summer 2010 series companion guide
written by eric dominguez edited by jake johnson & rebecca bostic sermon audio content available at praxischurch.com
true christianity
introduction We struggled with titling this series. After bouncing around many ideas, we settled on True Christianity hoping this title would communicate our desire to challenge believers and non-believers regarding the foundations of our faith. We also hope this series serves as a venue for the Praxis congregation to continue to learn about what it means to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus. Yet, we recognize that the title True Christianity may have a condescending tone. It inherently implies that we have all of the answers, truth, and judgments regarding what Christianity is and is not. The great Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis, in his preface to Mere Christianity, commented on asserting the Christian truth by stating: People ask ‘who are you, to lay down who is, and who is not a Christian?’ or ‘May not many a man who cannot believe these doctrines be far more truly a Christian, far closer to the spirit of Christ than some do?’… It’s not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men’s hearts. We cannot judge, and are indeed forbidden to judge. It
would be wicked arrogance for us to say that any man is, or is not, a Christian in this refined sense. This series is not designed to judge, sort, or label. We’re humbled by the task that God has given us to teach His word and serve His Kingdom. Yet, the Apostle Paul warns us in Colossians to, See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Col. 2:8). We live in a city and culture filled with philosophies, empty deceit, human traditions, and sprits of the world—all that would have you believe there are no absolute truths, that the Bible isn’t real, and that you don’t really need community or discipline to thrive. As pastors, but even more so as Christians, we have a responsibility preach the Word in truth and address the various misconceptions, attacks, and lies that others may have regarding our Christian faith. This series will bring us back to truths some don’t know, some forgot, or some may not be living out. We have divided the series into three separate sections:
introduction
Beliefs This section outlines the core theologies of our faith. Understanding that the word theology has some significant connotations, Dr. Wayne Grudem reminds us in his Systematic Theology that we must study theology with rejoicing and praise. “The study of theology is not merely a theoretical exercise of intellect. It’s a study of the living God, and of the wonders of all his works in creation and redemption. We cannot study this subject dispassionately!” During this section we’ll examine the doctrine of the Trinity, the Revelation of Scriptures, how we’re created in the image of God, how that image is marred by the fall, and our redemption in Christ. Identities This section moves us from studying the beliefs that make us uniquely Christian to focusing on how those beliefs inform our identity, who we are as a community of believers on mission, for we are not meant to live and practice the Christian life alone. Our Missional Communities are at the core of what we believe here at Praxis and the main catalyst for Praxis’ mission to have people hear the Gospel and be changed by Christ. Thus, we’ll study how we as Christians in Missional
Communities are family, missionaries, learners, and servants. Behaviors This section reminds us why Christians must continually grow in relationship with God. Dallas Willard reminds us that while many claim Christianity, the fervor and impact that the Gospel should have on our life is truly lacking. “By modest estimate, more than a quarter of the entire population of the United States have professed an evangelical conversion experience. William Iverson wryly observes that ‘A pound of meat would surely be affected by a quarter pound of salt. If this is real Christianity, the “salt of the earth,” where is the effect of which Jesus spoke?’” Our hope in this section is to examine the key Christian disciplines of prayer, solitude and fasting, generosity, and corporate worship. We hope that the next twelve weeks will challenge you, your faith, your commitment to God, His word, and His mission. We encourage you to dedicate yourself to the study of the topics at hand and engage Praxis pastors and leaders with your questions, objections, and obstacles to these eternally important ideas. The Praxis Pastors
true christianity
Read: Matthew 3:16-17 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” If we ever completely figure out God, we’ll be sincerely disappointed. The all-powerful, all-knowing, allpresent God shouldn’t be someone we “master” and know everything about. Yet He frustrates us when He doesn’t stay in the little box we contain in which Him for our enjoyment and understanding. Today’s Scripture reading points to one of those mysteries of God: the doctrine of the Trinity. We see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit present in the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry, which would lead to our eternal salvation. The basic assertions of the Trinity are: 1. God is three persons. 2. Each person is fully God. 3. There is one God.
Although each person of the Trinity is present at Jesus’ baptism, we know from our Scripture that there’s only one true God. So how can three equal one? It’s easy to fall into heretical traps here. Modalism (the belief that God takes on different “characters” of His Trinity at different times), Arianism (the belief that Jesus isn’t fully God), and Tritheism (the belief that there are three separate gods) all arose because people couldn’t allow mystery to exist in God. They all focused on what they didn’t know about the Trinity, instead of what they did know. Examining the relationship God has in the Trinity we can learn how to be in humble, loving, worshipful, relational, unified and diverse, submissive, and a joyful community. The Trinity shows us that just because we don’t know everything about God, doesn’t mean He isn’t there, accessible, and loving. This mystery of the Trinity creates two types of tension. Either we attempt to articulate theories in creative analogies about ice or eggs or shacks while trying to crack this Biblical code, or, frustrated, we blind ourselves to the practical applications to the Trinity. But, just because we can’t learn everything about God doesn’t mean
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that we can’t learn from Him—and about Him.
Why was it important for all three persons of the Trinity to be present?
Scripture commands us to love the Lord our God with all of our minds— meaning we should be constantly learning and searching for the truth in Him. Yet, we’re also called to give up some of our need to have mystery solved and trust that God is God, rejoicing in what we do know while using what God has revealed to us.
What roles did each one take at this event?
Discussion What are some theories, metaphors, or explanations that you’ve heard about the Trinity? Why do each of these fall short of the full truth of the Trinity? What has the Father accomplished? The Son? The Spirit? What role does each person of the Trinity play in your life? Explanation Why did Jesus want to be baptized? What was the purpose behind it? What was the Father’s response to Jesus’ baptism? What was the Spirit’s response to Jesus’ baptism?
Application The Trinity exemplifies perfect, God ordained community. Examine the following attributes we learn from the Trinity and consider how you’re living them out in your personal relationships: •
Humility Are you willing to serve those around you, even when you feel you shouldn’t? •
Loving How do you show love to others? How do you care for them? •
•
Worshipful Are you praising God together with those around you? Do you pray, study scripture, and attend services together with your friends? Relational Do you have friends or do you use friends? How often do listen to them and serve them? How often do you go out of your way to meet with them?
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•
Unified and diverse Do you accept differences in others? Do you celebrate those differences? How do you use your eclectic gifts to glorify God?
•
Submissive Do you fight to get your will and your way all the time? •
Joyful Do you delight in others’ company or are you miserable when you’re around people? Are you grateful for the people around you or do you grumble that you’re burdened with them?
Scripture to Examine There’s only One God: Gen. 1:1, Deut. 4:35, 39, 6:4-5; 32:39, 1 Sam. 2:22, 2 Sam. 7:22, 2232, 1 Kings 8:59-60, 2 Chron. 15:3; Ps. 86-8-10, Isa. 37:20; 43:10, 44:68; 45:5, 12, 21-22; 46:9; Jer.10:10;
John 5:4:44; 17:3; Rom. 3:30; 16:27; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim 1:17, 2:5; 1 Thess. 1:9; James 2:19; Jude 25; 1 John 5:20-21. Father is God: John 6:27; 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3. Jesus is God: Matt. 28:9; John 1:1-4, 14; 5:17-18; 8:58; 10:30-38; 12:37-41; cf. Isa. 6:9-11; 20:28-29; Acts 20:28; Rom. 1:3-4; 9:5; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:10-11; Col. 1:16-17; 2:8-9; 1 Tim. 6:15; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20; Rev. 1:8, 17-18; 17:14; 19:16; 22:13-16. The Holy Spirit is God: Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30; Heb. 9:14; Mic. 3:8; Acts 1:8; Rom. 15:13, 19; Isa. 40:13-14; 1 Cor. 2:10. Ps 139:7; Acts 5:3-4; John 14:16; 2 Cor. 3:16-18.
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There are characteristics of God, like the Trinity, that we have a hard time understanding because we don’t share those attributes—they are beyond comprehension. For example, Scripture teaches that God is eternal, all knowing, and ever present—qualities which we certainly don’t possess and thus find difficult to relate to. Our devotions this week will examine some of God’s communicable attributes—the attributes that He does share with us—to remind us that although God is mysterious, He isn’t impersonal. Monday: God’s Knowledge God fully knows Himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.
We live in our own little worlds. Aside from God, we’re the only person that fully knows our own thoughts. We carefully and strategically reveal ourselves to others. Yet we’re still frustrated that God does the same thing to reveal Himself to us. While we’ll never fully understand God, we should take great joy in His infinite knowledge of Himself and of us, rejoicing in His plan to show Himself to us in His time. Today, spend some time in meditative prayer releasing what you don’t know (complex theologies, the deepest intricacies of God’s plan), and celebrating what you do know: that God is great, He loves you, and has wonderful plans for you that maybe you can’t yet see, but that will eventually be revealed.
1 Corinthians 2:9-11 Tuesday: God’s Wisdom But, as it’s written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
God’s wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals. 1 Corinthians 1:24-30 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who
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are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it’s written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Our study of God can obscure our relationship with Him. We attempt to classify and fit Him into our understanding, trying to impress others with the newest evangelistic technique, or the freshest, most analytical theological theory. However, today’s passage reminds us that flaunting our theological terminology often leads to foolish boasting. God’s plans are much, much better than our own and much more unexpected. Reflect on a time when you didn’t know God or when you walked away from what He clearly set out for you to do. Were your choices wise? Were you effective? Were you joyful? Today, praise the Lord that He’s the one setting down your path, thanking Him
that He’s wise beyond anything we can compartmentalize. Wednesday: God’s Faithfulness God’s truthfulness means that God will always do what He said and fulfill what He has promised. 2 Samuel 7:18-29 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house,
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and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” Despite a very long, turbulent road, David’s military victories paid off as he eventually became the rightful King of Israel. The various hardships he endured on the way to becoming king certainly warranted lost hope. However, David clung to God’s unshakable promises. What has God promised to do for you? How often do you study God’s promises? Reflecting on the promises He has made to always love you and be with you, pray that God helps you cast all anxieties up to Him to search and serve the Kingdom in all that you do. Thursday: God’s Goodness The goodness of God means that God is the final standard of good and all that God is and does is worthy of approval.
James 1:12-18 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when He’s tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when He is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. William Shakspeare once said, “When sorrows come—they come not single spied—but in battalions.” Many know the adage in its simpler form: “When it rains, it pours.” When our life floods with difficulties, our view of God is muddled in the midst of our junk. We can’t fathom why God would put us through such a mess, and we wonder if He’s really there in the first place. This week’s devotional lessons regarding God’s knowledge, wisdom, and faithfulness don’t mean anything if we’re not willing to put our theology in action. We must remember that God is good in everything He is and everything He does. We must remain steadfast during our tumultuous
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seasons, trusting that He’s molding us, shaping us, and bringing us closer to Him. Today, rejoice in your battles. Not in the pain that they cause but in the fact that God is good and will guide you, protect you, and lead you perfectly through all storms so that you may know and love Him more than you did before. Friday: God’s Love God’s love means that God eternally gives of Himself to others. 1 John 4:7-19 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have
come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There’s no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. There’s an underlying motivation in all of the attributes we have examined this week: love. Silly love songs have conditioned us to think that all we need is love, but this concept of love—denigrated through our notions of cinema, cupid, and comfort—has blinded us to what it truly means to love. We wrongfully assume that if we give just enough, we’re giving more than required. Yet, God gave up everything—the Father watched the Son brutally murdered, as the Son felt separation from the Father. Why? So that we too could fully feel the love that God has for us. He eternally gives of Himself to you; He bestows His goodness, faithfulness, wisdom and knowledge and for this, and today, we should rejoice in unashamed, vociferous prayer. Saturday: God’s Mercy, Grace and Patience God’s mercy means God’s goodness towards those in misery and distress;
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God’s grace means God’s goodness toward those who deserve only punishment; God’s patience means God’s goodness in withholding punishment toward those who sin over a period of time. Exodus 34:6-7 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
This week’s devotions made us feel good. It’s comforting that God is present in ways we can relate to—and in ways we can’t possibly understand. However, we must continually reflect that God doesn’t have to give us anything. In fact, because of our sin, we should be punished in the harshest way. But because God is good, because God is love, He chose to fix the problem through Jesus who suffered in the harshest way. Today, remember that although you’ll never fully understand God, you can understand the simplest facts: He has saved you from a life without Him and life with Him is filled with eternal goodness, eternal promises, and eternal love.
