A Psalm for Thanksgiving Bible Study by Kendra Graham

Posted on November 20, 2012 by notesfromthecove

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the LORD all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness; came before Him with joyful songs.
KNOW that the LORD is God.  It is He who made us, and we are His, we are HIs people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

——————————–
Kendra suggests you use the following 3-question Bible Study process when studying Scripture.  We have included an example of this process using John 1:1.

Step 1:  Pray
Step 2: Read God’s Word (look at the passage)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
Step 3: What Does God’s Word Say? (list the facts)
1 In the beginning the Word was with God and was God.
Step 4: What Does God’s Word Mean? (learn the lessons)
1 God‘s Word is not just ancient philosophy, it is eternal Truth.
Step 5: What Does God’s Word Mean to Me? (listen to his voice)
1 How do I view the Bible?
——————————–
Psalm 100

What Does it Say?

1. Shout for joy to the LORD

2. Worship the LORD with gladness, come before Him with joyful songs.

3. Know that the LORD is God.  He made us.  We are His people.

4. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks and praise His name

5. For the LORD is good and His steadfast love endures forever. His faithfulness continues to all generations.

What Does it Mean? Lessons

1. In the presence of God, we can shout for joy because He is LORD… He is in charge.  Regardless of my personal situation, regardless of what I have and am going through, there is pure JOY in the FACT that we worship the LORD who is on the throne!  In spite of rulers who are on the different thrones of this world, in our country, or in other countries, it is the LORD who moves the hearts’ of kings.  We serve a God who is not aloof, ignorant or out of touch!  Praise! Praise! Praise! (Psalm 65)

2. Just the fact that we serve a God who beckons us to come into His presence, that should give us cause to sing.

3. God has made us to personally know Him.  What kind of awesome God is that?  My God cares personally about you and personally about me, and He wants us to know personally who He is, not just about Him.  God knows our struggles and what brings us joy, and it matters to Him, His people mean everything to Him.

4. Come today in the presence of God with true thanksgiving.  You can’t say the word “thanks-giving” without the word “giving”….. some of us may feel we have nothing left to give, and yet, here, God wants us to give thanks?  A true “sacrifice of praise” as spoken of in Hebrews 13:15.  Praising may be just that for you, a sacrifice at this time…. hard, difficult, painful, but as we put the world on pause, just for a few minutes here, and we focus on a God who loves you and loves me more than anything…. a God who loved us so much that He took His very wrath out upon Himself in Jesus, because He so desperately wants us to love and know Him (John 3:16), can we for just a minute, sacrifice our hurts, sacrifice our pain, to a God who understands and cares where we are coming from, having experienced it personally Himself….  can we truly give Him a sacrifice of praise this thanksgiving?   May we praise His name purely because we serve a God who’s name is beyond comprehension.

5. A friend my stop loving you.  A spouse may decide to leave you.  Your child may walk away from you.  A boss may fire you.  Countless people may come and go in and out of your life, but God says that His love for His people endures forever, and His faithfulness to them will continue through all generations! God has not dropped the ball or changed His mind with our generation. God loves His people and is big enough to reign every going on in the world, and personal enough to care about your hair that is on (or off) your head (Matthew 10:30), and He even saves the tears you cry (Psalm 50:8).  You matter to God Almighty even if you don’t think you matter to one person in the world, you MATTER to God, and He proved it when He came as Jesus, to shout to the world HE IS HERE, HE IS IN CHARGE and HE LOVES YOU!  For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only Son, that WHO EVER believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.  Believe God this Thanksgiving.  Believe it. Hold on the TRUTH (Psalm 119:160, John 17:17, John 8:36), in this ever changing world when you can’t tell fact from fiction. The LORD is without change (Malachi 3:6).  The LORD means what He says, and Jesus died to prove His Word to you.  You are loved by God Almighty, and that love endures for you to ALL generations, faithfully!

What Does it Mean to Me?  Personal Application

1. What causes me to doubt God is on the throne?  When has God comforted me with the fact that He is in charge?

2. When have I sung purely for the fact that God loves to hear the praise of His people in His presence?

3. Know.  A lot of times we know in our heads these verses, and what God’s Word says, but has there been a time when God has so inscribed His Word in your heart that you will never forget it because you know it?  When has God been personally proven faithful to you, so that you just don’t “know” it on the surface, but you know, that you know, that you know, that your redeemer lives?  Do you know that the LORD is God deep in your knower?

