Today I read Matthew 13-17 to catch up as I had been reading Ezra over the past week. It’s been a while but I thought I would post on what the Lord has been teaching me about my faith. It is small. I am not talking the small faith that can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21). Mine must be smaller than a mustard seed. Three times Jesus calls out his own disciples (14:31, 16:8, 17:20). The nerve of that guy or should I say God-man, dude-Deity. I mean Jesus tells those He loves that they have small faith. Why? Because they needed to hear the truth. He was not worried about wether they would be offended. He loved them too much to leave them with microscopic faith. Peter doubted and took his eyes off Jesus. They all were too prideful to tell Jesus they did not understand His teaching. Instead they huddled around one another and did not consult God. Finally they all tried to do God’s work their way. Mark 9:29 helps us understand Matthew 17:20-21. The atom like faith of the disciples was not strengthened through prayer. So what have I learned? When I take my eyes off Christ and look to myself or the world, when I am too prideful to spend time talking to God, I sink low and live faithlessly. I thank my big Savior who by the way saved Peter from drowning, fed 5,000 plus, and healed a boy with a demon. That big Savior saved me in spite of my sin and loves me enough to speak to me TODAY through the living Word to show me where I can grow in grace. Thank you Lord!
Archive for the ‘Reading Plan 2010’ Category
My Little Faith and My Big Savior
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010The Church and Ministry III (1 Timothy 6)
Friday, July 9th, 2010Paul bookends this letter with similar topics.
The Outline
Trustworthy Slaves Who Honor Thier Master (1-2)
Unworthy Teachers Who Love Money (2-10)
The Man of God and The Fight of Faith (11-21)
The Verses
“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (6-8)
1. Be goldy. Read God’s Word, talk to God and live accordingly.
2. Be content with what you have. Realize you are rich compared to most of the world. Live on less. Give away more.
3. Eat good food and wear appropriate clothing.
Have a great weekend!
The Church and Ministry II (1 Timothy 5)
Thursday, July 8th, 2010The Outline
Treating Others Like Family (1)
Taking Care of Those Without Family (2-16)
Special Instructions to The Leaders of The Family (17-25)
The Verse
I have no particular verse today. I did want to share with you how certain sermons we hear change us forever. Back in 1997 I heard a sermon called “Taking Care of Momma” by Tom Nelson at The Metro Bible Study in Dallas, TX. The least I can say is that sermon changed my life. I would go on to study under Tom, go to DTS, meet my wife, work for Tom and end up becoming a lead pastor, all because of this sermon. I said to myself, “I want to know how the Bible like Him and be able to show others the truth like that.” So many thanks go to my spiritual father Tom Nelson. Tommy I would not be who I am and where I am without you.
Two nights ago, my wife and I heard another sermon that I will always cherish. Mark Driscoll preached on what true ministry is. He said many pastors were beginning to blow up, burn up or give up. He showed that the mistake common to all three was a misunderstanding of ministry. Ministry is not what we do for God. Ministry is what God does for us, in us and through us. He gave 11 points that I copied on a sheet of paper that had a picture my daughter had made for me. It was directed at pastors but I think it is crucial to any Christian who is leading in anyway. You can click here to see his points.
So 1 Timothy 5 will always have a special place in my life as God ministered through His Word and His servant Tom to help me love my widowed mother.
Application – Come eager to listen to the preacher, His Word is meant to work in you (1 Thess 2 :13) always and sometimes immediately.
Blogging and The Soul
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010Hello readers,
Having sought some counsel from people I trust, I have decided NOT to continue post blogs daily. This does not mean I will not be blogging. It only means that I will blog less often (once a week) and not always on the NT chapter we are reading together.
Why would I decide this? For one simple reason, I am not blogging out of the overflow of my relationship with Jesus. It has become more of an academic exercise than a posting of what I am learning from God. So I will still post about what I am learning as the Lord leads, but it will not be daily. I cannot be of service to you if I am not nurturing my own soul.
I will finish the book of 1 Timothy but will not be continuing on through the NT daily. I will continue to read through the NT plan and post occasionally. I appreciate your understanding.
