Bible Gateway Blog

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September 2, 2018

[QUIZ] What Does the Bible Say About Work?

Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. -Colossians 3:23 (NLV) #mybiblegateway pic.twitter.com/Fgy4e5U61b

— Bible Gateway (@biblegateway) August 31, 2018

More than 80 countries in the world have a day which commemorates the value of work, and the contributions of workers to the well-being of society. In the United States and Canada, it’s the first Monday in September. The Bible speaks often of the meaning of work and the place of labor in a person’s life.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, NIV Faith and Work Bible: An Interview with David Kim]

In his Bible Gateway Blog post, Work in the Bible—Thoughts for Labor Day Weekend, pastor and author Mel Lawrenz says, “The first thing to notice in Scripture is that God is a laborer. Jesus was the son of a laborer and was a laborer himself. And the Bible shows work woven into the created order of all things….” [Read this post in full]

[Sign up to receive the free email 7-day devotional Faith & Work]

In keeping with the spiritual aspect of labor, the Theology of Work Bible Commentary is freely available online at Bible Gateway to help you see that the work you do is an expression of who you are and your identity in Christ. To learn how to use this free commentary, read the Bible Gateway Blog post, The Theology of Work Bible Commentary Added to Bible Gateway’s Free Online Study Library.

Then, be sure to have fun taking this quiz to gauge your knowledge of the biblical theme of work. Once you’ve taken it, tell your friends and social media followers about it. And sign up to receive the free email 9-day devotional Theology of Work.

[See other Bible Gateway quizzes]

Learn about all aspects of the Bible when you become a member of Bible Gateway Plus. Try it right now!

September 2, 2018

Bible News Roundup – Week of September 2, 2018

Jonathan Petersen

Read this week’s Bible Gateway Weekly Brief newsletter
⇨ Bible Gateway Weekly Brief
⇨ Newsletter signup
▼

Support Bible Gateway—Browse the Bible Gateway Store
⇨ BibleGatewayStore.com
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Court Hands Victory to Christian Cheerleaders Who Want Bible Verses on Football Game Banners
⇨ The Dallas Morning News
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Valentines with Bible Verses at Heart of Free Speech Lawsuit Student Filed Against College
⇨ Journal Sentinel
⇨ Read the Bible verses used: 1 John 4:11, Romans 5:8, and 1 Peter 5:7
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Bible Reading on TV Sparks Call for End of Religious Public Broadcasting
⇨ Premier
⇨ Read Ephesians 5 on Bible Gateway
▼

Chinese Farmers Need More Bibles to Meet Church Growth
⇨ Eternity
▼

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August 31, 2018

Bible Gateway 25th Anniversary Sweepstakes for September

Jonathan Petersen

Bible Gateway is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new sweepstakes every month this year! Winners have already been selected for the months of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August. Enter every month!

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, On 25th Anniversary, Bible Gateway Has Been Viewed More Than 14 Billion Times]

This month enter for a chance to win a copy of the NIV Comfort Print Heritage Bible, Premium Leather, Black, Premier Collection (Zondervan, 2018)—which has a suggested retail value of $149.99. Two winners will be selected at random. One entry per person; legal residents of the USA 18 years of age and older. Entry period: August 31, 2018 (8:00 am ET) – September 27, 2018 (11:59 pm ET).

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August 30, 2018

Scripture Read At US Senator John McCain’s Memorial Services

Jonathan Petersen

Senator John S. McCain III, 81, died from complications related to his brain cancer on August 25, 2018 with his wife and family beside him at his home in Cornville, Arizona.

A memorial service took place August 30, 2018 at North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona. Senator McCain’s family and friends, along with state, local and tribal officials, and business and civic leaders from across Arizona attended the service. Senior pastor Dr. Noe Garcia read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, and John 3:16. Personal friend Tommy Espinoza quoted 1 Corinthians 13:3 and 2 Timothy 4:6-7. And Sen. McCain’s children also read passages from the Bible: Bridget McCain, Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, and Andrew McCain, 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

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August 30, 2018

How to Establish Boundaries in Your Life: An Interview with Dr. John Townsend

Jonathan Petersen

Christians often focus so much on being loving and giving that they forget their own limits and limitations. Have you ever found yourself wondering: Can I set limits and still be a loving person? How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? Why do I feel guilty when I consider setting boundaries?

[Sign up to receive the free Boundaries weekly email devotional from Bible Gateway]

Bible Gateway interviewed Dr. John Townsend (@drjohntownsend), who, along with Dr. Henry Cloud (@DrHenryCloud), wrote the bestselling book, Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life (Zondervan, updated 2017), winner of the Christian Book Award®.

[Browse all the book in the Boundaries series in the Bible Gateway Store]

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August 29, 2018

How to Live the Bible — Hearing God’s Voice in Scripture

Mel Lawrenz

This is the thirty-sixth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.

Life and Light Books

Some years back, I did a survey of our church’s congregation with the simple question: “If you could ask God one thing, what would it be?” I was not surprised that the most frequent response had to do with the problem of evil in the world, but I was struck by the next most common question: “How can I hear the voice of God?” The various wording people used indicated some were facing important decisions, others wanted to know if their lives were “on track” with God, some were in crisis, and still others expressed feelings of spiritual isolation and just wanted to “hear” from God.

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August 28, 2018

The Thieving Idol that Drains Your Relationships of Joy

Guest Post

By Tom Holladay

What does your idealized family evening look like? Mine might look something like this:

You get home from work at exactly 5:15—because the freeways once again parted like the Red Sea for you on your drive home. Everyone rushes to meet you at the door—even your golden retriever.

The whole family pitches in to make dinner. It’s pasta night at your house, so one of the kids gets out the pasta maker to make fresh pasta, another puts the homemade bread in the oven, and you go out to the garden to pick the tomatoes and spices for the sauce.

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August 28, 2018

How to Hear the Voice of God: An Interview with Liz Ditty

Jonathan Petersen

Does God speak to you? Do you believe God is infinitely closer and more involved in your world than you give him credit for? How does God speak in Scripture and how can you learn to recognize his voice everywhere in daily life?

Bible Gateway interviewed Liz Ditty (@lizditter) about her book, God’s Many Voices: Learning How to Listen. Expectant to Hear. (Worthy Publishing, 2018).

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August 27, 2018

Discernment: Rethink How You Read the Bible

Guest Post

When was the last time you read the book of Obadiah in the Bible? Do you find that, when you read the Bible, you tend to pick and choose what you read and end up gravitating toward familiar passages and ignoring others? And of the Scripture you do read, are you concentrating on only certain verses and disregarding others?