What Did You Learn In Church Today?

[DragonFox91]

11/5/23 on Proverbs 18
Subject of marriage sometimes ignored, can be hard to talk about. Can also be overly glamorized w/ false expectations
"A capable wife. She is more precious than jewels" Proverbs 31
Marriage is good, desirable, & beneficial
Can’t think “if I weren’t married, life would be better”.
It’s good b/c God designed it. Enjoy it. Intended for value. Glorifies God. Reflects relationship between Christ & the Church. A strong witness
People turned off by its responsibility. But what you’re really doing is choosing to live selfishly
Done by human effort & God’s grace. Things singles must do (be who God wants you to be). Marital love cannot be bought. Wait! God joins together & holds it together
“If a man would give for love all the wealth in his house, it would be despised” Song of Solomon 8
Most not in category of God wanting to stay unmarried
Polish, perfect, & love. But she is still God’s
Christians started to say marriage holds back spiritual growth so don’t get married. But Paul says not married is not for most: so for us to grow its as married – it’s honorable (are spiritual benefits to not being married tho)
Easiest way to destroy a marriage: sex before marriage & being unfaithful after. Marriage alone. God judges fornicators, man & woman both. World says otherwise b/c sometimes we take shame in saying world is doing it wrong.
“Set me as a seal upon your heart………jealousy as cruel as the grave……” Song of Solomon 8

SS on 2 Peter 1 on false teachers
Don't panic! (when in danger) We forget when in danger
Remind! Joshua 4 stones to remind people they all crossed the river
Everyone needs reminders. People who know often targeted. Not new information.
Don't be offended - It's a loving safeguard. Helps strengthen us. Wakes up. Prepares us for a growing danger we may not see coming to us (like children warned of bad things they will experience when they're older)
Need to be prepared. False teachers will continue to try to lead you astray

PM on Proverbs
Stop being dishonest. (Includes flattery). God hates it!
Stop arguing (don't love it). It destroys. Stop it early
Stop gossip & slander. Leads to arguing
Speak truth & w/ forethought. Speak healthy (w/ grace). Teach

 

[DragonFox91]

11/12/23 James 4
James calls them adulterers – he’s direct!
Conflict & quarrels going to happen. Usually not based on legitimate harm – birthed out of the heart.
1 way to grow: thru the grace of God & are aware of his goodness. Gladness leads to gratitude, gratitude leads to gladness, a cycle of praise to God. Comes b/c you know you don’t deserve it. Common grace.
2nd way: viewing blessings as something we’re entitled to. Grow in contempt to others & ultimately to God. “If God is blessing others, I can’t celebrate b/c I want it.” We think we’re doing everything God wants us to so think we deserve it
When we lack gratitude to God we become his enemy: “if God doesn’t give what I deserve, if I don’t accept his timing, fully trust he’s good, & he’s fully enough I’m just gonna go & get what I think I deserve.”
In Bible times relationship to gods was transactional. “If I worship I get.” James calls it a friendship. You don’t worship to get or feel a certain way. When we grow in contempt, we remove friendship to God & become conformed to what we’ve replaced him w/.
But he keeps on giving grace. More than salvation, but an empowerment from God to live life we couldn’t otherwise live. No sin w/ more power than cross of Christ. Sin doesn’t even come close! But grace not free pass to sin: it s/ transform us.
Do it by reading the Bible. & community w/ others who love him. Transactional approach doesn’t work.
Quarrels & conflicts will go down b/c we’re able to handle more.

