Marydean Draws

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September 17, 2014 gospel•grace•Jesus

Present Grace

Charitie Lees Bancroft wrote a beautiful hymn called “Before the Throne of God Above.” One of my pastors at church recently quoted it, and this line struck me:  Before the throne of God aboveI have a strong, a perfect plea;A great High Priest whose name is LoveWho ever lives and pleads for me.Isn’t that a beautiful thought? At the point that your are most ashamed, most caught in your own fallenness, your selfishness, your failings, Jesus is interceding for you...
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September 12, 2014 kids•motherhood

All the little nows

“Forever is composed of nows,” wrote Emily Dickinson. My life is made up of these nows that make up forever, so I thought I’d share a collection of recent ones today. This collection reminds me that, although my life seems mostly crazy and challenging, it is full of beauty to celebrate and thank God for. Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” my drawing princess  I think there’s some theology...

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August 28, 2014 gospel•identity

The most real thing

I just finished reading Ted Dekker’s novel, Eyes Wide Open. I like his books because they get to the heart of life and, in crazy and sometimes disturbing ways, point to the Gospel. These books always get me thinking. This book was about a pair of friends stuck in a world of their own imaginings, a world that is very real, and scary. The only way out is to grasp and hold onto a greater reality–of who they really...

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August 26, 2014 identity•serving

don’t just serve

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-7 My family and I have the honor or serving in many ways in our church. We have a community group that meets in our home. We teach kiddos on Sunday. And I’m a neighbor, wife, mom,...

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August 21, 2014 church•gospel

The gospel lab

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12 From a human perspective, the Church is a recipe for disaster, don’t you think? Jesus saves us, gives us His Spirit through faith in Him, and then puts us right in the middle of–not a Bible study group of people who all like each other and have similar interests, or a...

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August 19, 2014 gospel•Jesus

Straight into the impossible

The story is from Exodus 13. The people had spend years (400) in slavery and fear, probably feeling far from God. When was the last time they saw Him work on their behalf. And then HE did–and delivered them. Just as they began to relish newfound freedom,  they confronted a sea impossible to cross. With their human and untrained eyes, they could see no way past certain death. Why had God led here?They’re not unlike us. Consider this account from...

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Welcome to the blog!

I’m Mary and I’m glad you’re here! Since 2014, I’ve been sharing encouraging words, fun Bible printables, and accessible art activities.

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In today’s Friday Chat, I’m joined by my frien In today’s Friday Chat, I’m joined by my friend Katie to talk about my Bible study pet peeves and best practices for leading Bible studies. We have both led and been part of small group Bible studies for many years, and we talk about how our ideas about the purpose of Bible study have changed over the years.

We discuss the importance of letting the Bible be complex, keeping Jesus at the center, dealing with the fear of the discussions going off the rails, and Katie’s hot take on the importance of actually praying in our small groups. You’ll also get to hear Katie’s answer to the question, “Is Jesus a Republican or a Democrat?”

It’s a wide-ranging discussion that I found really helpful and challenging. You might agree or disagree with us, but that’s okay, because that’s the point we’re making. Hope you enjoy the discussion!

Mentioned in this episode:

Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering https://www.priyaparker.com/

Lectio style Bible study https://renovare.org/articles/lectio-divina-1 (for example)

Inductive study method https://www.precept.org/2023/02/what-is-inductive-bible-study/ (for example)

Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55

Orthodoxy vs Orthopraxy https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/nobody-turn-you-around/ (for example)

Moms in Prayer https://momsinprayer.org/

In case you missed it, I published the next Luke study on John the Baptist and the first part of Luke 3 this week. You can read it here:
https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/the-gospel-of-luke-eyewitnesses-to-d53

🖤

You can find The Pictured Word podcast on Substack, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. You can also find me at www.marydeandraws.com or by searching for “Substack Marydean Draws.” 

All my Bible studies are available for anyone to read on Substack, but you can support my work by becoming a paid subscribers. Paid subscribers can download the printable study guides and coloring pages. 

You can also find my hymn art prints, cards, postcards, stickers, and Bible printables on my website. On my website or on Substack, you can sign up for my mailing list and get everything in your inbox, including new Bible studies each month and weekly newsletters.
The study in Luke is up on Substack! Here's a prev The study in Luke is up on Substack! Here's a preview of what's covered:
🖤 maps, I love maps!
🖤 Luke establishes the timeline
🖤 so many Old Testament connections
🖤 why does John have wings in this Syrian icon??

Read it all on Substack!
https://marydeandraws.substack.com/p/the-gospel-of-luke-eyewitnesses-to-d53
These colors 😍. These colors 😍.
Part of my heart is always drawn to abstraction an Part of my heart is always drawn to abstraction and pure color play. 💕
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