What Did You Learn In Church Today?

[DragonFox91]

9.1.24 am on 1 Tim 2
Less Christians are getting involved in government, but political issues are also Biblical issues. See political & moral issues thru the lens of the Gospel, not just historical or for your benefit
God's people from all time periods have been expected to speak up on major moral issues
In the Bible people speak up to foreign rulers on sin & on social politics. Goal is transformation by the Gospel. The Christian voice needed.
Never apologize for promoting what's good in society & opposing what's bad, as long as it's in a way that's pleasing to Christ
Be careful how you do it. Always w/ grace. W/ outrage can interfere w/ prayer, the flesh doing it. Long list of moral improvements done by Christians. Can fall back into them if not spoken up about. God involved in politics.
God commands us to pray politically so the Gospel may go forward
Politics important b/c God desires all men to be saved & only way is Jesus. Laws & governments don’t save people.
Political prayers have urgency
Not useless! Important! Not once, a lifestyle! By name!
In a democracy we can do more than pray, but we must not do less then pray
Told praying is useless & no action, but not praying does something, not praying acting like we are sovereign. Plus he does hear & respond to prayer. Wicked rulers prayed for.
Political prayers mention government leaders & the decisions they make. They spread the Gospel & godliness

PM on Acts 10
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" Jhn 6
God lovingly prepares Cornelius to be saved. He lovingly softens & draws him to himself.
Cornelius responds
God lovingly sends Peter to speak & opens Peter's heart to Gentiles.
Peter responds
"How shall they believe in him they have not heard? How shall they hear w/out a preacher?" Rom 10

 

[DragonFox91]

9/8/24 am on Acts 11
We are placed by God in the middle of distractions to preach the Gospel. Commanded by Christ. Rapid expansion in the early Church happened by Christians cooperating w/ the Spirit
God powerfully equips Christians & churches to set out to preach the Gospel message
Pattern: Disciples are sent out, Gospel is preached, church is planted, disciples are sent out, Gospel is preached, church is planted.
God provides strength to take the Gospel to new people. Even hard situations can be fruitful for Gospel witness. We must be willing whenever God opens doors
The Gospel spreads out of Jerusalem due to persecution in Jerusalem. Natural tendency is to be quiet so we don’t lose anything. Losses show genuineness. Confuses the world b/c no despair. Tears down barriers like ethnicity. Mission field is all around us.
God strengthens us to disciple new & young believers. This is the beauty of the church
Difference between growing the Church & Gospel preaching to make disciples.
All believers must use their Spirit-enabled gifts
In early Church, some believers share the Gospel, then Barnabas follows up, then Paul, to teach.
God strengthens us with resources for expanding the witness. We consider the needs of other witnesses
If Gospel witness in danger of being hindered, church helps out. That’s a witness to non-believers as well.

 

[DragonFox91]

9/15/24 on 1 Tim 2
We can spin the good news of the Gospel into bad news: we think God doesn’t want to save, he doesn’t love the lost, & we predetermine who can be saved. Many of the lost themselves think they’re too far gone. But the offer of salvation thru Christ is greater. It is a genuine offer & we are to pray for the lost. Prayers not useless & a testimony of what we believe.
The good news of the Gospel is that it’s an invitation for all to be saved
When the Bible was being written most were lost.
We should pray for the lost b/c God desires to save the lost & b/c he’s made abundant provisions to save them
God is pleased when we pray for the lost & the lost are saved. He delights taking the wicked out of judgement & showing them his grace. That he predestined the saved is not a contradiction. Instead of seeing the lost as enemy b/c of their wickedness, give thanks & intercede. It expresses confidence he will save. The Savior is not powerless to save. The chiefs of sinners have been saved, like Paul. Testimonies of praying for the lost. Christ’s death sufficient for the whole world. But not all will be saved or eventually be saved. Divine sovereignty & human responsibility Biblical. They do not cancel each other. Too far one way or the other causes problems.
He provides for the lost as a mediator. Mediator does not mean we & God are negotiating & God compromises some, but Jesus is our representative as a ransom our sin. We are alienated & Christ bridges the chasm to God.
Many of the lost’s lives may start out godless but as they get older they start asking about eternity. People who look like they have everything together.

