James Chapter One

James is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Today, I'd like to share some verses in the first chapter that stood out to me as well as what they mean to me. I'll be using the New King James Version. 

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James 1:2-6 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into carious trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it's perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." 

>>>This verse has always been hopeful to me... but also confusing. It says to count it all joy when in trials. Huh? When I'm in a trial, I usually just go into survival mode and don't really think about being joyful. Looking for joy in trials is so much harder. But then, it goes on to say that when our faith is tested (during the trials we face), that patience can grow in us. Patience is a virtue. In other words, trials can refine us. And make us better people on the other side. I like it when it says that we can ask God for wisdom. That He gives to us liberally (in generous amounts) and without reproach (disappointment). So, if we come to Him and ask for wisdom, He will give it to us freely. But-- there's a slight catch. We must ask with childlike faith. Because if we doubt that He can, then we don't really have trust in Him. 

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James 1:17,19,20 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shadow of turning.... So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

>>>Ah, I love this verse! God gives us gifts. And He is never changing! Then, in the next verses, it says how we should be swift to hear. (Meaning we should listen and regard those around us.) Slow to speak. (Meaning we should think about what we are going to say so that we don't say something we will regret.) And slow to wrath. (Slow to anger.) 

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James 1:22-27"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be. blessed in what he does. If anyone among you things he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

>>>Being a doer of the Bible means that you've heard it, but it doesn't stop there. You go out and apply the Bible's teachings into your every day life. God wants us to walk the walk, not talk the talk with no action of faith. It's interesting that this verse mentioned a mirror. I thought it was a pretty good analogy. Then, it talked about deceiving your heart. Maybe we tell ourselves things for so long but never fully live them. Or maybe we believe lies that we tell ourselves. 

In the last part of these verses, it talks about pure and undefiled religion. And along with the acts of kindness mentioned, I think the verses from above paved the way for this definition. Pure religion is finding joy in trials, practicing patience, believing God's promises that are never changing, acting on that belief, listening to those around us (selflessness), slow to speak, slow to anger, and kind to those around us, unspotted from the world. 

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What is your favorite verse in James chapter one? 

Do you have a favorite take away from the verses I've mentioned? 

What do you think is a virtue of those with pure and undefiled religion?

 Comment below! 

Many Blessings,

Brooklyne Elysse 

The Book of Mark

I read through the book of Mark in April. They say Mark is the first written of the New Testament, so I wanted to read it first. In this post, I'm going to be talking about some of my thoughts on Mark.

Mark 1 & 2

Verses that stood out:

Mark 1:9-13 "It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then the voice came from the heaven, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And Her was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him."

Thoughts: After Jesus was baptized, He went into the wilderness. He knew that His Father was pleased with Him, and wanting to honor His Father, to me, that is one of the ways He was able to not fall into temptation. The wilderness was hard. He's out there by himself with the "wild beasts" and in this hard time is when the devil tries to tempt Jesus. And I think this is a lesson for us. The enemy likes to punch us when we are already down. In life, when we go through the wilderness. When there's already trials, the enemy likes to then pile more and more burden on top of us. Jesus was able to resist. That gives me hope that we, with the help of our Lord, can overcome the temptations of Satan. Why? Because we love our Father, and because of that Love, we want to obey Him.

Mark 1:15,17,18 "and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." "Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

Thoughts: Jesus says that the "time is fulfilled." So to me, this means that certain things must take place according to old scriptures and instructions laid by God. Then, He goes on to make a statement. it wasn't a question, it was more of a direct sentence. Follow Me. And immediately, they left all they had and followed Him. The kind of faith they must have had is amazing to me. I believe they were lead by the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus.

Mark 2:17 "When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Thoughts: Jesus came to this world for sinners. And He makes that clear in this verse. He died for the sins of the "sick" world. And that just goes to show how selfless and loving He truly is. 

Mark 3 & 4

Verses that stood out:

Mark 3:5 "And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other."

Thoughts: Jesus healed on the Sabbath. He ministered on the Sabbath. Something else stood out to me in this verse. It said that Jesus was "grieved by the hardness of their hearts." Sadness, grieving, pain, those are all emotions. Jesus came to earth as a baby, as human flesh. And He very much had emotions. He felt the pain for us. He suffered for us. But here's the thing, do you think that Jesus smiled? We don't hear much about it in the Bible, but I believe that He did! I think that He smiled to ease people's nerves, or to comfort the little children. 

