Movie Monday - Mustard Seed

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Bible Study Weekend - John 2:1-11

John 2:1-11

Jesus Changes Water to Wine

1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Questions:

1. What do you think is the significance of this miracle as the first one?

2. What do you think Jesus means when he says to his mother,"My time has not yet come."

3. What does the miracle reveals to you about Jesus?

Talk Tuesday - 7 years… what I learned from my wife about love.

My wife and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary yesterday. We have been together for almost 10 years. God has been good to us. He gave me the desires of my heart and I am so blessed to be married to her. Everyone that knows her says that she is such a loving and caring person. Most of you know that she brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to me. When I first met her she was not a Christian but when she came back into my life she was so transformed that I had to find out more about this Jesus she knew.

She lives the love of Christ. From children to the young at heart, Tash loves people with the love of Jesus. What I really want to talk to you about is showing love when people treat you badly. It is easy to treat people good when they treat you good but it is hard when they treat you badly. On one occasion, Tash was treated badly by a grumpy person and all Tash did was give that person love. I was mad and the first thing I wanted to do was tell her off, but Tash calmed me down. When the person came back she was as nice as pie to Tash. The scripture from 1 Peter 4:8 came to mind:

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

We never know what a person is going through, if they had a hard day or even a hard life. Jesus says:

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
—Matthew 5:38-42

Love concurs all. When we love like Christ we can see hurting people healed, sadness turned to joy and faith restored. So today, who do you need to show love to? Is it your dad, your spouse, or the person at work? Take the time to show love this week to someone who has treated you badly and tell us what happened. Remember,"love covers a multitude of sins."

Share with us how you have seen this scripture play out in your life.

Movie Monday - It's your love

Follow this link to see the music video on YouTube

Bible Study Weekend - John 1:35-51

John 1:35-51
Jesus' First Disciples

35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.

47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Questions

1. What did Andrew, Simon and Philip do when they encountered Jesus?

2. It is exciting when you come to know Jesus as your personal Saviour. What was your experience when sharing your faith in Jesus?

3. Why did Nathanael believe that Jesus was the Messiah? How did you come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah?

Talk Tuesday – What are you hoping for?

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

When my wife was in the hospital for the second time all I could do was trust in the Lord. I had to take my eyes off the current situation and put my faith in Jesus. I held on to the Word and read it daily. These are some of the verses that kept me going.

Psalm 25:3
No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Since my hope was in Jesus I knew He had the best plan and purpose for our lives. I knew that whatever happened God was in control. I was hardly a super Christian. There were times when my faith was weak and I would ask God the hard questions. But God saw me through it all and He took my wife out of that hospital bed, into rehab and now she is recovering. God is faithful.

There is a purpose for our suffering. There is a purpose for our waiting. There is a purpose for our trials and our storms. You might not see it right now but God knows.

So what are you hoping for? What are you trusting God for? Is it a new job, a family member’s salvation, a husband or wife, a baby or God’s healing touch? Let us partner with you in prayer. Share with us what you are hoping for or how God has been faithful in answering your prayers. You never know how your comment could bless someone reading BGO.

Movie Monday - Inheritance

Take the time to look at this video.

Bible Study Weekend - John 1:19-34

John 1:19-34

John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

¹⁹Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

²¹They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."

²²Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "

²⁴Now some Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

²⁶"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

²⁸This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God

²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' ³¹I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

³²Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Questions:

1. What was John the Baptist's testimony?

2. Why was John baptizing people?

3. What is the significance of Jesus being the Lamb of God?

If you have any other insight into this passage feel free to share it with us.

Talk Tuesday- The Seed of Pride

Hello BGOers! This talk Tuesday we are featuring a Guest Writer who goes under the name of Cynthia. Enjoy and be blessed!

Was there ever a time when the sin of pride seemed to get in your way?

Pride is a dangerous emotion that eventually leads us to sinful behavior. There are several areas in our lives that are susceptible to pride. Most of the time we don’t even know when pride has seeped into our hearts – this is how pride works in a person. Pride is an excessively high opinion of ourselves and can lead to much destruction in our relationships with others and with God.

Have you ever been confronted and rebuked about a sin that you have committed? I have! When confronted shouldn’t we accept correction as a resource to our growth in the Lord?

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

What does the Bible say about pride? How can we have a victorious life in Christ if we think we are better than others or if we think we do everything right? "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." Matthew 7:1

Isn’t pride an ingredient in every argument? "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." Proverbs 13:10. Doesn’t pride keep us from asking others for help or advice? Doesn’t pride ultimately hinder and harm us?

Many times when we pray, we need to humble ourselves and trust God in the face of what seems impossible. We need to have confidence to know that what we have prayed about will come to pass. The best person to encourage us in this area is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Remember, that God’s Word is not silent in these areas. God sent Isaiah to King Hezekiah at one time with the message, “Because you prayed”. Jesus told Jairus that “just believe”.

