Category Archives: Proven Path Ministries

Audio/ Video Teaching, Proven Path Ministries

Money Matters

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In our homeschool co-op this year I am teaching through the book of Proverbs… Next week we will be digging into Proverbs 3:9-10.

Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Proverbs 3:9-10)

As I sat here praying over this lesson and pondering these verses I realized that to grasp the full impact of these two verses of Scripture we have to first look to the verses preceding them. The verses that command us to trust in the Lord, to not lean on our own understanding, and to not be wise in our own eyes- and are directly followed by, it will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

How many of us today are physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually sick due to the stress and worry of money concerns? Are you one of them? Do you constantly worry about financial issues?

In this message I share a little of my family’s testimony and the journey of faith that the Lord took us through… I can recall many times in this journey when I looked at the checkbook and did the calculating and just new that if we tithed we would not be able to make the house payment or electric bill, etc. I recall many times telling God, okay, I am going to trust You to pull through for us… and I am going to write this tithe check. Let me assure you… God has always pulled through.

Granted we said no to lots of other things in order to say yes to Him, but our bills were somehow always paid and our family always had food and we got along just fine on whatever God supplied. He is good.

Maybe this message will encourage you… and inspire you to look at your income and outcome in a different way.

Here’s the message I shared with our co-op on these verse: A Message from Proverbs 3:9-10

churchill-giving-quote1

 

Book Reviews, Proven Path Ministries

$50 Toys”R”Us Giveaway!

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It’s almost Christmas!

That’s right there are only 35 days until Christmas!

Beginning today, November 19th through midnight on November 25th you will have an opportunity to win either $50 gift card to Toys”R”Us or a $15 iTunes gift card.

Christmas giveaway

The winner’s should receive the gift cards by Cyber Monday!

Why am I offering this giveaway?

I need your help. That’s why.

I am in the process of writing a devotional series called Devotions From The Torah. The first book, Devotions From Genesis, It’s Not Just Ancient History was published in 2010. The second book in the series, Devotions From Exodus Part One, Learning to Live in Freedom was just released this October! So you see I need your help to spread the word about these books because I truly believe they can help anyone and everyone learn more about our Savior.

Our God did not

 

But please don’t my word for it… please check out the Amazon reviews and the comments shared by others on my author site. Hopefully there will even be some comments added by others in this blog post.

Now how do you win?

Just simply enter to win through the rafflecopter  below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Please share with others and if you haven’t began reading through this devotional series, please consider doing so!

Dev from Torah

WINNERS!

Heather LaVine winner of the $50 Toys R Us Gift Card

Misty Folwell winner of the $15 iTunes Gift Card

Proven Path Ministries

What Is In Your Midst

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The Unless series continues…. I haven’t forgot about it. We have many more “unless” Scripture passages to dig into!

Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

Joshua 7:12

Did you let that verse sink in as you read it?

Read it again.

God point blank tells Israel, I will not be with you anymore unless…

Unless what?

…unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.

So what does it mean for something to be under the ban? In the Hebrew text the phrase under the ban is actually cherem which is cursed and it’s definition is accursed dedicated thing, appointed to utter destruction, extermination. When you look at the context of this verse by reading the rest of the chapter and the chapters before it, we see that God told Joshua that everything in the city belonged to Him, everything in it was appointed to utter destruction, except Rahab and her family. She and her family were to be the only people or possessions to exit the city.

When Israel left Egypt, God allowed them to take with them whatever treasures, livestock, or people who wanted to exit with them… but facing Jericho was different… God knew why and Israel as simply to obey.

However, one man did not obey. One man saw the gold and silver and treasures of Jericho… and he could not turn away from it. He snuck it out the city and he buried it under his tent. Joshua might not have seen it… but God certainly did.

I am sure this man thought… there is nothing evil about these treasures, surely God didn’t mean these things, look at how they will benefit my family, nobody will ever know, I will keep them buried here until enough time has passed…

The Lord did see. God did care. God let the whole nation know that He knew…

Israel was about to face a people much smaller than Jericho. They spied it out and thought, Oh we got this. Joshua just send a few of us, this is gonna be a cinch! 

However, they ran away with their tails between their legs, beaten by this small people.

Joshua was baffled, so he sought the Lord.

Someone had taken what they were not to take. Someone had stole from God. Someone had brought a curse into the camp by their own disobedience and rebellion to the Word of God. The choice of one affected the whole nation. We never sin to ourselves… even if we think nobody saw, even if we think it’s not really that big of a deal.

How does this relate to us today… as an individual before our God?

First who is our enemy? I believe the Word of God teaches us that we have three- the world, Satan, and our flesh.

So let me ask you, are you having a hard time standing before the world, or standing before Satan, or standing before the desires of your own flesh? Do you feel as though the Lord has left you?

Know first of all that if you are child of God in Christ… He has promised that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) but He has also said that if you claim to have fellowship with Him but walk in darkness, you lie (1 John 1:6).

Sometimes God is silent and He steps back and allows us to experience the consequences of our choices to wake us up, to call us to the carpet, so that we might be able to come to realize that we have taken accursed things willingly into our midst.

