tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55801936276325670902024-02-18T23:07:40.352-08:00Teens For Christ BlogThoughts, lessons, and events from Teens for Chirst Northwest. http://tfcnw.orgTFC Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10879596486910807239noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-3567191068862710552013-09-12T15:23:00.001-07:002013-09-12T15:23:00.369-07:00Teens For Christ Blog: Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus to You?<a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2013/09/who-is-jesus-who-is-jesus-to-you.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Teens For Christ Blog: Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus to You?</a><br />
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TFC Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10879596486910807239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-67386760002892460672013-09-11T01:11:00.000-07:002013-09-11T01:23:52.714-07:00Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus to You? <div class="MsoNormal">
On Monday nights we have begun a series of looking at Who Jesus Is - Who He is to you personally, and who we are in Christ.</div>
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Here is recap of the list we looked at Monday night. We will be taking the next few weeks looking at other names that describe Jesus.</div>
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<b>Almighty -</b> Jesus is all powerful - Revelation 1:8</div>
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Nothing is beyond His reach or impossible for Him.</div>
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<b>Author and Finisher - </b> Jesus is our start and finish - Hebrews 12:2</div>
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Jesus was at the beginning of creation and will be there to the end. He is both the author of all that is and the one who sees His creation through to the end.</div>
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<b>Beloved - </b> Jesus is at the center of God's love - Ephesians 1:6</div>
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Chris is the Beloved Son of the Father, and as such, the desire of all people who love God. All who love God will be drawn to Jesus.</div>
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<b>Bread of Life - </b>Jesus is our Sustenance. John 6:32-35</div>
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Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means," the house of bread." He is our spiritual nourishment and the sustenance of the world. All things are kept alive by Him.</div>
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<b>Bridegroom - </b>Jesus leads and cares for us. Matthew 9:15, John 3:29, & Revelation 21:9</div>
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Jesus is the bridegroom and His church is the bride. He is the head of the church and cares for her.</div>
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<b>Chief Cornerstone - </b> Jesus is our rock of safety. Isaiah 28:6, Psalm 118:22, Ephesians 2:20, & 1 Peter 2:6</div>
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Jesus is the cornerstone which religious leaders rejected, but which God chose from eternity to build His house, a temple of living stone! We can rely on Him as our solid foundation.</div>
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<b>Door - </b> Jesus is our gateway. John 10:9</div>
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Jesus is our opening to God. He is the only way to heaven.</div>
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<b>Emmanuel/Immanuel -</b> Jesus is God With us. Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 8:8 & Matthew 1:23</div>
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Jesus was born on earth as a real human being. He entered space and time to become one of us so we might be with God forever.</div>
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As we learn more of who He is and what He has done for us, we will begin to look at Who we are In Him.</div>
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In our small group time, some of the teens described Jesus as:</div>
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My Friend,</div>
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My Comforter</div>
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My Super Hero</div>
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My Redeemer</div>
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The one who gives me Peace</div>
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Someone I can tell everything to</div>
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The One who helps me</div>
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What comes to your mind as you read over these names that Describe who Jesus Is? What has Jesus done for you today?</div>
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We looked at video by Mike Donehey from 10th Avenue North that described Jesus offering the cup of wine to his disciples at the last supper and how that parallels the Jewish custom of the day of a Jewish man proposing to a woman.</div>
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He describes how the Jewish man would offer a something (a price that had to be paid) for the CHANCE to propose.</div>
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When we think about it - God sent his only Son (The Bridegroom) to be the price that would be paid for the Chance that we would become His Bride.</div>
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Jesus dying on the cross does not guarantee that we will automatically become His Bride. The price Jesus paid made a way for us to accept what He was offering. </div>
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How many of us would offer something so precious for JUST A CHANCE at something?</div>
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Will we be ready when the Bridegroom comes?</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOaWb7AIVVc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOaWb7AIVVc</a></b></div>
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TFC Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10879596486910807239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-53394296798194107312012-07-31T09:15:00.000-07:002012-07-31T09:15:01.064-07:00Outdoor Movie: Reaching our community<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaNfFQdMvu69YwhFrtjkhec_SlMc3F1jiTp8wW7k9IdrB3jDYB2Ng1f_RQtEqWbNBkapBCle80GnbGOj50UICPo_tSCAEVVAC97R3Hpn4VFtuln8Dy9y3Wf_XBXq5ZD_JhknJ5aSJL7Lg/s1600/EToutdoormoviesm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaNfFQdMvu69YwhFrtjkhec_SlMc3F1jiTp8wW7k9IdrB3jDYB2Ng1f_RQtEqWbNBkapBCle80GnbGOj50UICPo_tSCAEVVAC97R3Hpn4VFtuln8Dy9y3Wf_XBXq5ZD_JhknJ5aSJL7Lg/s320/EToutdoormoviesm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2-story screen? Yes, please.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i>What started as a night just for fun quickly turned into an outreach event, and inspired a way to serve and connect with the community around us.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<b>An Experiment</b><br />
Last Tuesday night, we had our first-ever outdoor movie at TFC. Weather-wise, we had a perfect night to set up on the lawn outside of New Life Fellowship’s gym; it was warm, but the skies were clear – perfect for stargazing or catching the occasional meteor. Teens gathered around the firepit, waiting for dusk to fall, with cartoons playing in the background. (Sidenote: Can you believe that some didn't know what Talespin was?)<br />
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As soon as it was dark, Jason Metzger’s video projector turned the side of the building into a crystal-clear 14-foot screen, to watch the 1982 classic E.T., while the sound was broadcasted to portable FM radios scattered among the moviewatchers.<br />
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The most interesting thing about the night though, was the attention we drew from neighbors. I went and talked to one nearby group of teenage girls to ask if they’d like to come watch the show. “We’re scared,” one of them said. I laughed and told them we are nice people.<br />
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In the end, several young people joined us for the movie and shared in our s’mores, and we had the opportunity to share a little about Teens for Christ and invite them to get involved. This simple touchpoint inspired a way to reach out to the homes nearby.<br />
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<b>An Inspiration</b><br />
On Friday, Aug 31, TFC will be coordinating with New Life Fellowship to sponsor a Community Event for Hinote’s Corner and the surrounding neighborhoods. We will show a family-friendly movie, promote upcoming events at TFC and New Life, and encourage the community to build relationships with their neighbors.<br />
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<b>A Call to Action</b><br />
Please pray for this event. We want it to be both a service and an outreach, and we want the community see the love of Christ reflected in our actions.<br />
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We also need volunteers to help with the logistics of an undertaking of this size. Please contact us if you would like to help with delivering promotional flyers, contacting local businesses for sponsorship, or helping with supervision and organization on the evening of the event.<br />
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Finally, you can help with your ongoing financial support of TFC. We have many ideas that we just can’t implement right now, either because I don’t have time in my work week (I currently have <a href="http://blog.logos.com/2007/06/with_whom_am_i_1/">a second job</a> to supplement my income at TFC), or because we just don’t have the resources in <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/finances">our already-strained budget</a>. <b>Thank you so much</b> to those of you who regularly support TFC with your faithful giving. If you don’t already, please consider a monthly donation to continue the work of our ministry.<br />
<b><a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/donate">Donate Now</a></b><br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-28879627311247081262012-07-26T15:04:00.000-07:002012-07-26T15:21:13.721-07:0011 Weeks Early: Helping the Powells<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlf_Eem8viTnVP1EWDMOih-7x7wSMabVS3YAlAvgxWKi629ho74cnSOO2VIIFPqMLFYmjBgrsYW7w7klS9bCHDn-zyMsjCzDzoi0ISvrrekMEVEjEeZpMOzt48630X1qGlzld-gYwLH6N/s1600/Micah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlf_Eem8viTnVP1EWDMOih-7x7wSMabVS3YAlAvgxWKi629ho74cnSOO2VIIFPqMLFYmjBgrsYW7w7klS9bCHDn-zyMsjCzDzoi0ISvrrekMEVEjEeZpMOzt48630X1qGlzld-gYwLH6N/s320/Micah.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Gabe Powell is an alumnus and long-time friend of TFC. As the new pastor of <a href="http://www.suddenvalleychurch.com/">Sudden Valley Church</a>, Gabe joined us for part of our discussion on creation a few months ago. <br />
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Last month, their new son Micah was born 11 weeks premature. He's going to be fine, but they still have a long road ahead of them.<br />
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Please join us in prayer over his recovery and read the letter below, from Gabe's sister Elaine, for ways to help the family.<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dear Family,
Friends, and Body of Christ,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On June 27<sup>th</sup>
Micah Nathanael was born at UW Medical Center at 29 weeks gestation – 11 weeks
premature. He weighed in at 3lbs, 3oz
and 16 inches long. Rachel endured a
dramatic and complicated c-section surgery that involved her losing half of her
blood volume. Needless to say God’s
grace and mercy poured over the Powell family that day! We are so very thankful to the Lord for His
hand of protection and severe love!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rachel was
released from medical care merely four days after surgery! They expect Micah to stay at UW Medical
Center until his due date (September 12), depending on his progress. Gabriel and Rachel live a good two hours away
from the hospital, therefore, they will be making many trips back and forth
over the next couple months.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since many
of you have expressed a desire to help, this letter is to inform you of <b><i>specific</i></b>
needs the Powell family have now incurred.
If you feel the Lord leading you to help in any of the following ways,
please do not hesitate!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">Financial Needs</span></u></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">
- We have set up a <i>Donation Account at WECU</i> for anyone to
deposit any amount of money for the Powell’s to use during these next 2
months. Below is a list of what the
donated money would be used for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">a.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Since
Gabriel and Rachel live two hours from Micah’s hospital, they have found housing
associated with the hospital where they can stay from time to time. Although it is a reduced rate ($69/night) it
will still be costly over time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">b.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Driving
2 hours each way 2-3 times a week will also increase their gas expense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">c.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Though
they will try to minimize eating out, their food costs will go up during this
time as it will be difficult to pack food for every trip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<u><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are two ways to donate:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Send
the Powell’s a check made out to Rachel Powell with “<b>Micah Fund</b>” in the memo line. Checks can be sent to 77 Polo Park
Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Go
into any WECU branch, and tell them you’d like to make a deposit into <b>Guillermo</b> (Gabriel’s first name) <b>and</b> <b>Rachel Powell’s Micah Fund</b> account.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><b><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">Meals/Groceries</span></u></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">
- When Gabriel and Rachel are home,
having 2-3 readymade meals a week would be very helpful for Rachel. During the week you may drop off meals at: <b>615 W.
