Wednesday, December 30, 2015


     This Sunday we will begin our study of 1st Peter.  This is a brief, yet rich book.  It is full of deep theology, application, and practical instruction.  I was able to read through the book in 13 minutes, but I have spent hours trying to fully understand the first two verses.  One 17th century scholar said of 1st Peter, “a brief, and yet very clear summary both of consolations and instructions needed for the encouragement and direction of a Christian in his journey to heaven (Leighton).”  This study will address issues such as suffering, hardships, trials, our eternal hope, the return of Christ, our identity as Christians, our relationship to the society, and much more. 

     Join us this Sunday, as we begin studying the first two verses of the book.   See you Sunday!

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Jesus Storybook Bible – The Lord’s Prayer paraphrased by Sally Lloyd...





     I have enjoyed the children participating in the Advent celebration during our Sunday morning Worship services.  We have been reading sections from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  This is a great resource for parents to help their children understand the over-arching story of the Bible.  I have found that adults enjoy reading through the stories as well.  If you searching for a gift for a family this Christmas I recommend giving The Jesus Storybook Bible.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0310708257/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=31644760997&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9202096853443423902&hvpone=9.98&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7cz6eup9sr_e  

Friday, December 4, 2015

O Come All Ye Faithful: Luke 2:8-20

In Preparation for Sunday Dec. 13, 2015
Monday Dec. 7th

1. What is one thing that you learned from the sermon in Micah 5?

 

 

2. What is one thing you learned from the sermon notes?

 

 

 

Tuesday Dec. 8th

Read Luke 1:39-56 (If you are unfamiliar with the background read Luke 1:26-38).

1.  In what ways did Mary say the Lord had blessed the humble and lowly?

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Dec. 9th

Read Luke 2:1-7

1.  How did the Roman government and the entire empire play into God's plan?

 

 

 

2. What does this teach us about God?

 

 

Thursday Dec. 10th

Read Luke 2:8-14

1. The shepherds were the first to hear about the birth of the Savior while the rest of the world slept.  What does this tell us about those whom God who came to save?

 

 

 

2. Who do these shepherds and King David have in common?

 

 

 

Friday Dec. 11th

Read Luke 2:15-20

1. How did the shepherds respond to the message from the angels?

 

 

2. Did they keep this good news to themselves or tell it to others?

Advent


     The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, and it means arrival or approach.  Christians celebrate Advent in order to prepare their hearts for the Christmas season.  During this time we celebrate the first coming of Jesus in Bethlehem and anticipate His second coming.  Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and continues up to December 25th. 

     This year we have a special opportunity to celebrate Advent and prepare for the Christmas season.   Each Sunday the morning sermon will come from a Scripture text which concerns the birth of our Savior, and I will produce a daily Bible Study which will accompany the upcoming sermon.  This study will consist of daily Bible readings and a few questions for each day.   

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Study Questions for November 8th

 

The Goal of Our Instruction

1st Timothy 1:5

 

Day 1 Read 1st Timothy 1:1-6

1.      Why was Timothy to remain in Ephesus?

 

2.      What was Timothy’s responsibility in Ephesus?

 

 

Day 2 Read 1st Timothy 1:3-8

1.      What is the goal of God’s instruction/ teaching/command?

 

2.      Where does Paul say that love comes from (three things)?

 

 

 

 

Day 3 Read 1st Timothy 1:3-11

1.      Describe the teaching of those who have turned aside from God’s purposes.

 

 

 

Day 4 Read Psalm 19:7-14

1.      Read Psalms 19:7-14 and describe the value of God’s word.

 

 

 

Day 5 Read 1st Timothy 1-3-6

1.      Define pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Sunday Nov 1st



This Sunday we will be studying Acts 1:8, and thinking about the mission Jesus gave to his disciples.  Please read over the passage and answer the study questions below in order to prepare for the service. 
     We will also have our truelife.org kickoff this Sunday.  This is resource to assist you in sharing the gospel and answering tough questions about Christianity.  Please take a moment and look at the website:
https://www.truelife.org/

Study Questions for Sunday Nov. 1st


Day 1  Read Acts 1:1-8

 

1.      Why did the apostles remain in Jerusalem?

 

2.      What was Jesus’ response to the apostle’s question?

 

 

Day 2  Read Luke 24:44-53

1.      What did the apostles witness?  What are these things (v48)?

 

 

Day 3 Read Matthew 28:18-20

1.      What did Jesus command the disciples to do?

 