Mark 4:11 "And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables."

Thoughts: Jesus spoke in parables. Why? One reason first come to my mind. Maybe He spoke in parables to meet people where they were at by using analogy's they would understand and be familiar with. 

Mark 5 & 6

Mark 5:36 "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe." 

Thoughts: I love what Jesus said. He is telling this ruler (who believes he just lost his daughter) to no be afraid. To not worry. To not be fearful. But only to believe and have faith.

Mark 6:56 "Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well."

Thoughts: Ah! So many things happen in this chapter! Jesus feeds the five thousand, heals the sick, He walks on water, and calms the sea. So many amazing things to read in this chapter of Mark. We serve an amazing God!

Mark 7 & 8

Mark 7:37 "And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He had done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Thoughts: Jesus was a Physician. He healed the sick. And performed miracles everywhere He went. Y'all, Jesus still heals the sick today. Jesus still performs miracles in our lives. 

Mark 8:2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat."

Thoughts: He is the Child of God, and yet, He has compassion on us to meet our earthly needs. 

Mark 9 & 10

Mark 9:35 "And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

Thoughts: We've all heard the phrase, "Last shall be first, and first shall be last." I think that Jesus was trying to teach the disciples how to be humble and meek. They were starting to let their own selfish fame (remember that Jesus drew in large multitudes of people) get to their heads. When we get so caught up in the world, and the positions where we desire to be successful, often times we loose sight of Jesus, and I think that He was warning them of that in this verse. 

Mark 10:13-15 "Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked this who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." 

Thoughts: I love these verses so much! Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world... (brownie points if you sing along!) But honestly, Jesus wanted the children to come to Him. He loved them. And He was still teaching His disciples to be humble, have childlike faith, and have a simple trust. 

Mark 11 & 12

Mark 11:25,26 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." 

Thoughts: Jesus is teaching them how to forgive. How to forgive with a willing and soft heart, one that is not hardened. And in that second verse, He tells of the consequence of not forgiving. But here's the thing, I don't think Jesus meant for this to be a fear factor. He never intended to scare people into believing in Him or into forgiving others. He only painted a clear picture. He told facts, and wanted people to be informed. But I don't think He was trying to scare people into forgiving. Because if you truly follow Jesus, then you won't want to hold a grudge against fellow man. If you truly believe in Jesus, then you will want to follow His example by forgiveness those who have done you wrong. You will forgive willingly, not because of fear.

Mark 12:43,44 "So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

Thoughts: Again, Jesus is teaching His disciples a important lesson. The widow gave ALL that she had, it wasn't much, but it was all of it. We are to give Jesus all of us. All of our hearts, we shouldn't hold anything back. 

Mark 14 & 15

Mark 14:61 "But He kept silent and answered nothing..."

Thoughts: When Jesus was being questioned, He made it a point not to defend himself. Jesus knew this was Gods will. And He was setting the ultimate example how to handles oneself. Sometimes less words really speak more.

Mark 15:13 "So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" 

Thoughts: This whole chapter. This verse. This verse made me feel a pain deep down. The horrible treatment Jesus got. The torture He endured to save us from our sins. Wow. 

Mark 16

Mark 16:15 "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Thoughts: Jesus rose from the dead, and this was His message to His followers. To go out into the world and to share the good news of our Savior. To witness to everyone we come in contact with. To love people. 

I hope you liked reading this study of Mark. Have you read the book of Mark recently? If so, do you have any take aways to share? Comment below your favorite book in the Bible!

Also, how do y'all like my new blog header?? I really like it!

Many Blessings,

Brooklyne Elysse

The Secret to a Life of Power // Seminar Notes

My notes from a Dwayne Lemon seminar (in bold)

At a convention last August, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar entitled “The Secret to a Life of Power.” Sounds interesting, right? 

Well, I took some notes at that seminar, and I thought I’d do a post about some of the things that stood out to me.

~James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, an is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” 

These verses in the Bible are encouraging us to be doers of the the word and not only hearers. Doers of the word? What does that mean? To me, it means walking the walk and not just talking the talk. It means actually doing acts of love instead of just talking about it. Actively following the Bible and not just preaching it. It’s following Jesus’ example and living the Word. Doers of the word, and not hearers only.

~What are you doing with what you have?

