1 Corinthians 10, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #98 & 99

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PASSAGE: Warnings From Israel's History, Idol Feasts and the Lord's Supper, The Believer's Freedom

MEMORY VERSE: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

NOTES: (v.3) "They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ."
(v.7) "Do not be idolaters, as some fo them were; as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."
Memory verse review!: "13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
(v.21) "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealously? Are we stronger than he?"
(v.23) "Everything is permissible--but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible--but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."
(v.31) "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God...For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved."

ACT OF LOVE #98: VBS is coming up quite rapidly, and it'll be my first year being an actual teacher for a class! Yesterday, I went shopping for my class and on my way I bought a some treats/surprises for my classroom helpers (but don't tell them yet, haha). YAY. (I couldn't blog about this yesterday because my internet was down at night). 


ACT OF LOVE #99: I basically spent the entire day at church getting ready for our mario-themed brother's appreciation. I guess the whole day was an act of love towards my brothers, as it was an opportunity to express the gratitude and love that us girls have for the brothers of the fellowship. We spent hours cutting, decorating, taping, preparing gifts, serving, and entertaining for the brothers. It was GREAT!

1 Corinthians 9, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #97: SMOOTHIE

PASSAGE: The Rights of an Apostle

MEMORY VERSE: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

NOTES: (v.11-12) "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ."
(v.14) "In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."
(v.18) "What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it."
(v.22) "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
(v.24) "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I made a delicious peach smoothie for my mom, and she loved it! :) Actually, it was a bit more like a milkshake since I added some ice cream. 

1 Corinthians 8, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #96: MISC II

PASSAGE: Food Sacrificed to Idols

MEMORY VERSE: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

NOTES: (v.1) "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."
(v.8) "But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do."
(v.3) "But the man who loves God is known by God."
(v. 13) "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall." --Reminds me of Romans 14:15 "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died."
In both these verses, Paul write of a drastically different kind of love that most people aren't accustomed to. Instead of acting on what is convenient for myself, the Bible calls us to act on what can help my neighbors, for "love builds up."

ACT OF LOVE: Today was similar to yesterday in that I helped a bit in the morning with taking care of/entertaining the baby when my sister and mother were busy packing/cooking. Also, today my dad left for China again, and so I accompanied my parents to the airport even though his flight was at 1 a.m. 

1 Corinthians 7, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #95: CARWASH & BABYSIT

PASSAGE: Marriage

MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8

NOTES: (v.3) "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband."
(v.10-11) "To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."
(v.19) "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, my sister's husband, Luke, left for Santa Barbara because he had to work. Before he left, I gave his car a wash so that it'd be nice and clean for him to drive back home.
Also, my mom and my sister went shoe shopping for a bit today, so I stayed at home and watched Josiah! He mostly just slept.

1 Corinthians 6, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #94: MISC

PASSAGE: Lawsuits Among Believers, Sexual Immorality

MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8

NOTES: (v.7) "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. 9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?...11But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God."
Wow, I really liked this passage because it completely defied many worldly beliefs and values apparent in society today. In the grand scheme of things, why is it so monumentally bad to be cheated and/or wronged when we can inherit the kingdom of God?
(v.12) "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.
When I read this, I immediately thought of A. W. Tozer and his book, The Pursuit of God (we're covering this book in fellowship). In one chapter referring to worldly idols, Tozer points out that God doesn't necessarily call us to not have anything, but to not possess anything. This passage in the Bible is titled "Sexual Immorality," and Paul emphasizes the importance of physical sexual purity. However, I was also reminded of the book of Hosea, which we covered in Sunday School. God uses Hosea's wife, Gomer, who is a prostitute, to illustrate Israel's spiritual adultery with God. He commands Hosea to marry someone who will be sexually unfaithful to him to show how disgusting Israel's sin is in distancing themselves with God. In a way, perhaps 1 Corinthians 6 could also relate to spiritual "sexual immorality" like that mentioned in Hosea?

ACT OF LOVE: Today, my sister and her husband came to visit with the baby for his one-month birthday. Since the whole family was busy taking care of the baby, my act of love was helping out with random chores in the house (doing the dishes, taking care of the dog, cleaning the shower drain, etc). 

1 Corinthians 5, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #93: MOM

PASSAGE: Expel the Immoral Brother!

MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8

NOTES: (v.6) "Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast, as you really are. For Christ, our passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth."
I thought it was interesting that he used a yeast analogy negatively, because in Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of the mustard seed and yeast: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (v.33)
Perhaps it goes to show that just as the kingdom of heaven is so powerful, and that the love of God is so omniscient, so is even a small amount a pride so destructive. Even a little affects the entire dough
(v.11) "But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, or an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a men do not even eat." Reminds me of Ephesians 5:5-7 "For of this you can be sure: no immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them."
I think this ties in well with the yeast analogy in that Paul seems to emphasize the destructive nature of such people. Note how he specifically states "anyone who calls himself a brother" but lives an immoral life, for "what business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? ...God will judge those outside" Personally, it sounds like a reminder to be bold and loving enough to rebuke, and wise enough to see the effects of "destructive yeast."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, my parents went out to look at another house in PV that they ended up putting an offer on. My parents have been looking at houses to buy for the past few months, and the house they looked at today was PERFECT. It was basically our dream house--the only problem is that it's slightly too expensive for our budget. We put an offer up anyways, lower than their listed price. My mom was getting pretty stressed about this whole housing situation, and wanted to talk to someone about it. I listened to her struggles and prayed with her tonight!

1 Corinthians 4, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #91&92: 3 MONTHS

PASSAGE: Apostles of Christ

MEMORY VERSE: "No debt should be outstanding except the continuining debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8

NOTES: (v.1-2) "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."
-(v.4-5) "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."
(v.7) "For what makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?"
(v.10) "We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ!...To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless."

ACT OF LOVE #91: Yesterday, I devoted my day from 11:20am-5:20ish pm to helping out with Brother's Appreciation stuff at my house! It was very productive yay


ACT OF LOVE #92: Today, I let my friend borrow one of my dresses for Sister's Appreciation because she didn't have one to wear! OH and it is also the 3-month mark of my LOVE challenge! YAY

1 Corinthians 3, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #90: VBS DECO

PASSAGE: On Divisions in the Church

MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt be outstanding except the continuing debt of love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8

NOTES: (v.3) "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?"
-(v.11) "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work."
-(v.16) "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
-(v.19) "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."

ACT OF LOVE: Today I was pretty recovered from my surgery so I went to church for a few hours and helped out with the decorations! That's all I will write on that for now, because even though I've had the last two days to "rest," I've been feeling pretty stressed out and tired lately. 
Recently I read Jason's Ma's post about knowing when to "stop," because so often we incorrectly define ourselves by what we do. But sometimes we need to be reminded that we are first human beings; not human doings (lol clever right). 
Please pray that I'll receive rest in Him. Thanks :)

1 Corinthians 2, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #88 & 89

PASSAGE: Wisdom From the Spirit

MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8

NOTES:(v.4) "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

(v.9) "However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for thsoe who love him'--but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

(v.11) "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

-(v.14) "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. "

ACT OF LOVE #88: Yesterday, I had wisdom teeth surgery where they pulled out my 4 teeth in the morning. By the time I got home, it was around 2ish and I was pretty much knocked out on medication the entire day. Since I was so delirious and spent most of the day on the couch with the TV on, my act of love was spending some of that time praying for people I don't normally pray for. I was too immobile to do much else, so I prayed for anyone and everyone I could think of!

ACT OF LOVE #89: Today, I felt alot better, but I was still sort of bed-ridden and spent much of my day lying in bed/on the sofa eating or sleeping. These past two days, my mom has been really great at taking care of me and providing me food/ice packs/medication. My act of love today was simple: I thanked her whenever I could for taking care of me, and helped with the dishes at night when I was less nauseous/drugged. hahaha.


*ALSO, thank you to all those who prayed for me! The swelling went down really quickly, and I think I'm recovering really quickly!

1 Corinthians 1, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #86 & 87

PASSAGE: Thanksgiving, Divisions in the Church, Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8

NOTES: (v.4-9) "For in him you have been enriched in every way...therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-(v.10-17) "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?"
This reminds me of Romans 16:5-6: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"
Ultimately, we are followers of CHRIST; not primarily classified by any denomination or person, but rather by the cross of Christ Jesus. And when there is unity, we may "glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-(v.18-31) Memory verse review! "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." (v.18)
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength"
(v.26) "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." Anything we do for Christ is by HIS grace and His power; not our own. This verse speaks to me in so many ways; I truly believe that most, if not all the things in my life are not achieved by my own power. There are just so many examples where I've seen what I can do by my own ability, and then I see what GOD can do through me by His ability.