PM
PM on Psalm 1, Israel geography
Wilderness in South: Jericho, Jesus's fast 40 days, Good Samaritan parable
Coastal Plain: Joppa where Jonah left, Mount Carmel where Baal prophets humiliated
Hill Country: Where most lived. Bethlehem, Jerusalem
Jordan Valley: Jordan River (Joshua crossed, John the Baptist)
Galilee: Nazareth
Geography of Bible helps understand it

 

[DragonFox91]

11/19/23 am on Ephesians 5
Every good relationship has thorns & thistles that must be consistently removed
Minor irritations are made major thru griping, quarreling, & bickering. You withhold affection, & you recklessly pursue other people instead
Remove thistles & thorns using theology as a motivator: Christ's covenant relationship to the Church

SS we played a trivia game

PM on James 3
Tongue holds great power to control & direct (comes from heart). It is ready to destroy & hypocrtical. Its use invites God's judgement (for the brethren: discipline)

 

[DragonFox91]

11/26/23 am on Ephesians 5
Paul directs Christians to submit to in a way that honors the Lord, & acknowledges his order & structure.

Sunday School: no lesson. Donuts & coffee for Pastor leaving

PM:
Moral lives are empty if not accompanied by true conversion, & intellelectual knowledge is empty if no inner transformation
Can't save you: active involvement in ministry & church, your own self-assurance of salvation, & cultural Christian cliches
Matthew 7: "Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.........I will say I never knew you."
True fruits of genuine conversion: the indwelling prescence & fruit of the Holy Spirit, personal faith in the Lord Jesus as Savior, genuine love for other Christians, being serious about killing sin
"Nothing more important.......you've got this assurance" - Martin Loyd-Jones

 

[DragonFox91]

12/3/23 am on Ephesians 5
Your responsibility is to love others like Christ loves the Church.
"It gives me a headache" - Kenny, age 7
"We don't know to love others like Christ. We've never seen it done. We don't want to do it. We don't like the responsibility. Others compete w/ us." - excuses
We can step up to our God-assigned role. We must accept our role, love w/ all-out sacrifice, & w/ a purpose: their sanctification. Love/ w gentleness
Good Christian relationships are a living picture of how the Church responds to Christ.

Sunday School: we shared what we're thankful about church, work or school, our walk w/ God, & an attribute of God

PM: Group of 5 missionaries shared about their trip to South Africa. Construction & playing w/ kids.

 

[DragonFox91]

12/10/23 am on 1 Peter 3
Christians s/ influence even if the person is difficult
"He who pleases God shall escape.........The sinner shall be trapped by her" - Ecc 7
A godly person influences by their life, respect & purity.
Influence by inner beauty. Help in their potential weakness. Be considerate.
"This is obvious for those w/ eyes to see......Hard to value......Tempted to push down or ignore." Van Dixhoorn
Your spiritual life is tied to how you treat them

SS on 2 Peter 1
The church was going astray.
We s/ know what are myths (what's being added)
Peter attests to the Transfiguration in 2 Pet 1
Ways people teach different: environmentalism, science, all about you
How to know truth: test, experience, & corroborating evidence (personal & Biblical)
300 prophecies fulfilled, historically documented outside Bible, 500 appearances after Resurrection, martyrs, stands test of time
Confirmed by the OT. Changes lives
Know theology! Plant roots! Study!
Faith & knowledge meet. If you're not changed, you lack faith or knowledge. S/ make unbelievers question their disbelief
Rocks to Peter's faith. 1. Transfiguration: Moses (Law) & Elijah (Prophets) -> Jesus fulfills both. 2. Eyewitness 3. Changes him. Confused to a missionary
Promises & knowledge

PM children's Christmas program

 

[DragonFox91]

12/17/23 am on Luke 1
OT ends w/ people having turned away from God & he tells them of his anger.
For 400 years he is silent but not inactive. Then suddenly acted
God often works in the ordinary. He often met w/ his prophets in the wilderness
Zachariah & Elizabeth barren not a mark of God’s judgement -> they were righteous. Felt upset about it, others wondered what was wrong w/ them
Gabriel says John the Baptist’s life answer to prayer (both Israel’s, & Zachariah’s & Elizabeth’s). Also God had promised John in OT
Zachariah had lost ability to speak: first thing he does is praise God for the Messiah
John’s life to be not normal, but set aside for God. He had the Spirit before birth
Zachariah & Elizabeth, because they were elderly, probably passed before seeing John’s ministry
Not everyone happy about John. They don’t want to hear God’s message. Preaching the message given to him without compromise led to his death.
John’s message: God’s wrath coming for the unrepentant, doesn’t matter your heritage. Before receiving Jesus’s message of mercy & grace, they needed to hear the bad that they are sinners.
Prepare your heart w/ humility. Ask God for forgiveness. Spend time & energy. He is your Savior. Call out to him. Prepare the way too, not everyone saved