SS on Prov 3
Continue walking faithfully in the Lord
Learn his Word. Commit to him: exclusively, entirely, & exhaustively. Turn from evil. Give faithfully to the Lord. Learn from his discipline

PM on Acts 13
When God works to bring truth, Satan works to bring deception.
God's work is to spread his Word's message. He enables his work thru gifted people. It thrives in the context of prayer & is empowered by the Holy Spirit

 

[DragonFox91]

9/22/24 on Gen 9
The Flood story familiar: Wickedness in the world, the Flood, & Noah being chosen b/c he’s different & called righteous. We think brokenness s/b done & everything happy.
But after the rainbow & sunshine, still hurt & indifference. Ham discovers Noah naked after getting drunk, makes a scene of it, & Noah gets angry & curses Cannan.
Relationships can change after hurt. We both do the hurting and get hurt. Easy to not forget. Scars that may not really heal, & continues for generations, the Cannananites end up becoming enemies of Israel for generations
Noah sins even tho he’s called righteous by God, Noah not perfect.
Contrast after the Flood God blessing all family lines & Noah cursing his own family line. God blessed and he still knew things were broken, even w/ the righteous. God stays faithful. Every morning calling us. Can’t break his covenants. Removes the sin thru the blood & resurrection of Christ. Finally set free from the brokenness.
Take to God, heal, bless, & be transformed

 

[DragonFox91]

9/30 am on 1 Tim 2
Men & women have different roles in the church that must be honored & appreciated.
Questions: Women must learn in silence in submission? They can't talk? They can't teach at all? Is this just advice to be used depending on the church or specific time period? Is Eve getting all the blame for sin? Women's role is just having babies?
2 extremes: unbiblical male dominance that sees women as objects, & feminism women don't need men & no difference between man & woman.
God made men & women different on purpose for a purpose. He made women equal & w/in his order.
Designed to complement & not compete. Biological differences give different strengths.
"Learn in silence" - quietly, not distracting. A command. Not demeaning, but building up! B/c in those times women weren't allowed to learn at all, so Bible is saying, yes, they can learn & need to know what God says! W/ this new freedom they had in Christ, needed to know you can't just interrupt while learning.
Some roles in the church are only for men & some are only for women. There are some ministries saved for men & some saved for women.
Women can teach in the church, just cannot teach men in the church, specifically forbidding pastors & elders.
Not just suggestion, or specific b/c speaking to all churches thruout the letter, & goes back to Genesis. Rooted in the order in the beginning. Time or location doesn't change it. When God's intendend roles are reversed, that's why Eve was decieved, & also Adam failed to lead. Leads to confusion. But women saves b/c raising children in Christ is far more influential then what a pastor can do
"I have not been enthused God made me a woman.......But as I discovered........what distrinctions mean & why, I developed genuine joy" Nancy Demoss Wolgenmuth

SS on Jhn 1
Jesus found Philip -> We are found by God
Philip's obedient & eager to spread it
There's confusion about Jesus's hometown prophecy -> Jesus wants to be searched. Nathaniel is skeptical, Jesus knew.
"Studying under a fig tree" possibly a metaphor for studying the OT, so Nathaniel possibly a student
Jesus references Jacob's Ladder. We don't have that, we have Jesus for access to God
Be called, follow, & preach

PM on missions who work at a Christian camp

 

[DragonFox91]