What is in your midst? What things of the world, of even Satan himself, what of the desires of your flesh are in your midst and you know that these are things that God has said should not be there. What are you hiding under your tent, convincing yourself no one knows. What actions and choices do you find yourself constantly justifying…

God loves us too much too allow us to hold on to accursed things… He sent His Son to become the accursed so that we could be free. How could He say He loved us if He allowed us to still cling to things that are appointed to utter destruction, to extermination. How could allow us to disrespect and dishonor the sacrifice of His Son by allowing us to hold on to the things that He died to remove us from…

Think about it.

“…: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.
2 Chronicles 15:2-4

Book Reviews, Devotional Studies Through the Bible, Proven Path Ministries

It’s A Giveaway

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The Giveaway has begun! I am excited to have bloggers from around the world, from Australia to Canada, to be a part of  launch team to help promote my book series, Devotions From The Torah.  Some great authors have also offered some of their books to prizes in the giveaway.

Devotions from the Torah is a series of Devotionals that are and will be written from the first five books of the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Lord put it on my heart to write  these books to help today’s church, especially the American church, see how relevant these books still are today and how much they can teach us about our Saviour.

I was burdened by the thought process I seen in believers as I would here them say, “well we are in the New Testament, the Old Testament doesn’t really matter” .

Let me tell you, I just thought I knew God until I began to read the Old Testament. I made it to the book of Chronicles and I realized then that I knew about God, but I did not Him at all. I learned that without the Old Testament the New Testament loses so much authority and understanding. Jesus quoted often from the Old Testament Scriptures and if we don’t know the context in which He quotes, then we will not grasp the full impact of His Words. Moses is the writer of the Torah and this is what our Lord had to say about the words written by Moses…

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.

But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

John 5:46-47

I believe my Devotions from the Torah series will be a great tool in the hands of anyone who wants to know more about God… even if you don’t quite believe in Him yet, but are willing to check Him out for yourself… I encourage anyone at any time to open these devotionals up and use them as a guide and a help through the pages of the Torah, the Books of the Law… Genesis and the first 20 chapters of Exodus are ready for you know!

You can find them on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Christianbooks, and directly from my publishers at Tate,

And you can also enter to win a free copy below through my Launch Team!

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The Devotions from the Torah Launch Team is excited to help Nicole celebrate the release of the first 2 books in this series — Devotions from Genesis and Devotions from Exodus Part One — with a special giveaway of incredible books, several of which will enhance your study of the Torah! This giveaway is a $160 value!

We would like to thank the following companies for their generous sponsorship of this giveaway! Be sure to stop by their websites to say thank you!

Home School Adventure Co.

Knowledge Quest

Great Waters Press

PhyllisSather.com

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. One winner will be selected and announced by noon ET on December 5, 2013. U.S. residents age 18 and older only please. Other Terms and Conditions can be found in the Rafflecopter.

Here’s what you could win!



Devotions from Genesis by Nicole Halbrooks Vaughn

See for yourself how Genesis, the book of beginnings, is not just ancient history and that the Word of God is still alive and timeless. Nicole Vaughn’s Devotions from Genesis will take you on a journey from the garden of Eden to the courts of Pharaoh in Egypt, allowing you to see your own hurts, struggles, and joys through the lives of patriarchs from Adam to Joseph. You will gain insight into your heart and more importantly, insight into the very heart of God. One day at a time, you will be reminded that you are not alone with these Devotions from Genesis.

Devotions from Exodus Part One by Nicole Halbrooks Vaughn

Devotions From Exodus Part One will take you from the bondage of the children of Israel to their freedom. The children of Israel were set free from their bondage in Egypt, and they had to learn how to live in this new freedom. As you study through these first twenty chapters of Exodus, you will see that after God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, he still had to get Egypt out of them. Our deliverance in Christ is no different. God delivers us from the world, but he still has to get the world out of us. We, like the Israelites, are learning to live in this freedom.

Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics (digital download) by Stacy Farrell

Philosophy Adventure™ is designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as they explore the history of ideas.



Philippians in 28 Weeks (digital download) by Stacy Farrell

The Bible is banned in many countries. Countless believers have sacrificed their freedom—and many, their lives—to spread the message of God’s love and salvation contained within its pages. Are we exercising our freedom responsibly. Memorize the entire book of Philippians in 28 weeks!

A Child’s Geography: Explore the Holy Land by Ann VoskampIraq, Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey…your family probably hears or reads about these names frequently. In an increasingly complex world, it is vitally important that children learn to see the world through their Creator’s eyes. As we explore the Holy Land you and your family will delight in incredible, mysterious landscapes, hidden wonders and beautiful peoples – all created in God’s image.
A Cry from Egypt by Hope Auer

Have you ever wondered what life was like in ancient Egypt? As an Israelite? And a slave? Want your children to understand the Bible is history? Adventure, excitement, love, and faith come together when Jarah and her family fi nd themselves at the culmination of four hundred years of history.



Purposeful Planning eBook by Phyllis Sather

Do you need a plan to keep your family moving in the direction the Lord is leading you? Perhaps you don’t know where the Lord is leading you. Phyllis takes you step-by-step through the process of planning a time together for your family to help determine the path the Lord is choosing for each area of your life. Her family has followed this format for over 12 years and has found that it provides the compass they’ve needed to plan and stay on course.





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Thank you!

 

Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:19-29)

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The Romans study continues with Romans 9:19-29…

Romans 9:19-29

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”

20 On the contrary, who are you,O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

25 As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

26  “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;

28 for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.”