notes
true christianity
Read: 2 Peter 1:16-21 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. A few years ago, many claimed a knockout blow to the heart of Christian scripture. Riding the coattails of Dan Brown’s wildley popular The DaVinci Code, The Gospel of Judas reemerged as another piece of ancient writing suppressed by the church, revealing the truth about Jesus. It’s very interesting that those who cheered,
supported, and believed the findings are the same people who reject the Bible based off of questions of its authenticity. It’s amazing what a little research can do to a flawed, illogical argument. How many ancient, reliable copies of the “Gospel” of Judas are in known existence? One. How many ancient, reliable copies of New Testament scriptures do we have? Only about 14,000. Too many people fall prey to these cleverly devised myths because they simply don’t want the Bible to be true. They shield their eyes, refuse to listen to Christian arguments, and do anything they possibly can to justify attacks on God’s word. Today’s passage is a wonderful rebuttal to those who tried to explain Christianity outside of the truth; Peter simply tells them, “I was there, and I saw what the scriptures said.” He continues to give us an inside look as to how the word of God came to us. As Christians, we believe that God wrote Scripture “in concert with human authors whom He inspired to perfectly record His words [through the belief] called verbal (the very words of the Bible) plenary (every part of the Bible) inspiration (are Godbreathed revelation).” Simply put: we believe the Bible that we have today
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is the true, reliable, direct word of God, relevant and applicable to knowing God. Yes, we’ve all taken that college class, read a “scholarly” article, or watched a convincing Discovery Channel special that challenges our belief in God’s word—there are certainly enough challenges to Scripture to keep us in study for quite a while. But if we have faith that Jesus died on the cross for our sins—that God Himself came down, humbled himself out of love for you and your life—if we have faith in that unbelievable miracle, then why do we panic in light of a “new discovery” or “different take” or even “the real truth” about Christianity? No, our faith should not be blind. As Christians, we must know our Bible well, and also know about our Bible; we must research and be well informed in order to combat the faulty claims made by the world. Because research and facts don’t always convince others we must, like Peter, be eyewitnesses to what God and His word have done. Our story of faith, change, and newfound life is the ultimate argument, the ultimate rebuttal, and the ultimate testimony that God’s word is living and active, true and reliable for everyone to hear.
Discussion What are some of the attacks or oppositions you have heard about the Bible? How do you address these concerns? When you hear of these concerns, what is your reaction? Are you more likely to second guess your faith in God or stand firm in your faith? What resources do you have to learn and research about these issues? Many truth claims of Scripture come from Scripture itself. How does one address this circular argument? Explanation Even as Peter was writing this piece of Scripture, there were already attacks on his credibility, the credibility of the Bible, and the certainty of the Christian faith, just as there is today. What does this continued pattern of attack tell us? Reread Matthew 3:16-17. How does Peter use this event to defend his faith in God? Why does Peter refer to the scriptures as “to a lamp shining in a dark place?” How have you seen this play out in your life?
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This passage gives a first hand, experiential inside look as to how Scripture was written. How does it exemplify verbal planetary inspiration? Application List the top three objections you have heard against the Christian scriptures. Spend some time during the next month researching these objections and talking to those who would defend those objections.
Scripture to Examine Bible – Truth Claims Deut. 4:2: 12:32; Isa. 7:14; Ps. 12:16; 19:7; 119:140; 119:160; Prov. 6:23; 30:5-6; Isa. 55:11; Mic. 5:2; Luke 16:29, 31; John 17:17; Acts 17:11; Rom. 16:25-27; 1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Cor. 7:10, 12; 1 Thess. 2:13; 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Tim. 2:16; Heb. 4:12; James 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 2 Pet. 3:15-16; Bible – Poetics
Spend some time studying what Scripture says and claims about itself. What is easy for you to accept? What is most difficult for you to accept?
Ps. 19:10: Ps. 119:105; Jer. 15:16; Jer. 23:29; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; James 1:21; 1 Pet. 2:2.
notes
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God’s Word contains many promises and revelations, not just about Himself and His love for us, but also about His own word. This week we’ll examine various elements and promises that the Bible makes of itself to rejoice in our security that the Holy Scriptures are true, applicable, and relevant to our lives today. Monday: The Canon of Scripture The canon of Scripture is the list of all the books that belong in the Bible. Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. Many wrongfully assume that that the Bible was maliciously or erroneously arranged. With debates ranging from within the Christian community (Catholic Apocrypha) and outside of the Christian community (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Mary), it isn’t difficult to have a muddled view as to how the scriptures were put together.
In his article The Cannon of the New Testament, F.F. Bruce rebukes: The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognizing their innate worth and general apostolic authority… The approved books were then called the “canon” of Scripture, “canon” being a Greek word meaning “rod” or “ruler.” These books constituted the standard rule of faith for all the churches. So we conclude that the canon of scripture was not practically decided by a group of rulers or priests but by the people in the churches as each book proved itself effectual. In other words, no one arbitrarily decided what to include in the Bible. Instead, rebuking heresies of their time, these councils simply affirmed what was already believed to be the direct word of God. Today’s passage leads us to rejoice in the books we have in the Bible. God has spoken to us in many ways through many people and it has been recorded for us in the Holy Scriptures. Today, praise Him for giving you His word, and pray that, if you don’t already have one, that
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the Holy Spirit inspire you with a Bible reading and study plan. Tuesday: The Authority of Scripture The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. For many, authority is a bad word. We don’t want to be told what to do or how to do it. If we follow rules, it’s because we find the regulations just, fair, and fit for our lives. But when someone else tells us what should be done we rebel, sometimes aggressively. Reading Scripture should intimidate our hearts—we’ll inevitably find something our sinful heart doesn’t agree with and the Holy Spirit will convict us to change our ways. Today, evaluate your heart and your view of Scripture—do you submit to the authoritative Word of God? Or do you pick and choose, highlighting the things you like, skipping the things you don’t understand, and crossing off the things you disagree with? Pray that the Lord will give you the wisdom and the courage to see
yourself through Scripture and that He helps you understand that the authority, reproof, and correction that He brings are out of love and in your best interest. Wednesday: Inerrancy of Scripture The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts doesn’t affirm anything that is contrary to fact. Psalm 12:6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. Bart Ehrman made a fortune off of his book Misquoting Jesus, claiming that scripture was ignorantly or maliciously changed in order to advance political and theological beliefs. His misleading arguments also ignore the fact that in comparison with most ancient manuscripts, as seen in the chart to the right, the Bible is by far the most reliable text modern historians have. Any textual variants (discrepancies between different copies of manuscripts) with which Ehrman speaks of are all footnoted in your Bible, and none contradict or impact any major Christian doctrine. We generally struggle to see the Bible as a perfect piece of writing, mainly because we don’t understand how God Himself can be fully perfect. Yet, if we believe that God is all powerful why wouldn’t we be able to believe that He could create a perfect word for us. Today, rejoice in
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Homer
ca. 850 BC
643
95%
Herodotus
ca. 450 BC
ca. AD 900
Appx. 1350
8
*
Euripides
ca. 440 BC
ca. AD 1000
Appx. 1500
9
*
Thucydides
ca. 420 BC
ca. AD 900
Appx. 1300
8
*
Plato
ca. 380 BC
ca. AD 900
Appx. 1300
7
*
Aristotle
ca. 359 BC
ca. AD 1100
Appx. 1400
5
*
Caesar
ca. 60 BC
ca. AD 900
Appx. 950
10
*
Catullus
ca. 50 BC
ca. AD 1500
Appx. 1600
3
*
Livy
ca. 10 BC
20
*
Tacitus
ca. AD 100
20
*
Appx. 1400
99.5%
ca. AD 1100
Appx. 1000
New ca. AD 60 ca. AD 130 Appx. 100 Testament
* Not enough copies to reconstruct the original.
the reliability of Scripture – that what you read is true and relevant to your life and pray that the Lord give you the faith and trust in His Scripture to follow His complete word completely.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Thursday: The Clarity of Scripture The clarity of scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
We’re easily intimidated by big books. We justify our lack of Bible reading by claiming that it’s too hard to understand. However, our lack of understanding comes from laziness; our desire to attain greatness without putting in the great work often overcomes God’s command to know Him
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better. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, or elite intellectual in order to understand Scripture. Yes, it takes effort, effort that God demands of us in order to know Him better. Today’s passage reminds us to think and talk about God’s word all the time, every day. The Holy Spirit promises to guide our study, showing us exactly what Scripture means and how it applies to our life. Today, find that section of Scripture you struggle with – pray that the Lord give you the wisdom, resources, and understanding to be able to apply His word to your walk with Him. Friday: The Necessity of Scripture The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but isn’t necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws. Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the
temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He’ll command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. We undeniably need Scripture. Jesus, after having fasted for 40 days, mediating on Scripture and nearing Himself to the Father, was confronted by the devil and his schemes. Every time Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus responded with God’s word, rebuking the enemy with a powerful “it is written.” Jesus, as our ultimate example shows us that the Bible isn’t just a book full of applicable adages, but is a powerful tool to know God, and combat spiritual attacks. Without the Word of God we’re defenseless, left to our own sinful, flawed logic and desires which will ultimately fail us. Today ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you are missing in your daily spiritual bread and
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to fill that void; find a verse, passage, chapter, or even book of the Bible and commit to memorizing it. Saturday: Sufficiency of Scripture The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God He intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains everything we need God to tell us for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. Psalm 119 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible at 176 verses) is about rejoicing in God’s Word, His Law, and His regulations. This is a radical, outlandish idea – who praises God for… rules? The Psalmist, however, understood that God’s instruction and guidance is all we need for a truly rich and blessed life; following Him is our top priority as He’s the only one who satisfies. Yes, there are many books, Bible commentaries, podcasts, classes, and videos we can use to get us closer to God. But the one and only thing we need is to walk in His word by His will. Today, rejoice in prayer and worship that the Lord has provided a perfect word, a perfect law to guide us in our relationship with Him.
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Read: Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. The way that we treat others is highly selective. If you are a parent, you can see your own personality and habits (good and bad) within your own child. Even if you’re not a parent, you can still see your own qualities in the people you choose to associate with. Yet, we’re quick to judge the rude strangers, distance ourselves from those who harm us, and become enraged at anyone who gets in the way of our success. In short, we like the people who are like us and generally dislike or at most are indifferent to the people who are not like us. The Bible opens with today’s passage, showing how the Trinitarian God lovingly and carefully created everyone in His image, even those people whom you don’t like.
Earlier in this series we discussed God’s communicable attributes (characteristics of God that we can understand because we share those attributes) and incommunicable attributes (characteristics of God that are harder to understand because we don’t share those attributes). The topic of Imago Dei (Latin for Image of God) focuses primarily on those aspects that God gave to us as our Heavenly Father. We parallel Him in various moral, spiritual, mental, and relational, characteristics, a fact that can lead us down a bewildered philosophical path asking some pretty erroneous questions like: does God look like us? Does He have bad hair days? Is He grumpy in the morning when He wakes up, too? While we can certainly get lost in the details, the implications of being made in God’s image are simple and profound. If you are a child of God, if He made you in His image – how much more will He be caring for you? If He made everyone around us in His image, how does that change the way that we view and treat ourselves and others? If we understand God’s original design for our lives, we can then see how far we have fallen, how broken we are.
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We must always remember that our lives are not our own. They’re precious gifts direct from God. Furthermore, our new lives, our salvation, is a blessing bought at an incredibly painful cost. Knowing how much God has done to create us, love us, and redeem us we must live each moment for what He made us for: to give Him glory and to be more and more like Him every day.
Read Genesis chapter two. How does God give life to Adam? What does this say about God’s love for us as individuals? What did God say was “not good?” What does this say about God’s love for us as families and communities? Read Genesis Chapter 3. How did we ruin God’s initial design for us? What was the result of our sin?
Discussion Application When do you have the lowest view of yourself? The highest? Why? If we’re created in God’s image, what implications does this have on this view? When do you have the lowest view of others? The highest? Why? If we’re created in God’s image, what implications does this have on this view? Explanation Read all of Genesis chapter one. How were humans created unique in comparison with other animals? What were God’s commands to humans (before the fall)? What were we responsible for? What does that say about God and His purpose for our existence?
Evaluate your recent conflicts or judgments on people. How could you have handled those differently keeping Imago Dei in the forefront of the conflict. Are you using the body that God gifted you for His glory? How well do you care for yourself? Evaluate your eating, sleeping, and exercise patterns and assess how well you are caring well for God’s temple. Jesus, although fully divine, was fully human. Spend a few hours to read through the Gospel of Luke. What lessons can we learn from Jesus about what it means to be an image bearer of God?