ACT OF LOVE #86: Yesterday, we had our last (Patricia Agatha Victoria Eleanor) sleepover at Abby's house. Before we went, I spent a couple hours in the afternoon making Abby a card on behalf of us as an appreciation for 3 wonderful years of small group-ing :) I forgot to take a picture of it, though! But each person had their own page inside the card to write with pictures and such. We also bought her a Mickey mouse collection of hand towels, a bath towel, a soap dish and toothbrush holder, all placed in a Mickey tote.  
[PS. I couldn't update yesterday because I was at the sleepover. We didn't sleep until 6AM. Craziest night ever. Pure delirium.]


ACT OF LOVE #87: Because of the sleepover, the room we slept in (the family room that's connected to the kitchen) was a MESS: chips, cookies, cheezits, candy, candy wrappers, cups, napkins, phones, etc were strewn across the coffee table thing; couch cushions were thrown on the floor so that we could sleep on it; stuffed animals, blankets, pillows and people were randomly placed. It was INSANE. So, when I woke up this morning, I took the initiative to help clean up by collecting all the trash/recycling, clearing out the table and putting things back where they belonged. 

Romans 16, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #85: VEGGIES & BEDTIME

PASSAGE: Personal Greetings

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.17) "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people"
-(v.19) "Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil."
-(v.20) "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."

ACT OF LOVE: Today at dinner, my dad had cooked a vegetable dish that had both the leaf and stem part of the vegetable. Most people would usually try to get the leafy parts (since it's the tastiest and easiest to chew), but my mom was talking about how her gum/tooth/mouth hurt and couldn't eat the stem parts comfortably. My act of love was purposefully eating all the stems (haha) so that my parents could have the nice, leafy parts!
Also, my mom told me to sleep before 12 because she says it's unhealthy to stay up late. I'm usually not accustomed to sleeping that "early," but I'll be obedient! Lol.

Romans 15, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #84: MONEY

PASSAGE: Paul the Minister to the Gentiles, Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.2-3) "Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written, 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.'"
Memory verse review!! "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (v.5-6)
Paul to the Gentiles: "Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I loved by giving away my money :)
My friend and I had made plans to walk to the Habit and eat there for lunch today, since she's in college and I hadn't talked to her in AGES. My first act of love was paying for her lunch--this was semi-planned by me. My second act of love was planned, I think, by God! There wasn't any space in the Habit to sit so we got it to go and sat on the tables outside near Baskin Robbins. After a while of eating and talking, a poor and slightly ghetto-looking white couple came up to us and asked (very politely) if we had any spare change. Their car had run out of gas and they were asking around for money to pay for enough gas to get their way home. I immediately said yes, and they were surprised because I was the first person to help them all day. I gave them all the spare change I had (though it wasn't much), and they went on their way.
After the incident, my friend and I were talking about how many times these people (or homeless) would ask for money to buy alcohol or drugs, and how she never trusts them enough to give them change. But then I thought of Galations 6:9 "Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us to good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." The Bible doesnt command us to help others, except when there is the possibility of ulterior motives from the receiving end. I think God calls us to serve and love with a Christ-centered attitude, and leave the rest to Him. The point isn't that the couple might have used my money for selfish purposes; the point is that I did good "as [I] had oppurtunity." Anyways, I hope the couple was blessed by what I had to give, and gathered enough to take them home! :)

Romans 14, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #83: ENCOURAGE!

PASSAGE: The Weak and the Strong

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord; "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.1) "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."
-(v.4) "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master, he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."
-(v.8-10) "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we died to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord....You, then, why do you judge your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat."
-(v.15) Memory verse review: "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died."
-(v.17) "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, my act of love began as encouraging the people on my AIM buddy list. BUT THEN I THOUGHT....why be limited to just AIM? Why not FACEBOOK? So I went on Facebook and started encouraging people through Facebook chat and wall posts. I kept doing it (with breaks and such) until about 2am-ish, haha. At first, some people didn't believe that it was me or thought that I had gotten hacked when I encouraged them ahahaa. It sort of reminded me of the facebook like status thing that I did previously, except that the encouragements today were SPONTANEOUS AND UNEXPECTED. And shoutout to MATT WHANG who made it his own act of love by encouraging a new Sunday School counselor that was still adjusting. I was super encouraged by his encouragement to someone else! It motivated me to encourage and voice my appreciation for the staff and counselors of BOL who often put forth unnoticed efforts. YAY!