29 And just as Isaiah foretold, “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”

 

Read Romans 9:19. Can you put this question in your own words? Write it out below.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This question basically asks, “How can it be my fault if my heart is hard and I am not saved if it all depends on God?” It’s really a question that comes from a heart that says, “It’s not my fault, it’s God’s”

Look up and read Genesis 3:12. Who did Adam blame for his sin? (hint: he blamed 2 people)

the __ __ __ __ __    and   __ __ __

Whose fault was it really? Who was the one who knew the truth, love, and care of God but chose to listen to someone else? Circle your answer.

Adam        Eve         Serpent         God       The tree

 

Read Romans 9:20-21. How does the Spirit of God through the writings of Paul answer this question?  Fill in the blanks.

On the contrary,  __ __ __     __ __ __      __ __ __ , O man, who answers back  __ __     __ __ __ ?

Look up and read Genesis 1:1. Who created who? Answer True or False below (T or F)

______   God created man        _____   man created God

Look up and read Job 38:1-18 and Job 40:6-8. This is some of  God’s answer to the complaining that Job had done about God. As read these verse who do you discover is the only one who has a right to complain about anything, Job or God?

__ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:22-24. Answer the questions below.

Who does God endure with much patience?

vessels of  __ __ __ __ __

What are these vessels of wrath prepared for?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Why does God endure them?

to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of

__ __ __ __ __

When were the vessels of mercy prepared?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Who are the vessels of mercy?

even us, whom He  __ __ __ __ __ __ , not from among Jews only, but also from among __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The word “prepared” in Romans 9:22 is katartizó and it means to complete thoroughly. The verb tense of this word teaches us that these “vessels of wrath” already existed this way and are just left that way.  

Look up and read Romans 3:10-23. What is the condition of all of us?

there is none  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __  have  __ __ __ __ __ __

Look up and read Romans 1:6, Romans 1:16, and 1 Corinthians 21-25. Who are “the called” or the “vessels of mercy”? Circle your answer.

those who do good things

those who are Jews

those who believe the gospel  

 

Read Romans 9:25-26. 

These verses are quotes from the Old Testament. Paul uses these quotes to show us that becoming a child of God has always been through believing God. He also shows us that from the beginning God always planned to offer His salvation to both Jew and Gentile. 

Look up and read Romans 8:9-17. How do we know if we are a child of God? 

we have the __ __ __ __ __ __ of God

Look up and read Ephesians 1:13. How do we get the Spirit of God?

We believe the  __ __ __ __ __ __  of salvation

 

Read Romans 9:27-29. 

These verses are also quotes from the Old Testament. Paul uses these verses to show the Jewish believers that God’s Word has not failed. God has fulfilled it and is still fulfilling it.

Look up and read Genesis 22:15-18. Did God keep this promise to Abraham? 

Yes               No 

Look up and read John 8:37-42. Is being a physical child (or descendant) of Abraham the same thing as being a child of God?

Yes               No

 

Read Romans 9:29 again. If God did not have mercy on us, Jew and Gentile alike, if He did not leave a remnant on this earth that loved Him, what would happen to every nation and people on this earth?

become like __ __ __ __ __,

and would resemble __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

You can read about Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-19, Deuteronomy 32, Isaiah 3, Jeremiah 23, Lamentations 4, all the way to Revelation 11. 

In Genesis, God utterly destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin was so great. 

Our sin is so great that if God did not have mercy on us, none of us could be saved. He has every right to destroy all of us, but He doesn’t. 

He offers us grace. He keeps a remnant here on the earth to share the gospel with others. He also has not given up on the children of Israel. We will learn more about this as we continue in this section of our Romans study.

 

That’s enough for today! 

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:14-18)

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Our Romans Study For Kids continues…

Romans 9:14-18

 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 

 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 

 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 

 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 

 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

 

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Read Romans 9:14. How does this verse begin? Circle the correct answer.

with a question     with a statement      with a lie

 

Read Romans 9:14 again. How does Paul answer the question, “There is no injustice with God, is there?”

__ __ __      __ __      __ __ __ __ __    __ __ !

 

THINK ABOUT IT….

Can we ever say that God is not fair?  

 

Read Romans 9:15. What did God say to Moses? Fill in the blanks below to answer.

“I will have  __ __ __ __ __  on whom I have  __ __ __ __ __,  and I will have  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  on whom I have __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.”

 

Look up and read Deuteronomy 33:19 to see when God say this to Moses. Now read Deuteronomy 32:1 to see the context in which God says this to Moses. The children of Israel had not waited on Moses or God. They instead made a gold image of a calf and began to worship it. God could have destroyed the entire nation right then, but He didn’t. Instead He showed them mercy. They did not deserve it. They did not earn it, but God gave it anyway, because He had chosen them.

 

Read Romans 9:16. What does it depend on to be a child of the promise? (Romans 9:8) Circle the correct answer.

the man who wills        the man who runs        God who has mercy

 

Read Romans 9:17-18. Have you ever thought about how God demonstrated His power through a Pharaoh who did not serve Him or love Him?

Look up and read Exodus 7:8-13 and answer the following questions:

When Moses told Aaron to throw down his staff and God turned it into a serpent Pharaoh told his magicians to do the same thing. Were Pharaoh’s men able to turn their staffs into serpents? Circle your answer.

Yes              No

 

What happened to the serpents that were made by Pharaoh’s men? Circle your answer.

the magicians serpents slithered away

Aaron’s serpent ate the magicians serpents

the magicians serpents killed Aaron’s serpent

 

watch the video below now.

