trusts and relies on.
  3. To be an example to others of Christian marriage.
  4. To be an involved dad, teaching my kids to do things/gain skills.
  5. To be a good provider.
  6. To teach my kids to hear from the Lord and leave a legacy of the fear of the Lord.
  7. To be a dad/husband that my family will be proud of.
  8. To instil self-worth and the truth about who they are in my kids; build each other up.
  9. To grow together as a family through acts of service/giving.
  10. To be an example of a loyal, honest, hard-working man.
  11. To grow closer to Stef with each day and year through oneness with Christ.
  12. To help nurture Stef’s gifts.
  13. To remain best friends with Stef.
  14. To communicate well with Stef, not just say what I think she wants to hear.
  15. To not grow complacent in my role as the spiritual leader of my home.

Be. Still. My. Heart.  I was absolutely speechless and so incredibly humbled reading this list.  Talk about selfless and God-centered; he gets it and we are blessed because of it.

Let me just say, you are doing a darn fine job, handsome.  I am so proud to be your wife.  You are the glue that holds this ship together and keeps us afloat and you are knocking it out of the park in the husband/dad department!

Thank you for showing us on a daily basis how Christ loved the church.

Thank you for wanting the best for us.

Thank you for dying to yourself over and over again.

Thank you for leading us and guiding us and providing for us.

Thank you for being the most gracious, forgiving, patient, honest, loyal, generous, gentle, determined, enthusiastic, unflappable, God-fearing man I’ve ever known.

****Note to readers, W and I are that couple that shares everything (as I believe all married couples should) – passwords, prayers, bank accounts, spit.  😉  He was not at all concerned that I read his journal or that I shared it here.  His main concern was that women would be stumbling in covetousness.  Ahem.  Notice I didn’t list ‘humble’ in my description of him.  🙂 ****

How to Study the Bible: Topical Study

Do you ever find yourself thinking about something someone did or said (or something you did or said) and you wonder, “What does the Bible say about ________?”  I feel like I do this a lot, depending on the subject (love, sin, shame, forgiveness, etc.)  As a whole, I think we tend to know a little bit about a lot of things or we may know the gist of it, but not the full spectrum of the Lord’s heart on a specific issue…and that’s where topical studies come in.

On our quest to know the Lord more intimately through Biblical study, we’ve looked at inductive studies and personalization.  Today, let’s look at topical studies.

Topical study – a study about a specific topic…love, grace, prayer, forgiveness, humility, sin, etc.

It involves the same three basic steps that we saw in the inductive study…

  1. Observation – what does the passage say?
  2. Interpretation – what does the passage mean?
  3. Application – how does the meaning apply to me?

Observation

  1. Choose a topic.  Choose something you’re interested in or something you’d like to know more about…or something you need to know more about.  Because the Bible is so rich and vast, it’s often best to specify these even more, for example: Jesus’ love for others while on earth (instead of just trying to study love) or intercessory prayer (instead of just trying to study prayer).
  2. Make a list of related words.  Since there are so many different version out there, sometimes it’s best to write down synonyms for the topic you’re studying so that you can get a full explanation of the topic.  If you’re studying prayer, jot down ask, call, intercession, supplication, etc.
  3. Look up Bible references for your topic.  Start with a concordance to look up references to your original word and your synonymous words.  Online Bible tools (Bible Gateway, Bible Hub) have made this a lot simpler and faster, as you can do keyword searches and switch from translation to translation with the click of a mouse.
  4. Read each passage and read them in context, meaning the verses preceding and following, so that you get a full picture of what the Lord is truly saying.

Interpretation

  1. Study each reference.  Use the inductive method of the 5 w’s and h to get the full effect and meaning of the scripture.  If you feel like topics are mentioned that need further cross-referencing, then by all means, research some more!
  2. Write down your observations.  What did you learn broadly?  What is the Lord’s heart regarding your topic?  What did you see brought up consistently throughout Scripture?

Application

  1. Apply what you’ve learned.  How did the Lord speak to you during this study?  in what ways were you convicted?  In what ways do you feel like He’s asking you to make a change or application?  Write down several ways that you can apply what you have learned to your self and do just that.