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Scripture to Examine We’re made in His Image: Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1-3; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; James 3:9 Attributes that God shares with us (holiness, love, truth, righteousness, mercy, beauty): Gen: 18:25; Ex. 3:5, 34:6-7; Lev 19:2; Num. 23:19; Deut. 32:4; Pss. 5:4-6, 27:4; 50: 2, 84:11, 99:5; Eccles. 2:12; Isa. 6:3, 8:13, 33:17, 57:15; Hab. 1:12-13; Matt. 18:23-35; John 3:16; 14:6; 17:17; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:11; 12:8; 2 Cor. 1:20; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:47; 1 Pet. 1:14-19; 1 John 1:5; 4:8-16; Titus 1:2, 3:5.
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Being made in the Image of God has significant applications to the way we live our lives. This week we’ll focus on how we view and treat ourselves and others, how we can use Jesus as our ultimate example, how we respond to our new life, and what we can hope for in God’s redeemed creation in Heaven. Monday: Our View of Ourselves Psalm 139-13-16 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. We’re fearfully and wonderfully made. The ESV Study Bible commentators eloquently elaborate on this concept:
The word translated “wonderfully made” (Hb. nipleti) has a slightly unusual spelling (the expected spelling is niple’ti), which favors the esv footnote: “I am fearfully set apart.” This takes the word to be the term for God setting his people apart (Ex. 8:22; Ps. 4:3) or making a distinction between them and those who are not his people (Ex. 9:4; 11:7; 33:16). The faithful person singing this, who in the OT would be the child of faithful parents, can affirm that God set his special love upon him from the earliest stages of his personal life (cf. Ps. 22:9–10; 71:5–6). While this may be a strong memory verse for some of us, being a child of God isn’t something we apply very often. There’s always some physical, emotional, or intellectual flaw that we beat ourselves up about, stay consistently self-conscious, and yearn to change. Yet, the Lord created you just as you are for very specific reasons. Because of the cross, because of His sacrifice, He loves, not the person you are going to be one day, but the person you are today. Reflect on the fact that God made you just the way that He wanted to and that He set you apart for Himself – rejoice in this fact and respond by evaluating how you see and treat yourself as a child of God.
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Tuesday: Our View of Others James 3:9 How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. We have sharply trained tongues. Television news “debates,” talk radio rants, and even classroom discourses require us to be quick-witted, biting, and damaging with our words. However, the Lord instructs us to use our speech only for building up; when our sinful, broken nature compels us to verbally berate someone, warranted or not, or even when we make that hurtful sarcastic side comment, we’re lashing out against one of God’s creations. Today, repent of the way that you have used your speech to, intentionally or unintentionally, lash out towards others. Pray that the Lord
remind you that even in your most heated of conflicts, you are conversing with an image bearer of God and that they should be treated with the dignity and respect that that title brings. Wednesday: Our Treatment of Others 1 John 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. Sometimes we’re called to care for others that we simply don’t want to deal with. When we see others as image bearers of God, our response should be in love, even when (sometime especially when) that love isn’t reciprocated. Admittedly, not everyone makes it easy to love them which is when we must come to the heart of the gospel – there’s no reason why God should love us, but He does and He did when He died on the cross for those that so blatantly offended Him.
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Today, spend some time reflecting on what God has done for you and how you, based on that fact, should subsequently respond and care for others.
and provisions – how can you follow His example and lean on His lead? Friday: Our View of Ourselves as New Creation
Thursday: Our Ultimate Example of God’s Image Colossians 1:15-20 He’s the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And He’s before all things, and in him all things hold together. And He’s the head of the body, the church. He’s the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. It’s hard to learn something without an appropriate model. Good teachers not only disperse the information to their students but model for them an example of the final product. Jesus, fully divine and fully human showed us what it means to live as a child of God. His life reminds us of what relationship should have been like, of what God initially designed us to be. His majesty and power are certainly to be worshiped, but His life is also to be studied as a way for us to live. Today, reflect on the life of Jesus and examine how He reacted to stress, conflict,
Colossians 3:5-11 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. We have not only been given life, but we have been given new life. Scripture tells us that because of the fall, we were once dead, slaves to our sin, chained by our own desires. Yet Jesus Christ, through His sacrifice on the cross has freed us from our bondage and has made us anew. No, we’re not perfect and the Lord is constantly working on us, sanctifying us and teaching us how to be more like Him, for Him. Today, evaluate how you are living – are you living as a new creation, or do you default to your old, dead way of life.
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Pray that God would continue to renew you and remind you of your new and eternal life with Him. Saturday: Our View of Future Creations 1 Corinthians 14:42-49 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it’s raised in glory. It’s sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it’s raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but
the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. We have more to look forward to than we know. One day the Holy Spirit will redeem and resurrect us into a new creation. God has not only cared for us before we were born, but He’ll continue to care for us for after our physical bodies die away. Today, remember that the Lord has great plans for us beyond this life and reflect on what the implications of eternity have on how you live your life today.
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Read: Genesis 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called
to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat
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of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. We’re broken, but we don’t want anyone to know about it. The problem of sin is all around us – in the choices we make, in the relationships we have and break, and in the
pain and in justices of our societies. We individually and corporately find a way to intentionally or unintentionally mess things up pretty bad. But, again, we don’t want anyone to know about it. Bombarded with selfhelp media and attacked by others’ unrealistic expectation of perfection, we do everything possible to deny our faults, cover up our mistakes, and justify our failures. We do this so often and so well we try the same tricks on God – putting on a facade of perfection and rationalizing our behaviors to Him. Today’s scripture isn’t one we like to examine – it reminds us that we’re broken and sinful, fighting the consequences of our transgressions. Yet, without this important reminder we’ll continue to pretend that we have it all together. We must remind ourselves of our sinful nature for two key reasons. First, if we deny that we sin (and sin often) we’re crowning ourselves as the ultimate authority in our lives; no one will be able to confront us on our mistakes and we’ll become arrogant, embittered, and overly defensive for anyone who calls us out…including God. There will be no room in our heart for repentance, and thus, no need in our heart for God.
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Second, when we remind ourselves of our sinful nature, we also remind ourselves that God has a solution for our trespasses against Him. Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross not only cleanses and forgives us from our sins, but gives us a new heart to make war on the sins in our life. Sin is an awful thing to deal with, and nothing that we should be proud of. But God, in His infinite love chose to sacrifice everything in order to deal with it. This week, let’s not seep into a stupor of self-loathing, but let’s name our sins and rejoice in our King who not only knows about our brokenness, but is there to help us combat it every moment, every day. Discussion What are the serpent’s rhetorical tactics in this passage? How do you see Satan using the same tactics in our world? In your life? Adam and Eve have varying responses to the serpent and to God. Identify what those responses are. How do you see yourself responding in the same way to the temptations and sins in your life? Explanation Follow Eve’s process of justification for eating the fruit in verse six. How is this an appropriate pattern for the way we see temptations and justify our sins? What was Adam and Eve’s response after they ate the fruit? What are the implications of knowing that they were naked?
Why do you think that the all-knowing God asked questions of Adam and Eve? What purpose did this serve? Verse 15 is known as the protoevangelium – or the first time the Gospel of Jesus Christ is mentioned in the Bible. What does this say about God’s response to sin? Carefully examine the curses God gave to the woman and to the man. How do you see the impacts of these curses in your own life? In your community? In your country? Around the world? We read in verse 24 that man was exiled from the garden and the tree of life was guarded against anyone who would come near it. Read Revelation 22:1-4. How do we see God’s promises fulfilled in this passage? Application Journal through the following: What sins do you most struggle with? Do you have a plan of action and accountability to combat those sins? Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears categorize the following sinful responses to sin: •
Minimize (it’s not that big of a deal) • Legitimize (it’s okay for me in this situation) • Rationalize (it’s okay for me because of my circumstances) • Shift blame (it was someone else’s fault I sinned)
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•
Divert sin (I was just joking or someone misunderstood me) • Partial confession (we only confess part of our sins) • Regret consequences (we regret the consequences of our actions, but do not truly repent) • Become victimized (I am powerless to stop myself) • Confession without repentance, (I name the sin, but don’t do any thing about it to change my heart or behavior) • Blame sin on disease (sin is because of my condition and I have not found a cure)
The Mosaic law, though good and holy, cannot counteract the power of sin: Rom. 2:12–29; 3:9–20; 5:20; 7:1–25; 9:30–10:8 Through the righteousness of God, sin is judged and salvation is provided: Rom. 3:21–26; 5:12–19; 6:1–10; 7:1–6; 8:1–4 With the coming of Jesus Christ, the former age of redemptive history has passed away and the new age of redemptive history has begun: Rom. 1:1–7; 3:21–26; 5:1–8:39
Which of the above are you most guilty of? Evaluate your motivation for responding to sin in these ways.
The atoning death of Jesus Christ is central to God’s plan of salvation:
What sins (of others) are you most hurt by? How do you handle situations where others’ sin directly impacts you?
Rom. 3:21–26; 4:23–25; 5:6–11, 15–19; 6:1–10; 7:4–6; 8:1–4
Scripture to Examine
Rom. 1:16–4:25; 9:30–10:21
The Book of Romans is the textbook behind the theology of sin - what it is, its consequences, how we deal with it, and how God deals with it. The following, taken from the ESV Study Bible’s Introduction on the Book of Romans is a valuable outline to understanding sin and God’s solution to it:
There’s a certain hope of future glory for those who are in Christ Jesus:
All people are sinners, therefore all, without exception, need to be saved from their sin:
Rom. 2:25–29; 6:1–7:6; 8:1–39
Rom. 1:18–3:20; 5:12–19
Justification is by faith alone:
Rom. 5:1–8:39 Those who have died with Christ and who enjoy the work of the Holy Spirit are enabled to live a new life:
God is sovereign in salvation; he works all things according to his plan: Rom. 9:1–11:36
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New Christians and seasoned Christians alike need to be reminded of our sinful nature. More importantly, we need to be reminded that we’re not alone in this fight. This week, we’ll walk through various steps in recognizing our sin and going to God for forgiveness.
and that you need God to continue to teach you. List the habitual sins that plague you and rejoice that you have a wonderful savoir and friend who calls you out on your transgressions, and also helps you fight them. Tuesday: Seeking God’s Help
Monday: Identifying Ourselves as Sinners Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Romans 3:23 ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It’s easy to exclude ourselves from unlikable company. We’re quick to point out the speck in others’ eyes and can spout off judgments of others’ sin in rapid fire fashion. However, no matter how awful others look, we’re not immune or innocent of sin. Regardless of how long we’ve walked with Jesus, there’s still lingering, present sins that our heart needs to deal with. Today, remember that you are not above sin
Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins,and blot out all my iniquities.
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Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
forgiveness reminding us that unless we come to Him truly repentant, truly broken for how we have offended Him, no amount of outside help will help. Today, ask the Holy Spirit to truly convict you of the sins you have named and come to Him with a heart of deep repentance and devotion to trust in Him. Wednesday: God’s Solution to Our Sing Romans 5:12-21
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
God is our only solution. We can try self-help books, a vast regimen of accountability plans, and even an old-fashioned white knuckle approach to resisting sin. However, without God we can’t truly address the issues in our heart. Today’s Psalm is one of deep lament, begging God for
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one
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trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Today’s devotion is one of rejoicing and worship. Praise God that He would love us so much that He would send His Son to die in our place – live today as one totally forgiven, as one who has had their debt totally erased. Thursday: Identifying the Battle Proverbs 26:11
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Earlier this week we examined how sin entered the world. Today we joyfully read God’s solution to sin. Jesus, fully human and fully divine humbled Himself from His Kingdom to come save us. We can’t have a discussion about sin without discussing how Jesus died so that we may be forgiven for what we’ve done.
Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions— is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Despite what others may preach, we’ll only reach total victory when we see Jesus face to face in Heaven. While our sin was nailed upon the cross, 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us that, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
We can’t have a discussion about sin without discussing how Jesus died so that we may be forgiven for what we’ve done.
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We must be cognizant of the attacks of sin and prepared for battle. Today’s passage reminds us that we’re to set our minds on heavenly things and knowing that the things of this world never fully satisfy. Today, evaluate your greatest temptations– in what situations are you the most vulnerable to repeat your offenses? Pray that the Lord give you wisdom and safety within the battle. Friday: Our New Heart Ezekiel 36:26-27 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. God has given us a new heart with new desires, filled with longings for Him, and His ways. Scripture consistently reminds us that when we put our faith in Jesus our motivations and actions change. Today, pray that God continue to fill your new heart with His laws and ask that He help you continue to crush the heart of stone you once had. Saturday: Fruits of the Spirit Galatians 5: 22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Philippians 4: 4:-9 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Walking with Jesus demands immediate action – you can’t be neutral to what He has done for you. Battling our sin not only brings us closer to God, but advances His Kingdom for a Gospel filled heart is one that all should be able to see. You have been forgiven! Today rejoice in that fact and pray that the Holy Spirit guide you to be fruitful, not just in your own life, but to effectively spread the Gospel to those who so desperately need to hear it.