Indiana St., Bellingham, WA 98225, 360-739-3733, or at their home most weekends. </b>Elsa Powell (Gabriel’s mother) or Elaine
Margeson (Gabriel’s sister) will be able to take any meals to freeze.<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>3</b>.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">Light House Cleaning</span></u></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> – Going back and forth regularly
will make regular cleaning challenging. Help with simple tasks about once a
week will make a big difference!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">a.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Vacuuming<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">b.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Dishes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">c.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Laundry<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">d.<span style="line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Bathrooms<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As you can see, there are many ways
in which you can serve this family! Let’s
come together and show what we as a body can do for one another in love! We know that not everyone can do everything
and so we ask that you decide what you and your family are capable of at this
time. I will be forthright and say that
right now, <i>financial support is the most
crucial and the most necessary</i>, so if anything, a monetary donation to the
WECU account will be the most beneficial.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you have any questions or concerns,
or have come up with another way to help Pastor Gabriel and his family, please
do not hesitate to call! I, Elaine
(Gabriel’s sister), write this letter on behalf of Gabriel and Rachel. I would welcome any calls!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you so much for taking the time
to read and consider how the Lord would have you give and serve during this
time of serious need!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Most Sincerely in the Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elaine Margeson<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">360-739-3733<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<a href="mailto:toddelainemarge@aol.com"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">toddelainemarge@aol.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-18069470955974956532012-06-22T16:11:00.000-07:002012-06-22T16:20:22.156-07:00Should we still be keeping the Law of Moses?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1mlL9EJH3ae0AyURSpH3s25M1FzNwrbQ4TL1AhkxYjfCvHZwBv_UsLpcFh7TiAaCKOrHDhurvT5-O2JLQyIiycesvqH67X57ExWyW3A7tEv4-fiHQ9YPp55cM77IBn77fyxbSl6XylPU/s1600/Law.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1mlL9EJH3ae0AyURSpH3s25M1FzNwrbQ4TL1AhkxYjfCvHZwBv_UsLpcFh7TiAaCKOrHDhurvT5-O2JLQyIiycesvqH67X57ExWyW3A7tEv4-fiHQ9YPp55cM77IBn77fyxbSl6XylPU/s320/Law.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replica of an ancient Torah scroll, from <br />
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I've asked TFCers to read the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7), find something they don't understand, try to figure it out, and then email or bring it on Monday for discussion. Here's one I've been considering:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place."<br />
Matthew 5:17–18 (NET)</blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Jesus says that he hasn't come to </span><i style="background-color: white;">abolish </i><span style="background-color: white;">the Law, but neither has he come to </span><i style="background-color: white;">preserve </i><span style="background-color: white;">it -- he has has come to </span><i style="background-color: white;">fulfill </i><span style="background-color: white;">it. That can mean two things:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li>The promises made in the Law and Prophets will come true in him.</li>
<li>The reason the Law was given, to make people holy, will finally happen.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5580193627632567090#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;" title=""><sup><sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span></sup></sup></a></li>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In some ways,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><cite class="bibleref" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal;" title="Mt 5:17-20">verses 17-20</cite><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">are Jesus' "thesis statement" for the rest of the sermon: no matter what you have heard about the Law before, it isn't enough to go through the motions externally. From now on, your righteousness must exceed even that of those rule-keepers, the Pharisees -- it has to come from inside you. </span><span style="background-color: white;">In other words, keep the spirit of the Law, not just the letter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>What are some of your questions about the Sermon on the Mount? Comment below, or come share them this Monday, 6:30pm at <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Berthusen+Park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Berthusen+Park&hnear=0x5485962ef2458717:0xd57a9ca9cd39e0f0,Bellingham,+WA&cid=0,0,11205916358652611698&t=m&z=16">Berthusen Park</a>!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup><sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5580193627632567090#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title="">[1]</a></span></sup></sup> Credit: Barton, B. B. (1996). <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=2ObvgEcK9gMC&pg=PA86#v=onepage&q&f=false">Matthew. Lifeapplication Bible commentary (86–87)</a>. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-66443292383546807832012-06-21T11:27:00.000-07:002012-06-21T11:27:17.820-07:00The World's Most Advanced Study Bible - for FREE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Have you ever read something in the Bible, and thought, "Hmm... I wish I could learn more about that? </div>
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Have you ever <span style="background-color: white;">wondered</span><span style="background-color: white;">:</span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>What St. Peter means when he says Jesus <span style="background-color: white;">"went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison"? (<span lang="en-US">1 Peter 3:19</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">)</span></li>
<li>What the Temple that Jesus visited in Jerusalem looked like? </li>
<li>What the number 666 might actually refer to in Rev 13:18?</li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Nothing can replace reading your Bible and asking God to open your heart to his message. But sometimes, having a tool like a study Bible can help you gain insights you would have just from reading the text.</span><br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Introducing the Faithlife Study Bible</b></div>
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<a href="http://faithlifebible.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="44" src="http://faithlifebible.com/images/logo-beta.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Logos Bible Software (my "other" job) has just announced this exciting new resource for studying and understanding the Bible. Check out the video:</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9FcgJWjb91M" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_5877247"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq4swRhqTvWNA6VHfje8ecCGK9vHGXkiw8NtSHSu-fsKVEGZbs4meg1ew4L9NOvMBWr06wggnoKuxQd2GaaMH2L5A2CciOjmPrWchdAGYizBFuMkoLVRitHiIRDHMhVIFPGEd8dOimUXO/s320/faithlife+ipad.PNG" width="249" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">FSB works best on a tablet like an iPad, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">but you can also use it on a smartphone, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">installed to your computer, </span><span style="background-color: white;">or just online</span><span style="background-color: white;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I've been using the FSB for a few months now, and it has been become my first line of study when I come across a verse I don't understand. It has thousands of study notes, hundreds of pictures and videos, and in-depth articles with the included Lexham Bible Dictionary. I highly recommend it.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Share your study.</b><br />
You can also use Faithlife to connect with your church or study group. Set up a reading plan to study the Bible together. Make a note on a verse, and the rest of your group will see it when they read that passage.<br />
When you sign up for Faithlife, make sure to join us at <a href="http://faithlife.com/tfcnw">faithlife.com/tfcnw</a> - we will be using it in the future to read through Scripture together!<br />
<br />
<b>Best of all, it's FREE. </b><br />
The FSB will eventually be subscription-based, but you can use it<b> until March 2014</b> for absolutely nothing. Just use the <b>coupon code FREE</b> at <a href="http://faithlifebible.com/">http://faithlifebible.com/</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-61498855408102267192012-06-14T13:56:00.001-07:002012-06-14T14:34:15.003-07:00Support TFC this Summer!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8FZPzZ_5asFPQYzOIToGluFFbyCx4wtrC_BVMKAtyEeEn8iibsc7KvcWYsl90A0K39ZkbByZVA3yCZ53Ev8WgNjefoVW7z8X-mOLPolhe6iYb0XfFLB1Ip8XJzpGfHVYOyjCJH5emoy7/s1600/monthlydonations.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8FZPzZ_5asFPQYzOIToGluFFbyCx4wtrC_BVMKAtyEeEn8iibsc7KvcWYsl90A0K39ZkbByZVA3yCZ53Ev8WgNjefoVW7z8X-mOLPolhe6iYb0XfFLB1Ip8XJzpGfHVYOyjCJH5emoy7/s400/monthlydonations.png" width="400" /></a>This time of year, the TFC bank account often runs low. Bible Quizzing is out of season, people have other things on their mind, and donations to TFC often drop in the summer. However, we still have the same expenses; we are still hard at work with quiz demonstrations, Monday night youth meetings, and other projects.<br />
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<a href="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/27e8951fa7f24a3bdfef3445e/images/mailchimp_donate.1.1.3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/27e8951fa7f24a3bdfef3445e/images/mailchimp_donate.1.1.3.png" /></a></div>
<b>Your continued financial support over the summer is vital to our ministry.</b> Any amount helps! Visit <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/donate">tfcnw.org/donate</a> for a one-time donation, or setup an automatic payment starting at only $10/month. And thank you for your generosity!<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-10311474937278910152012-06-08T17:06:00.001-07:002012-06-08T17:06:52.978-07:00The Mark of Spiritual Maturity<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/images/1920/Eph4.13.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://biblia.com/bible/images/300x250/Eph4.13.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: biblia.com</td></tr>
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How do you know if you are growing in Christ? Our unity with other believers is perhaps the most important way to measure spiritual maturity.<br />
<br />
It's too common for us in the American church
<span style="font-size: 16px;">—</span> in our individualistic culture <span style="font-size: 16px;">—</span> to focus exclusively on our personal relationship with Jesus. We forget or overlook that almost all of the New Testament's teaching about faith is in terms of community of other believers.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/verseoftheday">biblia.com verse of the day</a> reminded me this morning of one of my favorite passages in the Bible:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ<br />
Ephesians 4:13 (ESV)</blockquote>
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This is by no means the only place the NT teaches the importance of relationships in the Church, but the emphasis here is especially easy to see. </div>
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<div>
The <i>purpose</i> is to reach maturity... the "fullness of Christ."</div>
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But <i>how </i>do I do that?<br />
On my own?<br />
Spending more time with Jesus?<br />
<br />
Well, no. At least, that's not all. Don't get me wrong; the Greatest Commandment <b>is </b>to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matt 22:37) But that's not enough. There is a reason that the second is "love your neighbor as yourself:" You can't have one without the other.<br />
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Let's look at the rest of the passage:<br />
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<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup><br /></sup></span></span></div>
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>1</sup></span></span> <span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>2</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">with all </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">humility and gentleness</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">, with </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">patience</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">bearing with one another in love</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>3</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">eager to maintain the</span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> unity of the Spirit</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> in the bond of peace. </span><br />