10/6 on Col 3
God is above all & lives w/in us. Our focused is changed
When we fix our minds on being united w/ Christ, we gain a hopeful perspective
We will live arrogant or in despair, but every Christian is united in Christ. Planted together w/ him. We get our life from him & he is our life. Represented us in his death, we were with him, now declared righteous. We have access to all his saving benefits. Adopted. ‘In him’ idea repeated again & again in Bible. Nothing can separate us. Resurrected to new life.
All humanity joined to Adam, all Christians joined to Christ.
Before salvation we were united to Adam & death. You are in Adam or you are in Christ.
“Union w/ Christ indispensable for successful Christian living……..trusting the Holy Spirit”
We need to be preoccupied w/ Christ
Preach the Gospel to yourself, all that you have in Christ. Not just when you have trouble. No, everyday! Even when it’s sunny. Don’t dwell on bad or not honor Christ for good. We dwell on what we said, what we don’t have materially, illness, disappointments in people we’re given.
“Introspection creates despair……Too many wound studying themselves….They dwell on what they’re not feeling…….Forget yourself & think only of Christ” – Charles Spurgeon
“For every look at yourself, take 10 at Christ” – Robert Murry M’Cheyeny
If you are focused on him above, you are seated with him spiritually. Think on him above. Think on life given today & life given eternal.
“No one talks to you more than you” – Paul Tripp

SS on John 1
Evangelism: Let the message do the preaching. Don’t need polish. Don’t need to argue
Be driven not by the miracles but the Savior is here!
Our response is daily self-sacrifice. But it’s also new life given to you. You die, yet you live. You’re enslaved, but free
This holiday season look for opportunities to present the Gospel.

Pm on Acts 13
Only Jesus saves. History points to him as the only Savior & our own failures point to him as the only Savior.
Paul’s Path: Abraham – Bondage – Exodus – Wilderness – Conquest – Judges – Saul – David – Jesus

 

[DragonFox91]

10/13/24 am on 1 Tim 3
The elders' work is noble & necessary
They protect the church & guard the Gospel. Overall oversight of the church.
It is right to aspire & seek to be an elder
Many failings in church leadership. Selfish agendas, corrupts, how can we trust them, we want freedom. But Bible says it's still noble. The problem isn't the office. Set up by God. He calls elders.
There is a proper desire for eldership which must be tested.
"Church leadership......attracts sinful motives.......Character..........As goes the leadership, so goes the church" - Kent Hughes
Elders today stand in a long line of elders since the beginning of the church. The NT uses several terms to speak of eldership.
Eldership established early. Interchangable: overseer, pastor, elder, bishop, shepherd. Wise & godly, not 'old.'
"He called to him the presbuteros......Holy Spirit has made you episkopos to poimaino the church" Acts 20: 17 & 28
"He gave some as poimen" Eph 4
Their work is noble & it is work

SS on John 2
Wedding would've been the whole town, 500 people
Running out of wine big social mistake. The groom is saying he can't provide for his bride
OT says wine will run free. Hope of the Messianic kingdom
Jesus's wedding hasn't come
The best runs out, the best is revealed after

PM Acts 13
Justification is necessary for being a Christian & Christian stability. It has a pre-req of repentance, & repentance prepares the heart for Jesus. Justification comes only thru Jesus & only he fulfills God's promises & bore our sins for us. It's available to eveyrone, is rec'd by faith, & is simple

 

[DragonFox91]

10/27/24 on 1 Tim 3:
Integrity: being who you say you are, undivided, whole. The same no matter who you’re with, at church or at work, with family or w/ friends, alone or in a group. Nothing to hide. We have integrity b/c we represent Christ. The world & churches both struggle with integrity, but we are called to have integrity
Integrity required of elders & deacons
Great potential for harm b/c leaders. Must have a high standard. Can’t be hypocritical. People are watching & following. Can’t fake it.
"I exhort the elders. Shepherd........being examples" 1 Pet 5
Deacons serve. They wait on. Physical tasks. Assist elders to meet church’s needs. Finances. Full of the Spirit.
Requires self-control
In speech (Don’t change talk depending on situation. In middle of a conflict can lead to trust questions & doesn’t help resolve the situation, don’t play both sides), appetites like alcohol (Bible doesn’t give absolute ban on it but many strong warnings against it, enslavement impairs, leads to other stumbling’s) & money (doesn’t condemn money but warns of the greed for it & the destruction & it can bring, especially when handling others’ money)
"Those who try to please everyone will be guilty of being double-tongued"
Holds firm to sound Biblical doctrine
Can’t toy w/ teachings. Skeptics trying to demolish the Faith exist inside churches. Remove bricks from the tower & it crashes down. Includes miracles & the Gospel of Christ itself
Starts in the home
Slander damages. Know when to comment. Purity in thought & act. Strive for integrity. Confess. Comes from Christ.