 

Day 4 Read Acts 1:4-8

1.      Where did the apostles receive the power to complete the task Jesus ask then to do?

 

 

Day 5 Read Acts 1:8-11

1.      How can you obey Jesus’ commands in this passage?

Friday, October 16, 2015

The Lord's Supper


 
Study Questions for Oct. 25th 2015
1st Corinthians 11:17-26

 
     Sunday October 25th we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a congregation.  In order to prepare our hearts for this ordinance we will examine 1st Corinthians 11:17-26.  In this passage the apostle Paul is rebuking the Corinthian Christians for their perversion of the communion meal.  In preparation of the sermon and the ordinance please read and reflect over these study questions. 

 

Day 1 Read: 1st Corinthians 11:17-22

1.      What is the Apostle Paul’s attitude toward the Christians at Corinth?

 

 

 

2.      How are these Christians distorting the Lord’s Supper?

 

 

 

Day 2 Read 1st Corinthians 11:23-26

1.      Why should Christians observe the Lord’s Supper?

 

 

 

2.      What is one result of observing the Lord’s Supper (v26)?

 

 

 

Day 3 Read 1st Corinthians 11:25 and Matthew 26:26-56

1.      What is the significance of the new covenant?

 

 

 

Day 4 Read 1st Corinthians 11:27-29

1.      How does this warning affect the way you prepare your heart for the Lord’s Supper?

 

 

 

Day 5 Read Matthew 27:32-56

1.      Read and think about Matthew 27:32-56; write down any thoughts you have regarding this passage.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Ruth Chapter 3 Study Questions


The Perfect Redeemer

Ruth 3

 

 

Day 1

Read Ruth 1-5

1.      Why is Naomi’s request risky for both Ruth and Boaz?

 

Day 2

Read Ruth 3:6-18

1.      Why does Ruth go to Boaz?

 

Day 3

Read Ruth 3:11-15

1.      What is Boaz’s opinion of Ruth?

 

Day 4

Read Ruth 3:6-10

1.      Where is the phrase “under the wings…” elsewhere mentioned in Ruth.

 

Day 5

Read Ruth 3:11-18

1.      How does Boaz respond to Ruth’s request?

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Ruth Chapter 2


Under the Wings of God
Ruth 2


Day 1 Read: Ruth 2:1-3

1.      Describe Boaz’s character and how he is related to Naomi. 




2.      Describe how this passage displays God’s provision (Read Leviticus 19:9).




Day 2  Read: Ruth 2:1-8

3.      How did Ruth end up in the field of Boaz?




Day 3  Read: Ruth 2:4-18

4.      Describe Boaz’s treatment of Ruth.




5.      Why does Boaz treat Ruth this way?




Day 4  Read: Ruth 2:10-13

6.      What is Ruth’s reaction to Boaz’s treatment?




7.      How does Boaz represent Jesus?





Day 5  Read Ruth 2:19-23

8.      How is Naomi’s attitude different than it was at the end of the chapter one?





9.      Do you have any questions or comments about this chapter?

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Ruth and the Kinsman Redeemer



This Sunday we will begin making our way through the book of Ruth.  Each week I will be handing out a daily bible study guide in order for you to prepare for the upcoming sermon.  Below is the study guide for this Sunday. 

 
The Doubt of God’s People and the Faith of a Foreigner

Ruth 1

 

 

Day 1

Read: Ruth 1:1-5

1.     Describe the time in which Elimelech and his family lived (Judges 21:25).

 

 

 

 

2.     How did Elimelech’s sons disobey God (Deuteronomy 23.3)?

 

 

 

 

Day 2

Read: Ruth 1:6-17

1.     Who does Naomi blame for her suffering?

 

 

 

2.     Who does Ruth claim as her God?

 

 

 

 

Day 3

Read: 1:18-22

1.     Why is Naomi bitter?

 

 

 

 

2.     What changes in Bethlehem in this passage (from the beginning to the end)?   

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Here is an article by Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which will help you think through the issues. 



http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/09/03/in-this-world-you-will-have-trouble-welcome-to-rowan-county/

Friday, August 28, 2015

How did Christian slave owners justify slavery?



 Last week, while preaching from Ephesians 6:5-9, I mentioned that the New Testament does not endorse slavery. I also promised to publish a blog post addressing this issue in detail. I have not been able to finish the post, but I should be able to publish it by the end of next week. This short video by Susan Wise Bauer (College of William and Mary) addresses the misunderstanding many have regarding Christianity and Slavery. Basically her thesis is: Yes, some "Christians" in the American south used the NT to condone slavery, but this was an abuse of Scripture.