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>4</sup></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">There is</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> one body</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> and</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> one Spirit</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> — just as you were called to the</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> one hope</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> that belongs to your call —</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup> 5</sup></span></span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">one Lord</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">,</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> one faith</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">,</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> one baptism</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">,</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup> 6</sup></span></span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">one God and Father of all</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">,</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> who is over all and through all and in all. </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup><br /></sup></span></span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>7</sup></span></span> <span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ... </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>11</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>12</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for</span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> building up the body</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> of Christ, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>13</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">until we all attain to</span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> the unity of the faith</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>14</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>15</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Rather, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">speaking the truth in love</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><sup>16</sup></span> </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">from whom the </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;">whole body, joined</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that</span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"> it builds itself </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">up in love. </span><br />
<span lang="en-US">Ephesians 4:1–16</span> (ESV)
</div>
<br />
Apart from the fact that the whole picture of "Body" is one of togetherness, notice how many "unity" words there are here: "with one another... unity... bond... one, one, one... building up... unity..." Wow, do you think there's a message here? The author even says <i>how </i>to have unity with others: <cite class="bibleref" style="font-style: normal;" title="Eph 4:2-3">verses 2 and 3.</cite><br />
<br />
If you want community with people, you must have humility, patience, and love... which come from Christ.<br />
If you want to grow up in Christ, you also have to grow together with his followers.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-20185625556102005262012-05-18T14:30:00.000-07:002012-05-24T16:42:08.507-07:00Learning from Matthew<i> Matthew study starting in June at TFC; n</i><i>otes about the ESV.</i><br />
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Attention Bible quizzers! Just because its summer, doesn't mean that you can't get a head start on next year's material. Here's some need-to-know information about our upcoming quiz season.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Evangelist-St.-Matthew-And-The-Angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Evangelist-St.-Matthew-And-The-Angel.jpg" width="234" /></a>
1. This season covers the Gospel of Matthew</h3>
<div>
<b>Don't just memorize; learn it and live it.</b> </div>
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In our <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/youth">Summer in the Parks</a> at TFC, we will be looking at the book of Matthew chapter by chapter. Adam will be working together with student teachers to examine the themes and lessons that set Matthew apart from the other gospel accounts. The series <b>starts June 4 at Riverside Park in Everson</b>, and we'll be at a different park each Monday night. Even if you aren't ready to start memorizing yet, this is a great opportunity to understand Matthew like you never have before!</div>
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<b>Already prepping for fall?</b></div>
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Here's what we'll quiz on for the Kickoff Retreat on <strike>Sept 7-8</strike> [edit] Sept 14-15:</div>
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<ul>
<li>First-time quizzers: Matthew 4 (25 verses)</li>
<li>Returning quizzers: Matthew 5 (48 verses)</li>
</ul>
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<div>
The schedule for the rest of the season is posted at <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/quiz/meet-material">www.tfcnw.org/quiz/meet-material</a>.<br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<h3>
2. We're switching to the ESV!</h3>
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<b>Why the change?</b></div>
<div>
The NIV has never been a strict word-for-word translation. Since Greek words and idioms often don't really have an English equivalent, the translators thought it more important that the <i>ideas</i> be understood, and so they used a thought-for-thought (or, "dynamic equivalence") philosophy of translation. Following this translation style, when they revised the NIV in 2011, they included some changes to make some wording more gender inclusive -- for example, using "all people" instead of "all men," or "brothers and sisters" rather than simply "brothers." The NIV translators may have honestly tried to reflect what the original writers meant; but the fact is, they <i>changed </i><i>or </i><i>added </i><i>words</i> that aren't actually in the original language, and sometimes this can change the meaning as well.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.biblequizfellowship.org/">Bible Quiz Fellowship</a> committee feels this takes the "thought-for-thought" style too far, and it's important to preserve the original, inspired words that God recorded through the biblical authors. With that (and some secondary reasons) in mind, the BQF committee voted in May 2011 to adopt the English Standard Version, which is much closer to word-for-word translation. You can learn more about the decision from the statement on the BQF website.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>2011 Edition</b></div>
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When you start studying Matthew, make sure you use a 2011 edition of the ESV by looking at the copyright date at the front of your bible. Or, just pick up a quiz book at the TFC office for $6.<br />
<br />
Older versions of ESV (2001 or 2007), are a little bit different. Not much -- just a word here and there -- but it will be enough to throw off your word-perfect memorization for quizzing. If you already have an older ESV you'd like to study from, you can download and print this <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/tfcnw.org/teens-for-christ-nw/quiz/resources/ESV%20changes%20Matt.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1">list of changes.</a> </div>
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<a href="https://sites.google.com/a/tfcnw.org/teens-for-christ-nw/quiz/resources/ESV%20changes%20Matt.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NCbXYyYILI4wWaljTdGV9U33GsF2Ap4u7BF5vq_B1yLi37-55krSFQKP2qu6ye5NS5Ije10KuWUmLoYFaUBxQx7KVCzxwgafAvcBNKFSwzpsjJo-XopUW_RbXwryk7Mrhm7X_SUCv6ko/s640/mattchange.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-49824548522142558402012-04-20T15:18:00.000-07:002012-04-20T15:23:41.669-07:00How to Understand the Bible, Part 3 of 3<i>This week, we've been asking how to understand the Bible better. Best answer: Listen to the Holy Spirit first, then check your work with these questions.</i><br />
<h4>
3. How has it been traditionally understood by the Church throughout history?</h4>
You've probably heard this before: Anytime someone says they have a fresh/new/innovative teaching of Scripture, you should run the other way. It's one thing to have a fresh understanding of traditional teaching; it's important to renew and dig deeper into the truth the Bible offers. It's quite another thing to "find" new teachings in the Bible that don't line up with doctrines that the universal Church has long held. That's why, even in personal study, you should ask how the Church as historically understood a topic or passage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBmwchcHaDePOUZpb2FDCD1FK_ZPAZjMijLLOqWMWIEg_vtto8LeSxQ-tg2g7XgyHopQk34htElPp-xxuxHEez_MUUML77tVqI3MDpOMJ5HnY4c-q2rCSt3Z1IVU5GIeL_E7Y6SHmr93v/s1600/bible_reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBmwchcHaDePOUZpb2FDCD1FK_ZPAZjMijLLOqWMWIEg_vtto8LeSxQ-tg2g7XgyHopQk34htElPp-xxuxHEez_MUUML77tVqI3MDpOMJ5HnY4c-q2rCSt3Z1IVU5GIeL_E7Y6SHmr93v/s320/bible_reading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In some ways, this is the most difficult of the three "checks". For one thing, the Church has a long history, and some people dedicate their whole careers to studying the teachings of the <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/early-church-fathers/">Early Church Fathers</a> and the development of theology over the centuries. And it hasn't developed exactly same in all parts of the Church; there are so many denominations precisely because, somewhere along the line, someone in the church disagreed about the meaning of a particular passage or doctrine, and started their own branch. <br />
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However, I believe we are called to focus more on our agreement than our disagreement (see <cite class="bibleref" style="font-style: normal;" title="Eph 4:1-16">Ephesians 4</cite>), and there is a lot we can agree on. To begin with, I hope you have a Bible-teaching church, so you have a good foundation of biblical education. (If not, perhaps C.S. Lewis' <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926">Mere Christianity</a></i> would be a good start. Also, find a new church.) If you have questions about a passage or someone's teaching, don't be afraid to talk ask your pastor about it. Or for that matter, feel free to ask me; I don't have a seminary degree, but if I don't know the answer to something, I promise to find out together with you.<br />
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There a lots of ways you can research the answer on your own, too. It's not hard to find <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/creeds-confessions/creeds/">historic creeds</a>, or statements of faith, that are accepted by every branch of the Christian Church. Bible commentaries can also be useful for understanding the theological implications of a given text. There are a <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/believers-bible-commentary-william-macdonald/9780840719720/pd/19728">lot</a> of <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/believers-bible-commentary-william-macdonald/9780840719720/pd/19728">good</a> <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-baker-illustrated-bible-commentary/gary-burge/9780801013089/pd/013089">ones</a> in print, and many of the older ones are now available for free online.<br />
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All of these tools are good helps. But after everything, I would be remiss not to end where we started: the best way to study the Bible is... to study the Bible. There is no substitute for careful, broad, and frequent reading of the Word of God.<br />
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<b>What about you? How do you make sure that what you are learning is theologically correct?</b><br />
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Earlier this week:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2012/04/theres-no-such-thing-as-bible-verse-how.html"><b>1. How does this verse fit with the rest of the Bible?</b></a></span></span><br />
<b><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-understand-bible-part-2-of-3.html">2. What did it mean to the original audience?</a></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-53459199163552395092012-04-19T13:39:00.001-07:002012-04-20T15:23:51.046-07:00How to Understand the Bible, Part 2 of 3<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xJrL-i2ol7dffKjFycVzhiOy3DDEfRwuOeKXflD37WYKBulIEn1COLUQ1Qmu2pj1L6KZoGu3xkWvFtANrfWaUmwO6P5rEfmjtqEYO-Dy8k3hg3ivsC2D1Q40N8y56hOqjN9CMoiJDHzt/s1600/Bible+LoveLetter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xJrL-i2ol7dffKjFycVzhiOy3DDEfRwuOeKXflD37WYKBulIEn1COLUQ1Qmu2pj1L6KZoGu3xkWvFtANrfWaUmwO6P5rEfmjtqEYO-Dy8k3hg3ivsC2D1Q40N8y56hOqjN9CMoiJDHzt/s200/Bible+LoveLetter.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>The Bible is God's love letter to us. When we read it, we should first and foremost ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it. But relying on only our own individual perception can lead to poor interpretation; there are three questions we can ask to make sure our understanding is correct.</i><br />
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2. What did it mean to the original audience?</h3>
Even though the Bible contains God's message <i>for</i> us, it wasn't originally written <i>to </i>us.<br />
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<b>Different situations</b><br />
When you read "Count it all joy when you face all kinds trials" (James 1:2), is God talking to you about how you should respond to your little sister bugging you, or your internet going down? Well, maybe (especially if your response needs work). But when you stop to think that the people to whom James wrote (and <a href="http://christianresponse.org/index.php?page=resources">200 million Christians today</a>) were literally thrown out of their families, and living under the threat of martyrdom for their faith... maybe your own "trials" won't seem so significant.<br />
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Each part of the Bible was written for a specific purpose, and it helps to understand that when considering what it means for us today. What sort of writing is it -- history, poetry, prophecy, personal letter? What was the author (or the recipient) going through at the time? Most Bibles have an introduction to each book that help you answer these questions and deepen your understanding.<br />
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<b>Different times and cultures</b><br />
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The Bible talks a lot about slavery (Lev 25:39-43, Eph 6:5-9, among many others); does that mean it condones it? No -- if you read those passages carefully, you'll see that the writers were doing their best to humanize a very widely accepted (and sometimes cruel) practice at the time. <br />
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The first readers of biblical writings would have a much different understanding about how the world works. After all, it was written over a span of ~3500-2000 years ago, in many distinct political and geographical settings that were quite different from ours. A good <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Student-Study-Bible-Crossway-Books/dp/1433523043/">study Bible</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Guide-Andrew-Knowles/dp/0745951899/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334864129&sr=1-4">Bible guide</a> can go a long way in helping us appreciate what topics like this would have meant to the people first hearing it.<br />
