mark 4:10

When he was alone, the twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables (NIV)

After Jesus teaches the crowd the parable of sower, there were few who when up to Jesus and asked him what it meant. And I think that is a huge part of being a student is asking question, part of being a student to means that you are admitting that you don’t know something or not enough and you want to know more. So, knowing that you don’t know, something that is key is just to ask a question. The twelve disciples who walked with Jesus day in and day out didn’t know what the parable of the sower meant, and it wasn’t just the twelve who asked there were people around them who asked too. In return Jesus said this “the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you...”  because they asked they get to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, later on Jesus did tell the people who asked, the meaning of the parable, and they left all the wiser and knowing more about Jesus which is the entire point. What point is there to Christianity if we don’t know Jesus? If we don’t know Christ? There is none whatsoever, and I know that I am lacking in knowledge and God is infinite in wisdom and infinite in knowledge and desire a relationship with me, so why not get the most out of it and strive to know God?

Application:

But I know that I struggle with asking questions and its diffidently something I can grow in and want to grow in.

That’s is why I will write down any question I have that way I can ask someone and grow in my faith and Know God more.

luke 2:46

And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, asking them questions. KJV

Here I see Jesus doing two main things, listening and asking, you see Jesus in the temple for three days straight amount the teachers, Jesus first sat and listened to them teach. I think that is extremely important if we want to be good students is to sit and listen. It’s hard to do the second part correctly if we don’t humble ourselves and listen to the teachers. Jesus was fully God and Fully man, everything that they were teaching Jesus being fully God probably gave them that knowledge. But Jesus humbled himself and sat under them how much more should we humble ourselves? I know for me that I don’t know as much as I like to think I do. It’s hard to have the heart of learning if you think you are smarter than the person teaching. But the second thing he did was ask question. He sat and listened to the teachings then after he asked questions. I know for me there is a lot of things in the bible that I don’t understand and quite frankly get me confused, so for me I know that I must ask questions that way God may untie the knots of confusion. But, I think this verse really show the heart of a student, someone who is willing to sit at the feat of a teacher and listen to what they have today and then afterwards not afraid to ask questions that way he may grow in his understanding.

Application:

I know for me I need to grow and ask God for this heart, so today I will listen to a study before I got to bed and listen to it and write down any question I might I have that way afterwards I can Go up to someone and ask my question that way I can Grow in my understanding.

James 1:19

So then, my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. NKJV

I think these verse is really taking about how to handle a situation correctly, you are first to be quick to listen. This is the area I think is hard especially when you are angry. I know for me that I must remember this verse doesn’t say “be quick to listen if you are not angry” no but it says to listen first, and if you are listening the next part should come naturally. “Quick to listen, slow to speak,” for me this hard, because I will listen, but I will get angry and in result I wont listen. It’s easy for me to listen just so I can have built up a case for my anger that way I may justify it. But, I have worldly and sinful anger. In these verses he talks about the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. In my experience and how I have reacted my anger is always selfish and does not think about any but myself. I want to be more like God and I desire to be righteous like him and that only comes if I forsake my anger and follow these verses. The goal is to be Christ like and not Man-like, so its to take on righteous anger which is given by God and is moved by God and not man.

Application:

I don’t know what that looks like but, I know that I have to pray about it daily, so to remember that I will write righteous anger on my hand to remind myself to pray for righteous anger and become more like him daily.

exodus 2:23-25

During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. Exodus 2:23-25

To give context on what is happening, joseph has died as well as the pharaoh who put joseph in second in command and a new pharaoh has been put in power. Israel was growing and started to thrive, this new pharaoh got scared and made them slaves and commanded if a woman was to have a boy then, that boy must be killed. Israel had no place to go and where completely helpless to do anything. The got in such a place that the only thing can do is cry out to God, and God didn’t forget about his people. Verse 25 It says that “God saw the people of Israel–and He knew” God knew, he knew the pain, the struggle, the hardship of the Israelites. Later in the book Moses will come unto the scene and God will use him to deliver his people from the Egyptians. I know for me I’m not under some dictatorship or some terrible place, in fact it’s the complete opposite, I’m in a Godly environment with Godly men and women who love the lord. But, just to know that God knows where I am no matter how hard times get or how good times get, God always knows and he see’s it and not only that, but he cares. For me that is extremely comforting knowing that God is with me and he hears my cry. So, for me it’s a promise that I can hold on too and never forget.

Application:

To not for get this, I will memorize this passage and thank God for hearing me cry and knowing where I am.

Psalms 119:11/ Mark 1:35

Psalms 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

How do we know God? It goes back to the Sunday school answer, pray and read your bible. But, for me I know I have a thousand excuses on why I can’t do either and I have used those excuses myself but, these two men have shown me that there is no excuse. David says in 119:11 that he has “Stored up”.  When I think of stored up I think of taking time out of your day and intentionally storing what you need to survive. Like a farmer will store up food during the harvest that way during winter he will have food to eat and he will not starve. And I think the bible is the same way, I know that I am prone to sin, but Gods word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword splitting bone and marrow, soul and spirit. And Jesus when tempted by Satan used scripture to fight him and had victory because he took time and intentionally and stored up Gods word in his heart. And then in prayer it says that Jesus rose very early in the morning to pray. Pray is talking to God, and how important it is to hear from God and to seek him every day? Jesus understood that He needed to seek Gods will for that day. So, he went out and had 1 on 1 with God. Man, this example Is something I think is so key, to have enough discipline to get up earlier and seek Gods face early in the morning. Because, some people really do start working as soon as their heads leave the pillow, and they don’t stop until their heads return to that spot. So, to know God more we would have to be intentional and discipline ourselves to seek God first by prayer and to store Gods word so that we might not sin against him. So, I think in order for me to Know God better and to have that relationship with him, I think it start with some discipline, to make sacrifices to sleep schedule to take time out of my day to get in his word and even on the days I don’t want too still do it because I’m not going to want to do the things I know I should every day and that why I need more discipline.

Application:

That’s why starting today for the rest of the week I will get up at 5 and pray and read my word that why I may seek Gods face before I start my day.

1 Peter 4:7

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. NLT

Jesus is coming back, and he is coming back soon. If peter can say that the end of the world is coming soon centuries ago, how much closer are we today. And according to revelation it only gets worse and worse until Jesus comes back and takes his church home. Matthew 24:42 says "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming.”  Matthew 26:41 NLT “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!". The two things that Jesus says to do is watch and pray. Pray is a time where we get to talk to Jesus, a time to petition to him or to intercede for other people who have needs or in need but don’t know it. But, we are to do it earnestly and with discipline, when I think of being earnest about something its to pray knowing that time is short and to know that you don’t know when Jesus is coming back to pray as if he is coming back today. So, peter commands us to be earnest in prayer but, not only earnest but also to show discipline in our prayers, in mark it tells us how Jesus got up in early in the morning when it was still dark, so he could pray. Daniel prayed 3 times a day even when he was not allowed to do so. So, when I think of being disciplined in prayer is to be intentional about it, making sacrifices during your day that way you may talk with Jesus and to seek his heart in every situation.

Application:

Everyday for the rest of the week I will pray for someone who has need and I will read this verse before I do so.