Bible Study Notes: Sept. 21, 2010

September 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Passage: Joshua 3

(Joshua had just sent out 2 spies into the land of Canaan, who returned to report that the LORD had already prepared the way, melting the people’s hearts in fear of the Isrealites.)

Verses 1-8:

-  more preparation

- God is constantly giving us instruction on what we should do – can we hear him?

- Vs. 5

>  God using us to do amazing things through us so that He can get the glory

- Vs. 3

>  The people had to walk 1,000 yds behind the Ark of the Covenant

* could they even see it?

* they had to trust that it was a head of them and that the Jordan was parting

- Levites chosen to carry the Ark

> set apart people who are held to a higher standard

- The people needed to consecrate themselves – prepare – for what God was about to do

- We just have to step out; God’s putting it all together before we get there

Verses 9-13:

- God’s already set a place aside for the Isrealites, they just have to obey

- What are the obstacles in my life that are keeping me from seeing God?

- God is everything we are and has been there long before us

> vs. 11, 13: “Lord of all the earth”

Verses 14-17:

- everything about God doesn’t make sense

- Vs. 17

> as we grow, we have to stand firm on the Truth of God

- Hebrews 11:16

> common sense and faith/logic and faith DON’T GO TOGETHER

Review:

- Stay on the center road – don’t sway to the right or to the left

- Don’t be terrified or discouraged

- Vs. 5

> Be consecrated (pure)

* live what you teach and preach

* be consistent in God’s Truth

- God uses common people to accomplish His will

Filed Under: Adult Bible Study

Church notes: September 19, 2010

September 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

September 19, 2010

Sermon: What Did Jesus DO? (Part Two)

Passages: Mark 1:21-27, Matthew 5:20, Matthew 6:19-24,

Mark 6:2-3, Romans 1:1-7

Notes:

1 Timothy 4:7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

Have we been training ourselves? How can we be training ourselves?

In Mark 1:21-27, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, and the people were amazed at the authority of his teaching. Not only this, but a man possessed by an evil spirit is present and he cries out in v. 24, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” At this outburst, Jesus sternly commands the spirit to be quiet and come out of the man, and the spirit obeys his command. The people are even more amazed at his authority.

-What gave Jesus this authority that set him apart from the other teachers? The Holy Spirit’s power was at work in him; his life was not words or teaching alone, but his heart was right before God, and he set himself apart to do the will of his Father. The evil spirit did not recognize him because of what he was teaching or his actions, but because of the power of God that was at work inside him.

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus explains this further: unless our righteousness SURPASSES that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

-The Pharisees and teachers knew the law backwards and forwards, and prided themselves on keeping it to the fullest. Jesus reminds us that no matter how hard we work to keep the law, it will be impossible for us.  We must surrender to him and trust in HIS power to work in us.  This is what enables us to live a truly holy life, for his glory and not our own.  This is what will set us apart for him.

In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus is teaching further about how we are called to live apart from the ways of this world. He first instructs us to store up our treasures not on earth, but in heaven. Next he gives an illustration of the eye as the lamp to the body: if our eyes are good, our whole bodies will be full of light — but if our eyes are bad, our whole body will be full of darkness. Verse 24 reminds us that “No one can serve two masters.”

-Where am I storing up my treasures? Am I listening to the world’s direction on what is important/necessary for this life: money, a certain job, a relationship, a car, etc? Or am I trusting God to provide for my needs, and focusing on serving and following him in every area of my life?  Are my eyes “good” or “bad”? In order for our eyes to be “good”, they must be focused on God, the Father of Light.  After we trust God and set ourselves apart for him, focusing our eyes and our hearts on him, we will see how he provides for our earthly needs.  (See Matthew 6:32-34) We must choose one way or the other. We can not live for Christ half-way. Who will I serve today?

In Mark 6:2-3, Jesus is again teaching in the synagogue. This time, he was not in Capernaum, he was in his hometown — and was not as well received. People knew him here, they knew his family, knew him as a carpenter — and they took offense that he would teach with such wisdom, authority and power.

-Am I afraid of my past, that those who know me will try to hold it over my head as I step out to set myself apart for Christ? Or, is there someone I am unwilling to listen to, learn from or be in fellowship with because of what I know about his or her past, or what I think I know by way of other people’s gossip? Christ was without fear of this world or what others may have wrongly thought of him. He trusted and obeyed his Father everywhere that he went, regardless of the response of those around him.

Romans 1:1-7: an introduction to Paul’s letter to the Romans.

-Like Paul, let us remember that we are called to belong to Jesus Christ and set apart for the gospel of God. Not for looking good, not for leading a peaceful life, not for building a better community, but for the gospel of God, through him and for his name’s sake! As we train ourselves to be godly by setting ourselves apart for him and trusting in him without fear, he will be faithful to work all things out for our good. Am I trusting God in every area of my life today? Let’s fix our eyes on Him!