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<b>Different languages.</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDpTIga4ZsQpMiSAnCsM8-QYCCHo4PcyCkVE4X2LfGRnNr3-kW69_0YpaBmPdBew5SjgP6MgMp_WzoLNxtD-zHLhgXzvlpWnqVSI51wFZA0qUcU3HhgV0_2pFTkjORBSjISDANuim0d1N/s1600/BibleManuscript+1Cor13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDpTIga4ZsQpMiSAnCsM8-QYCCHo4PcyCkVE4X2LfGRnNr3-kW69_0YpaBmPdBew5SjgP6MgMp_WzoLNxtD-zHLhgXzvlpWnqVSI51wFZA0qUcU3HhgV0_2pFTkjORBSjISDANuim0d1N/s320/BibleManuscript+1Cor13.jpg" width="320" /></a>It shouldn't be any surprise that the Bible was written in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). Thanks to the many English translations we now have, you don't have to be a biblical languages scholar to study the Bible. But these days, all kinds of books and <a href="https://www.mystudybible.com/">online tools</a> allow you to dig into the original language and try to understand better what it means. But use caution -- translating is tricky business!<br />
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Even if you leave the translating to the experts, it's important to remember that <a href="http://www.biblestudymagazine.com/preview/choosetranslationWeb.pdf">no Bible version is perfect</a>. When doing serious study of a passage, it's always a good idea to read it in at least a couple of different translations, using different styles -- one using word-for-word (like ESV or NASB), one or more with thought-for-thought (e.g., NIV, NCV, or NLT).<br />
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<b>Have you ever suddenly understood a Bible reference because of something you learned about the language or historical background?</b><br />
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Yesterday: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2012/04/theres-no-such-thing-as-bible-verse-how.html">1. How does this verse fit with the rest of the Bible?</a></span></span><br />
Tomorrow: <a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-understand-bible-part-3-of-3.html">3. How has it been traditionally understood by the Church throughout history?</a><br />
<i><br /></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-45138705717372546062012-04-18T13:47:00.001-07:002012-04-20T15:24:08.875-07:00There's no such thing as a Bible verse | How to Understand the Bible, Part 1 of 3<br />
<i>Every encounter with the Bible can be a deeply personal experience in which the Creator speaks directly to your heart. But how do you know that what </i><i><u>you're</u> hearing is really the Holy Spirit? There are three questions you can use to make sure you understand correctly.</i><br />
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1. How does this verse fit with the rest of the Bible?</h4>
Here's a brain-bender for you: Bible verses don't really exist. To be sure, God inspired the writers of the Bible with His own Word; but the verse <i>numbers</i> (and chapters, too) were added <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible">centuries later</a>, by men who wanted an easy way to find a certain quote, or create a list of where to find a certain word.<br />
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Verses were <i>never</i> meant to be clipped out and read by themselves. It's too easy to take a single line out of context, and make it <i>seem</i> like it means something else. For example, look at this line from Romans 5:14:<br />
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Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses...</blockquote>
Now, you could read that and think, there was no death after Moses. I could even make the argument that since God gave Moses the Law, he gave the means to live a righteous life, to escape spiritual death. But you only need to read a few verses more to see that Paul's point is exactly the opposite -- "law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were" (Rom 5:20, NLT). <br />
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You can get into even more trouble when you start <a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2011/03/world-is-ending-tomorrow.html">pasting together verses</a> from different parts of the Bible. <b>So when you read a Bible verse that catches your eye, ask yourself, how does it fit in the rest of the chapter or section? How does that passage contribute to the overall story of the book, or the message of the letter?</b><br />
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Finally, how does it makes sense in light of the rest of the Bible? What are the Old Testament promises that you find fulfilled in the New Testament? Where do you find foreshadowing of Christ in the Old Testament? Where do you find two different authors saying the same thing? What are characteristics of God you see coming up over and over again?<br />
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As has been said many times before, "Scripture interprets Scripture." Whenever you discover something in the Bible you've never noticed before, it's always best to see how your new insight lines up with the rest of the Good Book.<br />
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<b>What are your tips for studying the Bible? Leave a comment below!</b><br />
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Later this week:<br />
<b><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-understand-bible-part-2-of-3.html">2. What did it mean to the original audience?</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-understand-bible-part-3-of-3.html">3. How has it been traditionally understood by the Church?</a></b><br />
<b> </b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-80806386049400225812012-01-16T12:47:00.001-08:002012-01-16T12:47:56.941-08:00How can I help someone who struggles with depression?<p><em>Fighting hopelessness as we approach the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Monday_(date)">most depressing day of the year</a>.”</em></p> <p>At last week’s question box night at TFC, we received this question:</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>How do you help someone, who struggles with depression and doesn’t want to live anymore, realize God’s purpose for their life?</strong></p></blockquote> <p>Finding God’s purpose for your life is always a tricky subject; how can I know for sure what God’s plan is for me? How do I know what the right decisions are? There are a number of methods that can help, including prayer, Bible study, and guidance from a trusted Christian mentor; and often, there is no definitive answer. This is a huge question that deserves its own discussion another time. Maybe, for this case, we don’t need to help them find what, exactly that purpose is; just to affirm that there <em>is</em> a purpose. </p> <h3>How can I tell if someone is depressed?</h3> <p>Everyone has a hard day or week every now and then. Depression goes way beyond that; it’s this sense of hopelessness, feeling trapped with no chance of escape. Depressed people feel like they have no purpose, and struggle with finding motivation to accomplish even the most basic tasks.</p> <p><strong>Some warning signs to look for:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Withdrawal from friends, family, and regular activities. <li>Spending an excessive about of time on the internet, video games, or watching TV. <li>Major changes in sleeping or eating patterns (i.e., a lot more or a lot less than usual) <li>A drop in school grades. <li>Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure. <li>Not enjoying activities they used to like. <li>Always feeling “bored” or low-energy.</li></ul> <p> </p> <h3>What can I do to help?</h3> <p><strong>Listen.</strong> One of the most important things you can do it just be there. Do your best to understand how they are feeling, and let them know that you hear them. </p> <p><strong>Read the Bible</strong>. It can be uplifting to read passages like Jer 29:11 or Ps 42:5 that promise God’s joy and his purpose for your life. However, be careful that you don’t use these verses to say “See, you shouldn’t be feeling this way…” The last thing you want is to make them feel guilty for being depressed!<br><br>It can be just as helpful to read passages of people who had it hard; it tells them that they aren’t alone, that others have gone through the same thing and survived it, and God is also here now to help them through it. <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps38">Psalms 38</a> <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps86">and 86</a> are great places to start, and the Book of Job is also wonderful.</p> <p><strong>Pray. </strong>Ask God for relief from this burden, or that He would give the strength to withstand it; this is a response we see many examples of in Scripture (Lk 22:42, 2 Cor 12:9, 1 Cor 10:13, Ps 38:1-18).</p> <p>Confession can also free them from the weight of guilt. Guilt is a common cause of depression, but the Good News of Jesus is that we can turn from sin and live free from guilt (Heb 10:22). If they have sin they want to confess to you, <strong>let them bring it up</strong>; never force it out of them. Then <strong>listen</strong>, <strong>pray</strong> with them, and then <strong>affirm</strong> to them that they have been set free, indeed!</p> <p><strong>Encourage.</strong> Build them up by reminding them of what they are good at, things they’ve succeeded in, and the people that love them. You can also remind them that even though you know things are tough right now, this too, shall pass. Things will get better!</p> <p><strong>Do something!</strong> Get them out of the house; try a new hobby; anything to break them out of the “world of me”. Physical activity is proven to help fight depression; so is taking interest in others, such as charity work, or tutoring. </p> <p> </p> <h3>A Final Note</h3> <p>Get professional help if you need it. If the suggestions above don’t help, they may be clinically depressed, in which case they may actually have a chemical imbalance in the brain. </p> <p>If you are worried they might take their own life – especially if they have talked about how they would do it – <strong>don’t keep it to yourself</strong>. Even if they make you promise to keep it secret, it doesn’t matter; they aren’t thinking straight, and it’s more important to get them the help they need. Talk to someone you trust, or contact the <a href="http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/WhatIfSomeoneIKnowNeedsHelp.aspx">National Lifeline</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What are some other ways you can beat the winter blues?</strong></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-2998014160811417242011-06-13T15:47:00.000-07:002011-06-14T15:24:49.866-07:00The Life of Peter<p><i>Peter means “the Rock;” but Simon was anything but a rock before Jesus changed his life.</i></p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bethsaida was likely on the northwestern end of the Sea of Galilee." border="0" alt="Bethsaida was likely on the northwestern end of the Sea of Galilee." align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2kBnb5hOjB8/TfYWlu0ZpWI/AAAAAAAACG8/MQqe6bGb0Jc/Bethsaida4.png?imgmax=800" width="258" height="209">Peter was from Bethsaida (Jn 1:44), a small town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. On the west side of this large lake was the region of Galilee, which was settled mostly by Jewish people, living under the rule of the Herods – the supposedly Jewish family who had sold out to the Romans, governing Judea as a puppet state of the Roman Empire. Visible on the opposite side of the lake were some of the cities of the Decapolis – these Greek cities also served as a base for Roman legions, and would have been a stark contrast to Peter’s simple Jewish life.<br><br>Bethsaida literally means “fish house,” which gives you a clue about what its main income was. Like many others in the area, Peter and his brother Andrew earned their living at the family business: fishing. Just like many fishermen today, they were uneducated (Acts 4:13), hard-working, blue-collar workers, who were often crude (Peter was a self-described “sinful man,” Lk 5:8), and prone to causing trouble (James and John, Peter’s business partners, were nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder,” Mk 3:17). <br><a href="http://www.bibleplaces.com/bethsaida.htm"><img style="display: inline; float: left" title="BiblePlaces.com/Bethsaida" alt="BiblePlaces.com/Bethsaida" align="left" src="http://www.bibleplaces.com/images/Mt_of_Beatitudes_and_Sea_of_Galilee_in_spring_75-36tb.jpg" width="243" height="168"></a>Even so, they weren’t uninterested in learning about and following God; in fact, Peter’s brother Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist (Jn 1:40), and the first thing he did when he met Jesus was to tell his brother they had found the Messiah – he must have known that Peter would want to know.</p> <p>Imperfect as he was, Peter is also something of a leader. He is always listed first among the Apostles, and often speaks on behalf on their behalf when they want to ask Jesus something. When the disciples fall asleep at Jesus’ last night, only Peter is singled out for taking responsibility. Even after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter is the one who says “I’m going fishing,” and the other disciples follow his lead.</p> <p>Early on, Peter becomes part Jesus’ inner circle, even within the Twelve. Only Peter, James, and John were present at several key moments of Jesus’ ministry: </p> <ul> <li>when Jairus’ daughter was raised (Mk 5:37; Lk 8:51)</li> <li>at the transfiguration (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2; Lk 9:28)</li> <li>in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:37; Mk 14:33)</li></ul>Yet, even though he is privileged to have such intimate glimpses of Christ’s glory, Peter often fails to live up to the calling he has received. His personality seems to make him predisposed to extremes -- <ul></ul> <ul> <li>He is brave enough to step out of the boat onto the water towards Jesus, but almost immediately loses his faith. (Mt 14:29-39) <li>Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Son of God (Mt 16:15-16), and moments later proceeds to tell him what to do (Mt 16:22). <li>In John 13, he first refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet, and when Jesus insists, wants him to wash him all over!</li></ul><a href="http://www.the-cartoonist.com/gospel/gospel_toons/display.html?image=john18.01-11_slaves_ear.