Archives for June 2014

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The "Summer" Gospel

Luke 1 I am really enjoying our reading plan. I especially like that the plan has us reading a different Gospel every season. Winter was Mark's Gospel, Spring was the Gospel according to Matthew, Fall will be the Gospel of John and Summer (beginning today) is Luke. The four Gospels are all biographies of the life of Jesus written in the first century either by eye witn...

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Runaways In Need of Forgivness

Philemon 1 In just 25 verses Paul conveys a compelling story of the life changing good news of Jesus Christ working in the lives of normal people. Paul is in prison. Onesimus is a runaway slave who probably stole from his master on his way out, which in this context means he more than likely deserves the death penalty. Onesimus ends up in the same prison as Paul. Paul ...

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Persevere!

Colossians 4 The Book of Colossians was written by Paul during his first imprisonment in Rome before he had ever visited the city of Colosse. The apostle dwells on the dignity and glory of Christ's person, and brings out the great mystery of the indwelling of Christ, and God's purpose to unite under the Headship of Jesus Christ all things in heaven and earth. It was del...

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The Believers Instruction Manual - a Work in Progress

Colossians 3 The word perspective is very important to me when I read Colossians 3. So I have included a definition of the word perspective. Perspective (pəˈspɛktɪv) n 1. a way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance 2. the proper or accurate point of view or the a...

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How Does My Faith Grow? | Colossians 2

Colossians 2 Most of the time when we talk about our salvation, we're talking about where we will go when we die. If you are saved, it means you are going to Heaven when you die. If you have put your faith in Christ, you can have assurance that your sins are forgiven and you will spend eternity with your Heavenly Father. The question most of us struggle with on a daily...

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How to pray for our Great Adventure teams

Colossians 1 Paul begins his letter to the Church of Colossae with his standard, greeting, thanksgiving and prayer. From his prayer for this young church, we can learn much about how to pray for one another and (in light of this being BYBC week) our Great Adventurers. If you ever struggle with how to pray for another believer, just turn to the prayers of the Apostle Pau...

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If this is True...

Philippians 4 Paul's pattern in most of his letters is to complete them with a section of very practical implications for specific believers and churches and Christians in general. That is what we see in Philippians 4 today. At the risk of oversimplifying the previous chapters and the thoughtful reflections of Sean, Tom, and Jason before me, let me give a bullet-point ...

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Rejoice in the Lord

Philippians 3 Rejoice in the Lord. This is the command that Paul uses to starts this section of Scripture. Rejoice! Meriam Webster's dictionary defines rejoice as: To feel or show that you are very happy about something. Are you very happy about your relationship with the Lord? If you truly know Him, you should be so excited about the fact that He is in a relation...

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Live & Love Like Jesus | Philippians 2

I've always looked at this passage disjointedly, as a series of great truths strung together, quotable passages that inspire and encourage us. Reading it through today, however, I see a pattern, a theme, I hadn't picked up before. Paul is writing about the greatest Man who ever lived and giving us His secret to success. And it is this live a life that is more committed ...

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To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain - Philippians 1

Philippians 1 Today we start a new book of the Bible, Philippians. In this book which is only four chapters long, Paul uses the "Joy" or "Rejoice" sixteen times. If Paul was writing from Acapulco this would make a lot more sense, but Paul is writing from jail (1:7). For the last 10 to 15 years Paul has lived a hard life where he has suffered immensely, but all he can te...

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"AS IF!"

Ephesians 6 Paul ends this letter with a "bang" as he lays out practical instruction for the natural world, while reminding us that our real battle is happening on a supernatural level. He tells us that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of e...

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Cunduits of Grace

Ephesians 5 Well Ephesians 5 fell perfectly on my day because since I have been married for a month and ten days, I now know a month and ten days worth more than I did before about marriage. It seems like it is just wedding season in general. My best friend got married last weekend, Peyton's best friend two weekends ago, and my college roommate in a week. So much to cel...

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Stop Acting Like a Baby

Ephesians 4 In this chapter of Ephesians, Paul is encouraging us to bond together as one body in Christ, to grow up together and live as children of the Light. He instructs us to throw off our old way of living and thinking and allow God to grow us into what He created us to beTHE CHURCH THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. In order to be all that God has called us to be, we must stop...

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He is With Us in the Fire

Ephesians 3 The previous 2 chapters of Ephesians outline the sovereignty of God. He has called us to Himself: even as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will (1:4-5) He makes us alive in Christ Jesus...

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But God

EPHESIANS 2 Ephesians 2:1-10 is one of the clearest and most concise presentations of the gospel in the entire Bible. You are a Sinner EPHESIANS 2:1-3 (NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in thos...

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Chosen

Ephesians 1 Ephesians chapter 1 is the kind of chapter where I don't really know where to begin. There is so much here to digest, to wonder over and to thank God for. However, there is a clear theme that is repeated again and again throughout the chapter. That theme is the sovereignty of God in our salvation and in our lives as a whole. Paul doesn't get past verse 1 befo...

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Wrapping Up Romans

In Romans 16, Paul has completed all of the major themes of the letter. He's said all of what he chiefly set out to say. Now he is ready to deliver some personal greetings and end his letter. But even in this concluding chapter there are some real treasures that should inform how we live the Christian life. Observation 1 -- No one, not even Paul, stands alone in the churc...

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Hope by the Power of the Spirit

Romans 15 I read chapter 15 and can't help but thinking "Wow". Because of this chapter I think I now have a greater understanding of the character of Paul, and I want to grow to have that sort of character. Paul's passion for spreading the gospel is amazing, but in this chapter I get a real feel for his genuine love for others. In Acts we saw how he was persecuted and s...

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Dealing With Our Differences | Romans 14

Romans 14:1 "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions." This is a difficult passage for me wrap my mind around because I love to debate. While there are basic tenets of our faith that we should stand and fight for (the deity of Jesus, our salvation by grace alone through faith alone), over the past few years I've been exposed ...

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Submission Says Something About You Spiritually | Romans 13

ROMANS 13 Everyone loves a rebel! If you look at our favorite characters in the movies we love or our favorite celebrities, they have a side of rebellion in them. They bravely go against the grain to prove they're right. Usually our heros are rewarded for their behavior. Each of these stories affirm the fantasy that if I got to do what I wanted, when I wanted things...

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Practical Theology

Romans 12 When I was a student at Columbia Bible College, I remember one of my professors (Dr. Bill Crabb) making the following statement: "If your theology isn't practical, it's probably not biblical." At the time, I wholeheartedly agreed with him, but for all the wrong reasons. Now, I still agree with Dr. Crabb, but for all the right reasons. Let me explain. By the t...

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