SS on John 2
Sacrifices used to be sold outside the Temple but were moved inside for convenience, in courts that had strict rules who could enter
The Jews probably recognized it was wrong but didn't say anything, so wondered what gave Jesus authority to say something
Malachi 3 prophesies the Messiah will come to refine the Temple
Distractions: Convinence, Noise, Money, Purpose (from prayer to product: feelings, life tips, people there you want to see)

 

[DragonFox91]

This was this past Sunday.

On Psalm 100
Internal perspective of praise keeps us joyful
Jehova is Elohim: His name speaks of his power & faithfulness. A fact. He acts on his promises despite us
He is our Creator (we are constructed intricately), & Redeemer (cared for, kept in Christ). He is good (his goodness brings us to him)
His mercy is everlasting (doesn't give us what our sin deserves), & his truth endures (settled).
Shout (loud & passionate), serve (an act of praise), sing (from the heart), sit (testify in fellowship), study (learn), sanctify (set him apart)

On John 3
"Born of water" can't be baptism b/c thief on the Cross wasn't baptized, Paul wasn't baptizing. Works are a boasting. Can never be good enough by them. God's grace is sufficient, not your own self-sufficiency
Requires a supernatural rebirth. The Spirit regenerates

On Phil 3
Rejoice is a command & it is current. You rejoice b/c God will complete his work in you. You are glorifying him like a light in darkness. You are part of his Body. You rejoice in all acts. You rejoice b/c no confidence in our own work. You are = present possession.

 

[DragonFox91]

11/17/24 am on Ruth 2
Even tho we are imperfect, God still is involved w/ us daily
Ruth: In faith, leaves for a difficult culture. A Moabite (Moabites oppressed Israel, rivals). A widow (little way to make money, vulnerable, little rights). Despite this, Boaz offers blessing for her
God gives Israel laws to care for the poor: we are to care for the vulnerable mirroring him
Boaz feeds Ruth so there's leftovers is a sign of God's rescue & abundant provision. It mirrors leftovers after Jesus feeds the crowds miracles. Boaz's promise is a sign pointing to God's promise b/c he promised us first. God is involved in all, the miracles & the ordinary. & Boaz's generosity leads by bloodline eventually to Jesus, we don't know what impact we may be having, but God is working all for good.
Naomi joyful b/c Boaz can redeem them - rescue them from danger & slavery. Like how we have been set free from sin's enslavement by the Redeemer. Sin always has us wanting more & it's never enough but Jesus provides

Acts 14
Everyone who commits to advancing the Gospel will pay a price
Missions begin w/ the local church. The Church was founded after the Great Commission to fulfill it. Local churches were the method for the Gospel's preaching. It did a great job, but we need to pick up the torch.
Missions is a war for worship. False worship is man's default. The conflict is costly

 

[DragonFox91]

11/25/24 Psalm 92
Being thankful even in hard situations is essential for Christians . Else be led to bitterness or arrogance.
We are called to praise (it is good for us).
Praise increases joy. And joy increases praise, so a cycle. Focus on what he’s provided & not what he’s withheld. Always can rejoice we are in him – it’s infinite joy so eternal praise! Joy not based on external factors but your heart. Our good attitude affects others
“Walk in him………….. abounding in thanksgiving” Col 2
“True joy grows in the soil of gratitude” – Paul Tripp
Praise is a shield of protection. Those who don’t praise God have an attitude of self-reliance, so they give into their own desires & that’ll destroy them someday. & sin comes from our desire to get what we want ourselves. But gratitude builds us up so we can stand against temptations.
Praise increases fruitfulness. It strengthens our whole selves.
Praise audibly (active) Sing (not just in church, of God, a gift!), speak (declare him) & play music (variety of ways, includes listening to it). Bookend your days w/ praise!
Begin each morning audibly declaring his love, & end each day audbily declaring his faithfulness
Give praise b/c of his great & wonderful works (what he’s done for us), his deep thoughts (his plans for all of us), & his sovereign control (all come from him)