We all face challenges of fear and pride that push us to a point of giving up. Can you imagine if that challenge comes with a warning from God telling you that you would not be healed? King Hezekiah faced this situation. Instead of giving up or getting angry with God, he humbled himself before his Maker. King Hezekiah faced the wall and cried out to the Lord for mercy and God heard his prayer from heaven and extended his life.


"In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, 'This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.'

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 'Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 'Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life.' " 2 Kings 20:1-6

We have a merciful God we serve! Praise the Lord!

How did you handle the sin of pride when it crept into your life?

We look forward to hearing from you each week. We have received feedback on how your comments have blessed and encouraged others. Please continue your faithful work in the Lord. Please click on the comments link to respond. Remember, if you feel shy, you can always go under a nickname or Anonymous. Happy Commenting!

Movie Monday - I Will Rise

I felt in my heart to look for a song that would minister to someone. If you are going through a trail take a look at this video. I pray that the video will bless you as it blessed me.

Bible Study Weekend - The Gospel of John

Welcome to BGO's Bible Study on the Gospel of John. Each week new questions and passages from the book of John will be posted. Please post your answers using the following format: Question # - Answer/Response. The purpose of this Bible Study is to provide an informal setting for the communal study of the Word of God. Please accord due respect to all participants. We are excited to begin this new journey together! God bless you.

John 1:1-18

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Questions

1. What characteristics of Jesus can we learn about from these passages?

2. What does it mean to be a child born of God?

3. What is the significance of the Word becoming flesh and making His dwelling among us?

Talk Tuesday-Holding On

Today I had a conversation with someone I admire and respect. She reminded me that unless we hold on through the storm, we will not see the goodness of the Lord and experience the victory in the end. I thought about this. If we give up in the middle of the race, we will never receive the prize awaiting us at the finish line. It is the same with our Christian walk.

" Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus must have had the victory of the cross ever present before Him, etched in His mind. He must have determined in His heart to obey God. He chose to withstand the crucifixion knowing of the gift of salvation that His sacrifice would bring.

Another friend I was talking to today reminded me of a message she heard in a sermon . Sometimes we go through trials because God has chosen to trust us with it. There is a higher purpose and a greater reward awaiting us. In the case of Job, God trusted him with his trial.

"One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?'

Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.'

Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'"Job 1:6-8

If we choose to trust God through our trials, He will reveal Himself to us in ways that we could never before fathom. If we submit to Him and bring our pain to Him, He will give us the grace to endure. He will develop character in us and entrust us with a testimony that will help others along life's journey. Just look at the book of Job. His story is one that has encouraged God's people through the ages and continues to do so. Just hang in there and hold on to Jesus.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5

Please share your thoughts with us by clicking on the comments link below. Remember, this is our Anniversary Month and we are having a free contest draw. You only have to register your 'nickname/username" by sending us an email to joinus@biblegrouponline.com. We will enter a ballot for each comment made under that 'nickname/username'. A draw will be held on September the 1st. We look forward to hearing from you! Be blessed!

Movie Monday - True Happiness

BGO One Year Anniversary

To commemorate our 1st Anniversary, we have made some exciting new changes to biblegrouponline.com! We are introducing an interactive bible study on Fridays. Our first series will focus on the Gospel of John. Each week, we will post the relevant chapter, verses and questions for discussion. Please feel free to encourage your friends, families and neighbours to join us! We have also added a prayer wall for your prayer requests and testimonies. All prayer requests will be prayed for on a regular basis. We also encourage other BGO users to pray for the needs posted. The link for the Prayer Wall will be located on the left side of the page. We will continue with Talk Tuesdays and Movie Mondays. We hope these changes will help you to grow in your relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Revelations 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

1st Anniversary Comment Contest

Welcome to our 1st Anniversary Contest! We will be giving away the Hillsong DVD for Saviour King as our grand prize. The contest runs from August 1st to August 31st. Ballot entries will be awarded to registered users based on the number of comments posted. There is also a chance to earn additional ballots by referring friends. The contest rules are as follows:

• Each contestant is required to register once
• Registration Process: Send an email to joinus@biblegrouponline.com with your alias, email address and real name (optional). Please note that your real name is optional but will be required if you are declared the winner. This is for mailing purposes only.
• A ballot entry will be accorded to each registered participant on a per comment basis from August 1st to August 31st inclusively
• Ballots will be assigned based on registered participants only. For example, if your registered alias is ‘Andrew’, each time you make a comment under that name, a ballot will be entered on your behalf
• You will also be awarded ballots based on referrals
• Referral process: Include the name of the person who referred you in the body of your registration email. All submissions must be sent to joinus@biblegrouponline.com
• Each participant will receive a confirmation email subsequent to registration
• On September 1st 2009 a draw will be held in which a Winner will be selected from the box of ballot entries
• There is no restriction on the number of comments or referrals allowed
• All shipping costs will be covered by BGO
• All mailing information will be kept confidential

Prayer Wall - August

Make your prayer request and share your testimonies by clicking on the comments link below. Fellow BGOers please visit the prayer wall and pray for the people that post their prayers. To get to the prayer wall page just click on the prayer wall link in the left column. Every month the prayer wall is updated.