At the beginning of this video we hear Pharaoh’s magicians calling out names. These names are all names of some of the god’s that the Egyptians worshiped. The Egyptians worshiped many false gods. They even believed that Pharaoh was a god to be worshiped. The true God begins here with the staff of Aaron to begin to show Israel, Egypt, and all the surrounding nations that He is the One and Only True God.

 

Look up and read Exodus 7:14 – 10:10 and Exodus 12:29-30 to learn about all the plagues that God sent to Egypt.

Watch the video below now.

Each of these plagues represented the false gods that the Egyptians worshiped. God had specifically chosen these plagues and He was using the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart to show the children of Israel and all of Egypt that He alone was God. Through these plagues He was showing them that He was more powerful than any of the gods they worshiped.

 

Look up and read Exodus 14:5-31 to learn about the end of Pharaoh.

Watch the video below now. 

Do you remember that the Egyptians also worshiped Pharaoh as a god? So God used the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart and the splitting of the Red Sea to once again show that He alone was God. He showed His power and authority over all rulers, all gods, and over all creation, like the sky and the seas.

 

Look up and read Joshua 2:1-13 and answer the following questions. Circle your answers: 

Had other nations heard about what God had done in Egypt? 

Yes                    No

 

Go back and read Romans 9:17. Had God displayed His power throughout the whole earth?   

Yes                     No

 

THINK ABOUT IT….

If Pharaoh would have let the children of Israel go when Aaron’s staff was turned into a serpent and ate his magicians serpents do you think the whole earth would have heard about it?

They most likely would not. God raised Pharaoh up and used his hard heart to show the whole earth who the real God is. God also showed the world during this time that we did not have to be a child of Jacob, Isaac, or Abraham to become a child of His. 

Anyone who believed in Him and obeyed Him could be His. It is still the same today. Our salvation has always came through faith. Simply believing God and taking Him at His word. 

Rahab was not child of Jacob, Isaac, or Abraham but she was saved because she believed God. 

Look up and read Matthew 1:1-6. Whose name do you see listed as part of the family of Jesus? Rahab! That’s right.

Do you believe God? Are you a part of the family of Jesus? Remember it is believing the gospel that saves us all.

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 9:1-13)

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We continue in our Romans Study For Kids.

Today we will be beginning a new section in the book of Romans. We will be studying through Romans 9, Romans 10, and Romans 11. This section is called the Scope of Salvation. In this section we will be learning about God’s choice, man’s responsibility, and how God has not rejected Israel.

Let’s begin by digging into Romans 9!

 

Read Romans 9:1-2 and answer the following questions. 

Who is the “I” in this verse?

 

______________________

 

What is he telling?

 

__ __ __       __ __ __ __ __

 

How is he telling it?

 

in  __ __ __ __ __ __

 

in the  __ __ __ __     __ __ __ __ __ __

 

What does he say about himself?

 

I am not  __ __ __ __ __

 

I have great  __ __ __ __ __ __  and unceasing __ __ __ __ __ in my heart

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Does it sound like Paul is sad? Does it sound like he wants us to know that what he is sharing is true and that God is speaking through him? 

Let’s study further to see if we can find out why Paul is so sad.

 

Read Romans 9:3 and answer the questions below.

What does Paul wish?

That he himself was  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __,  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

from __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Why does he wish this?

for the sake of my  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, my __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Look up and read 2 Corinthians 11:22 and Philippians 3:5. Who are Paul’s brethren and kinsmen? Circle the correct answer.

Greeks        Romans         Indians        Hebrews

 

Read Romans 9:4. What is another name for the Hebrews? 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:4-5. What eight things do you learn about the Israelites?

 

1) to whom belongs the _______________________________

2) and the _______________________________

3) and the _______________________________

4) and the _______________________________

5) and the ________________________________

6) and the ________________________________

7) whose are the ________________________________

8) and from whom is the _______________________

 

Now let’s take some time to find out what these eight things you just listed from Romans 9:4-5 are all about. It is time for some cross-referencing so that we can let Scripture interpret (or explain) Scripture. You don’t have to write anything down. I just want you to look it up, read, and discover!

1) Look up and read Exodus 4:21-22 to find out when the Israelites received God’s adoption as sons.

2) Look up and read Exodus 40:34-35 to find out what glory the Israelites received.

3) Look up and read Genesis 17:1-7 to find out about the covenant.  

4) Look up and read Deuteronomy 5:1-22 to find out about the giving of the Law

5) Look up and read Exodus 25:8-9 , 1 Kings 6:1, and Hebrews 9:1 to learn about the temple. This was first the tabernacle, then Solomon built the house of the Lord.

6) Look up and read Genesis 12:1-3 to learn about the promises.

7) Look up and read Acts 3:13 to learn who the fathers were.

8) Look up and read Matthew 1:1-16 to learn how Jesus came from the Israelites.

 

WOW! That was an awesome time of study! Good job! How about taking a break now and just think about all that you just learned.

 

Read Romans 9:5. What three things do you learn about Christ in this verse?

1) He came from the Israelites according to the flesh (He was born a Jew)

2) He is  __ __ __ __   __ __ __  

3) He is  __ __ __    __ __ __ __ __ __ __  forever

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

If all that you learned by digging in to Romans 9:4-5 is true, then why is Paul so upset. What have his brethren, the Israelites, not believed? 