John 3
Many in the OT ascended to heaven, but no one has come down to heaven except Jesus. He is man & God. So he is a perfect witness. But 2 witnesses are required, & the 2nd is the Spirit.
Jesus compares the known (wind) & then the unknown (the Spirit). People know by experience we have perfect testimony, but still people don't accept. Their hearts need to be changed. We must recognize him b/c he absorbed God's wrath & offers eternal life.
It's not the pole people are to worship, but him.
Belief: Understanding, Accepting, Agreeing, Trusting

Acts 15
False gospels abound! They are sometimes taught by trusted teachers. They make false promises, are troubling b/c they cause confusion, & they seem to make sense. The Gospel is valuable so it must be guarded! Peter defends the Gospel w/ courage

 

[DragonFox91]

12/1/24 am on Luke 1
Weariness: grief, pain, financial struggle, impatience, relationship status, anxiety, depression
A lot of people think Biblical mandate for having children b/c God tells man to multiply in Genesis & tells Abraham how many his children will be, & how children benefit us (your family line & social expectations from others).
But God says we are really his children.
Zechariah & Elizabeth would've thought God was punishing them & they weren't being obedient enough, or they did something wrong, or it was b/c of their parents' sin, but God saw them as righteous. When we make mistakes, yes, there are consequences, but God is working his grace thru them.
Compare Mary's praise at the angel's announcement w/ Zechariah's doubt at the angel's announcement: God works in both situations: Zechariah losing his voice not a punishment, but a gift to allow to God to enter into Zechariah's life to prepare him & turn to him.
Jesus is The God With Us in our darkness. He expects our struggles so we lean on him, & sit w/ him & heal, so his power can be seen in us.

 

[DragonFox91]

12/15/24 am on Luke 1
Elizabeth in isolation & Zachariah can't speak, but when town finds out, they are in awe.
Awe is pre-req for joy. Find awe in each day. Like a child. At his creation, at growth in others, during worship, when we forgive.
Awe is hard. We are anxious & not in the present & we miss God's hand. We take the Gospel for granted. Big problem in the church.
Recapture that awe: God is in the flesh! Came as a ransom for us! He's carried our sins on his cross! He heals us!
Joy in resting in Jesus withholds testing

 

[DragonFox91]

12/29/24 on Luke 2
We don't often feel like worshipping God. We are waiting & are tired of not having power. We must choose hope while we are waiting.
The OT prophesies about the Savior, but generations & empires go by. But the people structure their lives around God's promise waiting. Suddenly Simeon is told the Savior is here!
The Jews think the Savior will come to save them from Rome w/ a sword & are waiting for that. But God's promise is bigger then what the Jews were waiting for: the Savior will free not just Israel, but the entire world. In those days there were strict & threatening man-made walls between the Jews & Gentiles. But the walls are torn down for all people
Whatever we are waiting for: God's timeline is longer & his plan is better. We must live knowing God's face is turned to us. Simeon saw God's redemptive plan in the OT & just a baby.
When what you are waiting for happens, you will recognize him.

