IKEA Current Operations and Future Strategies

IKEA Current Operations and Future Strategies IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in the year 1943. It started as a small town Swedish furniture company that was founded on the principles low prices and good quality. This simple idea was able to transform the organization along with strategic management and excellent decision making. It now has over 250 stores and a presence in 30 countries. IKEA has become an international giant with whom local furniture companies have to struggle against. The fundamentals of the organization did not change drastically with expansion however the organization did adapt to the culture and practices in the host countries. The strategy was simple, give the people lower price compared to the peers, allow them to check the quality, do no compromise on the quality, save on costs from every possible angle and make them feel happy about the purchases they made (10 Keys to IKEAs Low Prices, 2009). This made their brand strong and helped in vertical and horizontal integration and expansion. IKEA maintained strong ties to its home country. Its colors are a representation of the Swedish flag and its name is the initials of its founders name along with the initials of the town he was born in. The organization has used policies that have baffled researchers and lead to various analyst studying its reasons for success. TASK 1 APPLICATION OF THEORIES AND STRATEGIES When IKEA was first created, its owner had the vision of making it an international giant. He had started international meetings and proceeded for a quick expansion strategy of the organization. No other furniture company has had such an exponential growth in only a few years. First, it expanded from a small town to chains all over Sweden. This was not an easy task. The organization had no means of managing so many stores however through the excellent entrepreneurship of its founder, his strategy and global vision, the organization grew strong. The stores main concern would be to find ways in which they could decrease costs. They started with lowering electricity costs during day time by opening windows; they used energy saving lights and did not have a large profit margin in the start. They then expanded to Germany, France and other European nations. Once they expanded to other countries, they maintained the same policies and store strategies in every store. This was done through im peccable management practices, which further helped the organization open stores in other continents. IKEAs business model became famous and the store called for publicity. Their process analysis and operational strategies are unique. All of their decisions have been successful and their management of inventory, staff and stores is one of the best in the world. IKEA used to purchase raw materials from manufacturers but after it expanded internationally, it started its own production company. This resulted in saving costs as well as making new designs reach the stores faster with the least amount of compromise on quality (Ikea: How the Swedish retailer became a global cult brand, 2005). They started economies of scale by starting a production company near its stores. These companies were generally located in areas where labor was cheap and it would be cheaper to ship the goods. They also used a very different style of marketing technique which concentrated on making people happy and reaching out on their base emotions. Most of the stores which sold products at lower prices were considered to have cheap quality like Wal-Mart; therefore IKEA had to use a lot of advertising to put the simple message across that the quality was not compromised in the deal. They did so by hosting customer parties, sending free samples, giving huge discounts and maintaining a happy customer care service. This increased their goodwill. They also took active participation in local events and helped the community, increasing their goodwill and sales. IKEA believed in constant innovation which is one of the reasons for its strong presence. It comes up with furniture pieces that are classic and as well as new. This adds to its brand presence along with rotation of furniture so that the customers are never viewing the same thing each time they visit. Another strategy that IKEA came out with was to keep huge inventories in its stores. This would mean more space and more wastage as well as high inventory management costs however compared to the costs of maintaining the stores, the predicted sales were higher. This made them even more famous because they were the only store which was capable of holding huge inventories allowing customers to buy any product by jus t entering the store. They managed to do so by holding flat line products. These products would them have to be assembled by the customer hence they were made in an easy to assemble manner. By holding flat ling products, the organization could store millions of product. These strategies enabled them to increase their market share (Ikea Components is Setting practical Business Targets, 2011). COST ANALYSIS OF CURRENT OPERATIONS IKEA is a privately held organization. It has seen an increase in costs over the last couple of years and is struggling to survive given the recent global recession and low sales turnover. Although its new and innovative strategies have increased sales and helped them earn profits, the margin of profits and the sales turnover has decreased along with increase in the cost of raw materials and operations. An increase in sales from Euro 21534 million in 2008 to a Euro 21846 million in 2009 is considered slow however considering the marking conditions, it is above its peers. IKEA needs to find more ways to cut costs in order to generate healthier results. It has started doing so by creating solar powered lamps etc and using solar power and saving on electricity. Its costs increased from Euro 7078 million in 