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="display: inline; float: right" align="right" src="http://www.the-cartoonist.com/gospel/gospel_toons/john18.01-11_slaves_ear_tn.gif"></a>And then, of course, is Peter’s most famous failing of all – his denial of Jesus. John’s gospel gives us a unique, eye-witness insight to this story: Peter first declares that he will follow Jesus to the death, and even attacks a servant of the high priest to defend his Lord. <br>But after Jesus is taken, Peter – typically – swings to the opposite extreme; afraid of being arrested himself, and follows at a distance to the house of the high priest Caiaphas, and his father-in-law Annas (a former high priest himself). And as Peter is outside, waiting to hear what will happen to his Lord, nervous about his own fate… you know what happens. Three times, someone recognizes him as disciple, and three times he denies it. Forget going <i>in</i> to the courtroom, never mind testifying before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin -- he is so afraid of being associated with Jesus, he doesn’t even want to admit that he’s a follower to a teenage servant girl. <br><br>But the story doesn’t end there; after Jesus restores his relationship with Peter (Jn 21:15-18), and charges him to “feed my sheep,” we see a very different Peter. In Acts 3-4, Peter and John find themselves in trouble with the Jewish authorities after publicly healing a paralytic and preaching Christ at the Temple. And look who comes to deal with them:<br> <blockquote>They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. … The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. <b><i>Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas</i></b>, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” <br>Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is <br> “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’<br>Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” </blockquote> <div align="right">Acts 4:3-12, NIV <br>(emphasis added)</div> <div align="left"><br>The contrast is amazing – not only is Peter now willing to speak boldly, he does so to the very men who put Jesus on the cross! In the very next chapter, they are in trouble again, and challenge the priests – who could kill them just like they did Jesus – “We must obey God rather than men!” When Peter and John narrowly escaped with their lives, receiving a flogging instead, </div> <blockquote> <div align="left">The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. </div></blockquote> <p align="right"> Ac 5:41</p> <div align="left">Before writing his letters near the end of his life, Peter grows the Church, pastors those in the Way, and spreads the Good News through missionary journeys. He was executed for his faith by Emperor Nero in AD 67-68, by crucifixion. And while there is no way to know for sure, legend has it that when Peter was told how he was to be executed, he asked to be crucified upside-down, because he didn’t consider himself worthy to die the same way as his Lord.</div> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left">Peter lived and died a far cry from his beginning as a country bumpkin who abandoned his Master when it mattered most.</div> <div align="left"><br> </div> <h2>Discussion Questions:</h2><br> <ul> <li>How do you think Peter (and the other people of Galilee) felt about where they grew up? <li>Why do you think Jesus called a lowly, coarse fisherman as his chief disciple? <li>What made Peter so different in Acts than he was in the Gospels? <li>What would it take for God to change you so dramatically? </li></ul> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-40942972557560034442011-03-31T11:13:00.000-07:002011-03-31T11:28:17.448-07:00Dinosaurs, Haters, and Free Will<div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.trevorhoppe.com/blog/images/jesus_riding_dinosaurs_coloringbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.trevorhoppe.com/blog/images/jesus_riding_dinosaurs_coloringbook.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for larger image</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i>We had some great discussion last week at our open-forum Question Box. We didn't get to all of them, so we going to continue this coming Monday. Here's a list of the questions; what's your opinion?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Questions we discussed:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">1. How do you handle a person who hates on you and can’t let it go, how do you handle haters in a Christian way?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2. Should all of the stories in the Bible be taken literally? (Noah’s ark, the Garden, etc)</div><div class="MsoNormal">3. If dinosaurs were around before people, and God made people on the 6<sup>th</sup> day, does that make dinosaurs fake?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">4. Did Jesus sacrifice any animals in His lifetime?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">5. My pastor talks a lot about singling out a day every once in a while, fully dedicated to praying. What are your thoughts on that?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Questions we'll tackle next week:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">1. When is someone considered Christian? How can I help people know or realize they are? On a sort of off topic side (could these be linked?), how do I /we help someone who has authority over other people but has trouble having them actually listen to them?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://paulwilkinson.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/westboro-children-1.jpg?w=357&h=237" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://paulwilkinson.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/westboro-children-1.jpg?w=357&h=237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is following the example of Jesus?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">2. How do you respond to hatred toward Christianity? People who have had a bad experience with someone and are taking it out on the entire religion? How do you respond to people who believe that religion may as well be the pinnacle of evil? That those who are religious are all ignorant?<br />
3. How do you deal with Christians who have so much hate? Christians who hate homosexuals, and adulterers, just about every sinner… How do you deal with the Christians who make other hate Christianity?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">4. How come there is so much killing for God’s purpose when he commands us not to? (Jael killing Sisera, Judges 4:21; the [killing of all the city’s residents at the] fall of Jericho)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">5. What happens to those who are ignorant, children, people who were never reached by the Gospel? Do they find the Kingdom of Heaven?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://scientopia.org/blogs/scicurious/files/2010/12/foxtrot-free-will1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://scientopia.org/blogs/scicurious/files/2010/12/foxtrot-free-will1.jpg" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">6. Why did Jesus get baptized?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">7. Where did natural evil originate (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes)?</div><div class="MsoNormal">8. Why did God make the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil when He knew Adam and Eve would sin?</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">9. How is the idea of God having a “plan,” “using people,” or having “complete control” over all life align with the idea that we have a free will?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-59997790264330812352011-03-01T17:33:00.000-08:002011-03-01T17:33:48.805-08:00The World is Ending Tomorrow<div><i>If you want to understand the Bible, don't look for hidden messages; believe that it says what it means. Believe it has something to teach you about how you actually live your life.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Last night's lesson got postponed when the discussion turned toward Judgment Day -- which, despite some misconceptions, is neither a cyborg invasion nor a professional wrestling smackdown. The End Times discussion has been getting a lot of attention lately, due to billboards and signholders which have popped up all over the county and the country. </div><div><br />
</div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The Bible Guarantees It"</span></b><br />
<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.nj.com/cumberland_impact/photo/9124674-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://media.nj.com/cumberland_impact/photo/9124674-large.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billboards like this one have been <br />
popping up in Whatcom County.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Why May 21? How do they figure that after almost 2000 years, Christ will return on precisely that date? The argument can be summarized this way:<br />
<div><div><ul><li><b>Premise One: </b>God's Judgment Day is going to come exactly 7,000 years after the Great Flood.</li>
<ul><li><b></b>God told Noah that the Flood (ie, his judgment) would come in <b>7 days</b>, on the 17th day of the 2nd (Biblical) month. (Gen 7:10-11)</li>
<li>2 Peter 3:8 tells us that with the Lord, "a single day is like a thousand years and <b>a thousand years are like a single day</b>."<br />
</li>
</ul><li><b>Premise Two:</b> We can learn by "careful study" of genealogies in the Bible that the Flood happened in <b>4990 BC</b>.</li>
<li><b>Conclusion </b>: 4990 + 2011 – 1 = 7,000 = Judgment Day will come on May 21, 2011.</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is It True?</span></b></div><div>First of all, this is <a href="http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm">nothing new</a>; people have predicting Christ's return ever since he left. Obviously, none of those have been right, and the Bible is very clear that "no one knows that day or the hour" (Mt 24:36 / Mk 13:3; see also Mt 25:13; Ac 1:7; 1 Th 5:1-2; 2 Pe 3:10). But is it possible that the clues above have been in the Bible all along, just waiting to be solved? There is so much wrong with this logic, I almost don't know where to start; every step of the argument is flawed. Let's just focus on one:</div><div><br />
</div><div>When Peter says "a thousand years are like a single day," he doesn't mean that this is a decoder ring for understanding God's time; all you have to do is <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/niv/2Pe3.3-13">read the context</a> to realize that <i>his point is just the opposite</i>! For starters, look at the rest of the sentence: it goes both ways. To paraphrase, </div><br />
<blockquote>One of <i>your days</i> is like a thousand years to God, and<br />
a thousand of <i>your years</i> are like a single day to God.</blockquote><br />
<div>Does that make any sense? No, it doesn't. Not to us, anyway, and that's the point: God lives on a different level of reality, and his time is not like our time. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Actually, remember, even <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2007/may/29/">our</a> <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2007/jul/24/">time</a> is not like our time.)</span> Peter isn't saying anything here about how the word "day" is used anywhere else in Scripture. </div><div><br />
You can't just snip sentences out of the Bible and make them mean what you want them to mean; take the time to understand the message of the writer. Claiming that the Bible "guarantees" judgement on May 21 will only damage the credibility of the Bible (and believers) when May 22 rolls around.</div><div><br />
<br />
</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How Should We Be Ready?</span></b></div><div>What bothers me even more, though, is the attitude this reveals in Christians. It's very easy to slip into a mindset that's dismissive, skeptical, or even mocking. "Jesus is coming?" we think, "Yeah, right. I hope there's something good on TV tonight." Yeah, we don't know that Jesus is coming on May 21. But we don't know he <i>isn't</i>, either.<br />
<br />
</div><div>The whole reason that Peter writes this is to warn the believers that they need to be <i>ready</i>. It's the same reason that Jesus tells the parables of Mt 24:36-25:13. If you knew when He was coming, of course you will be ready! But since you don't know, it could be any moment. You need to be ready all the time.<br />
<br />
Katie raised an excellent question: <i>How do we be ready?</i> Jesus answers that question, too. He continues to teach, through the parable of the talents, that God has invested us with certain gifts, that we should use our lives for his glory. He goes on to spell out exactly what is expected from us:<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, <b>‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me... ’</b> </span>(Matt 25:31-46) </blockquote>Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is a love God with everything, and second is to love your neighbor as yourself. With these words, he combines them; your love for Christ is revealed by how you treat others. It's in how you spend your time. It's in how you spend your money. It's in how you live your life.<br />
<br />
When someone wants to debate when the Lord will return, understand that it doesn't really matter. Tell them that you are doing the best you can, every day, to live a life that honors God and cares for others. If you really are, then they will have no answer to that.<br />
<br />
And if you aren't caring for "the least of these"... read to the rest to see if you are really following Jesus.</div><div><br />