Topical studies can be quite vast but OH SO RICH.  We have so much Biblical information right at our fingertips thanks to Bible search engines and study materials available online, that this should be an easy-peasy way to learn more about the Lord.  So….hop to it!  What topic is calling your name?!

How to Study the Bible: Personalization

One of my favorite types of Bible study is the personalization of Scripture.  It takes the message of the written word of God from a epistle for everyone (which it is) to an epistle for me (which it is).  For me, personalization really makes Scripture come alive and it helps me take ownership of the truth in His word.  Part of the personalization process involves reading other translations and breaking down the verbage, so for a lover of words and their meanings, that part appeals to me, too.

How to personalize Scripture (for this example, we’ll look at Ephesians 6:10-18)

1. Pray and ask the Lord to teach you and to show you HIs perfect and personal word for you.

           2. Read a passage of Scripture to yourself.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

    3. Read it aloud.

           4. Underline words or phrases that really catch your attention.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

5. Read some different versions and use them to gain deeper understanding of the text.

10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].  11 Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.  12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.  13 Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].  14 Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,  15 And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the [a]firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness [b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. 16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of [c]saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].  17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit [d]wields, which is the Word of God.  18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

     6. Copy the text as written.

           7. Re-write the text in first person. 

I must be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  I will put on all of His armor so that I will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.   I am not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, I will put on every piece of God’s armor so I will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle I will still be standing firm.  I will stand my ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.   For shoes,  I will put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that I will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, I will hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. I will put on salvation as my helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I will pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. I will stay alert and be persistent in my prayers for all believers everywhere.

           8. Expand the text. 

  • Write alternate meanings for words/phrases
  • Write it out in your own words
  • Write it as a personal prayer

I must be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  There is no one stronger than Him!  All He possess, I possess through His Spirit.  I will put on all of His armor so that I will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.  It is possible to stand firm!  That’s what His word is saying – it is possible! I am not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  I am fighting the devil himself.

Therefore, I will put on every piece of God’s armor so I will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.   I WILL be able to resist his schemes.  Then after the battle I will still be standing firm.  I will succeed!  I will triumph victorious!  I will stand my ground; I will not waiver; I will not be moved.  I will put on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, I will put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that I will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, I will hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil, because they WILL come…but  can be prepared.  I will put on salvation as my helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Is there a more powerful weapon than He?

I will pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. I will stay alert and be persistent in my prayers for all believers everywhere. 

          9. Pray through the passage.

Oh, you guys…even just taking these few minutes to run through this passage simply and quickly has sooooo ministered to my heart.  Reading and re-reading and expanding and making it my own just brings so much understanding – and not just regarding the text – but about the Author of the text…and isn’t that the point?  Intimate fellowship with Him as we study His word and apply it to our life = the key to Biblical study, and personalization does just that.

How to Study the Bible: Inductive Study

In college, I had extraordinary study skills; I was the girl that made money selling her notes to the other slackers less studious types.  (I had a killer wardrobe several of those years.  Maybe I should try that again…)

Fast forward 10 years…

When we lived in Denver, we were so incredibly fortunate to have a deep source of great Bible teachers and mentors that propelled us forward in our understanding of the Word, and thus, THE Word.  I remember sitting at a weekend Bible intensive and the light bulb FINALLY flicked on in my head – study the Bible like you studied in college.  What a novel idea!  This is the most important material we will ever cover, so why not treat it the same way?  Over the next week or so, I’ll share several different methods for doing so.  Plus, what’s better than a hot cup of coffee and some Bible action when it’s -2 outside?!  YIKES!

Today, let’s look at an inductive study.  An inductive Bible study uses the Bible as the main source of information about the Bible.  Essentially, it uses the Bible to prove or validate itself.  (If you’ve ever done a Precepts Bible study, this is the method you’ve used.)  It’s a way of study that has you extract, or draw out, information from the text to understand its meaning.

The inductive method uses three basic steps…

  1. Observation – what does the passage say?
  2. Interpretation – what does the passage mean?
  3. Application – how does the meaning apply to me?