Dwayne Lemon posed this question, and it gave me pause. What am I doing with the talents and resources I have? I think it is good to ponder such a question and really examine what we are doing in our walk with Jesus and how we are showing others love. God gives us so many opportunities each day, and sometimes we let them pass by because we get so wrapped up in ourselves, life is just too “busy,” it’s too awkward, out of the comfort zone, etc. Whatever the case or excuse may be, sometimes we let these rare opportunities—to share our faith or to act out our faith—just slip by. That’s why it is important to do a reality check every now and then and really ask ourselves what we are doing with what we have.

Then he went on to say.

~It’s not as much what how much you know, but how much you do with what you know.

To me, this means: you don’t have to be perfect and extremely knowledgeable for God to use you. 

You don’t have to become a pastor or have a leadership role in the church to share God’s love and be God’s hands and feet. Sure, if it is your calling to take on those roles in the church or even in other areas of life, follow God’s guidance. But know that a title isn’t what you need to shine a light for those around you. God can use you right here and right now. He can use your imperfections and even these obstacles you face this very minute. If you let Him, He can turn your messes into beautiful ones. Acting on this faith is crucial.

~God wants us to search our hearts. God doesn't require a perfect person to do a perfect work in witnessing to others.

^^ Exactly what I was trying to explain above! None of us are perfect, but God's work is perfect, and He has given us each a unique calling. 

~We are all on the road. Everyone has a different journey. 

Just as we all have unique callings, we also have different journeys. Everyone is on this road, and everyone is going through something different. And that is so important to keep in mind when we catch ourselves trying to fit into boxes or trying to make others fit into boxes.

~There should be a higher goal in our workplace. 

What you do for work shouldn’t just be for the money. Obviously, money helps pay the bills and puts food on the table, but what if you used this time you had at work (even when it's not the work you want to be doing. Even if you are in a season of transition between jobs, etc) what if you used this time to smile at a stranger, or pray for a coworker? God is calling you to be a witness and love others now. Right now, not when the stars align for you to get the perfect job.

So we seem to have gone off topic, what is the secret to a life of power? 

~The gospel is the answer. 

Sharing about Jesus our Savior and following His example is what truly matters if we desire a life of power. There is power in the blood of Jesus. 

~The Bible is our map. The Bible is the knowledge, but what are we doing about it? 

Christians are given a map as a guide. The Bible has so much knowledge in it, but sometimes we don’t study like we thirst for that knowledge. Sometimes we just let our Map collect dust on our nightstand. What are we truly doing with the knowledge we were given? 

We are all guilty of not studying out Bibles. One of the saddest things I’ve realized in my own Christian walk is that sometimes I don’t read my Bible for weeks, only to open it up to search for a Bible verse I had in mind to share on social media. Every time I feel like such a big hypocrite. But you know what, my Christian walk isn't perfect. In fact, it’s very flawed. But God forgives our mistakes and is right by our side through each rough patch when we don't necessarily feel like we have a good relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

~”having a form of godliness but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3:5

I know for sure that I do not want to be comfortable with just a form of godliness. I don’t want to deny the power of God. But sometimes we do get comfortable and then we are never pushed to improve. We become desensitized to a “form” of godliness.

And that's when we really need to sit down and reprioritize some things.

~Jesus had the power of the Holy Spirit and was a witness to others. Acts 1:8

If Jesus lives in your heart. If we have opened up our hearts and surrendered our dreams into His hands, then God will give us a life of power. Maybe not how the worlds sees power, but how it truly matters. 

~Be like Jesus, not others who seem powerful. What you see in Jesus, others should see in us.

Jesus is our example and when we follow His guidance then His light will shine through us and touch other hearts. 

~When you’re full of something (Jesus) there is no room for anything else. 

Let Jesus be our focus. So that we can nurture a relationship with Him. And if we have that relationship and focus, when we pray, we will feel close to Him and our connection will be stronger than any storm we might face.

~My peace I leave with you.

In all this chaos, God promises us peace. His peace. His peace is a powerful tool when everything seems like it’s falling apart. What a awesome promise!

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So those we're a few of my take away's from that seminar. I hope some of these points gave you food for thought. Have a blessed day, and know that God loves you so much! <3 

Do you like taking notes? Lets talk about it in the comments below!

Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it known.