2008 to Euro 7198 million in 2009. Reducing its costs will also be another challenging for the organization (Process Analysis Model, n.d.). OPERATION MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN PRODUCT DESIGN OPERATIONS IKEA is strongly linked to its product and organization design. The process from which production starts until it reaches the stores and makes sales is very commendable for an international giant like IKEA. Although the operation process has been commendable there are still a few loopholes in the process. The main problem concerning IKEA is its inventory storage. Warehousing costs are on the high. The organization cannot afford to store thousands of products for each different store. This would not only mean high cost of storage but also wastages in products. Once the product gets old, it needs to be replaced by other more innovative products. This makes the lifecycle of the furniture short and increases the wastages that the organization will have to incur. Currently IKEA ships the unwanted goods to other stores where it might have a high demand however this not only adds to the risks of no sale but also increases the cost of shipping. Since it produces flat line furniture, the place taken up is not a lot but the store has expanded into all departments of housing and office furniture hence has to bear a high cost of storage. A good option available to the organization is to display goods in the store and ship the goods later to the customers through mail. This would help in preventing storage costs, cost to keep inventory management and save on any kind of wastages. The organization can also concentrate on re using the unsold furniture into other products. Since the organization owns its own production company, it can re use the unsold pieces of furniture and make other innovative products. Currently it does not pay too much attention into re using and re cycling however if it wants to keep costs low it needs to consider this alternativ e (SWOT Analysis and Sustainable Business Planning, 2011). Another Operation management issue with IKEA is that the organization is extremely large. It not only needs to concentrate on maintaining the current stores but also on expansion into other countries. IKEAs expansion into India and other developing countries is on the hold. It has been extremely conservative in its approach to expansion and trying to be overly cautious. A good example is its indecision over opening stores in China. Once the company decided that China would be a good market, its management was scared to take the risk of entering a market where consumers were traditional and other furniture retails offered cheaper products. However, the expansion went very well and China has been a very good turnover for the organization. The government too was pleased with IKEA. Hence IKEAs management needs to take more risks and consider global expansion while maintaining the quality of products and service given and lowering costs. By using process model analysis on the organizations approach to its day to day operations, the following flow chart was developed. A process flow chart is required in order to recreate the design of the organization and understand the process in a simplified manner. The flow chart contains these symbols and meaning: Operations Inspection Transportation Delay Storage Flowchart The above flowchart shows that there is a lot of time that is wasted in the transportation of the goods as well as in inspection of the products. Waste recovery has not been given a lot of attention as required and time spent on planning needs to be increased in order to develop products that lead the furniture market. Analysis models using classifier analysis, location analysis, cost and duration analysis and resource analysis have shown that the organization has been using all possible forms of increasing business however there is more scope and a lot it can do to improve its current standards. It does not utilize its resources like space for storage, marketing for customers and training employees for better customer satisfaction and higher sales. It is very conservative in its approach to location and store openings and production company locations. It needs to get more aggressive in order to build a stronger more stable and more profitable brand. The overall design of the organization is excellent with importance given on lowering costs; the only problems are inventory management and cautious expansion. MODULE 2 QUALITY MANAGEMENT IKEAs simple business strategy of low prices has created a lot of trouble for the organization. By lowering prices, the quality of products offered lowered and although the organization has been thriving to maintain its quality it has sometimes been unable to meet international standards. The products are also a little below quality but their quest for lowering prices has also affected their quality of service offered. Customer care does not get proper attention and the workers do not have the time or resources for proper international training (Levine, 2010). The organization is barely scrapping through with the quality required which has adversely affected the business. The sales have gone down and prospective sales from elite consumers have seen a sharp decline. Another noticing factor on quality management is the advertising campaigns that the organization holds. They are unable to research well on the market because of being very cost conscious and have therefore missed out on their target customers in their marketing plan. Because IKEA is an international brand, it not only has to consider international policies but in order to do well in the host country, the organization also needs to pay special attention to the customs and traditions of the host country. It has been failing to do so correctly resulting in profits dwindling below expectations in certain regions and countries like the United States (Levine, 2010). IKEA