Observation – the 5 W’s and H

  1. Pray and ask the Lord to teach you.
  2. Select and read a passage of Scripture.
  3. Note the obvious and answer the 5 W’s and H: who, what, when, where, why and how…
  • Who wrote it?
  • Who are they writing to?
  • Who are they writing about?
  • What are they writing about?
  • What is the purpose in writing this?
  • What are these people like?
  • What were they doing during this time?
  • What was their reaction?
  • When was it written?
  • When did the event happen or when will it take place?
  • Where was this done?
  • Where was this written?
  • Why was this written?
  • Why did God want me to know this?
  • Why did the author say so much about this?
  • Why did the author say so little about this?
  • Why should they do ____?
  • How did it happen?
  • How did they do it?
  • How did they react?

Interpretation

  1. Interpretation is not necessarily a separate step from observation.  As you carefully observe the text and answer all of those questions, you often begin to see what it means.
  2. Be objective in your reading and let the Scripture speak for itself. Don’t try to make it say what you’ve always thought it said. Ask God to make His truth obvious to you.
  3. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.  Use the Bible as a cross-reference tool to make sure your interpretation isn’t contradictory to the entire Word of God.  The Bible will not contradict itself.

Application

Application is putting the truths you’ve discovered through observation and interpretation to use in your life.  Bible study is meant not merely to enlighten or inform, but to transform us and renew our minds.

Application happens when we are confronted with truth and we decide to respond in obedience to that truth.  When you know what God says, what He means, and how to put His truths into practice, you will be equipped for every circumstance of life.  To be equipped for every good work of life—totally prepared to handle every situation in a way that honors God—is the will of God.

I will admit that this was never my first choice for study types but OH MY GOODNESS, I have changed my mind!  I always learn so incredibly much when I take the time to go through a passage of Scripture in this way.  The inductive study is leaping it’s way into my top three faves.  Fickle, fickle me.

If you’ve never tried this method of study, I highly encourage you to give it a whirl.  I guarantee you’ll be blessed and fed and emboldened and convicted and drawn closer to the heart of God.  Let me know what ya think, k?

The Storehouse

We woke up to a beautiful, snowy masterpiece this morning.  Everything is covered in a thick, soft blanket of white, as if all tucked in comfy cozy.  I love that snow makes everything look clean and crisp and pristine.  It has the ability to brighten even the most rundown/filthy/decrepit of places and makes you forget their original state, as it covers the dirt and grime with its cleansing grace.

Since the roads were supposed to be a little nasty up this way, Wrex left after his evening sale last night to head to his Friday sale in Wyoming.  We watched the radar and it looked like he could beat the snow and be safe and sound in town and not have to rush in the morning, so I sent him off at 10:00 last night – not my favorite thing on so many levels – but it was the wise choice.

A dear, dear friend of mine called to pray over me since I’m not the biggest of fan of being out here in the sticks without my protector/snuggle bunny here with me at night.  As she was praying, she acknowledged the Lord as the “One in control of the storehouses of snow” and that just brought such immediate peace to me.  I got such a vivid image of these big, long, white sheds with little fasteners on them and then Him excitedly opening them as beautiful, fluffy flakes fall out as blessings.  Little, crystalline drops of His love and His mercy and His grace and His goodness falling straight from the sky.

In those moments, I forgot my fears and worries; His sovereignty and favor covered them, much like the snow outside covered the ground.  My thoughts shifted to the Giver (Him) of these gifts (snow, hubby and kids) instead of my feeble attempt at controlling their well being. Just as He controls the falling of each flake and dispenses it upon the earth, He dispenses all I need…and in that moment, it was peace…and peace He brought.

I am so thankful that He brings gentle conviction so that I can open my hands and give Him back the things He has so graciously bestowed upon me.  I am so thankful for sweet friends who are filled with the Holy Spirit, who are unafraid to pray and who bless me by doing so.  I am most thankful that He has chosen to cover my rundown, filthy, decrepit, ramshackle, haggard attempts at righteousness with His perfection and holiness so that I can appear spotless before the Father…as white as snow, in fact.

Today, I find myself going back to the storehouse, back into His presence, back to the foot of the cross for more of His provision.  Fridays usually find me tired and a little weary and in need of more of what He has to pour out, so I can pour it out, too.  Lucky for me, the shelves are never empty.

I do hope you take the time to revel in His splendor today…

IMG_3681IMG_3684IMG_3682IMG_3683and take freely from the storehouse…there’s good stuff there.