Romans 13, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #82: BIBLE STUDY, DISHES

PASSAGE: Submission to Authorities, Love, for the Day is Near

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.1-7) we should submit to authorities because:
-"there is no authority except that which God has established" (v.1)
-therefore, when we rebel against authority, we are "rebelling against what God has instituted" (v.2) and will induce "judgement on themselves" (v.2)
-"do what is right, and he will commend you" (v.3)
-we will be free from fear of the one in authority (v.3)
-it is necessary "not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience" (v.5)
-(v.8-14) No debt should be outstanding except the continuous debt to love one another (v.8)
All the commandments are summed up in this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
"The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now that when we first believed" (v.11)
"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (v.12)
"CLOTHE yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (v.14)
I love that Paul used the analogy of clothing, because it reminds us that in addition to an internal relationship with Christ, our faiths should also be like CLOTHING that we wear. Our clothes are visible to everyone we meet and interact with, and it's usually the first thing that people notice. Is my faith like my clothing? Am I clothed in light and with the Lord Jesus Christ?

ACT OF LOVE: IN THE MORNING: I woke up today with a bad stomach ache, a ton of homework left, and in a mood to go back to sleep. After I had gotten up and had brunch with my mom, my mood hadn't changed much. It recently became a habit of mine to wash the dishes (or at least offer to) during lunchtime, since I spend more time at home in the summer. Today, however, washing dishes was the last thing I wanted to do. After debating with myself for a few minutes, I decided that I would still volunteer to do the dishes, since my mom might be tired as well. Eventually, my attitude changed and the day got better :)
IN THE EVENING: Another Bible study with my friends, Crystal and Jackie. We had some reallyy good discussions about the passage, and afterwards we shared prayer requests and prayed for each other over the phone. I loved it! :)

Romans 12, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #81: MORE VBS LOVE

PASSAGE: Living Sacrifices, Love

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.1-8) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
We in Christ form one body; with different gifts and functions. (v.4-8)
-(v.9-21) "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse....Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.."
"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

ACT OF LOVE: Continuing off yesterday, I spent most of my afternoon/evening helping out with VBS decorations. After our VBS meeting, I noticed that some paints and brushes were still out so I took them back and cleaned them off.

Romans 11, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #80: VBS DECOR

PASSAGE: The Remnant of Israel, Ingrafted Branches, All Israel Will be Saved, Doxology

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.1-10) "So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." (v.5-6)
-(v.16) "If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches." 
-(v.17-20) In reference to "broken branches: "do not boast over these branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.' Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either."
-(v.22) "Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness."
-(v.32) "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all"
-(v.36) [Doxology]"For From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."


ACT OF LOVE: Today I went to church at around 1:20 and stayed for 3 hours until my Voice class to help with VBS decorations! We finished a whole backdrop/poster, got well into a second one, and did alot of tracing. Good work people! 

Romans 10, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #79: MIDDLE SEAT

PASSAGE: Israel's Unbelief

MEMORY VERSE: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

NOTES: (v.1-21) "For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge" (v.2)
"That if you confess with your moth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (v.9--VBS song! haha).
"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your moth that you confess and are saved" (v.10)
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (v.13)

ACT OF LOVE: Today was simple: we were carpooling with some people after lunch, and I volunteered to sit in the middle seat for the ride home. hahaha. 

Romans 9, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #78: BOGO

PASSAGE: God's Sovereign Choice

MEMORY VERSE: "Then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you" Job 22:25

NOTES: (v.1-29) "IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS NOT THE NATURAL CHILDREN WHO ARE GOD'S CHILDREN, BUT IT IS THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE WHO ARE REGARDED AS ABRAHAM'S OFFSPRING" (V.8) 
Before neither of Rebekah's sons even did anything, God predestined it so that "the older will serve the younger".
(V.15-16) "FOR HE SAYS TO MOSES, 'I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.' 16IT DOES NOT, THEREFORE, DEPEND ON MAN'S DESIRE OR EFFORT, BUT ON GOD'S MERCY."
These few chapters in Romans have really emphasized the magnitude of God's sovereignty and grace, and how we are truly saved and redeemed by the grace of God. It's really comforting to know how powerful God's hand is in our lives, and how much he "works for the good of those who love him."

