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Additional Bible Teaching – #3 – Called (2/6-7)

ginger — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:01:18 +0000

Leave a Mark: Follow Me
Jesus didn’t call you to a life of comfort. You are called, rather, to repentance with an invitation to life… a life that leaves a mark. What does repentance look like? What will that life following Jesus be marked by? Pastor Dan Nold looks at Mark 1:14-20 and the call Jesus gives.

Pastor Vic King further explores Mark 1:14-20. Click here!

Additional Bible Teaching – Leave a Mark (2)

ginger — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:13:59 +0000

Leave a Mark: On Your Mark
We sometimes mistakenly picture Jesus as a wimp, snuggling with bunnies and dancing through fields of daffodils. But bunny-snuggling doesn’t get people killed. Dan Nold teaches us from Mark 1:1-13 that you can’t wussify the wilderness, and we shouldn’t wussify Jesus. Click here to “listen up” as Pastor Vic King unpacks more on Mark 1:1-12.

Additional Bible Teaching

ginger — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:59:24 +0000

Check out Additional Bible Teaching by Pastor Vic King via video that accompanies the main Scriptural text from the sermon.
1/23-24 ~ Leave a Mark: A Really Good Story.
We just began a sermon series on the Gospel of Mark. But what is a gospel? Etymologically, a gospel is simply good news or a good message or a good story. In this case, it’s a good story about Jesus. Dan Nold [listen to the sermon here] asks us to consider what our story is, in light of His story.

check your thirst!

Kim — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:41:32 +0000

S – John 7:37-39 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
My Bible references Isaiah 58:11 as the verse being pointed to by the phrase “as the Scripture has said” That verse says “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

O – If I believe Jesus is who he says he is my life, my heart will be a spring out of which the Holy Spirit will flow – keeping life around me healthy and fruitful (like a well watered garden).

A – I love the picture here of the Spirit being the water to a garden of life, love, and many kinds of fruit. BUT – I need to check my thirst. How many other things do I long for in my life that compete with a thirst for Christ? Fleeting things, wishful things, self-centered things, some may even be worthwhile things – but none that can compare with HIM who will guide me always! I need to check my thirst!

P – Jesus, I pray that you would daily renew in me a thirst for you – for your Spirit – your living water. When I feel like I’m missing out on something or lacking something in my life would you remind me – in those moments – that YOU are the only thing worth thirsting for – the only one who truly satisfies!

show mercy, not offer sacrifices

Stacy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:48:40 +0000

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13–As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. Bit when the Pharisees saw this, they asked the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor–sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Observation: OK, here it is…conflict with the religious leaders. Jesus has started doing his thing–healing, preaching, casting out demons, restoration. Countless people experiencing the power and hope of God, the work of the Kingdom. The life of Jesus produced fruit–immediate, lasting, life-changing fruit. He displayed the power of God, compassion, and authority. And the religious leaders didn’t like it. They were offended because Jesus didn’t stick to the script. He didn’t follow their traditions and ritual formalities. Jesus tells them to go home and think about PURPOSE. Is it God’s goal to get everyone to buy into lifeless ritual, or does he want to see people restored? Jesus points out the difference between showing mercy and going through the motions of religion. He calls them to choose between love and life-less tradition.

Application: I can find myself squarely in the camp of the Pharisees. It’s so easy to slip into the mindset of religion and church-ianity. Jesus reminds me that it’s not about being busy offering the sacrifices, keeping the church machine in motion. He has called us to show mercy, to show love to the people who are around us. What can I do today that will show mercy to people who are in my community?

Prayer: Jesus, help me to take your words to heart. I don’t want to be busy offering the sacrifices while people around me go through life without mercy. I don’t want to miss your Kingdom because I’ve been been too busy doing the “stuff.” Lord, will you fill my heart fresh with your spirit? Will you set me free from the life-less rituals and traditions, and open my eyes to the people around me? Help me to show mercy…

HIdden Treasure

Kim — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:32 +0000

Scripture: Matthew 6:21
• “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV)
• “It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (MSG)
• “Your heart will always be where your treasure is.” (CEV)

Observation:
The place where we store up the most stuff, attention, memories, money, etc. is where our hearts will want to spend the most time. Be it a home, a job, a relationship or set of relationships, a church or God’s Kingdom.

Application:
I was thinking about how I have felt after returning from a mission trip and how my heart longs, aches to be back in the place I just left – the place with all the little hands and feet, grubby smiles, the place with great amounts of both laughter and need. The place with little possessions and big hearts.
I’m not sure why my mind went here – I’ve never thought about this scripture in these terms before but there is something about the great TREASURE that is deposited in the hearts we leave behind at the end of a mission trip and the longing to return and be in that place – I guess it’s my heart wanting to be where I have stored treasure and a mission trip is one of the best “hands-on” examples in my life of storing up the right kind of treasure.
During this season when I have the opportunity to store up earthly treasure in terms of Christmas shopping vs. the opportunity to direct similar amounts of my finances to places that will serve the poor and needy of the world – I want the Kingdom to win in my heart – in my life!

Prayer:
Jesus, please stretch the places in my heart that have become numb to the life that you call us to. Re-awaken the places in me that have become far too satisfied with “good enough” and have stopped pursuing your HIGHEST.