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

A Church Worth Remembering

     This past Sunday I mentioned the reality that several of the churches we read about in the NT had many problems.  These churches were made up of redeemed, but imperfect people.  These churches were not immune to conflict, dissatisfaction, gossip, and/or heresy.  It was several of these issues which promoted the apostle Paul to write letters to the NT churches.  And while we recognize that these churches were not perfect there are several characteristics of these churches we should emulate.  We discussed three of these this past Sunday from 1 Thess. 1.2-3. 

1. Genuine Faith Produces Work
     The church at Thessalonica was an active church, and their activity was motivated by their faith.  In James chapter 2 we read about a possible scenario of two people coming into an assembly of Christians: one rich and another poor.  If we pay closer attention to the rich and give her the best seat in the house then we have misjudged the individuals and the situation.  We are tempted to serve those who can "pay us back" or serve us also.  This is the "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" mentality.  In contrast to this mindset, true faith produces within us a work or activity that is not-partial to people around us, because we realize that the Lord is the one who rewards us (Matt. 6).  Our reward does not come from the rich person.  This is a faith which work and serves God, because we trust Him, and know that He is good.  This is a faith which trusts Christ alone for salvation.

II. Genuine Love Serves Others
     For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son...  God's love motivated him to give sacrificially, and this is a mark of true love.  We say we love others, but I hope our actions match our words. 
     John reminds us in 1st John 3
16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him?
18 Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action. 19 This is how we will know we belong to the truth and will convince our conscience in His presence, 20 even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.

III. Genuine Hope Produces Steadfastness
     The Christians at Thessalonica experienced persecution and suffering, yet their hope in Christ produced endurance in the midst of this suffering.  They were confident that Christ would return for his church and He would be victorious (1:10).  When we lose sight of the coming of Christ or our eternal reward then we will waver in our faith when we face suffering.  Only this rock solid hope in Christ will produce within us the endurance to stand in the face of suffering.  May we cling to this hope!
    
    

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Resources for the Family

     This Sunday I mentioned the importance of raising our children up in the nourishment and instruction of the Lord.  This happens informally (teachable moments) and formally (structure training times). 
     How do we do this?  I've listed a few tools which should point you in the right direction.  Please don't hesitate to ask for more resources! 


http://www.shepherdingtheheart.org/
     This is a good website with articles and videos.

Shepherding a Childs Heart by Tedd Tripp
     This is excellent resource to understand the vision and practical details     of Biblical parenting.

Don't Make Me Court to Three by Ginger Plowman
     This excellent little book gives practical suggestions based on Shepherding a Child's Heart.

Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead their Homes by Voddie Baucham Jr. 
     This is a great book for fathers regarding the calling of Biblical leadership with practical insights. 

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
     This is a great devotional book designed to help smaller children understand to the Great Story of the Bible.  Adults will enjoy it also!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Technology and Translation

     Even though personal computers and much of the technology associated with them are relatively new it is hard to image life without these tools.  However, it is important to remember that technology is a tool, and not the answer to many problems we face.  Tools help us solve problems and make our work easier, yet at times they create other problems and make our work more difficult when they do not work properly.  We will never be able (nor should we want to) to take the human/ personal element out of our work.  This is very much the case regarding the work of Bible translation. 
     During the past week we has discussed the importance of translating the Bible for the many people around the world who do not have access to the Word of God, and we have explored how Wycliffe Bible Translators are addressing this need.  Wycliffe works one on one with native speakers in order to accomplish this task, and therefore the need for trained and gifted personal is vital to the work.  A recent post on Wycliffe's website reminds us of this need and the complexities of this vital work.

https://www.wycliffe.org/stories/details/wycliffe-101-why-not-just-use-google-translate?utm_source=pardot&utm_medium=enews&utm_campaign=07SRV

Friday, July 17, 2015

What does the Bible Teach Us About the Family?