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notes
beliefs
notes
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Read: Acts 2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. We read passages in the Book of Acts and want to return to the idealistic “old days” where church “worked,” everyone held hands, altruistically served each other, and worshiped perfectly, all day every day. However, it’s important to realize that just because many of these people saw Jesus and His miracles face-to-face, they were NOT Jesus. Certainly, some failed to register for their potlucks on The City, some didn’t show up for silly reasons like a sporting event, and some didn’t serve out of selfishness.
Yet, these early models do exemplify the church as a family. While there was inevitably conflict, the shared love of Christ, persecution they faced, and interwoven lives created community that was difficult to break. There was a common bond in Christ that was more significant than age group, gender group, or life stage. They didn’t see leaving their church as an option. Here at Praxis, we long to have everyone in such a family. If you are not in one of our Missional Communities, we implore you to get plugged into one. No, they’re not perfect; you will find that some people are awkward, some are not as friendly as you prefer, and some will let you down. This type of community is difficult and messy, requiring we give the patience and care that Jesus gives to others, even for those who are not quite like us or that we don’t quite like. But we’re not called to find a community that best serves us, we are called to find a community that best serves and glorifies Him. Discussion What was a time where you felt truly cared for in a community? What was a time where you felt truly let down in a community?
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What do you feel are the qualities that best define a Christian community? In other words, what does a strong Missional Community look like?
• Praising
God favor with all people • Having numbers added to them • Having
Scripture to Examine Explanation Family/Community What do you think it meant to have “awe come upon every soul”? Do you think that still happens today? Why or why not? What does it mean to “have all things in common”? What does that look like today? Should we sell all our possessions to distribute to those in need? Why or why not? Why did the Lord add to their number? What does this look like today? Application How do you and your community spend time spend time in the following from verse 42: Devotion to the apostles teaching Fellowship • Breaking bread • Prayer • Attending the temple • Receiving food with glad and generous heart • •
Rom. 8:14; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Gal. 3:26-28; 6:10; Eph. 2:19; 2:2022; Col. 3:11, 14-15; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb.3:6, 12:7.
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in community
This week’s devotions are dedicated to some of the marks of a true community. A community that is Gospel centered, patient, and humble is one that can bear and endure all obstacles. If you are not in one of our Missional Communities, use this week to seek one out. Contact our Missional Communities Pastor, Ryan Eland at ryan@ praxischurch.com or sign up on The City to one of our connect groups. Monday: Family Starts with Love Matthew 22:34-39 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it’sn’t irritable or resentful; 6 it doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Beatles ballads quip that all you need is love. Yet, that is only half of the command, half of the journey for it’s easy to love those we already love and it’s easy to love those who love us. We’re called to love all, even those we find uncomfortable to be around, those who let us down, and those who hurt us. That’s a much greater call and an exceedingly more difficult task as our selfish, sinful pride often blocks our ability to truly reach out. Yes, all we need is love. But we don’t need the type of love that romanticizes unrealistic relationships. We need sacrificial, humble love that calls us to repent of our self-serving idolatry, and commands us to love others as family. Today, pray to the Lord to help you evaluate who within your community you find a hard time loving. Why is it difficult to love and support them? Ask the Lord to show you how to best care for and love this person (or people) and how you can show them the light of Christ in you.
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Tuesday: Community Is Family 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
you have treated those around you with respect, love, and purity and ask the Lord to help you see them through the eyes of Christ as image bearers of His love. Wednesday: Family Mess Galatians 6:1-4
There’s a reason why so many sitcoms focus on families: a family household is a funny thing. Incompatible personalities and outlandish conflicting habits create ridiculous, quarrelsome, television worthy scenes. Living in a Gospel-centered family allows us to speak frankly into each other’s lives, and bonds us to endure our kin’s quirks. However, this patience and endurance somehow flies out the door when we leave the comfort zone of our homes. We don’t always know how to confront someone directly or respectfully, and have no tolerance for any habits contrary to ours. Living in community with believers means respectfully calling those around us into repentance, but doing so in a humble, respectful, loving way — as if this person was a member of our household. It may be awkward, uncomfortable, and even Emmy worthy, but we must continue to build the family of God. Today, evaluate if
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks He is something, when He is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. We don’t like messes. Potluck gatherings are fun, Bible studies are fruitful, and prayer time is really helpful. But when someone within your community drops a major bomb, something that demands our work, attention, theological study, prayers, financial support, or even just something that we have no experience in dealing with, we recoil and hope that someone else can clean up the mess. But
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to bear each other’s burdens means to bear them no matter how heavy, awkward, uncomfortable, expensive, time consuming, and inconvenient they may be. Our community — our Christian family — needs us to respond when there’s a heavy weight on even one member. Today, pray that the Lord bring to mind someone in your life who is carrying an unbearable burden and ask Him for wisdom on how you can best serve them as a brother or sister in Christ. Thursday (Part I): Patience 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. As sinners, we’re bound to hurt and disappoint someone just as others hurt and disappoint us. Our instinct as
consumerist Americans is to punt: if a community is difficult, taxing, draining, or hurtful, we just leave. Yet being a member of a Christian community means to be patient with them all not just the people whom we most enjoy. This doesn’t happen magically or instantly and takes a great deal of devotion, investment, and enduring patience to be able to see the fruits of that fellowship. Yes, we will be hurt and disappointed by many; but the Gospel reminds us that we have hurt and disappointed God innumerable times in our lives and He always endures the journey with us. Thus, we follow His example and do the same for those He has called us to care for. Today, pray for patience and endurance. Ask the Lord to give you the energy to continue in community to serve those around you even when it’s exceedingly difficult to do so. Thursday (Part II): Through Every Season James 5:13-16 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he’ll be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that
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you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Scripture rightfully quips: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Your community will go through many phases. Some will be filled with great joy and praise, some with great hardship and conflict, and some with great sin and repentance. As a Gospelcentered community, we must be prepared to endure all. Whether that is praising vociferously over a victory, caring for the sick, calling someone to repentance, hearing someone’s confession, or bringing someone back into the community, a family must be ready to deal with whatever seasons pass. Today, evaluate your community’s plan to live out the patterns of life. Are you prepared for the highs and lows? Pray that the Lord bring you wisdom, patience, and endurance to serve others and serve Him in all seasons.
Friday: Community Is Roles Romans 12:3-13 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. God doesn’t call us to community to hang out; He blesses us with incredible talents and gifts to edify His name. If we’re living community correctly, we have an eclectic group of people with diverse abilities. Groups that, in humility (making sure that we recognize where those talents and gifts come from), identify and use those capabilities to build up the church to display a powerful example of the Lord at work today. The hungry are fed, the Gospel is preached, the sick are healed, and people are loved and served for the glory of His name. Today, evaluate your God given talents and gifts — how are you using them to help others around you? How are
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you using them to serve God’s Kingdom? Pray that the Lord continue to bless you in the areas of your strength to glorify His name and serve His family, church, and kingdom.
and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Saturday: Community Celebration Psalm 150Â Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings
Regardless of the personalities, gifts, seasons, location, mission, or identity, each group has one wonderful center of attention: our great, powerful, and loving God. Communities should praise together as a family, giving thanks to Him for all His glory on all occasions. Today, invite those around you to spend some time in worship reading Psalms or singing songs. Worship Him who brought you together in prayer or in silence and praise Him for the family He has provided.
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Read: Acts 17:16-34 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What
therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of
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this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Many find evangelism terrifying. We may hate confrontation, lack confidence, articulation, or knowledge of Scripture. We may simply be overly concerned with what others may think of us. Many hide behind the “they will see the way I live and see the light of Christ in me” excuse. Regardless of the reason, there comes a time when we need to step up to bat, cast our anxieties to the Lord and speak His truths regardless of the outcomes of those conversations may be. Evangelistic methodologies fill bookstores, outlining how to reach a group generation or gender or profession. They suggest to simply say this, hand this out, preach this sermon, serve this community, all by following this program and you are assured success! While these resources are help-
ful and often fruitful, many trump their technique as the technique or as the only way to reach others for the Lord. Today’s passage, a famous evangelistic model, shows us many aspects of preaching God’s word. At the core of his preaching is Paul’s burning desire to spread the Gospel and show others the joy, love, and forgiveness that has been given to him. Unconcerned with how he’ll articulate this and unafraid of the reactions he’ll get for sharing it, he does everything he can to tell others the truth about our God and what Jesus did for us. At Praxis we’re all about following Jesus, in community, on mission. Because we’re a diverse people with different gifts and different callings, our individual missions and the missions of each Missional Community look very, very different. Yet, scripture calls us to be on mission regardless of the costs, or outcome. On our mission, our Lord promises to give us the words to speak and to be with us when we’re mocked for His sake. Thus, let’s be a fearless congregation of missionaries, boldly telling everyone we know about the grace we have been given.
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Discussion
Application
What does it mean to share the Gospel with someone?
Identify those in your life who are not believers. What is your relationship like? Personal? Professional? Acquaintances?
How do you live missionaly? How do you engage non-believers in the truths of the Gospel? What are your biggest fears and challenges when sharing the Gospel with those around you? Explanation What does it mean that Paul’s “spirit was provoked within him” when he observed the city? What should that tell us about our response to our environments? What did Paul do in response to that provocation? What does that tell us about what we should be doing? What is Paul’s preaching style? What rhetorical devices does he use to capture the attention of his audience? How do others respond to Paul’s preaching? Examine the responses that he receives.
How do you feel you can further invest into the lives of those people and develop strong relationships with them? What do they value? Like? Dislike? What obstacles or objections do they see to the Christian faith? What opportunities do you have to share your faith with these people and with others? When and why do you retreat from those opportunities? How can you overcome the fears and obstacles to share the good news with others? Scripture to Examine Mission and Evangelism Isa. 52:7; 60:21; Matt. 10: 5-15; Mark 6:2; John 3:10; 10:16; Rom. 3:23; 5:5; 6:23; 10:1-21; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; Eph. 1:15-22; 2:15-7; Phil. 2:12; Col. 1:28-29; 2:14; 3:1517; 1 Thess. 5:16-25; 2 Tim. 3:16.
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mission & evangelism
This week we’ll examine Scripture to root out some of our fears of evangelism. We’ll prayerfully ask the Lord to guide us into preaching His word and His truth to those He has called us to evangelize. Monday: Mission to the Unchurched Jonah 1:1-3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. We live in a wonderful Christian comfort zone. Daily prayer, obedience, and study of Scripture isn’t easy in the most uninterrupted of environments. Thus, we often avoid anything that will disrupt our cruise-control lifestyle. If we’re happy, we feel no need to call others to repentance, especially others who aren’t connected to us.
Unfortunately, the great commission commands us to step into awkward, even messy situations. Jonah’s extreme rebellion against evangelism was a result of anger, hatred, and bitterness for those God wanted to save. Today, evaluate how you are like Jonah — unwilling to step out to evangelize, resentful that God would call you to preach His word. Pray that the Lord would give you a broken heart for those that are not saved and that He would give you the tools you need to embark on your missional journey. Tuesday: Mission to Our Community Jeremiah 29:4-7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
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The words of this passage were shocking to those who first heard it. Addressed to exiles, the brokenhearted, homesick people were yearning for good news, desperate to hear from the Lord. Instead of a command of homecoming, they’re directed to settle in even further, devastating their dreams that God would return them to the Promised Land. Many of us may struggle at our grueling jobs, or hate our neighborhood, but there’s a divine purpose behind our placement there. God doesn’t follow us wherever we move, but rather He sends us to our mission field. Today, evaluate how to better “settle in” and pray that the Lord give you comfort and praise to be a light to those around you. Wednesday: Mission to Teach 1 Peter 3:8-17 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from
speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it’s better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. Defensiveness is the worst enemy of evangelism. Given the opportunity to preach His word we don’t always communicate it in a way that reflects His character. There are two significant implications of today’s passage. First, the famous adage “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” demands
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the continued study of our faith. We don’t all have to be top-level theologians, but we should be well read and educated on the current objections against Christianity. Second, our evangelism must be saturated with the love, kindness, and patience that the Lord shows us.
and having conversations with people we wouldn’t normally befriend. There’s a certain adaptation we must make in order to invest in the lives of others. This doesn’t mean that we sin or go against the convictions of the Holy Spirit. But it does mean we go wherever He calls us, even if it’s the last place we would ever consider going.