4. What aspect of God’s name brings me thanks and praise?  I praise You, Jesus, my LORD, because You are faithful.  I praise you Jesus, because You are Savior.  I praise You Jesus, because You are deliverer….

5. Is it hard to believe God loves me, personally with a love that endures and won’t fail or stop? When have I doubted God’s love for me?  Did I realize the depth of God’s love for His people?  Is there a time when I asked Jesus to forgive me and to make things right between me and this God who loves me so?  When I realize that God loves me in Word AND Deed through Jesus, How can I stop from singing His praise?  He is the LORD!  Amen and amen.

Happy, grateful, praise filled Thanksgiving to you. — Kendra Graham

 

 

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Recipe from The Cove’s Kitchen: Sopapilla Cheesecake

Posted on November 19, 2012 by notesfromthecove

A favorite dessert at The Cove!
Perhaps this will grace your Thanksgiving table this year!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Crust:
1 C. + 3 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs
½ C. light brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Add melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined.  Press into bottom of pan (may use a spring form pan, but a 9” x 13” baking dish works best)  and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 9 minutes.

Filling:
2 lbs. cream cheese
1-3/4 C. sugar
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon

Beat all ingredients until smooth.  Spread filling on top of baked crust.

Topping:
1 sheet puff pastry (or 2 tubes of crescent rolls)
½ stick unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. cinnamon
5 Tbsp. sugar
As needed – slicked or slivered blanched almonds

Place puff pastry (or unroll and spread crescent roll dough) over filling.  Brush with melted butter.  Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over top.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Want to taste the food at The Cove for yourself?  Come see us!
Visit our website, www.TheCove.org, to see a list of programs and events.

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5 Quotes From Billy Graham on Being Thankful

Posted on November 17, 2012 by notesfromthecove

As we approach the week of Thanksgiving, many of us eagerly anticipate spending time with family, walking in the Autumn leaves, delicious food, a day or two off work, and yes, even FOOTBALL!  As Christians, we have something especially wonderful to be thankful for…God! 


Read on as Billy Graham shares his thoughts on thankfulness.

“A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord.  Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.”  

“When thanksgiving is filled with true meaning and is not just the formality of a polite “thank you,” it is the recognition of dependence.”

 “Grumbling and gratitude are, for the child of God, in conflict.  Be grateful and you won’t grumble.  Grumble and you won’t be grateful.”

“Why should we give God thanks? Because everything we have comes from God.”

What are you thankful for today?

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Free Webcast Tonight!

Posted on November 16, 2012 by notesfromthecove

Tonight, you can tune in at 7:15pm ET for the first session of Tullian Tchividjian’s (Billy & Ruth Graham’s grandson) seminar,  Wrecked Afresh: How Suffering Makes You Free…for free! 

There are no pat answers when it comes to suffering. The problem of pain is always more complex than what we can know or see. The Bible shows us that behind our pain is a God who is not only in complete control but also a God who suffers on behalf of broken people in order to set them free—not from their suffering, but in their suffering. Immerse yourself in God’s Word, and draw near to His heart for you. Begin to see your own pain more through God’s eyes, and know how to love well when others are suffering.

During the webcast, you will have the opportunity to participate in the Q&A session with Tullian. Afterward, if you complete our short survey, you will be entered in a drawing for a full CD set of his entire seminar.

Click here to watch online!

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Kendra’s Bible Study…Joshua 23: 12-15

Posted on November 13, 2012 by notesfromthecove

Welcome to Kendra Graham’s online Bible study.  This is a place where we can come together and share in the journey towards Scriptural truths and spiritual maturity.  We pray this will be a safe, respectful, resourceful place to come and discuss God’s Word…to discover What it says…What it means…and What it means to you!

Kendra suggests you use the following process when studying Scripture.  We have included an example of this process from John 1:1.

Step 1:  Pray
 Step 2: Read God’s Word (look at the passage)
 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
Step 3: What Does God’s Word Say? (list the facts)
 1 In the beginning the Word was with God and was God.
 Step 4: What Does God’s Word Mean? (learn the lessons)
 1 God‘s Word is not just ancient philosophy, it is eternal Truth.
 Step 5: What Does God’s Word Mean to Me? (listen to his voice)
 1 How do I view the Bible?