Filed Under: Sermon Notes

Church/Bible Study Notes: Sept. 12th & 14th

September 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

September 12, 2010

Sermon: What Did Jesus DO?

Passages: 1 Timothy 4:7, Luke 2:41-52, Matt: 3:13-17

Notes:

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”

-1 Tim.4:7

-What does it mean to train ourselves to be godly, or what are some examples of the disciplines of a godly life?  Here are two examples in the life of Christ.

In Luke Chapter 2, we see Jesus at just 12 yrs. of age leaving his family to go sit in the temple courts with the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. In v. 49 he asks, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

-Are we “in our Father’s house”? Are we pursuing the interests of our flesh, or focused on the things of this world rather than our Father’s business? We have to make the deliberate choice to place ourselves in our Father’s house.

Matthew 3:1-17

In this chapter Jesus goes and sees John in order to be baptized by him. At first, John protests, because he knows who Jesus is.  He says that he is the one who should be baptized by Jesus! But Jesus replied in v.15, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”

-Jesus wasn’t concerned with appearances, or preoccupied with himself. Everything he did was in accordance with the will of his Father. He was willing to humble himself, God’s own Son, and be baptized by John, in order to “fulfill all righteousness”.

-Am I willing to be obedient to the Father, even if it means humbling myself, or placing myself under the leadership or authority of someone who may be “lesser” than me in some respect?

Following this act of obedience, the Holy Spirit himself descended on Jesus and the Father said, (v.17) “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

-Blessing follows after obedience, and God is always pleased with our steps of obedience, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to us.

-In what areas of my life is God calling me to take a step of obedience to Him?  What do I need to throw off or remove from my life in order to be able to train without being hindered?

September 14, 2010, Bible Study

Passage: Joshua 2:14-24

Notes:

-we reviewed Chapter 1 and the 1st part of Chapter 2 for those who were here for the first time.  In verse 14 we have the 2 Israelite spies Joshua sent out into Jericho (part of the Promised Land) after being commanded by God to “be strong and courageous”, remembering God’s presence with him/God’s people always, and his promise to give them success wherever they went as they were obedient to him.  (Ch.1, v.7-9) Joshua began readying the people, as God instructed him, to go take possession of the land (Ch. 1, v. 11), which included sending out these 2 spies.  The spies encounter Rahab, a prostitute, who seems an unlikely candidate for God’s favor. But she has heard of God’s power, and come to believe that he is the One True God, to the point she is willing to risk her own life to protect the spies that have been sent by his people.

-v. 17-20 The spies agreed to spare Rahab’s life, along with her entire family, if she kept her word to them, keeping quiet about what she has learned of their plan. They told her to hang a red cord in the same window they escaped to freedom from, to remind them which house they were to pass over and spare in battle.

-Sometimes we need to look back to our “red cord in the window” and remember what God has done for us and how we have been set free.

-The LORD was pleased with Rahab’s faith, made evident in the actions she took, risking her life by turning against her country and placing trust in the God of Israel and his people.

-Her family would also need to have faith to be saved. V. 19 says that if any of them were to leave the house during the battle, their blood would be on their own heads. They would have to choose to put their faith in God’s ability to save them over their own ability to save themselves, or over their countrymen’s abilities to defend them against God’s people.

-In the same way, we must remain in “God’s house” to be saved. We need to make the choice of faith, telling God that we trust in him to rescue us and not in our own abilities or those of others in our lives.  What choices of faith do I need to make in my life in order to step back into “God’s house”?

-V. 24 The spies return to Joshua with the report that the LORD has already given the whole land into their hands, because everyone has already been stricken with fear of the Israelites.

-God has instructed Joshua not to fear, because fear would have prevented the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. This would have been foolish, because God had already promised it to them, and he had already been at work ahead of them, striking fear in the hearts of the people there.  In a sense, the battle had been won before it even began.

-Is there a place in my life that God has promised to me, but I am avoiding because of fear?

-Remember that he goes before us, he will never leave us or forsake us, and many times his work is unseen until we take a step of faith and obedience, trusting in his promise and his faithfulness over our own abilities or the abilities of others in our lives.

Filed Under: Adult Bible Study, Sermon Notes

Tuesday Morning Bible Study!!!

September 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

We have moved our Adult Bible studies from evening to morning so that more people are available to attend.  We have begun studying the book of Joshua.  Come on out for a time of fellowship, prayer and digging into the Word of God.  Feel free to just sit back and listen, or speak up and ask questions or encourage one another in the love of Christ!! Come and share your perspective, your insight, and your wisdom with us!  Everyone is welcome.  We meet every Tuesday at 9am in the back conference room on the right side of the duplex @ 3600 Desire Parkway.  Check this blog for notes if you have to miss and send us a note here with your thoughts, questions, or prayer requests.

Filed Under: Adult Bible Study, News and Announcements