Today, evaluate your weaknesses in evangelism — do you study enough? Are you quick to defend in anger? Pray that the Lord would provide the time and resources to study His word and truths and that when you’re called to defend and explain our faith, that you do so in a way that reflects His love.
Today, evaluate when you’ve avoided mission because it meant you would have to be somewhere or talk to someone you didn’t really relate to. Ask the Lord how you can better relate to, love, and serve those around you, always showing them His love.
Thursday: Mission as Context
Friday: Mission as Call
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Romans 10:14-15
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless They are sent? As it’s written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Mission is uncomfortable; it means going places we wouldn’t normally go
We don’t like responsibility. Hiding behind God’s sovereignty, we pass off evangelism to the next Christian or to God Himself, thinking that if God really wants to save that person He can do it without you. While God certainly doesn’t need you, that doesn’t excuse apathy and inaction. There are many that God has called to His purposes and there are many that God has called us to call. The Christian life
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demands an evangelistic response: the beautiful task to share the Good News with others. Today, evaluate your efforts in mission and evangelism and pray that the Lord convict you of any missed efforts. Ask for guidance that He may show you the mission He has sent you on. Saturday: Mission of Redemption Revelation 5:9 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a
kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. What we do here on Earth, the relationships we have, and the Gospel we preach has implications well beyond our time here. God is on a mission to redeem what we have broken, to make right what we have wronged, and to restore this world to what He originally created us for. Today, worship Christ the Lord and thank Him for having you as a part of His mission. Ask our wonderful King how you can best serve Him on the quest to bring us all back to Him.
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Read: Luke 4:16-30 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is accept-
able in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. No matter how it’s phrased, the call to read and study Scripture is always received by some as a guilt trip. Add our impatient demeanor, our poor study habits, our self-imposed lack of time, and our misinterpretations and misunderstandings of what scripture is, and a lesson reminding us to study God’s word is usually met with a lot of deep sighs and dramatic eye rolling. Here at Praxis we’re all about following Jesus. And in order to follow Jesus we need to know as much as we possibly can about Him. And in order
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to know as much as we possibly can about Him, we need to study Him, through Him, with Him in His word. Too many legalists have overburdened and manipulated their religious tendencies to shame others into the word of God. But if you are too impatient, busy, or indignant to study God’s word perhaps you need to evaluate where you prioritize Him. If guilt creeps up when you hear that call, then that’s a call you should probably answer.
God’s people we must make studying what He has spoken a top priority in our lives.
But Bible reading should be joyful, not burdensome. In this passage we see Jesus unashamed about His knowledge and application of Scripture. His dedication to God’s word centered Him in the wilderness, guarded Him against Pharisaical attacks, and comforted Him in His time of great pain, and great need. While we won’t be fulfilling any Messianic prophesies, we should certainly know Scripture well enough to be able to talk about it and apply it to our lives, even when it makes us unpopular.
Explanation
This week we will look at different strategies regarding how to study Scripture. God has provided a map, a light unto our path, a joyful communication between Him and your heart. This is a miracle available to us as a daily guide. Called to be learners, as
Discussion How often do you study Scripture? What obstacles do you usually encounter when you do? Share with others your strategies in reading and studying God’s word. What works? What doesn’t work?
Why did Jesus choose this particular passage in Isaiah to read? Read Isaiah 61:1-2. What are the differences in that passage and what Jesus read? Why did He stop reading in the middle of verse 2? Outline the various reactions to Jesus’ reading and response. Why did others react this way? How did Jesus respond? Why was the content of His response significant? Application Do you know Scripture well enough to be able to cite it in times of need?
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Evaluate your Scripture study habits. How motivated are you to learn about God’s word? What stops you? What frustrates you? What can you do to alleviate those frustrations?
Scripture to Examine Prov. 1:8-9, 8:9, 9:6, 9, 12:1, 15:5, 21:11, 22:24-25, Ps. 86:11, 94:12; Matt. 11:28-30.
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discipline of study
Approach to Study
Steps into Study
The best way to devote our time to study is by practicing the discipline of study. We’ll be walking through a few Bible reading strategies this week examining Ephesians chapters one and two. Plan on meeting with members of your Missional Community to share, compare and contrast what you learned.
In addition to the strategies outlined this week, Richard Foster outlines four important steps to Bible Study in his book Celebration of Discipline that are highly useful to our time in the Scripture.
Bible Ownership & Translations If you do not own a Bible, look to investing into one, or visit one of our connect desks or contact info@ praxischurch.com. We would be happy to provide you one, free of charge. At Praxis we use the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. We believe it one of the most accurate and readable translations. The ESV Study Bible is an unbelievable resource for your study and well worth the cost. However, there are many great accurate and readable translations of the Bible that can be use for study including the New International Version (NIV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and the New King James Version (NKJV).
1. Repetition: It’s important for the mind to absorb the material that is being studied. Repetition is a great way to familiarize yourself with unfamiliar passages of Scripture. Make sure, after prayer, you start off every study session with a full reading of Ephesians chapter one and two. 2. Concentration: We kid ourselves into thinking we can learn in a distraction-filled environment. Set aside a very specific time and place for you to be able to study, away from any distractions. Respectfully inform roommates or family members that you need some time alone with God and God’s word. Turn off the television, iPod, and yes, even the phone. Make a concentrated effort to learn from Him. 3. Comprehension: Do not pass something over simply because it may be difficult to understand. Remember that comprehension and application don’t always come
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automatically, but require patience and endurance. 4. Reflection: Studying the Bible is useless unless we apply it to our lives. It’s important, to see our life through the lens of Scripture. God will reveal innumerable insights when we read, study, and even memorize Scripture. Take this week and reflect on the teachings of Ephesians one and two; be mindful and aware of the Holy Spirit’s call in your life and be ready to listen to His direction.
help guide your time and your study this week, to illuminate the Scriptures and help you apply God’s word to your life.
Monday: Prayer & Overview
After prayer, begin your study by reading Ephesians chapters one and two. Don’t worry about understanding every word or concept, simply read through the chapters once or twice and underline (yes, it’s okay to write in your Bible) key phrases or passages that stick out to you, inspire you, or even confuse you. Write down 10-20 observations from each chapter, as well as any questions you may have regarding the reading.
Before you even attempt to read Scripture, it’s of the utmost importance to start with prayer. Prayer is the prerequisite for study as we are wholly dependent on God for His revelation:
End in prayer. Pray that the Lord bring these observations to light and that He help you find more and more insights and applications throughout your day.
God the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. He gives us wisdom and without Him the Scriptures would be folly and unintelligible to us (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).
Tuesday: Exegesis (Then & There, Original Intent)
He intercedes for us in prayer and understanding (Romans 8:26-27). Thus, it’s critical that even before we approach Scripture and analyze it in any way, we must ask God to inspire and guide us in our study.
Exegesis is the careful, systematic study of Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning. It’s the attempt to hear Scripture as the original recipients, finding out the original intent of the words of the Bible. There are two factors in studying Exegesis — historical and literary content.
Closely analyze the first five words of Hebrews 3:7. The Bible is the Word of God spoken by God the Holy Spirit today (Hebrews 3:7), and is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Because of this, it’s critical that you start with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to
Historical Content It’s important to know about the authors of Scripture and their audience. David was a king writing to Jews. Daniel was an exile in Babylon. Luke was a doctor writing to Gentiles. Paul was a former Pharisee and per-
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secutor of Christians writing to early churches. Understanding the historical context can help us see the intentions behind Scripture. Literary Content We read a poem much differently than we read a short story and a newspaper article much differently from the way we read an autobiography. Each genre of writing has its own style, purpose, and frame of reference. Scripture is filled with historical accounts, poetry, census information, parables, biographical accounts, letters, and prophetic writings all that require a variety of reading strategies. Reading advanced, complex, thick Bible commentaries are helpful, but certainly not a prerequisite for exegesis as God’s word is totally sufficient for us. There are many tools available for us to examine the original intent. Today, read through Ephesians chapter one and answer the following questions:
What theme or purpose does this establish for the rest of his writing? End in prayer. Pray that the Lord bring these observations to light and that He would help you find more and more insights and applications throughout your day. Wednesday: Hermeneutics (Here & Now, Life Application) Hermeneutics, (a term that includes and assumes the first step of exegesis), is the “here and now” direct application to our lives. In exegesis we determined what the original purpose or intent was, and in hermeneutics we determine how that message fits into our lives. We ask the questions: How is this scripture relevant to me today? How should this scripture influence and guide my knowledge, trust, and love of God?
What literary genre is this? Who is Paul, the author? What is his role and why does that role give him the authority to write this? To whom is Paul writing? How does he start his message to them? Why is this important? Outline Paul’s thoughts from 1:3-14 (in the original Greek, this was one very long sentence). What do you think this communicates to the original readers? Create a similar outline for 15-23.
How do I apply this knowledge to my day-to-day routine? Review your outlines for Ephesians chapter one and answer the questions above as well as the following: What in your outline of Paul’s thoughts and assertions surprised you? What stood out to you? What did you not know? What does this passage teach you about your relationship to God? About His relationship to you? About His
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character and His love for us? End your time in prayer. Knowing what you’ve learned from this passage –what do you do with it? How do you respond to the way that God treats and cares for His children? Thursday: Ephesians 2 Spend some time today going through and outlining the exegesis and hermeneutics of Ephesians 2. Take your time — this is one of the richest, most clear and wonderful outlines of the Gospel. Why do you think it was important for Paul to outline what Christ did for us this way? What direct, immediate implications does this presentation have on your life? End in prayer. Pray that the Lord bring these observations to light and that He help you find more and more insights and applications throughout your day. Friday: Extra-Biblical Resources While God’s word is totally sufficient, there are many other helpful tools to use for study. First, comparing and contrasting various translations can shed light on different angles of a passage. If you do not own different translations go to biblegateway.com. This website is a wonderful tool to look up Scripture references in various translations and languages. The second resource is Bible commentaries.
Here you have to use caution. Just because it’s published and it’s in a Christian bookstore doesn’t automatically guarantee good, accurate, or even Biblical teaching. The websites monergism.com and bestcommentaries.com are useful, reliable tools to find good commentaries. In addition, most Bibles have at least a basic introduction to each book of the Bible, and some have wonderful commentaries already built into their publication. Today, spend some time reading through different translations of Ephesians Chapters one and two and read through some commentaries for those passages. Answer the following questions: What words or phrases were different in the second translation you used? How did that impact your observations? What in the second translation stood out to you that you may not have seen before? What observations did the commentaries have that surprised you? What did not surprise you? What did you not already know? What had you already learned from your own study? Saturday: Learning in Community Learning corporately amplifies our study. Today, gather a group from your Missional Community for a meal and share your observations on the first two Chapters of Ephesians. Here
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are some discussion questions: Share your initial exegetical outlines for Ephesians Chapters one and two. Take your time and outline, compare, and contrast your observations. How does this presentation of the Gospel differ from those you have heard in the past? How could you use this passage to share with your non-believing friends what Christ did for us? Share your experiences this week with each other through the lens of Ephesians Chapters one and two. How did you see this Scripture play out in your
life? What opportunities did you have? What opportunities did you miss? Share the notes you had on different translations and commentaries. What observations stood out to you? What did you learn that you didn’t learn from your own study? Compare and contrast notes. Finally, end in prayer and praise that God’s word is authoritative, clear, sufficient and profitable for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16).
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Read: John 13:1-20 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are
clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Leadership is a curious thing. Google search “leadership” and the results lead to countless resources on taking control, demanding authority,
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and commanding respect. Aspiring leaders are often driven by a hunger for power recognition. Yet Jesus, the ultimate authority, debunks American assumptions about leadership. Modeling true leadership, Jesus humbled Himself in this incredible act of servitude. Lowering Himself to do a very dirty, messy job for His friends when he washed their feet (if you think your feet are gross imagine the feet of those who only wear sandals in the desert). We often miss the fact that that Jesus washed Judas’ feet, fully knowing that this man would betray Him for an insignificant amount of money. This is totally illogical. We wouldn’t wash Judas’ feet. We would expose him publicly for the fraud and thief that he was, and plot great harms upon him. But Jesus, our ultimate example, shows us that if He can serve those who would betray Him, we can certainly serve those around us, whether friend or enemy. Being on mission, we’re called to share the grace He gives with those He calls us to, serving them in whatever ways are most glorifying to Him. This takes an incredible amount of humility and sacrifice. We must give of ourselves through our time and our
finances in order to build someone else up, regardless of who they are and regardless of who you are. We won’t get the power or recognition, but the significance of our task will far exceed these temporary rewards as we lead others to the One who can best lead us. Discussion Recall a time when someone went above and beyond to serve and help you. What compelled them to do that? How were you able to respond? Recall a time in your service of others when someone took advantage of you. What compelled them to do that? How were you able to respond? Explanation Based on verse one, what was Jesus’ primary motivation for this act of service? How does Jesus respond, in this instance, to the knowledge that He was going to be betrayed and killed? Why does Jesus claim that Peter does not currently understand this act of service? What is Jesus’ message to the disciples? What is his message to Judas?