SS shared how we celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays. Discussed how they can be done to glorify God

PM Christmas musicians

 

[DragonFox91]

12/24/23 am on Gal 4
Our perception of good has been twisted by sin. We destroy ourselves.
Think less about Christmas & more about Christ. God means business. It's a declaration of war
"He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins" 1 John 2
His birth is glorious b/c when, how & why it happened
Our hope: The Son took on humanity. Manger points to the tomb. Rescues us from our sin. Sets us free from slavery to death. Saves us. Adopts us. Makes us sons. Gives us the Spirit. Is with us. Lives in us. All confirms his love. Receive it!
Kept in Christ gives you joy. What you are missing or going thru does not change this. Remind yourself when you are upset.
God had planned timeline before foundation of the world when Jesus would come. Had promised throughout OT. Would be human & eternal. Perfectly righteous
"Bethlehem.....you are small........one will come from you" Micah 5
"His name will be called.......Mighty God.......to order it & establish it." Isaiah 9
By time of Jesus enough time had passed to show how wicked mankind is & that there is no human solution. Every generation tries to fix it but can’t. Wars against evil, calls for peace, wealth, technology, they do not work. Only Jesus can crush the serpent & is the Savior.
For God’s glory. Saves us so we can give him glory. Is our purpose

12/24/23 pm on Luke 2
Fear often a response to God revealing himself. People don’t respond w/ accusations
We respond in fear b/c we know our hearts -> we are in trouble
Divine drives fear out of shepherds b/c we are designed to cherish & worship
Fear a root to sin. “I’m not good enough.” Jesus’s coming replaces fear w/ what God can do for us, not what we can do for ourselves
Disappointment is going to come. Our soul’s longings can’t be fully met by wife, kid, work, whatever we place our trust in, all bankrupt.
But Everything is reordered in God’s economy. The Good news was first given to the marginalized, the broken, & the outcast. Shepherds were viewed w/ disdain. Jewish Mishna says no one s/ feel obligated to rescue a shepherd. Jermaus says they thought you shouldn’t buy from a shepherd b/c they probably stole what they’re selling. The good news was not first given to the wealthy, the pretty, & the elite.
Our reordered affections w/ God in the highest spot brings joy

 

[DragonFox91]

JBC 12/31/23 am on Rev 2
Genuine love empowered by the Spirit of God keeps us alive. Kindle its fire. Takes time & energy. Cannot in a vacuum, being overly critical, or without Christ
Must maintain our first love or our vitality & witness will die. Renew it!
Pursue the love for truth
Truth important b/c otherwise confusion & unsatisfaction. Also only way to make a difference. Do not let theology get in way of ministry. W/out truth lose identity & no substance. Jesus, man’s identity, salvation, etc. Work for it costs. Bears fruit.
Love suffers when you don’t give attention, you leave it. Ends up burying you. Happens often when you let sin go unchecked. You become critical to God & others. Trials & struggles come. Requires discipline.
“Your 1st love” can refer to a time. Return to that time! Remember what you were doing!
If theology is all you know, that’s good, but it’s more than that. Need love. Love for God & brethren proof of genuine Christianity.
Christ's message: Live or die