ACT OF LOVE: Today I went to watch Despicable Me with some friends (which, by the way, is my new favorite movie. SO CUTEEEE). We arrived around an hour early, so I went to get Jamba Juice with my friend since it was BOGO. My act of love was paying for her jamba (since her's was technically half-priced anyways)! We both got power strawberry shortcakes that lasted us the entire movie. MMM!

Romans 8, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #77: OBEDIENCE

PASSAGE: Life Through the Spirit, Future Glory, More Than Conquerors

MEMORY VERSE: "THEN THE ALMIGHTY WILL BE YOUR GOLD, THE CHOICEST SILVER FOR YOU" JOB 22:25

NOTES: (v.1-17) "THOSE WHO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SINFUL NATURE HAVE THEIR MINDS SET ON WHAT THAT NATURE DESIRES; BUT THOSE WHO LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPIRIT HAVE THEIR MINDS SET ON WHAT THE SPIRIT DESIRES" (V.5)
we who are in Christ Jesus are not controlled by a sinful nature but by the Spirit (v.9)
"FOR YOU DID NOT RECEIVE A SPIRIT THAT MAKES YOU A SLAVE AGAIN TO FEAR, BUT YOU RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF SONSHIP" (v.15) so that "if indeed we share in his suffereings in order that we may also share in his glory" (v.17)
-(v.18-27) "I CONSIDER THAT OUR PRESENT SUFFERINGS ARE NOT WORTH COMPARING WITH THE GLORY THAT WILL BE REVEALED IN US" (V.18) 
God knows what we need before we do, and so helps us in our weakness (v.26). It is by the Spirit that we see our hearts, for "We do not know what we out to pray for."
-(v.26-39) memory verse review: "AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. 29FOR THOSE HE FOREKNEW HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BROTHERS. 30AND THOSE HE PREDESTINED HE ALSO CALLED; THOSE HE CALLED, HE ALSO JUSTIFIED; THOSE HE JUSTIFIED HE ALSO GLORIFIED."
If God is for us, who can be against us?? :)
NOTHING; "neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depht nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" how comforting!

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I honored a rule that my parents had set for me that was particularly hard (and somewhat terrifying) for me to follow. Though I won't go into much detail about this particular act of love, it was a big step for me as a daughter to be obedient (to my parents and to God), even with the possibility of harsh consequences. (Thankfully, there weren't any). 

Romans 7, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #76: AWAKEN LOVE

PASSAGE: An Illustration From Marriage, Struggling With Sin

MEMORY VERSE: "Then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you" Job 22:25

NOTES: (v.1-6) A law only has authority over a man only as long as he lives: "by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage" (v.2). Similarly, we "died to the law through the body of Christ, that [we] might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God." (v.4)
-(v.7-25) "For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good."
"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin." (v.14)
"So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin"

ACT OF LOVE: Today I went with Amy Kan to Coast Christian for a conference thing they had called Awaken Love. My act(s) of love:
-donated to the offering basket to support the church
-praying with and encouraging Amy afterwards (and being encouraged/prayed for!)

Romans 6, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #75: BIBLE STUDY P2

PASSAGE: Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ, Slaves to Righteousness

MEMORY VERSE: "Then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you" Job 22:25

NOTES: (v.1-14)memory verse review! "WHAT SHALL WE SAY, THEN? SHALL WE GO ON SINNING SO THAT GRACE MAY INCREASE? BY NO MEANS! WE DIED TO SIN; HOW CAN WE LIVE IN IT ANY LONGER?"  (v1-2)
When we were baptized, we were baptized into his death so that we may "live a new life" through Jesus.
memory verse review 2: "DO NOT OFFER THE PARTS OF YOUR BODY TO SIN, AS INSTRUMENTS OF WICKEDNESS, BUT RATHER OFFER YOURSELVES TO GOD, AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM DEATH TO LIFE, AND OFFER THE PARTS OF YOUR BODY TO HIM AS INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" (v.13)
"Now if we died to Christ, we believe that we will also LIVE with him"; dead to sin, alive to God.
-(v.15-23) "YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS"
"BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SLAVES TO GOD, THE BENEFIT YOU REAP LEADS TO HOLINESS, AND THE RESULT IS ETERNAL LIFE."
This chapter ties in really well with Chapter 5, which elaborated on the fact that we are saved by GRACE: "BUT WHERE SIN INCREASED,  GRACE INCREASED ALL THE MORE." However, that does not give us an excuse to continue sinning in the way of the world--by drawing a parallel between Christ's death on the cross and the death of our worldly lives, Paul emphasizes that we are to offer ourselves as "instruments of righteousness"--and become slaves to righteousness so that it results in eternal life by the grace of God.