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Application
Scripture to Examine
Who do you feel called to serve? Who does your community feel called to serve? Create a plan of action to help those around you and your community to show the love of Christ.
Exod. 21:2, 21:5-6; Matt. 20:20-28; 25:31-39; Luke 10:29-37;John 13:117; Rom. 12:9-13; 15:1-7; 1 Cor. 9:19, 10:24, 12:12; 2 Cor. 4:5; 8:815; Phil. 2:1-11; Col. 3:23-25.
What do you most cling to when asked to serve — your time, money, or talents? How do you think you can be more generous with those to serve others?
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serving others
We’re comfortable in engaging God one on one but we’re not as comfortable engaging others about God. This week we’ll examine Scriptures that help illuminate the need for mission and evangelism and help us bring down some of the barriers that prevent us from spreading the Gospel to all we know. Monday: Following Jesus’ Example as Servant 2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. We make a big deal of ourselves; clawing to the top. We use others to accomplish our goals, and take great pride in all that we’ve done. Unfortunately, Jesus is not impressed. The first fact in regards to service is to remember that our life is not our own. As sinners, we have walked far away from God, offending Him in ways we can’t imagine. Only by Jesus’ incredible sacrifice are we reconciled back to Him. As servants of Christ, we must put away our worldly desires, make much less of ourselves, and follow Him in whatever ways He would have us serve.
Today, reflect on what God has accomplished for you on the cross and evaluate how you can live and work for His Kingdom and His Glory. Tuesday: The Humble Servant Mathew 20:20-28 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We’re able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your
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slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” It is amazing how even the most righteous acts can become sinful and tainted. Here, a mother requests her sons to be first in line to Jesus. When pressed, Jesus tells them flat out that they don’t have what it takes. Why? Because they were so concerned with power and image and failed to recognize that a true leader ignores those temptations. Even when we serve, we want to control; but Jesus reminds us to serve is to humble ourselves and do what most don’t have the courage to do. Today, take some time to evaluate how your pride and image are obstacles to serving others — are you more concerned with your image or are you more concerned with the Kingdom of God? Ask Him to help you see your heart’s motivations. Wednesday: Serve Without Prejudice Luke 10:25-37 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” We avoid the truth behind the command to “love your neighbor.” The lawyer, like us, didn’t like God calling him to serve others. After all, he, like us, was a very important and busy person. He needed a clearer definition to make sure he was doing everything correctly. His request backfired as Jesus simply raised the bar of service. The central figure in Jesus’ parable was a Samarian whom the Jews despised. Jesus used this illustration to show that our neighbor is not just someone who lives near us, or
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someone who we like, but it’s anyone around us in need — even if that means helping those we hate. Today, reflect on the people in your life whom you may garner some bitterness toward; what if God called you to serve them? How would you be able to overcome your feelings and serve God’s mission? Pray that the Lord would give you honest eyes and help you break through the prejudices in your life that may be preventing you from serving others. Thursday: Putting Others First Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every
name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Putting others ahead of ourselves is a laughable ideology, because we’re culturally conditioned to look out for number one, first and foremost. This selfish outlook is the cause for many broken business partnerships, relationships, and unfortunately, families. We’re much quicker to prioritize how we feel, or what is in our best interest before we’re decide to help others. But God calls us to a type of unity of which this world is not accustomed — we’re to love one another as we would have others love us. Using Christ as your example, today pray that you are able to look to others’ specific needs, even when (especially when) they completely conflict with your own needs. Ask the Lord to help you put others’ interests above yourself for the glory of His name. Friday: Serving Those in Need Romans 15:1-7 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it’s written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that
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through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Righteous deeds performed with selfish motivations are sinful deeds. Yet when we’re serving others, we do benefit ourselves. When we build our community, when we lift each other up in times of great need, we’re lifting up the Kingdom of God and fulfilling Jesus’ prayer for us to be unified.
Saturday: Looking to Serve 2 Corinthians 8:8-15 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it’s acceptable according to what a person
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look note only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. phillipians 2:3
Today, reflect on a time when a community rallied around someone (perhaps you) who was in great need. Praise the Lord for such unity and ask Him to help you recognize when others within your community are in need. Pray that He would help you to pray for and provide for those in need.
has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it’s written,
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“Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” Social justice projects are popular. Today’s powerful media tools provide us with the ability to participate in a just cause by simply sending a text message. Our tiny technological donation makes us feel very good about having sacrificed to serve those in need. But there’s much more to be done than simply sending a text message that will donate money. Disaster relief starts with a bang, yet end in a fizzle, even though the need may be just as great (if not even greater) than
when disaster initially hit. While these donations are certainly important and do make a difference, this Scripture reminds us that we have everything because Christ gave us everything. And, in the same way that Christ endures with us, we must endure to serve those we have been called to serve, no matter how long the journey. Today, continue to pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see who He has called you to serve, and ask Him to give you the patience to finish the race strong — that you would be able to fill the need and help others until there is no longer a need.
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notes
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notes
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prayer Read: Matthew 6:5-15 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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The more time you spend with someone, the closer the relationship is. Pretty obvious, right? However, we must be reminded of this whenever the topic of prayer arises. The excuses justifying our lack of commitment to a prayer time are endless. Here are some great mistakes: •
Prayer is often a last resort, a 911 call to God.
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
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Prayer makes us feel unproductive because it is usually a quiet, still activity.
•
Prayer is not always answered on our time; we become frustrated by a lack of “results”.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
•
Prayer sometimes simply slips our minds.
Unfortunately, our conviction to these excuses often guilt us into prayer life. Repentance is the first step to take if one is not praying enough, but we should also be rejoicing in the opportunity to pray. The creator of the universe, the God of the Bible, our great Lord and Savior wants us to be in relationship with Him. This is an unbelievable, humbling and exciting fact that must ignite us to seek out prayer with great excitement.
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The popular outlines that guide many prayers today are not a finite list of how to pray. We can pray by silent meditation, journaling, or prayer walks. We can pray while we run, on our lunch break, or even when we’re stuck in traffic. We can pray during tough conversations, pray to rejoice in a good day, and pray in praise before a meal. Regardless of the worldly influences that may seduce us away from time with our Lord, it remains a reality that we can pray without ceasing, using all we think, all we say, and all we do as prayerful sacrifice and devotion to our Lord. The all-powerful God promises to be ever present and is always listening to us. Let’s devote our saved lives completely to Him by being in deep relationship with Him through prayer. Discussion
given their reward? Why does God want us to pray silently, even secretly? What are “empty phrases”? When do you think you have prayed “empty phrases” to God? What does it mean that God’s name is hallowed? If we know God is all-powerful, why should we pray for God’s will to be done? What does it mean to forgive the debts and trespasses of others? Why is that a requirement for our prayer life? Application Study this passage carefully and take notes on the following:
Discuss your prayer habits with others. Explain what has and hasn’t been helpful to you in your prayer life.
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Outline how Jesus warns us not to pray. What do the “hypocrites” do that we should avoid?
What are your hesitations to prayer? Why do you think we don’t pray more often?
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Outline Jesus’ example of prayer. What implications does each verse have? Why is each of these aspects important in our prayer life?
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Spend some time in prayer trying the following methods of prayer:
Explanation Why would the hypocrites (those who pray to be seen) have already been
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•
Journal your prayers (write a letter to God)
Confession Of Sins Mathew 6:12, 1 John 1:9
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Silent prayer (spend some time talking to God and doing nothing else)
Forgiving Others Matthew 6:14-15
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Go on a prayer walk or run (let the Lord guide your prayers)
Humility James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5
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Pray through Scripture (find a scripture or Psalm that you can read out loud)
Continuing Prayer Over Time Luke 5:16, 6:12
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Pray with others (ask for prayer requests and pray for each other)
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Praise and worship (find a time to simply be with God, not asking Him for anything)
Praying Earnestly Hebrews 5:7 Waiting on the Lord Psalm 27:14, 38:15 Praying In Private Daniel 6:10, Matthew 6:6
Scripture to Examine Praying According to God’s Will 1 John 5:14-15 Praying With Faith Mark 11:24 Obedience Psalm 66:18, Proverbs 15:8, 15:29, 28:9
Praying With Others Matthew 18:19-20 Great Prayers of the Bible Gen. 18; Exod. 15, 33; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Kings 8; 2 Chon. 20; Ezra 9; Ps. 22, 104; Dan. 9; Hab. 3; Matt. 6; John 17; Col. 1.
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prayer
This week we’ll examine different types of prayers and use these scriptures to ignite our prayer life to and draw closer to Him. Monday: The Prayer of Worship Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He’ll not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast
love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Many pray only when they’re desperate. But prayer exists for all reasons, seasons, and occasions. Read this
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Psalm a few times: once for familiarity, once for understanding, and once while focusing on praise and worship of God. God, exemplified by the sacrifice He made, loves us and cares for us and reminds us of this often. Delight in these facts, with prayer dedicated to worship. Tuesday: The Prayer of Repentance Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of
your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. We all mess up; fairly often and sometimes very badly. When we dismiss our sins as already forgiven without truly reflecting on our motivations and issues in our heart, we cheapen the grace Christ gives us. The conviction of the Holy Spirit moves us to time of repentance, not just a momentary acknowledgment of our sins. This doesn’t mean we beat ourselves up, find some penitence, or try to “make it up to God”; it simply means that with a humble heart we come to God, confess what we have done, and ask Him to help lead us away from further sins and temptations. Today, spend some time evaluating sins for which you have not previously repented. Ask God to guide you to
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healing and reconciliation with him and those around you.
Thursday: The Prayer of Guidance Matthew 26:36-46
Wednesday: The Prayer of Thanksgiving Psalm 150 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!; Praise the Lord! We’re blessed. We certainly have our bad days, months, and even years. Many go through very dark seasons struggling to keep their heads above water. It may seem foolish, even inappropriate at times, to thank God for the difficulties we are experiencing. But if we really put our theology into action, if we really believe that God provides us with everything and guides us through all he offers, we can see that wec are blessed and protected by His love. He has given us so much, even in our time of greatest despair. Today, praise Him and thank Him for His mighty deeds, even in—and especially in—our most challenging times.
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” For those of us who have felt scared and abandoned, and come to God hoping that He can change our situation, this is an exemplary passage.
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Jesus—fully man, and fully divine— feeling more frightened and more alone than we could possibly imagine, prays an earnest prayer of request, followed by one of submission to the Father’s will . Knowig that God’s plan is the best way, Jesus humbly rescinds His request and submits to the will of his Father. The Lord is our perfect counselor. Today, ask Him for advice, but be willing to hear advice you may not enjoy and may not even agree with. Bring Him all of your anxieties, questions, and problems . Let Him hear you out and guide you through them.
Prayer means nothing if we don’t believe that it can accomplish something. God is all knowing and powerful, but that’s not an excuse to neglect prayer. Like a good Father, God wants us to be filled with faith, love, and gratitude that He can, will, and does provide. Will all of your prayers be answered? No. Sometimes our motives in prayer are wrong, or sometimes our requests are not what is best for us. But prayer is answered and God does respond. Today, evaluate your motives in prayer and search your heart for the faith that God requires — do you truly believe that God can answer your prayers? Talk to Him, asking Him to give you the faith to pray as He would have you pray.
Friday: The Prayer of Faith James 5:13-18
Saturday: The Prayer of Command
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he’ll be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it’s working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Mark 9:14-29 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to
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me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted
him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Prayer is powerful. Some wrongfully assume that because they pray, they have the power. Yet it’s God who grants that power and miracles unto us though a deep, loving, intimate relationship with Him. This passage explains how one may be near God, but not close to Him. We can very easily have prayer on our “to do” list while completely missing the point of it. It’s that relationship — the close bond that allows powerful, wonderful, and miraculous acts to be done around us, to us, and for us. Understanding the power of prayer comes from the proximity of God to our hearts. We must devote our lives to constantly striving for a closer relationship with Him. Make prayer more than a task — make it an ever-present habit.