</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-23927062003659279812011-01-19T09:37:00.000-08:002011-01-19T11:13:08.587-08:00Hardening Pharaoh's heart: God's influence on our free will<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://mikeytherhino.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/yul_brynner_in_the_ten_commandments_film_trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://mikeytherhino.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/yul_brynner_in_the_ten_commandments_film_trailer.jpg" width="150" /></a>In response to our <a href="http://www.youversion.com/groups/tfcnw">90-Day Challenge</a> to the read the whole Bible, we had some great questions on Monday night. What does it mean that "God hardened Pharaoh's heart"? Does God sometimes override our free will for his own purpose? And if so, is it really free will?</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.</div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Ex 7:3–4, ESV</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Problem</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This passage, and the twenty other references to Pharaoh's hard heart in the following chapters, have long been concerning to critics, and even some believers. It seems to imply that God will force the king of Egypt to make a sinful decision, and then punish him for it -- ultimately killing him and his whole army in the sea. If so, this is the height of injustice; even more disturbing, it would mean that God can revoke our free will at any time -- which really is no free will at all.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Who hardens his heart?</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Joel's answer on Monday is a good place to start: it's vital to note that Pharaoh first hardens his own heart. The first place we see any reference to hardening is Exod 4:21; but in this verse, God only tells Moses what is going to happen, at some point in the future. The first time we see Pharaoh's heart actually hardening, he does it on his own, with no help from God. And in fact, he does six times in a row!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">From the <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=tSJWE-sR5HkC&lpg=PP1&dq=bible%20knowledge%20commentary&pg=PA114#v=onepage&q&f=false">Bible Knowledge Commentary</a>:</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">...in the next seven references Pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart (Exod 7:13-14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) before God is said to have hardened it (Exod 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8). God’s first hardening came after the sixth plague. Pharaoh hardened his own heart six times by his refusals. Then later he hardened it again in response to the seventh plague, and God hardened his heart after each of plagues 8-10.</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As a side note, it's significant that there are seven references in each case; numbers often (but not always) have symbolic meaning in the Bible, and seven is the number of fullness. Pharaoh is fully committed to harden his own heart, apart from any action that God takes.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>"Strengthen"</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But does the fact that God also "hardens" his heart take away from Pharaoh's free will? I don't think so. If you look at the translator's note on <a href="http://bible.us/Exod4.21.NET">4:21 in the NET Bible</a>, you'll find an important insight to the word usually translated "hardened":</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">tn Heb “strengthen” (in the sense of making stubborn or obstinate). The text has the expression (va’ani ’akhazzeq ’et-libbo), “I will make strong his will,” or “I will strengthen his resolve,” recognizing the “heart” as the location of decision making (see Prov 16:1, 9).</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This implies that God is making stronger the intent that Pharaoh already had in his heart; rather than making the choice for Pharaoh, God confirms the choice that Pharaoh has already made.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Responding</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Pharaoh's heart is hardened both as a result of his own decision and God's action. To look at it in another sense, God influences Pharaoh's heart simply by giving him instructions. Anytime anyone is told what to do, they will have one of two reactions in their heart: either they will listen and obey, or they will be stubborn and refuse. Sometimes, depending on what they are being told to do, being stubborn is a good thing. Other times, what they are told is for their own good, and they refuse simply for the sake of refusing. And, as anyone who has ever put a toddler to bed knows, the more they are told to do it, the more stubborn they become. Every time God repeated his command to Pharaoh, it made him more resolute not to comply.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This true for all of us; what has God prompted you to do? Have you responded with obedience, or have you hardened your heart against his voice?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-53734279782794571902011-01-12T13:43:00.000-08:002011-01-12T14:32:46.358-08:00The 90-Day Challenge<i>It's Day 2 of our challenge to read the whole Bible in three months. It's not too late to <a href="http://www.youversion.com/groups/tfcnw">join us</a>! Here are some tips for staying focused on our goals. </i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFNYkgbRH34wcaJ5YxD7MCeePC5KprSTlruGhT4is1z_6ZYeIVEOOR5snH0DNL7xXzst8EOlsAgEBCNA5FwlO3Vw4PUvOtBJFcRMLy-6eM1BOo5FIzLY75M2s-Eo-NIsQA9PQmSZL4GYa/s1600/readme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFNYkgbRH34wcaJ5YxD7MCeePC5KprSTlruGhT4is1z_6ZYeIVEOOR5snH0DNL7xXzst8EOlsAgEBCNA5FwlO3Vw4PUvOtBJFcRMLy-6eM1BOo5FIzLY75M2s-Eo-NIsQA9PQmSZL4GYa/s320/readme.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>Reading the whole Bible in 90 days is more than an idle attempt to see if we can do it. And it isn't about checking off a list so that we appear more righteous before God or our friends -- or, conversely, feeling guilty over failure if we don't make our goals.<br />
<br />
Don't worry too much about "getting behind." Yes, we want to challenge ourselves, and that's the reason we are following a reading plan in the first place. But don't be so focussed on "staying on track" that you lose sight of our real goals:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Goal 1: To gain an understanding of THE OVERALL STORY OF SCRIPTURE and a MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF GOD. </b><br />
I encourage you to do your reading from a Bible with study notes, that you can refer to for things that don't make sense to you. Or for online reading, I recommend the New English Translation (NET), which includes translators' notes (t) and study notes (s) to help you understand better.<br />
<br />
For each story, ask yourself, "What does teach me about God's character? about the plan that he has for the world? about human character? about me?"<br />
<br />
<b>Goal 2: To have a DAILY DISCIPLINE of spending time with THE LORD AND HIS WORD</b><br />
Don't just read for the sake of reading; ask the Lord to open your heart to what he has to teach you. Share your problems with him; pray for unbelieving friends. Keeping a journal is another great way to record what God is teaching you.<br />
<br />
<b>Goal 3. To CONNECT with other believers through A COMMON EXPERIENCE</b><br />
Something powerful happens when people do things together, and there are several ways YouVersion.com helps us do that.<br />
1. Accountability. Find a partner to encourage you and can discuss what you've been reading. YouVersion can also be set to <a href="http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/bible-in-90-days/accountability">automatically email a friend</a> whenever you do your reading.<br />
2. Notes. You can add notes to verses you find interesting, inspiring, or confusing. You can find your friends' notes under My>Friends' Activities.<br />
3. Connections. <a href="http://www.youversion.com/settings/connections">Connect to your Facebook/Twitter account</a>, and share your favorite verses with your friends.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm really excited to see where this leads. Please be praying with me!<br />
<br />
AdamUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-57173199286162796502010-10-27T14:33:00.000-07:002010-10-27T14:33:28.225-07:00Meditation: Introduction to Spiritual Disciplines<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Throughout this year, we will be looking at many of the Spiritual Disciplines; last week, Adam V introduced us to them by examining the discipline of meditation. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1307314977"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLolP11jitAHEXJdn3fuh_c-Kog8FWH4UWFfe0zpuW2SF6EcF5Lm7vML5LwXA1v8I_HfDy2eFfFwzlax-IM_FsJldqMzOFP6-2kMjbN6TetkCdUrNNknL8AmtF6ewvqfvr6fbM6-FHbpN/s400/1198523560_7afe7a109c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/1198523560/">photo by Joe Shlabotnik on Flickr</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Spiritual Disciplines rarely get talked about among America’s churches. If I asked you name a few, you would probably name praying and reading the Bible, and maybe even fasting; and not that these are unimportant, but that’s usually all we ever hear about. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disciplines like solitude, service, and simple living get much less airtime, but they can be vitally important. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What is a spiritual discipline, and does it matter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are tools that we have to strengthen our spiritual muscles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not use them to change ourselves by our own strength, but they are indispensible methods of allowing God’s power to transform our lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Meditation, in some ways, opens the door to the other Disciplines, because it teaches us how free our minds from distraction and listen for God’s voice. Here's Adam V's lesson:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is Christian Meditation? (And What it is Not?)<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a lot of people hear the word ‘meditation’, they might think of relaxing and doing nothing. People may say that it helps you get in touch with your inner self or spirit, or helps relieve stress. When I looked up the word ‘meditate’ in the dictionary, it said, “To think deeply”. But we as Christians (when we meditate) are not supposed to just ‘think deeply’; it is about thinking deeply about, to, and on God. Meditation is different from prayer because you aren’t asking for his blessings or confessing your sins. The definition of biblical/Christian meditation is “The ability to hear God’s voice and obey His word.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The differences between worldly meditation and that of the Christian variety are this: worldly meditation is an attempt to empty the mind and Christian meditation is an effort to fill the mind; filling the mind with things of God. Those are two very diverse thoughts. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A common misconception of meditation is that meditating is too hard and too complex. They say it is best left to the professionals. To the contrary, meditation is said to be a natural human action. Something even I can do. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">What Prevents Us From Meditating on God?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ways that keep us from meditating ourselves are things such as busyness, thinking it is too difficult, being uneducated about it, leaving it to the ‘spiritual giants’, and thinking that it is simply weird. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why is Meditation Important?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian meditation is important because…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>It reveals who God is. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>It helps you understand Scripture. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>It calms you. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>It brings you closer to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>God speaks to us through meditation. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 4.5pt;">Meditating on God reveals who He is and what He has to say to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t hear what He has to say if you aren’t listening to Him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meditation connects us to God in ways prayer and reading the Bible does not allow us to.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth of the matter is, God desires our companionship. Meditation allows us to, in a way, walk with him as a friend walks with a friend. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following verses are some situations where meditation comes up in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 Kings 19:7-14 </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joshua 1:8 </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 1:2, 19:14, 104:34, 119:15&78&97, 145:5 </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In these circumstances, they are meditating on the Law of God and on the Works of God. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are also some circumstances where Jesus has gone away from the crowds for purposes that include prayer and probably meditation as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How Should You Meditate?</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot properly learn to meditate on God just by reading about it in a book, by watching a ‘how to’ DVD, or even by listening to me. You learn how to meditate by, well, meditating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Meditate When? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well from what we read earlier the answer is “day and night or all the day”, but with schooling and other activities it is difficult to devote your entire day and night to meditating. That being said, the best time to meditate is at a time when you have a clear mind free of distraction and you can put full effort of thought into meditative matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s difficult to be in a peaceful state of mind when your thoughts are constantly jumping from different things you need to do when you are done meditating. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Meditate Where? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best location to meditate is at a place of few distractions. Distractions, such as, phones or (in some cases) people, should not be present. Some people prefer to meditate in the great outdoors, where God’s immense creation is most evident, with trees and birds and such. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">On What Shall We Meditate? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came up with a few things on which to meditate. The first of which is God’s creation in which God’s greatness is tangibly showcased. Looking at the clouds on a warm afternoon or the colorful leaves of autumn spikes amazement inside of me. I love watching snow cover the ground and the sound of the rain hitting the pavement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, you can meditate on God’s word. From the verses we read earlier, the psalmists wrote a lot about meditating on the law. When you are reading the Bible, it is good to stop on a passage that means a lot to you, take a key word or phrase and let it take hold of you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Branching off of that, I like to spend time pondering the words of a worship song or hymn. One of my favorite hymns is <u>How Great Thou Art</u>. The refrain and verses of that song move me. Here is the first verse of the song. “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had not noticed before, but the writer of the hymn is writing about meditating on the greatness of God. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also read about people who like to imagine that they are in at a biblical event. Say, for example, you pretend you are one of the five-thousand Jesus fed or the prodigal son or witnessing the trans- figuration. It may help you understand the stories in a way you have not before. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meditating on the works of God is my third and final idea that I came up with on which to meditate. We can’t take for granted everything God has done for us, but I think it is safe to say that we all do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking about Jesus getting spat upon, stripped of his clothes, flogged, humiliated, and nailed to a cross should send shivers down anyone’s spine. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">To sum up on all that I have said, Meditation is important in helping us take the next step in our relationships with God. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For further study on the disciplines in general, please check out these resources:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1307314952"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.ctkbellingham.com/mediafiles/inside-out-sermon-graphic.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ctkbellingham.com/sermon/inside-out-part-4-self-discipline/">Inside Out Pt4: A sermon by CTK Bellingham Pastor Grant Fishbook</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FR4z93ezwqwC"><img border="0" src="http://bks0.books.google.com/books?id=FR4z93ezwqwC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&sig=ACfU3U052qNwzKioDrAUVkVzjsDMqwKO9A" style="cursor: move;" /></a> <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9tGaxjXkNQsC"><img border="0" src="http://bks0.books.google.com/books?id=9tGaxjXkNQsC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&sig=ACfU3U0vsWeqvKCkXow3_ULfT9P1MnATmg" style="cursor: move;" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div><o:p><br />