SS on 2 Pet 1
Peter warns us of false teachers & so we s/ know the Bible. It's a treasure. It ranks above experience.
Experience becomes he said, she said. Who's right, who's wrong? Someone's word not enough to know truth. An experience, you can still get wrong & misunderstand. Peter says the written word of God is even more sure than being a witness to the Transfiguration. "The Word made more certain"
It's a light. You can trust it. You don't know by yourself. You don't even know you by yourself & can't trust what others say of you. You know who you really are. Psalm 139. God knows all about you
One day it will be made even clearer. But for now the Bible is sufficient
""He didn't say it but he'd be ok w/ it." "Just your interpretation". No, the Bible says what it says. People try to make it say what they want it to say. It is true there's many applications.
God is strict against false prophets. The Bible is from God. It's not human origin. His Word doesn't change over time because it is truth, truth doesn't change.
God used Bible writers intellect, knowledge, & experiences. Says it's breathed by God, means like how wind moves a boat, & how God breathed life into Adam.
The Bible will master you, change you, rework you, & cause you joy, repentance, & prayer. People say they have the answer & will try to keep you from it

No evening service

 

[RDKirk]

My bible study, going through Hebrews 2, paused to reflect on something it mentioned peripherally: The adult generation of Israelites who had left bondage in Egypt, through their own lack of faith, were consigned to wander in the desert until all but two of them had died off. God told them that, they knew it.

Yet...they persevered in following the Cloud, not for themselves, but for the sake of their children.

 

[Kokavkrystallos]

Yesterday we had a study going through the book "The Heart of a Warrior" by Michael Thompson.
It's an interactive Bible study, and the emphasis yesterday was living right in accordance with the Scriptures,
and putting on the armor so we can resist the devil.

 

[RDKirk]

In the "Beatitudes," of Matthew 5:3, Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Some people are confused by this. It does not mean poor in the Holy Spirit. It means poor in the fleshly spirit of oneself. The opposite of "poor in spirit" is shown in Luke 18:9, which is the preamble to His parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable....

In Jesus' following parable, the Pharisee is "rich" in the kind of spirit Jesus means in Matthew 5:3. The tax collector is "poor in spirit" as Jesus means it.

 

[DragonFox91]

1/7/24 am on 1 Peter 3
Good days & love come to those who turn from evil & do good
Joy requires we maintain gracious attitudes & learn to bless instead of retaliate
Be like-minded, sympathetic (hurt when they're hurt), compassionate, affectionate, loving, tender-hearted, & humble
Return good & not evil. Bless & not insult
God sees & responds to how we act!

SS discussed our spiritual goals for 2024 & what are hinderances to them

PM on Acts 1
3 billion are still unreached. Most of the reached are only partially or superficially reached
Jesus commands us to be his witnesses
Early believers were passionate about outreach. Carry the Gospel message w/ who you are & what you do
"We have left nothing to you but the temples of your gods" - Tertullian
"So go & make disciples" Matthew 28
"Go into all the world & preach the Gospel to every creature" Mark 16
When we refuse to share the Gospel we suffer loss of joy & lack the Spirit's fruit
The church suffers mission creep (loses purpose)
Ask: Is everything ok? Can I pray for you? Connect their experiences to God. Ask about them
The power is provided thru the Spirit
"The Spirit....transforms human inability" James Dunn

 

[DragonFox91]

Services were cancelled due to snow on Sunday so I had to listen to one online

1/14/24 am on James 5
Be patient for coming of the Lord. Everything flows from it & by it
James more organized than what's given credit
Concerned about the whole person. What you say & do starts in the soul so that needs to be transformed by the Word. Look back at cross but also ahead to Lord’s coming. Heart established allows obedience. Proper order!
The Lord's coming is precious so we can hold onto it.
Like farmer: Lot of work but lot of waiting & sitting, nothing happening, fruit still far away, waits expectantly, dedicates his life, feeds, sells to provide
The Lord's coming is near so we can hold our fire
Helps b/c we know we'll be judged, our sins will be exposed. Also we shouldn't be impatient & judge bitterly ahead of Jesus
What near means: difference between immediate return & anytime return. Emphasis is always be ready. Not yet b/c the Lord is patient for us to repent, many purposes
The Lord's coming is purposeful so we can hold up under fire
We know the end of the prophets story so we can know the end of our's.
The Lord's coming is the coming of the kingdom so we can let go of this world
We misrepresent the truth to force the life we want know rather than wait for the life Jesus assures us later. Speak truth! Not speaking honestly one of the big problems!
Deficient vision of Christ's coming leads to deficiency now