 

[DragonFox91]

1/5/2025 am on Eph 5
Enjoy your union w/ Christ!
Jesus speaks of our union w/ him & so does Paul. The NT illustrates our union w/ him.
Your union w/ him makes a difference. Thru it, we enjoy his sacrificial love, purifying attention, & tender care
It is an unending, living, connection that's legal & relational. Christ is in us & we are in him

SS on John 3
Spiritual warfare is for all Christians, not just the new Christian or the missionary
John is a steward. The ministry isn't his. He's a guard & messenger. We have different roles. There's a bigger picture
Why it's verifiable: 1. Jesus's heavenly origin. 2. His 1st hand testimony. 3. His testimony is one w/ the Father's. 4. He has the Spirit w/out limit. 5. He has all authority

PM on Acts 16
God's will for your life is not an undiscoverable mystery.
Paul determines God's specific leading. He first committed his life to godliness & then the Great Commission. He stays sensitive to God's specific direction
Don't die waiting for God's will! We can determine God's specific leading. Present yourself to God for holiness. Renew your mind. And seek wise counsel from others.
"A man of understanding will heed wise counsel" Proverbs
Watch for God's opportunities!

 

[DragonFox91]

I am so behind on my notes (& I am feeling it)

1/19/25 am on 1 Sam
Be aware of who’s in your life. All people are in need of the Gospel & physical & emotional needs too. Be sensitive to women who have had abortions b/c they can be given (or have been given) new life by Christ’s blood - all unrigheousness completely cleaned from
Don’t get beat down by abortion issue! God cares about it. His concern for & plans for life don’t change. Your view is important! You have the right to be heard! It is your testimony too!
Hannah’s husband has another wife. Hannah is sad the Lord is giving her children, time after time. She knows it is from him. He is in charge & involved in our formation from the very start & at every level. There isn’t a ‘potential you’. You were you from when he started.
We do not get rid of people b/c we feel they are hard b/c God calls them good. Everyone is wanted to God. He loves human life & his plan for someone greater than a current or past circumstance. Even if no one else cares, he does. Includes those w/ special needs! Joy comes out of it! A blessing! God is bigger! He made mankind special, don’t forget it & remember to apply it. Your usefulness to society, your quality of life, what you do, what you look like & have, what you can do, doesn’t determine your value. You have value b/c God says you do. “Man in our image” – all mankind

PM on Acts 16
Paul's method for praising God in prison is to turn his eyes on Jesus. Take your eyes off yourself, others, suffering, the earth & put them on God, worship, & heaven.
"In everything by prayer & thanksgiving, be anxious for nothing" Phi 4
"If anything is praiseworthy, meditate on that" Phi 4
"Believe in him but also suffer for his sake" Phi 1
"Being poured out as a sacrifice, I'm glad & rejoice" Phi 2
"Our citizenship is in heaven from which we eagerly await the Savior" Phi 3
Take your eyes off behind & your cross, & put them on what's ahead & on Christ's Cross!

 

[DragonFox91]

1/12/25 am on Rom 12
We are many members in one Body w/ different abilities to support & encourage, doesn't matter who scores. We desire Christian community. The Gospel plays out in community. Enabled by the Gospel & sends out the Gospel
"We need another person......to model Christ for us.......We need encouragement." Howard Hendricks
Christian community cannot exist w/out a commitment to genuine love
Word is agape: Self-giving, humble, sacrificial love. Does not come naturally. Not based on emotion. Choosing. Patient.
Not everything that looks like love is love.
Hypocritical: You can act & say you love, but you really don't.
"Love in deed & in truth" 1 Jhn 3
"Love as brothers" 1 Pet 3
Genuine love expresses itself in devotion, honor, sacrifice, enters into the experiences of others, & seeks oneness of mind
It's a family kind of love & household. We can't choose them, but we can choose to love & honor the way Christ does. It contributes to people's needs: emotional, physical, & spiritual. Includes to strangers. We are blessed when we do this.
"Do not forget to entertain strangers" Heb 13
Identify w/ them. Empathize w/ them. Pray for them! Shoulder their load. A team effort. Not just your own wants. Rome church would've included Jews, Gentiles, all kinds of past beliefs - not easy!
Christian community cannot exist w/out a commitment to dilligence. Serve the Lord together. Rejoice in hope & persevere in tribulation. Reject evil & cling to good.
Keep at it even when it hurts & set your eyes on the Lord b/c you are serving him, we are in community for him. Keep your fire for him going. Things won't go as you what wanted. But you're in Christ! Withdraw from what tears you down from community.