Kendra Graham NOTES from Joshua 23: 12-15 homework 

WHAT DOES IT SAY?
12-13:  If you EVER go back and cling to these nations which remain among you, know with certainty the LORD your GOD will NOT continue to drive these nations out.  They will be a trap, a whip to your sides, thorns in your eyes

14:  (Joshua speaking)  I am going the way of the earth, and you KNOW in your hearts and soul NOT ONE WORD which the LORD spoke concerning you has failed.

15: Just as all the good words the LORD spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats.

What Does it Mean?

12-13: DO NOT COMPROMISE.  DO NOT COMPROMISE.  DO NOT COMPROMISE.  We compromise with sin because our “common thought of the nation” says we should.  God says, “Thou shall not commit adultery”  it is now, nationally, a “consenting relationship between adults”  God says, “You shall have no other gods before Me”, yet we are in the process of writing Him out of our nation’s history.  God says “Thou shall not covet, Thou shall not steal” today we claim, “But it’s not fair”, “I am entitled”, “It doesn’t matter how I get it” or  “It doesn’t matter how I climb the corporate ladder, who I maim, smear or hurt along the way, so long as I am happy, and achieve my goal” Our motto: “Look out for number 1”.  God says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD in vain”, we say, “I have a right to express myself, it’s my freedom of speech”.  To protect the name of God Almighty in society, however, has become hate speech, and judgmental.  God says, “You shall not bear false witness”, we say, “Truth? Truth is relative, gray, it’s how I see it, there is no set Truth standard”.  God says, “Thou shall not murder”: We have renamed it “The Right to Choose” or “The Right to Die with Dignity”.  A nation of compromise.  Let’s not be families of compromise. 

We have been challenged as God’s people not to compromise…. yet now, we cannot even display the Standard of Truth (God’s Word, 10 commandments) because God Himself has been labeled “offensive” to society.  We would rather not “offend” anyone so we trade in our God, our shield, our refuge, our strength, our help, for the status quo of common thought.  We choose not to live lives with the evidence of the very presence of God in our midst.

14: God’s Word is Truth.  In a world where we can’t find honesty, the truth is as elusive as ever, where it is easier to believe a lie because it doesn’t hurt so bad and there is less accountability… God’s Word is proven time and time again, from one generation to the next.  Joshua lived a life without regrets, faithful to the LORD Jehovah and His Word.

A life lived for God, according to the Truth of His Word is a life lived without regret.

15: God is a God of His Word.  We live in a world where no one is accountable, we all have an excuse or another person to blame for our own choices.  God loves His people enough to discipline them.  Discipline is not hate, discipline helps guide and form us.  When my parents disciplined me, it was because they loved me and because of their consistent “guiding” I am thankful.  We serve a God who loves us enough to keep His Word on both sides of the issue. The way I choose to live me life matters to God.

What Does it Mean to me?

12-13:  Am I living a compromised life more worried about societal reaction and dictation than my very soul and my God?  Am I living my life clinging to what the nation(s) say is right, wrong and acceptable, worldly arguments compromising God’s Word, or am I sold out to the God Who loves me, gave His life for me and Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life? 

14: Am I living my life according the Truth of God’s Word, or the truth the world has thrown at me to believe?  How has God been faithful to me? To you?  How has the Truth of God’s Word steadied me in shaky times? 

15: Am I in God’s Word? Did I realize my choices on how I live my life matter to God?  When have I been thankful for godly discipline in my life?

Homework: Joshua 24:1-4

Time to register for our FREE annual Women’s Bible Study at The Cove.  Classes begin on Tuesday January 8, 2013 for both Kendra Graham’s evening study and for Jane Derrick’s morning study.  Bring a friend or your Sunday school class and enjoy digging into the Word in the beautiful setting of The Cove, in Asheville, NC.

Click here for more information and to register or call 1-800-950-2092.

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Happy Birthday Billy Graham

Posted on November 7, 2012 by notesfromthecove

By Will Graham

Everywhere I go, people ask me about my grandfather and how he’s doing. As we celebrate his 94th birthday today, you may be asking the same thing. Well, I’m really pleased to tell you that he’s doing very well, especially for someone who has spent so many years on the road and accomplished so much in his lifetime. He misses my grandmother dearly, and looks forward to the day when he gets to go home to Heaven, but he also understands that God still has him here on this earth for a reason.