Beyond Natural Bread

Erica — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:13:06 +0000

Scripture: Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Observation:
Jesus, hungry form fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, is confronted by the devil in the wildnerness. Satan wants him to tell stones to become bread so Jesus can break his fast and satisfy his hunger with natural bread. Jesus rejects this request with his words above.
Application:
I read this verse and immediately I felt I needed to confess, “God, I’m sorry for every day I think I can live on natural bread alone instead of you and your Word. I needed to confess each day after day that I try to “get by” doing all the natural things that fill my day and “feed me” — like actual meals, but also my work, relationships, etc. None of these are bad, but I cannot live on the ways these temporarily satisfy me — ultimately, they never fully satisfy, but rather point to my need for a much richer, deeper daily bread: God and His Word — the Jesus who satisfies far beyond what any meal, work related victory or relational encouragement can provide. I need HIM.
Prayer:
Thank you Jesus that you satisfy more than any natural bread can provide and that you resisted the temptation of the evil one! Give us this day, our daily bread — your Word, your LIFE, the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing you. You are my Shepherd, and in you I lack for no good thing. Amen.

what is important

Stacy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:37:34 +0000

Scripture: What is important is faith expressing itself in love…Galatians 5:6

Observed: I love the way the scriptures are connected. Today’s passage from Job recounted how Job lived his life: expressing his faith in love and service of others, righteousness and purity. Paul is writing to the Galatians to remind them that faith must have a practical application in their lives. Faith is not a private matter between the individual and God; it’s a communal thing. We belong to each other, need each other. The fruit of the Spirit is interactive, and shows up as that body of Christ rubs shoulders with other people.

Application: Remember Dan’s words from a couple of weeks ago? Do Good. Here. Now. If I am going to be growing in my walk (Paul challenges the Galatians to pay careful attention to their own walk with the Lord), then I’ve got to be expressing my faith in love. Paul details several ways that shows up: serving one another (5:13), the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23) humility (5:26), confronting sin & accountability (6:1-3), doing good (6:9). The bottom line is that the whole law can be summed up in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Gal. 5:14)

Father, I am taking a long look at my life to see where I need to grow. I know all the facts and believe all the right things(at least I like to think I do.) But I want to see how my life reflects the love of God. If my faith doesn’t express itself in love, then maybe my faith isn’t as good as I thought it was. I don’t want to find myself getting confronted by someone like Paul with these words: You were running the race so well. Who held you back from following the truth? Please show me my sin, those places where I fall short. Give me the courage to make changes, the strength to discipline myself to be proactive, and to react in grace/truth/love. I want to be filled with your Spirit, my God.

***a couple of confessions:
1. I’m taking some pretty strong codeine-based medicine today, so if my thoughts are a little loopy, give me some grace!
2. I so wanted to write about Galatians 5:12, but I just couldn’t do it!

The protection of the law…

Chad — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:12:09 +0000

Scripture–Galatians 3:23-25 (NLT)²³Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.²⁴Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. ²⁵And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

Observation–As I’ve been reading the Old Testament, my understanding of the Law has been continually reconfigured. I used to think of the law of Moses as a curse, as an unwieldy burden on the shoulders of God’s people. But I’m increasingly understanding that the law of Moses was a gift, a blessing, that was meant to define and shape and draw God’s people to Himself. The problem with the law is not that it was bad but that it was incomplete, insufficient. I think this is why Jesus specifically said that He did not come to replace the law but to fulfill it. These verses in Galatians seem to suggest the same thing. The law offered protection for the Israelites, but upon the arrival of Jesus, that protection was now replaced by something much more freeing and life-giving.

Application–I want to continually check myself against my natural inclination to simply hate the Old Testament law. Of course, some disdain for the law comes right out of the pages of the New Testament, and the incarnation of Jesus Christ makes it not only unnecessary but also unhealthy for us to be slavishly fixated on the law. However, some of my distaste for rules and regulations is simply part of my belligerent, rebellious, sinful nature, in which I want to do whatever I want to do. I want to continue to remember that the law was offered to the people of God as a blessing, and there is still much to be gained from reflecting on the Old Testament law to see how some aspects of it can offer me some protection and guidance. Ultimately, however, Christ is the ultimate guardian and protector, and my attention to the law must always remain under the authority and influence of Christ.

Prayer–Lord, thank you for the law. Thank you for its protection over your people for many generations. And thank you for the ways that we can continue to benefit from the law, so many centuries later. But, most of all, thank you for the fulfillment of the Law, in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

A Pleasing Fragrance

Kim — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:39:18 +0000

Scripture: Mark 14:3 – “While he was at Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.”

Observation: This woman gave Jesus a very extravagant offering of her worship. The scripture says that the perfume she poured over him was worth a year’s wages – that’s EXTRAVAGANT. It took some sense of stewardship simply to be able to own that perfume to offer – and it required a sense of FREEDOM in her heart to offer it selflessly and without reservation.

Application: I must constantly and consistently work towards being a better steward of my possessions, my finances and my heart so that when opportunities arise to worship in extravagant ways – I have the freedom to worship my guts out. Whether it’s financial freedom to pour into something or someone because HE leads me to do – that or the freedom of a pure heart to worship in ways that I have yet to experience. I don’t want to miss it!

Prayer: My prayer today comes in the form of the lyrics of a song by Rita Springer…
“I bring to You a fragrant offering
I pour out my love and I wash Your feet
I offer up to You, Lord, this brokenness
What You can see in me shall be my confidence

I bring to You a humble sacrifice
I pour out my heart and I give You my life
I offer up to You, oh Lord, this costly gift
With absolute abandon now my love I confess

May it be a pleasing fragrance that I bring to You, oh Lord
I am so in need of Your presence and I bow before You now
I pour my vial of worship over You.”

May it be a pleasing fragrance that I bring to You, oh Lord!