Being bold in your belief is hard, especially when you are the minority. In order for us to dare to be a Daniel, we have to stand up for what we believe in. Even if we feel like we want to follow the rest of the majority and blend in. I struggle with this a lot because I don't like to stand out and be different, but the Bible calls us to be just that.

Lets take a look at the life of Daniel.

Daniel and his friends first showed their courage when they would not eat the Kings delicacies. Daniel stood up for what he believed in and eventually asked for a test. Daniel 1:12-14 “‘Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.’ So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.”

After the ten day test Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego appeared so much more healthier than the other young men. Because Daniel obeyed God rather than men, God blessed them. Daniel 1:17 “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature an wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

A time later when king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, he called his wise men to him because he needed a interpretation. But he wanted them to tell him his dream and none of them could, so he began to kill all of his wise men. When Daniel heard of this, he went to the king and asked for time. And what did Daniel do with the time he was given? He went to his friends and they all prayed. They asked God for mercy and understanding.

God heard their fervent prayers, and through a night vision, gave Daniel the interpretation of the kings dream. All the while, giving God the glory for the interpretation. Daniel told the king both his dream and its meaning. (I encourage you to read Daniel 1 and 2 for the whole story!)

So what makes these four brave men stand out among the rest? Well, for starters, they stood  firm in their belief, despite the temptations and challenges. And another thing is, they had a strong connection with the Lord. They prayed fervently, and had faith in God. They trusted His will in their lives. They were faithful servants. And because of this, God blessed them and made a way for them.

That’s pretty amazing, am I right?! I don’t think I would have had the willpower, the trust, and the strength, to do what they did. But they didn’t crumble under the pressure. They didn't compromise their belief just to “fit in.” And that, my friend, is something we must strive to do in our daily lives and in the decisions we make moment by moment.

So I encouraged you (and myself) to stand firm in what you believe. Stand firm in the truth of the Bible.

Dare to be a Daniel. Even if that means standing alone.

How are some ways you dare to be a Daniel? Tell me in the comments below! 

Bible Study Blog Party

Hi everyone! Today I'm participating in a Bible Study Blog Party hosted by Faith over at I Like That. 

Let me first start by saying, this is going to be a very long post! If you don't have time to really read this, and not just skim over it, then you might want to save it for a more convenient time. A time when you can read along in your Bible and study these verses.

Without further ado, lets begin!

When I think of a bible study, there are two pictures that come to mind. 

The first one is more of a school-like scenario where you have one teacher who loves to dig deep into the scriptures and uses long words that are sometimes confusing, with a class room of students quickly jotting down in notebooks, hoping to come away with a small bit of information to then apply to life. 

The second is of a smaller group of people, lets say a group of blogger friends, who open their Bibles together, who share what they have learned, who ask questions even if they don't know the answers, who care about understanding what puzzles them, hoping to come away with a small bit of information to then apply to life. 

You notice that I ended these two scenarios the same. Because no matter how you study, the overall goal is to apply what you have learned to everyday life. 

Lets study Romans 8 more like the second scenario, shall we? Because, I am not a teacher with big words, and I try not to be confusing. :)

Lets open out Bibles together and share whats on our hearts, lets ask questions, lets care about understanding, and let our goal be to apply this small bit of what we learn to everyday life.

If you study better taking notes, then go for it! (I know us bloggers love to fill up our favorite notebooks!) And this wouldn't technically be a bible study if you didn't open your Bibles, so get your Bibles out to look up the verses as we go.

My take on Romans 8... I will break it up into seven sections with a few verses at a time and then tell you what these verses mean to me. At the end of each section, I will ask a question, feel free to answer in the comments.

The first half of this chapter was harder to understand than the last half. Since this is a bible study, I think it is very important to dig deeper and try to fully understand these verses than to just scratch the surface. (And just so we all our on the same page, my Bible is NKJV.)

Section 1. Read Romans 8:1-5
In my version, it starts by saying that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Condemnation means a strong disapproval. So there IS approval in Jesus. These are the people who walk according to the Holy Spirit, and not those who walk according to the flesh. 

This first part is important, because it kind of sets the stage for the following verses. These first few verses talk about the law of the Spirit and the law of sin and death or, flesh. When you walk according to the law of the Spirit, you are following Gods will and direction, but if you are walking according to the flesh, then you are following earthly desires and selfish motives. 

What is sin? Sin is the consequence of disobeying God. Wait, read that again and let that sink in for a minute.