</o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-18513545941669367102010-10-05T14:40:00.000-07:002010-10-05T14:40:04.191-07:00Who Really Wrote the Gospel of John?How do we know that the John the Apostle really wrote the Fourth Gospel? And even if he did, how do we know he didn't just make it up?<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="342" src="https://docs.google.com/present/embed?id=dg5xbgpb_44dfrp8xc4" width="410"></iframe><br />
If you are serious about your faith, at some point you have to consider why you believe the Bible. <a href="https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dg5xbgpb_44dfrp8xc4">This slideshow</a> outlines the discussion we had at the TFC Monday Night youth meeting on Oct 4, 2010.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-26384565929561666122010-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:002010-10-05T14:24:19.972-07:00John 1:1<div class="prezi-player">In one amazing opening sentence, John speaks powerfully and specifically to three radically different schools of thought.<br />
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<div class="prezi-player-links">View <a href="http://prezi.com/jpavj418w29p/john-11/" title="">John 1:1</a> on Prezi<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Even though the Jews, the Stoics, and the Gnostics believe radically different things about the world, God, and human nature, John (speaking in the Holy Spirit) speaks to each of them in their own language, teaching the truth that the man called Jesus was indeed the Son of God.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This lesson was first presented at </span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/youth">TFC Monday night youth</a> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">meeting</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"> on Sept 27, 2010.</span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-50407946054251188092010-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:002010-06-23T16:51:05.144-07:00Discovering God in the Psalms: Secret Codes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Vi4ESUwIT7y4UyJ3tUlcbIlRQB5IZp1SwcfTX0dIr78l8SlTbqCGm1hWoSVH_7KtKKwPikr9swe_WLjIJYhKGH1qoR_X-2sveY8VFoke-4YKddwSr7DyRSboJI8v9SyoQ4lGfcmAzl7U/s1600/MtHermon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Vi4ESUwIT7y4UyJ3tUlcbIlRQB5IZp1SwcfTX0dIr78l8SlTbqCGm1hWoSVH_7KtKKwPikr9swe_WLjIJYhKGH1qoR_X-2sveY8VFoke-4YKddwSr7DyRSboJI8v9SyoQ4lGfcmAzl7U/s320/MtHermon.png" /></a><i>I have always loved the Psalms, but learning how to read them was like discovering a secret code.</i><br />
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The Psalms are some of the most beloved of all the Scriptures, for good reasons --<br />
<ul><li>There is a Psalm for every situation: whether you are rejoicing, grieving, in trouble, searching for meaning, or marveling at God's creation, the Psalms cover the entire range of human emotion.</li>
<li>The Psalms is the largest book in the Bible.</li>
<li>The writers of the New Testament quote Psalms more than any other source in Scripture.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Over the next few weeks, we're going to be looking at the character of God, using the Psalms as our tool. But before we can begin to do that, we need to learn a bit about how the Psalms are written. They're poetry, right? Well, yes -- but Hebrew poetry doesn't always match our Western way of thinking of poetry. The commentator sheds some light on the subject:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>How the Psalms Communicate Their Meaning</b><br />
Although the psalms are poetry, they do not deliver their message through rhyming words. They get their point across by laying out a thought one way and then immediately following it with a parallel thought that takes the first thought a step further. It is this interplay between parallel thoughts that forms the individual bricks that add up to the meaning of each psalm. In order to understand the psalms, the reader must avoid seeing the sentences of each psalm as independent wholes and recognize the relationships between parallel lines and sentences.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2010/06/secret-codes-discovering-god-in-psalms.html#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><b><sup><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></sup></b></span></sup></b></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Looking for parallel lines can unlock our understanding of the Psalms and reveal their beauty. </b> Whenever you see a line that repeats, that should be a red flag that that's important; ask, what is being emphasized here?<br />
<blockquote>In the morning, O <span style="font-variant: small-caps; text-transform: none;">Lord</span>, you hear my voice;<br />
in the morning I lay my requests before you<br />
and wait in expectation. </blockquote>In Psalm 5:3, by repeating that he goes to the Lord <i>in the morning</i>, David emphasizes that he is putting his time with God as first priority, before anything else in his day. In the first line, we know that that he is taking time to talk to God; the second line takes this thought further by telling us what he is saying (<i>requests</i>), and especially that he <i>expects</i> to get a response, and that response often requires us to <i>wait</i> and listen for it. It's not enough to blurt out what we want and then "hang up" on God -- it's supposed to be a two-way conversation!<br />
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<b>But looking at one or two lines is not enough to understand a Psalm's meaning; you have to look for structure and parallelism <i>throughout the entire poem</i>.</b><br />
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Psalm 5, like many other Psalms, is structured as something called chiastic parallelism, a symmetrical pattern which can be diagrammed like this:<br />
A - first point or idea<br />
B - next point<br />
C - center point (usually the most important)<br />
B - reflects second point<br />
A - returns to, or answers, the first point </div><div><br />
The Chaistic structure is something that can be found in a LOT (but not all) of the Psalms, and in fact a lot of other places in the Bible. Even the New Testament has examples of chiasm -- some scholar's even believe the the entire Gospel of Matthew is arranaged in this pattern!<br />
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Returning to our example in Psalm 5, we can find this structure:<br />
A1 (<cite class="bibleref" title="Ps 5:1-3"> vs 1–3</cite>) Confidence in the Lord<br />
B1 (<cite class="bibleref" title="Ps 5:4-6"> vs 4–6</cite>) The Lord’s rejection of the wicked<br />
C (<cite class="bibleref" title="Ps 5:7-8"> vs 7–8</cite>) Commitment to the Lord’s righteous way<br />
B2 (<cite class="bibleref" title="Ps 5:9-10"> vs 9–10</cite>) The Lord’s banishment of rebels<br />
A2 (<cite class="bibleref" title="Ps 5:11-12"> vs 11–12</cite>) Joy in the Lord<br />
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Thus, this psalm is framed by David's confidence in the Lord (remember how he expects an answer in v.3?), expresses his need for protection from evil, and its <b>central focus</b> is his request to <i>come into God's house</i>, and to have the Lord <i>lead. </i><br />
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The fantastic thing is that not only can you see this parallel structure in many Psalms, not only in other passages of the Old and New Testaments, but you can actually see it in the organization of the <b>entire collection of the book of Psalms</b>! <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/youth">Join us</a> as we continue to explore the Psalms, and what they tell us about the character of God!<br />
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View and print <a href="http://sites.google.com/a/tfcnw.org/teens-for-christ-nw/Home/file-cabinet/PsalmsIntro.xps?attredirects=0&d=1">the handout for this lesson</a>! (Opens with Internet Explorer.)<br />
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<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1"><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://tfcnw.blogspot.com/2010/06/secret-codes-discovering-god-in-psalms.html#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 Robert B. Hughes and J. Carl Laney, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=aOmF7xmJlcQC&lpg=PP1&dq=Tyndale%20Concise%20Bible%20Commentary&pg=PA200#v=onepage&q&f=false"><i>Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary</i></a> (, The Tyndale reference libraryWheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 200.</span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-89065609702449768522010-06-11T16:03:00.000-07:002010-06-16T13:07:55.630-07:00The Problem of Pain<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns="">"If God were good, He would wish to make His creatures perfectly happy. And if God were almighty, He would be able to do what He wished. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both. This is the problem of pain, in its simplest form." – C. S. Lewis, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=_pCG6dWmpeoC&lpg=&pg=PA16"><em>The Problem of Pain</em></a><br />
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There's no getting around it: Pain is a part of life. Why? There are many possible answers.<br />
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If you don't believe in God, you don't have any trouble answering this question. There is no "why". There is only what is, and what is not. There is no reason, no purpose behind it. But that also means that <em>you</em> have no reason, no purpose for your life. <br />
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We, however, believe in a God that loves us absolutely, without hesitation or condition, and who at the same time has absolute power, and can do whatever he wants. And that is where we come across this problem: If He loves me, He wouldn't want me to be in pain, would he? If He is good – perfect, in fact – wouldn't he want to eliminate evil from the world? But He hasn't, obviously, since we see evil and pain and suffering all around us.<br />
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So, the thought goes, if He hasn't eliminated pain or evil, either <br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns=""><ol><li>He doesn't want to, which would mean He's not good, or <br />
</li>
<li>He can't, which would mean He isn't all-powerful. <br />
</li>
</ol>However, this doesn't take into account one other possibility: maybe pain has a purpose. Maybe – just maybe – God is smarter than us, and knows of a good reason to allow pain to exist. <br />
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Are there any good things about pain that you can think of? What is a purpose it could serve? <br />
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<ol><li><em>Pain tells us when something is wrong</em>. Pain helps to prevent you from twisting your arm the wrong way, or jumping off a building, or any number of things that would harm your body. And if your body is injured, pain screams at you, "Fix me!" If you ignore that pain, like professional sports players sometimes do, you risk causing permanent damage. <br />
In the same way, emotional pain can tell us when something is wrong. If you cringe when you hear one friend lying to another, or when you see someone suffering from abuse, that emotional pain is screaming at you that something needs to be fixed. <br />
</li>
<li><em>Pain can be God's way of getting our attention</em>.<br />
"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, and shouts in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."— C. S. Lewis, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vIUKw54iQKcC&lpg=PA91&dq=%E2%80%9Cit%20is%20His%20megaphone%20to%20rouse%20a%20deaf%20world%22&pg=PA91"><em>The Problem of Pain</em></a><br />
It is almost a reflex for people to turn to God when they are in pain. Even when they are not regularly devout, those who find themselves in dire situations have a natural tendency to look to the Lord for help, and perhaps He has allowed those things to happen just so that they would see their need for Him. </li>
</ol>The problem of pain becomes even more complex when we try to answer why bad things happen to good people. There is something built into us that desires fairness, most of us believe at a gut level that that life is actually fair. Sometimes we even <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victim_blaming">blame the victim</a>, reasoning that if something bad happened to them, then they must have done something wrong to bring it on themselves.<br />