is a privately held organization, hence information on IKEA is difficult to attain. IKEA follows a very difficult return service with delays and sometimes refusal to take back the goods purchased by consumers. This reflects back on their credibility and goodwill. For any organization that works directly with customers, service needs to be impeccable especially for an international organization like IKEA however IKEA has not been very good with its quality management approach. The organization has however taken a lot of steps to maintain its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and taken many steps to make a difference in the host country. IKEA can take many steps to improve quality. The organization can adopt TQM (Total Quality Management) in its operations in order to ensure quality. It needs to spend money on its processes however the returns it could possibly earn are potentially higher than the costs. The organization needs to adopt a six sigma approach to management and strategically increase the quality of products and service provided. This should increase collectively in all the stores. It has been seen that most of the sales come from EU nations which makes up of about 50% of its sales with only 5% coming from North America. This is a potentially untapped market and IKEA needs to improve quality and assure the consumers of its products and quality so as to increase its potential in not only the markets it already has a presence in but also the markets in which it plans to open stores. IKEA can use the theories for quality improvement in order to manage the quality. Management stresses on the following important principles and theories for quality improvement that IKEA can use to its advantage. 1. Develop customer focus in each step of the process and train employees to provide the best customer satisfaction. IKEA depends on its consumers and it needs to prove to the consumers that they can depend on IKEA as well. Customer focus is very important internally as well as externally in the workings of the organization. 2. Leadership. The international size of the organization makes it difficult for them to manage and lead the process. Leadership is required for each different store and all the leaders need to have a similar set of rules, aims and objectives. This can be done by training each leader of the store together. With the values that needs to be used in the organization. 3. Process based quality management. One theory of quality management states that if each process in the organization deals with the optimum use of resources and time, the overall outlook of the organization will be much different. 4. Decision making approach of the organization needs to change. The management needs to realize that they can no longer be over cautious in their approach if they want to gather all the market share and potential sales if they continue being conservative. They need information that is correct and they need to work slowly because of their mere size but they also need to take an aggressive role in this slow recession filled economy in order to survive and compete. 5. Continual improvement in quality. Quality management is not a onetime approach, the organization has to imbibe it into its day to day workings, control the quality and give feedback on the improvements done. The constant feedbacks would be supplied along with the advantages that the organization achieved due to the process of quality management. IKEA can also use the Crosby theory of quality management which stresses on zero errors, prevention of errors, quality being an adherence to requirement and quality as being a price paid for non conformity. It sets goals for lower period of days so that the results would show, it requires total commitment from the upper management, encouragement to the employees, training given accordingly, creating incentives for high sales, determining the costs for quality etc. TASK 3 IKEA being the worlds leading furniture retailer does not utilize its capacity or use capacity management to its advantage. It uses Data Core Virtual Storage Solutions globally considering its size. The new version uses auto provisioning which is allocation of products to its demand, auto failover which is mirroring and using high availability in its products and snapshot functions which means creating backup for all the information that is feed from all its stores worldwide. The software is the latest and expected to improve the management of inventory. Before the implantation of the software, IKEA struggled with its supply chain management. It sometimes had over supplied products and sometimes there was a lag in products which diminished demand. Since it is not an internet based supplier, it needs to keep a good amount of product as reserves. It needs to create a balance between oversupply and under supply so as to reduce wastages. IKEA has tried to take advantage of the technologi cal improvements to sort out its supply chain management. The organization had earlier used JDA system in 2006 to solve its problems in supply chain management (IKEA Services, 2011). For an organization like IKEA the primary concern in capacity management are as follows: 1. It needs a technology that can forecast with a great level of accuracy based on past results and future market environment the market demand and supply movements. This forecasting accuracy will help the organization improve its functions and save millions of dollars in shipping, storage and recycling. 