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Solitude & fasting Read: Luke 4:1-13 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
and, “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. The greatest enemies to prayer are distractions and satisfactions. Today’s passage shows Jesus coming out of forty days of solitude and fasting. This was a time spent totally devoted to fellowship with the Father, studying of His word, and preparation for His ministry. This intimidates us.
And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
First, we can’t fathom spending large portions of time dedicated only to prayer, especially in seclusion. Being alone is a terrifying idea. Who will validate us? Who will recognize us? Who will we share our accomplishments with? What will we tell people that we were doing after our time in solitude? After all, there is always something to be done, something to watch, somewhere to go, and someone to impress.
“‘He’ll command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
Second, fasting may seem like an outdated practice for the spiritually elite.
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
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Denying ourselves food in order to get closer to God seems outlandish, even foolish. We can (and are encouraged to) satisfy our stomachs immediately with whatever our palates desires. Why would we deny ourselves a meal or two, and how is that a form of prayer? John Piper states in his book A Hunger for God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer: “Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger of homesickness for God…Half of our Christian fasting is that our physical appetite is lost because our homesickness for God is so intense. The other half is that our homesickness for God is threatened because our physical appetites are so intense.” Solitude and fasting are not outdated nor outlandish. Our daily lives war against everything done in solitude and against anything done in fasting. They’re core Christian Disciplines that must be learned and practiced. We try to justify to ourselves, claiming that we’re not “advanced” enough in our Christianity, and that these practices are only for the spiritual elite. Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Disciplines adequately refutes this idea: We must not be led to believe that the Disciplines are only for spiritual giants and hence beyond our reach, or only for contemplatives who devote
all their time to prayer and meditation. Far from it. God intends the Disciplines of the spiritual life to be for ordinary human beings: people who have jobs, who care for children, who wash dishes and mow lawns. In fact, the Disciplines are best exercised in the midst of our relationships with our husband or wife, our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbors. If solitude and fasting is not a part of your Christian life, spend some time to study, pray, and practice through these important disciplines. If you wonder how this can be fruitful, look to Jesus. He used the knowledge, meditation, and focus He had on the Father and on the Word to enable him to withstand temptation, rebuke Satan, and be ready for the mission He was sent to accomplish. Discussion Share your experiences, assumptions, and apprehensions in regard to fasting. Compile a list of questions that you as a group can research and then report on to the group. Why do we find it so difficult to be alone? What fears do you have of spending long periods of time in solitude with God?
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Explanation How is Jesus described at the start of this passage? Why is this significant? What does this say about the “results” of His time in solitude and fasting? How long did Satan tempt Jesus? How does Satan tempt Jesus? How are these temptations similar to the ones we face today? What is Satan trying to “satisfy”? How does Jesus rebuke Satan? What does this say about how we should spend our time in solitude and fasting? Application Schedule one hour this week to be in prayer and nothing else. Make sure
you are able to put away all distractions and be in a place where you are able to focus solely on God. Schedule a day (or weekend) of silence and solitude between now and a year from now. Do everything you can to set it in stone (make reservations, put down a deposit, etc). Examine scriptures on fasting. What do you see from these examples? Read about Christian fasting and begin to set aside some time and preparation for a fast. Scripture to Examine Ps. 8; Neh. 1:4-11; Esth. 4:12-17; Isa. 58:1-7; Jer. 20:7-18; Dan. 10:1-14; Matt. 6: 5-6, 26:36- 46; Luke 4:1-13, 5:16; Acts 13: 1-3, 14:19:23.
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solitude & fasting
This week we’ll focus on what it means to spend time alone with God, fasting in worshipful prayer to be able to hear His voice and to do His will. Before engaging in any fast, please research the various methods of fasting and make sure you are physically able to endure a fast.
Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?
The best online resources for fasting can be found on desiringgod.org.
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Monday: The Prayer of Worship Isaiah 58:1-7 “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist.
Wrongful fasting can be sinful fasting. It’s easy to compartmentalize our spiritual disciplines under a religious formula. Some may think that if you fast, giving up something enjoyable, then God owes you something in return. A time of fasting must be prayerfully brought to God and can’t attempt to manipulate Him or gather attention to one’s self. Today’s passage warns us that the Lord knows our motivations, even for our most righteous actions. Spend some time with God today and ask Him to check your heart and align it with His will.
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Tuesday: A Partial Fast Daniel 10:1-14 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel,
man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” There are many medical and logistical reasons why we may not be able fast from food. Here we see the famous “Daniel fast,” or partial fast. Daniel abstained from certain types of food in order to glorify God. John Piper addresses the concept that God leads us to choose what to fast: “If your heart is right and you’re open to the Lord and you’re asking him ‘Lord draw me into the spirit of awakening through fasting’ he’ll show you. He’ll show you when and how. If your health doesn’t allow for that, if the doctor says, ‘No fasting for you,’ that’s fine. The Great Physician knows all about that, and something else will work for you… The issue is not food per se. The issue is anything and everything that is, or can be, a substitute for God.” Today, continue to evaluate what you use to substitute God — what luxury
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can you temporarily cut out of your life in order to devote more time to prayer. Ask the Lord to draw you into His Spirit, to help you find the idols in your life and to convict you of the ways you substitute time in prayer for the things that hardly ever truly satisfy. Wednesday: A Normal Fast Nehemiah 1:4-11 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring
them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king. Nehemiah was about to change his life. Being cupbearer to the king, he was about to ask his supervisor for a lengthy leave of absence to help rebuild Jerusalem. Before he made any rash decisions, he spent ample time in solitude, prayer, and fasting asking God for wisdom for his journey. We often seem to think that shooting up a prayer to God is sufficient enough to go ahead and make the decision without proper advice. Nehemiah serves as a great example of patient prayer and fasting. When we have a life changing decision to make, we must take our time with our Lord. Today, evaluate those big impending decisions in your life — how can you bring those choices patiently to the Lord? Ask Him to help you be sensitive to his guidance and to listen to the Holy Spirit for His wisdom. Thursday: An Absolute Fast Esther 4:12-17 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them
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to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it’s against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. Great crisis demands great prayer. Here, there was great crisis and Esther responds by calling for great prayer and great fasting (it should be noted that a prolonged fast without water should not be attempted [especially in Arizona] unless there is a very clear approval from the Lord through Scripture, prayer, and Godly wisdom). Although solitude and fasting are individual disciplines, there are certainly outward expressions of those disciplines. Communal prayer and fasting for an important decision, crisis, or need is a critical aspect of a community. Today, pray for those in your Missional Community and in your next gathering discuss possible needs that may benefit from being addressed through communal prayer and fasting.
Friday: God’s Control of Fasting 2 Samuel 12:16-23 And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may
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live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Saturday: The Inauguration of the Gentile Mission
David’s servants feared his reaction to devastating news. Having publicly mourned, prayed and fasted, they couldn’t fathom what this melancholy king would do when he was told that his prayers were not answered, that his child was dead. David shocked those around him when he responded by ending his fast, and moving on; his submission to God’s will showed his understanding of God’s sovereignty. It’s important to remember that God doesn’t owe us anything. Regardless of the outcome of our fast, we must always be ready to accept God’s answers and God’s plan as the best.
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Today, reflect on when you have disagreed with God’s decisions in your life and reflect on how you may better submit to His will.
Our daily lives war against everything done in solitude and against anything done in fasting. They are core Christian disciplines that must be learned and practiced.
Acts 13:1-3
Acts 14:19-23 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Solitude and fasting can make us incredibly self-focused. Our relation-
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ship with God and the closeness we feel during our times of intense prayer can sometimes shut out the needs of our community and of the Kingdom. Today’s passages show how church leaders and members prayed and fasted to make important decisions for their mission. Remember, we’re all missionaries, we’re all in ministry, and we should all be consistently and carefully praying for our church and our mission.
Today, spend some time in prayer asking God to help guide you to your mission field. Ask what resources and gifts do you have? What resources and gifts are you lacking? How can you better serve Praxis Church and the Kingdom? Use your time in prayer to let Him show you how to best serve His mission and kingdom.
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generosity Matthew 6:19-24 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he’ll hate the one and love the other, or he’ll be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. We don’t like to talk about money, especially not at church. Too many sweaty, expensively adorned false teachers have ruined what it means to give to the church and to others. It’s just as difficult in ministry to talk about money as it is to hear talk about money. This sensitive subject—no matter how delicately it’s handled— somehow always offends someone. Sometimes pastors shy away from talking about money for that very
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reason. One pastor, however, our chief pastor Jesus, had no such fear. Any honest reading of any of the Gospel accounts will reveal that no one talks more about money than Jesus. His commentary boils down to a few key facts: our money is not our own. Every dollar we earn comes from jobs that God provides, and every job that we get comes from the skills God has given us. Because we’re handling money that is not our own, but has been provided through the generosity of the Lord, we need to treat, invest, spend, and care for God’s provision for us—the church—through a kingdom mentality. Jesus very clearly commands us to save up for His Kingdom. Of all of the vices in this world, money is the most immediately effective for gaining power and pleasure. It is, therefore, the easiest to idolize. If sermons, discussions, and passages about money anger, annoy or offend you, it’s important to evaluate why they do so. That negative feeling may be the conviction of the Holy Spirit questioning whether or not you’re stewarding your finances appropriately. We must look in our wallets and bank accounts and make a conscious decision as to whom we’re going to worship, who we’re going to obey, who we’re going to serve.
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Discussion What does it mean to lay up your treasures in heaven? Practically, what does that look like? What decisions do you need to make to have a Kingdom mentality in regards to finances? What does it mean to hate God if you are serving money instead of God? What does that decision look like in an average person’s life? Explanation Classify that in your life that moth and rust can’t destroy, and thieves can’t steal. Verses 19-21, and verse 24 speak directly about money. In between, verses 22-23 talk about a healthy perspective and view. What is the correlation there? What was Jesus trying to imply? The next passage (verses 25-34) addresses our anxieties and fears. Why does Jesus follow up His discussion about money with these topics? Application Look at your bank statements from the last few months. Classify spending into the following categories:
Living expenses (home, car, groceries) • Savings • Entertainment (restaurants, movies, concerts) • Giving and generosity •
Based off the information you gather, what category takes up most of your money? Answer Jesus’ question — where is your treasure? What opportunities have you encountered recently where you could have been generous to those around you? What made you hesitate? Scripture to Examine Exod. 23:15; Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:2124; Deut. 12:17-18, 14:23-29, 26:1213; 2 Chron. 31:5; Ps. 41:1-3, 112:59; Prov. 3:9; 11:25; 14:31; 19:17; Mal. 3:8-10; Matt. 6:1-4; 19:27-30; 23:23; 25:31-40; Mark 10:21; Gal. 6:7; 2 Cor. 8:12-13, 9:7-11; 1 Tim 6:18; 1 John 3:17. In addition to these scriptures, Praxis Church highly recommend Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn.
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Biblical Study: Tithes & Offerings Old Testament: In the Old Testament tithing was basically (but not technically) a law. There was no punishment found in Old Testament for not tithing to the church, but there were serious requirements: •
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The Israelites brought three tithes. One to support the priests, one to provide for sacred festivals, and one every third year for the poor. Each Israelite gave at least 23% of their income to these directives from God. 10% of money given to the church funded the Levite priests’ ministry (Numbers 18:21-29, 27:30).
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10% paid for festivals to build community & for celebration (Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 12:17-18).
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3-4% of the church tithe was given to help the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).
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Crop gleanings were collected for poor and alien (Leviticus 19:9-10).
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Occasional additional tithes above and beyond regular giving also occurred (Nehemiah 10:32-33).
ing. The word “tithe” is rarely used in the New Testament. In fact, it is only used for Jesus’ rebuke of Pharisees and relating Old Testament stories. We see the Grace of Giving best in 2 Corinthians chapters eight and nine: •
Giving is a joy and an honor.
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Giving is a heart issue, there is no standard.
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Giving should come from your first fruits.
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Giving should be done regularly, cheerfully and sacrificially.
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Giving is tied to your proportion of faith.
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The amount is between you and God.
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Giving is a spiritual gift — (Romans 12) some have a greater measure of this gift, coupled with faith.
Common Questions on Tithing Q: Should Giving Vary By Income? 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
New Testament:
Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
The New Testament focuses on grace centered giving, not law centered tith-
Q: Should A Broke College Student Tithe?
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The total “mandatory” Old Testament tithe resulted in 25-28% of a family’s gross income.
