WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE THISTLEBEND BLOOM BLOG
Bloom! is a personal look into a few women’s lives as they participate in Thistlebend studies and follow the Lord as He tills their hearts. May you be encouraged as you experience the tilling, the Lord is doing in your own heart!
Jesus Prayed
Thistlebend Quiet eMoment by Laurie Aker Focus Scripture: Luke 9:18-22 ESV 18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them,”Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has […]
Two Principles that Must Never Be Separated
by Laurie Aker First,God is intimately acquainted with us in every way: “For you formed my inward parts” ([Psalm 139] v.13). And second, God is absolutely sovereign over everything that happens to us: “…in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none […]
Do You Need Rest?
Thistlebend Quiet eMoment by Laurie Aker Focus Scripture: Luke 9:10-17 ESV 10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the […]
Our Greatest Satisfaction
by Laurie Aker Why is it that when we say we love the Lord and He is our God, we don’t put Him first? Why don’t we set aside time to be with Him in His Word? We allow our affections to wander, and our desires drift off to the temporal. Is sleep more important […]
Getting Below the Layers of Sin
Thistlebend Quiet eMoment by Laurie Aker Focus Scripture: Luke 9:7-9 ESV 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old […]
Why Willpower Alone Can’t Produce Obedience
by Steve Fuller The Importance of Feelings In my early years as a Christian I relied on my own will-power to obey Christ, and did not see much need for Spirit-power. But that changed when I saw that God’s commands focus not just on actions, but also on feelings. Take Deuteronomy 28:47-48 as an example […]
See the Gospel as God Sees It
by Laurie Aker The eyes of our understanding are very weak. We can barely see our sin as God sees our sin, and we have such a difficult time seeing our sin through His eyes of perfect love and grace. Our perspective virtually blinds us; if only we could see the gospel as God sees […]
Who Is This?
Thistlebend Quiet eMoment by Laurie Aker Focus Scripture: Luke 9:7-9 ESV 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old […]
A New and Amazing Identity
by Angie Thomas The question of our identity and purpose is perhaps one of the most perplexing, challenging, and ongoing struggles of our lives. If I were in a conversation with you and said, “Tell me a bit about who you are,” what would be your response? Would you say, “Oh, I’m a teacher, an […]