I hope you have said, the gospel. 

Remember that is what Paul has been teaching us about up to this point. Remember that the theme of the book of Romans is that the gospel is the power of salvation and that salvation is by faith, the righteous man shall live by faith (Romans 1:16-17). 

So now the question is, if all this that you learned about the Israelites is true, then has God’s Word and His promises failed?

Let’s keep studying to find out!

 

Read Romans 9:6. 

How does Paul answer the question we just asked?

But it is  __ __ __  as though the word of God has failed.

Has God’s Word failed? Circle the correct answer.

Yes                 No

 

Read Romans 9:6-7. How does Paul explain that God’s Word has not failed?

For they are  __ __ __  all  __ __ __ __ __ __  who are descended from

__ __ __ __ __ __  nor are they all  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ because they

are  Abraham’s  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Look up and read Genesis 22:15-19. We learn about two sons in this verse.  Circle the name of the son that God said was the son of the covenant and the son that was promised by God.

Ishmael             Isaac

 

Look up and read Galatians 3:6-9. In verse 7 who are the sons of Abraham?

those who are of  __ __ __ __ __

 

Now look back in our study to Romans 2:28-29 and let us remember what we have already leaned about who is a true Jew or Israelite.

he is a Jew who is one  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:8. Who are the children of God? Circle the correct answer.

children of the flesh         children of the promise

 

Read Romans 9:9. What was the word of promise?

At this time I will come, and  __ __ __ __ __  will have a son

 

Read Romans 9:10. Who do you read about in this verse?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __     and     __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 9:10-13. How many kids did Isaac and Rebekah have? Circle your answer.

1             3           5           2

 

Were they twins? Circle your answer.

Yes                No

 

Read Romans 9:10-13 again and decide whether the following statement are True or False. Fill in the blank with a T or F.

 

_______   Jacob did a better job of making God happy that is why God loved him more.

 

_______   Rebekah and Isaac got to pick the child they wanted God to bless.

 

_______  God said the older kid is always boss.

 

_______  God had chosen before the children were born who would be the child to carry the promise.

 

_______  The works of the children had nothing to do with God’s choice

 

Look up and read Matthew 1:2. Which of Isaac and Rebekah’s sons is in the family of Jesus?

 

____________________

 

Look up and read Galatians 3:16, 26-29. Who is the promised seed or son that allows us to be descendants of Abraham? Circle the correct answer.

Isaac           Ishmael           Jesus           Superman

 

Just to know, look up and read Genesis 3:15 to find out when this promise was first given.

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Do you remember that we have already learned earlier in Romans that salvation comes from believing God. We learned that salvation has always been by faith. 

God made a promise right after the fall that He would send a seed to be our Savior. Since the garden He has chosen who would carry that seed from family to family until Jesus would come.

We can follow this all the way through the Bible. Below is just part of the trail:

Adam to Seth to Noah to Shem to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Judah to David to Jesus… 

God made a promise and He kept it. It didn’t matter how bad the men had messed up, when God called them they came, and God protected them because He was protecting the promise and the seed. 

Romans 9:11 assures us that God saves and keeps us saved according to His choice and His purpose and His promise. How important is it to you to know this about God when you have messed up? 

Isn’t it great to know that God keeps us saved in Jesus because He promised He would. 

That’s enough for today. We will look at Romans 9:14-18 next.

Proven Path Ministries

It’s All Him

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Yesterday I stood to teach during our chapel time at co-op and I felt as though I had never taught before. It was as if the Spirit of God had left me and I stood their naked and exposed and powerless. I could not focus. I could not remember where the points were I had felt the Lord had led me to draw out from the verses we were going to be digging into… I was lost.

My heart was pounding, my mouth went dry, my mind was blank and I was trying not to panic and just run out of the room.

I stood there trying to teach and hold back embarrassed tears at the same time… I have not felt that all over the place in a very long time. I wanted to hide. I actually thought right then that the Lord was through with me and had removed His Spirit and anointing from me right then. Confusion gripped my heart as I went before my God in my heart… and questioned what was happening? Was I under attack? Had I not adequately planned? Is this the results of something that is going on in my body right now? Had I failed Him? Had I missed Him? Self-condemnation commenced…

I am supposed to teach at a ladies retreat tomorrow night… and in all honesty I have felt so “out of it” for the past few weeks that I am nervous in a way that I have not been in a long time.

I am not sure if people really understand how terrifying and out of character speaking in front of a crowd is for me. It is only by and through the grace of God and the indwelling power and authority of His Holy Spirit that I am able. It is His gift not my ability. Every time I have ever taught I am reminded of His presence, because I cannot do this apart from Him. The moments, like what I experienced Monday, always serve as a potent reminder to me that it is not in me to teach this most holy Word from this Most Holy God.

I am beyond unworthy to speak in His name.

As I sat here tonight with my girls and watched the Billy Graham special, My Hope America, my heart ached. I am reminded again and again that I will never get over His forgiveness. I will never get over His sacrifice. I will never get over His mercy. I will never get over His desire for me. Me. This woman who lived in outright rebellion to Him and His commands. This woman who used His name in vain and lived life in vain.

