How Do We Live By The Bible - Calling: Our Role In Equipping

Proverbs 14:23 NIV

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom, and one subject it goes back to over and over again is work.  In fact the Bible constantly returns to the theme that work is good & laziness is bad.  We know practically that people who work hard are rewarded while lazy people miss opportunities.  But how does this relate to finding our calling?

You may have thought about work & laziness in terms of a profession.  I know that’s where my head goes first.  Usually the people who work hard & hustle are the ones rewarded by more work, responsibility, & money.  This concept is described in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, where the good stewards are rewarded.  But what about the stewardship in your spiritual life?  Do you invest your time in order to grow in spiritual maturity?

1 Corinthians 3:2-3

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh

Maybe you’ve never thought about investing in your own spiritual maturity.  In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul talks about addressing them as infants in Christ, giving them milk because they weren’t ready for solid food.  I think many Christians aren’t equipped for a bigger calling because they are still ‘drinking milk’ spiritually.  God calls His people to a deeper relationship with Him, & that time spent in prayer, fellowship, & the Word is really an investment.  One way we see a return on this investment is by God calling us to much more.

Let me be clear that I am not talking about skills & abilities here. Hebrews 13:21 assures us that God will equip us for whatever he calls us to.  The mechanisms God uses for equipping are the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) & teaching (Ephesians 4:11-12).  Nearly every person in the Bible who pursued their calling lacked outward qualifications. But what is true is that the most successful people in the Bible in relation to their calling were the people who had invested most in their relationship with God.

Isaiah 64:8 says we are the clay and God is the potter.  Each week we have 168 hours. A mere 30 minutes of preaching on Sunday is actually only 0.3% of a week. That leaves 99.7% of the week for something else to mold & shape you.  As the potter, God was able to mold His vessels, but how can He mold clay that continues to stay on the shelf?

So what is the alternative to investing in your relationship with the Lord and on spiritual things?  Is there anything that could provide the return that the Bible promises now and into the future?  So as Proverbs 6:6 says, consider the ant & its work ethic…don’t be lazy.  There is so much more waiting for you.

Prayer Requests: October 27th

Mike: Passes his 1st actuarial exam
Shelli: Bryan's healing & good council from his doctors & relief/answers from headaches
Kellie: Protection for Shayley & team as they travel to Dallas for soccer
Rainy: Repaired relationship between her family & her parents

Praises
Pastors are all back safe

Please pray for these requests during the week and let us know of any progress

How Do We Live By The Bible - Calling?

One of the great questions for each one of us is, what is God calling us to do with our lives?  Do we have a grand, overarching purpose for our life or are we called to something much smaller.   Either way, how can we understand what God wants to do with us anyway?

Commit to the Lord

·         Psalm 37:4-5,7 NIV

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes

·         The first step should be to commit to the Lord

o   Once we are under his guidance, we can be molded & shaped

o   Because of our free will, we can reject Him & His ways

o   But that leads to a life of futility

** Like a rebellious child **

·         ‘God has structured reality so that when he is honored first and foremost, satisfaction comes as a byproduct’

Understand your gifts

·         1 Corinthians 12: 7-11

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues

·         Our gifts are for the common good

o   We are all uniquely gifted

o   We have a role to play in God’s grand design

o   Do you know yourself?

§  DISC: http://disc.genesismetro.org/

§  Spiritual Gifts Inventory:
 http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_MYCS_030526_Spiritual_Gifts_Survey.pdf

·         Gifts are irrevocable

o   Romans 11:29

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable

Know there are seasons

·         Philippians 4:11-14

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me

·         We are to be content no matter the season

o   A lack of contentment is an indicator that you are falling away from God

·         His calling for us will be predicated by our maturity

o   1 Corinthians 3:1-3

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

o   How can you lead people farther than you’ve been yourself?

·         The two work hand and hand

o   Our calling right now is heavily based on both our season of life & our maturity

·         So most of us won’t have an overarching calling

o   ** Missionaries Example **

How Do We Live By The Bible - Joy: Is there a difference between joy and happiness?

A dictionary definition of happiness is “a state of well-being, a pleasurable or satisfying experience.” The definition of the word “rejoice,” from which our word “joy” comes, is “to feel great delight, to welcome or to be glad.” Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words “happy” and “happiness” about 30 times, while “joy” and “rejoice” appear over 300 times. If we look at some verses it will help us understand why joy is different from happiness.

Genesis 30:1-13 tells the story of two sisters, Rachel and Leah, and their rivalry over their husband, Jacob. Each woman tries to have more male children in order to please him, even using their handmaidens to conceive more offspring. Leah’s handmaiden, Zilpah, bore Jacob a second son, and verse 13 says, “Then Leah said, ‘Happy am I! For women have called me happy.’ So she named him Asher.” Thus the word "happy" comes from the Hebrew root word ashar and means "to set right or be blessed." We also find the word "happiness" in Deuteronomy 24:5, which says, “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.”

