Grace Abounding

The joy of marriage is God’s gift so we display Christ’s love for the church and grow in holiness. It is incumbent on every couple to see and savor God together in regular Bible study. This responsibility falls particularly on husbands to initiate. See Ephesians 5:25-27 where husbands ought to set the pace in “cleansing her with the water of the Word.”

Having trouble sitting down with your spouse and looking at a Bible passage together? Do you sit down together to do this but end up floundering? Take heart! Here are five study resources to help you get started.

1. John MacArthur Bible Study Guides
Pastor MacArthur has produced Bible study booklets that guide you through a book of the Bible. The booklets are self-contained so you read the passage listed, answer several questions , and examine the application and cross-reference passages he provides. A great start to Bible study as a couple.

Average price: $8

2. John MacArthur Passage & Theme Study Guides
Do I sound like a broken record? Another MacArthur resource? Yes. Because this one is free.  For a variety of passages and themes, Pastor MacArthur provides a study sheet of questions and helpful commentary for you to talk through together. This is similar to the above-mentioned resources except covers shorter passages.

Average price: download for free

3. Daily Devotional from R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries
Christy and I occasionally print out the day’s daily devotional from R.C. Sproul. This devotional includes a few verses to look up, commentary, one question, and a suggestion for prayer. They’re totally free, and one devotional is provided for every day of the year. Click here, then scroll down to the right where it says “Daily Devotionals.”

Price: download for free

4. Kay Arthur Bible Study Guides
I’ve also used these Bible study guides that tackle a book of the Bible or theme and break it up into a daily study for several weeks to a month. Each day’s study includes a passage to read and examine and questions to dig deeper. These include a little more busy work (instructions on marking up the passage) but these extra steps teach good principles of Bible study if you take the time. For some this will float your boat more than the MacArthur studies described above.

Average price: $9

5. For the Love of God Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Don Carson $10-15 (used)
Carson gives rich theological insight as he guides his readers through reading the Bible in a year. This is less interactive in that no discussion questions are included. Readers are given four chapters a day to read. These are beneficial guides for couples that would like to experience the wide expanse of the Bible in the space of a year.

Price: $14.00

Getting Started
View these tools as training wheels to get you started in listening to God and talking to Him together. But don’t rely on “Our Daily Bread” or devotional booklets forever. Strive to learn good Bible study habits with these resources with a goal of eventually opening up the Word itself and talking through a passage jointly without devotional guides. That’s where the greatest reward will come. I offer these ideas as a good bridge. As counselor David Powlison has said about he and his wife’s spiritual relationship, “The best way we counsel each other is by reading the Bible together & taking about it.”

Have additional recommendations? Post them in the comments below.

Psalm 119:92-93 – “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.” (NIV)

Sermon Title: The Book of Amos: Part 1
Speaker: Garrett Lee, Elder
Text: Amos 1-2
Series: The Ancient Gospel: Majoring On the Minor Prophets

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This spring I had the privilege of participating in the 2010 Alexandria Citizen’s Academy. In it, civic leaders give twenty residents a behind-the-scenes look for eight weeks at city trends (economic, social, political), let them interact with city council and city government officials, and inform them of volunteer needs in Alexandria. The Citizens Academy gave Grace Church of Alexandria a clearer picture of how we can act on our heart to promote the good of our community.

The Famous & Infamous History of Alexandria
In the next few blog posts, I’ll share slices of what I learned, starting with Alexandria’s famous and infamous history, then a look at city services, and finally how Alexandrians can help fellow Alexandrians.

City hall, Alexandria, Virginia

George Washington’s Hometown
George Washington was a trustee of our city, which was founded 27 years before the United States. He went to church in town, and the stunning grounds of his Mount Vernon home are located nearby. Though many think Alexandria gained its named from the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt, it is probabl that it was named for the Alexander family which helped found our city.

Inspiration For the U.S. Constitution
The Constitutional Convention that framed the U.S. Constitution had its origins in Alexandria. In 1785, Virginia & Maryland sent delegates to our city to resolve differences between the states. The success of this mission led to a meeting in Annapolis of additional states to increase cooperation among the states. This led, in turn to the calling of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 which gave us the U.S. Constitution.

Injustice & Oppression
On a darker note, the most successful slave trading business in America, Franklin & Armfield, operated from 1828 to 1836 on Duke Street in Alexandria, the same street on which I live. Over 1,000 slaves a year were bought, held in slave pens here, then sold. This site of untold horrors has been turned into a free museum (pictured below) exposing the horrors of slavery, Freedom House Museum, so we never forget.

Franklin & Armfield, slave traders

The First Casualties of the Civil War
The first two deaths of the Civil War occured at the Marshall House, on the corner of King and South Pitt Streets (now the location of Hotel Monaco). The day after Virginia seceded from the Union, Federal troops poured into the city. A hotel owner, James Jackson, incensed that Colonel Elmer Ellsworth had taken down his Confederate flag, shot and killed the Union officer and was bayoneted by a solider for his deed.

Alexandria, the site of the first two Civil War deaths

The Inspiration For Our Church’s Meeting Place
Our church meets on Sunday for worship at the Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in Alexandria’s Cameron Station. Samuel Tucker was a 26-year-old lawyer grieved that African-Americans were prohibited from using public facilities, including the city library. He organized several African-Americans to conduct one of the country’s first sit-ins to attack this unjust barrier, then successfully defended them in court, the beginning of the end of segregation in the city. We’re proud to meet in the elementary school that bears the name of this true-to-life servant of the oppressed.

Grace Church of Alexandria’s Meeting Place

Stay tuned for further glimpses of our city’s story. You can subscribe to our blog via the RSS feed.

Sermon Title: A Matter of Life And Death: The Message of Micah, Part 1
Speaker: Jonathan Matías, Elder
Text: Micah 1-2
Series: The Ancient Gospel: Majoring On the Minor Prophets

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Sermon Title: Christlikeness
Speaker: Dr. Bruce McAllister
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:18

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On the Fourth of July a gaggle of friends from Grace Church enjoyed a picnic before catching the D.C. fireworks. We love sharing life together at Grace Church of Alexandria!

Sermon Title: Surprised By Grace: The Message of Jonah, Part 2
Speaker: Jonathan Matías, Elder
Text: Jonah 2-4
Series: The Ancient Gospel: Majoring On the Minor Prophets

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Sermon Title: Surprised By Grace: The Message of Jonah
Speaker: Jonathan Matías, Elder
Text: Jonah 1-2
Series: The Ancient Gospel: Majoring On the Minor Prophets

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sermon Title: The Ancient Gospel: Majoring On the Minor Prophets
Speaker: Garrett Lee, Elder
Series: The Ancient Gospel: Majoring On the Minor Prophets

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sermon Title: Putting Your Spirit Gifts to Work!
Speaker: Jonathan Matías, Pastor
Series: The Church – To Know Her Is to Love Her

Podcast: Play in new window | Download