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2 Corinthians 8:1-4 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. Q: What Should I do if I Cannot Afford to Tithe? You may need to begin by reorganizing your spending habits with a wise budget. If you are someone with an unusual need (i.e. traumatic injury, impoverished elderly, struggling single mom) then the church should assist you with aid. Q: Should Non-Christians Tithe? The Bible is clear that non-Christians are welcome in church and are not expected to give any monies. Q: Should I Tithe From My Gross or Net Income? Should I Tithe From All My Income or Only My Salary? Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops‌
earn, we should give the first portion back to God. Q: Can I Get A Tax Deduction For Tithing? Yes. If you give in a way that we can record (i.e. check, or cash in a marked envelope) then our church accountant will keep accurate totals of your giving and send you a receipt at the beginning of the year, certifying the amount of your total contributions that are tax deductible for the previous calendar year. Q: How Much Should I Tithe? 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. Q: How Much Does Praxis Tithe? Praxis gives more than 10% of all of our income to outside ministries that include individual foreign and domestic missionaries as well as missionary organizations. Q: How does Praxis track who gives?
The government takes a piece of our income before we even see it. The Bible teaches the concept of firstfruits, meaning that of all we’re given or
Praxis tracks the weekly amount individuals give from the information on their checks or through the informa-
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tion inputted in our Easy Tithe online giving option. If a member uses cash, it’s required for them to put their cash in an envelope. Q: Why does Praxis record what individuals give?
see how they’re doing in the spiritual discipline of giving. Also if the church leadership sees a dip in a member’s tithing it’s sometimes a sign of change in finances and we’re here to help in prayer and in financial support if one of our members is in need.
Praxis records what individuals give in order to keep members accountable for their tithing and allow members to
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give of yourself
Giving our tithes and offerings can be difficult for many. This week we’ll examine scriptures that address our fears, our heart, and our pocketbook, carefully analyzing our stewardship of what God has given us. Monday: Tithes vs. Offerings 2 Corinthians 8:12-13 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it’s acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their
abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” People often confuse tithes and offerings. God is on a mission to redeem and restore this planet to the way it was intended to be before we corrupted it with sin; His primary venue for this mission is His bride, the church. Just as Paul, a church planter and an ambassador to this mission, was supported through the tithes of others, we’re to give tithes to our church to support God’s local mission. However, God doesn’t stop there. He also calls us to be generous with those around us and calls us to give offerings to support those in need. God has blessed us with much and our response needs to show that we’re serving Him faithfully and supporting the work He’s doing in our world. Today, evaluate if your giving is limited to tithes or offerings. Where has God called and commanded you to give? Pray today that He will give you the wisdom, conviction, and faith to properly support His kingdom.
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Tuesday: The Cheerful, Sacrificial, and Regular Giver Mark 12:41-44 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Today’s passage shows us a great example of making giving a top priority in our lives. While we all may not be called to empty our bank accounts, we’re called to give cheerfully, sacrificially, and regularly. Giving cheerfully shows that we believe that God has given us everything. Our tithes and offerings are a response to His great provision and we should be overjoyed that we can show our faith and gratitude. To give sacrificially means that throwing in a twenty dollar bill once in a while may or may not be enough. Your offering should be a sacrifice — it should be an amount that shows you have faith that God will continue to provide for you. To give regularly simply means that your giving is congruent with your paychecks. Today, evaluate where you are in these guidelines. Do you give joyfully? Do you give enough to show your
faith? Do you give more than randomly, more than once in a while, when you get convicted? Praise the Lord for His welcome provision and carefully, prayerfully consider if He is calling you to offer more. Wednesday: Giving God Our Best Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce... We’re to give God our best, not our leftovers. Old Testament traditions called for the best produce, the best meats, the best of the crop to be first given and dedicated to God; those who followed firstfruit giving recognized that God gives us His best and we must respond in kind. Today, evaluate if you are giving God your firstfuits or if your tithes and offerings are an afterthought. Thursday: Giving to Others Is Giving to God Mathew 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit
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the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Sometimes we ignore God’s call to be generous. While we all may not be financially secure, or even have a financial surplus, most of us don’t have to worry about our next meal or where we’ll sleep tonight. Thus, we’re charged to care for God’s Kingdom. How we give shows how we feel about God. Today, pray that you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and that He will show you those that God would have you bless and care for.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. The danger in the discipline of generosity is that it can quickly turn into a show. Our sinful, religious hearts take pride in our paychecks and are prompt to condemn those that don’t fill the offering box. Here, Jesus warns us of this trap; we’re to give from the heart, not to look good. Like all spiritual disciplines, if our motivation is anything but the glory of God and deep relationship with Him, our religious efforts will fail us and we’ll soon see that we’re worshiping an act, not our God. Today, consider how you feel when you give. Are you proud that you’re able to cross this command off of the spiritual checklist? Or are you grateful that you’re able to engage with God on His Mission? Ask for a clear heart and a deep conviction.
Friday: The Religious Trap of Giving Saturday: The Cheerful Giver Matthew 6:1-4 2 Corinthians 9:11 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give
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as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it’s written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity
of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! A cheerful attitude is contagious. God is doing some amazing, powerful, and miraculous things in Praxis, Phoenix, Arizona, our country, and our world. People are experiencing salvation, people are reading their Bibles, prayers are being answered, souls are getting closer and closer to our God Almighty. Remember that giving shouldn’t be a burden. Tithes and offerings are opportunities to show that we’re all in, that our hearts, our minds, our souls and our pocketbooks are totally devoted to God’s ultimate goal to bring us back to Him. Today, praise the Lord that He is doing so much in our lives and in our church and pray that Christians everywhere continue to be faithful to giving and supporting God’s mission.
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corporate worship Psalm 96 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he’ll judge the peoples with equity.” Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all
that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He’ll judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. Unless you have a trained singing voice, you, like most of us, fear the act. There is something strangely intimidating about singing. Every other skill requires you to learn, practice, be evaluated, practice more, and then perform. Visions of television reality competitions’ harsh judges shy us away from any melodic participation. Yet Sunday after Sunday we’re asked to praise God with our mind, heart, and soul using… yes, our voices. If we reflect on what God has done for us why should we hesitate when praising God? We have no hesitation shouting, dancing, jumping, raising our hands, and even singing at a basketball game or football game; the culture of sporting events makes it socially acceptable to do so. Yet coming to church there is a strange uncertainty about corporate worship. Yes, you can worship God without song — you can worship Him through Scripture, though silent prayer,
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through your thoughts, words, and actions. But the Bible advises us to worship in the congregation, to praise His name in the great assembly, unashamed and unconcerned with what others may think of us. Corporate worship is a very important part of what we do at Praxis; it’s a time of celebration, comfort, repentance, prayer, guidance, love, and insight. Cast your anxieties away and forget your inhibitions; sing to the Lord a song of hope, joy and loud, loud, loud love praising His name and what He has done.
How is this Psalm also one of evangelism? How can corporate worship be a way to share the Gospel with others? This Psalm transitions from the actions to sing, to ascribe, and to say. What is the significance of this path of action? Application Practice the following steps into worship: •
Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17): “Punctuate every moment with inward whisperings of adoration, praise and thanksgiving.”
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Vary your experiences of worship: worship God silently, singing at home, in your car, alone and with others.
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Prepare for worship: “Prepare on Saturday night by going to bed early, by having an inward experience of examination and confession, by going over the hymns and Scripture passages that will be used on Sunday, by gathering early before the actual worship service and filling the room with the presence of God by letting go of inner distractions so that you can really participate.”
Discussion What is your worship experience like? Do you enjoy the time of worship during Sunday gatherings or do you shy away from it? Discuss your inhibitions, joys, and thoughts on worship with others. How do can you worship God outside of Sunday service? How does that impact your corporate worship? Explanation Today’s passage is a Psalm of celebration, praising God for His rule over all of creation. If God is truly in control of all that is and has been made, what implications does that have on our life and our anxieties?
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Be intentional about your corporate worship: “As an individual I must learn to let go of my agenda, of my concern, of my being blessed, of my hearing the word of God. The language of gathered fellowship is not ‘I’ but ‘we.’”
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Cultivate Holy dependency: “Holy dependency means that you are utterly and completely dependent upon God for anything significant to happen.”
The Book of Psalms is a book of worship. If you are not already in the habit of complimenting your daily Bible reading with a Psalm, start your examination of worship here.
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Absorb Distractions with gratitude: “If there is noise or distraction, rather than fussing and fuming about it, learn to take it in and conquer it.”
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Sacrificial Worship: Sometimes we don’t feel like worshiping but we need to say, “Lord, I don’t feel like worshiping, but I desire to give you this time. It belongs to you.”
Scripture to Examine
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There is an inherent element of worship within devotions. Each day of Bible reading and prayer should have an element of praise to our Lord. This week we’ll not only engage Him in that worship, but we’ll examine various stories from Scripture of those who have worshiped before us.
a corporate expression of something that we have been doing all week. Just like we need daily Bible reading and daily prayer, so we also need daily worship. Today, start the habit of worshiping God daily, at different points of the day, wherever you may be.
Monday: Worship Daily Tuesday: Worship Through Scripture John 4:19-24 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Praise God that the hour has come. We do not need to wait until Sunday to worship God. Sundays should be
Colossians. 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. It’s sometimes very easy to forget why we worship and we must make sure that the word of God, His spiritual songs (Psalms) and songs of thankfulness and encouragement spill out of us during our corporate worship. Today, use Scripture reading as a form of worship. Spend some time in study of the Word in order to allow the joy of revelation to jumpstart your worship.
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Wednesday: Praise for Answered Prayer Acts 3:1-10 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. God does the amazing for us. When there is great need our prayers become fervent, passionate, loud, and filled with deep emotion. Yet when prayers are answered, it’s almost like we crossed a finish line and no longer need to continue intense devotion to the Lord. Today’s passage reminds us that our answered prayers, big or small,
should result in leaping and praising. He has done so much for us and will do so much more for us. Today, praise Him for the answered prayers in your life. Thursday: Worship Unashamed 2 Samuel 6:16-23 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house. And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over
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Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will make merry before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. This is another wonderful story of unashamed worship. David, having had a lot of difficulty getting the Arc of the Covenant back to Israel, finally accomplished the mission. His instinctual response was to leap and dance in worship, praise the Lord, and bless others for the success. His wife, however, was unimpressed and admonished him for his outlandish behavior. David, unimpressed with his wife’s’ scolding, reminded her that nothing is more important than worship of our God. Let us be like David and be totally unashamed of our praise, regardless of what opinions others may have of us.
no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Praxis celebrates communion every week because we believe it’s a critical part of worship, reminding us why we worship. Jesus, coming down from Heaven, humbled Himself and died a horrible death, shed His blood so that we may be reconciled to God and have an eternal relationship with Him. That is the best catalyst for praise — we have been saved by the One who loves us.
Today, evaluate how you worship and if you sometimes hold back your joy for fear of what others may think; pray that the Lord will give you unrestrained praise to Him.
Today, reflect on the broken body and shed blood that saved you; praise and worship in eternal gratitude for what Jesus accomplished on the cross and begin to prepare your heart for Sunday’s communion.
Friday: Communion as Worship
Saturday: Worship with Fervor
John 6:52-58, 63
Revelation 19:1-9
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong
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to our God,for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage
of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Communion not only reminds us of what Christ did, but what He’ll do. God is on a mission to fully redeem this world and bring us back to the way He intended us to live. Revelation gives us insight into the way that we’ll praise His name. While this day may come at any time, we do not have to wait for it to praise Him with such fervor. Today, prepare your heart for loud, loving, unashamed praise and worship during our Sunday gatherings. Reflect on the week gone by and be ready to come to church tomorrow with a humble, repentant, and overjoyed heart to offer to Him.
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for further study Alcorn, Randy. Money, Possessions, and Eternity. Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 1989. www.bestcommentaries.com www.biblegateway.com Boa, Ken and Moody, Lary. I’m Glad You Asked. Colorado Springs: David Cook , 1995. Bruce, F.F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? Leicester: Intervarsity Press, 1959. Dennis, Lane T. and Wayne Grudem. The English Standard Version Study Bible. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2008. www.desiringGod.com Driscoll, Mark and Breshears, Gerry. Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010. Fee, Gordon and Stuart, Douglas. How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth. Gran Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spritual Growth. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1998. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapits, Michigan: Zondervan, 1994. Lewis, C.S. The Complete C.S. Lewis Singature Classics. New York: Harper Collins , 2002. www.monergism.com Piper, John. A Hunger For God: Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer. Wheaton: Crossway, 1997.
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praxis church po box 2135 tempe, az 85281 480.733.1736 info@praxischurch.com www.praxischurch.com