The word “joy” comes from the Greek root word chara and means "to be exceedingly glad." James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials.” How could we ever consider going through difficulties and trials a reason to feel joy? James 1:3-4 gives us a clue when it says, “Knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” The deep, abiding joy comes as we persevere through trials, with God’s help, and our faith matures and is strengthened. So happiness tends to be fleeting and depends upon temporal factors like circumstances or other people. Joy, on the other hand, is true contentment that comes from internal factors like our faith in the Lord. True joy is everlasting and not dependent upon circumstances. The book of Philippians is a great study in the difference between joy and happiness. Written by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned in Rome, this book uses the words “joy,” “rejoice,” and “joyful” 16 times and teaches us how to have true contentment in Jesus Christ, despite our circumstances. In chains and aware that his life was coming to an end, Paul talks about his faith and trust in Christ and how it had changed his whole perspective on suffering. In Philippians 1:12-24, Paul says that because of his two-year imprisonment (Acts 28:30), the whole Roman guard heard the gospel from him, and it had even spread throughout all of Rome. In verse 18 Paul says, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.” Paul goes on to encourage others to have peace knowing that God strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) and “supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

So the Bible teaches that happiness is fleeting because it often depends on things outside of ourselves, but true joy is eternal because it is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ, which is itself an everlasting source of joy.

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/joy-happiness.html

Prayer Requests: October 20th

Shelli: Hired permanently at Prosper Baker; Mom (Jo) going on mission trip...to be refreshed; Father's (Jack) dementia & Bryan taking care of him
Swanson's: Find an affordable rent house
Pastor's safety on their adventure in the woods

Praises:
Women's Retreat
Mike: Mom's sister's cancer not genetic
Andy - 2nd surgery relieved pain

Please pray for these requests during the week and let us know of any progress

How Do We Live By The Bible - Joy

Those who are saved are called to live by the Word of God.  But what does this life lived out look like?  Since we know we will still have hardships & we know that we will stumble & fail, how do we know we are following the right path?  One of the indicators the Bible speaks of is joy.  But what is joy & what does joy look like in our life?

Fullness of joy

·         Joy defined

o   Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope

o   It appears 93 times in the OT (simchah); 59 times in the NT (chara)

·         John 15:10-11

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full

·         1 John 1:4

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete

·         The Bible says joy comes from the God’s Word

o   Why?

§  I can do all things in Christ (Phil 4:13)

§  Ask whatever you wish (John 15:7)

§  Do not worry (Luke 12:22)

§  Why else?

·         Joy outside of God is fleeting

o   Job 20:4-5

Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed on earth, that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment

** My kid on the swings **

·         Christ was anointed with the ‘oil of joy’

o   Hebrews 1:9, Psalms 45:7

o   He was joy fully realized

·         Joy is not an emotion that can be forced, fabricated, or faked

Occupied with joy

·         Ecclesiastes 5:20

For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart

·         Being filled with joy means being empty of other things

o   What can occupy us?

o   Is there anything that God cannot overcome in our lives?

o   Being filled with joy means being empty of other things

** Example of being occupied by joy **

·         Why we fellowship

o   Acts 2:46

o   They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity

Know the path of life

·         Psalm 16:11

·         You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore

·         What’s the opposite of joy?

o   Uneasiness

o   Double minded & unstable (James 1:8)

o   Tossed to & fro by the cunning of man (Ephesians 4:14)

o   The right answer won’t contradict the Word

·         We should look like people who have been freed from something

o   Repentance allows us not bogged down with guilt

1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory

How Do You Read The Bible: Breaking down 2 Timothy 3:14–17

Here is a example of advanced Bible study you can do, breaking down the meaning of each word in context.

You can see other examples here: http://www.desiringgod.org/labs

How Do You Read The Bible: Quiet Time

This week we talked about the importance of a devotional life.  We also talked about ‘quiet time’.  I tend to have a distaste for overused ‘Christian’ terms, especially when they are removed from their Biblical roots.  So, is ‘quite time’ even a Biblical concept?

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I think these two verses give us an idea of what the lives of a disciple of Christ should look like; meditate on the Word day and night & pray without ceasing.  They are lofty goals and they far exceed a small block of ‘quiet time’.  So how does the concept of quiet time play into this?

Quiet time is really an opportunity to fellowship with God free from distractions.  Our lives are busy & full of distractions so any time we can set aside to focus on our relationship with God is highly beneficial.  Consider that our faith is founded on not a set of religious laws, but on a personal relationship with Christ.  Alone time is so important to build that relationship.

It’s like when you were dating your spouse.  You probably couldn’t wait to see them & learn more about them.  If suddenly they stopped returning your phone calls & texts, you never would have built the relationship…actually you probably wouldn’t be married to them at all.  Even now as married couples, how important is communication & time alone with each other?

Also, I think quiet time is a good way give the Holy Spirit room to work.  In John 14:26, Jesus talks about sending the Holy Spirit as our counselor to ‘teach us all things’.  Because we live in the world & have all these competing forces that are not of God pushing against us, it’s easy to drown out the teaching of the Spirit.  A good quiet time that includes prayer & Bible reading are tools for the Spirit to mold us in the image of Christ.  So, quiet time is also an appointment for the Spirit to work on us.