 

[DragonFox91]

1/21/24 am on Acts 3
A foundational point of our existence: to tell the world Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father
The Gospel travels thru the open door of people's needs: You have to share the Gospel. It’s not only meeting needs.
We must see their need: Seeing their need can be difficult. You have to see what it is it like for them
The need is all around us: Will have to be around unbelievers. Difference between isolating & insulating from them. Like on a boat on water. Can be difficult! Peter & John went to temple where they knew it was mostly unbelieving Jews b/c they knew it was a good witness opportunity.
It requires we adjust:
Excuses: can we meet their need? Costs time, energy, & pre-planned schedule. Scammer? Don’t they have family for support? Are we enabling it? Uncomfortable. All this early church faced -> did not stop them. Surrender every morning wanting to be involved in Gospel sharing!
In Bible times: people w/ disabilities viewed as having weak moral character. Outcast at all levels. But fixing needs doesn’t fix what ails us. The disabled wear the need for the Gospel on the outside, the CEO is just as broken
Needs to look for: Illness. Loneliness. Families falling apart. People struggling w/ identity. Isn’t as hard as we can make it out to be.
We must meet the need. The miracles turned attention to the Gospel, & our action to help turns attention to the Gospel. The Gospel is always Christ's death & resurrection for our sins

SS on 2 Peter 2
False teachers have false visions & speak from their own minds & opinions. Motivated by covetness
Only one source of truth. God tells us. Him alone
False teachings: be a good person, Jehova's Witness, can't know truth. See it at work, on the radio, in media
Be slow to put yourself in situtations where you will be tempted. Know the Bible so you can engage.
You have Spirit of truth. It doesn't come from you. It couldn't! Spirit helps. You were sealed in him. Does it for his glory! Faith in his works!

PM on Acts 3
The Gospel travels thru the open door of people's needs
We must listen & understand to declare the Gospel
The church had to understand the Jews, the God-fearers (Gentiles who knew the True God), polytheistic pagans, & the intellectuals (pagan philosophers)
We must see & meet their needs! We must actually speak the Gospel!
Gospel kindness speaks every language & culture, & breaks thru every worldview
Talk about sin, substitution, & the resurrection
Share w/ those who have a background in the Bible & religion & those who know nothing about it both!

 

[DragonFox91]

1/28/24 am on Acts 4
When a church doesn’t meet what we’re looking for, we admit we were looking for a perfect church.
Early church too focused sharing the Gospel to be arguing. Don’t complain about a church if you’re not involved in it! Conform yourself!
The church is generous to share in each other's material needs.
Early church gave willingly under direction of the Spirit. Entrusted it to God & the church. Overwhelmed w/ gratitude for what God had done. Act of worship. B/c God gives to you. The wealth of your time & attention too. Invest in eternity.
“….help each other in their wants……spare nothing……like brothers…….viewed their possessions as common property” Lucian
"Instruct........not to set hope on uncertainty of wealth.......Be rich in good works" 1 Tim 6
The church gives time & effort to proclaim the Gospel
Be open & ready! Always Jesus’s death, burial, & resurrection for our sins. You forget your own agendas & are unified
“Those who were scattered…….spoke the Word……….preached the Lord Jesus…….Large number turned.” Acts 11
The church is made of people who serve as examples of Christian living
Examples to you. Motivated by Spirit. Why wait - You do it! See talents & abilities. Excited to see what God is doing in others
The idyllic church is not idyllic: Satan tries to interfere. Holds us down. So church will always have problems. So put on whole armor of God.
Love Jesus & the church! Panic in world hasn’t gone away