My heart swells and becomes so full with emotion that it feels like it will burst within my chest when I think of Him and His cross… I can’t explain what washes over me when I think of what He went through just for me…

This afternoon my girls and I watched A Knight’s Tale with Heath Ledger… I kept the remote with me so as to skip over the parts that showed the guys backside and the part where Jocelyn comes in the night to William… I began the fast forward and my Bekah said, Momma I would never do what she is doing that is making you to have to fast forward this… Momma, you wouldn’t do that either would you… you haven’t done that have you?  

For the first time ever, I could not answer her. Hot shame washed over me anew and I avoided the question that I will answer one day… I just can’t bear to answer it today… not after The Day I Hated Came and her heart was broken just from the knowledge that I did not walk with Christ until I was 24 years old.

My heart breaks for those who think the choices they are making today will not go with them into tomorrow. If you ever think I am “judging” you do not know me at all. It is not a heart of judgment that comes before you, but a heart that knows the love of Christ and loves Him and you too much too allow you to walk down a path of death when life is HIS WAY.

Billy Graham shared in his message to America that the cross is offensive because it demands, it doesn’t suggest, it DEMANDS a new lifestyle. He also shared that the cross of Christ is offensive, but the cross is a confrontation that all of us must face.

I experienced the offensiveness of the cross… and I experienced it demand to change… I realized fully at the age of 24 that the Word of God was not a suggestion for how to live… it was LIFE.

So I don’t teach and I don’t write and I don’t post and I don’t blog and I don’t call out so that others will “like” me or my “stuff”. It’s not so anyone will ever look at me… there really is not much to see… I just want you to know Jesus. The real Jesus. Not this “Jesus” that many people make such a mockery of as they claim to be working for Him…

For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

Titus 1:10-11

I want to share with you the Jesus who is in the Word and of the Word and is the Word. I don’t want to spout out ridiculous cliches or promise you empty blessings and seven steps that supposedly God has “only revealed to me”… that should be a red flag right there. I just want to bring you to Jesus and teach you what He has recorded for us in His Scriptures. No seven steps to blessings needed, just one step toward Christ. Just one step of faith at a time…

If God has to give me moments like last Monday to keep me in this place of utter humility then by all means I will take them… If He has to pull back and let me be reminded what emptiness would be in my heart if He were not there, then by all means pull away from me… I come before Him and lay at the foot of His cross and look up to His throne of His grace ready to be stripped of all self-righteousness and pride. Reminded that I am not here to show what all I know… but only WHO I KNOW.

I came empty handed to this mercy tree and all I have to offer anyone is what was offered me… Jesus.

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

Thankful for Motherhood

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It’s November and I have been posting my “thankful fors” on my FB page, Proven Path Ministries. You can follow them all there. I would love for you to “like” my page.

Today I shared that I am thankful for motherhood. As I was pondering my thankfulness for motherhood I remembered this verse…

“But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

1 Timothy 2:15

I have always found this verse in Scripture pretty interesting, so today I thought I would dig a little deeper into it. The word “self-restraint” in this verse is sóphrosuné in the Greek and it means soundness of mind, sanity; self-control, sobriety. I literally laughed out loud when I read the Greek definition of this verse. Why? Well let me tell you that I cannot count the times that I have said…

“Y’all are driving me insane!” 
“I am about to lose my mind!” 
“They are making me crazy!” 
“I can’t even complete a thought without somebody interrupting me!” 
“Do you think that I am stupid and have no clue what you are doing?” 
“Do you not understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
“I’m going to kill them!” 

Raising children will teach you things about yourself that you otherwise would have self-righteously denied until your dying breath. I remember the day I realized that I understood how that woman could put herself and her kids in that car and drive them off that bridge. I remember the moment I realized that I could empathize with that one on trial for shaking their child…

It was the night that after 4 month of only sleeping in 45 minute increments and still trying to work part time while my husband had been away on business in another country for a month that at 3 o’clock in the morning I laid my not sleeping EVER! beautiful baby girl in the floor and went to the bathroom and cried and screamed and in the depths of utter frustration kicked a whole in my bathroom wall.

I then realized that I had “lost it”. I went into the living room, grabbed the still smiling but not sleeping EVER! beautiful baby girl and wrapped her in a blanket, and walked to my parents house at 3 o’clock in the morning in heaping sobs. I proceeded to walk in their door, up their stairs, and into their bedroom, and still in uncontrollable sobs handed my scared to death mother my still smiling but not sleeping EVER! beautiful baby girl. My mother in a huge breathe of relief that the bundle I handed her was still breathing sent me to bed and took on the baby duty.

When I returned to my parents house that night after working an all day volleyball tournament… guess who was still awake and only had a twenty minute nap during the day… yes, my still smiling but not sleeping EVER! beautiful baby girl.

Motherhood has taught me more about the grace and mercy and love of God than any preacher ever could. The words of Scripture have been clung to more than I can wrap my mind around as I held on to them for hope in just me maintaining my sanity through another day.

“But women will be preserved” in this verse is sōthēsetai in the Greek and it means she will be saved.

So personally I believe we can read 2 Timothy 1:15 like this: I will be saved through raising children if I can do this thing continuing in faith, love, holiness, and without losing my mind in the process!

The word “continue” is menó in the Greek and it means I remain, abide, stay, wait, live, endure, last. 

The word “faith” is pistis in the Greek and it means faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

The word “love” is agapé in the Greek and it is a purely Biblical and ecclesiastical word. I love what the Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary says about agape:

“God Is Love.”Agape [ 1 John 4:8 ). God does not merely love; he islove. Everything that God does flows from his love.