It says that the law of the Spirit sets us free from the law of flesh.  Yes, we are sinners, but God has made a way for us to be free from that bondage. Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins. He burdened our sins so that we can have life with Him. That means that we have a way out, if we choose it. 

How did you understand verses 1-5? 

Section 2. Read Romans 8:6-11
These next six verses are very bold and pretty clear. There is no sitting on the fence, no grey zone, no serving two masters here. It's one or the other. We can either fall into Satan's trap, or live for God who gives peace and life. We can not please God if we walk according to the law of flesh. 

If the Spirit of God dwells in us, even though our sin makes us subject to death, we can have life because of His righteousness.

How would you explain these six verses to a friend who did not know God?

Section 3. Read Romans 8:12-15
We are not in debt to the flesh. We do not owe the law of flesh anything. We are not beholden to live as the world. Because if we do live according to the flesh, the result is death. But if we live by the Spirit, we will live. 

If we believe in God, and follow His guidance, we are sons of God. We are His children! We have not received the spirit of bondage, of fear. We have received the gift of adoption, so that we can cry out, "Abba, Father." 

Abba means, "daddy." Whenever we are afraid, anytime, anyplace, if we are scared too death, just say His name. Our Daddy, our Father is right there. He is our help in times of need. God is bigger than the boogie man. (Is anyone singing the song? :D) 

Have you ever been scared and remembered these verses?

Section 4. Read Romans 8:16-21
Just because we are children of God, doesn't mean that we will be spared from suffering. It actually says that we will suffer. We will have difficult times. We will have trials and tribulations. But it doesn't all stop there. There is hope. Because the things we suffer today can not be compare to the glory that will come. We will be glorified together with Him. 

Jesus is coming soon! And one day...

When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be! 
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory!

Look that hymn up and really read the words to that song, and notice in one of the verses it says, "Just one glimpse of Him in glory, Will the toils of life repay." 

Whatever we are suffering now, God is our hope.

Do you believe that Jesus is coming soon? 

Section 5. Read Romans 8:22-25
The next five verses correlate our sufferings with birthing pangs. These are painful times. It talks about how our hope saves us. This next verse stumps me a bit. In verse 24 it is kind of hard for my mind to wrap around and understand it. It says, "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" 

Lets try to understand this more with a object lesson.

Ok, so lets say that two people are hiking in the woods on a trail that crosses a raging creek. One person is blindfolded, and the other can see. The first person hears the roaring creek and hopes there is a bridge to cross it. But the second person sees the bridge and walks across without pause. The person with the blind fold would need to trust someone to help them across so they would know where to step, whereas the second person would go to the bridge without hesitation and cross without need of a guide. 

I think it would be way scarier to cross a creek blindfolded. All I would hear would be the raging waters, the troubles and trails. I would be unsure of where I was stepping and have to hope and put my trust in Someone I can count on. 

Do you get the picture? Can you see how being blindfolded causes one to hope and have faith, vs. if you can already see whats ahead, then you are confident and don't need help?

Well, we cannot physically see God, but we can see him in nature, in miracles, in creation. We can read about Him in our Bibles and talk to Him in prayer. God is real. He is our Guide.

And we are saved with this hope that He will come again, because He has promised us this. 

How do you see God in your life even throughout the suffering?

Section 6. Read Romans 8:26-31
God searches us and knows our hearts, even in our weakest moments, even if we don't know how to pray or what to pray, we have a Advocate. 

Romans 8:28 is a well known verse that says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." 

What a great promise! Gods got us. And if God is for us, who can be against us? God is stronger than the biggest enemy. He has already won! 

Do you find comfort in Romans 8:28 or Romans 8:31?

Section 7. Read Romans 8:32-39
How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? God loves us so much that He sent his only son to die for us. This gift that He freely gives us is one we should thank Him everyday. 

Who shall bring a church against God's elect? Only God is our Judge. 

Who is he who condemns? It is Jesus who died and rose from the dead, who is at the right hand of God. He is our Advocate. 

What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Whatever Satan throws in our way, whatever trials we face, whatever sorrows we bear, in all these things, we are conquers through Him who loves us. 

Romans 8:38,39 
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels not principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor hight not depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What are your thoughts on Romans 8? Do you feel like you now have a clearer understanding of these verses? Isn't it amazing that so much is packed into one chapter of the Bible? How do you best study your Bible? Were you able to learn anything new from this Bible study?