SS we shared verses that help us fight sin & some sins we struggle w/

PM on 2 Corin 13
Be becoming complete. Little by little
Can't worry about future conflicts world will throw at you
Plant on the Rock! God is faithful!
Unified b/c want his will. Church has common bond in Christ
Obedience inward & outward both. Prompted by the Spirit
Be in church b/c you're part of a body -> another part needs you
Be sensitive
Don't just move on to next thing after sermon

 

[DragonFox91]

2/4/24 am on Romans 5
“Truth…….eternally set in stone…..Standing before him can never change”
Can’t look at how you are daily for your security b/c you are not fully sanctified, looking at daily leads to fear you are not okay w/ God. When understand your security, you are able to fellowship
Recognize, embrace, & rest. Focus on who & what I have in Christ
We are children of God (all are creations, his children have been justified), adopted (outcast to sonship), joint heirs w/ Christ (share in his glory), God’s friend, Christ’s bride (a privilege), & a saint (set apart being sanctified)
We have peace w/ a holy God (has nothing against us, not alienated, when looks at us sees Christ), full access to God’s throne (all & any time) , full standing grace (help in time of need), & eternal living hope (guaranteed future).
Also have: confidence in life (works for your good & God’s glory), loved by God (continually & actively to the full extent) , indwelt by the Holy Spirit (secures, doesn’t leave), Christ’s strength (everything God allows you can get thru), the promise of security (why Christ & why he ascended), & the joy of the Lord (comes from these)
We are seated in Christ (set your affections there)

SS on 2 Peter 2
False teachers lead people astray. They will be judged. They think they’re certain.
All sin will be judged. Judged impartially compared to his law. Don’t use a crutch comparing your sin to others. Remember the severity of your sin
Take God serious. Remember all are souls that could live in hell. Be grateful of the Gospel. Drives us to worship.
God delivers us from the world’s pollution & its destruction. He insulates us, does not isolate us. He finds reasons to save us. Eat spiritually. Have good teachers. Be good students. Mission

PM After School Bible Club shared - My notes for it are missing

----NIck

 

[DragonFox91]

2/11/2024 am on 2 Chron 14
Why did Asa who reigned for the Lord & was so devoted wander at the end of his life? How do we finish well & stay consistently devoted?
Staying close not a matter of past or future: about now. Every day a new choice. Problem is half-hearted devotion
God is not specifically looking for those who have life together: is looking for those whose heart is looking for him. Grace allows us to do this
"The eyes of the Lord move.......He may strongly support those whose heart is completely his." 2 Chron 16
If we seek him, he will strongly support us, but if we forsake him, we come under his discipline
Set heart fully to God, half-hearted, or sold out to idols. Half-heartedness leads to sold out to idols.
The unique lives of the Israel & Judah kings show seeking him must be our top priority
To be a godly king demanded a daily decision to seek God
The kings would make compromises w/ the pagans. This brought in idolatry. Thought the compromises & idols promised security & comforts. Still happens today. They may’ve wanted to be good kings
Their lives followed a predictable pattern
Every king had to face 3 life-altering decisions. Receive & tremble at God's Word even if comes as a rebuke, be rid of idols, & trust God at the pressure points
We are vulnerable to grab anything the world offers when we don’t feed on God’s Word. Can’t contract it out. We forget it. Take time.
Idols come back. Have to keep purging. Idol anything that’s not the Creator is your highest good, happiness, or security
"Flee from idolatry" 1 Cor 10
Pressure point times reveal what’s truly in your heart, what you trust, try to control, have need you can’t meet – what do you: designed & allowed to push you to God. If your heart not on God, you will be pushed away.

SS group discussed what's it mean to be a Christian. What does the Bible say.