2. It needs an approach that improves the sales forecasts and predicts consumer behavior. The predictions need to be translated into sales figures so that the organization can plan on expansion and innovation. All the departments in the organization are interrelated and using capacity management to its highest level could help create more potential from the other departments as well. 3. Another area where IKEA needs to focus on is the anticipation of problems before they occur. A large organization is prone to have problems in its supply chain management and capacity management however if it is in a position to predict the changes and challenges well ahead of time, it can be better prepared for the threat or even to a certain extent help prevent it. This is an integral part of management function through which the organization can gain further market share and capital. 4. Transportation and logistics methods need to be simplified with each consignment being traceable so that the management can better predict the product whereabouts and avoid loss in transportation. With the rise in fuel costs the management needs to carefully lay out its supply chain management as well as logistics problems. With over 12000 products and 250 stores in 30 countries the organization needs better capacity management solutions (Supply Chain Management, 2006). IKEA store layout is in the form of a maze. The consumers need to walk through different custom rooms build to give them an idea of the product they might like. The stores are therefore multi layered with additional space given for storage. This has proven to be a good thing because this marketing strategy makes the customers view all the products and increases sales. It does however have the following disadvantages: It wastes a lot of its store space It confuses the customers who find it difficult to return to the product they liked before It irritates consumers who are looking for a particular product and have to go through the entire store for it and it wastes a lot of time which consumers do not prefer. However, this marketing strategy is important but it can be improved upon to avoid the above hindrance. There are many other store formats that the organization can select from instead of its free flow layout. An image of the store layouts is mentioned below. Therefore IKEA can select a grid layout or a spine layout to avoid confusion. Having different layout on each store can also be helpful and avoid any wastage of space. Since the organization has 20000 products they need to be displayed in an arranged format with utmost importance given to layout so that they appear attractive for the customers to buy. The lighting also should be set up in a way that enhances the qualities of the products. The benefits of having a store layout are that it helps the customers organize their wants. It has been proven in countless studies that a good display of the products makes the customers more inclined to buy the products. This means that a layout can make or break a sale hence needs attention from the upper management (Waters, 2011). CONCLUSION IKEA has a great future ahead. It needs to take an aggressive role in this market because its sales are now stagnant and costs are on a rise. It has used the best method for inventory management along with supply chain management it can further expand its dominance over the other furniture retailers by becoming a public company instead of staying private and add additional funds to its disposal. The has been orthodox and conservative in its approach to management so far but it needs to change its policies into being more innovative not only in the products it makes but also in the strategies it follows. The company has great potential and a business plan that matches no other organization in the world. It size and its success by far have been commendable. It company also needs to change into being more web based which would reduce the cost of transportation and logistics. It has a lot of potential and a goodwill that precedes every country it decides to open a store in, however marketing is also an important feature IKEA needs to look into. Its current marketing strategies were effective in an expanding economy where people where ready to spend however in this current recession the only way IKEA can make more sales is through advertising its fundamental business objective; low cost. It needs to cash into the recession and increase sales by lowering prices and making its products quality checked. IKEA also has a lot of improvement to do in the customer care area where it is lacking behind due to its policy to lower costs. The organization needs to train its employee so that they are more efficient and better equipped to make a sale. To conclude I would like to add that IKEA has great potential not only in its existing countries but other countries where it does not have any stores. It needs to tap into the sales before some other organization does.

Women in the Workforce

Group: 6 Janelle Maskulka, Hannah Reifer, Laura Welker, Andrea McNett Group Leader: Hannah Reifer Scribe: Janelle Maskulka Topic: Women in the Workforce from the 1800- current Outline and Student Responsibilities Introduction: Our group will discuss how women in the past had limited working rights but over time laws and bills were passed that allowed women to grow in the workplace. However still today women are not treated as equals to their male counterparts. 1. 1800’s – Andrea McNett Before/ Early 1800s little to no rights and strictly housewives †¢ Industrial Revolution o Unmarried women worked in factories and moved to city o Caused women to delay marriage/ less children †¢ Women’s Rights o More Independent o Fought for equal wages ? Female Labor Reform Association in New England (1844) o Fought for education o Fought for voting †¢ The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) o Founded in 1840 o Mainly focused on women’s righ t to vote Branched into two subdivisions ? National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) ? American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) †¢ Susan B. Anothony 2. 