PM on Acts 16
God's grace opens people's hearts. He gives Lydia the understanding & desire to be saved
His grace works even in situations we think are random. He gives the jailer the understanding & desire to be saved
He sends messengers into situations we think are random to say his grace.
Heed the call to be saved, sanctified, & sent

 

[DragonFox91]

2/2/25 am on Heb 12
We in the Christian race feel like quitting. The Christian race is difficult. It can be hard for decades. But we've come so far with Christ
The race demands we run w/ endurance so we may win.
We all have a race course God set before us that is our's.
When you're spiritually exhausted, think about others who've run it
We are not the only ones. We look to past runners & current ones in our faith community. They are all around us. See how they are running. They are watching for us & helping us. There are negative examples too. Don't cave to despair & bitterness. From the world's standards, we lose, but from God's standard, we win. The Heroes of Faith in Heb 12 are no different then us. Our situations are not new
"Let him guide you however" - Alexander Maclaren
Be thankful he is guiding.
Identify anything hindering running your race & fix your eyes on Jesus
Sin makes it more difficult. It grabs onto us & ensnares us while we're running. Cut it off! Not a one time thing. Even sins we think are smaller are really hurting us. Jealousy, anxiety, discontentment. Kill it & fill it w/ the Gospel. Your love for sin pales in comparison to that. Get rid of extra things that don't help. We pick up things unnecessarily.
Jesus is your attention. He will drive out your bad thoughts. It takes faith & he's the originator of it. He's our perfect example. He wants to help & does. He experienced it. His eyes were on the Father's throne for us. We are not greater than he, & our burdens were placed on him. Winning the race is about pleasing Christ.

SS on John 4
All people are valuable to God. Don't get weirded out by others' sin. We're not any better. He has compassion for the wicked & desires all to be saved. We have the Cure!
Prioritize God's work over all else. He's not saying there's not good things in life, but not to make good things a priority over the Gospel. Delight in him, it's great gain & fills the soul. He finds joy in that. It leads to the Gospel going out.
A lot of the work in the harvest has been done before you get to the person, he's working in all things. He brings Revival, but when he's ready. You're a worker! Be ready at anytime! Your testimony matters! Your whole story matters! Your skeletons aren't a hindrance to the Gospel going out. But your testimony doesn't save, it is the Gospel thru Christ that saves.

PM on Acts 17
Open your eyes to the futility of the world in which you live. Paul sees & understands the false worship in Athens. He's provoked by what he sees
"Do all to the glory of God........that they may be saved" 1 Cor 10
Open your mouth & speak of Christ to the world that you live in. Paul speaks in a variety of situations. He gives the Gospel while addressing the false views of his listeners.

 

[DragonFox91]

2/9/25 am on Jer 17
In times of crisis, Judah looks to the temple, Egypt, their wealth, their idols, false teachers, & their patriotism, but all fail them. Jeremiah tells them they need to turn to the Lord & trust & obey him while they are conquered, but he is hated for his message. We know we will be blessed if we follow the Lord but it’s hard b/c we want to be in control.
Those who trust in the Lord enjoy his refreshing strength even in difficult times
He has not abandoned you when you are struggling. He offers help.
There's dangers trusting in man. Human strength is limited & flawed
He doesn’t cut you off, but removes his hand of blessing -> not happy, no hope, spiritual slavery, lose our enjoyment we have in Christ. It's like being in a desert. Strength in man looks good at first but it fails. There is an appropriate level of trust in human beings but it's really from him. We replace trust in God w/ others b/c of our hearts. If we want to point the lost to Christ, we need to trust him. One way is prayer & remembering who he is. Easy to forget when we're impatient or pressured. It's an idol
"The Lord is the defense of my life" Pslm 27
"In God whose word I praise, in God I put my trust" Pslm 56
"My soul thirsts for you......in the dry & weary land.......My soul clings to you" Pslm 63
"I will say........my God in who I trust" Pslm 91
There's safety trusting in the Lord. Those who trust in his strength will become like fruitful trees planted by water. His strength isn't exhausted & is perfect
Life's not easy but it's blessed b/c we're trusting him. Jeremiah is rejected, imprisoned, & hated for decades for his message, & falls into despair w/ God & wrestles w/ God, b/c he does not see the water he's promised, but he keeps going back to trusting God b/c God promises he'll support him. Christ is the water that doesn't try that keeps us rooted in God. The tree may not look like it, but it's thriving b/c it's trusting in God.