Notes from the discussion:
-using the term "slaves" to righteousness: as slaves, we do not work for wages or pay, as employees or workers do, but rather act by the grace of God and the "control of righteousness." In addition, any blessings that we may receive as a result of our work is a GIFT (v.22), while the "wages" of sin is death.
-v.13: offering the parts of your body as "instruments of righteousness" should also apply the the physical body: ie, dressing modestly as sisters in Christ to serve brothers
-Being baptized means dying to sin and living in Christ

ACT OF LOVE: Today, we had a second Bible study (this time with Jackie here too), and had a great time of fellowship. I think we were all encouraged in our faiths through the conversations we've had, and by the time of on-the-phone prayer we had for each other. 

Romans 5, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #74: BIBLE STUDY

PASSAGE: Peace and Joy, Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

MEMORY VERSE: "Then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you" Job 22:25

NOTES: (v.1-11) memory verse review!: "Not only so, but we rejoice in our suffering because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (v.3-8)
Since we've been reconciled through his death, how much more shall we be saved through his life!
-(v.12-21) "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man (Adam), how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to many!"
"Again, the gift of God is not like the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification" (16)
"The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more"(20)

ACT OF LOVE: I felt compelled to do a small bible study with my friends, Crystal and Jackie over a 3-way phone call. I called them up and we agreed to read Romans 5 together and get back after maybe 20 minutes of reading. After we each read, we shared about what we learned from the chapter. Jackie had to leave early because of her parents, but me and Crystal had a nice, long discussion about the chapter, which lead to many different things (like friday's lesson, John Piper's Desiring God, and the fundamentals of being a Christian). We  closed the time in sharing prayer requests. I think tonight was a good encouragement for all of us, and I'm thankful for the dynamic discussions we shared! :)

Romans 4, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #72&73

PASSAGE: Abraham Justified by Faith

MEMORY VERSE: "Then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you." Job 22:25

NOTES: (v.1-25) "However, the man who does not work but trsuts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."
(13)"It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith" [Philippians 3:9; "...be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith"]
Abraham had faith despite his odds and "against all hope"---even though he was a hundred and "his body was as good as dead (v19), he still believed in God's promise that he would be the father of many nations.
"The words 'it was credited to him' were not written for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead" (v.23-24)

ACT OF LOVE #72: I baked cookies and passed them out to people at church! I made around 24 cookies total, and some people that I didn't know even came up to me and asked for some! Haha. 

ACT OF LOVE #73: When I woke up, my mom was in a bad mood. In addition, she discovered that Bambi had peed on the kitchen floor multiple times, which only worsened her mood. Instead of ignoring her and keeping a distance, I helped with mopping the floor, cleaning the poo outside, and washing the dishes without being asked. In addition, I tried to maintain a good attitude by not retaliating whenever she snapped at me. She eventually lightened up after a good breakfast :)

Romans 3, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #71: CHILDREN

PASSAGE: God's Faithfulness, No One Is Righteous, Righteousness Through Faith

MEMORY VERSE: "You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God." James 4:2

NOTES: (v.1-8)"But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?" God's righteousness does not give us excuse to continue sinning.
-(v.9-20) "therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Through God we see the reality of ourselves in Him, and how we absolutely pale in comparison to Him. Thus implying growth--that by seeing our faults by God's power, we are convicted to be molded and transformed by the Holy Spirit (James 1:23-25)
-(v.21-31) Righteousness comes from faith in Jesus Christ, for "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus....where, then, is boasting? It is excluded."

ACT OF LOVE: Today I went with my parents to visit a family friend near San Diego. The family had three adopted children, ages 5 and 6. My act of love was watching over them and playing with them while my parents talked (although this wasn't a particularly difficult act of love, since it's fun playing with kids).

Romans 2, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #70: POST-ITS & PRAYER

PASSAGE: God's Righteous Judgement, The Jews and the Law

MEMORY VERSE: "Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need" Acts 2:45

NOTES: (v.1-16) God's righteous judgement: "So when you, a mere man, pass judgement on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgement?...5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed."
"13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."
-(v.17-29)"...if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth--21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?"

