Linked Together: Bible Study

Two blog posts and one video encouraging you to study the Bible.

Kim Shay: “[T]he best way to get people fired up about the Bible is to get them into the Bible and help them study it well. When we open that book and read and pray over its contents, the Spirit of God speaks to our hearts and nourishes us. The Spirit satisfies our souls and causes us to long for more.”

Lisa Spence: “We long for women to hunger for the Word of God, that hunger fueling a desire for knowledge, that knowledge prompting a greater love for the God of the Word, that love in turn creating a greater hunger, and not just a hunger for our personal knowledge of Him but for others to know Him too.”

Kathy Keller on Reading the Bible Every Day from Crossway on Vimeo.

Heidelberg Catechism

Question 43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?

Answer: Through his death, our old man is crucified, put to death and buried with him; (a) so that the corrupt inclinations of the flesh may no longer reign in us; (b) but that we may offer ourselves to him a sacrifice of thanksgiving. (c)

(Scriptural proofs after the fold.)

Click to read more ...

Sunday's Hymn: Though Troubles Assail Us

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The promise assures us, The Lord will provide.

The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied
So long as ’tis written, The Lord will provide.

We all may, like ships, by tempest be tossed
On perilous deeps, but can not be lost;
Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide,
Yet Scripture engages, The Lord will provide.

His call we obey, like Abraham of old:
We know not the way, but faith makes bold;
For though we are strangers, we have a sure guide,
And trust in all dangers, The Lord will provide.

When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
And courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart cheering promise, The Lord will provide.

He tells us we’re weak, our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek we never shall obtain,
But when such suggestions, our graces have tried,
This answers all questions, The Lord will provide.

No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;
Yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide:
The Lord is our power, The Lord will provide.

When life sinks apace, and death is in view,
The word of His grace shall comfort us through,
Not fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting, The Lord will provide.

—John Newton

Matthew Smith sings John Newton’s words to the newer tune he wrote for them:

Here’s the more traditional tune:

Other hymns, worship songs, prayers, sermons excerpts, or quotes posted today:

• O Wonderful Word at By Grace Alone
• Fairest Lord Jesus at Graces Daily
• O Father, Hear My Morning Prayer at The Happy Wonderer
• Praise to the Lord, the Almighty at LigonDuncan.com
• Be Merciful to Your Church and to This Nation from Trevin Wax
• Constraining Love at Tried With Fire
• Lifting Up Our Hearts - 31 at The Upward Call
• Whatever He promises, He will perform at Blogging Theologically
• Lord’s Day 27, 2014 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Your weekly dose of Spurgeon: “They took the money” at Pyromaniacs

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.