John emphasizes repeatedly that God the Father loves the Son (John 5:20 ; 17:23,26 ) and that the Son loves the Father (John 14:31 ). Because the Father loves the Son, he made his will known to him. Jesus in turn demonstrated his love to the Father through his submission and obedience.

The theme of the entire Bible is the self-revelation of the God of love. In the garden of Eden, God commanded that “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17 ). We are not prepared, then, when God looks for Adam after his sin, calling out “Where are you?” God seeks Adam, not to put him to death, but to reestablish a relationship with him. God, the Lover, will not allow sin to stand between him and his creature. He personally bridges the gap…

We are totally incapable of loving either God or others—a condition that must be corrected by God before we canlove. The Bible’s ways of describing this process of correction are numerous: “circumcision of the heart” (Deuteronomy 30:6 ); God’s “writing his laws” on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33 ); God’s substituting a “heart of flesh” for a “heart of stone” (Ezekiel 11:19 ); being “born again” by the Spirit (John 3:3 ; 1 John 5:1-2 ); removing old clothing and replacing it with new (Colossians 3:12-14 ); dying to a sinful life and resurrecting to a new one (Colossians 3:1-4 ); moving out of darkness into light (1 John 2:9 ). Until that happens, we cannot love.

God alone is the source of love (1 John 4:7-8 ); he “poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:5 ). God’s love then awakens a response in those who accept it. Godloves through believers, who act as channels for his love; they are branches who must abide in the vine if they are to have that love (John 15:1-11 ).

The word “sanctity” is hagiasmos in the Greek and it means the process of making or becoming holy, set apart, sanctification, holiness, consecration. It’s the use of the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness.

Motherhood, whether through adoption, marriage, or bearing them from our own bodies, will bring a woman to the cross of Christ quicker and with more fervency than anything else on this earth ever could. God will use it to mold us into the image of His Son in a way that blows our mind. As I remain faithful in this mom thing, as I endure all things and wait on my children to “get it” as I just keep doing what God has called me to do and facing everything that He brings to me and remember that this whole sanctity and holiness thing is a process and not a one stop shop then I can press on and not lose my sanity over the reality of it all.

When I read God seeks Adam, not to put him to death, but to reestablish a relationship with him. God, the Lover, will not allow sin to stand between him and his creature. He personally bridges the gap… in the Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary I thought about how this should relate to me as a mother. I should never allow sin to come between me and my children if I really claim to love them… whether it be my sin or theirs. It is my responsibility as the mother to be the one who makes the move to bridge the gap that sin makes in my family. I am also reminded that I cannot love my children with agape love apart from God… I HAVE to have Him deposit this love within me first before I can love my children with it… any other type of “love” will end up being a perversion and not beneficial to the health and eternal life of my children.   

So yes I am thankful for motherhood… it has taught me much… about my God, myself, and what it means to love without condition and it has also taught me what it means to be loved without condition. 

my motherhood

Children's Ministry, Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

Amazing Grape

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Yesterday morning I red an article, We are going to home school our kids, but that’s only because we hate education. I posted this article on my personal FB page. Then I began to scroll through and read the response comments on the post… this is where my blood pressure began to rise… what irritated me was two comments that are repeated over and over and over and over and over by parents.

1) I don’t have the patiences with my own kids

2) I turned out just fine(okay)/my kids turned out just fine(okay)

My personal FB page posted emotional response to these comments after I deleted much of it…

I am sorry, but I don’t want my kids to just “turn out okay” I want them to be excellent! I am sorry, but if I don’t have “the patience” to teach my own children… then I need to get on my face before God and repent and find out why. Thank God in heaven that He never looked at me said “I don’t have the patience to teach you”. Patience is learned and it is the fruit of the Spirit. I teach my children at home and I struggle, I take many deep breathes, I rely on the promises of God minute by minute… I just simply believe that if I can’t learn enough patience to teach my own kids or learn enough love to at least like my own children then I have a serious spiritual problem and it needs addressed NOW.

For some reason there were those that found this offensive…

Notice this is all addressed to myself. This “rant” as I called it… is all things that I myself had to address in myself as a parent. Believe it or not patience is not natural to me, and it especially was not natural with my children… God had to teach it too me. And yes, the problem was not my children… the problem was me. The problem was my own spiritual immaturity… is my own spiritual immaturity. Trust me, I have far from arrived.

I had to get on my face before God and repent of how I responded to my children. I had to ask God why did I lack so much patience with them? If you were to pick up my journals and read them, you would see over and over again where I had cried out, God help me… I need more patience! You don’t even have to find my journals. my goodness, the world can read them here: He’s Still Working On Me, The Angry Voice, Ladies!

Do you know what His answer was.

You don’t need more patience… you need more of Me, you just need more knowledge of My Word, you just need to keep growing, keep trusting, keep learning, keep stepping out in faith believing My Word… and all these things will be added to you. 

God taught me to stop when I was in the midst of an overwhelming situation and just breathe and I would pray, God I need more of Your Holy Spirit, more of You, more of Your grace… and in that moment I would meditate on

 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

Luke 11:13

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He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.

John 3:33-34

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

Moms and Dads, we have to teach our children and shame on us if we use our own lack of patience as an excuse not too. I am not saying everyone should homeschool. I am saying that loving our kids is mandatory and desiring their excellence is mandatory… teaching them is mandatory.