Update – if you should have questions about the NT chapter of the day or anything else, feel free to email me at judd@eaglebiblechurch.org.
The Church and Ministry I (1 Timothy 4)
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010The Outline
The Legalistic Spirit (1-5)
The Lord’s Servant (6-16)
The Verses
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Let’s GET FIT spiritually! Bodily training will help you stay healthy in this life. Getting godly (which takes as much discipline as running a ultra marathon) will aid us not only in this life but our life to come.
To be disciplined means you and I will have to:
1. Make sacrifices – what’s best not just what’s good
2. Stick to our plan – Distractions (from the evil one) are sure to come
3. Adjust when necessary – Some times we need to make a change
4. Rejoice in the freedom that comes with discipline – Professional athletes are free to make spectacular plays because they have submitted themselves to the ongoing routines of the ordinary.
So let’s plan, perspire and build strong muscles physically and spiritually.
The Church and Leadership (1 Timothy 3)
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010The Outline
Her Leaders (1-13)
Her Purpose [& The Purpose of The Letter] (14-16)
The Verse
Today I am not going to talk about leadership. I want to talk about the church.
“if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” (15)
1. “if I delay” – Paul wanted to be with Timothy and those saints at Ephesus, but he may have been held up
2. “you may know” – God has given us knowledge on what we should do in the most important areas of life.
3. “how one ought to behave” – This knowledge is not just information but data that leads to a delightful duty. There is a way we ought to come to church. This is what the letter is about.
4. “in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” – This is the description Paul uses (by God’s design) to describe the church.
a. It is a house – Do we long for the family of God? Or Do we treat church like a fast food restaurant, coming and going as we please, getting what we want out of it. I am pretty sure we do not view our families this way. I am pretty sure most are committed to their families. It is the same for the church.
b. It is a display of the truth – Pillars hold up the building, so the church upholds the Gospel. Are we displaying the Gospel or are we hiding it? Do your family and friends and neighbors and co-workers know that you love Jesus and the family of God?
c. It is a defense of the truth – Buttresses were built to give added support and protection. So the church not only proclaims the truth, she protects the truth. Are we defending the truth or expecting others to do so? According to 1 Peter 3:15 ALL are called to give a reason for the hope within them. Is that hope oozing out of us so that we may respond?
The church should not be an option. It is not to be attended only when we have nothing else to do. It should be a permanent appointment on Sunday morning and it should be committed to like we do our own families. How are we doing? Might I suggests that if you do no go to church, go. If you go just regularly, make it permanent. If you just attend, get involved. If you actually show up each week, serve, then go and declare and defend the truth and invite others to join you, be encouraged, do not give up, you are actually going to be blessed beyond what you can imagine.
The Church and Worship (1 Timothy 2)
Monday, July 5th, 2010The Outline
The Focus of Public Worship (2:1-7)
The Form of Public Worship (2:8-15)
The Verses
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (12)
The verse and the topic today are worth about a year’s worth of posts. It is that critical to the Church. Let me say up front that I am a complementarian and the church I serve is too. The other option is egalitarianism which is heavily influenced by the feminist movement. We believe that men and women are equal in creation and redemption but have different roles by God’s design. The best example is the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all equal as God yet they too have roles to play by design. The Holy Spirit is only and always submissive to God and Christ. Christ is only and always submissive to the Father. And we are called to be conformed to his image. So women who may read this blog, you can view this verse as limiting or you can view it as one way you are called to live like Christ. It’s your choice. This is one of the most controversial verses in the Bible. A great deal of exegetical gymnastics has been done to bend this in a certain direction. I think the ESV Study Bible gives a great summary in limited space.