Lastly having a quiet time where the Spirit is speaking to you through prayer & through your Bible reading gives you something to think about throughout the day.  In group someone said that they often read a verse in the morning about patience & then they find they need that patience throughout the day.  A good quiet time sets the tone for your life to reflect  Joshua 1:8 & 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

If you would like to dig deeper into the why & how of quiet time, read this: https://bible.org/article/quiet-time-what-why-and-how

Prayer Requests: October 6th

Mike - Results from clinical trial on breast cancer drug for Lynette (mom's sister)
Shaun - Relief from shoulder and neck pain
Brandy - Energy with new baby
Women's Retreat

Praises:
Andy - Healing up after surgery
Shaun - Job going well and client book is up
Rainy - Regina coming to Retreat
Kellie - Approved to go to Retreat on time

Please pray for these requests during the week and let us know of any progress

How Do You Read The Bible?

Last week we talked about why you should read the Bible.  You may have read your Bible for years or it may be something you’ve never done.  No matter your experience, there are ways to get the most out of the time you’re investing in Bible reading.  So, what is the best way to get the most out of reading your Bible?

Meditate On It

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success

Psalm 1:1-2
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

·         Can you/do you have a specific devotional time?

         o   A consistent time, place, & plan
         o   You need to have the Word to meditate on
·         You can do lots of things         
         o   Read; there are Bibles for every level

         o   Hear, watch
         o   Memorize - ‘It is writtens’
         o   ** Googling what’s on my mind & what does the Bible say about it **

Rightly Handle It

2 Timothy 2:15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth

·         Use a method
         o   Pray, Observe, Interpret, Apply
              §  Lean on the counselor (the Holy Spirit)
              §  “What does the text say?”, “What does the text mean?”, “What should I do about this text?”
·         Understand the context
         o   Matthew 18:20
              For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them
             §  So God isn’t there when you pray or the Holy Spirit isn’t God?
             §  This is about church discipline
         o   Read the passage, not the verse
         o   ** Causes weak minds to be confused...example of cults **
·         Dig deeper
         o   Get a study bible
         o   Lean on Google, tag Bible
         o   Great commentary resources on biblehub.org

Dividing Soul & Spirit
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart
·         Letting your Bible read you
         o   How is the Holy Spirit convicting you?
            §  Bible reading gives ‘room’ for the HS to work
         o   ** Example of retreat, Nehemiah 4 speech **
·         Overcoming your heart
         o   Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
         o   'God is God; I am not God
         o   Your heart will continue to lead you into poor decisions
            §  How can Bible reading overcome that?

C.H. Spurgeon :: Morning and Evening

"Search the Scriptures." — John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires searching-much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for babes, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture. Tertullian exclaims, "I adore the fulness of the Scriptures." No man who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure. The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence. The Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur- who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The word of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn-we have but to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No merchandise like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the Scriptures reveal Jesus: "They are they which testify of Me." No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.

Why Know The Bible: Renew Your Mind

I read an article this week that talked about the health benefits of walking.  We tend to sit too much & walk too little.  Even if we hit the gym sporadically, it can't counteract the negative effects of sitting like walking everyday can.  Just like our physical health, our mind needs the Word daily to counteract the negative effects of this world.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

One of the best reasons to know the Bible is explained in Romans 12:2 where Paul calls us to 'be transformed by the renewing of our mind' to know God's will. He doesn't say we need to attend church more or do more religious things, but instead focuses on the space between our ears.  I think this verse gives us direction to one of the most important ways we can become more righteous, which is emulating God's morality.

The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10 & Psalm 14:3 that no one is righteous.  So righteousness is something every one of us has to learn.  Psalm 145:17 also tells us that God is completely righteous. 2 Timothy 3:17 says scripture can train us in righteousness. Because the Bible is the inspired word of God, it's the most direct way to understand and learn righteousness.

But how else to we learn morality?  Throughout our life we continue to learn morals. Our community, our friends, our family, things we watch & read all shape us morally. I think this shaping happens slowly and is a stronger force than we realize.  And considering even the best of us only spends a few minutes a day in the Bible, outside influences have more time to work on us.

And as we become more righteous, we learn more about God's will. Staying in his will is incredibly beneficial for our lives. Psalm 91 goes into this in great detail.  Who wouldn't want these incredible promises!

Prayer Requests: September 29th

Avery Stanford - Healing from pneumonia
Andy Stavros - Healing and pain management from back surgery
(Liz & Mike) Lynette - Healing, deliverance and peace during a battle with breast cancer and peace for Mike's mother during genetic testing.
Matt - Smooth transition, peace and calm during the process of changing jobs
Shaun - Widsom and discernment, the covering of the conflict & increased sales
Rainy's sister Regina - Open heart to accept invite to women's retreat, prayers for her salvation
Kristen's friend - Open heart to accept invite to women's retreat
Brandy - Smooth and peaceful baby transition
Kellie - Approval from work to attend women's retreat

Please pray for these requests during the week and let us know of any progress