1900-1950 – Hannah Reifer †¢ Employment in 1900 o Women only had 5% gainful employment outside of the household ? Woman self-imagine began to change †¢ Went from only wanting children and a husband to wanting to be employed o By 1910 this employment rate had increased to 11% †¢ Women in politics (voting rights) Also by 1910, only four states had equal women rights. ? These failures were partly due to people who believe that politics was no place for women †¢ Women’s Suffrage Amendment (1920) (NAWSA) o 19th amendment o Can’t base the write to vote off of sex †¢ The Great Depression (1930’s) o Prohibited married women to work ? Legislature passed in 26 states †¢ World War II (1939-1945) o Brought major change to women in the workforce o Men went to war o 6 million more w omen entered into the workforce o Some women didn’t want to work Rosie the Riveter â€Å"We Can Do It† was used as motivation o As soon as the war was over men returned to jobs women were laid off †¢ By 1947 women began to once again enter the workforce †¢ By 1950 31% of women in the United States were employed and working 3. 1950- 2000 – Laura Welker †¢ â€Å"Roots of the Revolution† (1950-1970’s) o Warning signs of a revolution, change in women’s expectations of employment †¢ Women began to see themselves as going to college and perhaps even graduate school o Working mothers and wives was slowly becoming more common †¢ â€Å"Quiet Revolution† (1970-2000’s) Woman enrollment in colleges and grad schools increased dramatically o Women began to studying fields men were typically professionalized in such as medicine, law and dentistry †¢ More women were now expected to go to college and join the workf orce by age 35, where in the past women were supposed to be in the home and raise the children 4. 2000’s – Janelle Maskulka †¢ Almost half of the workforce today is made up of women (46%) †¢ Major women in the workforce today o Oprah o Condoleezza Rice o Hillary Clinton †¢ Major changes since 1900’s o Bypassing men in management positions Staying with employers longer than men †¢ However, men still continue to make more money o . 76% higher wages than women Conclusion: (Group collaboration/ Input of tying up loose ends) Over time and history women have worked hard to gain rights in and out of the workforce. If we continue to work in the same direction and gain more and more rights we will see more results such as equal pay compared to men, more women in the management and CEO positions, in turn breaking the glass ceiling and the barrier between men and women in the workforce, which is the overall goal.

Internet security Essay

Our instructor gave us an assignment and I had to look for some information from the online library. I dashed to the public library nearby and at the entrance I was greeted by a sign with the words â€Å"Internet security enforced† So the internet services offered by the library had at last been secured! In the current world the term internet is very common. As Curtin admits in his essay on Introduction to network security â€Å"This is a word that I have heard way too often in the last few years. Movies, books, newspapers, magazines, television programs, and practically every other sort of media imaginable have dealt with the internet recently. Internet is a term used to refer to a ‘network of other networks’ (Curtin, par 21-22). Internet has a history in itself. It was created mainly to improve the interactions among different researchers sponsored by the government. The internet grew rapidly in the years of 1980s in educational institutions, business organizations, government agencies and international institutions. By the years of 1990s, internet usage had phenomenally grown and the networking had increased at a very fast rate compared to any network that had ever been used before like telephone use for networking. When a look is made into the present, millions and millions of internet users are connected with majority being those in business (NIST, par 7). The internet technology works magic in this advanced society. However, one is at risk of attacks sneaking through the front door if the internet site is insecure and the computer system is not ready to handle such cases of insecurity. It is thus important to have internet security. What then is internet security? Internet Security Concept To get a better insight of the positive and the negative side of internet security as part of technology, it is important to understand the concept ‘Internet security’. Security seems to be an ambiguous term. Everyone argues differently of what this is and furthermore the acceptable risk levels. Internet security entails the protection of the network against threats. Security is an issue for not only everyone but also everything. Even the internet needs to be secured from threats such as viruses (Curtin, par 104-105). Viruses are the source of computer system insecurity. Virus is software that clings to host software. It uses the host’s ability to replicate itself. When the host program is executed, the host also executes its duty. It also attaches itself to other programs. Viruses erase programs, steal personal information or declare their presence blocking important information. They pose great dangers to computer system. Therefore computer systems need to be secured (MacForensicsLab, par 17-28). Benefits of Internet Security The benefits that accrue from a secure internet are far reaching and wide. Furthermore, it takes less to prevent than to cure. The main purpose of internet security is to give protection against viruses. Viruses are the greatest evil doers when it comes to the information technology (NIST, par7-10). Just like any other virus that cause diseases, computer viruses are on the increase all of which have their origin from the widely used internet. They can be so dangerous to a computer system and can lead to its destruction. Such infections can lead to loss of important data. Internet security programs such as antivirus ensure that all data obtained from the internet is scanned to remove all the unwanted programs and viruses. Antivirus is a strong antibiotic that strongly fights the computer viruses. This ensures that the incoming