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

2 Timothy 3:14-16

Now, who is the “whom” in this passage of Scripture?

For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.

2 Timothy 1:5

He learned them from his mother… since childhood.

 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

We cannot be called children of God and think that we can look at God and say, well I just did not have the patience to teach my own kids, so I left that to someone else to do. WE CAN’T. It simply doesn’t work that way. If we don’t have enough patience to teach and train our own children we have to come before God and find out why… and be willing to receive what He says and start taking the steps we need to take to allow His Spirit to produce His fruit in us.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Notice the fruit is singular, it’s not fruits of the Spirit, but fruit of the Spirit. Have you ever wondered why fruit? In various places in the Scripture the Word of God compares Christ to a vine. So let’s just look at the grape for our example. Why don’t you go ahead and read this article on growing grapes.

Now lets do some comparing. The article said: When you plant your grapevine in the spring, it’s just a small set of shoots. It can grow relatively quickly in the first year, developing a thick trunk and side canes that require training along a trellis, fence or wire system. But it’s not ready to produce grapes.

When we first receive Jesus as our Saviour, He saves us and puts His Spirit within us, we and those around us usually see a change in us. There is this quick excitement and fire in us and all of a sudden out of nowhere we are excited about God… but as we walk in this new life we find that we still lack in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control part… oh we may know better now… but the carrying out of it, the bearing the fruit of it, we find difficult. That’s because we are still to immature.

Remember the article began with: Your backyard grapevine can take up to three years to produce viable grapes, but that timeline is based on several environmental factors as well as how you care for the plant. Sunlight and well-drained soil are key to grape production, as is proper pruning.

In our new life, God has to first begin the pruning… Pruning is one of the most important factors in grape production. Grapes develop only on new growth, which sprouts from 1-year-old wood. This is one reason why most vines don’t produce grapes in their second year — the whole plant is only 1 year old, so its main job is support instead of grapes. 

During the first years of our salvation God is cultivating in us a foundation of support for the fruit He wants to produce in us. He has to prune away all that is of our old nature, His fruit doesn’t come from our old talents or old personality… His fruit comes from Him. He has to prune on us, so that we learn the difference… or we would become arrogant and think it was all us… and not simply a result of His Spirit in us, working through and out of us.

To grow and bear the fruit of the Spirit we have to spend time in the SON: Without the necessary sunlight, grapes won’t develop properly, regardless of the vine’s age. Grapevines can grow in partial shade, but they are unlikely to produce much fruit unless they get a significant amount of sun — up to seven or eight hours per day.

How much time do you spend soaking in the Word of God? The Son is the Word made flesh… No SonLight… no Fruit… Little SonLight… little fruit. It’s that simple. Are you willing to spend 7 to 8 hours a day soaking in the Word of God? Imagine the growth that could take place within you if He was your mediation…  how much time do you spend on other things that could be spent in the Son?

The article also shared, This is also why neglected vines don’t produce many grapes. The upper level of leaves often shades lower levels, keeping the leaves from absorbing the necessary sunlight to help the plant develop fruit

I believe this could be a warning to those who choose to lord their positions of authority over other believers, instead of getting out of the way and helping them get in the Son for themselves.

The article shared that you can’t use your eyes to tell you when the grapes are ready.

You see you can’t look at yourself or anyone else and tell the level of their spiritual maturity… only the inside can reveal that… and the only way to get to the inside is to taste it for yourself. You have to break the outside so that what is on the inside can burst forth… so sometimes God has to put us in situations so that we can see what is going on inside of us… so we can see how “ripe” or spiritually mature we are… and by the way our kids and our spouse and our family and those within our church, and those we work with or go to school with or drive down the road with… are all great at opening our eyes to our lack of spiritual maturity. Whenever we think we are big enough to get off the Vine, God is real quick to remind us… we are so not ready!

My favorite part of the article was at the end: Each year can be different, so don’t use the previous year’s harvest date by default. For example, one summer might be sunny with little cloud cover, while the next is overcast nearly every day. Because grapes need sun to ripen properly, it takes longer in years with more cloudy days.

Be encouraged moms and dads… and all believers. There will be years of great fruit bearing… but there will also be cloudy seasons when growth is slow and little fruit is evident and when this happens, when you realize this is what is happening… RUN TO THE SON!

The article began with If you’ve neglected an older grapevine, it could stop producing until it gets some attention from you. 

Maybe you became a believer as a child… and maybe its been a while since you have been in the Word… maybe you have never really ever been in the Word… maybe you have realized that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control are simply not things that hang on you or bear from you… with your kids, with your spouse, with others, with even yourself. If you know that you know that you know that you are indeed in the Vine, then you were created to bear fruit, the fruit of the Spirit… its just that you have neglected the Vine… if that’s you… it’s time to call on the Vinedresser (John 15).

Believe me, God does not just want you or your kids to just turn out okay or just fine…

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish in you.

Song of Solomon 4:7

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For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works

Psalm 139:13-14

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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God

1 Peter 2:9-10

So my friend if it patience that you feel you lack in order to have the ability to teach your own children… know that God is here to supply especially that and all things that you need…

But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:18-20

Notice in this verse that God also used the church to help meet the needs of Paul… this brings us to Titus 2… and Hebrews 10:25… and Galatians 6:2. I encourage you to look those up for yourself…