That's what we find Job's friends doing to him in the midst of his pain: <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>"Think! Has a truly innocent person ever ended up on the scrap heap? Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end? It's my observation that those who plow evil and sow trouble reap evil and trouble." (Job 4:7-8, The Message)</blockquote>In effect, they are telling Job that if he's in pain, then it must be his own fault! Does that sound like what a person in pain needs to hear? No! When a person is in pain, it is not our role to find problems with them, or to add guilt to their discouragement. Instead, we are to be a people who lift each other up in spirit and in prayer (Hebrews 3:12-13).<br />
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<br />
The Lord himself answers Job's friends in the last chapters of the book, telling them that their view of Him as a vengeful and unmerciful God are plain incorrect:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>“My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right" (Job 42:7, ESV)</blockquote>To Job himself, the Lord shows again and again that He is the ultimate in power and knowledge. He challenges,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 72pt; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: -54pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5580193627632567090&postID=8906560970244976852" id="Job 40:8" rel="verse" style="color: #34448b; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" title="Job 40:8"> </a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: 2px;">8</span> “Would you discredit my justice?</div><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 72pt; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: -27pt;">Would you condemn me to justify yourself?</div><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 72pt; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: -54pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5580193627632567090&postID=8906560970244976852" id="Job 40:9" rel="verse" style="color: #34448b; cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" title="Job 40:9"> </a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: 2px;">9</span> Do you have an arm like God’s,</div><div style="font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 72pt; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: -27pt;">and can your voice thunder like his? (Job 40:8-9, NIV)</div></span><span xmlns=""><br />
In other words, how could you, Job, possibly know what the Creator of the Earth knows? How could you dare to challenge my reasons for allowing what happens? No, it is because of who God is, not what He does, that we are to trust Him. In the midst of our pain, we can always to the Lord as a source of comfort who never fails. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17<br />
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-10624008628109871272010-05-26T13:53:00.000-07:002010-05-26T15:16:00.108-07:00“We can’t afford not to.”<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns="">Last year, Teens for Christ <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/finances">received almost $10,000 less</a> than average in annual donations. We're looking for 200 alumni and friends to make new commitments for a monthly donation – even if it's only $10/month – or we may be forced to close the doors to our office.</span><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span xmlns=""> </span><span xmlns="">Over the decades, Teens for Christ has impacted many young lives, and if you are reading this, chances are it has been important to you personally. We are committed to a ministry of real, lasting relationships with God that are grounded in Scripture, understanding, and community. </span></div><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_KfSEXrMRQjY/SrFlXB4z3XI/AAAAAAAADG4/Wr-QquMg53c/s1600/Bible%20Quiz%20Kick-off%20Retreat%20122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_KfSEXrMRQjY/SrFlXB4z3XI/AAAAAAAADG4/Wr-QquMg53c/s320/Bible%20Quiz%20Kick-off%20Retreat%20122.jpg" width="320" /></a><span xmlns="">Through Bible Quizzing, teens are discovering God's Word in ways that few people do, while building relationships that will last a lifetime. In our Monday night meetings, youth are engaging God in a way that is real and relevant; as Servant Leaders, they are developing potential in themselves that they did not know existed. Most importantly, they are laying the groundwork for lives devoted to the Living God.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZZPadBs9b0mzza_lx1DqNS78hLPxPsIoTnZ3heiUDCmC9y8k6ieg4AmEK_UV0yz2EX2ZGh3V8G1meBxv9ByP31oEpnsoldxTo2pvvfVpsm9tD9r-Vb5eV1xenTAL73cqnjwrTiD0BztP/s1600/blogbox-devoted.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZZPadBs9b0mzza_lx1DqNS78hLPxPsIoTnZ3heiUDCmC9y8k6ieg4AmEK_UV0yz2EX2ZGh3V8G1meBxv9ByP31oEpnsoldxTo2pvvfVpsm9tD9r-Vb5eV1xenTAL73cqnjwrTiD0BztP/s200/blogbox-devoted.PNG" width="200" /></a><span xmlns="">I love this job. In a culture where at least two-thirds of Christian high school students <a href="http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/16-teensnext-gen/147-most-twentysomethings-put-christianity-on-the-shelf-following-spiritually-active-teen-years">lose their faith</a> after graduation, I'm thrilled to have a role where I can have a real effect in their lives. Even though I work for TFC only part-time (I also work for Logos Bible Software to supplement my income), I almost feel guilty that I get paid to do something I love so much. But the truth is, it's a sacrifice for me, too, and I can't continue this work on our current level of support. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8U3xJcjBRDTghKSAXI59HXbPU6yoHCdaLtXamaQVwAczLycLle-TWN-RTOo1BVk89F-L9ELRJIviVSYWbkxsfu6eU4Pab0cZhT0pl79I1fPeupUSMAYolOZCDvo5C0I17X-RiEPH4g2T/s1600/blogbox-per+student.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8U3xJcjBRDTghKSAXI59HXbPU6yoHCdaLtXamaQVwAczLycLle-TWN-RTOo1BVk89F-L9ELRJIviVSYWbkxsfu6eU4Pab0cZhT0pl79I1fPeupUSMAYolOZCDvo5C0I17X-RiEPH4g2T/s200/blogbox-per+student.PNG" width="200" /></a></div><span xmlns="">TFC's savings have carried us through this dry spell so far, but that money has run out. To the families that are currently involved, we suggest they give $30 a month, but the reality is, the cost of running the ministry is much higher: about <a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/costs">$55 per student, per month</a>. If we can't raise support to the level we've seen in previous years, either we'll have to close our office space, or I'll have to minimize the hours I work for the ministry, or both. </span><br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_KfSEXrMRQjY/SdaGojCTO9I/AAAAAAAACGA/vpKCc1dLnZ0/s1600/Regionals2009-2%20072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_KfSEXrMRQjY/SdaGojCTO9I/AAAAAAAACGA/vpKCc1dLnZ0/s320/Regionals2009-2%20072.JPG" width="320" /></a><span xmlns="">Has Teens for Christ ever made a difference in your life? Are there verses that still stick with you, years later, because you memorized them as a quizzer? Was there a mentor who guided your spiritual walk, or a peer that has become a lifelong friend? Are you a better Christ-follower because of TFC?</span><br />
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</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcaN3K_V2y3d1hjvbHMhEq-UJwgsu6h4r2JX9uvFLv_yJip61wVJcgem1b-vyjuH7uni0KYvmyw9qty_he3QZCPh38FMKZDhRjHvDqST2u2apuPpYf_qemQXs_EdHbc7vct8yYMM2gAZs/s1600/blogbox-give+back.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcaN3K_V2y3d1hjvbHMhEq-UJwgsu6h4r2JX9uvFLv_yJip61wVJcgem1b-vyjuH7uni0KYvmyw9qty_he3QZCPh38FMKZDhRjHvDqST2u2apuPpYf_qemQXs_EdHbc7vct8yYMM2gAZs/s320/blogbox-give+back.PNG" width="320" /></a><span xmlns=""> </span><span xmlns="">Maybe you have been meaning to give back to Teens for Christ, but you've put it off for one reason or another. If ever there was a time, it's now. Your contribution does far more than keeping our lights on and our rent paid; the direct result of your support is changing lives. </span><br />
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Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, and considering us in this time of need.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Adam Borries, TFC Director<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5f6a72; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Will you support today's teens?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5f6a72; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">It's quick, easy, and safe to donate on our website with<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763;">Pay</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Pal.</span></i></b></span></span></span><span xmlns=""> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.tfcnw.org/donate"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5ac00; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" style="border-width: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></span></a><br />
<span xmlns=""></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5580193627632567090.post-7852428815512562782010-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:002010-04-26T21:00:01.630-07:00Rich Towards God<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns="">Read Luke 12:15-21<br />
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<span xmlns="">As you might be able to tell, this is kind of a continuation of last week's lesson. Our question is, what does is mean to be "rich towards God?" But we're going to try to understand some things before we answer that. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span xmlns=""><b>First, what is it that the Rich Fool has done wrong?</b><br />
<i>He stored up his possessions for himself. Or more broadly, he loved his possessions and himself more than anything or anyone else. </i></span><br />
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</i></span><br />
<span xmlns=""><b>Here are some other verses that talk about this idea; what is the key phrase that keeps coming up?<br />
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<ul><span xmlns="">
<li>1 Tim 3:3 <i>requires that a church leader must "not love money"</i><br />
</li>
<li>Heb 13:5 <i>"keep your lives free of the love of money"</i><br />
</li>
<li>2 Tim 3:1-5 <i>lovers of money are included in a list of selfish, ugly traits, which concludes with "having a form of godliness but denying its power." <br />
</i>Does this list sound familiar? Does that pretty much describe the culture we live in? Maybe even ourselves? Do you have a form of godliness that has no power to change your life, or anything around you? Is <b>that</b> the God we know?<br />
</li>
<li>1 Tim 6:10 This is the famous one. (If you really want to understand what it says, read v.5b-10.) We Christians are quick to point out that this verse doesn't condemn money – "the <i>love</i> of money is the root of evil," we like to call attention to. And in that way, we can justify that its OK for us to have money, "just as long as we don't love it."<br />
And as far as that goes, that's true.<br />
But do you realize how hard it is to have money and not love it? Or, especially, how small of a distinction it is to want to keep your money (or want more of it), but say that you don't love it? It's such a fine line, it may as well not even exist. Instead, the "love of" clause becomes a convenient excuse for our wealth.<br />
</li>
</span></ul><span xmlns=""><b>Does this mean I can never have money?</b> I can never live comfortably?<b><br />
</b>No. But it does mean that you need to be very, very careful that it does not control you. Just as in the parable of the talents, everything that you have, God has given you to use. If we ourselves belong to God (I Cor 6:19-20), how much more that things that we call "ours"? Everything you have is really His, and you should be ready to give it back the moment He asks for it. Remember, you cannot serve both God and Money.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span xmlns=""><b>What can the Rich Fool do with this wealth?</b><br />
Let's return to the Rich Fool. In v.17, he says, "What shall I do?" There are only 3 choices that I can think of:<br />
</span><br />
<ul><span xmlns="">
<li>Store/save it up. <i>Jesus says, uh-uh.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Spend it all immediately on himself. <i>Think about that one for sec. I don't think that's where Jesus was going.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Share. <i>To give it away is the only option left.</i><br />
</li>
</span></ul><span xmlns=""><b>So, how do we be Rich Towards God?<br />
</b>You should be beginning to get the picture. But to really drive it home, let's go back to Paul's letter to Timothy. Read 1 Tim 6:11-12, 17-19.<br />
What do these keywords tell us?<br />
</span><br />
<ul><span xmlns="">
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">pursue </span>– <i>It doesn't just "come" to us… we have to chase these things! They require work and diligence!</i><br />
</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">put hope in God </span>– <i>like we talked about last week, God is worthy of our hope and trust, because he will take care of us</i><br />
</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">for our enjoyment </span>– <i>God does not want us to be unhappy! Sometimes we think of God as some cosmic killjoy that just wants to take away anything that's fun, but that is NOT the case! It's okay to enjoy the things he blesses you with!</i><br />
</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">rich in good deeds</span> – <i>Such a great phrase. Not only does it tell us to fill our lives with good deeds (think "make your life thick with good work"), but it also implies that our lives, our character will be richer for having done them. We are the ones who actually benefit from our own good deeds!</i><br />
</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Be generous… </span>-- <i>This is the ultimate way to show that money has no hold over you. In addition, it specifically spells out that this lays up treasure in heaven. So if you never how to put Matt 6:20 into practice, now you know!</i><br />
</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">life that is truly life </span>– Only God can give true life. You can chase after fulfillment, and try to create a meaningful life, for yourself, on your own… but you will end up losing yourself (Luke 9:24). Instead, if you give up control of your life to God, and live richly toward him without holding anything back, he will give you a life you never dreamed of!<br />
</li>
</span></ul><span xmlns=""><br />
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<span xmlns=""></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0