information is clean and safe for use in a computer system (Kapsersky, par 6-9). Internet security keeps one’s information confidential. The world of technology has greatly expanded. Internet technology can however be applied wrongly. For instance, if a system is not secure, other person can get access to the system via the internet. Some unwanted programs can be launched into the computer’s memory. However, the security put as a guard warns users of such dangerous processes and prevents harmful changes that may be done on the file system. Internet security also protects the computer from spyware; confidential information such as bank account numbers, passwords and details from credit cards is secured from being viewed by intruders (Kapsersky, par 13). Internet security protects a computer system from hackers. Technology have gone too far such that it is possible to scan another computer’s ports through the network. Such hackers are malicious and are done to attack the network. What the internet security does is to block any further communication with that computer that attempting to attack (Kapsersky, par 16). Furthermore, some internet security programs allow users to only access secure intranet or internet. The firewall determines the limits of the rules. More so a computer can be prevented from visibility by other computers online. Once a certain mode such as stealth mode has been switched on, the computer becomes invisible from other networks. All other network activities ceases apart from the specified. Therefore any plans to invade the systems are altered. Internet security can therefore guard the whole system from attacks by viruses such as the Trojan horse and prevents a computers data access by any unauthorized personnel (Kapsersky, par 18-19). Most of the internet security focus on the physical infrastructures; the network itself. However, there are others that provide total solution as far as internet security is concerned. That is, the network, applications as well as platforms. Examples of these include, Microsoft NT (R) as well as UNIX (R). A protection that is over all is the best for a total security of the computer from the internet ‘evils’. Internet Security provides protection services to enable various organizations in the implementation of a secure access to data as well as assets through the World Wide Web (Business Wire, par 2-3). Damages Caused By Internet If a computer system is not protected, threats may end up ruining the overall system. Computer software and other accessories are exposed to harms from the internet and hence their functioning. There is therefore need to ensure that the system is safeguarded before accessing the internet. Security is ensured by various programs such as antivirus. They detect presence of a virus into a system and repair the situation through a command. Unsecured sites are open to any intruder (NIST, par 9-12). However ‘evil’ internet security has also emerged. ‘Evil’ technology has also continued to evolve currently. There are some stronger viruses that have been made by criminals that the antivirus is unable to detect such as the Trojan Horse. Trojan Horse make defense almost impossible. It exploits the weakness in the user to find some entry into the secured system. The malware pretends to be of importance to the user. The user will be attracted and execute the malware in disguise (MacForensicsLab par 17-28). The virus in it is hidden in the payload and when in the system performs the desired function by its author. The malware can steal information as well as property from a ‘secure’ system. Personal information is stolen to assist in theft from a person’s bank account, credit card and other important areas. The same knowledge that was used to make the internet secure has made it more insecure. Stronger virus programs have also come up through technology to counter the antivirus. Through pretence to give the system security, the viruses find their way (MacForensicsLab par 17-28). Some antivirus has as a result become weak and cannot detect the strong viruses such as the Trojan horse and Autorun viruses. Just like in the Trojan data access, data will also be ruined even in the presence of antivirus (NIST, par 9-12). Conclusion Technology is advanced day in and day out to make better man’s world. Some many discoveries on technology have been made such as the internet. It has been widely adopted in all spheres of human live. Despite the interne technology benefits, it has been misused. Through technology dangerous programs have been made and they are a great threat to internet users such as viruses. More technology has come up with programs to secure the internet. In spite of this security stronger viruses find their way into the system such as the Trojan horse. Something needs to be done to fight the stronger viruses. Work Cited Business Wire. Internet Security Advantages, Inc Offers Secure Centralized Access & Control Consulting Services for Web-Based Business Applications. BNET, 1 July 1998 Web. 5 June, 2010, . Curtin, Matt. Introduction to Network Security. Kent Information Services. nd March 1997. Web. 5 June 2010 . Kapspersky. Kaspersky Internet Security. Kapserspersky. com. nd Web. 5 June, 2010, . MacForensicsLab. Malware on mac os x-virues, Trojans, and worms. MacForensicsLab. 2010. Web. 5 June 2010 . NIST. An introduction to computer security. Web. 5 June, 2010, http://www. rxn. com/services/faq/internet/ISPTG-1. html

Bible - 776 Words