The other question I often get – usually right after people ask how he’s doing – is “What’s your grandpa really like?” I have to admit that the question often amuses me a little, as if my grandfather morphs into some sort of other being (for better or worse) when he’s at home away from the cameras and news media.

The truth of the matter is that the Billy Graham that I see when I visit his house is the exact same Billy Graham that you’ve seen on television or in person for decades. There’s only one difference: at home he’s quiet. He doesn’t talk.

When you see him in a television interview, or preaching from the stage, he’s always spreading his message. In fact, in the early days of his ministry he was referred to as “God’s Machinegun” because he would walk the stage and speak so fast and with so much passion.

But when he gets home, he doesn’t want to talk (especially not about himself). He wants to hear you speak. He wants to know how you’re doing. He wants to know about your family, your ministry, your job. 

If there’s one thing that I’ve always appreciated so much about my grandfather, it’s his humility. He honestly has no idea why God chose to use him – the son of a dairy farmer – to speak to so many people about the love, hope and salvation of Christ. He once said, “I feel like I’m just along for the ride, watching what God is doing.” It’s never been about him. It’s always been about God, and those around him.

I remember the day that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association broke ground on the ministry’s new headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a cold day and drizzly October day, with everybody bundled up under a tent. Many speakers had wonderful and glowing things to say about my grandfather, what he has accomplished and how loved and admired he is.

When it became his turn to speak, my grandfather took the podium to applause and quietly began with words from the book of John. “Jesus must increase, and I must decrease,” he said. “I sort of cringe when I hear my name called in something that I know has been the work of God through these years.”

If you are asking what is Billy Graham really like, there’s your answer, my friends. He’s a humble man who cringes when his name is mentioned, who doesn’t want to talk about himself, but deeply loves others and deeply loves his Savior.

It’s my honor to wish my grandfather a very happy 94th birthday. I love you Daddy Bill!

Click here if  you would like to see what Billy Graham is doing on his birthday next year?   

Will Graham is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel under the banner of BGEA. Will has spoken to audiences around the world. He graduated from Liberty University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Religion and in 2001 graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. Will and his wife, Kendra, have three children. He currently serves as executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, N.C.

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Drop Your OCC Shoebox at The Cove — Nov. 12-19

Posted on November 4, 2012 by notesfromthecove

Have you packed your OCC shoebox?

Packing an Operation Christmas Child shoebox is a simple way to let hurting children around the world know that they are loved and not forgotten.

November 12-19, 2012 is National Collection Week, and The Cove is one of many drop locations for your boxes.  We are at 1 Porter’s Cove Road in Asheville, NC (just off exit 55).  You may drop your box off anytime between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. during collection week.  

As you can see from this photo, we all get very excited around here when the shoeboxes come in.  These are Billy Graham’s great-grandchildren and they were eager to share the number of boxes collected at The Cove last year.  Let’s see if we can surpass the 2,000 mark in 2012!

We look forward to seeing you at The Cove! 

Click here to download and print shoebox instructions and labels.   

Watch here to see some beautiful smiling faces as they unpack their OCC shoeboxes.

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Join us for Christmas at The Cove!

Posted on October 31, 2012 by notesfromthecove

For more information and to register for one of the Christmas program, call 1-800-950-2092 or click here.

To purchase a Cove gift certificate, call 1-800-950-2092.

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Kendra’s Bible Study…Joshua 23:8-11

Posted on October 30, 2012 by notesfromthecove

Welcome to Kendra Graham’s online Bible study.  This is a place where women can come together and share their journey towards Scriptural truths and spiritual maturity.  We pray this will be a safe, respectful, resourceful place to come and discuss God’s Word…to discover What it says…What it means…and What it means to you!

Kendra suggests you use the following process when studying Scripture.  We have included an example of this process from John 1:1.

Step 1:  Pray
 Step 2: Read God’s Word (look at the passage)
 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
Step 3: What Does God’s Word Say? (list the facts)
 1 In the beginning the Word was with God and was God.
 Step 4: What Does God’s Word Mean? (learn the lessons)
 1 God‘s Word is not just ancient philosophy, it is eternal Truth.
 Step 5: What Does God’s Word Mean to Me? (listen to his voice)
 1 How do I view the Bible?