PM on Acts 4
Pray & preach boldly
God expects us to obediently push forward in his command to preach the Gospel
Satan works hard to stop it. Work hard to preach it
God answers our prayer for boldness. We must pray we will speak bold & not be silent. We must pray together w/ one mind, spontaneously, & systematically

 

[DragonFox91]

am 2/18/24 on 2 Chron 14
Idolatry darkens you, degrades you, distances you from God, you make sacrifices for it. When you don’t see God
How idolatry got started: Adam & Eve wanting to be like God. Every society has had some concept of God. False gods made after what we desire every time.
Today’s examples: pleasure, power, wealth, control, knowledge. Invades our soul. Leads to deadness & isolation. We become like it. Likewise, when Christ our focus, we become like Christ
Asa destroyed all idols & everything associated w/ them
Certain things trigger us to them. Appeals to senses. Have to keep destroying b/c fall back into them. Takes courage. Fun but never satifies. Doesn’t give what they promise. God meets your needs.
Asa replaced them w/ instruction from God's Word. God blessed his wholehearted devotion. A life free of idols is full of great peace
We must also remove our idols to be wholly devoted to God
Idolatry is among Christians today
Heart of idolatry: deeply held cravings. Greed, sexual immorality, abuse, drunk, violence, money, jealousy, selfishness. Includes good & healthy appetites that take over like food. Center of affections. First priority. Run to when refuge. Cling to. Willing to pay anything. Takes your energy. Not what you think it was
"They are focused on earthly things" - Phil 3
Idolatry can be defined & described. Idolatry is loving, trusting, & sacrificing for created things, & not the Creator, for hope, happiness, & significance.
Have to go back to the source (your heart). Don’t destroy yourself. Make the choice. Take it serious. Take action. Remove, repent, return to God.

SS on 2 Pet 2
A false prophet chases the flesh. The genuine chase the Spirit
Differences from a false prophet can be subtle. They are everywhere. They will be judged & perish
They do not contain their tongue & deliver little. They won't offend you, but the Gospel offends. The worst we see us thru the lens of the Gospel, the greater our hope.
They live for comfort & instinct. Their desires aren't of God. But living for God's glory demands discipline & direction.
They live for the flesh. It looks fun but never satisfies. It looks for anyway in. So devotions are imperative
They are left w/ just a hole, & are thirsty & empty. There's nothing in it. It's like a baited trap or a ladder up the wrong building.
Choose daily

PM on Acts 4
The legacy we leave flows from the people we impact
Barnabas's life is traced by the people he helped.
He was generous to those in need, opened the way for Gentile believers to be accepted, took a risk on Saul when no one else would, & made a major life change to disciple John Mark
His legacy is measured by his commitment to Christ & the church
A legacy of connecting people w/ people, turning conflict into opportunity, teamwork, & total commitment to Jesus Christ & the Gospel

 

[DragonFox91]

2/28/24 Am on Matthew 25
What happens between Judas becoming disciple & the betrayal? Turning point after Jesus breaks the bread
Only disciple w/ last name w/ city b/c all the others were from Galilee. Iscariot means Of Carioth. Carioth in the South so always knew he was an outsider & felt like one? South was more educated so thought higher of himself & most capable (even had control of the purse)? Greedy?
People also wanted Jesus to overthrow Rome & set up God’s kingdom. Did he think he could force Jesus to fight for them? Even James & John wanted him to rain lightning down, Simon a zealot (rebel), Peter says willing to die.
We want to be in control & not hand it to God. We try to fix problems that aren’t ours to fix. We think praying more or being a better Christian will help.
The kiss: Greek word means very deep friendly affection, not just a greeting.
All betray Jesus – but he stays faithful to his promises. Doesn’t fail when we fail him. Remains in control. Still loves those against him.
Jews would say Peter’s betrayal worse than Judas, b/c he betrayed his rabbi 3 times. But Judas lets his choices define him & that leads to his death. He is left as the betrayer. After Resurrection Jesus lets Peter know who he is, redefines him. Redefines us even tho we mess up.

pm on Romans 15
Mission: Go out & reach out
Message: Declared righteous thru Christ’s work & being made Christ-like
Means: The local church & the people in it