Colossians 4:2-4,6 (KJV) Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; [3] Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: [4] That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. [6] Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 3:1-4,9-10,12-16,20,23-25 (KJV) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye†¦show more content†¦Colossians 2:6-7 (KJV) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:9-10 (KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Colossians 2:12-15 (KJV) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. [13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 1:9-14 (KJV) 9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10[That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,Show MoreRelatedThe Bible Vs. Bible874 Words   |  4 Pagesthis book of the Bible before? I never fully read the Bible, because â€Å"they† picked out what â€Å"they† wanted to be taught. They give us passages to remember such as, â€Å"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.† (Isaiah 42:16), but never, â€Å"Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.† (Leviticus 19:19). I never truly sat down, and read the Bible. Even, when I wasRead MoreThe Bible And The Holy Bible766 Words   |  4 PagesMany evangelical Christians believe that there is no error in the Holy Scriptures. Since the Bible was written many years ago, we must reconcile our understanding of passages that seem to make contradictory statements. The Holy Scriptures as a whole is the Word of God. The doctrine of inerrancy of Scripture states that there are no errors in the bible. Two passages in 1 John, however, make seemly contradictory statements. But the author wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The meaningRead MoreThe Bible Vs. Bible1597 Words   |  7 PagesIn our society today, we can see many bible verses being talked about, being referred to, being preached about, but what in reality does that all mean? Many of us use and interpret different verses in the bible to give someone else a bit of hope and love, a bit of knowledge about Jesus Christ or even to give ourself a boost of confidence and hope in our own personal life. For example, when I personally am â€Å"down† or I feel overwhelmed with certain situations in life going on and I talk to my motherRead MoreThe Bible And The Holy Bible Essay1730 Words   |  7 PagesFrom its first pages, the Holy Bible indicates that the most terrible even ts in the annals of space occur due to the human actions. From the theological point of view, the man is designated with such importance due to the fact of being the reason of war between God and Lucifer. Unfortunately, after the Fall of man, the evil was allowed into the world, and thus the world got secluded from God. God can speak to people, is able to remind them of His existence, but the whole tragedy of the pre-ChristianRead MoreThe Bible And The Holy Bible2735 Words   |  11 PagesMesser says that for Christians, the Holy Bible is the rich mixture of writings of various kinds, written over many centuries in many different settings collected together in the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament; and by calling this collection of writing â€Å"Scripture† we are marking it off from other writings that come from the same places and times and claiming that is has some kind of special status and authority within the community of Christian faith. (Messer p5) One way for Christians toRead MoreThe Importance Of The Bible In The Bible2127 Words   |  9 Pagesare shown to us through His Word. The Bible proves that what the student did was unethical. As a result, the college was ethically acting when they decided to punish the student for wrong doing. The Bible will prove that words are very powerful, the student’s actions were unethical, and the college has the ethical right to punish those who breaks the rules. This is not a case of right or wrong it is all about should this student be punished. While the Bible does show why the student was acting unethicallyRead MoreThe Bible And The Hebrew Bible2344 Words   |  10 PagesThe book â€Å"Deuteronomy†, of the Hebrew Bible, describes the reiteration of laws that the people of Israel are to follow upon entrance to the Promised Land. Upon reviewing Deuteronomy, the people of Israel versus Moses and why Moses was refused entry to the land raises interesting questions. By predo minantly focusing on the behavior of the people of Israel, the behavior of Moses, their interactions with the God, and the language used by the author(s) it provides some insight into how and why eventsRead MoreThe Study Bible And Bible Commentary Essay765 Words   |  4 PagesScriptural Response Four In this paper, I will write a scriptural response to the assigned reading of the NIV Study Bible and the Wiersbe Bible Commentary. I will write my response to the reading from Leviticus and Numbers in the NIV Study Bible and Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Holiness God stress the importance of holiness all through Leviticus. God stresses this in the way that the Israelites are to approach him and worship him. God gives expressive and specific details on who and how to bring sacrificesRead MoreThe Bible And The Wiersbe Bible Commentary Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesIn this paper, I will write a scriptural response to the assigned reading of the NIV Study Bible and the Wiersbe Bible Commentary. I will write my response to the reading from Deuteronomy in the NIV Study Bible and Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Obedience God stresses the importance of obedience all through Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy starts with Moses retelling of how Israel delivered from oppression by God. How if they had only been obedient in the first place they would not have had to wander in theRead MoreThe And Of The Bible1249 Words   |  5 PagesLiving in a nation today where people of my own skin color are being discriminated against is a hard fact to grasp. Personally, by the grace of God, I have never encountered a situation where the color of my skin has been a problem. This does not deny the fact there is this problem out in the world. Discrimination can be in many forms race, gender, national origin, religion, disability, and even age. These many forms of discrimination would cause a division in our nation. Now the church has tried