ACT OF LOVE: Today, my friend Amy Kan and I met up at a Starbucks and spent an hour and a half or so writing encouraging post-it notes to stick on people's cars. Meanwhile, we talked alot about what Christ is doing in our lives and things that He's convicted us of. We had many similar visions for what Christ wants to do in the fellowship, the church, and the entire Christian body. I remember Amy saying once that she feels like the desires that we both share shouldn't just be passed away. 
After my art class, we met up at church so that Amy could drive us to the Crossroads, where we would pass out the post-its. We made about 30 post-it notes total, and stuck them to the handles of the car doors. Afterwards, we sat in front of a nearby restaurant and watched people receive their notes haha.
AND THEN...during fellowship, I suddenly remembered Amy's previous statement about not letting what God has convicted us to do pass away. I had an urge to pray with Amy, and felt that God was reminding me of the power of prayer. After fellowship, I asked if I could pray with her about the things we discussed earlier.
While we were praying, God kept filling our hearts more and more with His desires and plans for the fellowship, and we had so much to pray about. At one point, God really broke my heart for the people of the fellowship, so much that I was moved to tears. I don't normally plan on bawling whenever I pray, but I think tonight God really showed me a glimpse of His heart for the lost and the complacent.
All in all, it was a really refreshing experience to be able to fellowship with Amy and to be still before God.
one of our post-its!

Romans 1, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #69: MISC.

PASSAGE: Paul Longing to Visit Rome, God's Wrath Against Mankind

NOTES: (v.1-17) Paul writes to Rome: "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes"
-(v.18-32) God's wrath: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity...they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised"

ACT OF LOVE: Today I...
-Did the dishes willingly and ungrudgingly
-listened to a friend talk about her struggles
-started another portrait to fundraise! :) (and finished half)
-asked for random prayer requests

Acts 28, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #67 & 68, & a reflection

PASSAGE: Ashore on Malta, Arrival at Rome, Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

NOTES: (v.1-10) They arrived at the island called Malta, and the islanders showed kindness. When they saw that a viper had fastened itself on Paul's hand, they thought he was a murderer and Justice was being served. But when Paul shook the snake off into the fire without being harmed, they thought that he was god. The chief official welcomed them, and Paul went to see the chief's father, who was sick in bed. He healed him after prayer, and soon the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.
-(v.11-16) Paul then went to Rome, and were greeted by brothers who had traveled from Forum of Appius to meet them. They were encouraged, and Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard.
-(v.17-31) Paul told the leaders of the Jews why he was sent there. They had not received word about him, but wanted to hear what his views are since they knew that many were against his beliefs. Paul preached the kingdom of God, and many believed while others were not convinced. In Paul's final statement, he references the prophet Isaiah in saying that they are "ever hearing but never understanding." Paul stayed there for two years and preached the kingdom of God boldly.

ACT OF LOVE #67: Yesterday, I walked to Subway for lunch. On the way there, I simply smiled and greeted everyone who passed me by. (And any other random miscellaneous strangers I saw throughout the day).

ACT OF LOVE #68: Today, I was going to wash my sister's car since she's leaving tomorrow, but they had just gotten it washed earlier this week. Instead, I washed our garage and gave it a nice rinse! :)


and now for a bit of reflecting...
*Having done this challenge for over two months now, I realize that "loving" is really beginning to be a habit--such as cleaning and helping around the house, or even just being welcoming to new people. The more I love, the easier and more natural it feels! I think it's cool how it's almost like a muscle that you continuously condition and exercise; what began as very simple, small acts of love soon escalated to newer and more frequent habits of serving others. And what makes it more amazing is that it's all by the power of GOD that we can do this! 
I remember in English class a few months ago, we were discussing the topic of materialistic success in the Great Gatsby. Ultimately, we inferred (from the text and our own personal experiences) that there is some limit to the wealth and materialistic gain that we acquire; that though people often strive for "just $1 more," there is a point at which worldly gain will fail us, and find ourselves "borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Gatsby, 189).[<What really comforted me was how different success in Christ is with success in the world. There is no point in our lives where we can have "too much Christ," because we pale and fail in comparison to Him! :) And what's even better is that being rich in the blood and love of Jesus is infinitely more satisfying than anything the world can provide. He truly does satisfy us with His love! :) :) It makes even the seemingly most mundane acts of love exciting, "because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinth. 15:58). HOW COOL!!