SS on Jhn 4
Ask for opportunities to evangelize. Get to know the person. See their need. Life being comfortable doesn't diminish the urgency of the Gospel harvest
Find true satisfaction in God by getting off auto-pilot

pm on Acts 17
The strongest protection against idolatry is awe & love for the glorious & holy God
He's unique so we s/b in awe of him. He's Lord of all, needs no one, & is not the product of man's empty imagination
He rules the nations so we s/ we seek him & he enables us to seek him
He's near so we s/ love him. He's not far from each of us. We belong to him.
He will judge so we must repent.
Stop worshipping idols! Judgement Day is on the calendar!

 

[DragonFox91]

2/16/25 am on 1 Tim 4
We need to guard the purity of the Gospel b/c there are false teachers everywhere, including by church leaders. There are false teachings that can seem like no big deal or start with good intentions. ("be set apart” becomes "don't get married" & "don't eat these foods")
The truth of Jesus Christ is so precious it must be diligently guarded. It protects us from deception.
It is the church’s business to protect the Gospel: Christ's crucifixion & resurrection makes us righteous to those who believe. Ceasing that is ceasing to be the church. Falling away is a subtle drift.
The Spirit explicitly warns some will fall away. Our times are ripe for deception. Its sources are alive & well.
We s/ not be shocked when some fall away.
The truth of Jesus Christ is precious b/c it frees us from the tyranny of legalism. Legalism is using personal convictions as a way to promote our own righteousness. The danger is why we have personal convictions, not that we have them.
The truth of Jesus Christ is guarded by an attitude of faith & gratitude. There is joy in gratefully enjoying what he’s provided. Seek his word & pray.

SS on Jhn 4
People just want the miracles. The Galileans want the miracles. The Samaritans believe w/out the miracle.
Jesus meets a man's need that can come only by miracle. It was a last resort for the man.
Miracles don't convince, but they're invaluable & produce fruit.
We are strengthened by trials. The man w/ the need relies on God. It wasn't instantaneous between the plea & the answer, there was a window. The spiritual healing was more important.
The man verified & asked questions. Blind faith leads to no faith or empty faith.
It works out!

pm on Mat 22
Sanctification is intentional. If we really love God, we will have correct order of what we love. If he isn’t discipling you, then sin is. We act according to what we love. Be honest what you truly desire.
Our loves are in 3 categories: Love of God, love of others, & love of ourselves. God to be loved supremely, everything else sacrificially or proportionately, & people over things
“Self-esteem psychology” is empty -> Love of yourself comes natural. If your loves are ordered correct you’ll have happiness.
Due to sin, our desires are not God’s desires enough. Salvation in Christ allows our desires to be reoriented. An incorrect order is destructive, even a little bit off. Good things can be ordered incorrect: grades, money, success, pets. Not loving good things: being kind, helping others, time w/ God. We regularly have to recalibrate our hearts - everyday.
A sinful order: ourselves first, others when we feel like it, God last
“People will be self-lovers, money lovers, proud, arrogant, heartless, without self-control…….. rather than God lovers ”2 Tim 3
Disordered loves in the church shouldn’t surprise us.
“For Demas in love with the present world has deserted” 2 Tim 4
Includes to enemies: Be the Good Samaritan