Kendra Graham NOTES from Joshua 23: 8-11 homework

WHAT DOES IT SAY?? The Facts

verse 8:  HOLD FAST to the LORD your God.
Verse 9:  The LORD has driven out before you powerful nations
Verse 10:  The LORD your God fights for you as He promised
Verse 11:  BE VERY CAREFUL to LOVE the LORD your GOD.

What does it Mean?  LESSONS

Verse 8:  Joshua is pleading with the people, HOLD FAST, refuse apathy.
It is in us to turn, to let go and to follow anything and everything but God.  HOLD FAST.  DON’T LET GO.  When things are falling apart and the only hope you have is that God will come through and be faithful to His Word, HOLD FAST!   When things are going well, and we have had victory after victory, and our feet are steady beneath our feet, we still must make that difficult and conscious decision to HOLD FAST the LORD our God.  HOLD FAST.  HOLD FAST.  Be steady in our walk.  Faithfulness is our goal, faithfulness is our daily choice. Choose well.
Verse 9:  Remember what God has done for YOU.  Remember from what God has saved you.  Tell your children, your grandchildren.  REMEMBER.  We say that we will never forget, but honestly, we forget so easily.  If you cannot recall a personal testimony of what God has done in your life, pray, ask Him to reveal what He has done in the past, that we may have forgotten, or pray and ask God what personal testimony it is that He wants me to have.  God is faithful to His Word and God is the One who does the work.  We who are simply jars of clay get to see what He’s doing up close!  Lord open my eyes to see Your mighty works in my life!
Verse 10:  When we choose to go to God’s side, when we choose to do things His way, we see that it is He who does all the fighting.  We see He is our shield.  We see He never leaves us or forsakes us.  We see that He lifts us up.  We see He is faithful to His Word.
Verse 11:  Be very careful to love the LORD.  This passage — verse 8 — starts with the phrase “Hold Fast” and as I see it, here in verse 11, it ends with the same phrase.  Staying faithful to God is a choice, and it is hard.  Distraction is oh so easy.  Excuses and rationalization about why we don’t study His Word and pray come out like water.  LORD help us stay true to You, so that what flows from our heart and lips are all the ways You have shown us YOU and Your mighty works!!

What Does it Mean to Me? APPLICATIONS

Verse 8: What or who am I holding on to?  Have I drifted away from my LORD?  In crises mode, often, the LORD is all we have, but what about when things are ok?  Do I loosen my grip?  Am I making that daily decision to come, open God’s Word, and allow it to continue to change my life?
Verse 9: What impossible situation has God taken in my life and showed me His great power?  When has God driven out before me things that seemed to great and powerful for me to conquer?  A difficult relationship that was mended?  A boss that was unreasonable?  A co-worker who tried to run me over?  A disease that tried to kill me?  A circumstance or past decision that tried to define me?  How has God broken chains in my life and how am I remembering the greatness of my God in overcoming it?
Verse 10:  Am I so tired trying to fight the powers that be?  Am I ready to go to God’s side, ask Him how He wants it done, then pray for the strength to obey?  When has God fought for me and showed me that His Word is true and it will be true even for me?
Verse 11:  What do my current priorities say about the importance and love for God that I say I have?  Are there distractions in my life that need to be dealt with? Is there proof of the love of God in my life, or is it just a nice “churchy” catch phrase?

Homework: Joshua 23:12-14

Time to register for our FREE annual Women’s Bible Study at The Cove.  Classes begin on Tuesday January 8, 2013 for both Kendra Graham’s evening study and for Jane Derrick’s morning study.  Bring a friend or your Sunday school class and enjoy digging into the Word in the beautiful setting of The Cove, in Asheville, NC. 

Click here for more information and to register or call 1-800-950-2092.

 

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Stuck and Without Hope?

Posted on October 29, 2012 by notesfromthecove

Are you stuck?  Have you been betrayed? Have you been let down?  Do you feel like you have no hope?  Watch here as Chip Ingram delivers you a special invitation to join him at The Cove next month to learn how to find hope in Christ.
  

Join Chip Ingram at The Cove, in Asheville, NC on November 2-4, 2012 for his seminar titled, “Healing Hope: How Christ Overcomes Our Pain.” To register call 1-800-950-2092 or click here to register on our website.

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