“1 Tim. 2:12 I do not permit. Paul self-consciously writes with the authority of an apostle (e.g., 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Thess. 3:6), rather than simply offering an opinion. This statement is given in the context of Paul’s apostolic instructions to the church for the ordering of church practice when the church is assembled together. In that context, two things are prohibited: (1) Women are not permitted to publicly teach Scripture and/or Christian doctrine to men in church (the context implies these topics), and (2) women are not permitted toexercise authority over men in church. (The reference for both “teaching” and “exercise authority” here is within the context of the assembled church.) Women teaching other women, and women teaching children, are not in view here, and both are encouraged elsewhere (on women teaching women, cf.Titus 2:4; on women teaching children, cf. 2 Tim. 1:5). Nor does this passage have in view the role of women in leadership situations outside the church (e.g., business or government). The presence of the word or (Gk. oude) between “to teach” and “to exercise authority” indicates that two different activities are in view, not a single activity of “authoritative teaching.” “Exercise authority” represents Greek authenteō, found only here in the NT. Over 80 examples of this word exist outside the NT, however, clearly establishing that the meaning is “exercise authority” (not “usurp authority” or “abuse authority,” etc., as sometimes has been argued). Since the role of pastor/elder/overseer is rooted in the task of teaching and exercising authority over the church, this verse would also exclude women from serving in this office (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2). Thus when Paul calls for the women to be quiet, he means “quiet” with respect to the teaching responsibility that is limited in the assembled church. Paul elsewhere indicates that women do speak in other ways in the church assembly (see 1 Cor. 11:5). See also note on 1 Cor. 14:34–35.”
For more resources on the biblical view of complementarianism see The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood at www.cbmw.org. It has so many resources you should not have to go anywhere else. However, if you are looking for some women who believe this position to be freeing visit www.girltalkhome.com and www.girlsgonewise.com.
If you should have any further questions, feel free to email me at judd@eaglebiblechurch.org as the responses on this blog have been turned off.
Happy 5th of July (if you should have the day off).
The Church and Doctrine (1 Timothy 1)
Friday, July 2nd, 2010The Outline
Introduction (1-2)
The Goal of Love (3-11)
The Gospel of Grace (12-17)
The Fight of Faith (18-20)
The Verses
“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (5)
Their is no separation of heart and head. Unintelligent love is a fallacy. Unloving instruction is too.
“Now we know that the law is good…” (8)
The good law was given to expose the sin of bad people. The law is a guide that leads us to Christ (Gal 3). Thus we are not saved by it but we can learn from it.
“…fight the good fight” (18 NASB)
Christianity is not for wimps. We are not to be passive in our pursuit of Christ. The devil shoots arrows, we must hold up a shield (Ephesians 6). Fight the good fight, how? by keeping faith and a good conscience (19)
So in sum, our fight should be on of faithful love that shows bad people the good law and lead them to “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” with which too like Paul have been entrusted.
Be strong, be loving, be wise!
The Church and Her Good Works (Titus 3)
Thursday, July 1st, 2010The Outline
The Gospel and Good Works (1-11)
Hospitality and Good Works (12-15)
The Verses
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work…The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people…And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” (1,8,14)
1. We should be ready for every good work. We are prepared as much as we are submitted to authority and obedient to the Word.
2. We should not only be prepared for every good work but devoted to them. We are devoted as we are careful to see that our good working lives before others build bridges to share the Gospel.
3. We should be prepared and devoted to meet “pressing needs” (NASB). When we diligently meet the urgent needs of others, they are loved. When this happens consistently they begin to long for what what we’re giving.
Our good works cannot save us (Ephesians 2:8-9) but they have been prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10) so that when we walk in them, the world sees our good works and gives glory to God in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Do some today!
The Church and Her Laymen (Titus 2)
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010The Outline
Teach (1,15)
Lay Leadership (2-10)
The Power for All Leaders (11-14)
The Verses
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (3-5)
Women should see these verses as a high call and not a low command. “Older women” though spurned by the world are loved by Paul and he sees them as vital to the Gospel survival. Their conduct should be upright and they should instruct the next generation of women. This instruction involves teaching (verbal) and training (example) with two purposes. First so that the women would love their families and second and more important so that the word of God is criticized. What a God honoring role in life.
The World’s view of women and the home: Home – boring, Children – burden, Identity – Immediate success, personal fulfillment.
God’s view: Home – Place of true leadership (Moses’ mama, Exodus 2), Children – blessing (gift from God, Psalm 127), Identity – Strategic role in raising the next generation, personal sacrifice (Titus 2)
So to all the older women who love Jesus and are leaving a legacy of godliness, keep on you will receive a far greater reward than the world could ever offer!