We went live from Bullard, Texas and I recapped our weekend at First Baptist Church Tyler, where we visited ahead of the Ladies Conference on April 17–18 (Callie will sing and I'm teaching Psalm 23, "He Restores My Soul"). I also shared how we celebrated Callie's birthday with bakery stops and family dinners, and I reminded everyone about our Deep in the Heart Ministries men's conference in Tyler on Feb. 28. I taught from Exodus 16 about Israel grumbling in the wilderness and God providing quail and manna with daily instructions. I emphasized that God doesn't lead us out of bondage to let us starve, that testing develops faith, that rebellious hearts ignore simple instructions, that God's provisions aren't to be hoarded (including spiritually), that we're responsible to use what God provides, and that God's patience is unmatched. I connected the manna story to depending on God's Word daily (Deuteronomy 8). We'll be back in two weeks on March 2!

Our Bible study continues the "Enough for Today" series (Matthew 6:25) by finishing Ruth, contrasting the unstable 'psuche' life with abundant 'zoe' life. We explain Naomi's ordered instructions to Ruth (wash, anoint, dress, go) as a picture of Jesus' redemption: washing of rebirth (Titus 3), anointing of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1), and being covered in Christ's righteousness (Romans 3; 2 Corinthians 5), emphasizing that faith requires action (James 2). Then we walk through Ruth's approach to Boaz at the threshing floor, stress integrity, describe the kinsman-redeemer's role (must be willing and able; includes redeeming from slavery, buying back property, marrying a childless widow, receiving restitution, and avenging murder), and highlight Ruth's hesed loyalty. Boaz agrees to redeem Ruth but follows proper order by first offering the right to a closer relative, who declines to protect his estate; the sandal exchange finalizes the transaction. Boaz publicly redeems Naomi's land and marries Ruth, linking the story to Jesus' private resolve and public sacrifice, and the elders bless their union. Ruth conceives, Naomi is restored through the birth of Obed (father of Jesse, father of David), and the genealogy connects to Perez, Rahab, and ultimately Jesus, underscoring redemption, God's perfect way, and living by God's timetable—especially the difficulty of waiting in faith.

In this episode, we catch up after a break and dive into the Book of Ruth, examining the contrast between living a life reliant on human logic (the 'psuche' life) versus one fully dependent on God's provision and guidance (the 'Zoe' life). We discuss Ruth's unwavering commitment to Naomi, her dedication to living out God's commands, and the providence of God in leading her to Boaz. This begins our new study "ENOUGH FOR TODAY" focusing on God's gifts for each day and not worrying about tomorrow.

Join us in this special on-the-fly Christmas edition as we discuss the true meaning of Christmas through the lens of the biblical nativity story. We explore how major characters like Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds overcame their fears with faith. We dive deep into the themes of joy and peace, focusing on God's promises and the significance of Jesus' birth. Learn how the nativity story's message of not being afraid can apply to our own lives and bring us closer to God's best. Along the way, enjoy light-hearted moments, personal anecdotes, and insights about spreading the joy of Jesus this holiday season. Merry Christmas, everyone!

We've heard the Christmas story so much it's probably become "old hat" by now. This session let's look at it from the standpoint of fear. Because all the principle players were told — "DO NOT BE AFRAID."

And like Mary, we have no reason to fear. That little baby grew up to be a man who satisfied every requirement of God's wrath. Because of Jesus and the salvation God provides through His death and resurrection, man can receive God's grace simply because He chose to give it to him.

DO. NOT. BE. AFRAID.

Living under the spirit of fear has been our series theme this fall. This session we will discuss living in fear of world events — things that are out of our control. When we live under the spirit of fear, the enemy can use ANYTHING that is unknown to intimidate us. World events are unknown. Not one of us can control the weather, or the leaders of other countries, or the citizens of other countries or our neighbors next door. BUT we do know the One who is in control of everything — Whose sovereign plan was laid before the foundation of the world. With God in control and our total faith in Him, we have absolutely no reason to live in the spirit of fear. This session we are going to Jeremiah.

This episode is about faith, fear, and Jesus' miracles. We share our personal stories, including a touching testimony about miscarriage and the hope found in Jesus. We also discuss the Biblical story found in Mark 5 of the woman healed by Jesus after 12 years of suffering, emphasizing the importance of honesty and embracing Jesus' unconditional love and peace. Join us as we explore how these lessons have shaped our lives and can impact yours too.

In this session we are studying the fear of being honest with God. We as humans are funny. We think we can hide from an all-knowing, all-seeing, ever present God — the Creator the Universe. You'd think we learned our lesson from Adam and Eve, or Jonah, or David, or Sarah — all those who tried to hide from God what they'd done or didn't do. I don't know a single time it worked out. This session we will re-visit a woman who fears for her life after her encounter with Emmanuel — God with us. Study Guide available at GRJBMinistries.com

In this episode, Mom and me share our thoughts and experiences from our recent trip to Branson where we saw 'David the Musical'. We dive deep into the story of David and Goliath, discussing the musical's portrayal and exploring themes such as faith, fear, and God's sovereignty. We reflect on how David's unwavering trust in God helped him overcome monumental challenges. Through historical insights, scriptural interpretations, and personal reflections, we examine how understanding David's heart and faith can shape our own relationship with God and help us tackle the giants in our lives.

We've established what we fear — others and their words, our enemies, honesty with God, and world events. Last time we looked at Saul and his fear of man and how that fear dictated his life. This session, we are going to examine fear of our enemies from 2 perspectives — King Saul and a shepherd boy named David…..

The battle is the Lord's. DO. NOT. FEAR.

grjbministries.com