Click  here to download a printable version of the Daily Bible Study for 7.9.10.

FRIDAY — An opportunity to be inspired…
The following is the letter that CedarCreek received from Margo Belkofer, Tom’s Belkofer’s wife (see front page) after her husband’s funeral that was held at CedarCreek. We are certain that you will be inspired by her courage and faith.

To All Staff and Volunteers at CedarCreek Church,
     I would like to give you my most heartfelt thanks  and appreciation for all the hard work, effort and love that you put into making Tom’s funeral service on May 29th, 2010 such a wonderful celebration of his life and the wonderful eternal life that Tom along with us will one day experience as believers in Jesus Christ.  So many people who attended or who have watched the video with me have mentioned how awesome of a service it was in many ways.  Many of our family members have come to desire to know Christ as a result and that is the greatest blessing of all from Tom’s tragic death.  One life was given so many can be saved just as Jesus’ life was.
     As mentioned many times, even though Tom and I were not regular attendees of CedarCreek, we made it a point to attend your services, especially Christmas and Easter, whenever we were in town visiting Tom’s family over the past 10 years.  We have watched you grow over the years and have always hoped to be part of such a special church like yours someday.  I pray I can find one similar in nature in Columbus over the coming months.  You provide a wonderful atmosphere to so many who are searching for God’s truth or who are desiring a closer walk with Him.  May God continue to bless your congregation with many blessings as you spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
     I know there is no amount of donation that I can give to repay your loving gestures but please accept this portion of the tithes of Tom’s death benefit from the military as a token of my gratitude for all you have done.  Please pass on my thanks to all the many volunteers who provided many various services both before and during the service – you are all amazing loving brothers and sisters in Christ and I will always cherish your willingness to serve like Christ.
Love and blessings in Christ,
Margo

How have you been challenged as a result of studying the classic story of Abraham and Isaac this week? (Tip: Share anything you feel God has been challenging you to do with a trusted Christian friend. Ask them to hold you accountable to doing the thing you feel God has called you to do.)

Week-End Reminders:
-You can still register for the Leadership Summit! Even if you missed the special discount rate, registration for the Leadership Summit is still open. You can register at CedarCreek’s website or you can stop by Welcome Center/Connecting Point at any CedarCreek Campus.
-Got debt? Join us for a three-day intensive Intro to Financial Peace course at our Perrysburg and Whitehouse campuses on July 19-21 from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Well-known financial expert and speaker, Dave Ramsey, will instruct and encourage you with practical tips to bust debt and build wealth. Check out our website for more details.

DAILY BIBLE READING COMMENTARY: Luke 9
Luke 9:1 “gave them power and authority: Now Jesus shows that His authority can be extended through the Twelve. The nation to which He came as King (Matt. 10:5, 6) needed to witness His power and authority. The Twelve were delegated to accomplish this task” (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary 1268).
Luke 9:13-17 “This is the only miracle of Jesus’ ministry that appears in all four Gospels (Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; John 6:5-14). The feeding of the five thousand demonstrated Jesus’ ability to provide” (Nelson’s 1268).
Luke 9:27 “Since these disciples died before Jesus’ return, the reference here is no doubt to the Transfiguration (vv. 28-36). With this there is probably also a prediction of the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost (10:9; 11:20; 17:21)” (Nelson’s 1269).

HomePointe Family Activity Section
Coming this fall we will kick off our all new CedarCreek family ministry called HomePointe. Families will be able to take part in opportunities and resources at CedarCreek that may assist them in their journey to grow a strong family. This family activity is just one of the many resources we will be offering.

Big Point for parents: Time honored traditions create the opportunity to instill core family values in your children. Take the time to create Fourth of July family tradition this week that reflect your family values.

Big Point for Children: Being strong and courageous is a choice that everyone will have to face at some point.

Activity: This week is a great opportunity to read the book of Esther to your children. If your children are young, get a book about Esther from the library or the Christian book store that summarizes her story, but if they are older than 8 years of age they will probably enjoy reading it from the Bible. Try reading it from “The Message” Bible. It is a paraphrase and will possibly cause the children to be even more engaged. Read a chapter or two a day and do your best to leave them hanging in suspense. This is a great opportunity to show them how interesting the Bible can be and how the heroes’ of the Old Testament are really like old friends. How so? Old friends can’t wait to share their stories with us. What makes them great old friends is when they share stories that help us to grow our faith in God.

It may be a good idea to call this week “Freedom Week.” Kick it off with some great Fourth of July events and then each day investigate the life of a person who protected our freedom. Think of a way as a family to honor them.

Pray: God, thank You for the courageous people who have inspired us to be courageous, such as Esther and the many soldiers who have fought for our freedom in our country. We pray that we won’t forget what they have done to make it possible for us to worship You freely. We love You. Amen.

Living It Out: July’s Memory Verse
Hebrews 11:1 (New Living Translation)
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

Living It Out
It is the dream of CedarCreek that everyone who calls this their church home will be reading and studying the same topics, both individually and in groups. Each week, join with thousands of others at CedarCreek Church in applying God’s Word, the Bible, into your daily life. Our hope is that while we learn and grow together, as individuals and as a church, we will collectively live out the weekend message.

Living It Out resources, such as the Daily Bible Study, Daily Bible Reading Plan, Discussion Questions and Scripture Memory Verses, are designed to help us embrace a missional mindset…a mindset that compels us to love Jesus, serve others and tell the world about Christ.
Living It Out: Daily Bible Study…Daily Bible study activities to reflect on the weekend message
Living It Out: Daily Bible Reading Plan…Read through the New Testament in a year
Living It Out: Discussion Questions…Weekly questions to discuss with others
Living It Out: Scripture Memory…Memorize one Bible verse per month

All of these resources are also available electronically at www.livingitout.tv, where you can subscribe to have any or all of them emailed to you as they are updated.

We Want Your Feedback!
Tell us about any questions or comments you have about this week’s Living It Out: Daily Bible Study. Forward them to chanteleh@cedarcreek.tv.

RESOURCES:
The Leadership Bible
The Inspirational study Bible

Living It Out Bible Study Written By:
Kaye Kinney
Rick Kinney
Chantele Henry
Emily Lee