     We have finally made it to Ephesians 5:22 where the Apostle Paul turns his attention to the family.  These instructions to the wife and husband are hard to digest for many people in our culture, including Christians.  This is because so much of what we believe derives not from the Bible, but by the culture.  For the next three weeks we will be discussing Paul's instructions to the family, and how fulfilling God's design is for us.  Since our culture is so confused on the definition of a family this is a much needed word to our church. 
     There is so much I am not able to address in three weeks, so I have attached a article which gives a general survey concerning the Bible's teachings on the family.  It was written by Andreas Kostenberger who teaches at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/FRC-The-Bibles-Teaching-on-Marriage-and-the-Family.pdf

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Baptist Men Challenge

     We had a wonderful time of fellowship at the Baptist Men's Breakfast this past Saturday.  During our devotional time we read 1 Timothy 2

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

     While thinking about these verses I gave the men three challenges. 

1. Pray for our government. 
Even if we do not agree with our government officials we should be praying for them.  First, pray for their salvation, and secondly pray that they would receive the wisdom from God in order to make tough decisions regarding our country.

2. Pray for the church. 
The majority of the American church seems to be asleep as moral issues in our country deteriorate.  Pray that the church was wake up and stand up for our convictions.  Also, pray that we would respond biblically (with conviction, yet with grace) to our culture.

3. Prayer for unbelievers. I challenged the men to begin praying that the Lord would lead them to one person for whom they would begin praying and reaching out to share the gospel.  It is our hope that one year from this date, every man present will have shared their faith at least one time.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Formation of the New Testament Canon

     During our discussion last night I mentioned an essay I wrote about a month ago regarding the formation of the New Testament.  I have posted it here for those who might be interested in the more technical issue.  A disclaimer: I did not originally write this essay for this blog, and it is at times very dense.  I quickly prepared it for the blog this morning, so please excuse any typos.  Most of the facts are a summary of a discussion in the New Testament introduction, The Cradle, The Cross, and The Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament  by Kostenberger, Kellum, and Quarles.  A few definitions are in order:
Canon- a Greek word meaning measuring rod or bar.  Within the discussion of Christianity it refers to the collection of books regarded as Scripture.
OT- Old Testament
NT- New Testament
Eusebius- (A.D. 260- 340) 3rd century church historian.
Athanasius- 4th century bishop of Alexandria

Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

-----------
     Understanding the formation of the New Testament canon is a theological and historical investigation which addresses the acceptance and inclusion of a selected body of literature which comprise the teachings of Jesus and His apostles.  The theological aspect addresses the nature and criteria of the books included into the NT.  The historical aspect traces the acceptance of this fixed group of books throughout church history, and attempts to understand both the reason and the criteria which marked the books included.  The discussion concerning the formation of the NT canon has continued to stir much debate as scholars examine, sift, and interpret the data concerning the first few centuries following the life of the apostles.  The theological debate focuses on if the writings included in the NT should be considered the very words of God, and therefore are included in the NT while others writings are excluded (such as the Gospel of Thomas, etc.).  The historical debate examines the timeline of the ‘closing’ of the canon in an attempt to understand why and when certain books were included and others excluded. 
     In their introduction to the New Testament Kostenberger, Kellum, and Quarles[i] describe the traditional evangelical view as one which values God’s role in the formation of the canon.  In this view Scripture is considered to be inspired by God, and therefore the words of Scripture are His words.  The church’s role in the formation of the NT was not the creation of the NT, but the recognition of those works which were inspired by God.  Therefore, the final authority is not found in the church, but it is found in the very words of God (Scripture). 
     Several passages of the NT implies other NT writings are Scripture on par with the OT.  1st Timothy 5:18 states, “For the Scripture says, ‘You must not muzzle an ox that is threshing grain,’ and ‘the laborer is worthy of his wages.’”  While 1st Timothy quotes from Deut. 25.4 it mentions a quote which is identical to Luke 10.7.  Therefore, it is highly likely that the author of 1st Timothy considered the Gospel of Luke as Scripture equal with Deuteronomy.  Another passage includes Peter’s comment about the apostle Paul’s writings in 2 Peter 3.15-16:  “…as also in all of his epistles, speaking of them of these things, in which some things are hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”  This supports the traditional understanding that the works included in the New Testament were viewed by the church as inspired in the same fashion as the OT. 
     The Cradle, Cross, and the Crown (see endnote below) quotes Geisler and Nix who describe five factors which lead the canonization of the NT.  The first is the prophetic nature of the NT books.  Since the NT books were prophetic they were intrinsically valuable and worthy of preservation.  Secondly, there was lacking a selected list of authoritative books, and therefore a selection process was required.  The third stimuli stems from a response to heretical challenges which denied apostolic works and/or included pseudepigraphical works.  Fourthly, missionary outreach necessitated a decision concerning which books should be translated into Syriac and Latin.  The final stimuli involved the persecution of the early church.  Since the edict of Diocletian in 303 ordered all the sacred books of the Christians to be burned, the early church needed to decide which books were worthy of preservation.       
     As stated earlier, the church’s role in the canonization process involves the identification and confirmation of authoritative Scripture and not the creation of the NT canon.  In order to recognize which writings were divinely inspired four major criteria were used.  The first was apostolicity which involved a direct or indirect association with an apostle.  The second was orthodoxy which compared the writing with the “church’s rule of faith.”  The third determined a writing’s antiquity or if the work was produced during the apostolic era.  The final criteria investigated the degree of ecclesiastical usage of a certain work.  Although this was not a list of exact criteria the church used to determine canonicity these categories were compared and contrasted in order to determine which books deserved a place among the NT canon.  
     While this was largely the criteria used by the church to determine the books which reflected divine inspiration, there was some debate regarding several books.  Eusebius categorized the books of the NT three ways.  First, were those writing which were commonly recognized as Scripture.  These included the four Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, 1st John, 1st Peter, and Revelation.  The second category included books which were questioned by some, but were accepted by most.  These included James, Jude, 2nd Peter, and 2nd-3rd John.  Eusebius’ final category consisted of spurious books which may have been accepted by some, but were now rejected.   Several of these works included literature such as the Acts of Paul, Shepherd of Hermas, the Revelation of Peter, and the Epistle of Barnabas.
     Several church councils dealt with the canon of the NT.  The three which officially addressed the issue were the Council of Laodicea (363), the 2nd Council of Hippo Regius (393), and the Council of Carthage (397).   A list which describes the books discussed and affirmed at the Council of Laodicea include all the books of the present NT except Revelation.  The 2nd Council of Hippos Regius in North Africa affirmed all 27 books of the present NT.   The last council, the council of Carthage read the affirmations of previous councils and repeated them.  There seems to be little debate within the councils concerning the inclusion or exclusion of certain books. 
     Other lists concerning the writings of the NT canon are found in the works of individuals such as Athanasius (296-373).  The bishop of Alexandria, included in his Easter letter of A.D.367 the same 27 books included in the NT.  Irenaeus, the second century bishop of Gaul, argues for and assumes that the canon included the four Gospels.  In his book which addresses modern conspiracy theories of the canon, C.E. Hill, mentions that many scholars attacked Irenaeus because his views of the four Gospels seem two mature and advanced for the 2nd century.  Another important canonical list is the Muratorian Canon, which the bears the name of it discoverer in the 18th century.  This is a fragment of a 2nd century work which includes a list of at least 22 books considered at the time to be Scripture.
     The concept of canonicity has endured much recent attention among scholars.  The discussion addresses questions such as who decided which books should be included in the NT, and at what time did they decide this?  With the discovery of the Gospel of Judas and other gnostic writings these two question have revived with new intensity and vigor.  Scholars such as Elaine Pagels and Bart Erdman argue that the books included in the NT reflect one flavor of Christianity which won out and claimed orthodoxy.  They believe the NT canon was in flux as late as the fourth century. 
     There are reasonable critiques to these interpretations by modern scholars.  Kostenberger, Kellum, and Quarles argues that the Muratorian Canon is considered by many to be a 2nd century list of canonical books which indicated the agreement of NT books much earlier than Erdman proposes.  It is also important to remember that the absence of terminology does not indicate the absence of a concept.  Therefore, the absence of the term canon in earlier writing does not indicate the absence this concept.  This argument from silence has no proof to support its claim. 
     Several scholars argue the presence and popularity of unorthodox writings indicates that there was little agreement concerning the NT canon in the early church.  However, if there were no record of dissenting voices among the early church, then scholars would have more reason to be suspect.  It is natural to expect some dissenting from the church and therefore, their presence argues against the Erdman thesis.  C.E. Hill has also argued that one should be careful drawing conclusions based on manuscript evidence.  Since most ancient manuscripts are the result of random discoveries of limited archaeological sites we must not assume the findings of these sites are universal.  Scholars should tread lightly in making unsupported limited claims.
     The canonical discussion is a complex and difficult issue.  While there are different interpretations of the evidence the most consistent and conservative position seems to be the traditional evangelical view- That God spoke through men and has given to His church a wonderful and trustworthy NT. 

 




[i] Andreas Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum, Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle,, The Cross, and the Crown.  B&H Academic, 2009.